Giants keep it rolling

SF 5  CHC 4
The Giants keep up the thrills with a big 8th-inning comeback against the Central Division-leading Cubs. Down 4-2, Panda led off with a double. After Stephen Vogt struck out BCraw singled in the run. Kevin Pillar hit into a force play but an Austin Slater double and a Joe Panik double gave the Giants the lead. Sam Dyson, giving Will Smith a rest, got the save.

Shaun Anderson worked hard in his five innings but kept it together, allowing three runs but also striking out five. Drew Pomeranz came on in relief and whiffed four in his two innings. Trevor Gott gave up a run in the 8th to make it 4-2, and that felt like the killer "insurance run" good teams get on their way to a win. And the Cubs are a good team. But the Giants rallied off Pedro Strop and had another fabulous win. They are 10-2 since the Break and 15-3 in July. And tied for second place (51-50) with Arizona!

Should be a good matchup tomorrow: Madison Bumgarner and Yu Darvish. Both pitchers are looking strong lately. Bum is coming off his best start of the year and Darvish has allowed only four hits and two runs in his last 12 IP.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

Giants run past Padres

SF 6  SD 5
Tyler Beede gave up a homer with the first pitch of the game. He made a bigger mess but then wriggled out of it, notching a strikeout in the process. He then struck out two in the 2nd, two in the 3rd, and two in the 4th, looking for a stretch like a real major-leaguer. It crumbled in the 5th behind an onslaught of infield hits, but I took encouragement from his outing. If he can harness the stuff he threw last night he might just learn how to stick around and help the club.

Steven Duggar had put the Giants up 3-1 with a two-run homer in the 4th before the Padres chased Beede in the 5th. Down 4-3 the Giants fought back in the bottom of the 7th with an Evan Longoria triple that drove in two. Belt, pinch-hitting, led off with a walk and Panik's single sent him to third. Panik ran like a maniac from first on Longoria's triple into the left field corner and scored the go-ahead run. He probably should have been out by ten feet but the throw was off-line. Sometimes running like a maniac works out! Panda's sacrifice got Longoria home. Tony Watson gave up a solo shot to the ancient Ian Kinsler in the 8th and it finished 6-5 for the home team. It was a fun and interesting game and we haven't had many of those.

Shaun Anderson tonight, 6:45 Pacific. GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

Springtime in the Rockies

2, 12, 2, 6, 4, 14.  Those are the runs scored in the Giants last 6 games.  Schizo, huh?

Coors Field in Denver.  The Giants have not won there in over 5 years, or at least, that's the way it seems.  Somehow, they shook off that curse, if only for 1 night.  14 friggin' runs!  Who'da thunk it?

Madison Bumgarner: a lead-off home run (given up, not hit), 6 innings pitched, 8 hits, 3 runs total, 1 walk and 8 K's.  And a W.  Why?  Because the Giants gave him 7 runs in those innings, after 2 or less in 8 of his previous 9.

The Mac is back, with an attack.  2 hits, 2 runs, 4 rbi (3 on a 4th inning home run).  Also: home runs for Pillar, Longoria.  Also: RBI's for Panik, Duggar, Crawford and Tyler Austin.  Also:  Williams Jerez pitched the 9th.  Not particularly well, but he allowed 0 runs.

I have to say, I like the looks of this outfield (Duggar, Pillar, Williamson) one hell of a lot better than whoever those chucklefucks were that we started the season with.

Tomorrow:  Anything could happen.  Like snow. 

Giants hit four homers!

SF 7  TOR 6
Evan Longoria, Joe Panik, Pablo Sandoval, and Brandon Belt all went deep for the Giants tonight in Toronto. It was just enough--a rare bullpen blip turned 7-2 to 7-6 in the 8th--and they held on to get their 10th win. Kevin Pillar got a rousing homecoming and responded by driving in the Giants first run in the 3rd. Jeff Samardzija delivered a typically Smarjy-style start and left after 5-1/3 having yielded two runs on five hits. Mark Melancon finished the inning. Sam Dyson pitched a scoreless 6th but loaded the bases in the 7th and was pulled for Tony Watson. The ace lefty shockingly allowed a grand slam to rookie slugger Rowdy Tellez (who is from Elk Grove) but finished the inning with the lead intact. Will Smith closed it out on 14 pitches.

