* Quote from Bruce Bochy, post game show, in answer to the question, "How good was Madison Bumgarner today?" I'm not sure why they have the post game show. It would be generous to call the questions from the reporters 'softballs', nerf-balls is more like it. Cotton balls. Cotton candy balls. I'm sure it has to be trying on Bruce to think of ways to state the obvious.
Madison Bumgarner was effin'-a good. 6 IP (and that was simply to give him a bit of a rest), 98 pitches, 12 K, 2 BB and 2 hits. Those hits were back to back in the 2nd inning, to Rizzo who went to 2nd on a wild pitch, and then to Castro for a run. Madison then struck out a cub, walked one and struck out 2 more, and then did not give up another hit. George Kontos, Mike Broadway and Josh Osich finished the afternoon.
The Giants won this game, 9 - 1. Juan Perez, starting in center, answered the cubbies sole run with an rbi double in the bottom of the 2nd to score Kelby Tomlinson. In the 3rd, Matt Duffy put the Giants ahead with an rbi single that scored Nori Aoki, who singled, stole second and advanced to 3rd on a throwing error by the rookie catcher, Kyle Schwarber. Brandon Belt walked, and Marlon Byrd hit a 3 run shot to make it 5 - 1 Giants.
That wasn't all, though as additional thrills were in store on a warm San Francisco afternoon. In the 8th, the bulk of the Giants remaining power was up. Brandon Belt walked and Buster Posey doubled to put 2 RISP. Marlon Byrd was intentionally walked to load the bases. FNGlasses guy Kelby Tomlinson fought off about 9 pitches, and put one in the left field seats for his first major league home run, a grand slam. He tried to be stoic when he took the field, but couldn't help but break into a grin. Me, too.
The Giants put a line-up on the field that had 3 of the 8 position players they opened the season with. The news on Brandon Crawford and Gregor Blanco is good, though, and Angel Pagan is close to ready to come back also. Hudson could probably pitch if needed. News from the smog suckers victory over the Reds today was that Gonzales hit a ball into his knee and Puig had a hammie issue. But the guy that I want to mention is Buster Posey. Buster had 2 hits today, and one was a double, as was yesterday's go-ahead rbi hit. Buster Posey's recent little slump-inducing mechanical flaw, which he seems to have corrected, coincided exactly with the Giants' struggles, and now we are winning again when he is hitting. Yeah, he carries the team.
Also, I think Jon should post for Leake. Or any pitcher whose name starts with an L. If we somehow wind up with a rotation of Leake, Locke, Lincecum, Latos and Lohse, Jon should do all the posting.
And finally, the media seems to have given up on the wild card because the Giants are 5.5 back. What they are forgetting, is that the contending teams, Pittsburgh and the Cubs have to play each other the last month of the season when baseball is back to playing intra-divsion. The cubbies have to play Pittsburgh and St. Louis each 6 times. A lot can happen. Like for instance, beating the Cardinals while the wonderful cubs beat up on LA.
6 comments:
Its time we just pulled ahead of the dodgers and stayed there. No help from Cincinnati today despite the bums hitting into 5 double plays.
So much awesomeness.
There is plenty of precedent for teams falling quickly late in the season. We've seen the Nats do it this year. MIL did it last year, so did BOS, right. SD helped us in 2010, of course. The Dodgers? They had that one streak in 2013 of something like 42-18, but they've really never shown they could close (pun intended). I mean, the most gawd-awful Giants beisbol last summer, and they hardly pulled away for the NL West. We all remember. And this year? Same.
Oh. And PIT will host a SEVENTH head-to-head game vs. CHC. They had a postponed game on 8/3. I figure it has to be on 9/14, both teams have that as a travel day. OR... they agree on scheduling a double-header. Remove that off day? PIT would have THIRTY consecutive game days and CHC would have 20. Yup, the Buccos would play a game every single day in September. Something's gotta give. And I figure it can only help our Giants. But hey, we want the West. Let's go get it.
Dream big!
Can you say KELLLLL-BEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! Whoooooooooo!!
Way to go, kid!
The Giants have Panik, Duffy, and Tomlinson and they all look sort of like the same player, other than the fact that Panik is a lefty. I like it.
We must have some good hitting coaches in the minors. At least for those players
willing to grit out their at bats.
I was thinking the same thing--they are doing something right at AA ball.
I can live with Marlon Byrd only getting one hit a week if it is a 3-run HR.
Or a grand slam!!
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