LA 89-68 ... Greinke carries the torch tonight.
GIANTS 85-71 3 1/2 GB It took 13, but it was a huge win.
Pittsburgh 85-71 ... Second straight 1-0 shutout win..
GIANTS 85-71 ... Won't go quietly, if at all.
Milwaukee 80-76 5 GB Two more losses will end it.
Yesterday
Giants defeated LA, 5-2, in thirteen innings,
Pittsburgh defeated Atlanta, 1-0.
Milwaukee was idle.
Today
Giants at LA; 7:15 local time. The Big One. Madison Bumgarner versus Zack Greinke.
Pittsburgh is at Atlanta, Milwaukee at Cincinnati.
Last Night's Game
Gregor Blanco's leadoff homer was the only hit the Giants got off Dan Haren, but thanks to some sloppy LA fielding and Jake Peavy's bulldog toughness, it was sufficient to extend the affair into extra innings. The bats came alive then: nine hits in all from the tenth through the thirteenth against five of the eight Dodger pitchers employed by Don Mattingly. But all of them went to waste until Andrew Susac, pinch-hitting for wining pitcher Santiago Casilla, drilled a RBI single in the top of the thirteenth. Blanco-- and what a night he had-- followed with a double to right that scored two more runs before he himself was himself thrown out at third trying to stretch it. Hunter Strickland, a 23-year-old rookie callup, got through the bottom of the frame without incident for his first major-league save.
Blanco, whom we've excoriated as a leadoff hitter this year, did the job last night and then some. His drive to right in the third was misplayed into a three-base error by Matt Kemp, and he then scored the Giants' second run on a sweet little squeeze bunt by Joe Panik. When it became clear that the opening homer was the only hit the team was going to get against Haren, it became Peavy's mission to keep the game close until Haren was out of there. He did-- barely, as LA tied it in the fifth on a homer by Carl Crawford and a double by our old friend, Juan Uribe, who later scored on a sacrifice fly. But keep it close he did, allowing nothing more through seven. Then began perhaps the greatest bullpen performance of the season. Sergio Romo, Jean Machi, Casilla, and Strickland pitched six innings, eight through thirteen, and didn't allow a single baserunner-- no, not one. While the awakened Giants were pounding the LA corps and leaving men on base, these four kept that dangerous Dodger lineup on ice until the inevitable breakthrough. Hats off to those guys; they're as big a reason as any that tonight's game still matters.
Numbers Game
That excruciating sweep at San Diego means the Giants have to sweep this series or the division is lost. Taking the first step last night was huge, and with "Bum" on the hill tonight, things can really get exciting. Of course, "Cy" Kershaw waits in the wings for the finale, and the situation is dire enough that taking two of three in Dodger Stadium, normally cause for celebration, would leave us right where we are now, three and a half back-- but with only four games to play. The Dodgers would need to lose all three weekend games at Colorado while the Giants would need to sweep San Diego, four straight, at home just to tie and force a playoff. That's how pretty LA is sitting. They only need one win here to essentially clinch the thing. That's how much the San Diego disaster has cost the Giants.
On the wild-card side, things are looking up with each win. Milwaukee really can't afford to lose at all, and the issue now is whether Pittsburgh or the Giants will get home field for that one-game showdown., The Buccos have three more at Turner Field before finishing the season on the road at Cincinnati. The Reds, who are hosting the Brewers in the first of three tonight, thus have a matchless opportunity to be spoilers for two teams-- both of them division rivals.
The NL wild-card showdown is scheduled for next Tuesday. Looking down the road, the Giants have a decision to make regarding who starts Wednesday. Will it be Tim Hudson, Tim Lincecum, or a surprise starter from among the September callups? Yusmeiro Petit and Ryan Vogelsong open the San Diego series at home, with Peavy and Bumgarner, for now, scheduled to conclude it. That would leave the wild-card starting spot wide, wide open-- at the moment. Of course, if things are settled prior to Sunday, Bruce Bochy could hold back Bumgarner for the Pirates. But given the way this nutball season has gone, who would expect things to be "settled" any time at all?
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Monday, September 22, 2014
LA 89-67 ... Good hitting overcomes bad pitching.
GIANTS 84-71 4 1/2 GB Hitting?.... How's that again?
Pittsburgh 84-71 ... Won 3 of 4 to establish pole position.