Drew Pomeranz tomorrow at 1:07 PDT.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

Opening Moves

The FZ Era of Giants baseball begins! The Giants declined arbitration with Hunter Strickland, Gorkys Hernandez, and Chase d'Arnaud making them free agents. Joe Panik, Sam Dyson, and Will Smith were all tendered contracts. Smith (Willie Mac Award winner) and Dyson both pitched very well last season while Strickland saw his numbers decline (not to mention his behavior issues) so the Giants kept the older, more expensive pitchers and obviously hope for similar performances next year. Joe Panik was injured and played well below expectations but his youth and low cost (plus a lack of an alternative) keep him in orange-and-black. You can't give up on first-round picks, but I get the sense this is a fish-or-cut-bait season for the lefty second baseman.

It isn't very exciting stuff and fairly predictable but it is Giants news and so I had to post. As far as the big stuff goes, I don't expect a Madison Bumgarner trade. He's too valuable to the team right now and I can't see them getting a decent enough return. If he has a good year then they can discuss an extension or make him a qualifying offer so they'll at least be compensated if he leaves. I think the odds are good he will stay healthy and pitch well in 2019 which is the best outcome to hope for. He is at a point in his career where he'll likely have to make big changes in his conditioning and preparation in order to remain an ace starter. Age catches up with everyone and the athletes who adjust continue to succeed. I'm curious if Bumgarner has the mental makeup of someone like Justin Verlander who seems able to reinvent himself and stay at an elite level.

The Winter Meetings are December 9-13 in Las Vegas. Maybe we'll get some action then. Meanwhile we had our first snowfall in town last night and this morning!

--M.C.

Gorkys Leads Giants Past Rockies

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.

Philistines Sent Packing

Less than one month ago, the Philadelphia Phillies scored 32 runs against the Giants in 4 games in Philly, completely humiliating them and making our season look dismal.  Today, the Giants gave up the only run in the visit by Philadelphia, sweeping them in a 3 game series by a final score of 6 - 1.

Dereck Rodriguez, son of Pudge Rodriguez, started for the Giants.  He looks really very good.  I know it is a small sample size, but he looks like he is poised on the mound, mixes pitches extremely well and doesn't look like the kind of guy you would want to charge the mound against.  He threw 85 pitches to get through 6 innings, struck out 6, gave up 1 on a home run and walked 2.  Kudos on the offensive side to Joe Panik (2 for 4 with the tying rbi), Buster Posey (2 for 4 with 2 rbi including a solo shot for the 6th run), Andrew McCutcheon (2 for 4 with a 3-run blast to right to significantly alter the Giants probability of a win) and Brandon Crawford (2 for 4).  Mark Melancon pitched for an inning, striking out 3 guys in balls that were not close to the strike zone.

Did I mention that we swept the Filthies?  We allowed 1 run on the weekend.  We move up 3 games this weekend on the 1st place Roxies, who lost 3 to LA.  The smog-suckers are neck-and-neck with us.  We have used young talent that looks like real talent.  Stratton, Suarez, and Rodriguez.  Feel free to discuss what a stud Rodriguez is in the comments.

Another Shutout!

SF 2 PHI 0
The Giants pulled the little-ball arrow from the quiver tonight and eked past the Phillies in a taut, well-played game. Joe Panik and Andrew McCutchen had a nifty hit-&-productive out combo to get one in the 6th and did it again for one more in the 8th and that was enough. Credit has to go to Andrew Suarez for his best start (7 IP, 3 H, 0 W, 5 K) so far in the bigs in this his rookie season. The Phillies are a good club and clobbered the Giants last month in Philadelphia. They look like they have a lot of young talent like their starter Vince Velasquez who struck out nine in his 6-1/3. But Suarez was up to the challenge and faced only 24 batters and dispatched them on a mere 86 pitches. Tony Watson and Hunter Strickland got the last six outs on 17 pitches.

