Category: San Francisco Giants

Dodgers win fifth division championship;Giants drop 4-2 contest to open series

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Los Angeles Dodgers’ Logan Forsythe sprays sparkling wine in the locker room after the Dodgers won the NL West title with a 4-2 defeat of the San Francisco Giants in a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 22, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

By Jeremy Kahn

On the same day that the Los Angeles Dodgers and their fans celebrated Tommy Lasorda’s 90th birthday, the team celebrated something else with their win.

Cody Bellinger hit his National League rookie record 39th home run, helping the Dodgers to a 4-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium.

With the victory, the Dodgers clinched their fifth straight National League Western Division Championship.

The Bellinger home run off of Jeff Samardzija in the bottom of the third inning, broke a 1-1 tie and gave the Dodgers the lead for good.

Bellinger broke the record of Wally Berger of the Boston Braves in 1930 and tied by Frank Robinson of the Cincinnati Reds. The major league held by Mark McGwire, who set the record while playing for the Oakland A’s in 1987 with a total of 49.

Rich Hill won for the 11th time this season, as he allowed just one run and five hits in six innings of work. Hill also added five strikeouts and a huge double.

Hill hit his first double in 10 years to score Logan Forsythe, who doubled himself. Corey Seager then walked and Bellinger launched a Samardzija pitch into the right-center field bleachers.

Samardzija lost for the 15th time on the season, as he gave up four runs and five hits and the Giants have lost their most games since 1996 with the 94 losses.

The Giants took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, as Gorkys Hernandez reached on a bunt single, stole second and then scored on a Buster Posey single.

NOTES: Madison Bumgarner goes to the mound on Saturday night, as he looks to stop a four-game losing streak and the Giants have not won a Bumgarner start since defeating the Miami Marlins on August 15.

The Dodgers will send Hyun-Jin Ryu to the mound, as he looks to his improve his strong streak down the stretch. Ryu is 3-1 with a 2.62 earned run average in his 11 starts.

Austin Slater could be out for a couple of days with a sore right hip flexor.

San Francisco Giants-Los Angeles Dodgers Preview: Dodgers worst enemy isn’t their rivals the Giants but themselves

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San Francisco Giants pitcher Jeff Samardzija this Friday’s starter in Los Angeles works against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 15, 2017, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By Jeremy Harness

 At one point, the Los Angeles Dodgers were flying high atop the major leagues, with no one being able to stop them but themselves.

 Well, the Dodgers have stopped themselves quite a bit lately.

 Although they have clinched a playoff spot, the Dodgers still have not closed out the NL West at this point. That’s because the team has suffered a sudden stretch of ineptitude after absolutely cruising for the first six-and-a-half months of the season and building a sizable lead.

 At press time, the Dodgers still lead the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks by nine games and can wrap up the division this weekend, if not sooner.

 The magic number to clinch the division for Los Angeles is one, so the Dodgers can wrap up the NL West crown Friday night, when the Giants head to Dodger Stadium to start a three-game series.

 The last-place Giants, on the other hand, are playing for nothing more at this point than to spoil things for their upcoming opponents, and they would love nothing more than to set the Dodgers back in their quest to not only clinch the division but to also stake their claim to the best record in the majors.

 The 60-93 Giants will send Jeff Samardzija (9-14, 4.42 ERA) to the mound against Dodgers lefty Rich Hill (10-8, 3.60 ERA) for Friday’s opener.

 After a miserable start to the year, Samardzija had a stretch between Jul. 26 and Aug. 28 that saw him five of six decisions. However, he has lost his last two starts but had a solid outing in his last start, last Friday in a losing effort against Arizona that saw him surrender three runs on six hits. He struck out seven hitters and did not walk anyone.

 Hill, meanwhile, has lost four of his last five starts, but he seemed to get things back together in his most recent outing, surrendering only a run on one hit while walking two and striking out seven more over five strong innings against the Washington Nationals.

 

Engaged Giants sweep short series against the suddenly, tumbling Rockies

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San Francisco Giants second baseman Joe Panik makes an off-balance throw trying to throw out Colorado Rockies’ Charlie Blackmon at first base during the fifth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017, in San Francisco. Blackmon was safe at first base on the play (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants didn’t crawl any closer to 100 losses. Folks sitting in the right field arcade got to chase after a home run ball hit by the good guys. And Matt Moore didn’t surrender any extra-base hits.

For the thought-to-be forlorn Giants, today was a good day.

For the struggling Rockies, not so much.

