Category: San Francisco Giants

Nats beat Giants 3-1; Harper injures knee on wet bag from rain before ball game

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Washington Nationals’ Bryce Harper grabs his knee after he was injured running to first during the first inning of the team’s baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Saturday, August 12, 2017

The good news for the Washington Nationals on Saturday is that they continued their winning ways with a 3-1 verdict over visiting San Francisco.

The bad news is that Nationals’ star Bryce Harper suffered a knee injury. After a long rain delay, Harper hyperextended his left knee while stepping on a wet first base bag.

Washington manager Dusty Baker said Harper would undergo an MRI on Sunday. After the game, Harper was limping, but able to walk. Harper was hitting .327 with 29 home runs and 87 runs batted in playing in 105 games this season.

Harper was running out a ground ball to the right side of the infield in the first inning when the injury occurred. He was trying to avoid contact with San Francisco first baseman Ryder Jones.

The game started after 10 p.m. EDT following a three-hour rain delay. The rain continued when Harper was injured. Because this is the Giants’ final scheduled visit to D.C, this season, MLB had the final call on whether or not to play the game.

Friday’s series opener was rained out and rescheduled for Sunday as part of a day-night doubleheader. With the Nationals leading the NL East by 14 ½ games and the Giants in the NL West basement, the games have no impact on the pennant race. The games could, however, have an effect on who gets home field advantage in the playoffs.

The Nationals got their offense in the game from RBI doubles by Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Lind, and an RBI single by Daniel Murphy, all off Giants starter Jeff Samardzija (7-12).

Washington right-hander Edwin Jackson (3-2) gave up one earned run on five hits and struck out five in six innings. Then, the Nationals got to show off their overhauled bullpen, as Brandon Kintzler, and ex-A’s Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle, shut down the Giants over the last three innings.

Giants road opener rained out in Washington

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Daniel Baker, left, and Taylor Triggs, of Arlington, Va., wait under the concourse during a rain delay of a baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and the Washington Nationals, Friday, Aug. 11, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

By Jeremy Kahn

After winning two out of three against the defending World Champion Chicago Cubs to close out a winning home stand, the San Francisco Giants headed east to face the Washington Nationals.

Following an off day in the Nation’s Captiol, the first game of the six-game road trip was postponed due to rain.

The game that was supposed to start at 7:05 (Eastern Time) was finally called after a nearly three-hour delay.

Now with the rainout, the game will be made as part of a day-night doubleheader on Sunday between the Giants and the Nationals.

The first game of the doubleheader will start at 10:05 (Pacific Time), and the second game will begin at 4:05 (Pacific Time).

San Francisco Giants preview: Giants look to keep fight going all set for series starting in Washington

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AP File Photo May 29, 2017: After being hit by a pitch, Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper (34) approaches San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Hunter Strickland (60) on the mound. San Francisco Giants first baseman Michael Morse (38), second baseman Joe Panik (12) (obscured) and starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija (29) arrive to break up the fight that broke out during the eighth inning in a MLB baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the San Francisco Giants on Memorial Day at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California. Valerie Shoaps/CSM(Credit Image: © Valerie Shoaps/CSM via ZUMA Wire) (Cal Sport Media via AP Images

By Jeremy Harness

 The last time the Giants and the Nationals saw each other, Hunter Strickland drilled Bryce Harper with a fastball, and Harper responded by charging the mound, igniting a benches-clearing incident that saw plenty of tempers flaring.

 It also put one player, Michael Morse, on the disabled list with no real timetable for his return.

 The upcoming series itself, which starts Friday night at Nationals Park in Washington, is not expected to be much of a contest, although the Giants did take two of three from the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs this week.

 The Nationals have pretty much run away with the National League East at this point, and the only thing they are really competing for right now is the NL’s best record. However, they are fighting an uphill battle there, as the Los Angeles Dodgers have a 12-game lead for that top spot.

 The Giants, meanwhile, are enduring a season that they would rather soon forget, as only the Philadelphia Phillies have a worse record in the National League, as they currently sport a 46-70 record.

