A Juan Uribe error away from perfection, Jonathan Sanchez throws the first no-hitter in PhoneCo history, and the first for a Giant since 1976. UNBELIEVABLE! Talk about making a pitch for a regular job. WOW!! What do you say to that?
UPDATE: Miller and Flemm talked to Sanchez after the game, and the young lefty talked about his "second chance." He made the most of it. Game Score 98.
11 comments:
I was so thrilled about having KNBR on my computer here in New York that I only remembered after Rowand's catch that ESPN would have it, and I just got the third strike in time.
One reason to appreciate AT&T Park is, if this still holds true, you can get a $1 scorecard to record the masterpiece. (CitiField, $6 magazine; Yankee Stadium, $10.)
Wooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!
I followed on ESPN GameDay for most of the game, then also had the sense to try ESPN TV right before the last batter.
What an awesome effort, plus we are 10 games over .500 for the first time in what feels like a million years!
Montefusco's no-hitter was on the last day of a dismal season (I was a UC Davis Sophomore), against a team of AAA call-ups. This one had a lot more meaning.
P.S. Trade NO starting pitchers!
It was his first complete game, his first shutout and the first time his father attended one of his pro games. I'm still in shock. I heard the 1st inning on the car radio en route to dinner with a dear old friend. When we got back in the car the bottom of the 7th was ending. The error happened between the car and the TV. A man was on second and I didn't know why. I was delighted when I eventually learned it was an E and not a hit. In the bottom of the 8th I was yelling at the TV telling the guys to just make outs, but no, they had to have a rally and score another run.
That catch Rowand made in the 9th was spectacular. I love Rowand; I have always loved Rowand.
When it was over I cried. Especially watching Sanchez and his father embrace.
I didn't know about Pablo's homer until a few minutes ago when I read the paper. I would have liked to have seen that.
Miller mentioned Atlee Hammaker taking a perfect game into the 8th against the Reds. Then Johnny Bench came up and roped a liner to LF to break it up. Who was at Candlestick with me that day?
I have to give the Brian Trust credit--they've held their cards and its paid off. TEN GAMES OVER .500 IS AMAZING!!!
Last night in the dugout after the game, Jonathan was joined by his dad, Sigfriedo (Freddie). As Jon was completing the interview with Amy Gutierrez and giving the obligatory kudos to teammates, coaches, etc, Mr. Sanchez stuck his head in front of the mic and said, "Es grande!" Amy didn't have the presence of mind to respond with the obvious, "Es GIGANTE!"
Back in '90, the Reds' Paul O'Neill broke up Scotty Garrelts' no-no with two out in 9th (listed at bottom of linked article)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/06/08/SPGMPQBPUO1.DTL&type=as
I was at the 'Stick that day, and I'm pretty sure Scotty was working on a perfect game until O'Neill's hit.
According to the list on the webpage below, Terry Mulholland was the last major leaguer to be denied a perfect game by a fielding error:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCI/is_4_66/ai_n27252946/pg_8/
That list also includes a game I went to at the 'Stick where Jerry Ruess no-hit the Giants. He was an error away from a perfect game. Because it was the Dodgers, I refused to say "I've seen a no-hitter" for years.
I remember the Garrelts game. I was in Berkeley for a summer class and had a chance to go but listened on the radio instead. I was kicking myself about it the whole broadcast.
The closest I've been to an in-person no-no was a near no hitter by blow hard Curt Schilling in Oakland. Prior to the two out hit in the 9th, the only base runner came on a Lugo error, a far easier play than Uribe's.
At the stick I saw David Cone strikeout about 11,000 Giants and concede only a single to Matt Williams. I remember watching the Garrelts game on TV, I always hated Paul O'Neil from then on.
Didn't Cain take an ugly no no into the 8th a couple years ago against the Angels? No body realized it because he walked Chone to open the game then he scored on a couple errors. The Giants were trailing for most of the game, and Cain put a few runners on.
Also the Panda showed why he is an All-Star with a titanic shot. But the night belonged to Sanchez, great job, and very cool moment afterward with his pop.
Harping on a theme is something that I specialize in, so I will take another opportunity to do the same.
The great thing about this season (WHICH IS WHY WE SHOULD NEVER CONISDER TRADING ANY OF OUR PRIME STARTING PITCHERS, MAJOR LEAGUE OR MINOR LEAGUE) is that, when you have great starting pitching & decent fielding, you are in nearly every game, no matter how feeble your hitting may be. In our case, the feel-good atmosphere created by our starting pitching has rubbed off a bit on our hitters, & they are starting to over-perform slightly. On a team like ours, if the hitters even only slightly over-perform, we are very good. That is why we should say "NO" to any opportunity to trade any of the organization's 10 or so stellar starters for any of these marginal hitters that are being talked about.
And, Jonathan Sanchez pitched a gem - perhaps the best part about it was the 0 walks. When he has good control, it sets up everything else.
One other thing - what in the hell is going on with the size of Bruce Bochy's head? Is it getting even larger? Jonathan Sanchez is not a small man, so when you see them side-by-side in the post-game interview footage, & Bochy's head is like double the size of Sanchez's, it's really scary.
Oh, & no trading any of our starters ... forever!
Yeah, let's have an 8 man rotation. That'll work.
Bochy's head is growing because he's getting smarter. He's a way better manager this year than last year.
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