Belt Bops Brewers

SF 9  MIL 6 (11)

Brandon Belt blasted two home runs, a solo shot in the 4th to tie the game, and a two-run bomb in the 11th that turned out to be the game-winner. The Giants struggled to score against Brandon Woodruff but a miracle triple from Tommy La Stella in the 9th tied it up and they forced it to extras. A big rally in the top of the 10th made it 5-2 Giants, but Jarlin Garcia gave up two homers in the bottom half and the Brewers tied it. Belt's homer and a two-out double by Kris Bryant made it 9-5 in the 11th so Jake McGee's run didn't matter. It's a huge win on the road against a very tough opponent. The Giants used their entire bullpen tonight.

Johnny Cueto tomorrow morning at 11:10 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Buster, Bullpen Beat LA

SF 7  LA 2

It was a back-to-back festival in LA tonight. The Giants went back-to-back in the top of the 1st, a two-run shot from Buster Posey followed by a blast from Wilmer Flores to make it 3-0 off Tony Gonsolin. Unfortunately the Dodgers had an answer, back-to-backs from Max Muncy and Justin Turner off Kevin Gausman to make it 3-2. It stayed that way until the 7th when Buster Posey got a rally going with a leadoff hit and later scored on a double by Thairo Estrada. The Giants racked up four to put the game out of reach and get a huge win to open the series. The bullpen was superb--Zack Littell (1-2/3), Jarlin Garcia (1-1/3), Dominic Leone (1), Jay Jackson (1), Jake McGee (1)--in relief of an off-form Gausman who only lasted three frames. Sure nice to have Buster back!

In a familiar refrain, the Giants left nine men on base and were 4-for-13 with RISP. They had 12 hits and four walks and could have scored more. I suppose you have to credit the Dodgers for pitching well in some key spots. The Giants finally broke through against Victor Gonzalez. It's been a tough matchup so far: that's only their fourth win in ten games against LA.

Brandon Crawford goes on the IL (oblique strain). It's a huge blow, especially with all these big games coming up. They will be going with Estrada at short for now, I wonder if that means Mauricio Dubon will get brought back up?

Alex Wood tomorrow.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Relief!

SF 4  PIT 1

The Giants even up the series with a win in the getaway game in Pittsburgh. Today the bullpen delivered three scoreless innings to back up another fine performance from Alex Wood who is 5-0 in six starts. The Giants took a 2-1 lead in the top of the 6th when Evan Longoria scored on a wild pitch. Wood batted for himself and made the third out but it paid off with a scoreless bottom half. That left the 7th for Caleb Baragar who gave up a walk but no runs and the 8th for Matt Wisler who was perfect. Mike Yastrzemski bopped a two-run homer in the top of the 9th to pad the lead. Tyler Rogers has been the best Giants reliever this season and he was tabbed for the 9th. He hit the first batter to give us all the heebee-jeebies but only needed nine more pitches to get the final three batters and the save.

Logan Webb opens the series in Cincinnati tomorrow afternoon at 3:40 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Pitchers plank Pirates

SF 3  PIT 1

Anthony DeSclafani pitched a brisk five scoreless frames, allowing only one hit and one walk with five strikeouts. He was out of the game after throwing a mere 76 pitches to 17 batters as Gabe Kapler pinch-hit for him in the 6th. It was a bold move, but it was a good matchup with Darin Ruf against a lefty with two on. The Giants were up 3-0 and had a shot to break it open but Ruf grounded out. It didn't matter as Caleb Baragar and Zack Littell each pitched a scoreless inning in relief. In the 8th Camilo Doval gave up a solo shot for Pittsburgh's only run, and Tyler Rogers took the 9th and got an easy save.

The bullpen has had its ups and downs and it is interesting that Kap trusted his relievers in a close contest for four innings. They stepped up and sealed the win. The Giants grind out another close contest! They scored all of their runs in the 5th on a Steven Duggar homer and a two-run triple from Mike Yastrzemski. Buster Posey scored one of those runs and was on base three times (a hit and two walks).

