Amazingly, improbably, the Giants now find themselves 2 games behind the doggers with today's victory over the snakes. That is exactly where we were last week at the start of the series against LA at home. There are 10 games left as Los Angeles lost badly (16 - 2, ha!) in Colorado to drop the series there as the Giants pulled out a 2-run ninth inning to win 4 - 2. The Giants have a day off while LA goes to Chicago to play the Cubbies in a 4 game series.
Madison Bumgarner was on the mound, and he pitched well, but not comfortably. Madison threw 101 pitches, 71 of them strikes, in 6 full innings. He gave up 2 runs, 7 hits, 2 walks and struck out 6. Jean Machi got through the 7th, after giving up 1 hit and 1 walk. Sergio Romo gave up a hit, but made it through the 8th and Santiago Casilla did not allow a baserunner in the ninth. Arizona took a page from the "How to Befuddle the Giants" playbook and started a rookie pitcher, Andrew Chafin. He did a good job, also throwing 6 innings and allowing 2 runs.
The Giants only had 6 hits, although they received 7 baserunners via walks. The 1 through 6 positions in the order were hitless. Madison had 1 hit. Thank goodness for Brandon Crawford, he had 4 hits, a double and 3 singles. BCraw also had an rbi, as did Gregor Blanco (on a walk). In the ninth, with ruddy Addison Reed on the mound, Pablo drew a walk, Susac struck out, BCraw singled to right in front of Cody Ross so that Pablo couldn't advance beyond 2nd base. Brandon Belt, back on the team and pinch hitting for the hapless Juan Perez, also walked to load the bases. The slender FNG, Matt Duffy, pinch hitting in the pitcher's spot, worked the count, fouled off a couple of pitches and coolly roped a line drive into center field to score Pablo and BCraw. Well done, youngster!
The Giants play three, starting Tuesday, in San Diego. These are, of course, all must-win games. We should have Peavy, Madison and Tim Hudson lined up when we meet the doggers again in LA. Today, Carlos Frias, starting for Ryu, gave up 8 runs in two-thirds of an inning. LA plays four in Chicago and returns to LA without a break. The Cubs have a bunch of free-swingers with nothing to lose. Go Cubbies!
10 comments:
Huge win. Huge hit from Duffy. I cannot contemplate the despair I would have felt if the team had failed to win this game.
The Giants have been sputtering on offense. Maybe Brandon Belt can help. I'm not sure what the prognosis for Angel Pagan is for the series, but we could certainly use him.
I know M.C., I was on pins and needles that inning and, yeah, I was feeling the same regarding the Duffy AB, and what a great performance from a rook who was not even on any of the experts radars.
Not bad for a farm system that so many experts rated as poor, Panik, Susac, Duffy, Strickland, Cordier have all contributed mightily to our surge back towards LA in the standings.
Angel says he should be good to go on Friday. But he better be, he got all that rest plus today's off day.
Sputtering on offense, or just running into good pitchers? Greinke, Kershaw, Miley, Collmenter are pretty good pitchers. And with Pagan and Morse out, makes our lineup vulnerable to LHP like Chafin.
Having a productive Belt would go a long way towards helping the offense, he could bat middle, extending the lineup, allowing Bochy to use Pence at leadoff again if Pagan still out, or going even deeper with the lineup if Pagan and Belt are ready to rumble.
A good day indeed! Especially for Duffy! Must be loving that non-Motel 6 MLB experience! Especially cherry on top that LA got whupped, hope that weakens them for Cubs, who have played OK at home.
And the Padres have been pretty good at home, 42-32, so these games are going to be tough. The Giants need to stand TALL!
Here's a thought: since Hudson battling hip issues and today is off day, could swap Petit and Hudson in rotation, to give Huddy extra day of rest/recovery, but more importantly, shift Petit into last game of LA series, matching him up with Kershaw instead of Hudson. Go Giants!
I was thinking that, too. I think Petit might give the Giants a better chance in LA than Hudson.
Big day for the Parsons (& others): Giants change AAA affiliate from Fresno to Sacramento!
I've been following that story, too. I've always wanted to go to the RiverCats park when the Fresno Grizzlies were in town, but never did. Guess there's no excuse, now.
A's move their AAA to Nashville.
Ishikawa has filled in formidably for Belt, but I doubt that he could keep it up as his career numbers suggest he will probably fade.
I will totally be going to more River Cats games from now on. And I may even stay until the end of a game for a change.
The good news: The Cubs scored 3 in the bottom of the 1st inning off of Kershaw.
The bad news: LA had already scored 6 in the top of the 1st. Edwin Jackson, ex-smogsucker, failed to make it out of the inning.
Come on, Cubs!
Go Giants!!!!!
It's Saturday morning after that bad, bad game last night. All I wanted was for Hudson to throw a scoreless first inning. Ecchh
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