GIANTS 84-71 ... Likely to qualify here, but then what?
Milwaukee 80-76 4 1/2 GB Two more losses will end it.
Yesterday
Giants lost to San Diego, 8-2, and were swept in the three-game series. Unbelievable.
LA defeated Chicago, 8-5, behind seven different pitchers.
Pittsburgh defeated Milwaukee, 1-0.
Today
Giants open a three-game series at LA that will determine whether the division "race" continues. Jake Peavy starts against Dan Haren. 7:15 PDT (10:15 EDT).
Pittsburgh is at Atlanta.
Milwaukee opens at Cincinnati tomorrow.
Yesterday's Game
A weird line for Ryan Vogelsong, who did not pitch badly but who saw everyone that got on base against him score, one way or another. It was 1-0 Pads entering the bottom of the sixth, and "Vogey" allowed two singles to open the frame, He then got the double-play ball he needed, but Pablo Sandoval made an error for the ages, a wild throw which loaded the bases and opened the floodgates. Evidently this unhinged Vogelsong sufficiently that Bruce Bochy immediately called upon Javier Lopez. The lefty did his job, sorta, getting the first out on a sac fly, but then compounded the problem with a walk that reloaded the sacks. George Kontos came in and got the second out, but also at cost-- a run-scoring slow grounder. Then came disaster: an intentional walk to load the bases (with two out? What were they thinking?) followed by Cameron Maybin's two-run single-- also known as "Goodnight and Goodbye!" Signs of life: Brandon Crawford, 2-for-4; 26-year-old rookie Chris Dominguez' first major-league homer, a two-run shot in the seventh that chased Ian Kennedy (like it mattered).
GIANTS 84-71 4 1/2 GB Hitting?.... How's that again?
Pittsburgh 84-71 ... Won 3 of 4 to establish pole position.
GIANTS 84-71 ... Likely to qualify here, but then what?
Milwaukee 80-76 4 1/2 GB Two more losses will end it.
Yesterday
Giants lost to San Diego, 8-2, and were swept in the three-game series. Unbelievable.
LA defeated Chicago, 8-5, behind seven different pitchers.
Pittsburgh defeated Milwaukee, 1-0.
Today
Giants open a three-game series at LA that will determine whether the division "race" continues. Jake Peavy starts against Dan Haren. 7:15 PDT (10:15 EDT).
Pittsburgh is at Atlanta.
Milwaukee opens at Cincinnati tomorrow.
Yesterday's Game
A weird line for Ryan Vogelsong, who did not pitch badly but who saw everyone that got on base against him score, one way or another. It was 1-0 Pads entering the bottom of the sixth, and "Vogey" allowed two singles to open the frame, He then got the double-play ball he needed, but Pablo Sandoval made an error for the ages, a wild throw which loaded the bases and opened the floodgates. Evidently this unhinged Vogelsong sufficiently that Bruce Bochy immediately called upon Javier Lopez. The lefty did his job, sorta, getting the first out on a sac fly, but then compounded the problem with a walk that reloaded the sacks. George Kontos came in and got the second out, but also at cost-- a run-scoring slow grounder. Then came disaster: an intentional walk to load the bases (with two out? What were they thinking?) followed by Cameron Maybin's two-run single-- also known as "Goodnight and Goodbye!" Signs of life: Brandon Crawford, 2-for-4; 26-year-old rookie Chris Dominguez' first major-league homer, a two-run shot in the seventh that chased Ian Kennedy (like it mattered).
Sunday, September 21, 2014
LA 88-67 ... Wrigley wind magnifies pitching woes.
GIANTS 84-70 3 1/2 GB Once again the bats are MIA until too late.
Pittsburgh 83-71 1 GB Status quo for leaders in both races.
Milwaukee 80-75 3 1/2 GB Shutout win keeps them alive.
Yesterday
Giants lost at San Diego, again, 3-2.
LA lost at Chicago, 8-7.
Milwaukee defeated Pittsburgh, 1-0.
Today
Giants finish up in San Diego; 1:10 PDT (4:10 EDT). Ryan Vogelsong, who pitched well his last time out, faces Ian Kennedy, the Padres' workhorse whose only start against the Giants this year was Tim Lincecum's no-hitter.
LA concludes the Chicago series with Jamey Wright, the well-traveled one-time Giant, making only his second start since leaving SF back in 2007. And we thought we were desperate...
