Nick Hundley has been a very valuable pick up for the Giants.
Madison Bumgarner vs Clayton Kershaw in Los Angeles. These guys are supposed to be (along with Greinke, who has more wins this year than Madbum and Kershaw combined) the elite pitchers in the NL West, but the stadium was half-empty. LA. It was much as advertised. Kershaw threw his best game of the year in 18 starts. Madbum struggled, although pitched well. He gave up 2 runs, a weird play that took Brandon Crawford out of the game on a collision with Gorkys Hernandez on a bloop hit that scored 1, and a Justin Turner home run that scored the second. He threw 97 pitches in 6 innings, gave up 7 hits, struck out 4 and walked 2. Kershaw threw 8 full innings, striking out 9, walking none and giving up 4 hits. A couple of those hits scored Steven Duggar who joins the list of Giants who manage somehow to get hits off of Kershaw (he had 2). So the score going into the 9th, after Sam Dyson and Ray Black pitched a scoreless 7th and 8th, respectively, was 2 - 1 LA.
Kenley Jensen is on the DL. With 1 out, d'Arnaud singled. Posey singled. Longoria hits into a fielder's choice, Posey out at 2nd. 2 outs. Slater works the count, but is hit by a pitch to load the bases. Hundley is brought in to pinch hit. On the first pitch, he lines a shot to right field, scoring 2 for the Giants lead. Gorkys singles to score Slater, and then steals second. Duggar should have been out, but the doggers muff the play and Nick Hundley scores, only to bounce around the dugout like a little kid. Will Smith gets the save, the Giants win, 5 - 2.
So the Giants climb back to .500. They aren't really a factor in the NL West race right now, and they aren't really a factor in the Wild Card race, but for tonight, at least, they rocked just like old times.
3 comments:
BEST GAME OF THE SEASON!!
Wow, they pulled the rabbit out of the hat. They needed wins like this last month, the month before, and the month before that. Like you say it is probably too little, too late, but it sure was great to get that win.
Weirdly, despite playing horribly for most of the Season, the Giants are a factor in the NL West race (5 back), & one could make a case that they are a factor in the Wild Card race (6.5 back), too. Dismissing their chances is borne more of the justifiable sense that we all have that this version of the Giants always has an impending mini-losing streak just around the corner. They have hovered within striking distance all Season - a mini-winning streak would vault them right back into the picture. Strange, but true. No confidence that it will happen, but it is a fact.
We are currently 8 - 6 vs LA for 2018, with 5 to play. I think the announcers said that Kershaw and Bumgarner at 5 - 5 when facing each other. Obviously, neither got the W last night.
Ron, I wouldn't go so far to say that the Giants are a "factor" and the people in LA seemed to agree, given the attendance last night. But what you are saying is, given the standings and records, correct. But, like you, I have no confidence. Who does? I think because so many times we have watched some good, inspiring baseball quickly followed by a uninspired, losing play, it's hard to be confident. I wish it were otherwise.
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