Category: San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: After taking two from Rockies, Giants could go into their call ups against Padres tonight

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: sfexaminer.com

On the Giants podcast with Morris:

#1 The Giants opened their series with the visiting Colorado Rockies on Friday and after losing 11 straight games the Giants had had enough and won their first two games on shutouts.

#2 Thanks to the Giants’ handy work, the Rockies were bumped from first-place, proving the Giants can hang with the Rockies.

#3 The Rockies did everything they could to prevent the Giants from winning with a 3-2 victory. Rockies pitcher Antonio Senzatela hit a two-run RBI single to help his cause.

#4 The Giants cut the lead to just a run when Joe Panik scored in the eighth inning, but the Giants could tie it up and get the sweep.

#5 The Giants open up a three-game series in San Diego tonight. The Giants in this series most likely will give their callup a look as both the Padres and Giants are most likely not going to make the postseason.

Listen to the Giants podcasts each Monday with Morris at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants lose to Rockies 3-2 in Sunday matinee finale

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @SFGiants

By: London Marq

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — It was a sunny and pristine mid-September afternoon at AT&T Park right by the Bay as the San Francisco Giants hosted the Colorado Rockies in the final matchup of a three-game series. Entering the game, the Giants sat 12 games back of the NL West-leading Dodgers, but have proved resilient against the Rockies, winning the first two games of the series to threaten the sweep. The Rockies sit in second place in the NL West and are competing with Wild Card Spot with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Rockies came into game three of this series looking to steal one back on the road and stay in playoff contention.

Determined not let the Giants play spoiler for the third time in a row, the Rockies were constantly swinging the bats. Giants’ rookie pitcher Dereck Rodriguez made it through the first inning unscathed, but with one out in the second inning, Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez reaches first base on an error. That was followed by Ian Desmond getting a single and Iannetta being walked. With the bases loaded, the Rockies’ pitcher Antonio Senzatela came to the plate and helped his own cause with a liner into left field, allowing Gonzalez and Desmond to score. A few batters later, still with only one out in the inning LeMahieu hit a sac-fly to center and Iannetta tagged up and scored.  The Giants eventually escaped the jam–down 3-0.

The score remained stagnant until the sixth when the Giants manufactured a run off two hits and a walk to bring Panik around to score and bring the score to 3-1 to end the sixth.

The Giants continued to push in the eighth inning when Panik would round the bases again to decrease the Rockies’ advantage to just one. The late game heroics gave the Giants a chance in the ninth, but the Rockies shut the door to show why they are in playoff contention. They got the win, 3-2.

The Giants, despite being well out of contention, prove that they can play competitive baseball. With rumors swirling, that manager Bruce Bochy may not be re-signed next season, series like this may go a long way to dispel such rumors.

The Giants will play three more series this season. Two of those series will be the Cardinals and Dodgers, both of whom are playoff contenders. The Giants will look to finish 2018 strong, play some spoilers, and get some quality wins before the offseason.

MLB The Show with Daniel Dullum: Pennant races tightened up; Cleveland clinched AL Central; Phillies used 21 players to beat Marlins; plus more

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @MLB

On the MLB The Show podcast with Daniel:

1 Pennant race status as of Sunday.

2 Cleveland beat Detroit 15-0 to clinch AL Central.

3 September baseball: Phillies use 21 players in come-from-behind win over Marlins.

4 Giants, Mad Bum knock Rox out of first in NL West.

5 Report: Nashville drops A’s as Triple-A affiliate for 2019.

Daniel Dullum does the MLB The Show podcast each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants knock the Rockies out of first place with second straight shutout 3-0

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO — If you ever thought that the San Francisco Giants would help out the Los Angeles Dodgers, you would be not dreaming.

Austin Slater hit a ground ball for on out in the bottom of the second to score Brandon Crawford from third base, as the Giants defeated the Rockies 3-0 before 38,204 at AT&T Park on Saturday.

This was the second win in a row for the Giants, after they dropped a season-high 11 straight to begin the month of September, and this is the first time that they won back-to-back games since winning four in a row from August 25-28.

Coupled with the Dodgers’ 17-4 rout of the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium, the longtime rival of the Giants is now in first place in the National League West and the Rockies fall into the second Wild Card Spot.

Madison Bumgarner went six innings, allowing no runs on five hits, walking one and striking out two and won for the sixth time this season.

