Friday, September 11, 2020

	W-L	GB
Miami	20-19		Lead Giants by .002
GIANTS	23-22		Must split this series
Colorado	20-23	2	Angels in town
Milwaukee	19-22	2	Cubs can fatten their lead
New York	20-24	2 1/2	"Niagara Falls!---"
Cincinnati	19-25	3 1/2	Killer loss at Wrigley Field

Yesterday

Giants lost the opener at San Diego, 6-1.

Miami defeated Philadelphia with a walk-off hit in the ninth, 7-6.

Cincinnati lost at Chicago. The rest of the field was idle. 

Today

Giants at San Diego; 6:10 PM PDT. Johnny Cueto goes up against Garrett Richards, who five years ago looked to be one of the next Great Young Pitchers. Then a series of injuries derailed his career and he hasn't been the same since. Nor have the Angels, for whom he then pitched. He's now 32, and we wish him all the success in the world-- next week.

Miami hosts Philadelphia. The Rockies welcome those same Angels. Milwaukee has the division-leading Cubs at home. New York is in Buffalo to play the homeless Blue Jays, and Cincinnati, fighting for their lives, have a tough row to hoe at division rival St Louis.   

Last Night's Game

It was a rather perfunctory affair compared to the growing excitement that's accompanied the Giants' recent surge. Donovan (3-for-4) Solano and Wilmer Flores (home run, double), accounted for what offense there was, counterbalanced by three ground-ball double plays. Drew Smyly, who relieved the ineffective Trevor Cahill, pitched four innings, striking out eight while allowing one earned run (and one unearned). It seems clear from here that Cahill is not right and probably needs the IL; Smyly would seem a logical choice to replace him. San Diego, meanwhile, divvied up the pitching among seven guys. It was 4-1 after three and just sort of muddled along from there.

They're all big this time of year, but having lost the opener, it's imperative the Ginats answer back tonight and banish all thought of a disastrous sweep. Johnny Cueto's two most recent starts, both against Arizona, have been good. He hasn't had an assignment like this since Game One of the 2016 NLDS; it's time to step up.  

Yesterday the Giants parted ways with Pablo Sandoval, whom they first signed as a 17-year-old kid in 2003, and whose heroics are an indelible part of Giants history.  He has three rings. He had what may have been the biggest hit of the 2010 NLCS after a season of disappointment. He was the MVP of the 2012 World Series, tying one of the all-time Series records with three home runs in Game One. He caught the popup that clinched the 2014 World Series with Madison Bumgarner on the mound and the tying run on third. Less remembered, perhaps, is that Sandoval had 12 hits and a .429 average in that Series, and if not for "Bum" he would have been a Series MVP candidate. (Oddly enough, Hunter Pence also had 12 hits in that Series. Pence, too, was sadly given his release earlier this year.)  

Pable Sandoval was also the Giants' MVP in 2009 when he alone seemed to carry that undernourished offense into contention-- .330, 25 homers, 90 RBI, .943 OPS. He had another big year in 2011, trying to make up for Buster Posey's season-ending injury. After that he settled in to a solid groove for three years, with those magnificent postseason flourishes. Beloved as the "Kung Fu Panda" by Giants fans, he then shocked us all by signing a mega-deal with Boston for 2015; at least one Bay Area DJ reportedly had Steve Miller's "Take the Money and Run" on nonstop play after the news came in. 

Never svelte, but still a fine athlete and agile in the field as a Giant, Sandoval in Boston came to epitomize the nouveau-riche lazy ballplayer. His weight went way up, his stats went way down, injuries followed, and after two years of this the Red Sox cut him loose early in 2017, swallowing the money rather than letting him take up a lineup spot.  Bobby Evans immediately signed him for the minimum, and in the midst of the Giants' worst season in thirty years it seemed like yet another grim joke to be played on the fans. Howls of "Traitor!" came from the stands as well as from social media.  But over the next two years, the Panda quietly rehabilitated himself as a super-utility player, pinch-hitter, and even a pitcher! Last year he put up a 1.5 WAR in 296 at-bats with a .820 OPS. He was all the way back, not just in our hearts but on the field. 

His second San Francisco farewell has been gracious, humble, and classy. He knew it was getting to be time to go, and when the team signed Justin Smoak last week, the message was clear.  The longest-tenured San Francisco Giant will be missed by all  who favor the orange and black, for his irrepressible spirit, his winning attitude, and the historic moments where he rose to the occasion on baseball's biggest stage. Vaya con Dios, Pablo Sandoval.

About a year after we fled California and established in Virginia, we took a drive up near Shanksville, Penmnsylvania, to visit the Flight 93 Memorial Park. If you haven't been there, this is a good time to go. You have to drive, which keeps you away from crowds, and except for days like today, it's rarely crowded. And it is open every day.  There will be a lot of 9-11 memorial activity next year, so between now and then consider a quiet contemplative visit to this place of honor. And consider those "ordinary people" who made a heroic stand worthy of the greatest warriors. Would you-- would I-- summon up such courage in similar circumstance? These are the questions that come to mind on this tragic anniversary.  God bless America.