 The only real intrigue is whether the bad feelings will rear its ugly head again if a player gets hit by a pitch, or if someone slides into a base too aggressively, etc. In that case, it could very well turn into Strickland v. Harper II.

 As for Friday’s opener, Chris Stratton (0-2, 6.63 ERA) will take the hill for the Giants, to be opposite Washington righty Edwin Jackson (2-2, 4.34 ERA).

 In his last outing, Stratton went five innings and surrendered a pair of earned runs on five hits, walking four and striking out another four in a no-decision last Saturday. In the outing before that, he pitched the final four innings of an 11-3 win over Pittsburgh, getting credited with a save in the process.

 Jackson, on the other hand, got tagged with a loss in his last start, a 7-4 loss to the Cubs that saw him give up four runs on six hits, striking out eight but not walking a single batter.

 

As it was envisioned: Giants play their game in 3-1 win over the Cubs

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San Francisco Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval dives to stop a ground ball hit by the Chicago Cubs’ Ben Zobrist in the fifth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2017, in San Francisco. Sandoval stopped the ball and threw Zobrist out at first base. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Think back to spring training–before the 70 losses with almost two months remaining. A healthy, capable Giants club was supposed to look like this, especially on a heavy-aired afternoon at AT&T.

Pitch, play defense and get the big outs late. Offense? Scratch together a couple of runs, nothing spectacular. Just steady.

On Wednesday, it worked just like they envisioned, right down to Mad Bum actually winning one for a change.

In the other dugout, Joe Maddon was concerned, but not overly so. His Cubs were 16-8 post All-Star break and prior to Wednesday’s 3-1 loss to the Giants. But when he expressed what was missing from his team’s effort, it sounded a lot like what suddenly crawled into the Giants’ dugout.

“We haven’t played well. We haven’t played with the same kind of efficiency,” Maddon said.

“Pitching, great. Again, defense we still have to make plays. And overall, offensively we need more consistency out of more people to get this whole thing done.”

Each Giants’ position starter had one hit. The resurgent Hunter Pence had two. “Wawindaji” homered off Pedro Strop in the eighth inning for a nice piece of insurance in a 2-1 game. “Wawindaji” is Pence’s nickname (Hunter in Swahili) that will appear on his Players Weekend uniform in the upcoming series at Washington.

The placement of the way-out nickname on an actual game jersey is also a sure sign that Pence’s play has picked up. The right fielder hit over .300 on the completed home stand, and including the two games in Oakland.

Pablo Sandoval looked nifty ranging to his left. Denard Span and Ryder Jones contributed “small ball” hits in the seventh that allowed the Giants to break the 1-1 tie. And Bumgarner was tough on a lineup that’s been more than capable against ordinary lefties this season (19-9 after Wednesday’s loss).

Coming off that serious biking accident, Bumgarner had a long road, not just to get healthy, but to regain his status among the National League’s best starters. Bochy’s cast a discerning eye in the process. Here’s how he saw Bumgarner’s effort.

“His stuff’s the same. His command, everything is right there. He pitched very well today. He made the one mistake there, but he hasn’t changed a bit,” Bochy said.

The one mistake–a third inning home run surrendered to Albert Almora Jr.–would mark the only time a Cub crossed the plate all afternoon. Bumgarner threw seven innings, allowed four singles and the Almora homer while striking out seven.

Hunter Strickland pitched a scoreless eighth, and Sam Dyson, the reliever rescued from the scrap heap after a rough first half with the Rangers picked up save number eight.

The Giants resume play in Washington on Friday night, the first of a six-game road trip. The team will also visit the Marlins in Miami.

 

 

San Francisco Giants Podcast with Michael Duca: Giants maybe out of hunt but clubhouse attitude is never better than before

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Today’s starting pitcher San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner shown here throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the second inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Friday, Aug. 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

On the Giants Podcast with Miguel:

1 Watching the Giants last night you would have never known they were a last place club. With a three run home run by Buster Posey in the first and pitcher Ty Blach going seven innings, giving up seven hits and two runs against the World Champion Cubs

2 Cubs are in the same spot they were last season in first but they are not playing as strong as they did last season

3 The Cubs who got an inside the ball park home at AT&T Park from Javier Baez on Monday night it was the first inside the park homer at AT&T by a visiting club since the Rockies Brandon Barnes did it in 2014 and the last Giant to hit one at AT&T was Kelby Tomlinson who did it in 2015.