Pittsburgh and Milwaukee finish up at PNC Park.
Last Night's Game
Once again the innings mounted and the hits didn't as the Giants snoozed their way through eight innings, making Andrew Cashner look like Cy Young. The big righty allowed only two hits while himself going 2-for-2 with a walk. For his part, Yusmeiro Petit did not pitch badly, allowing one unearned run until the sixth, when Rene Rivera's two-run double ended his night early. And once again the bullpen made a game of it-- fruitlessly, it seemed, until Hunter Pence opened the ninth with a booming home run, his 20th. Joe Panik then singled, chasing Cashner, and the tension rose as closer Kevin Quackenbush came in. Pablo Sandoval and Gregor Blanco singled around two outs, making it a one-run game. With men on first and third, Brandon Crawford got a 3-1 fastball and lined it directly at left fielder Seth Smith, and that's all she wrote.
Notes
The St Louis Cardinals won yesterday, extending their lead over Pittsburgh to three and a half. The Central and West division races are now in lockstep, with LA-SF one game better than the Cards-Pirates duo... No more off-days for the Giants until Monday the 29th, the day after the regular season ends. LA has a day of rest next Thursday, before their season-ending home series against Colorado... Both Angel Pagan and Michael Morse may miss the entire LA series. While the club has hung in there without Morse, losing Pagan is a killer blow. Hunter Pence does well in the leadoff spot, but no one is replacing Pagan's bat in the lineup. Bruce Bochy must consider starting Andrew Susac at catcher, Buster Posey at first, and Brandon Belt, though he's yet to hit a lick since returning, in left. There is no way this team is going to win with both Gregor Blanco and Juan Perez in the starting lineup. No Way.
GIANTS 84-70 3 1/2 GB Once again the bats are MIA until too late.
Pittsburgh 83-71 1 GB Status quo for leaders in both races.
Milwaukee 80-75 3 1/2 GB Shutout win keeps them alive.
Yesterday
Giants lost at San Diego, again, 3-2.
LA lost at Chicago, 8-7.
Milwaukee defeated Pittsburgh, 1-0.
Today
Giants finish up in San Diego; 1:10 PDT (4:10 EDT). Ryan Vogelsong, who pitched well his last time out, faces Ian Kennedy, the Padres' workhorse whose only start against the Giants this year was Tim Lincecum's no-hitter.
LA concludes the Chicago series with Jamey Wright, the well-traveled one-time Giant, making only his second start since leaving SF back in 2007. And we thought we were desperate...
Pittsburgh and Milwaukee finish up at PNC Park.
Last Night's Game
Once again the innings mounted and the hits didn't as the Giants snoozed their way through eight innings, making Andrew Cashner look like Cy Young. The big righty allowed only two hits while himself going 2-for-2 with a walk. For his part, Yusmeiro Petit did not pitch badly, allowing one unearned run until the sixth, when Rene Rivera's two-run double ended his night early. And once again the bullpen made a game of it-- fruitlessly, it seemed, until Hunter Pence opened the ninth with a booming home run, his 20th. Joe Panik then singled, chasing Cashner, and the tension rose as closer Kevin Quackenbush came in. Pablo Sandoval and Gregor Blanco singled around two outs, making it a one-run game. With men on first and third, Brandon Crawford got a 3-1 fastball and lined it directly at left fielder Seth Smith, and that's all she wrote.
Notes
The St Louis Cardinals won yesterday, extending their lead over Pittsburgh to three and a half. The Central and West division races are now in lockstep, with LA-SF one game better than the Cards-Pirates duo... No more off-days for the Giants until Monday the 29th, the day after the regular season ends. LA has a day of rest next Thursday, before their season-ending home series against Colorado... Both Angel Pagan and Michael Morse may miss the entire LA series. While the club has hung in there without Morse, losing Pagan is a killer blow. Hunter Pence does well in the leadoff spot, but no one is replacing Pagan's bat in the lineup. Bruce Bochy must consider starting Andrew Susac at catcher, Buster Posey at first, and Brandon Belt, though he's yet to hit a lick since returning, in left. There is no way this team is going to win with both Gregor Blanco and Juan Perez in the starting lineup. No Way.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
LA 88-66 ... Greinke, Kershaw come through as usual.