Kevin Gausman goes tomorrow at 3:35 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Much Better

SF 6  SEA 3

The Giants played a good game for seven innings on Thursday and last night they played a good game for all nine innings and notched their first win of the 2021 season. Johnny Cueto labored into the 6th and kept the ball in the yard and the team in the game. His final line was 5-2/3 IP with 6 hits and 3 walks with 3 runs allowed but it took 107 pitches and 24 batters to get there. It wasn't pretty but it was effective (7 K, 2 DP) and the Giants fought back from their 3-1 deficit to tie it in the top of the 6th and take the lead for good in the 7th. Buster Posey jacked another homer for the team's first run and Evan Longoria knocked a two-run bomb to tie it and added the go-ahead RBI later. Donovan Solano got the big hit, a two-run double that sealed the deal.

Speaking of sealing the deal, Wandy Peralta was summoned with two outs and the bases empty after Kap pulled Cueto in the 6th and he sparkled. He retired the next four batters on 17 pitches with two whiffs and gave the team a big lift. Tyler Rogers scared us all in the 8th by walking the first hitter and going 3-1 on the next guy. Then he got a tricky grounder that Solano made a good play on, followed by a comebacker and a strikeout. We all breathed a sigh of relief. Jack McGee had an effortless 9th: 11 pitches, 9 strikes, two whiffs.

Logan Webb tonight, an hour earlier at 6:10 Pacific.

Go Giants!

--M.C.

Still seeking southpaws

The Giants have a deal (2 yrs, $7M) with lefty reliever Jake McGee. The 34-year old veteran (11 seasons, 546 games) came up with the Rays and spent time with both the Rockies and the Dodgers. He's a local boy (born in San Jose) but went to HS in Nevada and had his first pro stint at age 17. Lifetime (475-2/3 IP) McGee has a 3.59 ERA, 3.39 FIP, and 3.00 SIERA*. By comparison Tony Watson has a career line of 2.80/3.61/3.47 over 591 innings, and he's a free agent. I assume they don't expect to re-sign Watson and that's why they targeted this guy.

This is a good move as the Giants need lefty arms and competition for spots in the bullpen. Pitchers and catchers report on February 17. I have not heard of a corresponding 40-man roster move to make a spot for McGee.

--M.C.

*if you are not familiar with SIERA FanGraphs has a primer

I was happy at nine

 SF 14  OAK 2

The Giants saved up all their runs for today and gave the Athletics a good pasting. This team really can pile it on and I'm not used to that. San Francisco certainly owed it to their Oakland neighbors as they had been on the opposite end of a streak of pastings, a streak finally snapped this afternoon. That ends the season series, a lopsided 1-5 in the six (three home, three away) games.

Tyler Anderson pitched well, giving up a couple of runs in the 6th with an 8-0 lead, certainly an encouraging performance from the lefty. The inning started with a rare error from first baseman Brandon Belt and the runs were unearned. Shaun Anderson, Caleb Baragar, and Wandy Peralta put together a scoreless 3-1/3 to finish things. The Giants were able to take advantage of a good start unlike yesterday when they squandered Kevin Gausman's excellent effort.

The big bopper was Brandon Crawford with a double and a homer, a grand slam that "broke the game open" as they like to say. Joey Bart got a day off (he needed it!) and Chadwick Tromp responded with three hits including a two-run homer. Darin Ruf, after two misplays in left field yesterday, bounced back with two hits and four runs batted in, one of the hits a two-run homer. There were lots of highlights!

