Category: San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips and Michael Duca: Happy Days! Giants have now landed on the .500 mark 25 times this season

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On the Giants podcast with Morris and Michael:

The San Francisco Giants have landed 25 times on the .500 mark this season and they are 61-61 after arriving the .500 mark that 25th time on Thursday night in a 12-inning, 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodgers Stadium. Which means they’ve been either one above or one game below, they haven’t been either four games above or under at all or at any point in the season.

The very definition of mediocrity and they are still in the pennant race. This division is still winnable even the wild card is a little bit difficult to obtain, but no one has run away with it; but the Giants are at the bottom of that list in order for them to move up with 40 games left, they’re going to have to win 30 of them.

Join the Giants podcast with Morris and Michael each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants can’t sweep, fall to Dodgers 4-3 in 12 innings

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By Jeremy Harness

The San Francisco Giants are gaining a little bit of ground on the Los Angeles Dodgers, but they couldn’t gain any on Wednesday night.

The Dodgers avoided the sweep in the 12th inning, as pinch hitter Brian Dozier’s sac fly to deep left-center brought home the winning run as they beat the Giants, 4-3, at Dodger Stadium.

In the process, the Dodgers snapped a five-game losing streak.

The good news is obvious: the Giants ended up taking two out of three from the Dodgers in this series, and their chances of making the postseason–either as a wild card or division champ–has increased because of this series.

The Giants tied the game in dramatic fashion in the eighth inning when Andrew McCutchen pounded a hanging curveball from reliever Caleb Ferguson and launched a three-run homer over the center-field wall.

However, they could not make any more headway. The closest they came to breaking through following that was in the 10th inning, when Hunter Pence led off with a single and ended up in scoring position with one out.

However, Pence ended up being stranded at third, and the Dodgers ended the game two innings later.

Lost in all of this was the outing turned in by starter Derek Holland, who pitched 4 2/3 innings and did not give up a run on six hits, walking four and striking out seven. However, he did leave with the bases loaded in the fifth inning, but Reyes Moronta came right in and retired the first batter he faced with a single pitch to get out of a major jam.

The Giants are now 5 ½ games back of the National League West, which is owned by the Arizona Diamondbacks with a 66-55 record. Meanwhile, the Dodgers and Colorado Rockies are both a game and a half back of the top spot.

The Giants will embark on a seven-game road trip starting Friday against the Cincinnati Reds at 4:10 pm PDT.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Puig and Hundley shoving empties benches, the Giants win second straight in LA

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On the Giants podcast with Marko:

What started the Los Angeles Dodgers Yasiel Puig to shove the San Francisco Giants catcher Nick Hundley a couple of times after Puig tossed his bat up in the air and caught it after missing a pitch? Hundley told him in so many words to stop showboating and get back in the batter’s box.

Both Puig and Hundley were tossed out of the game that was tied 1-1 tensions were fueled in a tight contest but it was more the bat toss that got under Hundley’s skin. Puig was tossing his bat during Monday night’s game with the Giants Madison Bumgarner pitching.

It took the strength of four pitchers to keep the Dodgers off balance and off the base paths, but let’s start with the Giants’ starting pitcher Andrew Suarez–six-plus innings, two hits, three walks and four strikeouts. He looked good enough to complete the game.

The Dodgers have been faltering in the last couple of weeks and now find themselves in three-way battle for first place with the D-Backs and the Colorado Rockies.

The Giants and Dodgers close out this series tonight at Dodgers Stadium. The Giants’ Derek Holland (6-8) looks to get a sweep. In watching Holland in his last few games, can he help SF get that sweep?

Marko Ukalovic does the Giants podcast each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Headline Sports with London Marq: What else will happen if Bonds gets elected to Hall of Fame?; How big was Terrell Owens’ mistake?; Braves’ Acuna accomplishes a great feat; plus more

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On Headline Sports with London:

#1 Barry Bonds, who had his number retired by the San Francisco Giants last week, unofficially launches the campaign to have the former outfielder bid for the Hall of Fame. After all, that has been reported regarding steroid use by Bonds and his admitting to using the cream and the clear undetectable steroids unknowingly in grand jury testimony. If Bonds were elected to the Hall, will this also open the door to players like Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeriro and others to be voted into the Hall too?

#2 The A’s won their 21st one-run game of the season against the Seattle Mariners. They are now just one game back of the Houston Astros for first place in the AL West. The game was close and the M’s are trying to chase the A’s in the AL West for second, but the A’s now have taken two of the three game series from the Mariners.