GIANTS 84-69 3 1/2 GB Held to 3 hits by Padres' Despaigne.
Pittsburgh 83-70 1 GB Closer to division top than are Giants.
Milwaukee 79-75 4 1/2 GB One-time division leaders still reeling.
Yesterday
Giants lost at San Diego, 5-0.
LA defeated Chicago, 14-5, as Clayton Kershaw won his 20th game.
Pittsburgh defeated Milwaukee, 4-2.
Today
Giants at San Diego; 5:40 PDT (8:40 EDT). Yusmeiro Petit against Andrew Cashner, who has not faced the Giants this year, but who is doing quite well despite a 4-7 record.
LA's at Chicago with Roberto Hernandez filling in for Hyun-Jin Ryu. C'mon, Cubbies!
Pittsburgh hosts Milwaukee again, with the chance to make the wild-card a two-team race.
Last Night's Game
We can bemoan Tim Hudson's wretched second half-- he's 2-10 since the break-- but when you only get three hits, you may not win even if you have Sandy Koufax out there. Still, for the second straight start, Hudson's first inning was a disaster-- four hits, one walk, four runs, and a most fortunate pickoff to end the thing-- and he had only one 1-2-3 frame before being yanked with one on and one out in the fifth. With the horse now safely down the road, Javier Lopez, Tim Lincecum, and George Kontos allowed only one baserunner the rest of the way, but with nobody but Joe (2-for-4) Panik able to hit, the point was moot.
The Races
As you can see, we've added the wild-card race to the division race above, a concession to reality if ever there was one. Atlanta and Miami are still mathematically alive, but teams with losing records don't make even the B-List here. If Pittsburgh sweeps Milwaukee out of town this weekend, the only remaining drama will be whether either the Pirates or Giants can catch their respective division leaders, and which if the two will host the wild-card playoff if they don't. Pittsburgh trails the St Louis Cardinals by two and a half, so that race isn't over either.
LA did clinch a playoff spot yesterday, and reduced their "magic number" over the Giants to 6. Washington has long since clinched the NL East. Over in the American League, the "other" LA team, the Angels, are in the midst of one of the greatest stretch drives in memory. Remember how dominant the Oakland A's were all season? Well, 'long about August, the Angels began to play up to the level of their payroll, and the results are simply staggering: they wiped out a double-digit Oakland lead and now themselves lead by ten and a half games over Oakland and Seattle, who are fighting over the wild-card scraps with Detroit and Kansas City, the Central contenders (Detroit currently leads by one and one-half games). The Angels have a serious shot at 100 wins and will almost certainly hold the home-field advantage throughout the AL postseason grind. Baltimore is the third team to clinch; the AL East is so weak there's not even a wild-card contender among them.
Notes
Will Bruce Bochy swap one Tim for another? Several have been asking whether Tim Lincecum will replace the struggling Hudson in the Giants' rotation next time out, and "Boch" left the door open to the possibility when questioned. Timmy pitched two perfect innings last night... Angel Pagan left early with back tightness and Michael Morse came in late. Brandon Belt started at first and went 0-for-3... LA has the same issue as the Giants at the moment-- thin starting pitching. Hernandez, today's starter at Wrigley, has been shelled worse than has Hudson through September. Sunday's starter may be Carlos Frias or somebody out of the bullpen (or maybe out of the stands), since Don Mattingly's preference is to hold Dan Haren back to open the Giants series at Dodger Stadium Monday. We'll see how Mattingly's resolve is tested if the Cubs beat 'em today and the Giants manage to gain a game... That LA opposes a southpaw, Felix Doubront, today is no comfort; they are 25-15 against lefties. The Giants, meanwhile, are 28-29; they've faced more southpaws than any other team in baseball, by a wide margin. Only Minnesota and Seattle have played as many as 50 games against left-handed starters; the Braves have played only 30. Relax: Cashner, tonight's opposing starter, deals from starboard.
GIANTS 84-69 3 1/2 GB Held to 3 hits by Padres' Despaigne.
Pittsburgh 83-70 1 GB Closer to division top than are Giants.
Milwaukee 79-75 4 1/2 GB One-time division leaders still reeling.
Yesterday
Giants lost at San Diego, 5-0.
LA defeated Chicago, 14-5, as Clayton Kershaw won his 20th game.
Pittsburgh defeated Milwaukee, 4-2.
