The 1997 National League West Pennant Race

                     
        Tuesday, August 13, 1997

        The San Francisco Giants are in first place in the National League's
        Western Division. They lead their arch-rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers,
        by one and one-half games, with 43 games left to play. The Dodgers
        made up six games in three weeks between the All-Star Break and the
        end of July. Ten days ago, they had caught the Giants and were in a
        flat-footed tie for first. But LA's hot streak cooled just as the Giants
        went on the warpath in Cincinnati, Chicago, and Montreal; the lead was 
        back to two and a half  before the Giants' home loss to Cincinnati last
        night. As for the rest of  the division-- Colorado and San Diego-- both
        ballclubs continue to flounder below the .500 mark and cannot be
        considered contenders at this time.

        The Giants are coming off a 7-3 road trip which helped, in part, to
        right their leaky ship, which had taken on water since the All-Star
        Break. Sunday afternoon's thrilling 12-inning victory at Montreal was
        especially heartening, for several reasons. First, the Expos, despite
        their fourth-place status, have cuffed the Giants around severely this
        season, including several one-sided blowout losses. Second, Olympic
        Stadium itself has been especially gloomy for San Francisco; before
        taking two of three over the weekend, the Giants had not won there
        since June of 1996. Finally, the game was the Giants' entire season in
        miniature. They fell behind early but then rallied, with their starter
        getting stronger as he went along. Then the bullpen blew a late lead,
        forcing extra innings. The Giants squandered a bases-loaded
        opportunity in the tenth, but in the twelfth J.T. Snow delivered what
        may stand as one of the season's biggest hits, a ringing two-run single
         that finally decided the thing. It's been this way all year long, and likely
        will continue: nothing will come easy for this tough, determined
        ballclub, but come it will.

        The road trip was the Giants' third timely surge of the season. There
        was the nine-game winning streak in April, which set the early tone for
        success. Then after ten weeks of .500 ball the Giants caught fire
        just before the All-Star Break, blowing Colorado out of the race and
        leaving even the Dodgers hanging by a thread. Now, following the
        post-'Break letdown, the Giants are in winning form once more. The
        brilliant, last-minute trade maneuvering-- picking up Wilson Alvarez,
        Roberto Hernandez, and the underrated Danny Darwin to bolster a
        tired pitching staff-- gives the team strength and depth as we stare
        down the final six weeks of the season. The Dodgers must continue
        to win, because the Giants' slump looks like it has ended. Yes, LA
        can still win it, but for their sake they had better, because the Giants
        are not likely to lose it.

        Indeed, the Giants have avoided losing streaks all year. Absent the
        three hot spells noted above, they've been on a .500 kick the rest of
        the time. Like the 1989 team, this one shrugs off defeat and always
        salvages at least one win from a series. Doing 'whatever it takes' and
        winning despite 'the numbers' are this team's hallmarks; alone among
        contending clubs, let alone division leaders, the Giants have been
        outscored by their opposition (564-554). This is mostly due to a few
        one-sided, embarrassing wipeouts (in half a dozen such games they
        have been outscored by 81-14), as well as a certain propensity for
        winning close ones (34-19 in one- and two-run games). Defying the
        odds so far, the Giants have given us a colorful and exciting season.
        Now the serious business of winning takes over (and yes, we can
        expect that runs scored/allowed ratio to tilt favorably before the year
        ends).

        How good are the Giants? Over the long haul, we're about to find out.
        In a short series, particularly with the new and improved pitching
        staff, they can beat anyone. Let's see if they get that post-season
        chance. Here We Go!



        GIANTS        66-53              Swept in only two series this year...
        Los Angeles   64-54   1 1/2 GB   July hot streak has cooled down.

        Last night 
        Giants lost to Cincinnati, 7-4.
        LA beat Chicago, 2-1.

        Today's game
        Giants host Cincinnati. 12:35 PM start out at the 'Stick.
        The new lefty, Wilson Alvarez, faces Mike Tomko, who
        two-hit the Giants at Riverfront Stadium a week ago.
        LA's at home too, wth Hideo Nomo facing the Cubs.

        Last night's game
        Pat Rapp, the second-time-around Giant, continued
        his disappointing return with a dreadful, six-run
        stint over one and two-thirds innings. Yep, six outs,
        six runs. Danny Darwin was strong in relief, but it
        was too late. With Barry Bonds and J.T. Snow both
        out of the lineup, the Giants managed only five hits
        against former Brave Kent Mercker. 'Neon Deion'
        Sanders, the former Giant and 49er, led off the game
        with a homer, and that was it right there.



        Wednesday, August 13, 1997

        GIANTS        67-53              ... and both those were two-gamers.
        Los Angeles   64-55   2 1/2 GB   Nomo serves up the game-winner.

        Last night
        Giants beat Cincinnati, 7-3.
        LA lost to Chicago, 4-2.

        Today's game
        Giants host Chicago; 1:05 at the 'Stick. Mark Gardner
        goes against young Jeremi Gonzalez who, like the Reds'
        Tomko, shut down the Giants on the road last week.
        LA gets the Expos: a fine pitchers' series, with Tom
        Candiotti facing Carlos Perez tonight.

        Yesterday's game
        For the first time in his three Giant starts, lefty
        Wilson Alvarez lived up to his reputation. Nine
        strikeouts over seven-plus innings, allowing 7 hits
        and two earned runs while walking two. And trade-mate
        Roberto Hernandez got the save. Maybe Alvarez is one
        of those southpaws for whom the old 'Stick was made?
        Either way, it's good to see these guys get in a
        groove, and both were quick to credit the crowd:
        small, as usual (15,890) but evidently enthusiastic.


        Thursday, August 14, 1997

        GIANTS        67-54              What'll they do with 13 pitchers?
        Los Angeles   65-55   1 1/2 GB   These guys are getting by with about 5

        Yesterday
        Giants lost to Chicago, 6-5.
        LA beat Montreal, 3-1, on Tom Candiotti's 3-hitter.

        Today's game
        Giants host Chicago; 12:35 at the 'Stick. Shawn Estes,
        in search of his 15th win, versus the Cubs' Kevin Tapani.
        LA sends Ismael Valdes against the league's best, Pedro
        Martinez and his 1.72 ERA.

        Yesterday's game
        The fourth-inning bench-clearing brawl touched off
        by Jeff Kent's angry reaction to being hit by a
        pitch overshadowed the game itself. Mark Gardner was
        touched thrice by the long ball, but it was Julian
        Tavarez who gave up the killer hit. Entering the game
        with two on and one out in the seventh and the Cubs
        ahead by a run, he surrendered a bases-clearing
        double to Sammy Sosa, and that was the ballgame.

        Notes
        William VanLandingham, released five days ago, was claimed off
        waivers by Philadelphia, the worst team in baseball. Oddly
        enough, this may prove a tonic for Vandy, since he won't be in
        any kind of spotlight for awhile. Here's wishing him the very
        best... With only four position players on the bench, the Giants
        can't afford to lose Jeff Kent to a suspension over yesterday's
        brawl, which he escalated... Speaking of only four players, why
        is Terry Mulholland on this roster? Obviously the Giants wanted
        to 'stash' him so another contender couldn't have him, but while
        that's a slick move on paper, this guy can't pitch anymore.
        Let Florida or the Mets take him, and wish they hadn't-- Danny
        Darwin does everything Mulholland can do on this staff, and does
        it better. The team needs Marvin Benard here this month.


        Sunday, August 17, 1997

        GIANTS        69-55              .500 riff might make it, or might not.
        Los Angeles   67-56   1 1/2 GB   Just matchin' the pace right now.

        Yesterday
  Giants lost to Montreal, 8-5.
        LA beat Cincinnati, 5-3.

        Today's game
  Giants finish up with Expos; 1:05 start at Candlestick.
        Wilson Alvarez against Jose Paniagua.
        LA hosts the Reds, Nomo against Tomko. Oh-oh.