Dating back to his start against the Houston Astros, Bumgarner has thrown 20 consecutive scoreless innings.

“Finish strong and competitive,” said Bumgarner.

Bumgarner was forced to leave the start tonight, despite throwing just 64 pitches, as he suffered tension in his right side.

“Little tightness in his side,” said manager Bruce Bochy.

Hunter Pence added a second run in that bottom of the second inning, as he singled to center field to score Nick Hundley.

As would have it, Bumgarner scored the final run of the game for the Giants, as he scored on a wild pitch thrown by German Marquez with Hundley at the plate in the bottom of the third inning.

Marquez also went six innings, allowing three runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out four, as he saw his record fall to 12-10 on the season.

Both teams were warned by Raymond DeJesus in the bottom of the third inning, after Marquez hit Evan Longoria, which came after Bumgarner hit D.J. LeMahieu in the top of the third inning. Marquez hit Slater on top of the helmet in the bottom of the sixth inning.

The top five hitters in their lineup all got hits, but they could not muster a run against the Giants for the second consecutive game. Those five hitters went a combined 5-for-17 against Bumgarner, Tony Watson, Mark Melancon and Will Smith.

The bullpen trio of Watson, Melancon and Smith went three innings, allowing two hits, not walking a batter and struck out five. Smith notched his 12th save of the season.

By being shut out on back-to-back evenings, the last time that the Rockies scored a run was in the bottom of the seventh inning of their 10-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field, a span of 19 innings. In that inning against the Diamondbacks, the Rockies scored five runs to put the game away.

NOTES: This was the 15th shutout of the season for the Giants, and it was the fourth time this season that have they have thrown back-to-back shutouts. They also did it on March and 30 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, June 1 and 2 versus the Philadelphia Phillies and on August 27 and 28 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Rockies have lost 11 out of their last 14 at AT&T Park.

This is the first time all season that the Rockies have been shutout in back-to-back games.

UP NEXT: The Giants and Rockies wrap up their series with a finale Sunday afternoon at 1:05 pm PDT.

Giants rookie Dereck Rodriguez closes out the homestand on Sunday, as he takes the mound in search of his seventh win of the season, while Antonio Senzatela looks for his fifth win of the season for the Rockies.

Stratton throws first career shutout; Giants shutout Rockies 2-0 to snap losing skid

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @SportingGreenSF

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO — Despite the fact that they are most likely out of the playoff race, the San Francisco Giants can still play spoiler against the Colorado Rockies.

Chris Stratton threw a complete game, allowing zero runs on just two hits, walking two and striking out seven. The Giants put a stop to their longest losing streak since 1951 with a 2-0 victory over the Rockies before a crowd of 37,800 at AT&T Park Friday night.

This was the first career shutout for Stratton, the first shutout of the season for the Giants, and just the 18th complete game shutout this season.

The 11-game losing streak that the Giants put a halt to was the longest in the National League this season, and ties the Detroit Tigers for the longest in the Major Leagues this season.

With the victory, the Giants defeated the Rockies for the first time since June 28, a span of seven games.

This is the ninth straight that the Giants’ offense have scored three runs or less in a game, the last time that they scored more than three in a game was on September 3, when they scored eight in a 9-8 loss to the Rockies at Coors Field.

Stratton got all the offensive help he needed in the bottom of the second inning, Austin Slater singled in Nick Hundley and Joe Panik, who both singled in front of Slater. The two got into scoring position when Rockies starter Tyler Anderson unleashed the first of his two wild pitches in the inning.

With the victory, Stratton won for the 10th time this season, and also got some big time from his defense, as Gregor Blanco made a leaping catch of a Nolan Arenado hit in the top of the sixth inning that robbed Arenado of extra bases. Brandon Crawford also snared a Trevor Story ball that would have gone for a single.

Stratton also helped himself at the plate, as he lashed a single off of Anderson in that two-run second inning that saw the Giants score the only runs of the game. The right-hander is first Giants pitcher since 2016, when Johnny Cueto won 18, Madison Bumgarner won 15 and Jeff Samardzija won 12, as the Giants made to the National League Division Series, where they lost to the eventual World Champion Chicago Cubs in four games.

Brandon Belt left the game after the bottom of the seventh inning due to right knee soreness.