The Rockies come to town tomorrow evening at 6:45 Pacific. Johnny Cueto, scratched from the start today, gets the call.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

If 6 Was 9

 SF 6  SEA 4

This game would have been more relaxing if the Giants would have stuck to the formula and scored nine runs instead of a mere six. It happens that six was just enough, although it took a comeback featuring a big two-run triple from Wilmer Flores with two outs in the 7th to pull off the win. Giants pitchers threw 181 pitches this afternoon but walked only four batters (and hit two) so that's an improvement over yesterday. Starter Tyler Anderson got knocked about for four runs in the 2nd and then kicked out in the 3rd for arguing balls and strikes. Wandy Peralta, Rico Garcia, Tony Watson, Tyler Rogers, and Sam Selman covered the final seven frames without yielding a run. The Mariners threatened in the 7th, 8th, and 9th but the 'pen held firm and sealed the victory. Peralta's three hitless innings in relief of Anderson was the key performance, I think.

Newcomer Luis Basabe had a hit, walked twice, and scored two, Mauricio Dubon had two hits and scored a run, Evan Longoria had two hits and a run batted in, and Darin Ruf launched a solo shot in the 1st to fill up the highlight reel. The Giants are a sparkling 16-4 against Arizona (8-2), Seattle (4-0), Texas (2-1), and LA-Anaheim (2-1). Unfortunately their final three opponents are Oakland, Colorado, and San Diego and they are a less than stellar 3-12 against them. So it will be a big challenge for the Giants to stay in the hunt in their final stretch. This weekend's series with the A's is at the Coliseum but the final two sets are at home where they have won 16 of 25, so maybe home cookin' will be the ticket.

Logan Webb goes Friday at 6:40 p.m., Kevin Gausman Saturday at 1:10 p.m., and Johnny Cueto Sunday, also at 1:10, all times Pacific.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

 

p.s. Mike Yastrzemski had to leave the game early with a calf injury, let's hope it is minor.

Just score nine runs and it will all work out

SF 9  SEA 3

The San Francisco Giants 2020 pitching staff gives up, on average, five runs per game. Tonight they walked eight guys and hit two for ten free baserunners. That's a lot of free baserunners! The Seattle Mariners were kind enough to score only three runs despite the ten free runners (and their six hits). Other teams might take more advantage of the Giants generosity. Teams that are over .500, for example. It has been a lot of fun watching the ballclub this season but not because of the pitching. In fact, my Mom and I were watching the last part of the game tonight and she kept asking "who's that guy?" Oh, I'd say, that's Sam Selman, or Sam Coonrod, or Rico Garcia, or Jarlin Garcia, or what-have-you. When she asked me "who started?" I said "Drew Smyly" and of course she said "who?" She's a good fan but you really do need a damn scorecard this year.

But I'm not here to bemoan the state of Giants pitching. After all, they did get the job done tonight and it was a big win. After losing three in a row, getting back to .500 (24-24) is a big deal. They did that by scoring eight runs in the first four frames. You do that and more often than not you will win even if your pitchers throw 182 pitches!

The Giants lineup cracked 15 hits tonight. Fifteen! You do that you can win some ballgames. After the goofiness of the weekend with the COVID cancellation and the goofy re-locating of the Seattle series to San Francisco the hitters responded with an inspired collective effort to snap a three-game skid. By the way the M's were the home team and batted last but the G-men wore their home unis. Goofy!

Tomorrow the game is at 1:10 PDT and Tyler Anderson gets the start.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

G-men subdue M's

SF 6  SEA 5 

The Giants had to take on a team much like themselves and it turned out to be an epic battle. The Mariners, like the Giants, didn't move the needle on anyone's meter this pre-season and both teams were laughably--all too predictably--bad in the early going. But both teams hit a hot streak when all seemed lost and fought back to respectability. In Seattle's case, it was passing two teams to claim third place. For the local lads, it was getting to a .500 record.

Luis Basabe made his Giants debut tonight and made a great catch, just what he was supposed to do. I've been curious about this fellow since we picked him up so let's get some more Basabe-ball! Speaking of doing things to the ball, the Giants hit three homers to claw back from a big deficit and put a hurt on Seattle's winning vibe. Alex Dickerson, Darin Ruf, and Mauricio Dubon (!) were the dinger dudes tonight, but a nice one-two combo by Donovan Solano and Brandon Belt also accounted for some big runs.