        Yesterday's game
        Pat Rapp was unimpressive enough to earn a summary
        demotion to Phoenix, though rotten performances from
        Doug Henry and Rich Rodriguez, in relief, turned a
        reasonably close game into disaster whose final score
        was softened by three late Giant runs. It will be a
        fine thing indeed when the Expos leave town, and the
        Giants' schedule for this year, later tonight.

        Last two games
        Shawn Estes remained on pace for a 20-win season with a
        superb seven innings against Chicago on Thursday
        afternoon. Roberto Hernandez pitched well in relief and
        added a rare base hit, though the recently-underworked
        Rod Beck struggled through a tough ninth. On Friday it
        was Kirk Rueter, mowing down his former teammates with
        economical aplomb, and also connecting with the bat:
        two hits and two RBI. Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent each
        supplied homers, Bonds' 29th being a three-run shot.
        Meanwhile, LA iced the Expos Thursday night, 1-0, but
        were hammered by the Reds on Friday. The lead's held
        unchanged at 1-1/2 since Wednesday.


        Monday, August 25, 1997

        Los Angeles   72-58              5-2 pace over last week of play.
        GIANTS        71-59     1 GB     First series-sweep loss at worst time.

        Yesterday
        Giants lost to Pittsburgh, 9-6, completing a disastrous
        three-game series and a miserable 2-4 week. For the first
        time since May 11-- 105 days-- the Giants are not in first
        place.
        LA beat Philadelphia, 5-1.

        Today's game
        Giants at New York, opening a three-game stand against the
        Mets which will conclude this gloomy road trip. It'll be
        Shawn Estes against Bobby Jones, a good matchup. Jones was
        unimpressive in his only start against the Giants, back
        in mid-April when SF could do no wrong.
        LA moves on to Pittsburgh, with Ramon Martinez getting the
        start tonight.

        Yesterday's game
        Mark Gardner's third straight lousy start was saved
        by a determined Giants rally-- down 3-0 after two and
        5-1 after 4, they scored a run in each of the final
        six innings, while Rich Rodriguez and Roberto
        Hernandez held the Bucs scoreless-- which then was
        betrayed by a nightmarish four-run eighth, brought to
        you courtesy of Doug Henry and Jim Poole. Bleagh.

        The Past Week
        After a heartening getaway win against the Expos last
        Sunday at the 'Stick, the Giants opened their road trip
        with one of those excruciatingly embarrassing blowout
        losses with which they've seasoned this weird campaign.
        Then, following the 12-3 debacle, they broke out with a
        six-run first inning the next day, enough to stake Shawn
        Estes to his 16th win. Up to that point, it had been
        vintage '97 Giants all the way. But Wednesday's rainout,
        followed by Thursday's off-day, presaged some truly
        wretched baseball in Pittsburgh. Friday night they could
        not hit the ball, wasting Kirk Rueter's good effort, and
        Saturday's debacle was perhaps the most infuriating loss
        yet: errors, eight men left on base (four in scoring
        position), indifferent pitching all around. Meanwhile,
        the Dodgers matched the pace during the week, even up to
        Wednesday's rainout, but then won four straight to take
        over the division lead.



        Tuesday, August 26, 1997

        Los Angeles   73-59              Pittsburgh hasn't gotten friendlier.
        GIANTS        72-59    1/2 GB    Estes now 9-0 following a loss.

        Yesterday
        Giants beat New York, 7-1.
        LA split a doubleheader in Pittsburgh, winning the opener
        7-3 but blowing the nightcap, 4-3, on back-to-back homers
        off Todd Worrell in the bottom of the ninth. Pirates are
        nobody's patsies right now.

        Today's game
        Giants at New York; 7:40 start (4:40 PDT). Wilson Alvarez
        tests his tender shoulder.
        LA sends Chan Ho Park out to face the Bucs in Pittsburgh.

        Yesterday's game
        Shawn Estes, Roberto Hernandez, and Rod Beck-- the
        Giants' best three pitchers-- handled the Mets with
        ease. Seven Giants combined for 11 hits, and each of
        those players scored one run. From Estes' two singles
        to Glenallen Hill's 450-foot blast, it was a team
        effort, exactly what the club needed after its
        nightmarish weekend.



        Wednesday, August 27, 1997

        Los Angeles   74-59              September 17 and 18 at the 'Stick...
        GIANTS        73-59    1/2 GB    ... are going to be huge, huge games

        Yesterday
        Giants beat New York, 6-2.
        LA beat Pittsburgh, 6-4.

        Today's game
        Giants finish up with Mets; a daytime start (10:35 PDT),
        with Kirk Rueter going against Jason Isringhausen, whom
        the Mets just called up from Triple-A.
        LA's at Pittsburgh, also a daytime getaway game.

        Yesterday's game
        With two on, two out, and the score tied 1-1 in the
        top of the sixth, J.T. Snow blasted a towering home
        run high over the right-field fence at Shea Stadium,
        and the Giants went on to win one of the biggest games
        of this season. It saved what just two days ago looked
        like a disastrous road trip, and it gave Wilson
        Alvarez the cushion he needed to relax and pitch well.
        After a shaky start, he finished up fine through six,
        and reported no shoulder pain after his 10-day layoff.
        Jim Poole got Doug Henry out of a jam in the seventh,
        and Julian Tavarez's poor eighth thus did no harm.
        The Giants actually can finish this road trip at .500
        if they finish off the Mets today for the sweep.



        Friday, August 29, 1997

        Los Angeles   76-59              Three in the first, and then coast.
        GIANTS        73-61   2 1/2 GB   One in the eighth, and then crash.

        Yesterday
        Giants lost to Texas, 11-5.
        LA beat Oakland, 7-1.
        This two-and-a-half-game deficit is the largest the Giants
        have faced all season.

        Wednesday
        Giants lost to Mets, 15-6, while LA finished up taking 3 of
        4 from those suddenly mild-mannered Pirates in Pittsburgh.

        Today's game
        Giants finish this weirdo interleague series with Texas
        at the 'Stick; 7:35. Mark Gardner gets the start. He
        hasn't been right for three weeks, and the team needs him
        to get right, right now.
        LA sends Ismael Valdes against the A's down south.

        Last Two Games
        The Giants' bullpen was a disaster in each case,
        turning what should have been a win into embarrassing
        defeat. Wednesday they actually led the Mets early on,
        but Kirk Rueter was mediocre and couldn't finish the
        fifth. Rich Rodriguez bailed him out and kept things
        calm through six, but after Doug Henry came on in the
        seventh, it started falling apart in man-sized chunks.
        By the time Henry and Jim Poole had finished, the Mets
        had pushed eight runs across the plate. Yesterday,
        the Giants broke a 4-4 tie in the eighth. Much-maligned
        Terry Mulholland had made his second strong relief
        appearance in two days, and Glenallen Hill's pinch-hit
        double, followed by Marvin Bernard's clutch RBI single,
        could have and should have made him a winner. But Rod
        Beck had perhaps the worst outing of his career in the
        ninth, blowing the save and losing the game in grand
        style: five hits, two (!) walks, including one with the
        bases loaded (!!), and seven runs allowed. The carnage
        overshadowed Barry Bonds' 31st homer and J.T. Snow's
        22nd, as well as Jeff Kent's 100th RBI.

        Notes
        Will Clark, the former Giant great whose return to the 'Stick as
        a Ranger was one of this week's featured attractions, didn't make
        the trip. He's laid up with what could be a season-ending foot
        injury... What is this ridiculous interleague stuff doing in the
        middle of a pennant race? If you have to have it at all, have it
        earlier in the year when games don't count as much and attendance
        is down anyway... As it is, less than 19,000 loyalists made it
        to the 'Stick last night... More weirdness, courtesy of the
        interleague schedule: Seattle shows up for a two-game series
        beginning tomorrow, and whoinell ever heard of a Saturday-Sunday
        series in baseball? Nobody, 'til now... Wait, it gets better:
        next week, the Giants play across the Bay on Monday and then
        on Wednesday, taking Tuesday off. Who dealt this mess?