Today
Giants at San Diego; 5:40 PDT (8:40 EDT). Yusmeiro Petit against Andrew Cashner, who has not faced the Giants this year, but who is doing quite well despite a 4-7 record.
LA's at Chicago with Roberto Hernandez filling in for Hyun-Jin Ryu. C'mon, Cubbies!
Pittsburgh hosts Milwaukee again, with the chance to make the wild-card a two-team race.
Last Night's Game
We can bemoan Tim Hudson's wretched second half-- he's 2-10 since the break-- but when you only get three hits, you may not win even if you have Sandy Koufax out there. Still, for the second straight start, Hudson's first inning was a disaster-- four hits, one walk, four runs, and a most fortunate pickoff to end the thing-- and he had only one 1-2-3 frame before being yanked with one on and one out in the fifth. With the horse now safely down the road, Javier Lopez, Tim Lincecum, and George Kontos allowed only one baserunner the rest of the way, but with nobody but Joe (2-for-4) Panik able to hit, the point was moot.
The Races
As you can see, we've added the wild-card race to the division race above, a concession to reality if ever there was one. Atlanta and Miami are still mathematically alive, but teams with losing records don't make even the B-List here. If Pittsburgh sweeps Milwaukee out of town this weekend, the only remaining drama will be whether either the Pirates or Giants can catch their respective division leaders, and which if the two will host the wild-card playoff if they don't. Pittsburgh trails the St Louis Cardinals by two and a half, so that race isn't over either.
LA did clinch a playoff spot yesterday, and reduced their "magic number" over the Giants to 6. Washington has long since clinched the NL East. Over in the American League, the "other" LA team, the Angels, are in the midst of one of the greatest stretch drives in memory. Remember how dominant the Oakland A's were all season? Well, 'long about August, the Angels began to play up to the level of their payroll, and the results are simply staggering: they wiped out a double-digit Oakland lead and now themselves lead by ten and a half games over Oakland and Seattle, who are fighting over the wild-card scraps with Detroit and Kansas City, the Central contenders (Detroit currently leads by one and one-half games). The Angels have a serious shot at 100 wins and will almost certainly hold the home-field advantage throughout the AL postseason grind. Baltimore is the third team to clinch; the AL East is so weak there's not even a wild-card contender among them.
Notes
Will Bruce Bochy swap one Tim for another? Several have been asking whether Tim Lincecum will replace the struggling Hudson in the Giants' rotation next time out, and "Boch" left the door open to the possibility when questioned. Timmy pitched two perfect innings last night... Angel Pagan left early with back tightness and Michael Morse came in late. Brandon Belt started at first and went 0-for-3... LA has the same issue as the Giants at the moment-- thin starting pitching. Hernandez, today's starter at Wrigley, has been shelled worse than has Hudson through September. Sunday's starter may be Carlos Frias or somebody out of the bullpen (or maybe out of the stands), since Don Mattingly's preference is to hold Dan Haren back to open the Giants series at Dodger Stadium Monday. We'll see how Mattingly's resolve is tested if the Cubs beat 'em today and the Giants manage to gain a game... That LA opposes a southpaw, Felix Doubront, today is no comfort; they are 25-15 against lefties. The Giants, meanwhile, are 28-29; they've faced more southpaws than any other team in baseball, by a wide margin. Only Minnesota and Seattle have played as many as 50 games against left-handed starters; the Braves have played only 30. Relax: Cashner, tonight's opposing starter, deals from starboard.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
LA 86-66 ... Can they wrangle three wins at Wrigley?
GIANTS 84-68 2 GB Another hopeful weekend ahead.
Yesterday
Giants defeated Arizona, 4-2, to take the three-game series.
LA lost at Colorado, 16-2, dropping the last two games by a combined 27-5.
Today
Giants have the day off. They open a weekend set at San Diego against those "pesky Padres," as Mike Krukow calls them, tomorrow night.
LA's at Chicago in the first of four. Greinke tonight, Kershaw tomorrow, and then... what?