Logan Webb gave up five runs in the first three innings but managed to last two more and put up zeros in each. The bullpen then had to deliver and they put up four scoreless to seal the deal. This time it was Caleb Baragar (6th), Tyler Rogers (7th), Jarlin Garcia (8th), and Tony Watson (9th). It was another fine all-around effort! The Giants continue to play better in the field as well and that makes for a winning formula. It would be nice to see them knock a half-run or so off the team ERA, but it is also nice to see them make do with what they have. This team is competitive and puts up a fight in every game and you have to like that.

They are now 22-21 (.512) and in third place in the NL West. Tyler Anderson tomorrow at 6:45 PDT.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

20 wins!

SF 4  AZ 2

Johnny Cueto had to work hard this afternoon, throwing 109 pitches to 26 batters to get through 5-2/3 innings. He gave up two runs right away in the top of the 1st but kept the Arizona hitters off the board into the 6th. He left with the bases loaded but Caleb Baragar got the final out. The Giants got two in the bottom half of the 6th on a homer by Donovan Solano to take the lead and the bullpen did the rest. Jarlin Garcia loaded the bases in the 7th but struck out two to escape unscathed. Tony Watson (8th) and Tyler Rogers (9th) each struck out two in their brisk, dominant frames to finish off the Diamondbacks. Chadwick Tromp hit a solo shot in the 3rd but otherwise lefty Alex Young frustrated the Giants until Solano's big hit. Brandon Belt, pinch-hitting for Tromp in the 7th, added a solo shot off Yoan Lopez to make it 4-2 and that's how it finished.

The Giants get their 20th victory in their 41st game with some excellent defense, timely bombs, and superb relief work. Cueto deserves a nod for his veteran savvy clutchness, getting some big strikeouts (he had seven overall) against a patient lineup, and keeping the lid on things when it seemed ready to fly off.

Kevin Gausman takes the hill tomorrow against Zac Gallen at 5:05 p.m. PDT.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

2/3 of the season

SF 4  AZ 3

The Giants played a much better game tonight and it was just enough to prevail over the Diamondbacks. Madison Bumgarner was on the mound for Arizona and Giants hitters made him work (72 p in 4 IP) but he gave up only three hits. Fortunately for the home team two of them were homers! Evan Longoria and Darin Ruf went back-to-back to lead off the 2nd and that turned a 1-0 deficit to a 2-1 lead. The Giants got back-to-back triples (how often does that happen?) by Joey Bart and Mauricio Dubon after Brandon Belt walked in the 6th to make it a 4-1 lead. The triples were the first by both Bart and Dubon--how often has that happened? The Diamondbacks tagged Trevor Gott for a homer in the 7th and added a run off Tyler Rogers in the 8th but Tony Watson threw a 13-pitch 9th to seal the win.

Trevor Cahill had to leave in the 3rd with an injury but some solid work by Caleb Baragar, Sam Coonrod, and Jarlin Garcia (3-2/3 IP, 5 K) kept the lid on things and gave the lineup a chance to add runs later.

Tonight was the 40th game of the season. We are two-thirds of the way through the 60-game schedule. Here's the story so far:

1st third (Games 1-20): 8-12

2nd third (Games 21-40): 11-9

Overall: 19-21, .475, fourth-place in the NL West, 1/2 game behind Colorado (19-20) and four games ahead of Arizona (15-25). Johnny Cueto goes tomorrow at 1:05 p.m. Pacific.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

Missed opportunity

COL 9  SF 6

I have a near-religious belief that a team must score at least eight runs in order to be competitive in Coors Field. I have seen too many leads evaporate in that park over the years. Today the Giants jumped to an early lead, 6-1 in the 4th, but the Colorado bullpen suddenly stiffened and threw five consecutive scoreless innings. Meanwhile the Giants bullpen had an epic meltdown. Logan Webb was solid through five, allowing only two runs, and with a low pitch count manager Gabe Kapler let him start the 6th. He got Charlie Blackmon with a strikeout, but gave up a single to Kevin Pillar* and a bunt single to Trevor Story. Kap replaced Webb with Jarlin Garcia who allowed both runners to score on a single and a sacrifice fly. Sam Coonrod came out for the 7th with a 6-4 lead but retired no one, giving up three runs on three hits and a walk. Tyler Rogers finally put the fire out but not before three more hits (including a homer) and two more runs. The Rockies flipped the game over and went to the 8th with a 9-6 lead and that's how it ended.

