Author: joelami

By: Joe Lami

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.

For the second night in a row, the San Francisco Giants bats came a live at AT&T Park, as they defeated the Washington Nationals 12-6 on Saturday night. 

They were led offensively by the top of the lineup once again, as Gregor Blanco and Matt Duffy had a huge impact on the victory.

Gio Gonzalez was coming off his best performance of the season, as he tossed eight shutout innings against the Dodgers on Monday. He started hot, retiring the first six batters he faced in order, but it all went down hill from there as he was unable to finish the third inning, even with a two run lead.

The monstrous third inning started with a bang, as Kelby Tomlinson ended Gio’s chance of a perfect game with a lead-off triple into right center. Tomlinson later commented, “it’s always fun when you can put a big inning together, but it just adds to it when you’re the one who starts it”.

Gonzalez walked the next two batters, including a walk to pitcher, Jake Peavy, loading them up for Blanco. Giants’ manager, Bruce Bochy, mentioned during post-game that the Peavy at bat was the most important of the night.

Blanco earned his only RBI of his three hit night with a base hit up the middle. The bases would remain loaded for Duffy, until he unloaded them by blasting a double down the left field line making it 4-2.  The rally continued for San Francisco with a Brandon Belt single to center, bringing in Duffy.  Brandon Crawford would later bring in Belt to make it 6-2, marking the end of Gio’s night.  “You don’t expect to score all of these runs off of these guys, but they’re human and they make mistakes. You have to give credit to our hitters for capitalizing,” added Bochy.

The Giants were able to put another crooked number up in the fifth inning, with Tomlinson getting the key hit.  Following an intentional walk to Crawford, Tomlinson was up with runners on second and third and two outs.  Tomlinson was able to find fair territory down the left field line on the double that would score both runners, making it 9-2. “He reminds me a lot of Duffy, he fits well on this team,” added winning pitcher, Peavy afterwards.

Washington attempted their comeback in the sixth inning, where they scored three runs of their own to make it 9-5. Jose Labton hit a two-run double, and would be later brought in by a Michael Taylor triple that ended Peavy’s night.

The hit of the night came in the second inning off the bat of Ian Desmond. Desmond launched his 15th home run of the season 477 ft. over the left field bleachers and coming very close to hitting the Coca-Cola slide. “You see shots like that in bp sometimes, but that’s one of the longest I’ve seen,” Bochy commented. Peavy also mentioned that he couldn’t have throw a worse pitch to Desmond.

The Giants’ dominance over the Nationals continues, as they have faced three of Washington’s aces these last three games in Stephen Strasburg, Max Scherzer and Gio Gonzalez. In those three games, San Francisco has scored 14 runs on them in a combined 11.2 innings. \

The start of the lineup has been the key, as Gregor Blanco is batting .600 from the lead-off spot i the last two games, and Matt Duffy, batting in the two hole, is batting .500 over his last 12 at bats that include eight RBI.

With the Giants’ dominance of late, they have still yet to be able to make a move on the Dodgers or Cubs for a playoff spot, as both Los Angeles and Chicago won on Saturday.

The Giants look for the four game sweep over the Nats tomorrow, sending out their ace, Madison Bumgarner to face Joe Ross.

By: Joe Lami

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.—

One night after a pitching duel, the Giants and Nationals’ bats exploded on Friday night as they combined for 20 hits and 13 runs in an offensive shootout of a game that San Francisco was able to outlast Washington in the 8-5 victory.

It didn’t take the Nationals long to gain the lead Friday night, as they were able to get on the scoreboard just a dozen pitches into Matt Cain’s night.  A lead-off walk followed by a stolen base and two sacrifice flies led to the in the rare one run on no hit inning.

Matt Duffy tied things up in the bottom half of the first for his tenth home run of the season and his career.  He turned the Scherzer fastball out to the third row of the left field bleachers to bring the Giants right back in it.

Cain came out shaky in the second inning, as he served up a double to Clint Robinson who smoked it into triples alley, but it wouldn’t live up to its name as he stopped at second. Robinson would eventually try to take home on an easy ground ball to Brandon Crawford, but the All-Star shortstop gunned him out at home to keep things tied at one.