4 Cubs and Giants do battle once more at AT&T this afternoon with Hendricks starting for the Cubs 4-4 and Madison Bumgarner for San Francisco 1-5 as Mad Bum is looking for his second win

5 Some of the Giants wins at AT&T Park have been from getting some good pitching and using the park to the pitcher’s advantage

Michael Duca does the Giants podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Blach dominant in win surrenders only two runs to Cubs; Posey blasts three HR in 6-3 Giants victory

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San Francisco Giants pitcher Ty Blach throws against the Chicago Cubs during the fourth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-This maybe not the same San Francisco Giants team that won three World Series in seven years, but you will never hear them say that they are just playing for pride.

Buster Posey hit a three-run home run just over the left-center field wall in the bottom of the first inning and just out of the reach of Albert Almora, Jr., as the Giants hung on to defeat the Chicago Cubs 6-3 before a crowd of 39,864 at AT&T Park.

Posey’s three-run home run also scored Gorkys Hernandez, who led off the inning with a single and just prior to Posey’s 12th home run of the season, Hunter Pence reached on a Javier Baez fielding error.

Ty Blach won for the second game in a row, as he followed up his quality start against the Oakland A’s by pitching seven innings, allowing two runs on seven hits, while walking one and striking out three and he won for the eighth time against seven losses.

Blach helped himself out in the bottom of the fourth inning, as he drove in that all important fourth run for the Giants to score Brandon Crawford, who singled with one out.

Jon Jay got the Cubs on the board in the top of the fifth inning, as he grounded out to Joe Panik and Jason Heyward came across the plate much to the delight of the Cubs fans in attendance on this Candlestick Park type night in San Francisco.

Heyward singled to lead off the inning, then went to second on a Baez single and then the two advanced an additional 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt by Jose Quintana.

The Cubs added another run in the top of the fifth inning, as Wilson Contreras doubled and then Ian Happ followed up with a double of his own to cut the Giants lead in half.

Quintana went six innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits, walking one and striking out three and is now 2-2 since being acquired from the Chicago White Sox on July 13.

The Giants scored that all important insurance run in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Kelby Tomlinson led off the inning with a single, went to third on a pinch hit single by Pablo Sandoval and then scored on a Panik Fielders’ Choice.

That all important fifth run was huge for the Giants, as the Cubs scored a run in the top of the eighth inning. Kris Bryant led off the inning with a single, after an Anthony Rizzo pop out, Willson Contreras reached on a Panik Fielding Error.

Bryant then scored on a Happ sacrifice fly and on the play, Contreras advanced to second on a Jarrett Parker throwing error; however, Hunter Strickland completed his only inning of work by getting Kyle Schwarber to pop out to Crawford to end the inning and the threat.

Posey stole his fifth base of the season in the bottom of the eighth inning, and then scored on a Crawford’s second hit of the night.

NOTES: Madison Bumgarner closes out the series and the home stand on Wednesday, as he looks for his second win of the season for the Giants. The Cubs will send Kyle Hendricks to the mound, as he looks to go over the .500 mark and raise his record to 5-4 on the season.

This was just the Giants third win in their last 10 games versus the Cubs, and they put an end to a four-game losing streak against the Cubs.

Since the All-Star break, the Cubs are now 16-8, for the second-best record in the majors after the break, trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are 18-4 since the July 10 All-Star Game at Marlins Park in Miami.

An interesting note on Baez’s inside-the-park home run from Monday night. It was the third inside-the-park home run by a Cubs player against the Giants, and all three have come in different ballparks.

Tony Taylor hit an inside-the-park home run on July 1, 1958 at Wrigley Field, then Chico Walker hit an inside-the-park grand slam on August 28, 1991 at Candlestick Park, the last inside-the-park grand slam by a Cubs and then last night’s Baez two-run inside-the-park home run.