Yesterday's Game
Madison Bumgarner did not win his 19th game, but he and the rest of the Giants will take this one anyway, thankyaverymuch. "Bum" and Arizona's Andrew Chafin engaged in a rather lugubrious pitchers' duel, one marked more by offensive failure than by razor-sharp pitching-- the teams combined to strand 17 runners. Arizona had a man thrown out at the plate in the first and wasted a leadoff double in the fourth; their first run scored on a RBI single by Chafin himself, and their second came about on a wild throw. For the Giants, successive sacrifice bunts plated one run, while Brandon "4 for 4" Crawford continued to revive his bat with an RBI double for the other. It came down to the ninth, with walks by Pablo Sandoval and pinch-hitter Brandon "Welcome Back" Belt sandwiched around Crawford's fourth hit of the day. Matt Duffy then batted for Sergio Romo and drilled a two-run single to center, enough to make Romo a winner and give Santiago Casilla opportunity for his 17th save, which he nailed.
GIANTS 84-68 2 GB Another hopeful weekend ahead.
Yesterday
Giants defeated Arizona, 4-2, to take the three-game series.
LA lost at Colorado, 16-2, dropping the last two games by a combined 27-5.
Today
Giants have the day off. They open a weekend set at San Diego against those "pesky Padres," as Mike Krukow calls them, tomorrow night.
LA's at Chicago in the first of four. Greinke tonight, Kershaw tomorrow, and then... what?
Yesterday's Game
Madison Bumgarner did not win his 19th game, but he and the rest of the Giants will take this one anyway, thankyaverymuch. "Bum" and Arizona's Andrew Chafin engaged in a rather lugubrious pitchers' duel, one marked more by offensive failure than by razor-sharp pitching-- the teams combined to strand 17 runners. Arizona had a man thrown out at the plate in the first and wasted a leadoff double in the fourth; their first run scored on a RBI single by Chafin himself, and their second came about on a wild throw. For the Giants, successive sacrifice bunts plated one run, while Brandon "4 for 4" Crawford continued to revive his bat with an RBI double for the other. It came down to the ninth, with walks by Pablo Sandoval and pinch-hitter Brandon "Welcome Back" Belt sandwiched around Crawford's fourth hit of the day. Matt Duffy then batted for Sergio Romo and drilled a two-run single to center, enough to make Romo a winner and give Santiago Casilla opportunity for his 17th save, which he nailed.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
LA 86-65 ... "The Invincibles" they're not.
GIANTS 83-68 3 GB Lead wild-card race by two and a half.
Yesterday
Giants defeated Arizona, 2-1.
LA lost at Colorado, 11-3.
Today
Giants finish up at Arizona; 1:40 PM local time (3:40 PM EDT). Madison Bumgarner goes for his 19th win, and few would be bigger. Rookie Andrew Chafin opposes.
LA finish up at Colorado, also a day game. Then it's off to Chicago. Don'tcha just love that schedule?
Last Night's Game
With LA falling behind quick up there on the scoreboard, it was imperative that Jake Peavy keep a lid on it and that somebody step up early. That "somebody" was Buster Posey, with a fourth-inning homer that put the Jakester out in front. After the 'Snakes' tied it in the sixth, the Giants answered back immediately with a little small-ball: singles by Hunter Pence and Travis Ishikawa (Pence taking third), and a sacrifice fly from Brandon Crawford. Critically, Peavy then shut down Arizona quickly in the seventh, and after he got into a two-on two-out jam in the eighth, he was bailed out by Sergio Romo, who got the dangerous Mike Trumbo to end the threat. Romo then yielded to Santiago Casilla, who pitched a quiet ninth for his 16th save.
GIANTS 83-68 3 GB Lead wild-card race by two and a half.
Yesterday
Giants defeated Arizona, 2-1.
LA lost at Colorado, 11-3.
Today
Giants finish up at Arizona; 1:40 PM local time (3:40 PM EDT). Madison Bumgarner goes for his 19th win, and few would be bigger. Rookie Andrew Chafin opposes.
LA finish up at Colorado, also a day game. Then it's off to Chicago. Don'tcha just love that schedule?
Last Night's Game
With LA falling behind quick up there on the scoreboard, it was imperative that Jake Peavy keep a lid on it and that somebody step up early. That "somebody" was Buster Posey, with a fourth-inning homer that put the Jakester out in front. After the 'Snakes' tied it in the sixth, the Giants answered back immediately with a little small-ball: singles by Hunter Pence and Travis Ishikawa (Pence taking third), and a sacrifice fly from Brandon Crawford. Critically, Peavy then shut down Arizona quickly in the seventh, and after he got into a two-on two-out jam in the eighth, he was bailed out by Sergio Romo, who got the dangerous Mike Trumbo to end the threat. Romo then yielded to Santiago Casilla, who pitched a quiet ninth for his 16th save.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
LA 86-64 ... Three straight wins and counting... down.