The Giants exploded for four runs on four doubles in the second inning. Four doubles in one inning ties a franchise record for most doubles in a single inning. It was the sixth time they’ve done so in the San Francisco era. Crawford, Justin Maxwell, Gregor Blanco and Duffy were those to do so. San Francisco had the 5-1 lead and all of the momentum coming out of the second inning. The momentum continued into the third, as Hunter Pence jumped on the first pitch of the inning. His eighth homer of the season to dead center over the 399 marker would make it 6-1.

Washington pushed for the come back in the fifth inning, scoring four runs on two home runs. Danny Espinosa kicked started the inning with a solo shot to left center field that bounced off the top of the wall and just had enough to get over.  Bryce Harper had the big sting in the inning thou, as he crushed a three-run shot to right for his league leading 30th of the year. 

The Giants would escape the inning with the lead in tact, much thanks to Jeremy Affeldt who came into finish the inning and earned the victory.

Two more Giants’ insurance runs came in the sixth and eighth innings, allowing the bullpen to do the rest and earn the 63rd victory of the season. “The bullpen’s just been terrific for us these last couple of nights,” added Giants’ manager, Bruce Bochy. Cain also commented on their performance, “what they did tonight was just tremendous, they kept it all together”.

Gregor Blanco and Duffy had outstanding nights at the plate. Duffy was just one triple shy of hitting for the cycle.  “I thought about it for a couple of pitches, and when I got caught looking at something good I decided to change my approach and let it come to me,” explained Duffy. 

While Blanco did everything for the orange and black Saturday night. On top of going three for five with two RBI, he had a diving catch in the outfield to rob Yunel Escobar of a single to end the third. He also beat out a play at the plate sliding into home for the Giants’ seventh run of the night. “He’s been playing with a lot of fire lately, and did it all tonight for us,” said Bochy.

Though Matt Cain didn’t pick up the victory, he pitched four very strong innings and one poor one as he is slowly coming back into form as one of the Giants’ aces. “I feel like I’m almost all the way there. It’s just one final step, nothing major, but I need to get past the hump and throw that one pitch when I need to,” he explained.

Even with the Giants’ victory, they don’t move any closer on the NL West or the second Wildcard spot. They still sit 2.5 games behind the Dodgers after their 5-3 victory over the Reds on Friday and 4.5 back of the Chicago Cubs, who beat up on their cross town rival White Sox 6-5.

By: Joe Lami

OAKLAND, Calif.–Thursday night’s series opener against AL West leading Houston Astros was a roller coaster of a game, as the A’s are taking a page out of the Giants’ torture type of baseball. Going into the eighth inning, they were leading 2-1, but by the end of it the Astros were able to take the 4-2 lead. However, a ninth inning rally and a blown save later Oakland found themselves in extra innings, but it was all for not as Houston earned their 61st victory of the season with 5-4 win.

It looked promising, as the A’s put Aaron Brooks on the mound in just his second career start.  Brooks pitched phenomenally with a final line of seven innings pitched.  He surrendered one run that came in the first inning on four hits, while he struck out seven. A’s manager, Bob Melvin, commented on Brooks’ outstanding performance “He pitched great, that’s all you can ask from him. It’s unfortunate we couldn’t get the win for him tonight”. Brooks added the key tonights performance was getting ahead with first pitch strikes.

The lone run Brooks gave up was scored by Carlos Gomez, who reached first on a gorgeous bunt down the third base line. Jed Lowrie eventually brought him in and earned the RBI on a sacrifice fly.

Stephen Vogt tied the game in the bottom of the 2nd inning, when he hit the first of two A’s home runs out to left center field, just to the right of the 388 marker.  The dinger marked his 15th blast of the year.

The A’s took the lead in the fifth inning, as they took Scott Feldman deep to left center again.  Brett Lawrie earned his tenth of the season on the blast that hit off of the glass of a luxury box in what had to have been one of the longest homers of the year. Melvin added “he crushed it, you know how athletic and strong he is when he’s in the cage, and tonight he showed it off”.