#3 In football, people are still talking about how Terrell Owens broke with protocol and held his own Hall of Fame ceremony at his alma mater and not in Canton, Ohio at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. How big of a mistake was that move?

#4 The Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna “Matata” Jr. is just having himself a time at the plate, homering in five consecutive games, three of those homers as a lead off hitter, accomplishing the feat that no other player has accomplished.

#5 The Oakland Raiders play game two of the preseason in LA against the Rams. The Raiders, who defeated the Detroit Lions 16-10 last Friday, face the Rams this Saturday. Talk about some of the things that head coach Jon Gruden will be looking for in this game and what does he expect out of his quarterback Derek Carr?

London Marq does the Headline Sports each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Hanson wins it in the ninth; Giants beat Dodgers 2-1

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By Jeremy Kahn

Alen Hanson is in his first season with the San Francisco Giants, but you can add his name to player that is now part of the longtime rivalry with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Hanson drove in two runs, including a tie-breaking single in the top of the ninth inning that scored Brandon Belt and the Giants defeated the Dodgers 2-1 at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday evening.

It was the third straight win overall for the Giants, and second straight in the three-game series and they are now guaranteed to win the series against their rivals from Los Angeles.

Evan Longoria got the top of the ninth inning going, as the Downey, Calif. native singled to right field to lead off the inning. Brandon Belt, who was activated prior to the game after a stint on the 10-day disabled list with a hyperextended right knee then singled; however, Austin Slater was not able to move both runners over, as his bunt was fielded by Kenta Maeda, who threw to Justin Turner to get Longoria for the final out of the inning.

After the failed sacrifice bunt, Steven Duggar struck out for the second out of the inning, but then Hanson came up the big single to center field and Belt beat Kike’ Hernandez’s throw to the plate, as the ball got by Yasmani Grandal to give the Giants the lead. Slater tried to score, but Maeda was backing up the plate and threw to get Slater at the plate.

Will Smith came in for the third straight day, and got Matt Kemp to fly out for the first out, but then reigning National League Rookie of the Year Cody Bellinger reached on an infield single, when Chase d’Arnaud’s throw was late. Smith was able to regroup, as he struck out both Grandal and Max Muncy to end the game and pick up his third consecutive save in three days.

Sam Dyson was unable to hold the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning, as after Dyson got the first two batters out, Turner doubled off of Slater’s glove in left field and then Manny Machado then singled to tie up the game; however, Dyson was able to strikeout Hernandez to end the inning.

Things got hairy in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Yaisel Puig fouled off a ball pitched by former teammate Tony Watson and Puig snapped his bat and then Puig and Nick Hundley then began to exchange words and then the benches cleared. Dodgers first base coach George Lombard got a hold of Hundley, and Puig was able to get a shot to Hundley’s face.

Eventually, both Hundley and Puig were ejected from the game after the bench clearing fracas between the two.

Andrew Suarez took the hard luck no decision, as the rookie went six innings, allowing zero runs, giving up just two hits, walking three and striking out four.

Things did not start good for Suarez, as he gave up a double to Turner in the bottom of the first inning, then walked Manny Machado and then after a Hernandez fielder’s choice, Kemp walked to load the bases; however, Suarez was able to get Bellinger to ground out to him to end the inning and the threat.

Longoria was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the second inning, then Hundley singled him up to second base. After back-to-back strikeouts by Alex Wood, Hanson singled to center to score Longoria to break the scoreless tie.

Wood went five innings, allowing just one run on three hits, walking just one and striking out six, as he did not fare in the decision.

NOTES: Brandon Crawford was held out of the game, despite passing the concussion protocol after colliding with Gorkys Hernandez on Monday night.

With the activation of Belt from the 10-day disabled list, Pierce Johnson was optioned back to Sacramento.

This is the Giants’ last trip to Los Angeles this season, and this is the first time since the 2006 season that the Giants will not face the Dodgers in Los Angeles in the month of September. On the other hand, the Giants and Dodgers will face each other in San Francisco the last weekend of the season from September 28-30.

UP NEXT: The Giants and Dodgers conclude their rivalry series Wednesday night at 7:10 pm PDT.

Derek Holland looks to end the series with a win, as he takes the mound on Wednesday, while Hyun-Jin Ryu makes his first start since coming off the disabled list with a strained groin on May 2. Ryu is 3-0 on the season.

