It can finally be said. The Giants are world champions.
The road to becoming World Series Champions was definitely not easy for the Giants in their San Francisco history. Barry Bonds couldn't do it. Willie Mays couldn't do it. Jeff Kent couldn't do it nor could Willie McCovey. The Giants even had a 5-0 lead in Game 6, their potential clinching game, of the 2002 World Series and could not get it done.
Who would be the heroes to stand up to this seeming impossible task of winning a world championship?
Hero number 1. A 21-year old rookie left-hander Madison Bumgarner. All he did was pitch eighth shut-out innings in Game 4 of the World Series. Hero number 2. An aging veteran who was ousted from his starting role earlier in the season. Although he was a post-season hero in 1997 for the Florida Marlins, he was pushed aside to the bench. Who is this mystery person? Edgar Renteria. All he did was hit the game-winning home run in Game 5 of the World Series. Hero number 3. He's a freak, he's young, and he's a two-time Cy Young winner. He's none other than the freaky franchise, Tim Lincecum. His feat? He just pitched eight strong innings in the clinching game of the World Series to bring his team home the title.
One could go on and on about the heroes in this band of misfits known as the San Francisco Giants. To name all of them would make this blog entry longer than The Bible. The Giants exemplified what it means to be part of a team, and all 25 men on the post-season roster did something to make their mark on this magical 2010 San Francisco Giants season.
This season of destiny for the Giants ended with Game 5 of the World Series. Facing Cliff Lee, Tim Lincecum gave arguably his best effort as a San Francisco Giant, pitching eight innings of one-run baseball, striking out 10. His 10 strikeouts ties a record for a World Series-clinching game. The last person to have 10 strikeouts in such a game was Bob Gibson in 1967.
Until the seventh inning, Cliff Lee baffled the Giants. The Giants mustered a threat against Lee in the top of the sixth inning after Sanchez singled with two outs, but Buster Posey hit a deep fly ball that was tracked down at the wall by the right fielder Nelson Cruz. It didn't seem like it was the Giants' night.
Or so it seemed.
In the seventh inning, the score was still deadlocked in a scoreless tie. Cody Ross led off the inning with a lead-off single. Juan Uribe followed with another single. Aubrey Huff came up next and shocked everyone by laying down a perfect sacrifice bunt. With one out, then came up the struggling Pat Burrell, who had no hits in the World Series. Burrell's struggles continued, as he struck out. With 2 outs and runners at second and third, a misfit, Edgar Renteria, came to the plate. With Giants fans thinking yet another excellent scoring opportunity would be squandered, Renteria marked himself in Giants history, as he belted a 2-0 fastball over the fence in left-center field. Just like that, the Giants had a 3-0 lead. At the time, the Giants were just nine outs away from the title.
The Rangers got to Tim Lincecum for a run in the bottom of the seventh inning on a one-out Nelson Cruz home run. With the score 3-1, would this be another late-inning collapse on the road in a World Series clinching game a la 2002?
Not if Lincecum or Wilson had anything to say about it.
After Lincecum retired the side in order in the eighth inning, Giants' closer Brian Wilson was summoned in for what the Giants hoped would be their final ninth inning of the year. With the Giants three outs away from their first San Francisco World Championships, Wilson was unfazed. The first batter Wilson faced, Josh Hamilton, struck out looking on a high fastball. ONE out. The next batter, Vladimir Guerrero, grounded out to shortstop. TWO outs. With the Giants one more out away from clinching the title, up stepped Nelson Cruz. Cruz worked the count to 3-2, but Wilson threw a pitch down the middle. Cruz could not catch up to it, as he swung and missed. THREE outs.
The Giants were world champions.
Suddenly, 1962, 1989, 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2004 doesn't hurt so bad anymore.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Giants Beat Rangers At Their Own Game, Take Commanding 2-0 World Series Lead
Game Summary
Who said the Giants couldn't hit?
In their two games against the powerful Texas Rangers, the Giants held them to just seven runs, including a 9-0 shut-out at AT&T Park Thursday night.
As for the Giants?
All the Giants did was score 20 runs in two games, 13 of them with two outs.
Most of Thursday's game was a far cry from last night's offense barrage, with 18 runs being scored by both teams on Wednesday. Fortunately for the Giants, they were on the winning end of that game, by a score of 11-7, but that game did show that the Rangers will not go down quietly in this series.
They didn't show that same fight on Thursday.
That was because Matt Cain was fantastic in his seven and two-thirds inning of shut-out work. Cain, who has yet to give up an earned run in the post-season, yielded just four hits and two walks, while striking out just two.
The Rangers' starter, C.J. Wilson, was a formidable opponent; however, he would take the loss after giving up a long fifth-inning home run to Edgar Renteria. The score was just 1-0 at the time, but that was all the Giants needed. Wilson would leave the game in the seventh with a blister on his hand.
Darren Oliver was summoned in to relieve Wilson, who left with Cody Ross on first with nobody out. Aubrey Huff was the first hitter against Oliver, and he grounded out to first, but advanced Ross to second. With two outs, Juan Uribe came up and blooped a single into center field, scoring Ross and extending the Giants' lead to 2-0. At the time, the run felt huge for the Giants.
Then came the oddest inning you will ever see in a World Series.
The bottom of the eighth inning started pedestrian for the Giants, with both Andres Torres and Freddy Sanchez striking out against reliever Darren O' Day. Buster Posey came up and singled to center field. Little did anyone know that this innocent two-out single would start something big.
O' Day would go on to walk the next two hitters. Then stepped Aubrey Huff to the plate with the bases loaded. Huff would go on to coax a walk, forcing in a run and making the score 3-0.