NOTES: When the Giants lost those 12 straight in 1951, they did it from April 19-29 and a month after the losing streak ended, a 20-year old outfielder was called up to the team on May 25, his name was Willie Howard Mays, Jr.

The Giants lost 13 in a row from August 9-20, 1944, their longest losing streak since 1908.

During the month of September, the Giants have scored a total of 28 runs, an average of 2.33 a game.

Samardzija threw the last Giants shutout on August 28, 2017 against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.

UP NEXT: Madison Bumgarner takes the mound on Saturday night at 6:05 pm PDT, as he looks for his sixth win of the season, while German Marquez will head to the hill for the Rockies in search for his 13th win of the season.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Skid at 11; Giants hope to snap out of it Friday against Rockies

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @SFGiants

On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael:

#1 11 is not the Giants’ favorite number. They set the all-time San Francisco record for the most consecutive loses. If you had to point to one thing, what was the main cause of this losing streak?

#2 The loss on Wednesday was a heartbreaker when Alan Hanson got thrown out at second for running out of the baseline on a bunted ball that got thrown into the Braves’ bullpen and could have scored Joe Panik from third, but it was not as the Giants lost 2-1 to the Braves.

#3 Giants pitcher Derek Holland said that this team is not letting anyone come into AT&T Park to walk all over the Giants, but battle a first-place team like the Braves.

#4 Holland has been throwing some decent ball, going six starts and allowing six runs for a 1.59 ERA.

#5 Now it’s the first-place Rockies, who come to AT&T Park to open a three-game series. Although it is unlikely if SF can sweep, they would be 10.5 games behind Colorado, but still a lot of games with just two weeks left.

Miguel does the Gigantes podcast each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants appear to be in a free fall

Published on by jeremy2878Leave a comment

Photo credit: mccoveychronicles.com

By Jeremy Harness

Right now, the Giants are playing like they can’t wait for the season to be over.

After being in contention for much of the season, they have now lost 11 straight games and are sinking deeper into the abyss of the major leagues. Instead of playing spoiler, other teams seem to be able to look at the Giants as a way to pick up a few easy wins and keep their playoff hopes alive.

The next team to hope to use the Giants to fatten their records is the Colorado Rockies, who make their way to AT&T Park for a three-game weekend series that starts Friday night.

The Rockies are 1 ½ games in front of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the National League West lead, and they swept the Giants at Coors Field in a three-game series just last week, and they hope to do the same this weekend.

Righty Chris Stratton will take the ball Friday night opposite Colorado left-hander Tyler Anderson (6-8, 4.89 ERA).

Anderson, however, has fallen on hard times on the mound lately. After a promising start to the season, Anderson has lost each of his last five decisions, including his last outing against the Dodgers that saw him go only 2 2/3 innings and surrender three runs on five hits.

Stratton has not been much better. He has dropped five of his past six decisions, and his last outing saw him go five innings and give up four runs on four hits in a loss at Milwaukee.

Colorado righty German Marquez (12-9, 3.94 ERA) will go Saturday afternoon against Giants lefty Madison Bumgarner
Marquez has been a workhorse for the Rockies, as he has gone at least seven innings in seven of his past nine outings, including a 13-2 win over Arizona in his last outing on Monday. The 23-year-old has won four of his last five outings.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, Dereck Rodriguez (6-3, 2.35 ERA) will take the hill against Colorado righty Antonio Senzatela (4-6, 5.01 ERA) to close out the series.

How did we get here?: 11 consecutive losses bring the Giants to a new, unprecedented low

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO — Well, the Giants have never lost like this, and they probably haven’t struggled offensively to this extent either. Not since they’ve been in San Francisco.

Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves was not only tough to watch, it was unprecedentedly tough. The Giants dropped their 11th consecutive game, which hadn’t happened since 1951 when the club roamed New York’s Polo Grounds.

So much for 60 years of San Francisco Giants baseball.

“Everybody puts in the work, grinding daily, trying to do everything we can to win ballgames,” Brandon Belt said. “We just haven’t been doing good enough. So we’ve got to change something.”

Belt was involved in the game’s critical moment from the Giants’ perspective: In trying to retire pinch hitter Tyler Flowers in the ninth, Evan Longoria’s low throw ever-so-slightly pulled Belt off the first base bag, prompting first base umpire Jeremie Rehak to declare Flowers safe. Charlie Culberson scored on the play which was upheld after a brief video review.