        Saturday, August 30, 1997

        Los Angeles   77-59              Can't gain ground if they don't lose.
        GIANTS        74-61   2 1/2 GB   Makes no sense to watch the scoreboard.

        Yesterday
        Giants beat Texas, 5-4, in twelve innings.
        LA beat Oakland again, 5-4, in ten innings.

        Today's game
        Giants face the Anaheim Angels; 1:05 at the 'Stick, with
        Shawn (17-4) Estes on the mound against Dennis Springer.
        Angels return on Sunday, then the Giants pop over to the
        Coliseum for a Labor Day evening battle against the A's.
        LA gets the Seattle Mariners, who are fighting the Angels
        for first place over in the AL West.

        Last night's game
        The Giants rallied three times to win, coming on like
        a slow-burning fuse. After getting only two hits
        through six innings (one of them Jeff Kent's 26th
        home run), they scored twice in the seventh without
        getting a ball out of the infield to take a 3-2
        lead. Then Julian Tavarez and Roberto Hernandez
        combined to blow that lead in the eighth, but Bill
        Mueller, Barry Bonds, and Jeff Kent put together a
        tying rally in the bottom of the frame.  Terry
        Mulholland and Rich Rodriguez held the Rangers
        scoreless in extra innings, and in the twelfth it was
        the same three guys-- Mueller, Bonds, Kent-- who won
        it: walk, double, single. Giants ended up with nine
        hits as well as nine walks, but left eleven men on
        base. Still, they got the win, and that's what
        counts.



        Tuesday, September 2, 1997

        Los Angeles   78-60              Haven't lost a full game since 8/13.
        GIANTS        76-62    2 GB      13 left on road, 11 at home.

        Yesterday
        Giants beat Oakland, 8-2.
        LA was idle.

        The Weekend
        Once again, the Giants and Dodgers remained in lockstep,
        each winning Friday and losing Saturday. As the note above
        indicates, LA has not lost a game off their lead since they
        took that lead on August 24; in fact, the last time the
        Giants won and the Dodgers lost was indeed August 13.

        Today's game
        Giants are idle; they finish up against A's tomorrow
        night at the Coliseum.
        LA goes to Texas and sends Hideo Nomo to face the Rangers.

        Last night's game
        The Giants used to be intimidated by the Oakland A's,
        but that was a long time ago.  These A's are a
        last-place bunch with no pitching, and even their one
        strong point-- power-- has been weakened since the
        Mark McGwire trade. Kirk Rueter pitched well through
        seven, with Hernandez and Beck finishing up. The game
        was decided in the fifth, when J.T. Snow's two-run
        single made it 5-1. Snow has 8 RBI in his last three
        games.

        The Weekend
        Shawn Estes had just enough gas in the tank to finish six
        and win his 18th against the Anaheim Angels Saturday; Snow,
        the former Angel, supplied the power with two two-run
        homers. Saturday, however, Wilson Alvarez continued to have
        problems with the gopher ball, surrendering a three-run
        blast to rookie Angelo Encarnacion. Alvarez says his arm
        feels fine, but his pitching is anything but. Meanwhile,
        another rookie, Darrell May, held Giant hitters to three
        hits over five innings, and his bullpen handled things the
        rest of the way.



        Thursday, September 4, 1997

        Los Angeles   78-62              Three straight losses-- and counting?
        GIANTS        76-63   1 1/2 GB   Gaining ground only when idle.

        Yesterday
        Giants lost to Oakland, 12-3.
        LA lost to Texas, 5-2.

        Today's game
        Giants back home at the 'Stick against National Leaguers
        once again; it's the 'Stros at 7:05, with Mark Gardner
        taking a turn.
        LA is idle.

        Last night's game
        Yet another in a series of embarrassing blowout
        losses that have peppered this odd season. Like most
        of 'em, this one was a ballgame for about five or
        six innings. Then it got ugly when some familiar
        names from the bullpen-- hi there, Terry Mulholland,
        Julian Tavarez, and Jim Poole-- conspired to give up
        nine runs while collecting three outs between 'em.
        The mound misery seemed contagious, as fielders
        forgot to cover bases and hitters stared at called
        third strikes (Bonds, Kent, and Snow were a combined
        0-for-11 with seven Ks). Once again, ineptitude
        prevailed and the Giants were unable to gain ground
        on LA, who despite our fervent hopes are unlikely to
        suffer too many more losing streaks. Boys, better get
        it while you can!



        Friday, September 5, 1997

        Los Angeles   78-62              Team just sold to Murdoch's Fox Group.
        GIANTS        76-64    2 GB      Everything seems to be turning sour.

        Yesterday
        Giants were crushed by Houston, 14-2.
        LA was idle.

        Today's game
        Giants v. Astros at the 'Stick; 7:35. Shawn Estes goes for
        his 19th win, and the team needs it bad. Shane Reynolds--
        no slouch he-- starts for Houston.
        LA is at home against Florida. Another good matchup: Alex
        Fernandez and Ramon Martinez.

        Last night's game
        There's definitely something wrong with Mark Gardner,
        either physically or mentally. He's been clueless
        for a month, and last night he retired only two
        Astros-- one via run-scoring sac fly-- before being
        yanked in the first inning, down already by 5-0. And
        it got worse from there, as the Giants reverted to
        their blowout posture: 'buns-up kneeling', to quote
        Frank Zappa. The indicators now are all extremely
        ominous. This is two embarrassing wipeouts in a row,
        and the Giants now have been outscored by 29 runs
        for the season. Their record projects to 67-73, nine
        games worse than their actual mark, and about even
        with last-place San Diego. I would bet that no team
        in the history of major-league baseball has ever won
        a pennant while being outscored so badly; not even
        the '73 Mets. Has any pennant-winning NL team since
        1950 given up 800 runs? As of today, the Giants have
        allowed 698, a rate of five per game, with 22 games
        left to go. Should the Giants right themselves-- or
        the Dodgers collapse-- a division title for this club
        would likely say more about the state of baseball in
        1997 than anything else. It is not that they are a
        bad team; far from it, they are a good team. But a
        championship team? I wonder. They are down to two
        decent starting pitchers, Estes and Rueter, with no
        guarantee that anyone else will last more than three
        innings. They've only half a bullpen-- the middle
        relievers are ineffective, whether by overwork or
        something else-- and not enough offense to compensate
        for it. The defense is inconsistent. And Barry Bonds
        continues to be invisible in the clutch. This isn't
        like the weird two-week nightmare slump of '93, where
        the team inexplicably stopped performing. This is
        a situation where all the well-camouflaged weaknesses
        of this team have been pitilessly uncovered. The
        Giants now are right where the 'experts' picked them
        to be, and perhaps we ought to be grateful things
        lasted this long. It is no exaggeration to say that
        as things stand today, this team cannot catch the
        Dodgers. They are going to need a repeat of April's
        thrilling, nail-biting success, including a major
        confidence-building winning streak, to prevail. And
        there was no pressure whatever in April. There's
        pressure aplenty now.


        Monday, September 8, 1997

        Los Angeles   81-62              They pound, pound, pound away.
        GIANTS        79-64    2 GB      Just when you thought it was over...

        Yesterday
        Giants defeated Houston, 5-1.
        LA beat Florida, 9-5, on Todd Zeile's grand slam.

        Weekend series
        Each team won three straight. Yeah, it's Nip, and over
        there, that's his brother, Tuck.

        Today's game
        Giants are idle.
        LA finishes up with the Marlins. Hey, Kevin Brown-- how
        about another no-hitter? Like, tonight, against Nomo?