The Rangers summoned Derek Holland to face Juan Uribe. Holland would take the count to 3-2, but Uribe resisted swinging at a low pitch, taking ball 4. This would force in a run, increasing the Giants' lead to 4-0. Edgar Renteria came to the plate next and added to the Rangers' misery, singling to right field. Two runs scored, and the Giants were up 6-0. Aaron Rowand would add a two-run triple in the inning, followed by an Andres Torres RBI single. Before it was all said and done, the Giants led 9-0. All seven runs in the eighth inning scored with two outs.
The Giants had a close call in the top of the fifth inning. Ian Kinsler led off the inning with a deep drive to center. The ball appeared on television to be over the fence for a home run, but it actually hit the top of the wall for a double. Cain would pitch around the lead-off double, stranding Kinsler at second base.
Cain would also run into trouble in the top of the sixth inning, while the score was still 1-0. With runners at second and third with just one out, Cain induced a pop-out from Nelson Cruz and then a fly-out to right from Ian Kinsler.
The Giants now have a commanding 2-0 lead in the World Series. No matter what happens in Texas, the Giants are assured to bringing the series back to AT&T Park. It would be nice if the Giants could become world champions at home, but they surely won't mind if their first world championship since 1954 gets done in Texas.
My Thoughts
I have never seen the ball bounce a team's way as many times as I've seen it happen for the Giants. Tonight, the Giants were 1 inch away from falling behind 1-0 in the fifth inning, but Ian Kinsler's deep drive hit off the top of the wall. Although the Rangers had a great scoring opportunity with a runner at second and nobody out, Cain would not allow the run to score, a huge momentum shift, in favor of the Giants, in the game. I thought Brooks Conrad's defensive lapses were lucky, but a ball that's off the top of the wall and an inch away from a home run might be a little more fortunate considering how rare that is.
Matt Cain is simply amazing. It's his first time ever pitching in the playoffs, and he has yet to give up a run. Tonight, he only had two strikeouts, but effectively pitched to contact, especially against this Rangers powerhouse offense. Not to mention that he encountered the gauntlet in the sixth inning, and got through it no problem. He really bore down and threw a nasty cut-fastball on the inside corner to Nelson Cruz, who hit a harmless pop-out to Aubrey Huff at first. Runners were at second and third with one out at the time. Ian Kinsler came up next with two outs, and Cain got away with a location mistake, but Kinsler just popped it to Cody Ross for the out.
The way the Giants have had a new hero every day is simply amazing. Who would of thought that Edgar Renteria would be getting big RBIs in the World Series for the Giants? In fact, he would get three in Thursday's game. Bruce Bochy only inserted Renteria into the lineup because Pablo Sandoval was struggling mightily at the plate, and he sure is responding. Last night, Uribe was the hero. I wouldn't be surprised if the hero tomorrow was somebody else, or even two people.
This and That
Regular season or post-season, the Rangers remain winless at AT&T Park. The Giants scored 13 two-out runs out of 20 in the World Series. Both Elvis Andrus and Nelson Cruz failed to get hits, ending their 12-game post-season hitting streaks. The Giants have never lost a World Series while being up 2-0. The Rangers have not given up two runs on bases loaded walks in an inning since Rich Harden did it on April 7 against Toronto. The World Series continues Saturday at 3:57 p.m. Jonathan Sanchez will square off against Colby Lewis.
Who said the Giants couldn't hit?
In their two games against the powerful Texas Rangers, the Giants held them to just seven runs, including a 9-0 shut-out at AT&T Park Thursday night.
As for the Giants?
All the Giants did was score 20 runs in two games, 13 of them with two outs.
Most of Thursday's game was a far cry from last night's offense barrage, with 18 runs being scored by both teams on Wednesday. Fortunately for the Giants, they were on the winning end of that game, by a score of 11-7, but that game did show that the Rangers will not go down quietly in this series.
They didn't show that same fight on Thursday.
That was because Matt Cain was fantastic in his seven and two-thirds inning of shut-out work. Cain, who has yet to give up an earned run in the post-season, yielded just four hits and two walks, while striking out just two.
The Rangers' starter, C.J. Wilson, was a formidable opponent; however, he would take the loss after giving up a long fifth-inning home run to Edgar Renteria. The score was just 1-0 at the time, but that was all the Giants needed. Wilson would leave the game in the seventh with a blister on his hand.
Darren Oliver was summoned in to relieve Wilson, who left with Cody Ross on first with nobody out. Aubrey Huff was the first hitter against Oliver, and he grounded out to first, but advanced Ross to second. With two outs, Juan Uribe came up and blooped a single into center field, scoring Ross and extending the Giants' lead to 2-0. At the time, the run felt huge for the Giants.
Then came the oddest inning you will ever see in a World Series.
The bottom of the eighth inning started pedestrian for the Giants, with both Andres Torres and Freddy Sanchez striking out against reliever Darren O' Day. Buster Posey came up and singled to center field. Little did anyone know that this innocent two-out single would start something big.
O' Day would go on to walk the next two hitters. Then stepped Aubrey Huff to the plate with the bases loaded. Huff would go on to coax a walk, forcing in a run and making the score 3-0.
The Rangers summoned Derek Holland to face Juan Uribe. Holland would take the count to 3-2, but Uribe resisted swinging at a low pitch, taking ball 4. This would force in a run, increasing the Giants' lead to 4-0. Edgar Renteria came to the plate next and added to the Rangers' misery, singling to right field. Two runs scored, and the Giants were up 6-0. Aaron Rowand would add a two-run triple in the inning, followed by an Andres Torres RBI single. Before it was all said and done, the Giants led 9-0. All seven runs in the eighth inning scored with two outs.
The Giants had a close call in the top of the fifth inning. Ian Kinsler led off the inning with a deep drive to center. The ball appeared on television to be over the fence for a home run, but it actually hit the top of the wall for a double. Cain would pitch around the lead-off double, stranding Kinsler at second base.