“It’s easy to get in that shut down mode this time of the year when you’re out of it,” manager Bruce Bochy said after his Giants swept the Rockies with a 4-0 shutout. “I think if you look at these two games, that has not happened. These guys have stepped up and hit the field meaning business.”

Meaning business is a term used on a sliding scale for the 30th-out-of-30 Giants.  Still a 4-4 home stand against the Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Rockies says the team’s engaged, and the individual players want a role in Giants baseball going forward.

In Moore’s case, Wednesday’s game was a definitive statement. Notified that the club would be picking up his 2018 option earlier this week, this was no time for the pitcher to go out and pick up his National League-worst 15th loss.

Instead, Moore was fantastic, throwing six shutout innings, allowing six singles while walking two, and striking out six. Not only was the outing Moore’s best of the year, it was his best in the face of his 0-2, 13.50 ERA against the Rockies, and his 5.39 ERA overall.

In other words, wholely satisfying as has his overall body of work been disappointing. Think the Giants embracing the embattled pitcher with that contract extension played a role in Wednesday’s about face? Here’s what Moore said:

“For Bobby and the front office to show that kind of confidence before they had to, without a doubt, it’s probably the best thing that’s happened all year.”

Offensively, the Giants weren’t the knockout that Moore was, but what they did–for the second straight day–totaled four runs, and four is the magic number.

In games the Giants score three runs or less, they’re a barely-alive 13-72. When they score four or more, they’re a totally-engaged 47-21.

Joe Panik led the way with three hits, including a first-inning triple that resulted in the Giants’ first run. He would later add a double and a single, but didn’t get a fifth at-bat and an opportunity to hit for the cycle.

Brandon Crawford homered in the third, a first pitch liner down the right field line off losing pitcher Tyler Chatwood.

Hunter Pence walked and later scored in the seventh, as three Rockies’ relievers failed to close the door after Chatwood departed. Pence finished 0 for 3, but like Panik saw a nice jump in his offensive numbers over the eight-game homestand.

The Rockies captured 10 of the first 11 games between the two clubs this season, but the Giants struck back with wins in six of the final eight contests. The Rockies’ season-to-date mirrors the 2016 Giants with the fast starts and an agonizingly poor finish. The Rockies started 47-26, but they’re 35-44 since, and their lead over the Brewers for the second, wild card spot is down to one game after both teams lost Wednesday. The similarities between the two seasons weren’t lost on Chatwood.

“I think we came in here and beat them two out of three at the very end of last year when they were in the wild card, so I think that’s what you kind of play for is to interrupt somebody’s run for the playoffs,” Chatwood said.

 

 

San Francisco Giants Podcast with Michael Duca: Giants now make it three straight; Sabean to evaluate in off season

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Matt Moore throws to the Colorado Rockies during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

On the Giants podcast with Michael:

1 San Francisco Giants vice president Brian Sabean says this off season will be the time to retool the team. After the Giants had a second half melt down in 2016 they ended up failing to make post season and as a consequence the Giants only real big off season moves they fired their first and third base coaches Roberto Kelly and Bill Hayes. Then the Giants wanted to shore up their bull pen and obtained Mark Melancon who struggled and got injured and ended up having to have surgery.

2 Taking a look at the significant changes and where the Giants need to shore up one place is in the outfield

3 The Giants have won three straight Sunday they got past the Arizona on Sunday, they got a walk off hit from Hunter Pence on Tuesday night to defeat Colorado 4-3 and Wednesday they shutout the Rockies 4-0 behind the brilliant pitching of Matt Moore who improved his record to 6-14. This team is doing everything it can to avoid a 100 game losing season.

4. Will Giancarlo Stanton become a Giant Michael says it’s unlikely, too many variables including his contract that he has with the Miami Marlins runs through 2020 and he has an option and another team could make an offer and he could opt out.

5 The Giants have a three game series coming up in Los Angeles starting on Friday night. The Dodgers need three more games to clinch the west and the Giants would like to win at least two out of three and the last thing that a club likes seeing is another team celebrating a division title after a game.

Michael Duca does the Giants podcast each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

 

 

Pence wins it in the ninth Giants edge Rockies to open two game set 4-3

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San Francisco Giants’ Hunter Pence, right, celebrates with teammates after hitting a sacrifice fly to score Orlando Calixte for the winning run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies in San Francisco, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017. The Giants won 4-3. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO- Hunter Pence gave the San Francisco Giants the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, but it was his sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning that was even bigger.