Dodgers Can’t Close, Giants Don’t Fold: Four-run ninth wins it for SF 5-2

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By Morris Phillips

Clayton Kershaw was masterful–and the clear winner of the Bumgarner-Kershaw matchup–but he wasn’t around for the finish on Monday night. That allowed the Giants an opening, and they made the most of it, scoring four times in the ninth to escape with a 5-2 win over the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.

 

Prior to the ninth, the Giants were stymied by Kershaw, who was both different and the same, mowing down San Francisco hitters as usual but employing a confounding curveball, and changing speeds to keep the Giants at bay. Kershaw started 18 of the 27 hitters he faced with first-pitch strikes, struck out nine, walked none, allowed four singles and dominated the proceedings for eight innings.

“He was better than me tonight for sure, but we were better than they were,” Bumgarner said of Kershaw. “I think that is a good way to put it.”

But once again, after throwing 110 pitches, Kershaw wasn’t around for the finish. And the Dodgers’ bullpen, without closer Kenley Jansen, was on the spot after blowing leads in each of the previous, three ballgames at Colorado. And the Giants, on life support in the NL West, were desperate for any type of momentum-building moment.

And this time, fate swung the Giants way, and directly in the face of their 2-51 record in 2018 when trailing after eight innings.

Scott Alexander, needing just one more strike to end it, allowed a two-run single to pinch-hitter Nick Hundley. Gorkys Hernandez followed with an RBI single to increase the Giants’ lead to 4-2. Then after Hernandez stole second base, Max Muncy’s fielding error on Stephen Duggar’s grounder allowed Hundley to score from third.

“We had some really great at-bats there in the ninth,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “Hundley, it doesn’t get any more clutch than that.”

The Giants (60-60) shed their losing record with the win, and moved to .500 for the 22nd time this season. They trail the Diamondbacks by five games in the NL West with the Rockies and Dodgers nipping at Arizona’s heels as well.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: Rodriguez pitches another gem, surrenders only one run to Pirates

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On the Giants podcast with Morris:

San Francisco Giants pitcher Derek Rodriguez is the pitcher of record and also contending for the NL Rookie of the Year Award. He won again, pitching seven innings, one run, two hits, one walk, four strikeouts in the Giants’ 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Rodriguez over nine games has a 1.28 ERA and has allowed eight earned runs in 56.1 innings pitched. That’s eight earned runs in 56.1 innings of work–a career low for Rodriguez as a starter. The Giants’ Nick Hundley hit a game-tying triple for an RBI, scoring Steven Duggar. Another key hit came from Joe Panik. Panik drove in his second run with a single that scored Gorkys Hernandez.

The Giants open a three-game series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers on Monday night. The Giants will start Madison Bumgarner against the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw.

Morris does the Giants podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Rodriguez continues to shine; Giants edge Pirates 4-3 for series split

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By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO — Dereck Rodriguez is continuing to show everyone that he should be considered for the National League Rookie of the Year.

Rodriguez went seven innings, allowing one run on two hits, while walking one and striking out four and the San Francisco Giants defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 before a sellout crowd of 41,980 at AT&T Park on Sunday afternoon.

The right-hander continued his impressive streak of where he did not allow more than two runs, as the streak now stands at eight. The last time Rodriguez allowed more than two runs in a game was against the Washington Nationals on June 9, when he allowed five runs in just two and two-thirds innings of work.

Rodriguez also retired the final nine batters he faced after he issued a leadoff walk to Elias Diaz to open the top of the fifth inning.

Over his last nine appearances on the mound, Rodriguez has a 1.28 earned run average and has allowed just eight earned runs in 56.1 innings. The two hits he allowed were a new career-low in a start.

With the victory, the Giants are now 21-20 in one-run games this season.

The Pirates took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning, as Diaz doubled off of Rodriguez that scored Josh Bell, who doubled to lead off the inning.

Diaz’s double was the last hit that the Pirates would get off of Rodriguez for the remainder of the game.

Nick Hundley tied up the game in the bottom of the third inning, as he hit a triple to the appropriately named Triples Alley out there in right-center field to score Steven Duggar, who singled to lead off the inning.

That was the second triple of the season for Hundley, with his first coming on June 6 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. It is also the first season since 2015 he has more than one triple in a season, in that season, he hit five triples.