Cain would also run into trouble in the top of the sixth inning, while the score was still 1-0. With runners at second and third with just one out, Cain induced a pop-out from Nelson Cruz and then a fly-out to right from Ian Kinsler.
The Giants now have a commanding 2-0 lead in the World Series. No matter what happens in Texas, the Giants are assured to bringing the series back to AT&T Park. It would be nice if the Giants could become world champions at home, but they surely won't mind if their first world championship since 1954 gets done in Texas.
My Thoughts
I have never seen the ball bounce a team's way as many times as I've seen it happen for the Giants. Tonight, the Giants were 1 inch away from falling behind 1-0 in the fifth inning, but Ian Kinsler's deep drive hit off the top of the wall. Although the Rangers had a great scoring opportunity with a runner at second and nobody out, Cain would not allow the run to score, a huge momentum shift, in favor of the Giants, in the game. I thought Brooks Conrad's defensive lapses were lucky, but a ball that's off the top of the wall and an inch away from a home run might be a little more fortunate considering how rare that is.
Matt Cain is simply amazing. It's his first time ever pitching in the playoffs, and he has yet to give up a run. Tonight, he only had two strikeouts, but effectively pitched to contact, especially against this Rangers powerhouse offense. Not to mention that he encountered the gauntlet in the sixth inning, and got through it no problem. He really bore down and threw a nasty cut-fastball on the inside corner to Nelson Cruz, who hit a harmless pop-out to Aubrey Huff at first. Runners were at second and third with one out at the time. Ian Kinsler came up next with two outs, and Cain got away with a location mistake, but Kinsler just popped it to Cody Ross for the out.
The way the Giants have had a new hero every day is simply amazing. Who would of thought that Edgar Renteria would be getting big RBIs in the World Series for the Giants? In fact, he would get three in Thursday's game. Bruce Bochy only inserted Renteria into the lineup because Pablo Sandoval was struggling mightily at the plate, and he sure is responding. Last night, Uribe was the hero. I wouldn't be surprised if the hero tomorrow was somebody else, or even two people.
This and That
Regular season or post-season, the Rangers remain winless at AT&T Park. The Giants scored 13 two-out runs out of 20 in the World Series. Both Elvis Andrus and Nelson Cruz failed to get hits, ending their 12-game post-season hitting streaks. The Giants have never lost a World Series while being up 2-0. The Rangers have not given up two runs on bases loaded walks in an inning since Rich Harden did it on April 7 against Toronto. The World Series continues Saturday at 3:57 p.m. Jonathan Sanchez will square off against Colby Lewis.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
The Giants Win the Pennant! The Giants Win the Pennant!
"The Giants Win the Pennant! The Giants Win the Pennant!," uttered Giants' Hall of Fame broadcaster Russ Hodges in 1951 after Bobby Thompson hit the "shot 'heard round the world" that won the pennant for them. Those famous words in Giants history could be said again in 2010, as they apply to the club's most recent squad.
As the underdogs in the National League Championship Series, the Giants silenced all the naysayers. Day after day, they were picked to lose each game to the Phillies. Nobody seemed to give the San Francisco Giants a fighting chance, except for maybe F.P. Santangelo and Marty Lurie.
However, the Giants certainly did have a fighting chance. After Brian Wilson threw a nasty 3-2 slider to strike out Ryan Howard looking with runners at first and second with two out, Joe Buck, FOX's play-by-play broadcaster, summed it up best when he said, "The Giants win the pennant," a la Ross Hodges 59 years ago
It started out very grim for the Giants. They called on their starter Jonathan Sanchez to try and shut-down the Phillies' offense, but it just did not happen. In the very first inning, Sanchez issued a one out walk to Placido Polanco, who would later advance to second on a wild pitch. The next batter, Chase Utley, doubled to right, scoring Polanco from second and giving the Phillies a 1-0 lead. Ryan Howard would then single to left. Utley would eventually come in to score on a Jayson Werth sacrifice fly, extending the lead to 2-0 in favor of the Phillies.
Then the weirdness happened. In the top of the third inning, the Giants got a lead-off single from Jonathan Sanchez, the pitcher. It was a lead-off triple from Sanchez in game 162 that propelled the Giants to their 3-0 NL West clinching victory against the Padres. History would repeat itself. The next batter, Andres Torres, drilled a deep fly ball to center that center-fielder Shane Victorino appeared to make a basket-catch on, but it was dropped by him at the wall. Because Sanchez was confused on the play, the runners could only advance one base. Freddy Sanchez would then come up and lay down a sacrifice bunt, advancing the runners to second and third. This brought up Aubry Huff, who singled up-the-middle. However, only one run would score as Andres Torres was gunned down at the plate by Shane Victorino. Huff advanced to second since the ball was thrown home. Nonetheless, the Giants were on the board, but trailing 2-1. Then up came Buster Posey. Posey did not hit the ball hard, but his swinging bunt down the third base line proved effective. Polanco tried to make the throw to gun down Posey at first base and end the inning, but he ended up hitting Posey, and the ball ricocheted passed first-basement Ryan Howard. Huff would score from second on the error, knotting the score up a two.
Then, the Giants' bullpen took over. In their seven innings of shut-out work, they were sensational, yielding just 5 hits and striking out 6.
The bullpen was summoned right after Jonathan Sanchez hit Chase Utley in the back in the third inning. As Utley walked to first base, he flipped the ball back to the pitcher's mound. Sanchez took offense and had some words for Utley, who roared back at Sanchez. Benches then cleared. After the altercation, Sanchez was removed for Jeremy Affeldt, who Bochy decided was coming in regardless of the heated exchange. The tone was then set for the rest of the night.
