Giants get the last laugh. Padres go home losers!

GIANTS 3 - PADRES 0

Jonathan Sanchez hates the Padres so much he smoked a triple and scored the Giants first run of the game.  He pitched 5 shutout innings and got the win on the last day of the season to propel the Giants into the playoffs as the NL West champions and send the Padres home.  

Their miracle season got them the same playoff result as finishing in last place all those years!

It couldn't be sweeter for the Giants to clinch against the Padres since the Giants single-handedly kept the Padres in the playoff hunt until the last day.  If the Giants had even gone .500 against the Padres this season then they would have won the division by 5 games.

Anyway, it's a great feeling.  Even the last two games the Giants lost have been exciting.  This team has kept it close all season long.  They didn't disappoint.  Now it's playoff time.

So Giants fans get out your champagne, your beer, or whatever your poison is.  Kick back and celebrate the Giants first postseason since 2003!

Playoffs baby!

Something to ponder for the next few days:

Giants record Vs. the NL playoff teams:

Phi: 3-3

Cin: 4-3

Atl: 3-4

Giants rally comes up short

PADRES 6  - GIANTS 4

You knew it was gonna happen.  The Giants were gonna have to stretch the season out just a liiiiiitle bit longer.

Matt Cain just didn't have it tonight and the Padres capitalized.  He gave up all 6 runs in 4 innings.  In a way I'm glad Cain got this hiccup out of the way.  Better have it come during the regular season than in the playoffs.

The Giants, to their credit, made it a game.  The big hit of the night came from the least likely source of all.  Aaron Rowand.  I'm glad he got a moment to shine.  Despite what we all think about his play, the guy is a gamer and he goes about playing the game the right way.  The bullpen came through and pitched 5 innings of shutout baseball and the Giants got the tying run up to the plate in Aubrey Huff who somehow managed to fly out into a double play.

Anyway the champagne will just have to chill on ice for one more day.  It wouldn't be a fitting end to the 2010 Giants season if they just won it in the first game.

Go Giants!

Its a six game season!

The San Francisco Giants will begin the final 6 game stretch of the season with a 1 game lead over the San Diego Padres.  That one game advantage, plus the fact that the last 6 games are at home while the Padres last 6 games are on the road give the Giants a nice advantage coming down the homestretch.

It's great isn't it?  The last 156 games have all led up to this point.  Think of everything that has gone on this season.  Todd Wellemeyer, Bengie Molina, The Posey controversy, Torres' appendectomy, the losing streak to the Padres to start the season, the great pitching run, the sputtering offense.  All of it has been getting us ready for these last 6 games.

I would love it if the last 3 games of the season were merely exhibition games, but the only way for that to happen would be if the Giants swept the D-backs and the Padres got swept by the Cubs.  An unlikely scenario.  So most likely the season will be decided this weekend when the Padres roll into town for the final 3 games of the season.

The Giants-Padres saga has really been THE storyline this season.  The Padres, the team nobody thought would even be good, have been battling the Giants for first place over the last few weeks.  This after the Padres dominated the Giants to open the season and having leads of 735 and 6 games at two different times in the season.  Hell, the Giants were 6 games back exactly one month ago on August 28.

So get your popcorn, your beer, head down to the yard, read your favorite blog, whatever you need to do to get ready for this 6 game stretch.  We don't know what is going to happen, but it's going to be fun finding out!

Big Game Cain shuts down the Rockies

Matt Cain took a no-hitter into the 8th inning Vs. the Colorado Rockies.  Jay Payton legged out an infield hit to break up the no-hitter and Melvin Mora hit a 2 run homer to account for all the scoring that the Rockies would do.



Cain finished the game for his 12th career complete game and effectively knocked the Rockies out of the post season.

Big Game Cain was officially born today.  This was the biggest game that Cain has pitched in so far in his career.  never before had Cain ever been in a race this close this late in the season.  Considering that Rockies pounded out 17 hits last night and won the game with a dramatic double in the 10th they could have easily used that momentum from last night and turned this game into a laugher.

