They struggled to score runs, even more than in 2010. They struggled to stay healthy, from their franchise player, Buster Posey, to their closer Brian Wilson.

As the Giants head into the 2012 season, though, they’ve solved at least one of those problems. They’ve gotten healthier. Part of that was proven when Brian Wilson came into spring camp over the weekend and threw without pain.

After an incredible year in 2010, in which he posted a 1.81 ERA and notched 48 saves, Wilson fell off quite a bit in 2011, mostly due to his lack of healthy. His ERA jumped to 3.11 and his WHIP jumped from 1.18 in 2010 to almost 1.5 in 2010.

His health limited Wilson to nearly 20 less innings last season, falling from almost 75 in ’10 to just 55 last season. Not only was he dealing with elbow pain, but also had issues with his hip and back. That limited his appearances and already has him doing limited work this spring.

For at least the rest of the month, Wilson is not going to be throwing everyday. There’s very little doubt he’ll be ready for the ninth inning on Opening Day, but the Giants are going to be very careful with Wilson this spring. He’ll throw every couple of days and will throw in at least some of the Giants’ exhibition games in Arizona next month.

Obviously, Wilson’s health is a big plus for the Giants. If he’s as healthy as he is expected to be when the season gets underway, that’s a huge plus for the Giants. One can only hope, however, that his issues last season don’t turn into the nagging variety.

But as long as Wilson remains on schedule this spring, and the Giants continue to take it slow with him prior to the regular season opening up, it could be time to, once again, Fear the Beard.

If Lincecum is willing to turn down $100 million from the Giants, is he seeking greener pastures, or, instead, just trying to make sure he gets what he believes to be due value given the current pitching market.

At this point, it’s somewhat difficult to know for sure. If the Giants intend on keeping Lincecum, it’s obvious they will have to open the pocketbooks on a precedent-setting, long-term deal soon, or run the risk of having to negotiate an astronomical arbitration with Lincecum in the 2013 off-season.

From a business perspective, the Giants certainly would be better served to lock-up Lincecum to an extension now, rather than run the risk of arbitration proceedings, but this type of deal requires the interest of both parties involved.

If Tim Lincecum has it in mind to test the open waters when he becomes a free agent in 2013, he may do so no matter what the Giants bring to the table.

Such desires can often be subverted, however, if the right money is brought to the table. Will the Giants’ brass be willing to put all their eggs in one basket with Lincecum, and present him with a multi-year deal worth well into the nine figures and risk future free-agent acquisitions?

Pitching goes a long way toward winning championships, and the Giants have had a taste of what it can do in their specific situation. Whether or not they will roll the dice long-term on Lincecum is one of the most difficult decisions made by the team in quite some time.

I’m giving the San Francisco Giants an official grade of….F.

Why Brett? Why would you do that? It’s simple. Beltran has gotten hurt (not a surprise), and is more or less a non factor in the middle of a bad line up. Seeing as they traded for him to provide stability in a bad lineup- not doing that has cost the Giants. When Tim Linecum has what…12 losses with an ERA under 3.30- that’s a problem. That’s one reason.

Another reason is he won’t be resigned. The fact that he’s a two month rental- it was insanely important that Beltran come over and hit to get the Giants to the postseason. He’s failed- and frankly…I don’t think Arizona blows it’s lead. Not when Daniel Hudson and Ian Kennedy have pitched as well as they’ve had this year.

The third reason? They traded their best pitching prospect. This is going to go down as one of the worst deals GM Brian Sabean has made. Dealing top prospect Zach Wheeler- whom some scouts have said has the best stuff in the entire minor leagues, for a two month, injury plauged rent-an-outfielder. I still have no idea why they made the trade. Even now. The fact that all my predictions came true? Has to be a scary feeling for the defending champs on the verge of getting bounced prior to October. They should have moved on Hunter Pence using Wheeler- at least he wouldn’t be a rental.

This trade could go down as one of the worst trades in recent memory for the San Francisco Giants and that’s why they receive an F.

The injury prone Beltran has missed multiple games in a row with a wrist injury and the Giants are finally now looking at sending him to the DL. Well what a surprise. A guy whose been hurt for the better part of 3 years- is hurt again. Worth your top prospect? Hardly.

It was a bad deal the second it went through, and now this is putting the nail in that coffin. You don’t trade your top prospect for a 2 month rental guy. If Tim Linececum leaves the bay area- and Zach Wheeler is as good as everyone is predicting for the Mets…this trade could go down as one of the worst in Giants history. Yikes.

Losses often prompt fans and analysts to assign blame — sometimes appropriately, often unfairly. But in this game, on whose shoulders should the bulk of the blame lie — if anyone’s?

The Scenario: The bottom of the ninth started with Brian Wilson on the mound and the Giants leading 4-2; it ended in a 5-4 victory for the Braves.

