Wednesday, April 26, 2017

The Smile Has Returned!!


The first truly great moment of the 2017 season occurred as Michael Morse crushed a pinch hit homer in the bottom of the eighth which sent the Giants on to an extra inning win.  It may be late April but the ballpark exploded like October when the popular pretty boy unleashed his dinger.  The sheer joy of that moment is something you must relive:


That magical moment also served to make Christian Arroyo's first homer become a huge key to the win rather than a pleasant side note.  It also gave Hunter Pence the chance to battle through an epic bases loaded foul ball festival before getting the GW sac fly.  So, TWO big homers give the Giants a massively important win. Ain't that wacky?

 And if Matt Moore can get a win tomorrow we have ourselves a sweet series victory that we might be able to build on.  Do you think Morse will get a start?  I bet he does...  And who knows if Arroyo will ever come out.

9 comments:

Brother Bob said...

I'm sorry I fell asleep before the good part. Barbara must have been thrilled. An eighth inning pinch-hit HR to tie the game 3-3? Deja vu!

nomisnala said...

Love it when the Nova High School Titan, hits one out as a giant. He was a shortstop in High School. Arroyo looks good, with cat like reflexes in the field, and a Panik/Duffy type approach at the plate, but with perhaps more talent. I have missed a healthy Duffy, and he has not been healthy, but finally it seems as if Arroyo is easing some of that pain. Will Arroyo do in 2017 what Mays did for the giants in 1951, be a key cog on a team, that came from behind and won the pennant? The only thing is that team lost to the Yankees in the world series, but we have Bochy and they had Durocher.

M.C. O'Connor said...

Dingers! Actual Giants hit actual homers!! I note that one was called up yesterday and one was called up the day before. Good timing.

M.C. O'Connor said...

That plate appearance by Hunter Pence in the 10th, as you pointed out, was indeed epic. He swung at a bunch of pitches above his head, then took one, then swung at some more, then took one, before finally getting that hittable 3-2 pitch. What a moment!

I was impressed by Arroyo's homer, he had to reach out and get that pitch. Morse just went up there determined to hack and tie the game, it's amazing he pulled it off. Two homers in one game? I'm still pinching myself in disbelief, especially after how feeble the lineup looked for most of the night.

I was also happy to see Hernandez contribute to the win, that was a nice piece of opposite field hitting to open the final frame. Bochy chose not to bunt in either the 9th or 10th with the winning run on first and no outs. I think some managers would bunt there but Boch hates to give up outs especially with a good hitter in the box. In terms of run expectancy, you actually lower the odds of scoring by swapping a man-on-1st-no-outs situation for a man-on-2nd-one-out! Giving up the out to get the man to 3rd made sense, of course.

JohnnyC probably got worse than he deserved, the missed DP cost an extra run. But he was not hitting his spots in that 6th inning, all the hits came on balls right over the plate, the first five innings he stayed on the corners. Once again the team won when he pitched--five starts, four team wins.

M.C. O'Connor said...

I hope you guys saw this. Hell, call him up!!

Barbara said...

I have been in love with Mike Morse ever since the first time I saw him playing the game. Like JohnnyC, he has fun when he plays and his smile is a thing of beauty. So it would be fair to say that I was absolutely thrilled last night when he hit that home run against all odds. I am not blind to the fact that he probably cuter than he is talented, but so what? But, in all honesty, I loved Hunter's at bat even more. He hung in there, battled, and won. Yesterday's game had most of the elements that make baseball the world's best sport.

Anonymous said...

A truly HUGE win. Imagine if we had lost in extras. The amazing pair of homers would have been for NOTHING. And we would have to play today with a growing sense of despair and doom. Now we have a spring in our step and hope is everywhere.

Another nice benefit is that we can choose to ignore/forget that Cory Seager hit a mammoth homer in a huge situation. That guy is going to be a nightmare for Giants fans for YEARS.

Anonymous said...

@ Barbara I figured you had a smile on your face all night long as you slept. I do not want to speculate on the details of any dreams. It was a story book event. In one swing he pretty much earned his salary. And Hunters AB was spectacular. First time I've ever seen so many high fastballs in a sac fly situation.

nomisnala said...

Giants tried to take the momentum into Thursday, but Moore on an 0-2 count tossed one right down the middle to possible MVP candidate Seager. Without that pitch we probably win in 9. In the bottom of the 8th two on and one out, Posey, despite hitting above 350 hit into his second double play of the game. Now in the top of the tenth, our relievers forgot how to throw strikes, although there were a couple of calls that sucked, including what should have been a called strike 3 to Utley. Last year one of the giants strengths was not walking people, and taking the walks. This year the trend seems to not be holding. The pen once again pulled a Cubs playoff implosion. Seems not being able to pitch well in relief happens at least every few games, and usually at the worst time. Even Strickland cannot throw strikes. The tag up on Posey's foul catch, was rules safe, supposedly he can run when the ball is touched and not when it is caught. Someone has to check that rule. Our sinking liners to center always seems to be outs, but the reverse does not seem to be the case. Pence just takes a low strike. Is there something about Utley that close pitches are never called strikes? Has anyone else ever noticed this throughout his career? Giants not getting on in the bottom of the tenth, two fly outs to center. One more out and we split the series. Giants really could use a nice 10 game win streak right now. In the bottom of the tenth suddenly the low strike is now a strike. At least it is a beautiful day here in South Florida, just like in SF, except a few degrees warmer. I am looking forward to the giants team, getting their collective heads on straight. The momentum from yesterday never materialized as the giants continue to hit like little leaguers especially in the clutch. Ok, enough of my stream of ticked off consciousness rant.