Hundley ended the afternoon with two hits, his third multi-hit game since July 1. He picked up a multi-hit game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on July 1, and then three weeks later on July 22 against the Oakland A’s at the Coliseum.

Joe Panik drove in what turned out to be the game-winning run, as he a sacrifice fly to score Brandon Crawford, who doubled with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning. After the Crawford double, Gorkys Hernandez hit an infield single that sent Crawford to third base.

After the Panik sacrifice fly that gave the Giants the lead for good, Duggar beat out an infield single and Hernandez smartly headed to third base, as Pirates starter Joe Musgrove argued concerning Duggar beating out the throw.

Hundley drove in his second run of the game, as he singled in Hernandez from third base to give the Giants a two-run lead.

Panik drove in his second run of the afternoon in the bottom of the sixth inning, as he singled off of Musgrove to score Hernandez, who reached on a Fielders’ Choice that forced out Crawford at second base after the shortstop walked to lead off the inning.

The Pirates tried to make a game out of it in the top of the eighth inning, as Reyes Moronta walked Adam Frazier, then Jordy Mercer singled him to second base. After Moronta was able to strikeout pinch hitter David Freese, and then Tony Watson came on to strikeout Corey Dickerson; however, the Pirates got within one run, as Starling Marte lashed a two-run double to get the Pirates within one run. Watson was able to regroup, and get Gregory Polanco to fly out to Duggar for the third out of the inning.

Will Smith came onto the close the game in the top of the ninth inning, and nailed it down for his eighth save in 10 chances this season. Smith struck out Bell and pinch hitter Francisco Cervelli, before getting Diaz to fly out to Duggar to end the game.

Musgrove went six innings, allowing four runs, on seven hits, walking one and striking out six, as he saw his record fall to 4-7 on the season.

Mercer committed multiple errors in the same game for the first time in his major-league career.

NOTES: In his Giants debut, Casey Kelly became just the third Giants reliever in the San Francisco era to throw at least five innings in his debut. Kelly joins Don Larsen, who 6.1 on April 14, 1962 against the Reds at Candlestick Park and then John Montesfusco went 9.0 innings on September 3, 1974 against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, this according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Brandon Belt began his rehab assignment after hyperextending right knee against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night, and he went 0-for-2 for the Sacramento Rivercats. Hunter Strickland, who is currently on the disabled list with a broken right hand threw a scoreless inning with two strikeouts. Strickland is eligible to come off the disabled list on Saturday.

UP NEXT: Madison Bumgarner will take the hill, as the Giants open their final three-city road trip of the season on Monday night at 7:10 pm PDT against Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Following the final trip to Los Angeles for the 2018 season, the Giants will head onto Cincinnati for a three-game series and then ending with a four-game series at Citi Field against the New York Mets.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Will Barry Bonds Be in Cooperstown Before Pete Rose?

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By: Amaury Pi-González

The San Francisco Giants retired Barry Bonds’ number 25 in front of a sellout crowd this Saturday at AT&T Park.

Bonds is a beloved figure in San Francisco, Calif., but not so much for the non-Giants fans in the rest of the country. In these days of polarization in our country, Bonds is a very polarized figure. Bonds rarely makes appearances at other ballparks, as he would probably get an embarrassing round of boos instead of standing ovations.

Although Bonds was never convicted of using steroids, we went through that whole soap opera for many years in the Bay Area from the Balco Laboratory in Burlingame, Calif. and all the unnecessary stuff that came with that story. For a while, it looked like it was never going to end.

The Class of 2018 inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, N.Y. this month of July, were Larry “Chipper” Jones, Vladimir Guerrero, Jim Thome and Trevor Hoffman were also on the list along with some others. Once again, Bonds fell short of the 75% of votes required by the BBWAA (Baseball Writers Association of America). Bond had just 56.4%.

I ponder if we will see Bonds inducted into Cooperstown before Pete Rose. The cheers and standing ovations Bonds is showered with at AT&T Park would probably equal a booing noise by other fans across the country. Attorneys use the word “rehabilitate” when they have a witness on the hot seat in front of a jury when he or she has been attacked and his or her reputation is not good. In a way, the Giants are trying to do that with Bonds–a plaque, a retired number and probably a statue at the park–once he is inducted. No need to be an attorney to understand that and the Giants have all the right in the world to do such things as we are a free, open-minded society and one person could be hated by some and adored by others.