Joe Panik on the radio post-game called his slick slide in the 6th to score the Giants first run a "hook" and commented that with his thumb injury there was no way he was going head first. Flemm called it a "fadeaway" but the point is it was nice execution at a critical time. It's good to have Panik back! Another highlight was Cutch's catch in the 3rd which saved a run, Flemm called it "his best play as a Giant."

The Giants are a different team at home (16-10) than on the road (12-20). Tomorrow afternoon (1:05 p.m.) it is Dereck Rodriguez getting his first career start. He's matched up with Jake Arrieta who will be making his 202nd career start.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

Ty Blach's ERA is Blooming Like the Cherry Blossoms in San Francisco

Beautiful, aren't they?  Not so much the Giants home opener.  The Seattle Mariners scored 4 runs before Ty Blach and the Giants managed so much as an out.  The M's loaded the bases on an infield single, a bunt single and a walk, then BANG!  Single, Single, Single and there were 4 runs on the board before Kyle Seager was tagged out on the basepath.  Realistically, there was some bad luck in there, no really scalded balls, and in an alternate universe, some of the called balls could have probably been strikes.  But we're not in an alternate universe, we're in this one where the memory of 2017 is all too real.

The Giants scored 1 in the 4th.  It was another solo shot from Joe Panik.  It kind of made me want to send the Giants a note to remind them that there needs to be more offense than solo shots from Joe Panik.  So with the Giants behind 4 - 1, Ty Blach only made it 1 out into the 5th inning, where he put 2 more runners on base.  Reyes Moronta let those runners score but finished out the 5th, 6 - 1 Seattle.  Anyone would have been excused for leaving early, really, in the first inning.  But for those who stuck around, an actual ball game showed up.  Evan Longoria hit a home run over the cars in the 7th with Buster Posey on base to make the score 6 - 3, that chased Seattle starter Marco Gonzales from the game.   The Giants had their best chance in the 8th against former Rockie and dogger (among others) Juan Nicasio.  Gregor Blanco doubled, Kelby Thomlinson singled on a play close enough to require a replay review, and Blanco scored on an Austin Jackson sac fly.  That was it for the 8th inning though, and Seattle brought out their closer, Edwin Diaz.  He is supposedly the hardest thrower in the major leagues, although not always accurately.  Nevertheless, the final score was Seattle 6, San Francisco 4.

One other note.  I am already tired of hearing about exit velocity and launch angle.  I like the Giants announcers, but both of those terms are entirely meaningless in the context of a radio or tv broadcast.

Joltin' Joe and a near-perfecto

SF 1 LA 0
The Giants have scored only two runs so far this season. Both have come on Joe Panik solo homers. Yesterday he took Clayton Kershaw deep. His long ball was the difference in a 1-0 win. Tonight he took Kenley Jansen deep. His long ball was the difference in a 1-0 win. Joe Panik homers in back-to-back games against arguably the best starter and the best closer in baseball! That's some serious VSC! And some serious craziness--consecutive 1-0 games to start the season? Have the Giants ever won the first two games of a season 1-0? Have the Dodgers ever lost the first two games 1-0? Has any team had either happen? Crazy!

Speaking of VSC, Johnny Cueto was brilliant tonight. He retired the first 18 batters he faced and lost his perfect game to the leadoff hitter (Chris Taylor) on a single to right-center in the 7th. But Corey Seager obliged with a double-play grounder and Yasiel Puig flew out to left and that was 21 hitters and 21 outs. Tony Watson was perfect again in the 8th and new closer Hunter Strickland followed with a perfect 9th. Giants pitchers faced the minimum! You could argue that Dodgers starter Alex Wood was even more dominant, giving up only a weak infield grounder (to Brandon Crawford in the 5th) over eight innings. It should have been an out but the infield was in a shift. He pitched through some wretched fielding, too. Alas, it went for naught with Panik's heroics in the 9th.

Two games, two nail-biters, two wins. Giants pitchers have thrown 18 scoreless frames. On the road. Against the defending NL champs. That's not a bad way to start the season, I must say.

FNG Derek Holland tomorrow. GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

GIANTS WIN!

The San Francisco Giants went out for opening day, in Los Angeles, without Madison Bumgarner, and without closer Mark Melancon against Clayton Kershaw.  And FUCK YES, THEY WON.