Cubs clutch again in their return to AT&T Park as defending World Champs

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Chicago Cubs’ Javier Baez, left, slides past San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey to score on an inside-the-park home run during the second inning of a baseball game, Monday, Aug. 7, 2017, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–It’s been the better part of a year since the Cubs and Giants last met with the stakes at their highest. Neither team is anywhere near where they were in the 2016 NLDS, but the one difference between the two clubs is a big one.

The Cubs have hope for the remainder of this season. The Giants.. not so much.

On Monday, Cubs starter Jake Arrieta wasn’t much better than the scuffling Matt Moore. And the Giants power game wasn’t absent, in fact their four doubles and Ryder Jones’ first-ever, big league home run outpaced the Cubs’ homer and a triple.

But the Cubs made winning plays, and Arrieta got the big outs leading Chicago to a 5-3 win. And a win was all the Cubs needed to increase their narrow lead in the NL Central, and inch further away from just being the most noteworthy team hoovering around the .500 mark.

And where have we seen elements of the clutch Cubs and faltering Giants previously? Cubs’ manager Joe Maddon knew as soon as he arrived on Monday.

“First of all, no time elapsed. What was it, nine months ago?” Maddon said before the game, referring to the Cubs’ miraculous, four-run, ninth inning rally that took them past the Giants, 6-5, in Game 4 of last season’s NLDS. “It’s incredible how, we as humans, time just evaporates. The nine months evaporated. It was like we had just walked in yesterday.”

Maddon went on to say that win was the key to the Cubs erasing their century-long championship drought. The win on Monday might have some greater significance as well. The Cubs got stunned late by the Nationals on Sunday at Wrigley Field, and saw their lead over the Brewers remain precarious.

And then the Giants provided a path, uniquely off the outfield wall in Triples Alley.

After Jason Heyward singled with two outs in the second inning of a scoreless game, Javier Baez sent a shot into right center field that caromed offensively past Carlos Moncrief toward the right field foul line. That sent the speedy Baez into overdrive rounding second base, and given the green light from third base coach Gary Jones, all the way to home plate.

But Moncrief, the powerfully built rookie, recovered and unleashed a monster of a throw–over 300 feet–to the plate. With catcher Buster Posey applying a swipe tag, the sliding Baez was safe–barely.

“That’s Bo Jackson-arm stuff right there,” Maddon said.

A great play by both players and Posey with the tag, but the significance to each club? Like a night and day difference.

The Cubs’ highlight play of the game plated two runs, and those would become the margin of victory. The Giants’ big play–Moncrief’s monster of a throw–neither scored a run or produced an out.

Matt Moore surrendered Baez’ shot, and took the loss, his 12th of an increasingly rough season. Moore has won just once in his last 14 starts, and Bochy pointed to the pitcher’s epic struggles with left handed hitters, who are hitting .380 against him. On Monday, Moore allowed six of his eight hits to lefty batters.

“He’s really good at times,” Bochy said. “And then he makes mistakes.”

Arrieta continued to right his season, after a rough middle part in which he was beaten in consecutive road starts at Boston, Denver and St. Louis. California is more to the 31-year old’s liking where he’s 7-1 in his last nine starting assignments dating back to August 2015.

Arrieta admitted to not being at his best physically on Monday, but his approach proved correct.

“Gave up some hard hits, but afterwards I was able to spin the ball and get some guys out,” he said. “You want to pitch to contact in this ballpark.”

The Giants offer Ty Blach on Tuesday in a battle of lefties. Jose Quintana gets the start for the Cubs.

 

 

 

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: Gillaspie outrighted to Triple A Sacramento; With the Panda back has that rejuvenated the clubhouse?

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AP File Photo: Cincinnati Reds’ Billy Hamilton is caught stealing and tagged out by San Francisco Giants third baseman Conor Gillaspie during the fifth inning of a baseball game Sunday, May 7, 2017, in Cincinnati. Third base umpire Paul Nauert makes the out call. (AP Photo/Michael E. Keating)

On the Giants Podcast with Morris:

1 Has the addition of Pablo Sandoval to the Giants who have now won two straight games, not it’s not like their going to chase the Dodgers winning record but it seems ever since Sandoval got back to San Francisco they’ve had a little bit of a bounce in their step.