I was really hoping the Giants would take both games and come home with a .500 record. I felt like the early runs were only going to work if the Giants could tack on a couple more in the final third of the game. I figured the Rockies to chip away at the 'pen but I did not expect a five-spot, especially with the way Coonrod and Rogers had performed lately. A frustrating loss, to be sure. The Giants are 2-4 against the Rockies and have four more games with them (at home) in the final week of the season. I would really like to see the Giants pass these guys in the standings!

Off-day tomorrow. Arizona comes to San Francisco for four starting Friday night. The Diamondbacks are the team the Giants have beat up on the most this year, with the good guys taking five of six. Let's hope that continues.

--M.C.

 

*Pillar was picked up at the deadline by the Rockies from the Red Sox. He was in last night's game and was 0-for-3 but had two hits (including a 2-run triple) against his old team this afternoon. His current .274/.323/.476 slash line (over 30 G and 134 PA) is the best mark of his career.

Cueto and Giants get it done

 SF 4  AZ 1

Johnny Cueto had some command issues early in the game but settled down to retire, at one point, 13 in a row. The Giants had a 1-0 lead thanks to an Alex Dickerson homer in the 1st but did not get another hit until the 8th inning. Meanwhile the Diamondbacks tied it up in the bottom of the 6th with a solo shot of their own. Cueto delivered a splendid 6-2/3 yielding three hits and three walks on 106 pitches. Fine bullpen work from Tony Watson, Tyler Rogers, and Sam Coonrod (who closed it) gave the Giants a chance. They responded with four hits in the top of the 8th to plate three runs and come away with a tidy win. The Giants improve to 8-11 on the road and 17-19 overall.

So far no news from Giants HQ regarding the trade deadline which is 4 p.m. ET tomorrow.

Monday is an off-day and then the Giants go to Colorado for two, with Tuesday at 5:40 and Wednesday 12:10 (p.m. PDT).

--M.C.

Giants Snap Skid

 SF 5  AZ 2

The Giants put a quick hurt on the Diamondbacks, taking a 4-0 lead after three innings, but had a setback when starter Trevor Cahill had to leave in the 4th with a hip injury. He had a physical issue in the 3rd but Kap and the trainers felt he was OK for another go-round but after yielding a two-run homer discretion got the better part of valor. The 4-2 lead was agonizing for Giants fans as the lineup had repeated chances to break the game open but could not deliver the big hit. Good thing the bullpen was up to the task and kept the lid on the Arizona hitters the rest of the way. Wilmer Flores added a solo shot in the 9th to make it easier for Tyler Rogers to close it out. Jarlin Garcia got five outs in relief of Cahill, Sam Coonrod popped 100 mph on the gun in the 6th, Trevor Gott handled the 7th, and Tony Watson got the 8th in front of Rogers.

I missed Friday night's loss as I was in a kayak on a nearby mountain lake as part of a (socially-distanced) surprise birthday celebration for a friend. Nutty, I know, but it sure broke up the routine and provided a nice diversion from everything. A good time was had by all.

The Giants snap their three-game losing streak! It was a surprisingly hard-fought victory as it really felt like they should have put up seven or eight runs. But the team got the job done and that's what matters. I'd really like to see them kick some butt tomorrow (1:10 Pacific) and take the series. Johnny Cueto gets the start against righty Taylor Clarke.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

p.s. You might be interested in "Giants More Likely to Buy Than Sell" by TC Zencka at MLBTR. There's also this tweet by notorious rumor-monger Jon Heyman that the Giants are interested in Jackie Bradley, Jr. I don't put too much stock in these things, these guys have to talk about something now that we are so close to the trade deadline. I have to say I'm much more interested in talking about what the Giants actually do as opposed to what they could or should do!