How they got there:

The Braves scored a run apiece in the first and second.

Brian McCann put Atlanta on the board with a two-out solo home run. Jose Constanza extended the lead with an RBI single to left, scoring Freddie Freeman and advancing Alex Gonzalez to third. The Braves actually had two runners in scoring position because an error by Brandon Belt allowed Constanza to go to second.

The Giants tied things up with two runs in the fourth, despite going hitless in the frame.

Aubrey Huff got on when Michael Bourn could not catch the line drive off his bat. Nate Schierholtz got walked. Belt was hit by a pitch, and the bases were loaded. Orlando Cabrera and Eli Whiteside hit back-to-back sacrifice flies.

A run each in the sixth and eighth put San Francisco up by two.

Nate Schierholtz hit a leadoff homer to make the score 3-2. A leadoff shot by Mike Fontenot bumped the score up to 4-2.

Side Note: Fontenot entered the game in the bottom of the first because Pablo Sandoval had to come out after fouling a ball hard off his foot in the top half of the inning.

How the bottom of the ninth played out:

Constanza opened the inning with a grounder misplayed by Orlando Cabrera that went for a single. Pinch-hitter Eric Hinske got walked and was replaced by Julio Lugo. Constanza and Lugo both moved up to 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt by Bourn.

Martin Prado got Atlanta within one as he singled Constanza home. Two batters later, Freddie Freeman singled to drive in the tying and winning runs.

So, to whom shall the wagging fingers point?

The Suspects:

• Brian Wilson: He was on the mound. He’s the pitcher. He’s the closer — its his responsibility to make sure the Giants win games like this. But he walked two and gave up three hits and three runs.
• Sub-Suspect: Wilson’s back — Santiago Casilla, Jeremy Affeldt and Ramon Ramirez pitched the ninth inning of Sunday’s 5-2 win over the Florida Marlins because Wilson was unavailable with tightness in his back. It was said he was fine physically, but maybe he wasn’t completely and that hindered his pitching.
• Orlando Cabrera: While he was not directly responsible for all the hits, walks and runs, he helped the Braves get things going. Had he fielded Constanza’s ground ball cleanly and gotten him out, that would have changed the complexion of the inning. Constanza reaching as he did to lead off instantly shifted the momentum to Atlanta. Plus, he scored the first run of the game. And, Freeman’s hit came with two outs. Had Constanza been retired, not only could he not have scored, neither could Lugo and Prado.
• Bruce Bochy: If he had reason to believe Wilson’s back was not 100 percent perhaps it was unwise to put him in the game. And even if Wilson had no physical issues, why leave him in when he was struggling with the game on the line? Wilson has certainly earned the right to try to get himself out of trouble but that does not mean there will not be those times when he needs to be bailed out.
• The Giants’ trainers: If Wilson’s back was anyway at fault for his performance, then they were the ones to deem him fit to play when he was not.

Did the Giants lose this game or did the Braves win it?

Have your say in the comments section below.

The series continues today at 4:10 p.m. PDT. Probable Pitchers: Jonathan Sanchez (4-7, 4.29) vs. Randall Delgado (0-1, 6.75)

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A home run by Mike Stanton gave Florida a 1-0 lead in the first.

All five of the Giants’ runs were scored via the long ball.

In the third, Cody Ross broke the Giants solo homer streak when he hit one out with Ryan Vogelsong on base after a one-out walk.

Nate Schierholtz led off the fourth with a home run of his own. In the first, he nearly knocked out a three-run shot, only to have the ball go just foul.

Brandon Belt hit two solo home runs, one in the sixth and one in the eighth.

The Marlins scored their second run in the eighth.

Bryan Petersen worked a leadoff walk. He came home on a two-out double by Emilio Bonifacio.

Vogelsong got the win. In 7.2 innings, he allowed four hits, two runs and two walks. He struck out eight.

At the plate, he got walked, hit by a pitch and scored a run. After getting hit, he slammed his bat down. Apparently, he felt the Marlins’ hurlers were throwing at him because he had pitches come up and in and at least almost hit him in all three plate appearances.

The only position player in the Giants starting lineup to not get a hit was Aaron Rowand.

The Giants will play the Atlanta Braves 4:00 p.m. PDT tomorrow at Turner Field.

Probable Pitchers: Madison Bumgarner (7-11, 3.53) vs. Tim Hudson (12-7, 3.18)

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Like yesterday, the Giants took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a solo home run. This time, it was hit by Jeff Keppinger for his first long ball with San Francisco.

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The shot pushes the Giants’ major league record solo homer streak to 21.

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Unlike yesterday, however, the Marlins did not score in the bottom of the first — or at all, for that matter.

That one run would have been enough for Lincecum and the San Francisco bullpen.

