SF 2 LA 1
If the Giants want to serve notice to the rest of the NL West that they are indeed contenders there's no better way than to beat the Dodgers in LA. For the second straight night they rallied in the 9th inning for a stirring win and have put themselves in position for a sweep. And a sweep is what it will take. At this point in the season the Giants have to think about winning streaks. The Dodgers have been vulnerable since their ace closer Kenley Jansen went on the disabled list--tonight's defeat was their 5th in a row--and they've had a hard time finding his replacement, giving up runs in the 9th in their last four games.
Alen Hanson gets the hero's wreath for delivering both RBI hits, one from the right side (off Alex Wood in the 2nd) and one from the left side (off Kenta Maeda in the 9th). Nick Hundley and Yasiel Puig got into it in the 7th and both were ejected. It seemed that Hundley took exception to Puig's antics (gee, that's news) and gave him an earful to which Puig responded by throwing punches. The Giants weren't happy that Hundley had to go and felt it was Puig's problem all the way, but the umps had their say and that was that. Fortunately the Giants won the game and the Dodgers couldn't boast about how the fight fired them up. They did come back in the 8th to tie it up after being behind 1-0 all night, but that only set up the Giants last at-bat heroics. Brandon Belt returned from the DL and entered the game when Hundley left (Buster was at first and had to move to catcher) and wound up getting a hit and scoring the winning run. Nice to see him back.
Derek Holland goes tomorrow night. The Dodgers have struggled lately against lefty starters, let's hope that continues. GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Showing posts with label Alen "Hammer" Hanson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alen "Hammer" Hanson. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
Panda!
SF 2 CHC 1 (11)
The Giants hung on to beat the Cubs in extras after a mostly fruitless offensive evening. Kyle Hendricks had the local lads completely befuddled for 8-1/3 innings but good work by Andrew Suarez (6 IP, 3 H, 1 R) kept it close. The Giants superb bullpen added five shutout frames and that gave the lineup enough chances to put a winning rally together. The only run off Hendricks came in the 5th on a bad pickoff. Alan Hanson--who Jon Miller called "electrifying"--scored all the way from first base on the errant throw that went down the right field line. Second baseman Javier Baez hesitated after retrieving the ball and that was enough daylight for the speedster who clearly caught the Cubs infield by surprise. Pablo Sandoval delivered the game-winning hit in the 11th off Pedro Strop after Steve Cishek had loaded the bases with one out. Even when he was down 0-2 you had the feeling that Panda was the right guy in that situation with his excellent contact skills and sure enough he served one to left for the winner and the Giants had a dramatic victory.
Johnny Cueto tonight. GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
UPDATE: word from Baggs is that Holland may get the start to give Cueto an extra day
The Giants hung on to beat the Cubs in extras after a mostly fruitless offensive evening. Kyle Hendricks had the local lads completely befuddled for 8-1/3 innings but good work by Andrew Suarez (6 IP, 3 H, 1 R) kept it close. The Giants superb bullpen added five shutout frames and that gave the lineup enough chances to put a winning rally together. The only run off Hendricks came in the 5th on a bad pickoff. Alan Hanson--who Jon Miller called "electrifying"--scored all the way from first base on the errant throw that went down the right field line. Second baseman Javier Baez hesitated after retrieving the ball and that was enough daylight for the speedster who clearly caught the Cubs infield by surprise. Pablo Sandoval delivered the game-winning hit in the 11th off Pedro Strop after Steve Cishek had loaded the bases with one out. Even when he was down 0-2 you had the feeling that Panda was the right guy in that situation with his excellent contact skills and sure enough he served one to left for the winner and the Giants had a dramatic victory.
Johnny Cueto tonight. GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
UPDATE: word from Baggs is that Holland may get the start to give Cueto an extra day
Thursday, June 21, 2018
The Way It Was Supposed To Be
Madison Bumgarner starting, giving the Giants 8 strong innings, Mark Melancon closing out the game. At least, that was the thought in early 2017 when the Giants picked up Melancon. Hasn't worked out that way much though. Actually, it hasn't happened at all.
Until tonight. Madison Bumgarner in his 4th start of the season looked like he was no longer in spring training. He threw 8 innings, 100 pitches, walked 2 (one of whom was intentional), gave up 3 hits (including 2 doubles to Manuel Margot) and no runs. He faced 29 batters, 21 of whom were thrown 1st pitch strikes. Mark Melancon was brought in to finish the 9th. He threw 14 pitches, gave up a lead-off single, then got 2 ground outs and a strike out.