Giants Win Slugfest

 SF 10  LA 8  (11)

The San Francisco Giants have four wins against the Los Angeles Dodgers, a team that has lost only nine games. Last night the 3-4-5 hitters, Evan Longoria, Brandon Belt, and Donovan Solano, went 9-16 with 7 runs scored and 8 RBI while the rest of the lineup went 5-for-30 (three by Brandon Crawford) with 11 whiffs. The team was 3-for-22 with runners in scoring position! It was a crazy game: Giants used nine relievers after Johnny Cueto went four innings and overall the ten pitchers threw 199 pitches (122 strikes)!

It was more like a heavyweight boxing match with the Giants as the upstart contender and the Dodgers as the veteran champion. In fact, last night was merely the opening rounds of what promises to be a great three-game fight. In the opening frame, Max Muncy blasted a 3-run homer on a 3-0 pitch (I wonder if pitchers will stop grooving 3-0 pitches now that batters swing at them) but the Giants counter-punched with a 3-run homer of their own in the bottom half. That was the first of two for Brandon Belt, the other was a solo shot off Kenley Jansen that tied the game in the 9th! The Giants trailed in the 9th, 10th, and 11th but still won the game. Donovan Solano had just one hit but it was the game-winning two-run homer, only his second home run of the season.

Seven wins is a row. Kevin Gausman and Clayton Kershaw tonight at 6:45 p.m. PDT.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

Sweep!

SF 6  AZ 1

The Giants designated Hunter Pence for assignment today, the halfway point in the 2020 season. It's not a surprise given his performance but it says a lot about the state of the team. There's just no room for him! Pablo Sandoval can swing a lefty bat and still back up at third base in a pinch so he hangs on to his job, at least for now. But Hunter was just too low on the outfield depth chart. We were privileged to root for this unique, accomplished, and lovable ballplayer. I wonder if he'll find his way back to San Francisco after his playing days are done.

But today was about the team on the field. They won again behind a strong start, a patient lineup, and a bend-but-don't-break bullpen. Two big homers, a solo shot by Mike Yastrzemski in the 6th and a three-run blast by Alex Dickerson in the 7th, were the difference-makers. Trevor Cahill went 5-1/3, throwing 88 pitches and striking out eight. Caleb Baragar allowed an inherited runner to score in the 6th to make it 1-1 but that was it--the Giants took the lead in the bottom half and didn't look back.

Halfway through 2020 I did not expect the Giants to be on a roll (six wins in a row!) and sniffing (14-16) a .500 record. My expectations for this season were low. When they were 8-12 after the first twenty games I thought the .400 percentage was a fair measure of their ability. Shortly after that they had a nightmare stretch of blown games and really bottomed out. To their credit they turned it around and in the six straight wins they've scored 42 runs and allowed only 13!

I'm glad I was wrong about this team. I'm not sure what they are capable of but it is certain they are not as bad as they were predicted to be. The pitching staff seems to be stabilizing behind the resurgent starters and I think we'll get a better picture after this next series. The high-flying Dodgers come to town for three (Tues/Wed 6:45, Thu 5:05 p.m. PDT) and it should be a real test. Johnny Cueto pitched Wednesday so I suspect he'll get the ball in the first game. They have a well-earned off-day tomorrow.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

Webb Snares Snakes

 SF 6  AZ 2

The Giants played another great ballgame tonight and got the better of Robbie Ray and the Diamondbacks. Ray has been plagued by walks this season (20 in 22 IP coming into the game) and added five more in his five innings and the Giants dinged him for two two-run homers (Evan Longoria and Wilmer Flores) to win their fourth in a row. The big story was Logan Webb who kept the ball in the yard for seven impressive innings (5 hits, 2 runs, 0 walks, 8 strikeouts, 102 pitches) to lead the way. The 23-year old righty showed some poise in his final two starts last season and I think everyone has been waiting to see some similar results this season. Tonight he may have erased a few doubts with a strong outing and the Giants lineup backed it up. Joey Bart hit a double and also added a bases-loaded walk in the 7th as part of a two-run rally that bumped it from 4-2 to 6-2. Tony Watson and Tyler Rogers covered the 8th and the 9th. The Giants are now .500 (6-6) at home.