        The Weekend
        Great pitching all three games for the Giants, and for two
        of those the 'Stros' guys did pretty well, too.
        Friday night, Darryl Hamilton's leaping, diving, sliding catch
        of Chuck Carr's drive to right-center may stand as one of the
        great moments in this season if things work out. It saved a
        1-1 tie in the seventh, and an inning later Hamilton's
        two-run single was the key hit in a winning Giant rally. It
        came too late for Shawn Estes, who missed his 19th despite
        a fine effort, but Roberto Hernandez and Rod Beck opened
        the weekend's entertaining sub-plot with a fine tag-team
        close-and-save job.

        Saturday saw Wilson Alvarez once again
        show off his potential: a superb seven-inning, 12-strikeout
        performance. He too came up empty; this time the Giants
        broke out for four in the eighth, wiping out Houston's
        fragile lead: a rally started by Marvin Benard's 15th pinch
        hit of the campaign and punctuated by Jeff Kent's 106th and
        107th RBI. But Beck, on hand to close it out in the ninth,
        was rapped around for three hits in the space of one out,
        with a run scoring and Giant-killer Jeff Bagwell due up.
        Dusty Baker then did the unthinkable, yanking Beck with the
        game on the line and turning it over to Hernandez and his
        100-mph fastball. Hernandez fanned Bagwell, then blew away
        Derek Bell, and the Giants had a win-- and a controversy.
        While both pitchers claimed there was no rivalry or any
        jealousy between them, Beck had to be seething inside.

        He got a chance to redeem himself the very next day. Though
        the Giants had built a healthy lead thanks to Darryl Kile's
        eight walks and a sharp showing from Kirk Rueter, all eyes
        were on Beck as he came out to pitch the ninth. Hernandez,
        the new crowd favorite, had just wowed 'em with two K's in
        the eighth, but Beck was just as strong, fanning two
        himself, on fewer pitches, to end the game. It wasn't even
        a save situation, but the big closer had to be immensely
        satisfied nonetheless. And so the Giants have won three
        straight for the first time since August 6, just as we were
        ready to bury 'em. You gotta love this game, and you gotta
        love this team-- win or lose.

        Notes
        LA takes off after tonight's game on a seven-day road trip to
        Houston, St Louis, and-- Candlestick, September 17 and 18. Then
        five quick ones at home against the Rockies and Padres before
        finishing with four at Coors Field. As for the Giants, they
        end the homestand with two against the Cards, then begin a
        brutal two-week stretch wherein every game is on the road EXCEPT
        those two monumental tussles with the Dodgers. It begins with a
        rain-out make-up at Philly on Thursday, continues down in Miami
        and Atlanta and then, after the LA series, rolls on to San Diego
        and Denver. But they finish up with an off-day and three at home
        with the Padres while LA's pitchers are up in Coors Field. If
        they can keep it within two games or better until then, it'll be
        quite a final weekend.



        Wednesday, September 10, 1997

        Los Angeles   81-64              Road trip looms just ahead.
        GIANTS        80-65    1 GB      They, too, visit unfriendly territory.

        This afternoon
        Giants defeated St Louis, 7-6, in ten thrilling innings.
        LA hosts Atlanta tonight; Tom Glavine against Ramon
        Martinez.

        Yesterday
        Giants lost to St Louis, 5-3, while LA fell to the Braves'
        John Smoltz, 4-3. The Dodgers also lost to Florida on
        Monday night.

        Tomorrow
        Giants at Philadelphia in a make-up of that rained-out August
        tilt. Wilson Alvarez is slated to start, but Baker's been
        juggling the rotation lately.

        Yesterday and Today
        Simply saying the Giants split a series with the
        Cards does it no justice.

        Last night's loss was a ulcer-generating killer, a cornucopia
        of missed opportunities (Bonds pops up with two on, nobody
        out, and a run in) and pitches that got away (Rich
        Rodriguez, on in relief of Terry Mulholland and
        Doug Henry with two down in the seventh, yields
        the game-winning double to Delino DeShields).

        And today Shawn Estes struggled through six without
        his best stuff; offsetting homers by Bonds and Mark
        McGwire left it at 3-3 in the seventh. Then Henry
        and newcomer Cory Bailey were raked savagely as
        the Redbirds tallied three, and you could almost
        feel, at long last, the fight go out of the Giants.
        They'd grounded into three inning-ending double
        plays on the afternoon, and the spectre of blown
        chance after blown chance hung heavy over the park.
        Even with LA losing two straight, it seemed the
        local boys just didn't have it.
       
        But that's where you'd be wrong, wrong, wrong. They scrapped
        back for one in the bottom of the seventh. They scraped
        together another in the eighth. Rod Beck held the
        Cards in the ninth, and Stan Javier then blasted
        one, off the great Dennis Eckersley, deep to right;
        for a moment the 'Stick crowd of 12,000-plus held
        its breath-- and erupted as the ball cleared the
        fence, tying the game.

        Beck, pitching a rare second nning, set 'em down in the
        tenth and then it was Bonds, with a walk, Kent, with a
        fielder's choice, and Tony LaRussa intentionally walking
        J.T. Snow. That left it up to Damon Berryhill pinch-hitting
        for Beck; Berryhill, the last player left on the
        roster. And he smoked a shot over Ray Lankford's
        head in deep center for the game-winner, triggering
        an on-field frenzy not seen here since that joyful
        Columbus Day afternoon in 1989. We've said it before
        and we'll say it again: LA has to win this thing,
        because the Giants are too tough to lose it.

        Notes
        McGwire's homer gave him fifty for the season, the second year in
        a row he's passed that mark. Only Babe Ruth, who did it twice,
        has accomplished that feat before. McGwire may be the greatest
        power hitter of our lifetime; his career totals are impressive in
        any case, but had he stayed healthy year-in and year-out, there's
        no telling where he might stand among the all-time leaders.



        Friday, September 12, 1997

        GIANTS        81-65              Whoa, Nellie-- look at this!
        Los Angeles   81-65

        Yesterday
        Giants defeated Philadelphia, 5-3.
        LA was idle after being swept in their two-game series with
        Atlanta on Tuesday and Wednesday.

        Today's game
        Giants at Florida, 7:05 local time (4:05 PDT). Kirk
        Rueter against the undefeated (9-0) Livian Hernandez,
        who was not in the major leagues the last time these
        teams played one another.
        LA's at Houston, with Chan Ho Park facing Shane Reynolds.

        Last night's game
        Most teams, in the Giants' place, would have lost
        this game. The Phillies, after their abysmal start,
        are playing well now (though they retain the game's
        worst record). Curt Schilling, on pace for his 300th
        strikeout, was solid through six. Wilson Alvarez had
        pitched reasonably well for the Giants, but had
        surrendered a two-run homer to Rex Hudler that was
        the difference in the game as Philly led 3-1 after
        seven. That, however, is when the Phils decided to
        take Schilling out; he'd thrown 132 pitches and had
        given up three hits and uncorked a wild pitch in the
        seventh.
     
        And the Giants immediately took advantage,
        as they had to, of the weak Phillie bullpen. A
        walk to J.T. Snow and singles by Vizcaino, Berryhill,
        and Javier tied it in the eighth, and Jeff Kent
        unloaded in the ninth: a two-run homer, his 27th,
        for the winning margin. Not to be overlooked is the
        Giant bullpen: Tavarez, Rodriguez, Hernandez, and
        Beck, who shut 'em down over the last three and let
        the offense get back into it.

        "Took advantage"? That's what the Giants do, they
        take advantage. And they're tied for first place
        with 16 games left to play.