Ty Blach drew the opening day assignment.  Why not?  His era in Los Angeles was 1.67 and he was 2 and 2 out of 7 games vs Kershaw.   His numbers improved.

Clayton Kershaw is a hell of a pitcher.  He had not given up a single run in spring training.  He gave up only 1 today.  That was a 5th inning, no one on blast to Joe "Pan the Man" Panik.  He gave up 8 hits in 6 innings, though and the Giants should have probably had another couple of runs.  But really good pitchers don't buckle under pressure, and his one mistake was the Giants only score.

Ty Blach gave us 5 innings, 81 pitches, 3 hits and 3 walks.  He looked a bit shaky towards the end of the 5th, but Josh Osich (1 walk, 0 hits), Cory Gearrin (2 hits), Tony Watson (3 strikeouts after K'ing 0 all spring, 1 walk) and Hunter Strickland (1 leadoff hit) held LA scoreless.  That potent line-up got a total of 6 hits.

Giants had 8 hits and 2 walks.  Those were all against Kershaw.  Their relievers, for 3 innings, did not allow a baserunner.  Every Giant in the starting lineup had a hit, except Buster Posey who got 2 walks, and Evan Longoria.  Hunter Pence had 2, and Joe Panik had 2, and the only rbi.

Giants 1, doggers 0.  It's baseball season!

Giants Blank Rockies

SF 4  COL 0
The Giants have managed only FOUR shutouts this season. To see how anomalous this is, check out the totals for the previous eight seasons:

2009: 18
2010: 17
2011: 12
2012: 14
2013: 13
2014: 12
2015: 18
2016: 11

This is a pitching-based team and I expect it will be a pitching-based team next season. That means we need to see more zeroes! Matt Moore put up six this afternoon and the bullpen (Okert, Gearrin, Strickland, Dyson) added three more. You have to like that. The lineup had only seven hits but five were for extra-bases (three doubles, one triple, one homer). Another thing to like. And Nolan Arenado was 0-for-8 in the two games! When's the last time that happened? Giants finish with a  7-12 record against the Rockies.

Matt Moore will be on the club in 2018 as the Giants exercised their $9M option. He joins a long list of Comeback Player of the Year candidates. Speaking of comebacks, Joe Panik is killing it in September.

Giants are off tomorrow and go to LA for three and thence to Arizona for three. They'll finish at home on the final weekend against San Diego. Can they get three more wins out of those nine chances?

--M.C.

Ty Tired, Bum Bummed

Ty and Madison on the mound to start our season-concluding push against the western division.  That is where titles, and playoff spots are often won and lost.  Neither will be the case this year for the Giants, but there is something on the line.  That is: pride.  If they are going to compete next year, they are going to have to win against the Western Division.  There is no way around that inevitable truth.  And, if the Giants are going to compete next year, they are going to do it with much the same cast that they have today.  Not entirely, that can't happen, but probably most of them.   And among those guys, 2 of the ones you want on the list to actually be here next year are Ty Blach and Madison Bumgarner.

Ty Blach threw his third game in a row where he was not effective.  You could say that he was better than his previous 2 starts - 6 earned runs against both Miami and Philadelphia is 6 and 5 1/3 innings, respectively.   And in fact, he pitched pretty well, with one exception.  That was to Paul Goldschmidt in the 3rd inning with 1 run in and 2 runners on base.  That made the score 4 - 1 in favor of the dbacks.  After that, the Giants chipped away.  Chip, chip, chip.  But the best they could come up with was 3 for their 78th loss of the year and a final score of 4 - 3.  The thing is, in Arizona, you have to be able to put runs on the board.  Like in Colorado.  Dink-ball doesn't do it when one mistake to Goldschmidt can ruin your shit.  Brandon Crawford, was good though, getting 3 hits and scoring twice.  It is time to ask whether Ty is pooping out on the season.  That would be understandable, he has given us 144 1/3 innings, is not quite 27 and this is his first season in the major leagues (except for his most auspicious debut last year).  Still, as much as I am sure Bochy & Co. would like to see him get a full season in, but with Matt Cain available and Johnny Cueto rehabbing, his starts may be numbered.

