2012: That Was the Year That Was

An old baseball proverb reads, "The journey to a World Series championship begins with 162 steps."  As we bask in the glow of the Giants' second world title in three years, let's review the often-frustrating, sometimes-encouraging, always-fascinating regular season as it unwound from April to October, with random day-by-day observations, as we saw it....


April 
Giants score 7 in 4th-- and still lose big... Cain opens 'Bell with near-perfect one-hit shutout... Jints win on bases-loaded error in bottom of the ninth... Lincecum's first-inning troubles continue... Classic pitchers' duel won in bottom of 11th!... Shorthanded Giants throw it away in ninth... Giant bats wave feebly against Latos... Bumbling bullpen betrays Zito's effort... Lincecum finally pitches like-- well, Lincecum... Bumgarner superb, wins fourth straight...

May
Jints strand four runners on third base... Disaster: Giants swept, Sandoval breaks hand... 'Zona keeps whammy on 'Bum', Giants... Lincecum sharper, but needs a “duller” bullpen... Bumgarner bats 8th, but Jints still don't score... You get nine walks, you better win the game... Vogelsong's brilliant one-hit shutout... Sanchez' blast in 14th ends the stalemate... Giants' defensive struggles cost them again...

June
Cain emulates Mathewson in 1912 uniform... Rangers wish they'd done this 2 years ago... Bumgarner: 12 K, 0 BB-- and first big-league HR... MATT CAIN'S HISTORIC PERFECT GAME!... Lincecum's homecoming a most unhappy one... Cain imperfect but earns ninth win... Snakebit Giants stung by the walk-off... Lincecum! Shutout! Sweep! Tied for first!... Bum's one-hitter: fourth straight shutout, first place!

July
Eleven left on base and a game-losing error... Blanco's bunt wins a wild one in 10th... Nate leads off, hits 2, but SF falls in 12... Posey continues tear with 3 hits, HR, 4 RBI... Lincecum takes another beating-- EEEEEE!... Kershaw finishes off Jints for LA sweep...

August
Can Pence's bat help 'Hitless Wonders'? ... SF clinging to lead after 'Homestand from Hell'... Recent pickup Scutaro leads rout with 7 RBI... Lincecum strong, but Giants weak... Cabrera PED-suspended for rest of season!... How can you give up two runs and get a 'hold'?... Vogelsong pecked to death, sweep bid fails... Pagan's 4 hits lead fifth straight win... Six relievers shine over seven innings... Giants conclude 18-11 August; 30 games left... 

September and October
Giants rally in 8th, tie it in 9th, win it in 10th... Cain wild-pitches the lead away... Zito, Giants send 'em packin'-- woohoo!... Pence's grand slam stakes Cain's 14th win... Sandoval's big night stakes Cain's 15th win... Panda belts homers from both sides of plate... It's all over: Giants clinch the NL West!... Zito wins 15th as Giants eliminate LA... Here come the Reds to open the postseason!






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