Affeldt inherited a jam with runners at first and second with nobody out after Utley was hit. He responded to the trouble by striking out Ryan Howard, inducing a fly-out from Jayson Werth, and coaxing a ground-out from Shane Victorino. The rest of the bullpen followed Affeldt's example.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Madison Bumgarner, a starting pitcher, relieved Affeldt. The Phillies loaded the bases in the inning, but Bumgarner induced a two-out comebacker from Victorino that ended the threat. The Giants would pull more Houdini acts later on.
With the score still tied at 2-2 in the top of the eighth inning, Juan Uribe came up against Ryan Madson with two outs and nobody on. Madson, who dominated the Giants' 4-5-6 hitters in Game 5, appeared to be cruising through the eighth, but on the first pitch to Uribe, Uribe took an outside pitch at the belt and flipped it out over the right field wall. The Giants, before a stunned 46,062 at Citizen's Bank Park, had a 3-2 lead and were only 6 outs away from their fourth National League Pennant in San Francisco Giants history.
Of course, the road to victory had to be torturous.
Tim Lincecum relieved Javier Lopez in the bottom of the eighth inning. Although he struck out Jayson Werth to begin the inning, he gave up consecutive singles to Shane Victorino and Raul Ibanez. Bochy saw enough and summoned Brian Wilson for a five out save. With runners at first and second with 1 out, Carlos Ruiz lined a smash to first baseman Aubrey Huff, who caught it and threw to second to complete the double play. The runner at second, Shane Victorino, ran on contact, a costly move for his team.
The torture continued into the bottom of the ninth with the Giants three outs away from the pennant. Wilson retired pinch-hitter Ross Gload on a ground-out to second, ONE out, but walked the next hitter, Jimmy Rollins. The next batter, Placido Polanco, grounded out to third and reached on a fielder's choice. TWO out. Up came Chase Utley as the possible tying run. To add to the torture, he walked.
Now the match-up. Brian Wilson vs. Ryan Howard. The count swelled to 3-2, a prerequisite for a Giants final out. Howard had already singled and doubled earlier in the game. Another double would certainly win the game for the Phillies with the runners taking off on contact, but on that night, it was a faithful 3-2 backdoor breaking ball from Wilson that froze Howard. THREE out. As the ball was called strike three by the home plate umpire, the Giants poured out of their dugout to begin their celebration. The Phillies faithful booed the Giants, as they celebrated on Philadelphia turf, but those jeers were music to the Giants' ears. The Giants win the pennant.
My thoughts coming soon....
As the underdogs in the National League Championship Series, the Giants silenced all the naysayers. Day after day, they were picked to lose each game to the Phillies. Nobody seemed to give the San Francisco Giants a fighting chance, except for maybe F.P. Santangelo and Marty Lurie.
However, the Giants certainly did have a fighting chance. After Brian Wilson threw a nasty 3-2 slider to strike out Ryan Howard looking with runners at first and second with two out, Joe Buck, FOX's play-by-play broadcaster, summed it up best when he said, "The Giants win the pennant," a la Ross Hodges 59 years ago
It started out very grim for the Giants. They called on their starter Jonathan Sanchez to try and shut-down the Phillies' offense, but it just did not happen. In the very first inning, Sanchez issued a one out walk to Placido Polanco, who would later advance to second on a wild pitch. The next batter, Chase Utley, doubled to right, scoring Polanco from second and giving the Phillies a 1-0 lead. Ryan Howard would then single to left. Utley would eventually come in to score on a Jayson Werth sacrifice fly, extending the lead to 2-0 in favor of the Phillies.
Then the weirdness happened. In the top of the third inning, the Giants got a lead-off single from Jonathan Sanchez, the pitcher. It was a lead-off triple from Sanchez in game 162 that propelled the Giants to their 3-0 NL West clinching victory against the Padres. History would repeat itself. The next batter, Andres Torres, drilled a deep fly ball to center that center-fielder Shane Victorino appeared to make a basket-catch on, but it was dropped by him at the wall. Because Sanchez was confused on the play, the runners could only advance one base. Freddy Sanchez would then come up and lay down a sacrifice bunt, advancing the runners to second and third. This brought up Aubry Huff, who singled up-the-middle. However, only one run would score as Andres Torres was gunned down at the plate by Shane Victorino. Huff advanced to second since the ball was thrown home. Nonetheless, the Giants were on the board, but trailing 2-1. Then up came Buster Posey. Posey did not hit the ball hard, but his swinging bunt down the third base line proved effective. Polanco tried to make the throw to gun down Posey at first base and end the inning, but he ended up hitting Posey, and the ball ricocheted passed first-basement Ryan Howard. Huff would score from second on the error, knotting the score up a two.
Then, the Giants' bullpen took over. In their seven innings of shut-out work, they were sensational, yielding just 5 hits and striking out 6.
The bullpen was summoned right after Jonathan Sanchez hit Chase Utley in the back in the third inning. As Utley walked to first base, he flipped the ball back to the pitcher's mound. Sanchez took offense and had some words for Utley, who roared back at Sanchez. Benches then cleared. After the altercation, Sanchez was removed for Jeremy Affeldt, who Bochy decided was coming in regardless of the heated exchange. The tone was then set for the rest of the night.
Affeldt inherited a jam with runners at first and second with nobody out after Utley was hit. He responded to the trouble by striking out Ryan Howard, inducing a fly-out from Jayson Werth, and coaxing a ground-out from Shane Victorino. The rest of the bullpen followed Affeldt's example.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Madison Bumgarner, a starting pitcher, relieved Affeldt. The Phillies loaded the bases in the inning, but Bumgarner induced a two-out comebacker from Victorino that ended the threat. The Giants would pull more Houdini acts later on.
