The Winning Formula

Madison Bumgarner kept the ball down and pitched with grit, guile, and good defense, holding the Rockies to one run in six innings. His Game Score of 57 gives him three good outings in August to go with the three bad ones. You have to like the young buck bouncing back after an ugly whipping by the Reds. All hope seemed lost, though, when Jeremy Affeldt gave up the game-tying homer to Melvin Mora in the 8th. Another close game, another chance handed to the Rockies, I was most anxious. I could see the torture unfolding in extras with infield hits, weird bounces, misplays, bad calls, and worse karma. But Andres Torres took care of business with a bomb of his own, a sudden and exhilarating blast, and I was leaping off the couch and shouting. Then Rockies found out--if they didn't know already--that Buster Posey is the real deal. You just can't give that guy chances to hurt you because he will. Tonight he smoked a perfect off-field two-run double to put the game on ice, and the Giants went home winners. It was a must-win game. Getting swept by Colorado would have been a disaster. But the Giants prevailed as they salvage a final win in a dismal month. Let's hope September is kinder. At 73-60 they are four back of SD and one back in the Wild Card. With only 29 games left to play, it would take 17-12 (.586) to get 90 wins.
 
Tim Lincecum starts tomorrow. It wasn't too long ago that meant winning about 80% of the time. Somewhere in that mop of black hair the RealTim™ is lurking, and I can't believe he'll be hidden much longer. The pieces will fall into place again for The Freak and he'll be Franchising all over the place very soon.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

p.s. How about MadBum's RBI double in the 5th? And Buster's awesome throw to nail Gonzalez in the 6th? Are these guys great or what?

Slip slidin' away

A shocking misplay in right field by Cody Ross on a broken-bat liner from Carlos Gonzalez turned a Jonathan Sanchez gem into a Giants nightmare. JSanchez batted for himself in the bottom of the 8th, having thrown 102 pitches, but couldn't put away Dexter Fowler leading off the 9th despite having him 0-2. Ol' Boch didn't hesitate and summoned closer Brian Wilson. Gonzalez has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball this week, and Wilson shattered his bat with 95-mph heater on the 7th pitch of the at-bat. Alas, Ross broke in on the ball and it sailed over his head when he tried to turn around and run it down. In an instant it was a tie ballgame. Gonzalez looked like he should have been out trying to make it a triple, but FSanchez' three-hop relay throw eluded both Sandoval and Wilson and the run was awarded when the ball went out of play. Just like that a sterling start was wasted and a win slipped away. JSanchez deserved better--he dazzled the Rockies all night long with his change-up, flashing the stopper form he showed in Philly on August 19th.

Leading 1-0 entering the top of the 9th, the Giants win expectancy stood at 84.8%, and Fowler's lead-off walk knocked that down to 73.3%, a pretty big swing for one base runner. Then again, a 1-run lead is never a comfortable thing. Too much weird shit can happen to turn the game either way, as evidenced tonight. Going back to JSanchez' big win in Philly, Sergio Romo had a bit of a meltdown in relief in the 9th of that game, but the Giants were up 5-0 at the time. It's always nice to have a little cushion, you know? The Giants never really got on track against Jorge De La Rosa, who pitched a fine game and had a nasty change-up as well. The surging Rockies gain a game on the Giants and the Padres (who've lost 5 in a row). Even the Dodgers won tonight, with Hiroki Kuroda flirting with a no-hitter against the Phils. The Giants have to be content tonight with what-should-have-been, and no matter what happens tomorrow they finish August with a losing record.

--M.C.

Matt Cain pitches well, Giants win anyway

Matt Cain made six starts in August, throwing 39 innings and giving up 36 hits and 16 runs, earning 2 wins, 2 losses, and 2 no-decisions. August was Matt's best month since May (44-2/3, 23 hits, 10 runs), and the low walk (7) and high strikeout (38) totals had to help. If the Giants were looking for a starting pitcher to "step up" and deliver the goods, they found one, going 4-2 with Cain on the mound this month (12-14 overall). Cain threw 30 pitches in the first inning and loaded the bases but managed to get three strikeouts and escape without a run being scored. He even got a hit on a bunt in the 3rd and pulled off a successful "butcher-boy" in the 4th. Unfortunately, Matt used up all of his daily allotted good fortune as the bullpen could not hold a 5-2 lead with one on and one out in the 7th and the quality start went--it seemed--for naught. It should have been a crisp, routine win, but our bullpen is a bit shaky, and three guys gave up four runs. Fortunately, the Giants bounced back against Arizona's truly wretched bullpen. The Giants then called on rusty Brian Wilson to get the last five outs and he was the difference-maker. Freddy Sanchez had three more hits today--he has 20 hits in his last 10 games. Jose Guillen got a big hit, Aubrey Huff had a hit and a walk and scored twice, and Andres Torres chipped in two hits, two runs, and two RBI. The Phils sweep the Pads so the Giants gain one in the West race and lose one in the Wild Card.

Colorado tomorrow. GO GIANTS!

--M.C.

Ugh

I understand that the Giants needed to go out and get some guys. But Cody Ross now makes this guy unnecessary, don't you think?

--M.C.