2 Sandoval sat on Sunday but you almost can feel a change of energy in the clubhouse and on the field upon his return to SF

3 The Giants also outrighted third baseman Conor Gillaspie who cleared waviers and accepted an assignment at Triple A affiliate Sacramento

4 The Arizona Diamondbacks who lost two out of  three to the Giants are in the hunt for a wild card spot and the Giants played spoilers over the weekend against the D-Backs

5.The Giants play one of the NL’s best tonight the Chicago Cubs at AT&T Park starting Monday night. The Cubs will be starting Jake Arrietta and he’ll be matched up against the Giants Matt Moore 3-11

Morris Phillips does the Giants podcast each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

Don’t look at the standings, just play: Giants win, capture series over the Diamondbacks

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San Francisco Giants’ Gorkys Hernandez, top, dives safely over Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Daniel Descalso on his double during the fifth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017. Also pictured is third baseman Jake Lamb (22). (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Don’t even look at the standings. From a Giants-Dodgers’ rivalry standpoint, the view couldn’t be worse from a San Francisco perspective. Consider this, Giants’ fan: the Dodgers have won as many games (43) in their last 50 contests, as the Giants have won all year (112 games prior to Sunday).

Wow.

Given that, keep the perspective on the field, and the Giants looked good there on Sunday, responding quickly to an early deficit, then racing past the Diamondbacks, 6-3. Jeff Samardzija diverted from his heavy strikeout, light walk persona, but still pitched effectively to win his third, consecutive start.

The undesignated company spokesman of the minute, Samardzija gets it. First, he made it clear that trade rumors weren’t for him, he wants to remain with the Giants. Then, he backed it up with wins over the Pirates, A’s and on Sunday, the Diamondbacks. Three straight wins, after the 32-year old pitcher was a loser in 11 of his first 20 starts of the season.

“We have a unique opportunity to get better, and see what some young guys can do,” Samardzija said.  “We want to win ballgames every day. That’s our goal.”

Against Arizona, Samardzija had help in that quest from three of those youngsters in Jarrett Parker, Albert Suarez and Gorkys Hernandez. Hernandez went from mindless to opportunistic in seconds after he doubled in the fifth, and turned the corner looking for three. But by the time Hernandez picked up third base coach Phil Nevin with the stop sign, he was already in no man’s land. But when Daniel Descalso dropped the ball in the run down, Hernandez went over the top of Descalso, which prevented the infielder from grabbing the ball, and got Hernandez back to second base like a gymnast.

“No gymnastics,” Hernandez said with a laugh, when asked if he had a background in tumbling.

Later in the fifth, Nick Hundley’s two-out, two-strike single back through the middle, scored Henandez and Samardzija, increasing the Giants’ lead to 6-2. Hernandez, according to Chronicle beat writer Henry Schulman, the team’s most improved player over the 113 games of this season, could be a dark horse candidate to assume the centerfield job from Denard Span. Hernandez had a double and two runs scored on Sunday.

Parker’s contributions came in two, big slabs, first his two-run homer in the second that gave the Giants their first lead.  And then in the fourth, Parker threw out J.D. Martinez at the plate to maintain the team’s two-run lead. On Saturday, Parker made a nice, sliding catch, and came up with the game-ending base hit in 10th inning. After two rehabs, and three months away from the club, could Parker be making his bid to be the starting left fielder in 2018? Apparently so.

Suarez came on in the seventh, as Bruce Bochy’s third pitcher of that inning, and retired A.J. Pollock to end that frame. Then the usual long man stuck around to get the final, six outs and record his first save. Still ramping it up there in the mid 90’s at the conclusion, Suarez also seems ready for a bigger role. Bochy agreed, but loves Suarez in the role he now fills.

“He saves the bullpen,” Bochy said of Suarez.