With the score still tied at 2-2 in the top of the eighth inning, Juan Uribe came up against Ryan Madson with two outs and nobody on. Madson, who dominated the Giants' 4-5-6 hitters in Game 5, appeared to be cruising through the eighth, but on the first pitch to Uribe, Uribe took an outside pitch at the belt and flipped it out over the right field wall. The Giants, before a stunned 46,062 at Citizen's Bank Park, had a 3-2 lead and were only 6 outs away from their fourth National League Pennant in San Francisco Giants history.
Of course, the road to victory had to be torturous.
Tim Lincecum relieved Javier Lopez in the bottom of the eighth inning. Although he struck out Jayson Werth to begin the inning, he gave up consecutive singles to Shane Victorino and Raul Ibanez. Bochy saw enough and summoned Brian Wilson for a five out save. With runners at first and second with 1 out, Carlos Ruiz lined a smash to first baseman Aubrey Huff, who caught it and threw to second to complete the double play. The runner at second, Shane Victorino, ran on contact, a costly move for his team.
The torture continued into the bottom of the ninth with the Giants three outs away from the pennant. Wilson retired pinch-hitter Ross Gload on a ground-out to second, ONE out, but walked the next hitter, Jimmy Rollins. The next batter, Placido Polanco, grounded out to third and reached on a fielder's choice. TWO out. Up came Chase Utley as the possible tying run. To add to the torture, he walked.
Now the match-up. Brian Wilson vs. Ryan Howard. The count swelled to 3-2, a prerequisite for a Giants final out. Howard had already singled and doubled earlier in the game. Another double would certainly win the game for the Phillies with the runners taking off on contact, but on that night, it was a faithful 3-2 backdoor breaking ball from Wilson that froze Howard. THREE out. As the ball was called strike three by the home plate umpire, the Giants poured out of their dugout to begin their celebration. The Phillies faithful booed the Giants, as they celebrated on Philadelphia turf, but those jeers were music to the Giants' ears. The Giants win the pennant.
My thoughts coming soon....
Friday, October 22, 2010
Giants Fall In Crucial Game, Cannot Clinch At Home
BEFORE YOU READ THE ENTRY: I was very wrong on my blog in this entry. I acted like I had no faith, and I unfairly buried the Giants.This is why baseball is so great. A right bounce or a few inches can silence any critic no matter how good or bad a team is, as what happened to the Giants here. I do not hate the Giants. In fact, I love the team, have a lot of passion for them, and would want nothing more than to work for them someday. I am glad I ended up being wrong and cannot wait for the World Series. These comments were made because I got too caught up in the torture as most fans have. Read on, laugh at me if you like, but know this. I will support the Giants for life.
On Thursday night, the Giants were confident that they could win their 4th pennant after beating the National Championship Phillies three games out of the first four in the National League Championship Series. Not so fast.
I am going to do something different with my blog and make a rather bold statement here. I hate to rain on anyone's parade, but the San Francisco Giants' season will be over come Sunday night. It will not be over because they defeated the Phillies in one of these two games in the East Coast, but it will be over because the Giants will get shelled by the Phillies in each of the two games and lose the series after being up 3-1.
Why such a bold statement you ask? It's simply because they don't have what it takes. To win in Philly, you have to be able to lift the ball in the air with at least a little authority in that ban box. The Giants have struggled to do this in the post-season. Time and time again, they have rolled over on off-speed pitches outside of the zone, and the Philadelphia pitchers have been smart to pick up on this. Yesterday, Roy Halladay, even not at his best, realized this tendency and stuck with his off-speed pitches away, and the Giants just were off-balance and rolled over on them. The Phillies, on the other hand, are more than capable of elevating Jonathan Sanchez and Matt Cain, which is a reason why the score will be lopsided early in favor of the Phillies.
Another reason why the Giants are done is because they cannot play defense. I have never seen a Giants' third basemen struggle so much to make a throw from first to third. Last year, Pablo Sandoval was almost like a wizard at the position, but this year he has made too many bonehead plays. For example, in the third inning of yesterday's game, you got to be on the bag to take Posey's throw on the bunt (with runners at first and second with 0 outs). Although the ball was foul and the umpire blew the call, you got to be ready. Instead, Sandoval was not, saw the ball as foul, and relaxed as he took the throw off the bag and could not get his foot there on time. Fortunately, he was able to record the out at first because Halladay did not run, but that was a free double play that cannot be botched. If you give extra outs to the Phillies, you will pay. As a result, the Phillies scored three runs in that inning that did the Giants in. Imagine how big that was in a 4-2 loss.
Also, Jonathan Sanchez has none chance in Philly. You got a pitcher who his hard to hit yes, but he walks too many people. He led the league in walks. If you want to beat the Phillies, you cannot give them gifts because they know how to pounce on them (see the above paragraph). If you walk them, someone is going to be ready to hit a three-run jack and before you know it, the Giants are behind. The walks, combined with the Giants' errors, did Sanchez in on Saturday night, and I see the same thing happening this Saturday in Philadelphia.
Finally, the Giants will lose this weekend because they do not have the momentum. If the Giants won the first game, dropped the second one, and won the third one at home, then the Giants would have the momentum to get something started in Philly. Now, all they have to think about in their off day is the crushing loss at home that should have been won with better defense. The Phillies, on the other hand, have every reason to be fired up, and I have no doubt they will "swing hard in case you hit it," as F.P. Santangelo would say. Momentum is everything in baseball, and unfortunately, the wrong team has it.