Brooks came out of the game at the beginning of the eighth, and things went downhill fast for the Athletics. Fernando Rodriguez, Fermando Abad, and Evan Scriber shared duties.  Rodriguez gave up a single to Jose Altuve to set up a Carlos Correa home run.  It marks Correa’s 14th shot of the season in just 51 games played, as he is a strong contender for the AL Rookie of the Year.  The two-run homer made it 3-2.  Houston was able to add another after Colby Rasmus singled to left, where a miscommunication between Billy Burns and Coco Crisp led to an error to make it 4-2.

The Athletics looked done, until they were able to string together a ninth inning rally, thanks to a Lowrie error that took away a double play putting runners on first and third with no outs.  Stephen Vogt, the man on third scored easily with an Ike Davis base hit.   

With the A’s down just one with one out and men on first and third, Billy Burns grounded into what looked like another double play to end the game, but was able to beat out the throw at first by a hair.  The play went to video review, where it was conclusive that Burns beat the throw at first, allowing Lawrie to score and tie things at four.

The roller coaster continued in the tenth as Altuve led the inning off with a base hit.  After a steal and a sacrifice, Altuve was on third with one out.  Former Athletic, Lowrie, earned his second RBI of the game in what ended up being the game-winning hit on a double to left. Oakland was unable to make the comeback in the bottom half of the tenth, handing them their 62nd loss of the season.

By: Joe Lami

SANTA CLARA, Calif.–The 2015 Guinness International Champions Cup wrapped up it’s trip to the Bay Area on Saturday with a grand matchup between FC Barcelona and Manchester United.  Over 68,000 fans packed Levi’s Stadium to see the two global powers take part in the cup draw.

FC Barcelona traveled to the United States without two of their strongest players in Neymar and Messi, known as some of the best players in the world.  Though, it didn’t seem to bother them that much, as they dominated possession in the match 65%-35%.  With all of that possession, came a lot of shots, as Barca outshot United 18-10.

However, even with all of those shots, FC Barcelona couldn’t get past the Red Devils, as Manchester United won 3-1. Luck came with it though, as Barcelona hit three posts in the match.  United coach, Louis van Gaal admitted the luck, “We also had a little bit of luck. Three balls on the post, but I was pleased with the performance”, while Barcelona coach Luis Enrique mentioned “post are just part of the game”.

Man U Captain, Wayne Rooney, started the scoring in just the eighth minute, ending his scoreless drought. He headed a corner from Ashley Young in the middle of the box past Mac Andre Ter Stegen to give United the 1-0 lead.

The Red Devil’s mass sub came in the 62nd minute, as van Gaal swapped out all of his starting VI.  The impact was almost felt immediately, as United made it 2-0 in the 68th minute, when a pass on the ground in the box from Tyler Blackett found the boot of Jesse Lindgard, who easily got it past Jordi Masip on the right side, “I’m happy with the reaction from the youngsters from Tuesday.  They came out a lot more aggressive and scored two goals”, commented van Gaal.

Barcelona finally broke through in the 90th minute on a beautiful volley from Rafinha. Sergio Roberto earned the assist with a cross from the right side that found Rafinha at the top of the box, where he took one touch to settle and then powered a volley to the left side of the net.

Just seconds later in extra time, Manchester United got their third, as Adnan Januzaj beat two defenders with a great individual effort to make it 3-1. “He was very good and scored a wonderful goal.  However, it was a little easier without Pique back there”, added van Gaal on Januzaj’s performance.

In David Da Gea’s first game back from injury, he was challenged early and often for United. He earned the clean sheet in all of the 62 minutes he played with three saves. “De Gea stopped the first shot and allowed us to score first. That’s always huge for us”, said van Gaal.

Both Barca and United each have one game remaining in the United States, as Manchester United takes on PSG in Chicago and Barcelona plays Chelsea in Maryland on Tuesday before they return home to Europe to cap off their pre-season play.