SF 3 COL 2
The Giants squeaked past the Rockies in a tense game that ended on a video review. Fortunately the cameras went our way and the call on the field (a game-ending double play) was confirmed and that sealed the win. The Giants are facing the Rockies at the halfway point in the season. Tonight was Game 80 and Madison Bumgarner will get the call for Game 81 tomorrow night. The win puts the team at 41-39 which is 4-1/2 back of leaders Arizona, 1-1/2 behind second place Los Angeles, and 2-1/2 up on Colorado.
Gorkys Hernandez continues his fine hitting with a solo shot in the 3rd to tie it and a bases-loaded walk in the 8th (off Adam Ottavino!) which drove in the eventual game-winner. He even had a hand in the tying run in the 7th, bunting over Austin Slater and Hunter Pence, and Slater scored on Andrew McCutchen's sacrifice fly. (I wouldn't bunt with Gorkys--he's hitting .284/.338/.482 with 10 homers!! But it worked out, so no complaints.)
Derek Holland had an excellent start, striking out eight in 6-2/3 and allowing only an Ian Desmond solo shot. Reyes Moronta got the last out of the 7th but Mark Melancon gave up a run with two outs in the 8th and Tony Watson had to finish the inning. Sam Dyson gave up a fluky double to start the 9th but got it done with a strikeout and the DP. Joe Panik initially booted the grounder but recovered to complete the play. This year's club has a knack for making everything extra exciting.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
4 comments:
Huh?
Spam. Deleted.
Great game, eh?
I was surprised by the Hernandez bunt. But of course people were faulting Bochy for not having had Hanson bunt the night before, 10th inning. Hanson has hit RHP at home for a BA of .393 (small sample) and he would have had to bunt on a 98 mph fastball. Under those circumstances Bochy made what I would think the more plausible decision, to let Hanson swing away. That didn’t work out, hence the flurry of amateur second-guessing. Whether Bochy was recalling that previous game’s strategy when he chose to have Hernandez bunt, I have no idea (perhaps we’ll find out from Baggarly or another beat), but I believe the sabermetricians frown in general on any but the weakest hitters sacrifice bunting. Maybe GH was bunting for a base hit?
Especially with the best fielding third baseman on the planet out there. both the double off of melancon and off of dyson should have been caught.
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