Saturday: Put your ace on the mound and chalk up your 79th loss of the season.  I wouldn't put any money on the Giants NOT losing 100 games this season.   The 3 runs the Giants scored yesterday would have been plenty, but today they couldn't muster that.  In Arizona.  They lost, 2 -1.  To some guy named Tai-Wheezy.  Christ.  The player nickname promotion stinks of a MLB marketing guy who hasn't done anything but bullshit around the water cooler since he was hired 3 years ago until his manager finally caught on and was told to come up with something or lose his job.  Half the players don't even have nicknames, so they have to make them up for this shit.  It's terrible, as was the Giants offense.  Madbum went 7, struck out 7, gave up 5 hits and walked 1.  2 of those hits were home runs, with no baserunners.  That happens in Arizona.  It used to happen more when the Giants batted.  Jarrett Parker hit one, too, with no one on, and that, of course, was the extent of the Giants' offense.  Buster Posey is 0 for Arizona, and frankly, has looked bad doing it.  In fact, the top 4 hitters in the Giants line-up have 3 hits.  For 2 games.  Parker had 2 of them today and the other one came last night.  Crawford had a hit, now that he finally seems to have figured out his swing, Posey can't see the ball.

Taijuan Walker is new on the dbacks this year, so of course he befuddled the Giants.  If I were another team in the western division, I would just call up some minor leaguers the Giants have never seen before for September to face us.  It probably doesn't even matter if they are really pitchers or not.  I am so sick of getting beat by new/minor league/mediocre pitchers.  We do better against Greinke than against Tai-fucking-Wheezy.  The Giants washed out creamsickle-colored orange jerseys look.  Like.  Shit.  I'll give Joe Panik some credit, the nickname he put on his jersey is Panik.  Why would you want to mess with a name like that?  Ty actually is already a nickname.  So is Buster.   As much as I want to see someone, anyone, knock the cubs out of the NL Central lead, let's just can the season now, shall we?

Blach in the Win Column

The Giants opened a 4 game series in Chicago this evening and came out looking good, winning the opener, 6 - 4.

Joe Panik batting in the #1 hole, led off with a home run off of old Giants nemesis John Lackey.  Giants kept the pressure on, scoring 2 more in the 3rd (again, Joe Panik, doubling in Gorkys Hernandez and then scoring on a Brandon Belt single); 1 in the 4th (Justin Ruggiano doubling in Edward Nunez); 1 on a Belt home run in the 5th; and 1 in the 8th on a Ruggiano home run.  So it was 6 - 0 going into the bottom of the 8th inning.  Ty Blach was on the mound, with only 90-some odd pitches through the 7th and no runs with the help of some great defense.  In particular, in the 3rd, Buster Posey gunned down the speedy Javier Baez with a throw as perfect as you will ever see.  Too bad it is not on the highlight reel on sfgiants.com or espn.  It really was the highlight.  Helpful, too, considering that Ben Zobrist, up next, tripled.  However, at that point there were 2 outs and the next batter grounded out.

Blach pitched great.  At the end of 7, he had struck out 3 and walked none.  He came out to pitch the 8th, though, and got into trouble.  A Jason Heward single followed by a Baez home run and an Ian Happ triple brought Derek Law into the game, who gave up a home run to Zobrist to make it 6 - 4.  Fortunately, with the help of Okert and Strickland, the Giants went into the 9th with a 6 - 4 lead, and Melancon got the save.  Whew!  So Blach picked up 3 earned runs and the Giants pick up a win (but did not gain on the Crockies).  Joe Panik was 3 for 4.  How many consecutive solo home runs is that now?  16?  How is that not a record?  Also, this seems like an oddity: the Giants batting order had (except for the pitcher) the outfielders batting last.  Keep winning!

Late Game, Giants Win!

If adversity is strength, the Giants are a very, very strong team.  They do not make it easy on themselves or their fans, either.  But they are not out of it yet, and have been in this place before, like for instance, 2012 vs Cincinnati. 