Pence hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning that was caught by Carlos Gonzalez, to score Orlando Calixte from third and the Giants defeated the Colorado Rockies 4-3 before a crowd of 40,686 at AT&T Park.

Calixte was running for Pablo Sandoval, who led off the inning with a single off of Chris Rusin, then Ryder Jones singled and then pinch-hitter Kelby Tomlinson beat out a dribbler that loaded the bases for Pence, who hit a sacrifice fly that Gonzalez made a diving catch on; however, Calixte easily scored from third base with the winning run.

Pence’s home run gave the Giants a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, as he hit his 12th home run of the season that was measured at 441 feet over the center field wall, Johnny Cueto helped out his own cause, as he hit a single off of German Marquez.

In the early going, it looked like Cueto would be on a short leash, as his pitch count kept increasing; however, the right-hander ended up going 6.2 innings, allowing two runs on six hits, walking four and striking out six; however, he did not fare in the decision.

The Rockies took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning, as Charlie Blackmon hit a two-run double off of Cueto. It was the 200th hit of the season for Blackmon, the first 200 hit season of his five-year career.

Pablo Sandoval got the Giants on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning, as he drove in Buster Posey, who singled to lead off the inning, then beat the throw from Nolan Arenado at second base and then scored on the Sandoval single.

It was a nice night at the plate for Sandoval, as he went 3-for-4 on the evening for his second three hit game of the season and his first since rejoining the Giants.

Following Sandoval’s third hit of the game in the bottom of the ninth inning, Sandoval was replaced by Calixte, who scored the eventual game-winning run for the Giants

Marquez went six innings, allowing three runs on eight hits, walking just one and striking out eight and like Cueto, he did not fare in the decision.

The Rockies tied up the game in the top of the eighth inning, as Gerardo Parra hit a double just inside the first base line that scored Gonzalez, who doubled with one out in the inning.

Nolan Arenado nearly gave the Rockies a 4-3 lead, as he hit a Hunter Strickland curveball that was caught Jarrett Parker on the warning track, as Arenado went 0-for-4 on the evening against Giants pitching.

Arenado went 0-for-3 against Cueto, and is now 5-for-32 (.156) in his big-league career.

The Rockies lead for the second wild card dropped to just one game over the surging Milwaukee Brewers, who defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 1-0 at PNC Park.

NOTES: Matt Moore looks for his sixth win of the season, as he takes the mound on Wednesday afternoon, while the Rockies will send eight-game winner Tyler Chatwood to the hill, as the Rockies look for the spilt in this brief two-game series.

This was just the sixth win by the Giants in their last 16 home games, and it was their first back-to-back victories since winning four in a row from August 8-18.

2018 Giants must figure out how to gain ground in the competitive NL West

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Arizona Diamondbacks’ J.D. Martinez (28) is greeted at the plate by Daniel Descalso, left and Paul Goldschmidt after hitting a two-run home run against the San Francisco Giants during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/George Nikitin)

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants are rumored to want to bring back a majority of their 25-man roster, a retooling project as opposed to a rebuilding effort to shape their 2018 squad.

Add a power source, the thinking goes, someone like Giancarlo Stanton, if not Stanton himself, and that big bat in the middle of the order takes the pressure off Brandon Crawford, Buster Posey and others, giving the Giants a competent offense, one at least slightly better than the three-runs-or-less trainwreck of 2017.

But the Giants don’t just need to get better, they need to gain traction within the NL West, a division that’s gone to the Dodgers for a record fifth year in a row, and has two other 2017 postseason qualifiers with staying power in the Rockies and Diamondbacks.

So to recap, the team with the worst record in baseball this season, and the last half of the previous season, is supposed to catch its rivals by tweaking it’s roster.

How’s that supposed to work?

Start with pitching, and that’s where the Dodgers and Diamondbacks have set themselves apart, with both staffs ranked among the top three in baseball. The Dodgers and D’Backs have done it in the manner the Giants intended: with pitching that provides two or more dominant starts every time through the five-man rotation, and a bullpen that protects all leads.

The Giants will need to shave a run off their slightly-below MLB average team ERA (4.59) and come up with two more strikeouts every nine innings to get to where Los Angeles and Arizona are. They may attempt to do that with a bullpen and a starting staff that could return intact, that after the team announced Matt Moore’s option will be picked up despite his 14 losses, and ghastly performances versus NL West competition (1-7, Moore’s only win within the division came on April 10).