But Matt came through when the Giants needed him the most.

Cain's next big test will come next weekend against San Diego on the second to last game of the season.  He could be potentially pitching the pennant clinching game so he will need to bring his big game stuff once again.

At the time I am writing this the Padres are down 6-2 to the Cincinnati Reds so hopefully the Giants will be no worse than tied after tomorrow's day off.

*Update*

The Reds ponded the Padres 12-2 so the Giants are once again in sole possession of first.  The Padres play the Cubs in San Diego so hopefully the Cubs can win one of those games.  It sure looks like it's gonna come down to the final weekend in San Diego

Giants do just enough to beat the Rockies

GIANTS 2 - ROCKIES 1 

The San Francisco Giants offense is like that guy at work who does just enough to get by.  You all know that guy, the one who gets to work at 8:01 and leaves at 4:55.  The guy who never volunteers for anything and then just barely gets things done when they are assigned to him.  But then he loves to take all the credit when the boss is looking.  Heck you might even be that guy (or girl)!

The Giants offense is definitely that guy.

After scoring 13 runs last night, the Giants were held to 3 hits and 2 runs.  Both of which came on Pat "The Bat" Burrell's 2 run homerun in the seventh.  Other than that, the Giants were looking as if they were just going to roll over and lose 1-0.    Hell, the Giants didn't even get their first hit until the 5th inning.

But they did just barely outhit the Rockies 3-2 and they just barely outscored the Rockies 2-1 so they did just do enough to get by.

The reason the offense was able to just get by was because of the continued pitching dominance.  Tim Lincecum showed why he is the reigning 2-time Cy Young award winner by going 8 strong innings and striking out 9.  He allowed one run, 2 hits, and didn't allow a hit until the 6th inning.

The Freak's amazing performance extended the Giants string of pitching dominance.  They have now gone 18 straight games allowing 2 runs or less and 22 straight allowing 4 runs or less.  A string of 2 runs or less has not reached that many games since the 1917 Chicago White Sox strung together 20 straight.  For the record, 1917 was in the dead ball era!

Brian Wilson came in in the 9th to close out a great game and preserve what has to be the most amazing string of pitching performances by any single staff in history.

I would love to see the offense score more runs and really work to get noticed.  but with pitching like the Giants have right now, they don't need that much offense.

The fans need it though.

*Update*

I love how Burrell just put his head down and walked to first after he hit his homer which was an absolute bomb.  Watch it here.

Giants hammer Cubs to retake NL west lead but it's really all about the pitching

GIANTS 13 - CUBS 0

The San Francisco Giants took over first place for what seems like the one hundredth time in the last two weeks.

They did it in their usual Dr, Jekyll and Mr. Hyde fashion.  After scoring 1 run over the last 2 games, the Giants offense erupted for a season high 13 runs.  They broke through with 9 runs in the second inning for the first tie since 2008.  They also pounded out 19 hits, also a season high.

Juan Uribe had a standout game  inning.   In the second inning he hit two homeruns, including a grand slam, and drove in six runs.  All in the second inning!  For some historical perspective on Uribe's inning click here.  Buster Posey contributed a homerun and Cody Ross hit his first homerun as a Giant to help power the attack.

But the Giants could have scored one run and won the game.

The luxury of having a rookie number 5 starter come in and throw 7 shutout innings at a red-hot team during a pennant race is something that can not be understated.  It's something that is almost unheard of.

But that's exactly what Madison Bumgarner did last night.  He didn't just shut the Cubs down, he dominated them, striking out seven Cubbies over his 7 innings of work.  He only gave up one walk while scattering 7 hits over those 7 innings of work.

The Giants rotation has assumed their position as the best rotation in baseball.  They lead all of baseball in team ERA with a 3.39 mark.  They lead in strikeouts, BA against, K/9, and H/9.  Quite simply, the 2010 Giants are all about pitching.

