I started talking about “just enough runs” a year and a half ago and have been on KNBR to discuss it. The idea that – comparable to the Rockies park where they rely on scoring runs at altitude – we at AT&T know we have a pitchers park and rely on hits dying.

We know at AT&T that pitchers come to our park and get pumped. They have epic performances and match our pitchers and defense.

Last year on this blog, and with Marty, I proposed that the formula reads:

1. Starting Pitching Hangs in There, ‘Pen Holds

2. Score Just Enough Runs

3. Play Crisp Defense

4. Take Advantage of Opponents Mistakes

I used to add about the 4th one that many people perceive of us as “lucky” and “unlikely champions” – because when Hunter Pence’s bat shatters so precisely as to find it’s way out of reach of Pete Kozma, they call it luck.

Marty and I chatted about it, but he was dismissive, like, “Well, yeah …” (duh)

In the face of the Dodgers and their $235 million budget. smart acquisitions like Tim Hudson and Michael Morse serve to buttress what is essentially a pitching-based team. We like locking games down with pitching. For us, scoring runs is secondary. Runs we need, but pitching and defense we must achieve to survive.

Hence our attitude … we don’t need thirty runs … we need just. enough. There’s no point in going after one huge hitter and allowing his contract to suck up payroll for a year or two, forbid six.

just enough runs.

Tactical Giants skill set.

been sayin’ it.