GIANTS 82-68 4 GB The wild-card is looking more realistic.
Yesterday
Giants lost at Arizona, 6-2, their third straight defeat and a particularly untimely one.
LA defeated Colorado, 11-3.
The Weekend
Giants lost two of three to LA. After a rousing 9-0 rout to start things off on Friday, they were embarrassed in turn, 17-0, on Saturday, and then lost the rubber match Sunday, 4-2. LA thus left town with a three-game lead after seeing it cut to one.
Today
Giants at Arizona again; the game is underway at the moment and SF holds a 1-0 lead in the fourth behind steady Jake Peavy. Josh Collmenter opposes.
LA is at Colorado, they currently trail 5-2 in the sixth. There's always hope.
Last Night's Game
Will Mike Trumbo be remembered as the man who sank the Giants' division hopes? The former Angel launched a third-inning grand-slam home run off Ryan Vogelsong, and folks, that pretty much tells the story. Dinged for four homers in his last start, Vogelsong is one of several Giants starters who seem to have lost the ol' mojo as we head into the final weeks. It sure ain't pretty, and neither is stranding nine runners on base, eight of them in scoring position, five of them by one guy, Gregor Blanco. Oh, don't pick on him; the last three days have truly been a team effort. A week after sweeping these guys, the Giants are in danger of losing a series to a team that trails them by twenty games in the standings.
The Lost Weekend
Yeah, that's what it was. The math was simple: win two of three, we've got a pennant race likely to go down to the wire. Lose two of three, and the numbers start to add up in the opposite direction.
It turned in the third game, the rubber match, after each team had taken a turn blowing the other completely out of the ballpark. Clayton Kershaw started for LA on Sunday against Yusmeiro Petit, but it was by no means the mail-in victory many expect when Kershaw takes the mound. The Giants had their chances against the big lefty; trailing 4-1 they put two on wth one out on sigles by Joaquin Arias and Andrew Susac, but Kershaw allowed only pinch-hitter Matt Duffy's bloop single, retiring Gregor Blanco and Angel Pagan to deny the big inning. Getting Kershaw out of the game in the ninth ws no help; Kanley Jansen and his 95-MPH fastball ended the game in the grand manner, with back-to-back strikeouts of the selfsame Susac and Arias. Petit, for his part, pitched reasonably well; his only real blunder was surrendering Matt Kemp's two-run shot in the sixth which turned 2-1 into 4-1; with hindsight we can see Kershaw's 19th win was pretty much assured at that point.
No question the high-water mark of the season so far was reached Friday night as the Giants unloaded on the visitors, pounding Hyun-Jin Ryu for five hits, three of them doubles, and four runs in the first. Madison Bumgarner put 'er on cruise control en route to his 18th win, and the Giants went on their merry way with a two-run homer from Brandon Crawford and a three-run shot by our old friend, Travis Ishikawa. The rout capped a magnificent 14-3 run for the Giants, leaving them only one tantalizing game back, and suddenly the chance to sweep the Hated Foe and kick them out of town in second place was very real, and there for the taking.
Ryu left that game early with an injury; no such excuse awaited Tim Hudson Sunday as he suffered through the shortest start of his career. Excused after surrendering eight hits and six runs while managing only three outs, Hudson leaves the question hanging as to whether he can still be an effective starter down the stretch. Early on he and Bumgarner were the reliables; lately Peavy has taken the sidekick role, but can the Giants win anything with only two effective starters? Keeping in the spirit of things, five relievers followed and only one, Chris Heston-- in his first major-league appearance, no less-- escaped severe damage. In case you were wondering, Tim Lincecum was first to relieve-- if that's the word-- Hudson, and himself allowed five runs on seven hits, albeit over three innings. (New degrees of awfulness, we are discovering.) For the record, LA had 24 (!) hits, received four walks and three hit batsmen (one courtesy of Bruce Bochy's son, Brett), plus two errors. Scoring seventeen, they left fifteen men on base. Heaven knows how many runs they might have scored had they hit with a little more efficiency! Strangely, and most charitably, the affair was over in 3:15, thanks mostly to the Giants lineup, which tapped out five hits and didn't draw a walk. Oh, the humanity!
