Deja Vu?

There was something awfully familiar about the Giants' two late-inning rallies last night against the Arizona bullpen after starter Merrill Kelly had held them nearly helpless through eight shutout innings.  And then we remembered: this is what the Bruce Bochy Giants championship teams did. Repeatedly.

How many times did those Giants teams sweat and grumble through six, seven, eight discouraging innings, making an opponent pitcher look like Cy Young, only to break through and take merciless advantage once that nemesis was out of the game? After a time, it almost became a game plan. You could look in the dugout and see the expectation: "yeah, yeah, we know, we know... but just wait until they take this guy out... we're gonna pounce." And they did, again and again.

There was Jordan Zimmermann in the 2014 division series against Washington, with a near no-hitter through eight and two-thirds innings, one out to go... and then Joe Panik draws a walk and former Giant Matt Williams pulls the trigger. Zimmermann out, Drew Storey in, and two batters later it's a tie game for nine more innings. But you knew, didn't you? We all knew. The Giants were going to win that game eventually, and were going to win that series, too, and we knew it from the moment Matty blinked.

Two years later Terry Collins lifted Noah Syndergaard for Jeurys Familia after "Thor" had pitched a shutout through eight. And it too was over. Quickly this time.  There are other examples we remember, without scouring for the details. It was a thing, you know?  

Whatever else happens when Anthony DeSclafani returns to the active roster, we can't afford to lose LaMonte Wade. That two-out two-run base hit in the ninth, tying the game, was huge. This young man has shown he belongs on a first-place team. It won't be an easy decision, no matter what. Alex Dickerson, whom we were marking down for a demotion a week ago, has hit two big homers in four days and helped push that ninth-inning rally along last night. 

And while we're no fans of a thirteen-man pitching staff, let's also not forget that after Alex Wood was kicked around for seven hits and four runs in four innings last night, no less than six relievers no-hit the Diamondbacks over the final six frames. No hit. Has this once-shaky bullpen turned a corner? Because a strong, lights-out bullpen was another hallmark of those Bruce Bochy Giants.... 

The crypto-mysto fog is rolling in again, folks, and we're not even in San Francisco. As Kris Bryant said, "We had no business winning that game. He shut us down." Indeed. But the Giants did win (with a lot of help from Mr Bryant) and now lead the Dodgers by four games.

Bryant the Giant

We're trying to remember the last time the Giants' front office pulled off a mid-season beauty like this recent trade. A former MVP, still only 29, playing extremely well, for two middling draft picks? Hunter Pence in 2012 cost the Giants a big-leaguer, Nate Schierholtz. It was a great trade, though Nate stayed in the league for years afterward. Marco Scutaro, another great trade that same year, cost Charlie Culberson, who's still around and contributing. Carlos Beltran, a true rental in 2011, cost Zack Wheeler, who is definitely still around. And sure, Canario (whom we remember from spring training) and Kilian might soon become regulars, or even stars. We certainly remember Bryan Reynolds-for-Andrew McCutchen, too. 

Of course, the obvious comp is Evan Longoria three years ago. Though not a former MVP, Longo was a three-time All-Star, played the same position Bryant has for most of his career, and was a similar type of hitter. But Longoria was 32 at the time, his numbers had been in slow decline, and he carried a huge contract. It wasn't a midseason deal, it was an open attempt to acquire a "foundational" player, a cornerstone. Now, this could be, too-- if the Giants sign Bryant in the offseason. Right now we hope they can. In his six games as a Giant, he's played third base four times, left field once, and he played center field last night. Folks, we just don't see a downside here.

Except the inevitable. Who gets sent down when Longoria returns?