        Notes
        Kent's blast broke Rogers Hornsby's franchise record for second
        basemen set in 1927... His 110 RBI are the most by anyone at the
        position since Tommie Herr also plated 110 back in 1985 (Herr's
        St Louis Cardinals won the pennant that year)... Giants' next
        five games are at Florida (3) and Atlanta (2), the two best
        teams in the league right now. Atlanta's handling of the Dodgers
        attests to their superiority, but the Marlins, destined to be
        the wild-card team, are extremely tough customers as well...
        Mark Gardner, he of the tired arm, poor second half, and missed
        start on Wednesday, is slated to go Saturday, with Danny Darwin
        set for Sunday. That leaves Estes and Alvarez to face the Braves,
        with Rueter opening the LA series next Wednesday. As for next
        Thursday's game, possibly the biggest of the season, manager
        Baker isn't saying. Gardner? Mulholland? Pat Rapp? Or possibly
        William VanLandingham, now pitching for Phoenix and earning
        minor-league pay, who has a history of success at Dodger Stadium
        and can be recalled any time? What a story that would be...
        Darryl Hamilton continues to suffer from a hip injury incurred
        early in Wednesday's game against the Cardinals, and no one knows
        when he'll be back.



        Monday, September 15, 1997

        GIANTS        82-67              Had two days alone at the top.
        Los Angeles   82-67              Four-game losing streak just ended.

        Yesterday
        Giants lost to Florida, 5-4.
        LA beat Houston, 4-3, in ten innings.

        Weekend series
        Each team lost two of three. The Giants won Friday,
        taking a one-game lead, then both lost on Saturday
        (status quo), before LA regained the tie yesterday.

        Today's game
        Giants at Atlanta, 7:40 local time (4:40 PDT). Shawn
        Estes (18-4) against Tom Glavine (13-7). Both are
        lefthanders, both have identical 3.11 ERAs, and it's
        Estes' youth against Glavine's experience.
        LA's at St Louis.

        Yesterday's game
        The Giant bullpen, which lately has been so reliable,
        failed in a tight seventh-inning spot. Julian Tavarez
        had taken over for Danny Darwin in the sixth,
        preserving a 1-0 lead, but Rich Rodriguez and Roberto
        Hernandez gave it away one frame later; the big blow
        was Gary Sheffield's three-run homer off Hernandez.
        The Giants did rally, but fell short: Barry Bonds,
        with two on and two out in the ninth, was unable to
        match Sheffield. He fouled out, with his old pal Bobby
        Bonilla stretching into the stands to make the catch.

        The Weekend
        Without question, Friday night's game, which saw the Giants
        retake the division lead, was the highlight of the season
        so far, at least for this team's schizophrenic pitching
        staff. Kirk Rueter took a shutout into the sixth with a
        tough, if less than overpowering, effort; then the blister
        which has plagued his pitching hand flared up again and he
        left after allowing the first two Marlins to reach base.

        Tavarez came on needing a ground ball to preserve the thin
        1-0 edge; he got it, only to see it richochet of Bill
        Mueller's usually-reliable third-base glove. Generously
        scored a hit, it loaded the bases with nobody out. Tavarez
        then got another grounder right at Mueller; this one the
        youngster fielded cleanly and threw home for the force.
        With the lead wavering, Tavarez then got his third ground
        ball in a row-- Kent to Vizcaino to Snow, double play-- and
        escaped without damage. From then on it was Tavarez, then
        Hernandez, then Beck, cutting Marlins down with increasing
        magnificence; Beck set the side down in order to end it
        with a strikeout flourish, and the Giants had their first
        1-0 win of the season and sole possession of first place.

        The lead held Saturday despite the team's total inability
        to handle Kevin Brown. He's already no-hit the Giants this
        year; he holds a 2-0 mark against them with a 0.50 ERA, so
        his tidy three-hitter was no great surprise. But Mark
        Gardner's sixth straight wretched outing-- what on earth
        is wrong with him?-- virtually assured the sturdy veteran
        righthander will see mop-up duty for the rest of the year.
        Terry Mulholland (all right, quit grindin' your teeth, he's
        actually pitched rather well of late) or Pat Rapp will get
        the call on Thursday against LA.

        Notes
        The Giants called up John Johnstone to fill out the bullpen for
        the stretch drive. This means William VanLandingham won't be
        back up this year, if ever. Johnstone, like Vandy, was waived
        earlier in the year and re-signed with Phoenix after nobody else
        picked him up... Since his brilliant, two-hit shutout at
        Montreal on August 8, Gardner, in six starts, has pitched 26
        innings-- and allowed 26 earned runs.



        Tuesday, September 16, 1997

        Los Angeles   83-67              Can salvage Eastern trip with win now.
        GIANTS        82-68   1 GB       How many more of these can they take?

        Yesterday
        Giants lost to Atlanta, 5-4.
        LA beat St Louis, 7-6, in fifteen innings.

        Today's game
        Giants at Atlanta, 1:10 local time (10:10 AM PDT).
        Wilson Alvarez against Kevin Millwood.
        LA sends Ramon Martinez to the mound in St Louis.

        Yesterday's game
        If the Giants fail to win the pennant this year, it's
        likely they'll point to last night's game as the
        fatal blow. Leading 4-0 after six, with Shawn Estes
        outdueling Tom Glavine and allowing only one hit--
        leading 4-1 after eight, with Roberto Hernandez
        blowing the Braves away on back-to-back strikeouts
        in relief and Rod Beck opening the ninth-- somehow,
        the Giants blew it.

        It was Beck, giving up three singles which closed the score
        to 4-2. It was Beck, getting Chipper Jones to hit a double-play
        grounder to second that should have ended the game, only to
        see Jones beat the throw to first by an eyelash. And
        finally it was Beck against Fred McGriff, the old
        Giant-killer from '93 himself. McGriff, one of the
        game's best clutch hitters, had blasted a three-run
        game-winning homer off Beck in an identical situation
        two and a half years ago: a loss just prior to the
        All-Star break which blew the wheels off the Giants'
        creaky 1995 wagon and sent them tumbling into the
        cellar. Now, same players, same situation, same pitch:
        split-fingered fastball. And same result: a screaming
        line drive to deepest left-center, above and beyond
        Darryl Hamilton's leap.

        The Braves and their fans went wild; the Giants went, slowly,
        into the vistors' clubhouse and tried to comprehend what
        had happened. They had gotten a strong performance from their
        ace pitcher. Jeff Kent's 28th homer had given them a 2-0
        lead in the first. Mark Lewis' clutch line drive with
        two on in the sixth, bouncing off left fielder Danny
        Bautista's glove for a two-base error, had added what
        appeared to be insurance. Hernandez had been downright
        unhittable. And then... Beck, to his credit, stood up
        and faced the post-game music, but even he must be
        wondering if Dusty Baker won't be looking elsewhere
        when the next save situation comes around.

        He and his teammates then looked elsewhere, to the LA game
        on TV, where the Dodgers went through their own ninth-inning
        nightmare, blowing a 4-2 lead. But they survived with
        a tie, and finally hung on to win in 15 despite a
        two-run Cardinal rally at the very end. Well, McGriff
        has been an absolute terror against the Giants ever
        since the Braves traded for him in the '93 stretch
        drive. It will be a pity if the Giants don't win the
        pennant and face the Braves in the playoffs, because
        these two teams play tough, tense, exciting baseball
        against one another. And while this loss may prove the
        Ultimate Backbreaker, remember that Atlanta, World
        Series losses aside, is the best team in baseball, and
        probably the greatest team since the Big Red Machine
        of the mid-1970s. But that's cold comfort right now.
        The only tonic worth mentioning will be a suck-it-up
        win, today, at Turner Field in just a few hours.




        Wednesday, September 17, 1997

        Los Angeles   84-67              Flying into 'Stick in driver's seat.
        GIANTS        82-69   2 GB       Hell of a time to lose 4 in a row.

        Yesterday
        Giants lost to Atlanta, 6-4.
        LA beat St Louis, 7-6, scoring four runs off Dennis Eckersley
        in the ninth inning. Really.

        Today's game
        Giants host LA; 7:35 PM game time. It's Kirk Rueter,
        making the biggest start of his life, against Chan Ho
        Park. This is it, folks.

