He crushed a 3-run shot off Clay Buchholz to help Trenton take a 2-0 lead in their best of 5 series. They now move to Portland as Jason Jones goes against Ryne Lawson.
- Girardi waited too long. He should have started Aceves last night. I think most of us wanted that even before Rasner got rocked. Aceves may have cemented his status in the rotation with five solid innings (of one run ball). And how in the hell can Ponson still be starting Saturday night? Phil Hughes is set to start tomorrow for Scranton. Wouldn't it make more sense to fly him to Seattle?
- Big Blue started their title defense with a win against Washington. It was great to see Michael Strahan emerge from the giant Lombardi Trophy to ring in the new season.
The Giants looked as good as they did in the playoffs for the first 28 minutes, then allowed the Skins to score a last minute touchdown, putting somewhat of a damper on the night. Neither team scored in the second half, so the Giants held on for a 16-7 victory. They need to improve their red zone offense; after their initial score, they had to settle for field goals on consecutive drives into the red zone.
When Robbins and Kiwanuka got hurt, I held my breath. Losing Strahan and Osi is enough to put a hurt on the defense, but to lose either of those guys too would be debilitating. Robbins is probably the most underrated player on the Giants. Kiwanuka also had a solid game, especially against the run, something he hasn't proven he can play in the past. Not to be outdone was Corey Webster, who played a stellar game - perhaps his playoff performance was indeed the new Corey Webster. He had three pass deflections.
Plaxico Burress should also get a mention, as he tied a career high with 10 catches (for 133 yards) just hours after signing a 5-year, $35 million extension. He certainly played like it.
Big J played like a pro-bowler, gaining 116 yards on just 21 carries. He steamrolled at least two Skins in the process. Ward did a great job when he gave Jacobs a rest (nine carries, 39 yards), but I was disappointed that Bradshaw didn't get a single carry.
Eli was... eh. Only completed 54% of his passes and threw an interception (with no passing touchdowns). He did do a good job of spreading the ball, hitting seven different receivers.
The kick coverage, tight ends and Eli need to improve. Other than that, a very sound game.