“I’ve really enjoyed the city and staff we work with every day, the ballpark and the division,” Moore said when asked if he was excited for the opportunity to return.

The Giants’ aim for 2017 was (prior to the 93 losses and counting) to win low scoring games with pitching and defense. Neither aspects were anywhere close to where they needed to be this season, resulting in the team’s proverbial margin for error being too slim.

Once again, how will that work? Don’t be surprised if the Giants answer by saying a healthy Will Smith, Mark Melancon, Johnny Cueto and Madison Bumgarner minus the dirt bike will suffice.

Offensively, the Giants run counterintuitively to the vast majority of clubs in terms of offensive philosophy with their retention of clutch hitters who don’t necessarily hit the ball out of the park. Thus, the ESPN article a month ago suggesting the club rid itself of nearly its entire everyday lineup in search of hitters with a home run profile.

But the Giants may only tweak here, let’s for now say Stanton or Mike Moustakas (both having career years in home runs) and a plus defender in centerfield in, and Brandon Belt and a reserve outfielder out.

Is that enough bold change to make up the 23 home run gap between the Giants and 29th place Pittsburgh, or the 85 home run difference between the Giants and the Dodgers?

Probably not. For instance, Stanton is likely to finish second or third in the NL MVP race to Arizona’s Paul Goldschmidt and/or Colorado’s Nolan Arenado despite hitting 55 home runs to date. Were Stanton to do something similar for the Giants in 2018, guess what? His contributions could still leave him behind Goldschmidt and Arenado. No slight to Stanton, that’s just reflective of how good the other two are, and how much promise they retain heading into next season.

Again, it’s hard to see how the Giants close the gap so dramatically in such a short period of time. But don’t be surprised if they try.

San Francisco Giants Podcast with Morris Phillips: Giants looking to rebuild in off season; Countdown to a 100 loss season can the Giants do it they need seven to make it

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San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy (15) cracks a smile during batting practice prior to the regular season game between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 13, 2017 at AT&T Park in San Francisco, CA (Photo by Samuel Stringer/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)

On the Giants podcast with Morris:

1 Morris takes a look at what happens with the Giants and what improvements and steps the club takes to improve for the 2018 season

2  It’s countdown to a 100 loss season the Giants with 12 games left in the year need only seven more loses to tie the 1985 Giants for the most loses in one season at 100

3 The Giants open up a two game series with the Colorado Rockies beginning Tuesday night at Coors Field. The Rockies still playing for something while the Giants will play the role of spoiler.

There’s much more on the Giants podcast with Morris take a listen at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Mr. Intense: Vogelsong’s impact on the Giants bigger than his numbers

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San Francisco Giants pitcher Ryan Vogelsong waves from the mound before the start of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017, in San Francisco. Vogelsong took the mound and then retired as a San Francisco Giant. (AP Photo/George Nikitin)

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Ryan Vogelsong was back. But his signature intensity was not.

The then 39-year old former Giants pitcher attempted to extend his big league career one more season by accepting a spring training invite from the Twins. But when it became apparent that he wouldn’t make the Opening Day roster, Vogelsong checked out, and all the passion and intensity that drove his unlikely career arc went away as well.

“I pretty much checked out mentally,” he said. “And I knew when I checked out mentally, it was time.”

After seven seasons with the Giants, and nine more in a whole bunch of other places, Vogelsong was done, bringing him to Sunday, when the Giants opted to honor the reliever turned starter for all his service. The club and the pitcher had different ideas on what should be included in the pre-game ceremony.

The Giants offered to sign Vogelsong and have him pitch in a Giants uniform one final time. But Vogelsong, now 40, passed, not wanting to disrupt the sanctity of the game.

So instead, Vogelsong threw out the first pitch, donning an entire uniform, and received a lengthy ovation from the AT&T Park crowd, including his gregarious wife, Nicole and son, Ryder. Emotional and heartfelt, the moment matched the intensity of the pitcher’s career.

Vogelsong was drafted by the Giants in 1998, and made his big league debut in 2001 as a reliever. Midway through the 2002 season, Vogelsong was part of the trade that brought Jason Schmidt to San Francisco in advance of the club’s World Series appearance that fall.

Injuries derailed Vogelsong in Pittsburgh with the Pirates, and his oddysey through Japan and the minor leagues commenced, taking him away from the major leagues for four seasons. In 2011, the pitcher resurfaced, earning a roster spot with the Giants, and going on to win 13 games as a starter. That season, Vogelsong also earned his one All-Star appearance as a more than capable fill-in for the injured Matt Cain.