The Giants scored 1 run off of San Diego's starter, Tyson Ross. It was a sacrifice fly by (who else?) Madison Bumgarner. Once Ross left the game to start the 8th, Alen Hanson tripled and scored on Buster Posey's single then Posey scored on a Sandoval hit and botched play by San Diego. The final score was 3 - 0. The bullpen was given a night off except for Melancon. It has been used a lot, 48 1/3 innings in the last 14 games since their last off day. Like they say in the bridge column, "Well done!"
Until tonight. Madison Bumgarner in his 4th start of the season looked like he was no longer in spring training. He threw 8 innings, 100 pitches, walked 2 (one of whom was intentional), gave up 3 hits (including 2 doubles to Manuel Margot) and no runs. He faced 29 batters, 21 of whom were thrown 1st pitch strikes. Mark Melancon was brought in to finish the 9th. He threw 14 pitches, gave up a lead-off single, then got 2 ground outs and a strike out.
The Giants scored 1 run off of San Diego's starter, Tyson Ross. It was a sacrifice fly by (who else?) Madison Bumgarner. Once Ross left the game to start the 8th, Alen Hanson tripled and scored on Buster Posey's single then Posey scored on a Sandoval hit and botched play by San Diego. The final score was 3 - 0. The bullpen was given a night off except for Melancon. It has been used a lot, 48 1/3 innings in the last 14 games since their last off day. Like they say in the bridge column, "Well done!"
Thursday, June 14, 2018
Ty One On
SF 6 MIA 3 (16)
The Giants finally break the curse of the Fish with a 16-inning win that featured a superb long relief performance (6-2/3 scoreless innings) from Ty Blach. Hunter Strickland, pitching with a 3-2 lead in the 9th, was victimized by an error on a popup from Joe Panik and that put the tying run on second base. Two sacrifices later the Giants had blown another lead and the Marlins were thinking sweep. Fortunately the game lasted long enough for Pablo Sandoval to get his first hit of the day which drove in the first two of the winning three-run rally. Speaking of three, that's how many times Panda walked today. That's normally a month's worth of walks for the free-swinging bad-ball hitter we all know and love. It seems he's been working on new approaches at the plate and it is paying off with a respectable .271/.341/.424 slash line. Andrew McCutchen and Alen Hanson each had three hits with Cutch delivering another two-run shot (he's heating up). Hanson was in the game because Evan Longoria got hit by a pitch and fractured his pinky. Hey, let's get all the guys in on the DL-action! Such fun! The one-two hitters (Panik and Buster Posey, who caught the whole game) were 0-for-12.
A win is a welcome relief. Now it's a showdown in LA with the Dodgers who have been playing really well (9 wins in 11 games). Derek Holland, Madison Bumgarner, and Chris Stratton get the starts.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
The Giants finally break the curse of the Fish with a 16-inning win that featured a superb long relief performance (6-2/3 scoreless innings) from Ty Blach. Hunter Strickland, pitching with a 3-2 lead in the 9th, was victimized by an error on a popup from Joe Panik and that put the tying run on second base. Two sacrifices later the Giants had blown another lead and the Marlins were thinking sweep. Fortunately the game lasted long enough for Pablo Sandoval to get his first hit of the day which drove in the first two of the winning three-run rally. Speaking of three, that's how many times Panda walked today. That's normally a month's worth of walks for the free-swinging bad-ball hitter we all know and love. It seems he's been working on new approaches at the plate and it is paying off with a respectable .271/.341/.424 slash line. Andrew McCutchen and Alen Hanson each had three hits with Cutch delivering another two-run shot (he's heating up). Hanson was in the game because Evan Longoria got hit by a pitch and fractured his pinky. Hey, let's get all the guys in on the DL-action! Such fun! The one-two hitters (Panik and Buster Posey, who caught the whole game) were 0-for-12.
A win is a welcome relief. Now it's a showdown in LA with the Dodgers who have been playing really well (9 wins in 11 games). Derek Holland, Madison Bumgarner, and Chris Stratton get the starts.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Friday, June 8, 2018
Congratulations, Golden State Warriors
An awesome, awesome team.
And a good day for the Bay Area. The Giants won, too. If the Warriors had not won a championship, I would have titled the post, "Giants Go On Road, Bring Bats" because, you know, that is kind of unusual. But they did!
Steven Strasburg on the mound for the Washington Nationals. He didn't last long, only 2 innings by which time the Giants were ahead 3 - 0, thanks to an Andrew McCutcheon home run in the 1st and rbis from Alen Hanson and Hunter Pence in the 2nd. Andrew Suarez on the mound for the Giants, following up his best performance so far (3 hits, no runs vs Philadelphia). He got into trouble in the 5th, but not before we got to see a Suarez - Suero matchup (Wander Suero was the 3rd Nats pitcher). By then it was 5 - 0 Giants (2 run Hanson home run in the 4th, solo shot from Gorkys in the 5th). By the time Suarez was pulled, Washington had scored 4. Moronta finished the 5th, Melancon gave up 1 in the 6th to make it 6 - 5 Giants, and the Giants tacked on 3 in the 7th to for a final score of 9 - 5.