Tyler Anderson tomorrow at 6:15 p.m. Pacific.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

Kicking Ass, part two

SF 7  LAA 2

The Giants played another outstanding ballgame tonight, besting the Angels behind some formidable pitching (13 strikeouts!) and a relentless attack (10 hits, two homers, two doubles). Johnny Cueto had to work hard (112 pitches) for his 17 outs, yielding four hits, a walk, and two runs, but he also whiffed eight. Andrew Suarez allowed the hit that drove in the second run, and Caleb Baragar had to come in to finish the 6th which he did with a strikeout. He added a clean 7th and Tyler Rogers struck out both Mike Trout and Albert Pujols to take care of the 8th while Tony Watson closed out the 9th on 13 pitches.

Wilmer Flores was the hitting star, Kap sat Brandon Belt to get the righty in against the lefty starter (Patrick Sandoval) and it paid off with two hits (one a 3-run homer) and four RBI. Austin Slater is not 100% and can't play the field so he led off tonight as the DH and chipped in two hits (one a two-run homer) and two runs scored. I especially enjoyed the late rally with the meat of the lineup (Solano/Yaz/Longo/Flores) carving out two runs in the 7th to make it 7-2 and take the pressure off the bullpen.

Kevin Gausman goes tomorrow at 6:45 p.m. Angels beat reporter Rhett Bollinger tweets that their starter for tomorrow is lefty Jose Suarez (that fact was re-tweeted by Andrew Baggarly, which was in the sidebar, which is why I have that feature there). The Giants came into tonight's game with a .268/.331/.455 line against southpaw starters and then they racked up six hits and five runs against another one! So, I think they like facing lefties.

--M.C.

Giants Kick Ass

 SF 8  LAA 2

Wow! A win! The Giants prove that the world has not yet ended by winning a baseball game. I've talked about it before--when your team is on a losing streak it can feel like it might never stop. That they'll never win again. Mostly, it is an irrational thought. Not with this team, though. After the last few games I think any Giants fan who thought they might finish the season stuck at eight wins (with 52 losses!) was at least semi-rational.

That notion was buried today by a superb team effort. I like to say it's not how bad you get knocked on your ass, it's how well you pick yourself up off the canvas and answer the bell for the next round. The Giants did that today. There were a lot of good things this afternoon: a Yaz leadoff homer, a Panda blast in the next inning that put the Giants up for good, a big two-out, two-run hit from BCraw, a four-inning hit-less, scoreless bullpen beast (Baragar/Selman/Peralta/Garcia), three straight doubles (Belt, Longo, Panda) for two runs in the top of the 9th, and best of all a bottom of the 9th inning that featured all three outs.

Shaun Anderson got the call in the 9th with an 8-1 lead. He walked Mike Trout. Anthony Rendon got a hit. A wild pitch moved up the runners. Shohei Ohtani drove in a run with a ground out. Brian Goodwin popped out and Jo Adell struck out to end it. If you freaked out a bit after the first run scored it's OK.

Anderson had a couple of wayward pitches buzz Trout who gave the kid a WTF look after the second one. Angels manager Joe Maddon didn't see intent and instead said "that's just a young man not ready to be here." Ouch. Yes, the Giants have some young and inexperienced pitchers! The Angels fall to 8-16 which shows that even a talented club with an accomplished veteran manager can fall flat on its face.

Good work today, Giants. It was especially gratifying to beat Dylan Bundy who came into the game arguably the hottest pitcher in baseball.

Johnny Cueto gets the ball at home tomorrow night at 6:45 p.m. against these same Angels.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.