Getting Super-Aroldis was huge, it must have put doubts in the Cubs mind as to whether they could lose this series.  Or does that really happen?  Maybe only in the minds of the fans.  But that's good enough for today.  Too bad that, once that happened, the fans then had to believe that the Giants can also blow saves, because they did.  I felt bad for Romo, who went an inning too far, but it shows that, after all the struggles this season, the Giants still don't really have a closer.  That is not true of the other teams, and may hurt the Giants yet (again).  Our ace, Madison Bumgarner, was not his uber-self.  101 pitches in 5 innings, mainly because used 40-something in the 2nd, when the Cubs got a home run and then put runners on before we got out 3 outs.  But he went 5, and then the Giants chipped, chipped, chipped until they were able to take the lead, in spite of what seemed to be bad calls inevitably going against the Giants.  The rest of the pitchers looked great.  Law gave us 2, Strickland 1, Smith 1 and rookie Ty Blach 2.  He got the win.  Buster went 3 for 5.  Span and Crawford were each 2 for 6.  Conor Gilaspie was the hero against Chapman, and Joe Panik (3 for 4) came through in a big way in the 13th.  We need his bat.  I'm exhausted and we have to do this again today.

Meanwhile, one of the most annoying-fanbase teams got eliminated and another is down 2 - 1.  The AL is going to sit around until the AL Championship series starts between the Blue Jays and Tribe. 

Pan the Man

Madison Bumgarner was on the hill for the Giants today, but the story was Joe Panik and the Giants' offense.  Joe Panik hit 2 home runs, a first in the major leagues for him, and the second, coming in the 4th inning, was the deciding factor in the game.

Madison Bumgarner was not dominant.  He threw 7 innings, gave up 3 runs on 106 pitches, struck out 5 and walked 2.  In the 1st, he gave up a triple to the first hitter, Enciarte, who scored on a sac fly.  The Giants scored in the 2nd, Belt hit a triple, scored on a Jarrett Parker ground out and a bases empty home run from Joe.  Then in the 4th, with Parker on base, Joe hit his second home run, and Denard Span hit a solo shot to make it 5 - 1.  Atlanta got close on a 6th inning Freddie Freeman 2 run shot, but that was as close as they would get.  In the 7th, Posey walked, Crawford tripled, Belt walked, Parker tripled, Panik hit a sac fly, Nunez hit a solo shot, Gillaspie tripled, Span was hit by a pitch, Hernandez doubled, Posey walked, Crawford singled and Belt singled.  13 - 3.  Wait, how many triples?  Try 4.  The San Francisco Giants did that last year, and in 1960.   But a 4 homer and 4 triples in one game?  Never been done in Giants history.

Madison Bumgarner was not dominant.  But he was good and today, that was good enough.  That is huge because he so often has been good and at the losing end of things when only perfection would have mattered.  And after yesterday and the return of the no-offense offense, the Giants scored a bunch.  The final was 13 - 4.  They won the series, their first series win at home since the ASB.  They're going to have to win a lot of series from here on out.  Throwing in a sweep now and then wouldn't hurt.   The Giants starting staff (well, Madbum, Cueto, Moore and Smardjy) has looked good lately.  And it would not hurt if Joe Panik continues his drive towards deification.

Missed it by THAT much!

4-0 win in LA
FNG Matt Moore showed why the Giants were interested in him with a dazzling near-no-hitter in Chavez Ravine last night. For 8-2/3 it looked like it just might happen but rookie phenom Corey Seager hit a single to right on Moore's 133rd pitch. Regardless, it was a great performance by the lefty and a much-needed win for the club. That's 18 innings and one run scored from LA's high-flying offense. Just goes to show you what good pitching can do. Add in some run-scoring and you've got the formula. Last night Joe Panik followed a run-scoring single from Brandon Belt with a two-run homer and that was just what the doctor ordered. The Giants desperately need to add some pop to their attack. Doubles and triples can work too, but home runs always work. I did not expect this to be a slugging team but Pence, Posey, Belt, BCraw--these guys can go yard, we've seen it, it's time to see it again. Match it up with good starts and that's the way forward and out of the funk. It's easy to get over-excited about the big win but the streaks have to start somewhere. How about here and now?