In 2012, Vogelsong won 14 games, and made three postseason starts, as the Giants won all three on their way to a World Series crown.

Throughout the championship season, Vogelsong labored, pitching with traffic on the bases, refusing to give in, and more often than not finding an escape before trouble surfaced. The quintessential fifth starter, Vogey labored while his more talented rotation mates cruised. But the pitcher earned the respect of his teammates and coaches with his tenacity and willingness to contribute however manager Bruce Bochy saw fit.

“He was very popular in the clubhouse but you saw a different look when it was his day to pitch, and how he competed,” Bochy said.

 

Ex-Giant Ryan Vogelsong retires, Giants avoid sweep with big 7-2 win over Dbacks

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San Francisco Giants pitcher Chris Stratton throws to the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/George Nikitin)

By: Ana Kieu

SAN FRANCISCO — Ryan Vogelsong retired on the same mound where it all began and the San Francisco Giants avoided a sweep with a 7-2 blowout win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at AT&T Park Sunday afternoon.

Chris Stratton and Taijuan Walker engaged in an impressive pitcher’s duel, but Pablo Sandoval snapped the scoreless deadlock in the bottom of the fourth inning. Sandoval was out on a sacrifice fly to David Peralta. Austin Slater scored to put the Giants on the board 1-0.

The Giants scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning for a 4-0 lead. Slater drew a walk that scored Stratton. Brandon Crawford followed with a sacrifice fly to score Denard Span. Jarrett Parker then grounded into a force out that scored Joe Panik.

J.D. Martinez cut the lead in half in the top of the sixth inning with a two-run homer to center field to score Paul Goldschmidt. Martinez’s two-run jack was his 40th of the season and 24th with the Diamondbacks.

Sandoval homered on a fly ball to left center to extend the Giants’ lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Kelby Tomlinson was out on a sacrifice fly to Martinez. Panik scored to expand the Giants’ lead to 6-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning.

After flying into a force out, Sandoval picked up an RBI single that scored Slater. The Giants took a 7-2 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning.

The Giants (58-93) blew out the Diamondbacks (87-63) with a lopsided 7-2 victory at home.

Notes
Ryan Vogelsong took the mound for one last time at AT&T Park. He retired as a Giant today. He officially ended his 12-year Major League Baseball career that began on September 2, 2000.

Pablo Sandoval ripped a home run off Jorge De La Rosa for his his first right-handed home run in three years.

Orlando Cepeda turned 80 years old today.

On this day in 1997, the Giants beat the Dodgers 2-1 to move a game behind Los Angeles-NL in the National League West. Barry Bonds hit a two-run homer and Kirk Rueter allowed just one run over seven innings of work for the win.

Up Next
The Giants have a much-needed off day before returning to action Tuesday for a two-game series against the Colorado Rockies. Game 1 starts at 7:15 p.m. PST on NSBA, ATRM.

Diamondbacks continue momentum, top Giants 2-0

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Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda waves to fans prior to the San Francisco Giants’ baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By: Ana Kieu

SAN FRANCISCO — Despite it being Orlando Cepeda bobblehead night, the San Francisco Giants were unable to get a win, falling 2-0 to the Arizona Diamondbacks at AT&T Park Saturday night.

The Diamondbacks jumped out to an early 2-0 lead when Paul Goldschmidt hit his 35th home run of the season in the top of the first inning.

The Giants continued to trail the Diamondbacks 2-0 as a 1-2-3 ended the fifth inning.

Madison Bumgarner (3-9) ended his night on the mound after going seven innings. He gave up two runs on seven hits. He also tallied one walk and six strikeouts.

Batting ninth, Cory Gearrin replaced Bumgarner to start the eighth inning. Gearrin was then replaced by Nick Hundley in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Batting ninth, Sam Dyson replaced Gearrin to start the ninth inning.

Not only were the Giants’ pitching substitutions time consuming, they also didn’t help at all. The Diamondbacks shutout the Giants 2-0 in the middle game of the series. Zach Greinke (17-6) picked up the win.

Notes
Giants Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda celebrated his 80th birthday. Moreover, the club shared a large birthday cake in the press room in honor of the special celebration.

Giants signaled their intention to exercise Matt Moore’s $9 million option for 2018. The team has a $10 million option for 2019.

Up Next
The Giants conclude the three-game series with a rubber match Sunday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. PST on ESPN, NSBA and FSAZ.