“Blazing speed beat that one out,” said Braves’ Freddie Freeman in a moment of fun with not-so-speedy teammate Flowers.

The Giants hit into double plays to conclude the first and fourth innings, enough good fortune for starter Anibal Sanchez, who pitched six innings and picked up the win despite issuing five walks. The Giants failed to take advantage of Sanchez’s gifts, going 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

That one dreadful stat explained how the Giants came up with one run on the afternoon despite six singles, a Longoria double and a Sanchez wild pitch to couple with seven walks issued.

But if a club scores a measily 26 runs during an 11-game slide, that statistical oddity becomes easier to explain.

The Giants previously lost 10 consecutive games in 1985 and again in 1996. This season, only the Tigers also suffered an 11-game slide.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Giants drop 10th straight; Braves can complete a possible sweep in matinee today

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @nbcbayarea

On the Giants podcast with Marko:

The San Francisco Giants dropped their second straight game to the Atlanta Braves by the same identical score 4-1. Again, the offense fails to answer the bell. This loss was San Francisco’s 10th straight loss and the Braves pitcher Mike Foltnewicz pitched a shutout going into the ninth inning gave up his only run on a Brandon Crawford single to right to score Evan Longoria.

Fortnewicz pitched a complete game: one run, six hits, one walk, seven strikeouts. For the Giants, starter Andrew Saurez with six innings, three runs, six hits, three walks and three strikeouts. The Giants will start Dereck Holland, and for the Braves, Anibal Sanchez. Can the Giants snap the 10-game skid today?

Giants podcasts with Marko Ukalovic are heard each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants’ losing streak now at 10 games after 4-1 loss to Braves

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO — When will this season losing streak come to an end for the San Francisco Giants?

Ozzie Albies doubled in the top of the fourth inning to score Nick Markakis, who led off the inning with a single and the Atlanta Braves defeated the Giants 4-1 before an announced crowd of 35,285 at AT&T Park on Tuesday night.

With the loss, the Giants have now lost 10 games in a row. This is the first time since June 21-30, 1996 that the Giants have lost 10 games in a row.

After losing two out of three to the New York Mets, the Giants are now 0-8 since then versus the Colorado Rockies, Milwaukee Brewers and Braves and all three teams in the playoff hunt.

Mike Foltynewicz was outstanding for the Braves, as he threw a complete game, allowing one run on six hits, walking one and striking out seven, as he improved to 11-9 on the season.

Foltynewicz lost the shutout in the bottom of the ninth inning, as he gave up a single to Evan Longoria, who went to second on defensive indifference and then Brandon Crawford followed that up with a single to right field that scored Longoria.

As for Giants starter Andrew Suarez, he went six innings, allowing three runs on six hits, walking three and striking out three and fell to 6-11 on the season.

This was the second rough start in a row for Suarez, who went six innings, allowing five runs on six hits, walking two and striking out five and also allowed a career-high three home runs.

Suarez did not get any support from his defense, as Alen Hanson committed an error in the top of the second inning on a routine ball hit by Albies, but Austin Slater was unable to snag the throw.

Johan Camargo reached on a Slater fielding error in the top of the third inning, and on the play, Camargo was forced to leave the game with tightness in his left groin. His replacement Charlie Culberson hit a two-run home run in the top of the fifth, right after Ronald Acuna Jr., hit a triple to right-center field.

NOTES: Despite getting the loss on Monday night, Dereck Rodriguez joined a very exclusive company, as he is just the third pitcher since 1913 to start 13 games, go at least six innings, and allow two runs or less (STATS, LLC). Rodriguez joins Steve Rogers of the Montreal Expos as the only rookie pitchers to accomplish this feat, and the only veteran was Juan Marichal in 1965.

During this 10-game losing streak, the Giants have scored 25 runs and the opponents have scored 48.

The 10-game losing streak is just the Giants third such streak since moving to San Francisco in 1958. Asides from the 10-game streak in 1996, they also lost 10 in a row from June 20-30, 1985.

UP NEXT: The Giants and Braves conclude their series with a Wednesday afternoon finale at 12:45 pm PDT.

Giants’ left-handed pitcher and switch-hitter Derek Holland looks to stop the losing streak on Wednesday afternoon, as he looks for his eighth win of the season, while the Braves will counter with Anibal Sanchez, who goes for his seventh win.