GIANTS 82-68 4 GB The wild-card is looking more realistic.
Yesterday
Giants lost at Arizona, 6-2, their third straight defeat and a particularly untimely one.
LA defeated Colorado, 11-3.
The Weekend
Giants lost two of three to LA. After a rousing 9-0 rout to start things off on Friday, they were embarrassed in turn, 17-0, on Saturday, and then lost the rubber match Sunday, 4-2. LA thus left town with a three-game lead after seeing it cut to one.
Today
Giants at Arizona again; the game is underway at the moment and SF holds a 1-0 lead in the fourth behind steady Jake Peavy. Josh Collmenter opposes.
LA is at Colorado, they currently trail 5-2 in the sixth. There's always hope.
Last Night's Game
Will Mike Trumbo be remembered as the man who sank the Giants' division hopes? The former Angel launched a third-inning grand-slam home run off Ryan Vogelsong, and folks, that pretty much tells the story. Dinged for four homers in his last start, Vogelsong is one of several Giants starters who seem to have lost the ol' mojo as we head into the final weeks. It sure ain't pretty, and neither is stranding nine runners on base, eight of them in scoring position, five of them by one guy, Gregor Blanco. Oh, don't pick on him; the last three days have truly been a team effort. A week after sweeping these guys, the Giants are in danger of losing a series to a team that trails them by twenty games in the standings.
The Lost Weekend
Yeah, that's what it was. The math was simple: win two of three, we've got a pennant race likely to go down to the wire. Lose two of three, and the numbers start to add up in the opposite direction.
It turned in the third game, the rubber match, after each team had taken a turn blowing the other completely out of the ballpark. Clayton Kershaw started for LA on Sunday against Yusmeiro Petit, but it was by no means the mail-in victory many expect when Kershaw takes the mound. The Giants had their chances against the big lefty; trailing 4-1 they put two on wth one out on sigles by Joaquin Arias and Andrew Susac, but Kershaw allowed only pinch-hitter Matt Duffy's bloop single, retiring Gregor Blanco and Angel Pagan to deny the big inning. Getting Kershaw out of the game in the ninth ws no help; Kanley Jansen and his 95-MPH fastball ended the game in the grand manner, with back-to-back strikeouts of the selfsame Susac and Arias. Petit, for his part, pitched reasonably well; his only real blunder was surrendering Matt Kemp's two-run shot in the sixth which turned 2-1 into 4-1; with hindsight we can see Kershaw's 19th win was pretty much assured at that point.
No question the high-water mark of the season so far was reached Friday night as the Giants unloaded on the visitors, pounding Hyun-Jin Ryu for five hits, three of them doubles, and four runs in the first. Madison Bumgarner put 'er on cruise control en route to his 18th win, and the Giants went on their merry way with a two-run homer from Brandon Crawford and a three-run shot by our old friend, Travis Ishikawa. The rout capped a magnificent 14-3 run for the Giants, leaving them only one tantalizing game back, and suddenly the chance to sweep the Hated Foe and kick them out of town in second place was very real, and there for the taking.
Ryu left that game early with an injury; no such excuse awaited Tim Hudson Sunday as he suffered through the shortest start of his career. Excused after surrendering eight hits and six runs while managing only three outs, Hudson leaves the question hanging as to whether he can still be an effective starter down the stretch. Early on he and Bumgarner were the reliables; lately Peavy has taken the sidekick role, but can the Giants win anything with only two effective starters? Keeping in the spirit of things, five relievers followed and only one, Chris Heston-- in his first major-league appearance, no less-- escaped severe damage. In case you were wondering, Tim Lincecum was first to relieve-- if that's the word-- Hudson, and himself allowed five runs on seven hits, albeit over three innings. (New degrees of awfulness, we are discovering.) For the record, LA had 24 (!) hits, received four walks and three hit batsmen (one courtesy of Bruce Bochy's son, Brett), plus two errors. Scoring seventeen, they left fifteen men on base. Heaven knows how many runs they might have scored had they hit with a little more efficiency! Strangely, and most charitably, the affair was over in 3:15, thanks mostly to the Giants lineup, which tapped out five hits and didn't draw a walk. Oh, the humanity!
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