Not to shabby for a team that started the season with Todd Wellemeyer in the starting rotation.

1917 World Champion White Sox

Bumgarner's gem continued a streak that places the 2010 Giants staff amongst the best pitching staffs in all of history.  The Giants pitchers have now gone 17 consecutive games where they have allowed 3 runs or less and 22 straight of 4 or less.  The Giants are only the second team ever to go that many games only allowing 3 runs or less.  You have to go all the way back to the dead ball era and the 1917 Chicago White Sox (who won the world series that year) for a team that has had that kind of a streak.  The Sox' streak went from May 20th through June 12th so it wasn't even in the middle of the pennant race!

Think about that for a second.  The Giants pitching staff, in the modern game of baseball with it's homeruns, high powered offenses,bandbox stadiums, and chicks who dig the longball, have sustained a streak of pitching excellence that is unmatched in the ENTIRE LIVE BALL ERA!

If the Giants don't make the playoffs this season then they will have wasted one of the most impressive pitching feats ever.  That will be a crime to these pitchers who have stepped it up in a way no other pitching staff has ever done.

There are just nine games left.  These are going to be the 9 games that make or break this team.  The Giants enter these final nine games by facing the third place Rockies who have stumbled to 3.5 games back and they end with three games in San Francisco with the second place San Diego Padres.  The season will be decided over these next 9 games and anything can happen.  But one thing will be for sure.  The Giants' pitching staff will be leading the way.

The old, Tired, feeble Giants fall out of first place

CUBS 2 - GIANTS 0

The 2010 Giants new theme

Jonathan Sanchez pitched well, even if he wasn't very economical with his pitches.  Bochy pulled him in the 6th but not for a pinch-hitter finally.  Although he may as well have because the Giants still didn't score any runs last night. 

They were on their way to being shutout by the Cubs 2-0

In the last 13 games the Giants have played, they have been held to one run or fewer 8 times.

Which means while the pitching staff is on the verge of historical greatness.  The Giants offense is a lesson in futility.  To add insult to injury the Dodgers rolled over for the Padres again and lost.  So now the Giants are back in second place.

I also have to wonder about Bochy's benching of Pablo Sandoval during the game last night.  Sure Pablo has been having a rough year on the field this season.  But I don't understand how he is the guy who gets benched when the entire Giants' offense has scored a total of 1 run in the last 19 innings they have played.

I don't know who else should sit, but Bruce Bochy's lineup tonight had better include at least 3 faces we haven't seen in a while.  I'm talking about guys Nate Schierholtz, Travis Ishikawa, Darren Ford, Emmanuel Burriss, Elmo, Sheriff Woody.  It doesn't matter at this point because they can't score less than zero runs.

Or can they?

Giants win one of the best games of the season!

Wow, what a game!


The Giants finished off the Padres in 11 innings.  This was easily one of the best games of the season given the history between these two teams this season and the fact that the race to the NL west crown is going to basically come down to these two teams.

This game ran the full emotional spectrum for me.  From anger over the Giants inability to score runs, to excitement over Pablo's homerun, to stress over the Padres loading the bases against Romo, back to excitement when Pat "The Bat" tied the score with a heads up RBI groundout, back to anger when Mike Adams mowed the Giants down, to pure excitement when Posey stretched his single into two bags, and to jumping for joy when Juan Uribe hurt somebody's feelings (thanks Kevin Millar) by driving in Buster Posey in the bottom of the 11th to end the Torture!

Hopefully this is the turning point in the Padres - Giants saga for this season.  This is the kind of scratching, clawing, who wants to win it more kind of game that can break a team and propel the other team.  The Padres had to think they had this game won when Luke Greggerson took the mound with a one run lead since  the Giants had never scored a run off him in 14 games.  But the Giants got a sacrifice fly from Pat The Bat to tie the game in the 8th inning.




Then it was Posey time.