Lincecum earned his 11th win of the year. He went seven innings and allowed two singles, three walks and a hit batsman. He also recorded the 31st double-digit strikeout game of his career by fanning 10.

The first hit he allowed was an infield single to Emilio Bonifacio in the third. He did not surrender a clean knock until a Bryan Petersen base hit in the seventh.

Jeremy Affeldt and Brian Wilson each threw a scoreless inning to preserve the victory for Lincecum.

Though the one run would have been enough, the Giants did add on two more.

Nate Schierholtz led off the fifth with a double. He went to third on a throwing error by left fielder Logan Morrison. With one out and Aaron Rowand at the plate, Schierholtz scored on a wild pitch by Florida starter Javier Vazquez.

Schierholtz gets to third on a double, error

Cody Ross opened the sixth with a single. Two outs later, he moved to second on a wild pitch. Then, he scored on a double by Aubrey Huff.

Huff knocks an RBI double to left field

The series ends tomorrow at 10:10 a.m. PDT.

Probable Pitchers: Ryan Vogelsong (9-2, 2.48) vs. Chris Volstad (5-8, 5.58)

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All three runs scored in the game came in the first inning.

Pablo Sandoval actually gave the Giants an early lead with a two-out solo home run.

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But the lead quickly disappeared as Florida scored twice in the home half of the frame.

Alfredo Amezaga hit a one-out single. He came home on a triple by Logan Morrison. Morrison himself scored on a base hit by Mike Stanton.

Those two runs were plenty for Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco.

He went eight innings and allowed just six hits (five of which were singles) and one run. The only walk against him was an intentional pass. He also struck out four.

Giants starter Matt Cain threw a solid game.

He lasted six innings and gave up six hits, two runs, a walk and an intentional walk, while fanning four.

The series continues  tomorrow at 4:10 p.m. PDT.

Probable Pitchers: Tim Lincecum (10-9, 2.69) vs. Javier Vazquez (7-9, 4.72)

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With two outs and the bases empty, third baseman Pablo Sandoval dropped a Ricky Nolasco fastball in the seats.

It was the 20th time in a row a Giants home run came with no one base.

The last time a Giant hit a long ball to drive in someone besides himself was on July 6 against the San Diego Padres.

In the fourth, Nate Schierholtz hit a two-out homer with Sandoval on second.

It was also Schierholtz  who started this streak.

He led off the tenth inning of that same game with a walk-off shot.

The previous record of 19 had been set by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1914.

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The Giants scored half of their runs in the bottom of the eighth. Then, they escaped a 34-pitch ninth inning that saw the Pirates send six men to the plate and load the bases.

The  Giants did not get their first hit until the fourth, but it led to their fist run.

Jeff Keppinger led off with a double. After Pablo Sandoval got out, he scored on a double by Aubrey Huff.

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San Francisco’s next run came in the fifth in most memorable fashion.

Catcher Chris Stewart led off the inning with the first home run of his major league career.

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The Giants scored for once for the third straight inning with the run coming via the long ball for the second in a row.

After Sandoval struck out, Huff launched a ball over the right field wall to give San Francisco a 3-0 lead.

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The Giants doubled that lead with three runs in the eighth.

A leadoff strikeout by Keppinger was followed by back-to-back base hits by Sandoval and Huff.

Nate Schierholtz then grounded into a force out, but Sandoval was able to score.

Next, Cody Ross popped the ball into shallow left near foul ground, but it fell for a single. Schierholtz raced home and beat the throw. Catcher Ryan Doumit then tried to get Ross at second but threw the ball away, allowing him to advance to third.

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Ross scored on a single by Orlando Cabrera.

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Brian Wilson had been warming up, but with the game no longer in a save situation, Santiago Casilla was brought in to pitch the ninth.

Casilla threw 34 pitches, faced six batters and loaded the bases but got out of it with the shutout intact. Here is how the inning unfolded:

Ryan Ludwick popped out to Huff in foul territory after a five-pitch at-bat. Doumit got walked on six pitches. After eight pitches, Brandon Wood grounded into a force out.

Pinch-hitter Pedro Alvarez hit a grounder to Sandoval that should have gone for the third out. However, Sandoval committed his second error of the night to keep the game alive for Pittsburgh.

Another pinch-hitter came up; Steve Pearce got walked on six pitches, loading the bases.

Seven pitches later, Andrew McCutchen struck out swinging.

Huff finished a triple shy of the cycle. He went 3-for-4 with a double, home run, single, two RBIs and a run.

Madison Bumgarner earned his seventh win of the season. He went seven innings and gave up for hits, no runs and one walk, while striking out 10.

The series concludes today at 12:45 p.m. PDT.

Probable Pitchers: Jonathan Sanchez (4-6, 4.10) vs. Jeff Karstens (8-6, 3.05)

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