        Yesterday's game
        Wilson Alvarez, whom the Giants thought would be
        pennant insurance when they picked him up six weeks
        ago, once again showed his one weakness: the crucial
        home-run ball. This time it was backup catcher Eddie
        Perez doing the honors with a sixth-inning grand slam,
        blowing up a 2-2 tie and leaving the Giant offense
        gasping for air. Held to three hits through 6 by
        rookie Kevin Millwood, they mounted a noble but doomed
        rally against Mark Wohlers in the ninth. Trading outs
        for runs and hits, Wohlers survived where Rod Beck
        could not the night before.

        Here We Go
        Rueter and Mulholland face the Dodgers over the next two
        nights; LA has had trouble with lefties all year. Baker and
        the team really need a strong showing from Rueter tonight,
        to save the bullpen for tomorrow night. Mulholland has been
        very effective this year when going through a lineup once,
        OK the second time, and you don't want a third time. So the
        relievers will likely be on duty after five, and that means
        the less they pitch tonight the more rested they'll be then.

        Park, tonight's LA starter, has been inconsistent all year.
        In two starts against the Giants, though, he's done well:
        11 K's in 13 innings pitched, with only 6 hits and 4 runs
        allowed. One of those wins was a three-hit shutout; the
        other saw him walk four in six and lose the game. Tomorrow
        night it's knuckleballer Tom Candiotti (from Walnut Creek).
        The Giants have lit him up pretty good in years past; this
        year they've managed only one run off him in 13 innings.

        So the Dodgers, their little bad stretch behind them, coming
        off two rousing last-minute victories in a row, hit town up
        by two and facing a Giant team that's waited until now to
        uncork a serious losing streak. The fabled resiliency has
        slackened just a tad, and now we look nervously at those
        runs scored/allowed figures, which posit a 72-79 record as
        opposed to the actual 82-69, and wonder if we aren't, after
        all, settling to a more realistic level. With eleven games
        to go, do the Giants have one more gravity-defying leap left
        in them? While no one in the clubhouse wants to admit it,
        they badly need a sweep here. A split leaves status quo; and
        two games to make up, while it certainly can be done, is
        a tough task when you don't face the team you're chasing.
        At that point, we're left debating the comparative strengths
        and weaknesses of Colorado (who play the Dodgers seven
        times) and San Diego (against whom the Giants play seven).
        The Rockies, safely out of the race, are playing the best
        ball in the division right now, while the Padres, well,
        suck. But we need only recall '93 to know how frustrating
        it is to base a good chunk of your hopes and dreams on
        another ballclub's beating your opponent.

        Sixty thousand people are expected to cram the 'Stick tonight,
        with the same number likely for tomorrow. They know what we know:
        this is it, right here, and right now.




        Thursday, September 18, 1997

        Los Angeles   84-68              Man, this is what it's all about!
        GIANTS        83-69   1 GB

        Yesterday
        Giants beat LA, 2-1.

        Today's game
        Giants finish up with LA; 12:35 at the 'Stick. The
        Biggest Game of the Year, Part Two. Terry Mulholland gets
        the start-- that's just the start now, gang-- against
        Tom Candiotti, the Flutterball King.

        Yesterday's game
        A great drama in three acts. The Giants positively
        willed themselves, as they've done so well all year,
        back into the picture with a game, a performance,
        that went, well, went 'way beyond 'grit' or even
        'determination'-- it was something like absolute
        resolute fury. Some of this current cast of Dodgers
        were around on that memorable Friday night four years
        ago when the Giants made a similar stand down in
        Dodger Stadium. Last night it was Barry Bonds, once
        again, the hero who's been so visibly absent in the
        clutch this year, stepping to the plate against Chan
        Ho Park and his 95-mph heat in the first inning with
        a man on base.

        The crowd of over 56,000 was still settling into its seats
        as Bonds hammered Park's best fastball clear out of the yard,
        high and immensely deep to right. It was 2-0 Giants, and that
        malaise which had followed the team over the last week simply
        vanished in the 'Frisco fog. Then it was Kirk Rueter,
        a picture of economy and effectiveness, working
        swiftly through the dangerous Dodger lineup for seven
        innings. He gave up a homer to Raul Mondesi in the
        fifth, but turned back potential rallies in both the
        sixth and seventh. And for the eighth out came Roberto
        Hernandez and his withering fastball. He was so
        overwhelming that Dusty Baker had to let him open the
        ninth as well, though Rod Beck stood by. But this
        was Hernandez's moment, and he saw it through, fanning
        sluggers Mondesi and Eric Karros to open the frame,
        then getting Todd Zeile for the final out and touching
        off a heartfelt on-field celebration.




        Friday, September 19, 1997

        GIANTS        84-69              Yowza! Yowza! Yowza!
        Los Angeles   84-69

        Yesterday
        Giants beat LA, 6-5, in twelve innings. The race is tied with
        nine games to go. We haven't seen a Giant-Dodger two-team
        battle like this since 1965.

        Today's game
        Giants at San Diego; 7:05 start. Danny Darwin against
        Joey Hamilton (10-6, but no starts against the Giants
        this year).
        LA's back home; they host the suddenly-cooled-off Colorado
        Rockies. Hideo Nomo gets the start.

        Yesterday's game
        A defining game for the Giants, in many different
        ways; not only was it the most sensationally exciting
        finish-- one that could have been scripted by any
        longtime Dodger-hating Giants fan-- but it was the
        kind of game the Giants have won, when it's really
        counted, all year. They won these games in April,
        putting together a big winning streak from a series
        of small victories. They won them all summer, stopping
        losing streaks with one-run victories, shrugging off
        embarrassing losses with everyday heroics.

        It was a defining game for the team's two senior players,
        Barry Bonds and Rod Beck, both of whom have seen some
        tough times this year, both of whom stepped up big.
        And it continued the '97 tradition of that everyday
        hero, with one of the most recent additions, catcher
        Brian Johnson, winning the game with a first-pitch
        leadoff homer in the twelfth.

        Even that maligned late entry in the pitching sweepstakes,
        Terry Mulholland, did his job-- and then some. Asked to go
        five, he went six. He allowed eight hits, but because he
        didn't walk a single batter he avoided the big inning. He left
        with a 5-3 lead, courtesy of Bonds' second massive
        home run in two days. This one was a three-run blast,
        off Tom Candiotti in the fifth, which broke it open
        (or so we thought) 5-1 for the Giants. But after an
        uncharacteristic error by J.T. Snow, who had homered
        earlier, brought across those two unearned runs, the
        Dodgers tied it in the seventh against two tired
        relievers, Julian Tavarez and Roberto Hernandez. In
        his 83rd appearance, Tavarez just didn't have it; he
        left with two on and only one out. Hernandez almost
        got away clean, but Mike (.357 and likely MVP) Piazza
        singled in two runs for a tie game. Then Doug Henry
        guided the Giants through a calm eighth and ninth,
        handing it over to Beck for extra innings.

        And immediately Beck, whose last moment on the mound was
        that awful McGriff debacle in Atlanta, opened the
        floodgates. Piazza, Eric Karros, Raul Mondesi-- three
        straight hits to load 'em up with nobody out, and the
        packed house of 53,000 filling the playoff-tense air
        with gusty boos and spicy obscenities. All three hits
        were cheap, none of them hit well enough to score a
        man from second, but Beck still had to figure he was
        history, then and perhaps forever, as Dusty Baker came
        striding out of the dugout.