The Giants welcome the Cubs on Monday with Matt Moore facing Jake Arrieta at 7:08pm, a slightly earlier start time for the ESPN national broadcast.

 

 

Parker wins it via walk-off in extras for 5-4 SF win

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San Francisco Giants’ Jarrett Parker watches the winning run score on his infield single while Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt waits on the late relay during the 10th inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017, in San Francisco. The Giants won 5-4. (AP Photo/D. Ross Cameron)

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-On the night where Pablo Sandoval makes his return to the San Francisco Giants, the Giants won in dramatic fashion.

Jarrett Parker hit an infield single that scored Denard Span from third in the bottom of the 10th inning, as the Giants came back from a 4-0 deficit to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-4 in 10 innings before a crowd of 39,532 at AT&T Park.

Span got the inning started with a double, then Kelby Tomlinson was intentionally walked; however, Brandon Crawford hit into a double play and then after Buster Posey also received an intentional walk and went to second on defensive indifference, Parker lashed a single up the middle and the throw to first base.

Things did not start well for the Giants, as the Diamondbacks jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead and then lengthened it to 4-0 before the Giants started their comeback.

The Diamondbacks loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the first inning against Giants starting pitcher Chris Stratton.

Paul Goldschmidt hit a sacrifice fly that David Peralta from third base, after Peralta led off the game with a single.

J.D. Martinez continued his hot hitting since being acquired from the Detroit Tigers, as he doubled to left field to score A.J. Pollock; however, on the play, Jake Lamb was thrown out at the plate on a great throw from Brandon Crawford at shortstop.

Crawford got a perfect throw from Jarett Parker before throwing to Nick Hundley, who tagged out Lamb.

Taijuan Walker pitched a great game for the Diamondbacks, as he went six innings, allowing three runs on six hits, while not walking a batter and striking out six and helped himself at the plate, as he singled and reached on a Brandon Crawford fielding error.

Walker scored the Diamondbacks third run of the game, as he crossed the plate on a Crawford fielding error off the bat of Pollock in the top of the fifth inning.

The Diamondbacks added a run in the top of the sixth inning, as Jeff Mathis scored on a Peralta single.

Sandoval got a huge seventh inning rally started in the bottom of the seventh inning, as he led off the inning with a double and then scored on a Parker double and then Hunter Pence hit his ninth home run of the season and first at home to cut the Diamondbacks lead down to just one.

Stratton lasted just five innings, allowing three run (two earned) on five hits, while walking four and striking out four and like Walker, he took a no-decision.

NOTES: Jeff Samardzija takes the ball on Sunday afternoon, as he goes for his seventh win of the season. The Diamondbacks will send Patrick Corbin to the hill, as he looks for his ninth win.

Pence’s home run in the seventh inning against the Diamondbacks, the Giants homerless streak against the Diamondbacks at home is ended at 266. The last home run prior to Pence’s two-run home run by a Giants player was Grant Green against Robbie Ray on July 10, 2016.

George Kontos was picked by the Pittsburgh Pirates on waivers, and he will report to the team

on Monday.

It just felt like six years of memories piled up on my shoulders real quick,” Kontos said while cleaning out his locker.”

Brandon Belt was placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list, and his spot on the roster was taken by Stratton.

He’s been through this before,” Bruce Bochy said. “He did say he felt better in the early going than he has before. But these things are hard to figure out.”

Bochy added “He said last night, ‘I plan on being out seven days and coming right back.'”

Prior to the game, the Giants honored the 1997 team that won the National League West over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Players, coaches and executives from that team got together for a reunion and it was a treat to see them.

Rich Aurilia, Marvin Benard, Barry Bonds, Jacob Cruz, Shawn Estes, Mark Gardner, Brian Johnson, Jim Poole, Joe Roa, Rich Rodriguez, Kirk Rueter, J.T. Snow, Julian Tavarez, Jose Vizcaino and Stacey Beck, the wife of the late Rod Beck were all in attendance. Also in attendance, was former Assistant General Manager Ned Colletti, former Public Relations Director Bob Rose, then first base coach Carlos Alfonso and then third base coach Sonny Jackson.