I have no words for the range of emotions this game put me through. I suppose there are a few: enthusiasm, excitement, anguish, despair, torture, frustration, anticipation, euphoria, etc. I don't want to bother with a game recap. There's too much to talk about and I'm a mess. The Giants won in extras on a poor throw from Trea Turner that allowed one of the slowest men in baseball (Buster Posey) to beat out an infield hit for the game-winning RBI. The Giants had so many chances in the game to push across runs (they were 3-for-20 with RISP at one point!) and they kept failing. I suppose the Dodgers have great pitching. They do, actually. They have the best pitching staff in MLB. But somehow the Giants hung on and hung on and kept hanging on and hanging around and they finally pulled out a win.
Special shout out to Anthony DeSclafani for taming his bête noire, the LA Dodgers, and throwing an absolutely brilliant start (6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 W, 5 K) when the team was desperate for some quality innings. That was an awesome performance. Jake McGee couldn't hold a 1-0 lead in the 9th, and I was fit to be tied, but the team showed their vaunted "resilience" and battled back. The Dodgers used 11 pitchers and their entire bench. The Giants did their usual crazy thing, pinch-hitting for LaMonte Wade, Jr. in the 3rd inning (the THIRD inning!!) with Austin Slater to get the righty matchup (against lefty Alex Vesia) and sure enough Slater poked a two-strike RBI single. In the olden days we would have said "Dusty's a genius" or "Bochy's a genius" with such a move but with Kapler we just shake our heads and go "hey man, if it works don't fuck with it" and move on. This is a unique and fascinating team, I hope you are appreciating this marvelous season.
Darin Ruf hit leadoff and had two hits and two walks. He has played exceptional baseball this season and I hope they keep him around next year. Brandon Crawford, ageless wonder and team MVP, had three hits including one in the 10th to tie the game and keep the flame of hope burning.
6:05 is the listed start time for tomorrow night. Strap in and hang on baby, we got all the nail-biting, head-bashing, banshee-wailing action you can handle.
GO GIANTS!
BEAT LA!!
--M.C.
7 comments:
If Posey would have tagged Turner in the 9th inning when he stepped off the base, would the game have been over? 1-0 giants with the win going to Desclafani? I will take the win even though I will have to get my pacemaker replaced tomorrow. Also have to stop that automatic defibrillator from going off every time the giants hitters do not come through with runners in scoring position and less than 2 outs. I was hoping for a passed ball or a wild pitch because it seemed as if it was the only way we could win it, but a slightly off throw to first base was the mistake. I was surprised that Posey did not slow down, and that they were not able to get him out, but in the entire orbit of the planet that it took Posey to get to first, the dodgers could not find the bag, by at least a centimeter or two. Somehow I thought that even if the dodgers had their position players pitching the giants still would not be able to hit with runners in scoring position.
I'm starting to think that this pennant race may ultimately be decided by penalty kicks.
On that play in the 9th the trailing runner (Seager) was automatically out when Turner went back to the bag. If Posey had tagged Turner out before he got back, that would have been the second out, and Seager would have been safe at third. I thought they would tag Turner and then get Seager hung out to dry off the base, but Seager was on the base when they chased Turner back.
I think that's what happened. It's a bit of a blur!
It would have been a one-of-a-kind DP.
Here's the write-up from ESPN:
The Giants took a 1-0 lead into the ninth, but Justin Turner singled and took third on Corey Seager's one-out double.
Smith then hit a grounder to second baseman Thairo Estada, who fired home to Posey. The All-Star catcher chased Turner back to third, where Seager was already standing. Posey tagged both of them, and umpire Nestor Ceja signaled Seager out.
Seager and Turner then both wandered off the bag. Posey went to tag Seager again, while Turner scrambled back to the bag. Chris Taylor followed with a single to make it 1-all.
"I messed that up. In my mind Seager, was standing on the bag so I had him occupying the bag," Posey said. "Running Turner back, I thought that he was the one that was going to be out, but obviously the rule states that Turner gets to occupy that bag and then the back runner is the one that's out."
https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap?gameId=401229071
It was like a last possession basketball game for 2 hours.
Exhausting and thrilling.
Oh, if the offense could wake up and save us all the heart palpitations! Go Giants!
This was a rare Giants win that really didn’t feature an amazing highlight reel. Dogger errors were probably the difference and our boys put on a runners left on base clinic. A very ugly win…totally stud starting pitching though
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