I am not saying it is impossible to win in Philly, but I am saying it will be very unlikely. In order for the Giants to win the pennant, they have to get lucky. Their rolled over grounders must find holes, and the Phillies need to make mistakes on the field, which is not going to happen with that vacuum cleaner defense. Lastly, someone other than Cody Ross will have to get the job done. Solo homers can only get you so far, but I don't think a team with a horrible on-base percentage will have too many 3-run jacks. I am sorry Giants fans as much as I would like to see them win, it is simply not going to happen. Maybe with a better offense and a more athletic defense (and throw in some speed), the Giants might be able to bring the pennant home next year, but this year, be ready to hit the bars after Sunday's crushing defeat.
One more thing, check out my friend's blog. I promised I would link it, and it has some good insight. http://lasportsminute.blogspot.com/2010/
Oh, for all you people who want to believe, Listen to this song... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyVdbfyvwso . Unfortunately, I don't have the "faith and hope" he has. Not happening this year at least, but next year can be a different story.
On Thursday night, the Giants were confident that they could win their 4th pennant after beating the National Championship Phillies three games out of the first four in the National League Championship Series. Not so fast.
I am going to do something different with my blog and make a rather bold statement here. I hate to rain on anyone's parade, but the San Francisco Giants' season will be over come Sunday night. It will not be over because they defeated the Phillies in one of these two games in the East Coast, but it will be over because the Giants will get shelled by the Phillies in each of the two games and lose the series after being up 3-1.
Why such a bold statement you ask? It's simply because they don't have what it takes. To win in Philly, you have to be able to lift the ball in the air with at least a little authority in that ban box. The Giants have struggled to do this in the post-season. Time and time again, they have rolled over on off-speed pitches outside of the zone, and the Philadelphia pitchers have been smart to pick up on this. Yesterday, Roy Halladay, even not at his best, realized this tendency and stuck with his off-speed pitches away, and the Giants just were off-balance and rolled over on them. The Phillies, on the other hand, are more than capable of elevating Jonathan Sanchez and Matt Cain, which is a reason why the score will be lopsided early in favor of the Phillies.
Another reason why the Giants are done is because they cannot play defense. I have never seen a Giants' third basemen struggle so much to make a throw from first to third. Last year, Pablo Sandoval was almost like a wizard at the position, but this year he has made too many bonehead plays. For example, in the third inning of yesterday's game, you got to be on the bag to take Posey's throw on the bunt (with runners at first and second with 0 outs). Although the ball was foul and the umpire blew the call, you got to be ready. Instead, Sandoval was not, saw the ball as foul, and relaxed as he took the throw off the bag and could not get his foot there on time. Fortunately, he was able to record the out at first because Halladay did not run, but that was a free double play that cannot be botched. If you give extra outs to the Phillies, you will pay. As a result, the Phillies scored three runs in that inning that did the Giants in. Imagine how big that was in a 4-2 loss.
Also, Jonathan Sanchez has none chance in Philly. You got a pitcher who his hard to hit yes, but he walks too many people. He led the league in walks. If you want to beat the Phillies, you cannot give them gifts because they know how to pounce on them (see the above paragraph). If you walk them, someone is going to be ready to hit a three-run jack and before you know it, the Giants are behind. The walks, combined with the Giants' errors, did Sanchez in on Saturday night, and I see the same thing happening this Saturday in Philadelphia.
Finally, the Giants will lose this weekend because they do not have the momentum. If the Giants won the first game, dropped the second one, and won the third one at home, then the Giants would have the momentum to get something started in Philly. Now, all they have to think about in their off day is the crushing loss at home that should have been won with better defense. The Phillies, on the other hand, have every reason to be fired up, and I have no doubt they will "swing hard in case you hit it," as F.P. Santangelo would say. Momentum is everything in baseball, and unfortunately, the wrong team has it.
I am not saying it is impossible to win in Philly, but I am saying it will be very unlikely. In order for the Giants to win the pennant, they have to get lucky. Their rolled over grounders must find holes, and the Phillies need to make mistakes on the field, which is not going to happen with that vacuum cleaner defense. Lastly, someone other than Cody Ross will have to get the job done. Solo homers can only get you so far, but I don't think a team with a horrible on-base percentage will have too many 3-run jacks. I am sorry Giants fans as much as I would like to see them win, it is simply not going to happen. Maybe with a better offense and a more athletic defense (and throw in some speed), the Giants might be able to bring the pennant home next year, but this year, be ready to hit the bars after Sunday's crushing defeat.
One more thing, check out my friend's blog. I promised I would link it, and it has some good insight. http://lasportsminute.blogspot.com/2010/
Oh, for all you people who want to believe, Listen to this song... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyVdbfyvwso . Unfortunately, I don't have the "faith and hope" he has. Not happening this year at least, but next year can be a different story.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Giants Turn Tortue Into Thriller, Edge Phillies 6-5
Game Summary
"Phillies in six" was the bold prediction of sports analysts and fans, as the Phillies took on the San Francisco Giants in Game 4 of the NLCS at AT&T Park.
Well, one thing is for sure. The Phillies will not win this championship series in six, as they lost to the Giants and now trail them 3-1 in the series.
Unlikely heroes emerged in the bottom of the ninth inning. With the Giants tied at 5 with the Phillies, Juan Uribe, who was out of the lineup because of a sore wrist, knocked in the winning run with the only sacrifice fly of the post-season for the Giants. Uribe only came in because of a double switch. It should also be noted that Buster Posey, the hitter before Uribe, overcame a heated battle with Roy Oswalt, who came in relief in the 9th, by lining an opposite field single down the right field line that advanced the runner at first, Huff, to third.
The Giants got on the board first in the very first inning of the Phillies' Joe Blanton. With Freddy Sanchez at third, Buster Posey singled him in, giving the Giants a 1-0 lead.
The Giants would tack on another run in the bottom of the third inning. With Aubrey Huff on first with two outs, Buster Posey lined a double into left-center field, extending the Giants lead to 2-0.