Jeff Samardzija takes on the Braves and Joel De La Cruz tonight in San Francisco.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

Madbum Finally Wins

This team is driving me crazy.  I was all set to dump on them with all sorts of invective and swearing, and they go and win and look (mostly) pretty good doing it.  They are so confusing.

The Giants have THE WORST record in the major leagues after the All Star break, still.  They are 9 - 18 since the break (.333).  That happens to teams sometimes for short periods, but it has been a month.  I can't explain why one team, with mostly the same players, was the best team in baseball and now is the worst.   And you know the worst part?  Teasers like tonight's 6 - 2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.  Because whenever that happens, I get my hopes up and then have them dashed the next day, often when they don't score at all.  I could give up on this team, but I know I can't.  It's like heroin, you need it even when it doesn't get you high anymore. 

But you know what?  The Giants have been playing .500 ball for awhile now.   They have won and lost alternately since August 3 and played .500 since July 28 when they went to Washington DC.  A record of .500 doesn't win you a division, but it sure beats what came before (2 - 8).

The Giants finally put a W on Madison Bumgarner's record.  That is his first since July 10.   Maddy went 7, allowed 0 runs, struck out 8 and walked 3.   He allowed 3 hits.  He has a National League leading ERA (except for Clayton Kershaw, who probably won't be able to pitch this year).   Derek Law threw a perfect 8th and Romo and Lopez struggled through the 9th, giving up 2 runs before Casilla ended the game on 1 pitch.

Joe Panik, hitting!  3 hits including a pair of ground rule doubles that bounced over the wall.  Denard Span, getting 2 rbi in each of 2 identical situations (runners on 2nd and 3rd, 2 outs).  A 2-run home run for Brandon Belt!  The Giants actually left 9 men on base in spite of scoring 6 runs.  So which team will show up tomorrow?  Will it be the crappy, no-scoring Giants, or the real Giants?  Please, please, let them be good.

So to wrap things up, I present a list of medal counts in the 2016 Olympics on a population-weighted basis.  The total number of medals a country wins, even though it incorporates many individual sports, seems to be a big thing, but wouldn't you expect a country with the larger population to win more medals?  Just a random sprinkling of athletic talent would seem to indicate that it would.  So although we like to see the US rack up medals, when a country like the Bahamas wins something, that is really meaningful. 

Country                 Medals per 1,000,000

Hungary                             1.12
Australia                            0.91
Great Britain                      0.46
Canada                               0.33
Italy                                    0.30
France                                0.28
South Korea                       0.26
Germany                            0.20
US and Japan                     0.19
Russia                                 0.16
China                                  0.03

Makes you think, doesn't it.

Seven in a row

6-4 win at the Trop'
Joe Panik smashed a two-out three-run homer in the 9th to break a 3-3 tie and the Giants prevailed in Tampa Bay. The Rays hit four solo shots--including one in the 9th--but the Giants, undaunted, kept chipping away and finally got the big blow. Matt Duffy had his own solo shot to start the Giants scoring and they added a single run in the 5th and another in the 8th to tie it and that set the stage for Panik's blast. The Rays clubbed the ball off Hunter Strickland in the bottom of the 8th but could not plate a run, echoing a similar frustration by the Giants who were 3-14 with runners in scoring position and seemed unable to get a game-breaking hit. Albert Suarez had a tough time and did not get out of the 4th, but five Giants relievers got it done. The team is now 10-5 for the month of June.

Of note to Giants fans, Tim Lincecum pitched effectively over in Oakland and helped the Angels win in his return to the majors. He looks weird in red.

Jake Peavy gets his turn in the getaway game tomorrow, 10:10 Pacific.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

Pence Out, Madbum On

Hunter Pence was placed on the Disabled List before today's game, but Madison Bumgarner feels like he "found the delivery he has been missing for a year and a half" accrding to Charles Odum at AP.  Maddy's line:  7 2/3 innings, 11 K, 4 hits, 2 walks, and 0 runs.  And... a 2-run shot to help in the 6 - 0 Giants victory.

Hunter Strickland and Chris Stratton fimished the game and Joe Panik and Buster Posey each hit 2-run home runs.  Witout Hunter, we need Buster, and now is a great time for him to get hot.  The Cardinals have been feeling their oats lately.