        But Bake told Beck to dig deep and do it, and the big fellow
        dug deep and, by God, he did it. First to go was Todd Zeile--
        called third strike, you're outta here. Then the venerable
        Eddie Murray, the 41-year-old active home run and RBI
        leader, future Hall of Famer, a man who can't really
        play any more but who still has a few line-drive hits
        left in that magnificent swing. Beck got him to chase
        a split-finger fastball, and Murray grounded to Jeff
        Kent, who threw home to get Piazza, and Johnson's
        relay to first doubled up the slow-moving Murray. Beck
        was out of it, and the hail of curses became a shower
        of cheers as he strode off the field, bellowing back
        at the crowd all the way. And when the Giants couldn't
        score in the tenth or the eleventh, Beck went right
        back out there and didn't give an inch. Five Giants
        pitchers threw 171 pitches, facing 50 batters over
        12 innings on the day; not one of them issued a single
        base on balls. (The Dodgers may claim they had plenty
        of opportunities to win this one, and perhaps they
        did, but it was the Giants who received ten walks and
        left fourteen men on base!)

        Then Johnson stepped up and won the game in the twelfth
        with his home run, and in the celebration that followed
        there was Bonds himself, hugging Baker and lifting him
        clear off the ground. Somehow, some way, the Giants have
        indeed managed to defy gravity one more time.




        Thursday, September 25, 1997

        GIANTS        88-71              MAGIC NUMBER: 2!
        Los Angeles   85-73   2 1/2 GB   Lost 4 of 5 at worst possible time.

        Yesterday
        Giants beat Colorado, 4-3, finishing up a stirring 4-2 road
        trip.
        LA lost to San Diego, 4-1, at home. Ouch.

        This Past Week
        The Giants took three of four in San Diego-- wrapping
        three inspiring victories around the obligatory blowout
        loss-- then split two in Denver. LA, meanwhile, was
        swept, at home, by Colorado, then bounced back against
        the Padres on Tuesday (trimming the Giants' lead to a
        game and a half), before last night's setback left them
        with an unsatisfying split.

        Today's game
        Giants are idle. They'll finish the regular season with
        a weekend series against the Padres here at the 'Stick.
        LA is off to finish their season in Colorado. Tonight
        it's Hideo Nomo trying to stave off the inevitable
        against Pedro Astacio.

        The Week That Was
        Barry Bonds is the talk of baseball once again. As
        the Giants took over the West-- beginning with their
        two-game sweep of LA-- Bonds hit six homers in seven
        days to pace the club.

        Friday night his two-run shot highlighted a big five-run
        fifth that decided the game, and made a winner out of
        Danny Darwin, who pitched well through five and was bailed
        out by Julian Tavarez in the sixth. Darwin got the win, the
        first by a Giants' righthanded starter since August
        8 (!), and Roberto Hernandez picked up the save,
        bailing out Rich Rodriguez and Doug Henry in a
        difficult eighth and then surviving the ninth.

        On Saturday, Shawn Estes essentially took the day off,
        retiring only five batters while surrendering five
        runs on six hits-- and, you guessed it, the rout was
        on. Perhaps, as the Giants insist, it is better
        to lose 12-2 than 3-2, because once again the blowout
        had no effect. The club came back and took the last
        two games of the series, both in inspiring fashion,
        both assisted by Bonds homers.

        Sunday, Wilson Alvarez left after seven with a 5-2 lead,
        only to see the bullpen-- primarily Terry Mulholland,
        though Rod Beck suffered, too-- give it away in a nightmarish,
        four-pitcher eighth. But Stan Javier's two-run triple
        broke open the top of the ninth, and a defiant Beck
        finished it in the bottom of the frame.

        Monday night no pitcher was safe: Kirk Rueter, staked to a
        5-1 lead, unraveled in the seventh, only to see Henry
        and Hernandez-- the latter running on empty-- blow
        the rest of it. But once again it was Javier with
        the timely hit an inning later, breaking the tie,
        and that opened the Giant floodgates, Bonds capping
        it with yet another home run. We had arrived in
        Seattle on business Sunday evening, and did
        our best to keep abreast of the Giants' situation;
        not the easiest thing to do considering the local
        Mariners were on the verge of clinching their AL West
        division themselves (they did so Tuesday night).

        With LA's continuing collapse at home-- they followed
        their 'Stick tragedy with three straight losses to
        the red-hot Rockies-- the Giants had, over the
        weekend, surged from a flat-footed tie to a lead of
        two and a half games. They'd made up a total of
        four and a half games in six incredible days. The
        pennant was indeed in sight at this time-- but so
        were the Rockies, the hottest team in the game, and
        playing on their own field.

        Colorado took the first round, banging out fourteen hits
        off four Giant pitchers, but still the Giants made it tough.
        Down 7-3 in the ninth, they charged back, with Bonds again
        leading the way (#39), but fell one run short. They
        earned that run back last night, though: once again
        it was Johnson, whose blast killed the Dodgers a
        week ago, sending one high and deep to left in the
        top of the ninth for the game-winner. Pat Rapp, the
        forgotten man of the staff, was brave and tough into
        the sixth, holding up well under the circumstances,
        and giving his team a chance to win. And if there's
        one thing we all can count on from these Giants,
        it's that they'll take that chance every time. Three
        relievers-- Tavarez, Mulholland, and the redoubtable
        Hernandez-- pitched scoreless ball over the final
        three, and set the stage for Johnson's heroics. The
        Giants' catcher has 11 homers in 53 games since he
        came over from Detroit; he's yet another 'secret
        weapon' on a team that's full of them.

        Notes
        Manager Baker was hospitalized over the weekend with a stomach
        'flu' of some type. He missed almost all of Saturday's train
        wreck, but returned Sunday... Estes ate at the same restaurant
        as Baker Friday night, and reported feeling lethargic prior to
        Saturday's start, so perhaps his lousy performance was due to
        that... Snow drove in his 100th and 101st runs of the season
        with his 28th homer. He joins Kent in the Giants' 100-RBI club
        for the season. Bonds, with 99, is a cinch to make it a trio
        before the year ends, and the Giants haven't had three 100-RBI
        men since 1947 in New York (Johnny Mize, Walker Cooper, and
        Willard Marshall). That '47 club also holds the team record for
        home runs (221), which was the major-league standard until 1961,
        when the Yankees hit 240... Odd to think that Will Clark, Kevin
        Mitchell, and Matt Williams-- the famed 'Pacific Coast Sock
        Exchange'-- never combined for 100 RBI each in any of their three
        seasons together, but they didn't...  Williams and Bonds both
        drove in over 100 in '93, but Clark missed the mark that year...
        If LA loses tonight, the Giants clinch a tie and could wrap it up
        on Friday night at the 'Stick.  Their three previous division
        titles were clinched on the road-- in San Diego twice ('71 and
        '87) and in Los Angeles ('89)...  Should it come to a playoff,
        it'll be on Monday, at the 'Stick.




        Friday, September 26, 1997

        GIANTS        88-71              They could clinch it tonight.
        Los Angeles   86-73    2 GB      Even a sweep probably won't be enough.

        Yesterday
        Giants were idle.
        LA beat Colorado, 9-5.

        Today's game
        Giants host San Diego; 7:35 at the 'Stick.  Shawn Estes
        tries again for his 19th win. Pete Smith, Estes' winning
        opponent from last Saturday's wipeout, starts for the
        Padres. 40,000 or more fans are expected to descend upon
        the ballpark, anticipating celebration.
        LA's at Colorado, with Ismael Valdes on the mound. This
        game starts 90 minutes earlier than the Giants', so it's
        certain there'll be a fair amount of scoreboard-watching,
        especially if the Rockies get ahead.




        Saturday, September 27, 1997

        GIANTS        89-71              One more win will do it.
        Los Angeles   87-73    2 GB      "Freedom's just another word for..."

        Yesterday
        Giants blasted San Diego, 17-4.
        LA beat Colorado, 10-4.

        Today's game
        Giants host San Diego again; a 1:05 start, with Wilson
        Alvarez trying to nail it down. Ryan Hitchcock, a pretty
        fair pitcher in his own right (though the Giants rowdied
        him up last Monday in San Diego) starts for the Padres.
        LA's at Colorado again, also a 1:05 start. They've got
        Ramon Martinez; the Rockies counter with Vinnie Castillo.