The Phillies, however, roared back in the top of the fifth inning off Giants' rookie lefty Madison Bumgarner. With runners at second and third with 1 out, Shane Victorino singled up the middle. It looked like this would tie the game, but Aaron Rowand made a good one hop throw to Buster Posey, who picked up a tough hop and tagged out Carlos Ruiz trying to score. The Phillies would still score the tying and lead run later in the inning, as Placido Polanco hit a two out two RBI double, giving the Phillies their first lead of the series at AT&T Park at 3-2. The Phillies would tack on one more run in the inning on a wild pitch by reliever Santiago Casilla, who also gave up the double to Polanco.
It was then the Giants' turn to show their resiliency. In the bottom of the 5th inning, the Giants cut into that Philadelphia lead on an RBI single by Aubrey Huff, who had a 2 for 4 night. The score was then 4-3.
In the top of the 6th inning, the Giants turned the game around. After Pat Burrell led of the inning with a walk, Cody Ross doubled down the left field line. With runners at first and second with nobody out, an unlikely hero, Pablo Sandoval, roasted a high fastball into the left-center field gap, putting the Giants back on top at 5-4. Those RBIS were the first in Sandoval's post-season career.
In this back-and-forth game, the Phillies showed why they were defending National League Champions two years in row. In the top of the eighth, after Ryan Howard doubled off reliever Javier Lopez, Jayson Werth came up against Sergio Romo and lined a doubled down the left field line that was just fair. The game was tied at 5. Romo, however, would retire the next three batters in succession.
No team would score until the bottom of the ninth. As Aubrey Huff made his trek to home plate on the Uribe sacrifice fly, the Giants poured out of the dugout. Their celebration was so great that Roy Oswalt, the losing pitcher, even struggled to get back to the dugout because the celebration was in his way.
In his first post-season game, Madison Bumgarner pitched decently. In his four and two-thirds innings of work, Bumgarner yielded three runs on 6 hits, while walking 1 and striking out 6. Joe Blanton, the Phillies' starter, lasted the same amount of innings as Bumgarner and gave up the same amount of runs.
The Giants now have a 3-1 lead in the series. A win tomorrow, and the Giants have a chance to win a world championship for the first time in their history since coming to San Francisco.
My Thoughts
Coming up later on tonight...
"Phillies in six" was the bold prediction of sports analysts and fans, as the Phillies took on the San Francisco Giants in Game 4 of the NLCS at AT&T Park.
Well, one thing is for sure. The Phillies will not win this championship series in six, as they lost to the Giants and now trail them 3-1 in the series.
Unlikely heroes emerged in the bottom of the ninth inning. With the Giants tied at 5 with the Phillies, Juan Uribe, who was out of the lineup because of a sore wrist, knocked in the winning run with the only sacrifice fly of the post-season for the Giants. Uribe only came in because of a double switch. It should also be noted that Buster Posey, the hitter before Uribe, overcame a heated battle with Roy Oswalt, who came in relief in the 9th, by lining an opposite field single down the right field line that advanced the runner at first, Huff, to third.
The Giants got on the board first in the very first inning of the Phillies' Joe Blanton. With Freddy Sanchez at third, Buster Posey singled him in, giving the Giants a 1-0 lead.
The Giants would tack on another run in the bottom of the third inning. With Aubrey Huff on first with two outs, Buster Posey lined a double into left-center field, extending the Giants lead to 2-0.
The Phillies, however, roared back in the top of the fifth inning off Giants' rookie lefty Madison Bumgarner. With runners at second and third with 1 out, Shane Victorino singled up the middle. It looked like this would tie the game, but Aaron Rowand made a good one hop throw to Buster Posey, who picked up a tough hop and tagged out Carlos Ruiz trying to score. The Phillies would still score the tying and lead run later in the inning, as Placido Polanco hit a two out two RBI double, giving the Phillies their first lead of the series at AT&T Park at 3-2. The Phillies would tack on one more run in the inning on a wild pitch by reliever Santiago Casilla, who also gave up the double to Polanco.
It was then the Giants' turn to show their resiliency. In the bottom of the 5th inning, the Giants cut into that Philadelphia lead on an RBI single by Aubrey Huff, who had a 2 for 4 night. The score was then 4-3.
In the top of the 6th inning, the Giants turned the game around. After Pat Burrell led of the inning with a walk, Cody Ross doubled down the left field line. With runners at first and second with nobody out, an unlikely hero, Pablo Sandoval, roasted a high fastball into the left-center field gap, putting the Giants back on top at 5-4. Those RBIS were the first in Sandoval's post-season career.
In this back-and-forth game, the Phillies showed why they were defending National League Champions two years in row. In the top of the eighth, after Ryan Howard doubled off reliever Javier Lopez, Jayson Werth came up against Sergio Romo and lined a doubled down the left field line that was just fair. The game was tied at 5. Romo, however, would retire the next three batters in succession.
No team would score until the bottom of the ninth. As Aubrey Huff made his trek to home plate on the Uribe sacrifice fly, the Giants poured out of the dugout. Their celebration was so great that Roy Oswalt, the losing pitcher, even struggled to get back to the dugout because the celebration was in his way.
In his first post-season game, Madison Bumgarner pitched decently. In his four and two-thirds innings of work, Bumgarner yielded three runs on 6 hits, while walking 1 and striking out 6. Joe Blanton, the Phillies' starter, lasted the same amount of innings as Bumgarner and gave up the same amount of runs.
The Giants now have a 3-1 lead in the series. A win tomorrow, and the Giants have a chance to win a world championship for the first time in their history since coming to San Francisco.
My Thoughts
Coming up later on tonight...
Giants Shut Out Phillies 3-0, Take 2-1 Series Lead
Game Summary
I apologize for the lack of posts this week. I have been really busy, but I got some free time now.
