by Barbara Mason

When they went into the All-Star Break the San Francisco Giants were the hottest team in baseball.  There was no indication that we would not

see more of the same as the second half of the season began.  Nothing could have been further from the truth for the orange and black.  They struggled on offense and defense as well as having to put up with nagging injuries.  They had to fight and claw their way through the second half of the season watching the rival Dodgers not only take over first place in the division but eventually win it.  Undeterred the Giants starting hitting, got relatively healthy and in the last game of the year were looking to secure a Wild Card.  The Giants will be going to New York to  play the Mets on Wednesday in the Wild Card game the deciding game for the NL Wild Card.  They controled their own destiny.

As expected with any Dodger game the stadium was abuzz with excitement and expectation and coupled with the implications of the game, the final broadcast of  the voice of baseball Vin Scully it was one crazy scene; it was a game to remember for better or worse.

It was a fast start by the Giants as they were undeniably back from past disappointment. Buster  Posey got the show on the road when he singled to deep right allowing Brandon Belt and Denard Span to score and take the early lead 2-0.  The Orange and Black struck again in the second inning when this time it was Span that drove in Conor Gillaspie and Moore in with a triple to deep right and a 4-0 lead.  Posey would hit a second single in the inning and drive in Span extending their lead to 5-0.

The Dodgers would finally get up on the scoreboard in the fourth inning when Yasmani Grandal would single bringing in Justin Turner still trailing by a 5-1 score.  It was a quiet game through the next three innings.

It was a fitting tribute to the great Vin Scully as the entire stadium rose to sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” in the seventh inning flashing their “Vin Scully” signs and cheering the amazing career of this baseball icon the likes of which we will never see again.

It was the eighth inning that this game began to pick up in total favor of the Giants. Pence singled to left bringing Span home and a 6-1 lead.  Crawford would then single to center and Pence would score and the 7-1 lead would be the final. Giants starter Matt Moore with an 4.08 would claim the win and Sergio Romo would seal the deal.

It had come down to game 162 but in the end the San Francisco Giants got the job done.  It is now that the work will begin as the team will travel for a meeting with the New York Mets on Wednesday.