29

 

LA                  85-49                        Give 'em credit-- they swept Braves

GIANTS        84-49       .5  GB      1993 all over again?  Noooo... 

San Diego      71-63      14  GB      Phils, Cards also in WC hunt.

Yesterday

Giants lost again to Milwaukee, 5-2, their fourth straight defeat.

LA won again with two in the eighth, 4-3, and swept Atlanta at home.

Today

Giants finish up with Milwaukee; 12:45 PDT. Logan Webb is tasked with stopping the skid, and who'd we rather have out there right now? Lefthander Eric Lauer opposes. 

Last Night's Game

Well, they got Anderson out of the game early, all right-- a line drive off his shoulder saw to that. But despite getting two on with one out in the first and again in the eighth, the Giants couldn't score in those innings and thus lost two chances to take charge of the ballgame. Milwaukee got two off Kevin Gausman in the top of the second-- his only bad inning in an otherwise solid performance; he struck out 7 over 5-- broke a tie with a key run in the seventh, and made it academic with two in the ninth ahead of Josh Hader's 29th save. The Giants had tied it in the fifth on doubles by Alex Dickerson (pinch-hitting for Gausman) and Kris Bryant, and a RBI single from Buster Posey, trying manfully to break out of his recent slump. That just made the seventh all the more excruciating, though. Two out, nobody on, and Dominic Leone walks Lorenzo Cain. Leone and Brandon Belt then had trouble covering first on Jackie Bradley's grounder; all hands safe. Gabe Kapler brought in Joe Alvarez to face lefty-hitting Jace Peterson. Alvarez has thrived in these pressure situations all year, but not this time. Peterson's clean single to left scored Cain with the run that decided the game.  

And so, after 94 consecutive days in first place going back to May 30, the Giants are looking up at LA. The countdown stands at 29.  And while memories of 1993 are all over the place this morning, let's remember that unlike then, the Giants have a clear shot into the postseason regardless, even if it means one extra game at home.  The weather's fine, but there's no reason to pack our bags and head out to Panic Beach.