Because Game 4 will start in about 2 hours, I will make this post a little different. I'll do a little less game summary and a little more preview for tonight's game.
Even though the Giants took Game 1 in impressive fashion, losing Game 2 still kept them in their underdog status. However, winning last night 3-0 behind Matt Cain put at least a little doubt in the experts' minds.
Plain and simple, the Giants were not supposed to win yesterday. Matt Cain, although having a solid post-season, was winless against the Phillies in his career. Phillies' lefty Cole Hammels was supposed to shut down the Giants, as he did to the Reds in the NLDS. After all, the Giants' offense is worse than the Reds'. The left-handed power hitters (Utley, Howard, and Ibanez) were supposed to crush the ball into McCovey Cove and beat the Giants convincingly, but it wasn't how she drew it up.
It was the Giants who stormed ahead early and didn't look back. The scoring for the Giants in Game 3 began when Cody Ross came up in the bottom of the fourth inning with runners at first and second with 2 out. Ross took a low and outside pitch from Hammels and lined it into right field for a base hit, giving the Giants a 1-0 lead. This hit was Ross' fourth of the NLCS. The next batter, Aubrey Huff, singled into right field, increasing the Giants' lead to 2-0.
The Giants would take on another run in the fifth when Freddy Sanchez hit an RBI "single"to second baseman Chase Utley, who kicked the ball around on a tough hop. The ball trickled into center, scoring Aaron Rowand, but the official scorer called the ball hit. The Giants had a 3-0 lead, which would be plenty.
Matt Cain pitched seven shutout innings, striking out 5. Brian Wilson came on in the ninth and earned his second save of the NLCS.
The Giants can really silence the analysts with a win tonight, and their history this year indicates that they could very well do that.
My Thoughts
Today's "my thoughts" will focus on the game tonight.
I really like the Giants' chances tonight. Lefty Madison Bumgarner may be a rookie, but he's got the poise of Greg Maddux. With that left-handed heavy lineup and the dimensions of AT&T Park, I think the Giants could hold the Phillies down here. Those homers that would graze over the wall in Philadelphia will get caught in right-center in San Francisco (it's going to be fun watching the Phillies' sluggers slam their helmets down when their "home-run" balls get tracked down by Torres near the 421 marker).
On the offensive side for the Giants, Joe Blanton is someone they should hit. His ERA of 4.82 is nothing to get worried about, and he is as ordinary a pitcher as you will face in the post-season. I am shocked the Phillies aren't coming back with Halladay here. This is a huge game for both clubs. The winner here might very well win the series. The game is that big. That said, the Giants are going to have to hit Blanton because Hallady and Oswalt are coming.
Now it's tiime to get ready for baseball! No more talk, no more analysis. This is a huge game, so Giants fans just sit back and relax. It will be a bumpy ride.
My predicted score: Giants win 5-2
I apologize for the lack of posts this week. I have been really busy, but I got some free time now.
Because Game 4 will start in about 2 hours, I will make this post a little different. I'll do a little less game summary and a little more preview for tonight's game.
Even though the Giants took Game 1 in impressive fashion, losing Game 2 still kept them in their underdog status. However, winning last night 3-0 behind Matt Cain put at least a little doubt in the experts' minds.
Plain and simple, the Giants were not supposed to win yesterday. Matt Cain, although having a solid post-season, was winless against the Phillies in his career. Phillies' lefty Cole Hammels was supposed to shut down the Giants, as he did to the Reds in the NLDS. After all, the Giants' offense is worse than the Reds'. The left-handed power hitters (Utley, Howard, and Ibanez) were supposed to crush the ball into McCovey Cove and beat the Giants convincingly, but it wasn't how she drew it up.
It was the Giants who stormed ahead early and didn't look back. The scoring for the Giants in Game 3 began when Cody Ross came up in the bottom of the fourth inning with runners at first and second with 2 out. Ross took a low and outside pitch from Hammels and lined it into right field for a base hit, giving the Giants a 1-0 lead. This hit was Ross' fourth of the NLCS. The next batter, Aubrey Huff, singled into right field, increasing the Giants' lead to 2-0.
The Giants would take on another run in the fifth when Freddy Sanchez hit an RBI "single"to second baseman Chase Utley, who kicked the ball around on a tough hop. The ball trickled into center, scoring Aaron Rowand, but the official scorer called the ball hit. The Giants had a 3-0 lead, which would be plenty.
Matt Cain pitched seven shutout innings, striking out 5. Brian Wilson came on in the ninth and earned his second save of the NLCS.
The Giants can really silence the analysts with a win tonight, and their history this year indicates that they could very well do that.
My Thoughts
Today's "my thoughts" will focus on the game tonight.
I really like the Giants' chances tonight. Lefty Madison Bumgarner may be a rookie, but he's got the poise of Greg Maddux. With that left-handed heavy lineup and the dimensions of AT&T Park, I think the Giants could hold the Phillies down here. Those homers that would graze over the wall in Philadelphia will get caught in right-center in San Francisco (it's going to be fun watching the Phillies' sluggers slam their helmets down when their "home-run" balls get tracked down by Torres near the 421 marker).
On the offensive side for the Giants, Joe Blanton is someone they should hit. His ERA of 4.82 is nothing to get worried about, and he is as ordinary a pitcher as you will face in the post-season. I am shocked the Phillies aren't coming back with Halladay here. This is a huge game for both clubs. The winner here might very well win the series. The game is that big. That said, the Giants are going to have to hit Blanton because Hallady and Oswalt are coming.
Now it's tiime to get ready for baseball! No more talk, no more analysis. This is a huge game, so Giants fans just sit back and relax. It will be a bumpy ride.
My predicted score: Giants win 5-2
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