After scoreless 9th and 10th innings, including a 10th inning in which Santiago Casilla tried to hand the game to the Padres by throwing 2 wild pitches to put the winning run on 3rd base with only one out, Buster Posey led off the 11th inning with a base hit up the middle that bounced off of second baseman Jerry Hairston's glove and rolled into short centerfield.  When an alert Posey saw the deflection he utilized those catchers legs, which had just caught 11 innings BTW, and stretched that single into a double.  The Giants gave Pablo Sandoval the Barry Bonds treatment by giving him his second intentional walk of the game to bring up Juan Uribe.

Uribe floated a soft single to shallow right field and the suddenly fleet footed Buster Posey scored from second base.

Ballgame.

There are so many performances in this game that are remarkable.  Obviously Buster's baserunning heroics were huge, Pablo's continued power surge was the spark that erased the Goose Egg the Giants had put on the board up until that point, and Pat Burrell realizing the defense was conceding the tying run when he had two strikes on him and shooting a ball to the right side to score Mike Fontenot.

However, I think the biggest clutch performance of the night belonged to Madison Bumgarner.  He wasn't lights out.  He gave up 8 hits in his seven innings of work.  But this game could have easily gotten out of hand and he battled and battled to keep the Padres at two runs.  Unfortunately, he became an official member of the Giants rotation tonight when he got a no-decision thanks to a lack of run support, but without him this game could have been very different.

This puts the Giants in a position to win their first series of the season against the Padres tomorrow.  Lincecum is on the mound and despite his "struggles" this season he is still the team leader in wins.  The 6-10 Wade LeBlanc is throwing tomorrow so this game is ripe for the Giants to make a statement!

A disappointing trip

BRAVES 6 - GIANTS 3

The Giants finished the roadtrip 2-4.  They scored 10 runs in one game and didn't score any more than 3 runs in any other game scoring a total of 9 runs during those 5 contests.  No matter how you look dissect the numbers, it was a bad trip.

Looking on the bright side as I try to do in this blog, the Giants are still just 2 games out of first place, they are starting a homestand in which they face the not very good Cubs and have a first place showdown with the Padres.  The NL west could have a very different look after this weekend.

In keeping with the positives the Giants are 33-20 at home and 30-29 on the road.  Even after their bad road trip.  This is a huge improvement over last season when they were 36 and 45 on the road.  Their inability to win on the road likely cost them the division.


The reality of this season is that the NL west is going to come down to September.  The Giants play every game, except for a 6 games against the Brewers and Cubs on Sept. 17-23, against NL west teams.They play 5 games against the Dodgers, 4 against the Padres, 4 against the Rockies and 6 against the D-Backs including the final 3 game series of the season.  This is where the NL west will be decided.  As much as we want to look at games here in early August and predict what will happen to the Giants, the fact of the matter is they won't determine the outcome of the division.

Also, with 7 games against the Padres, the Giants will need to figure out how to beat them a few times.  it doesn't matter how they do against the other teams, they have to beat the Padres or they will not win the division.  That's all it boils down to.

Links of the day:

Image via Wikipedia

Giants prospect Sharlon Schoop had 6 RBIs yesterday for the Giants AA affiliate Richmond Flying Squirrels. Schoop is a little farther down the prospect hierarchy, but he is 23 and a guy that the Giants have some confidence in.  He's hitting .294 for Richmond after hitting .281 at A ball Augusta.  Keep an eye on him while you are looking at how guys like Brandon Belt, Thomas Neal, and Conor Gillaspie are doing.


It also looks like the Giants have called up Emmanuel Burriss to deepen their bench.  No word on who they are moving to make room for him on the roster but I will go out on a limb and predict it's a pitcher.

Speaking of going out on a limb.  After taking the loss against the Braves yesterday Jonathan Sanchez came out and predicted that the Giants would sweep the Padres this weekend.  Hopefully it gives the guy something to focus on when he throws against the Padres this weekend.  But I like it.  It shows a little bit of confidence from the lefty.  Something that is called into question about him every once in a while.