        Last night
        Seeing the Dodgers leap out to a big 10-1 early lead against
        the 'pitching-challenged' Rockies didn't seem to faze the
        Giants. Jeff Kent walloped a three-run homer in the bottom
        of the first inning, and Shawn Estes went right into cruise
        control. Seven innings, three hits, one earned run, and win
        number 19 in the book for the Giants' young ace. The game
        devolved into farce in the bottom of the fifth as the Giants
        scored eight runs, taking advantage of several Padre errors
        and rolling up a 14-2 cushion. After that, most of the SF
        regulars-- not to mention quite a few of the 50,000-plus
        fans-- took the night off; Barry Bonds provided the last
        moment of drama with his 40th homer, a two-run shot in the
        sixth.

        Notes
        Let's see, a .290 mark, 40 homers, 101 RBI; yep, that's some
        'off-year' Bonds is having... Mark Gardner, who's been at his
        wife's bedside since she was diagnosed with cancer on September
        14, rejoined the club last night. He's had a tired arm for the
        past six weeks and may not make the post-season roster, but if it
        were up to me, I'd save a spot for him in long relief... Another
        familiar name, that of William VanLandingham, surfaced once again
        as the team bought his minor-league contract from Phoenix. It's
        unclear if Vandy figures in the team's future plans, but in a
        typically classy move, they wanted him on the 40-man roster so he
        could be a full-fledged member of a championship team. Way to go,
        Brian Sabean... If the Giants can't clinch today (meaning they
        lose and the Dodgers win; any other result wins 'em the pennant),
        Kirk Rueter will pitch tomorrow. If it ends this afternoon,
        Rueter will likely open the divisional playoff series in Florida
        on Tuesday.




        Sunday, September 28, 1997

        GIANTS        90-71              GIANTS   CLINCH   IT
        Los Angeles   88-73    2 GB

        Yesterday
        Giants defeated San Diego, 6-1, to clinch the division title.
        LA beat Colorado, 6-1.

        Today's game
        Giants host San Diego to finish up the season; 1:05 at the
        'Stick. It's either a glorified exhibition or a 'victory
        lap', depending on your perspective. Another sellout crowd
        is expected, and maybe one of them knows who'll start for
        the Giants. It could be Terry Mulholland, Danny Darwin, or
        even Mark Gardner. Alan Ashby starts for San Diego.

        Yesterday's Game
        It all came down to pitching for the Giants, and the heroes
        were starter Wilson Alvarez, the newest addition to the
        staff, and closer Rod Beck, the team's senior member.
        Alvarez pitched by far his greatest game in a Giant uniform,
        shutting out the Padres on two singles through seven. For
        a while, young Sterling Hamilton matched him zero-for-zero,
        and after last night's laugher we had a taut pitchers' duel
        (and another quick LA lead blinking onto the scoreboard from
        Colorado). But in the fourth, Glenallen Hill broke the ice
        with an RBI single, scoring Mark Lewis, who had led off with
        a double. The Giants chipped across two more in the sixth on
        a fielder's choice and a sacrifice fly; then in the seventh
        it was celebration time after J.T. Snow's ringing double
        drove in two more to cap a three-run outburst. With six outs
        to go, Dusty Baker turned it over to Roberto Hernandez; he
        blew the shutout, but there was no doubt when it came to the
        ninth. It had to be Beck, the only player left from the
        Craig/Rosen era, the man who saved 48 games in 1993 and who
        saved game after game for bad teams three years after that.
        Whatever his struggles this season, Baker knew the big guy
        deserved this one big-time, and with the unerring class and
        confidence that have marked his every move this year, Dusty
        sent Beck out there. A five-run lead, no save situation this
        time: just the opportunity to drive the Golden Spike. And
        ten pitches, three batters, and two strikeouts later, Beck
        was flinging his arms skyward in celebration as the entire
        team charged the mound, mobbing him while 58,000 fans went
        completely bananas. For the first time in eight years, the
        San Francisco Giants are champions, and will participate
        in the playoffs. This team this marvelous team, has by God
        done it!

        Notes
        Gardner, as expected, will be on the postseason roster. He may
        even get a chance to start if the Giants go four-deep into their
        rotation, although Mulholland has to figure as the front-runner,
        given Candlestick's bias toward lefties... Speaking of lefties,
        it'll be three southpaws in a row for the Giants against Florida:
        Kirk Rueter on Tuesday, Shawn Estes Wednesday, and Alvarez at the
        'Stick on Friday... We'll sum up the season and look at the whole
        playoff picture after today's finale.




        Monday, September 29, 1997

        End of the Regular Season

        GIANTS        90-72              Won the West despite being outscored.
        Los Angeles   88-74    2 GB      Piazza's season one of greatest ever.
        Colorado      83-79    7 GB      Finished strong; Walker the MVP?
        San Diego     76-86   14 GB      '96's last were first and vice versa.

        Yesterday
        Giants lost to San Diego, 5-3, in eleven innings.
        Colorado beat LA, 13-9.

        Today
        Giants fly to Florida, where they'll open the best-of-five
        division series against the Marlins tomorrow. Game time is
        slated for 4 PM local time (1 PM PDT). It'll be Kirk Rueter
        against Kevin Brown.

        The Playoffs
        Giants are slight underdogs against wild-card Marlins,
        who finished with league's second-best record (92-70).
        Giants, though, won season series against Florida 6-5;
        they were 4-2 at home and 2-3 in Joe Robbie Stadium.
        Their only real hitting success came against Alex
        Fernandez; Al Leiter, Livian Hernandez, and of course
        Brown all pitched well against the Giants. Shawn Estes
        had two very good starts against the Marlins while Rueter
        had one good and one bad. Alvarez, scheduled to pitch at
        the 'Stick Friday, did not face them; in any case it'll
        be interesting to see the Giants go with three lefthanders
        in this series. As many players have noted, the five-game
        format sucks, giving 'way too much advantage to the team
        which opens at home, even though the Giants have the
        nominal edge since games 3, 4, and 5 will all be played
        here, if necessary. A better format, for the wild-card
        team anyway, would be only one game at home. But that's
        not the hand we've been dealt. One edge the Giants have
        enjoyed over most rivals-- manager Dusty Baker-- may not
        apply here, since Florida skipper Jim Leyland is among the
        game's best.

        The Other Series
        Atlanta, winner of 101 games, plays Houston, winner of
        84, beginning tomorrow with Greg Maddux facing Darryl
        Kile. Since the home-field advantage is assigned on
        a round-robin rather than best-record basis, the
        Astros open on the road but will get three at home if
        they survive that far. It's doubtful they will. Braves
        are deep in pitching, have a solid lineup, a good
        bench, and plenty of experience. 'Stros have the
        marvelous Jeff Bagwell, the steady Craig Biggio, and
        decent pitching.

        In the American League, East champion Baltimore faces
        West champion Seattle in by far the most publicized of
        the division series. The O's were the best in the AL
        over the season, winning 98 games and going almost
        wire-to-wire ahead of defending champions New York.
        Baltimore has Cal Ripken, three outstanding starters,
        and a complete lineup with no real weakness. Mariners
        have perhaps the game's two best players, Ken Griffey
        and Randy Johnson; beyond that their pitching is
        suspect but their hitting-- with Alex Rodriguez and
        Jay Buhner and Edgar Martinez-- is sensational; they
        set a major-league record for home runs. One of these
        two teams is almost certain to reach the Series;
        neither Cleveland nor the wild-card Yankees appear
        capable of handling either powerhouse.

        And so it's off to the playoffs for the first time
        since 1989. Hope springs eternal every baseball
        season, they say; the same goes for this 'second
        season'. In a short series, teams with momentum often
        overcome better teams. Atlanta is the only NL club
        clearly superior to the Giants, and the way those two
        teams battle, anything can happen. Let's just hope it
        gets that far.







Copyright (c) 1998, 1999 by David Malbuff.  All rights reserved.