The 7th inning saw a bunch of hits. Panik doubled, Posey singled, Crawford HBP, Sandoval singled for an rbi, Longoria sac flied for an rbi and Pence picked up his second rbi with a single. That is the kind of hitting that can turn into a good road trip. Suarez pitched fairly well, without the stellar result of his last outing - he gave up some ground balls that could have been outs on another day. The Giants many-headed sort-of-monstrous relievers did their job (Moronta / Melancon / Watson / Dyson / Smith). The Nats used 7 pitchers, maybe that will help the Giants tomorrow or Sunday.
And a good day for the Bay Area. The Giants won, too. If the Warriors had not won a championship, I would have titled the post, "Giants Go On Road, Bring Bats" because, you know, that is kind of unusual. But they did!
Steven Strasburg on the mound for the Washington Nationals. He didn't last long, only 2 innings by which time the Giants were ahead 3 - 0, thanks to an Andrew McCutcheon home run in the 1st and rbis from Alen Hanson and Hunter Pence in the 2nd. Andrew Suarez on the mound for the Giants, following up his best performance so far (3 hits, no runs vs Philadelphia). He got into trouble in the 5th, but not before we got to see a Suarez - Suero matchup (Wander Suero was the 3rd Nats pitcher). By then it was 5 - 0 Giants (2 run Hanson home run in the 4th, solo shot from Gorkys in the 5th). By the time Suarez was pulled, Washington had scored 4. Moronta finished the 5th, Melancon gave up 1 in the 6th to make it 6 - 5 Giants, and the Giants tacked on 3 in the 7th to for a final score of 9 - 5.
The 7th inning saw a bunch of hits. Panik doubled, Posey singled, Crawford HBP, Sandoval singled for an rbi, Longoria sac flied for an rbi and Pence picked up his second rbi with a single. That is the kind of hitting that can turn into a good road trip. Suarez pitched fairly well, without the stellar result of his last outing - he gave up some ground balls that could have been outs on another day. The Giants many-headed sort-of-monstrous relievers did their job (Moronta / Melancon / Watson / Dyson / Smith). The Nats used 7 pitchers, maybe that will help the Giants tomorrow or Sunday.
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
Giants Bite Back
SF 5 AZ 4 (10)
The Giants snatched victory from the jaws of defeat this afternoon in San Francisco with three runs in the final two frames. Trailing 4-2 in the 9th with one out Mac Williamson drew a walk. With two outs and down to his final strike pinch-hitter Alen Hanson blasted a game-tying homer to right field. That was some big-time last-gasp heroics! It almost didn't work: Hunter Strickland walked the first batter in the top of the 10th and wild-pitched him to third base (and walked another batter) before wriggling out of the jam. That set the stage for Andrew McCutchen who blasted what looked like the winning homer with two out in the bottom half only to see it stay in the park for a double. He probably should have had a triple with that one but he jogged out of the box before accelerating to second. Centerfielder Jarrod Dyson might have misplayed it, perhaps losing it in the sun, or was victimized by a gust of wind, but it mattered not. Next batter Brandon Crawford ripped a single to right to plate Cutch and the Giants had a sensational win.
The 31-31 Giants are off tomorrow and then hit the road for three in D.C., four in Miami, and three in LA. Let's hope they play better ball on this trip. Andrew Suarez faces off with Stephen Strasburg on Friday at 4:05 Pacific. GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
The Giants snatched victory from the jaws of defeat this afternoon in San Francisco with three runs in the final two frames. Trailing 4-2 in the 9th with one out Mac Williamson drew a walk. With two outs and down to his final strike pinch-hitter Alen Hanson blasted a game-tying homer to right field. That was some big-time last-gasp heroics! It almost didn't work: Hunter Strickland walked the first batter in the top of the 10th and wild-pitched him to third base (and walked another batter) before wriggling out of the jam. That set the stage for Andrew McCutchen who blasted what looked like the winning homer with two out in the bottom half only to see it stay in the park for a double. He probably should have had a triple with that one but he jogged out of the box before accelerating to second. Centerfielder Jarrod Dyson might have misplayed it, perhaps losing it in the sun, or was victimized by a gust of wind, but it mattered not. Next batter Brandon Crawford ripped a single to right to plate Cutch and the Giants had a sensational win.
The 31-31 Giants are off tomorrow and then hit the road for three in D.C., four in Miami, and three in LA. Let's hope they play better ball on this trip. Andrew Suarez faces off with Stephen Strasburg on Friday at 4:05 Pacific. GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
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