I was a part of Bonds’ years with the Giants and called many of his home runs into the water at McCovey Cove, and even at the old Candlestick Park. I traveled with him and always admired his talents on the field. I remember when he arrived to San Francisco from Pittsburgh and the arguably biggest stat then with the Pirates was slugger Bobby Bonilla.

Bonds has 762 home runs and there is nobody close challenging him at the moment. Although the game has become focused on home runs or strikeouts today,  somebody could perhaps reach that total in the future.

I arrived into this country as a 17-year-old in 1961, I remember reading the newspapers everyday and watching the news that year on the great home run race between two New York Yankees: the very popular Mickey Mantle, and the not so popular Roger Maris. Maris won with 61 home runs and Mantle finished with 54. Moreover, I remember the older folks saying that the Babe Ruth record could never be broken.

Pete Rose ended his 24-year career in baseball with a .303 average and a record 4,256 hits. Although never found guilty on betting as a player or manager, he did admit it and he still permanently ineligible. The rule is, “Rule 21 Misconduct, (d) Betting on Ball Games, Any player, umpire, or club, or league official, or employee, who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor has a duty to perform shall be declared permanently ineligible.”

As far as Bonds’ legal problems? On April 13, 2011, Bonds was convicted of one felony count of obstruction of justice for giving an incomplete answer to a question in grand jury testimony. A mistrial was declared on the remaining three counts of perjury, and those charges were dropped. The obstruction of justice conviction was upheld by an appellate panel in 2013, but a larger panel of the appellate court overturned the conviction in 2015.

So there you have it. Two completely different, but controversial players; one the all-time home run leader, the other the all-time hits leader. In San Francisco and Cincinnati, they would be popular, but outside in the rest of the country and in the court of public opinion, not really.  There is no coincidence that these two players with two tremendous records are not seen throwing ceremonial first pitches at All-Star Games or World Series, or representing baseball in any capacity. So far, MLB has not call on them to represent the game. My grandfather used to tell me, “time cures everything. So, maybe years later, these two would be seen in a different light.

You be the judge. Should Bonds go into Cooperstown before Rose? Only time will tell.

Some wise man once said, “When you forgive, you in no way change the past – but you sure do change the future.”

The Oakland A’s are back home this Monday the 13th for a crucial homestand against divisional rivals: Seattle, Houston and Texas. Listen to all the games in Spanish on KIQI 1010AM/990AM in San Francisco, Oakland, San José, Sacramento, Stockton and the Valley.

Pirates blank Giants 4-0 just hours after Bonds’ No. 25 was retired

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By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO — After the pomp and circumstance of the Barry Bonds number 25 retirement ceremony subsided, there was still a game to be played between the San Francisco Giants and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Corey Dickerson would drive in the only run that the Pirates would need on a sacrifice fly that scored Josh Harrison in the top of the third inning, as the Pirates defeated the Giants 4-0 before a sellout crowd of 41,209 at AT&T Park on Saturday night.

Harrison walked to lead off the inning, went to second on a Jordy Mercer single and advanced to third on a Trevor Williams sacrifice bunt.

Josh Bell put the game out of reach in the top of the fifth inning, as he launched a three-run home run into the left field seats for his eighth home run of the season.

That fourth inning would be the last for Ty Blach, as he gave up four runs on four hits, walked two and struck out five, as his record fell to 6-7 on the season.

Unfortunately, for the second time in this series, the offense could not get going, as they were shutout one day after scoring 13 runs against the same team.

“Couldn’t get the offense going,” said Giants manager Bruce Bochy.

Casey Kelly replaced Blach, and did a great job, as he went five innings, allowing just two hits and struck out in his first appearance as a member of the Giants.

“Saved the bullpen,” said Bochy.

This was the first major appearance for Kelly since the 2016 when he pitched for the Atlanta Braves. Kelly went 0-3 with a 5.82 earned run average.

‘Great to get out there,” said Kelly.

In his last game for the Braves on July 1, 2016 against the Miami Marlins, Kelly went two innings, allowing two runs (one earned) walked one and struck out two.

NOTES: With the retirement of Bonds number 25, the Giants are the seventh major league team to retire at least 10 numbers. The New York Yankees have retired 21 numbers, the most in major league history.

UP NEXT: The Giants and Pirates will wrap up their three-game set with a series finale on Sunday afternoon at 1:05 pm PDT.

Dereck Rodriguez closes out the home stand for the Giants, as he takes the mound, while Joe Musgrove will take the hill for the Pirates.