Category: San Francisco Giants

San Diego Padres’ Cory Spangenberg, center, greets teammates Hector Sanchez, right, and Wil Myers, second from right, after hitting a three-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 16, 2017, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Sunday, July 16, 2017

Home runs by Hector Sanchez and Cory Spangenberg sparked San Diego’s offense in a 7-1 NL West victory over the San Francisco Giants Sunday before a crowd of 30,561 at Petco Park.

Sanchez cranked a 421-foot, three-run home run to deep right center in the bottom of the first inning off Giants starter Jeff Samardzija. Spangenberg later scored on an RBI double by Erick Aybar. It was the ex-Giant’s second big home run in less than 24 hours against his former team.

The Giants got a run back in the top of the second on back-to-back doubles by Brandon Crawford and Buster Posey.

But in the bottom of the third, Spangenberg hit a three-run blast to deep center, driving in Wil Myers and Sanchez.

Samardzija (4-11) worked six innings, giving up all seven of the Padres’ earned runs. He also struck out eight, walked two, and gave up nine hits. Relievers Kyle Crick and Josh Osich finished up.

Padres starter Trevor Cahill (4-3) scattered eight hits in 6 2/3 innings, struck out eight and walked one in a brisk, 2-hour, 43-minute game. It was the first win since May 8 for Cahill, who spent a month and a half on the DL with an injured shoulder.

While the Giants remain in the NL West cellar, Samardzija is tied with Tyler Chatwood for most losses in the National League with 11 each.

Brandon Belt was held out of the Giants’ lineup due to a sprained left wrist. As a result, Posey was moved to first base, Nick Hundley caught and Hunter Pence was moved to the No. 6 slot in the batting order.

The Giants return home to begin a three-game interleague series against Cleveland on Monday night.

San Diego Padres’ Hector Sanchez celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a two-run walk-off home run against the San Francisco Giants during a baseball game Saturday, July 15, 2017, in San Diego. The Padres won 5-3.(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Saturday, July 15, 2017

Backup catcher Hector Sanchez took advantage of a rare start behind the plate for San Diego Saturday, belting a two-run, walk-off home run lifting the Padres past San Francisco 5-3 at Petco Park.

The ex-Giant’s game-winner was his fourth homer of the season. The first three came as a pinch-hitter.

Madison Bumgarner made his first start for the Giants since returning from a nearly three-month stay on the disabled list after suffering a left shoulder injury in a dirt bike accident. Bumgarner, who worked seven innings, struck out the side in the first inning and retired the first seven batters he faced.

Bumgarner appeared to pick up his All-Star form. The veteran left-hander gave up three runs on four hits, struck out five and issued two walks while throwing 102 pitches.

Padres reliever Brandon Maurer (1-4) picked up the win in San Diego’s sixth victory in its last nine games. Losing pitcher Cory Gearrin (3-3) faced only one batter but took the loss.

Gearrin gave up a base hit to Jabari Blash, who scored the winning run on the Sanchez home run, sending San Francisco to its sixth loss its last eight games.

San Diego starter Jhoulys Chacin worked six innings, giving up three runs on six hits, striking out four and walking four. He failed to win his third straight start.

Joe Panik tied the game for the Giants at 3-3 with a solo home run in the sixth inning, his sixth round-tripper of the season.

Blash earlier gave the Padres a 3-2 lead with a two-run, 424-foot shot in the fourth inning. It was Blash’s second homer of the year, and his first since April 25. He was called up from Triple-A El Paso on Friday.

Matt Szczur homered in the third inning off Bumgarner for San Diego.

Prior to the game, San Francisco placed right-hander Johnny Cueto on the disabled list to address blisters on his throwing hand. Giants manager Bruce Bochy told the media he’s hopeful Cueto will miss only two starts. Matt Cain, who was headed to the bullpen, will return to the Giants rotation while Cueto is on the mend.

San Francisco Giants’ Buster Posey watches his home run during the seventh inning of the baseball game against the San Diego Padres on Friday, July 14, 2017, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Friday, July 14, 2017

Denard Span drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the sixth, Buster Posey’s solo home run put the Giants ahead to stay, and San Francisco held on for a 5-4 NL West win at San Diego’s Petco Park over the Padres.

San Francisco snapped a four-game losing streak in this matchup involving the two worst teams in the division – the Giants are mired in last place, while San Diego is four games ahead of them in fourth place.

After Johnny Cueto struggled in the first four innings, middle reliever Corey Gearrin (3-2) threw a scoreless fifth and was the pitcher of record when San Francisco surged ahead in the sixth.

From there, George Kontos, Steven Okert and Hunter Strickland combined to toss three scoreless innings before Sam Dyson gave up a run in the ninth, but earned his fourth save.

After pinch-hitter Miguel Gomez tied the game at 3-3 with a sacrifice fly in the sixth, Span’s two-out single put the Giants up 4-3 and chased Padres starter Clayton Richard (5-9).

With one out in the seventh, Posey – the National League’s starting catcher in the All-Star Game – blasted an estimated 429-foot shot to center for his 11th home run of the season and his first since June 22. Posey also had an RBI single in the first inning.

Gorkys Hernandez collected a career-high four hits and scored a run for San Francisco. Run-scoring singles by Posey and Cueto in the second inning gave the Giants a 2-0 lead.

Cueto departed after surrendering three runs and six hits in four innings, with five strikeouts and three walks.

On Saturday, left-hander Madison Biumgarner (0-3, 3.00) is slated for a return to the Giants’ rotation after spending three months on his first career visit to the disabled list. Bumgarner suffered a sprained left shoulder in a dirt bike accident on April 20.

AP File Photo: San Francisco Giants’ Madison Bumgarner sits with catcher Tim Federowicz before pitching in his first rehab assignment with the Sacramento River Cats in a baseball game against the Fresno Grizzlies on Friday June 30, 2017, in West Sacramento, Calif. (Jose Luis Villegas/The Sacramento Bee via AP)

By Jeremy Harness

 SAN FRANCISCO–There are a couple bits of good news to arise from the All-Star break. For one, the dreadful first half that the Giants just went through is now over, and it is time to look forward to the second half of the season in order to salvage some dignity.

 Secondly, Madison Bumgarner will soon be back in the starting rotation, which will be a more-than-welcome sight for the Giants and their fans.

 Now the bad news: The Giants have the second-worst record in the major leagues and currently sit in last place in the National League West with a 34-56 record, a place the Giants are not accustomed to, to say the very least.

 The team that the Giants are directly under at this point, the San Diego Padres, will be waiting for them at San Diego’s Petco Park for a three-game series that starts Friday night.

 Right-handed starter Johnny Cueto, who is rumored to be on the trading block – particularly given the fact that he has an opt-out clause in his contract that goes into effect at the end of this season, will take the mound Friday night.

 His last start was not a memorable one by any means. Four days ago, he was taken advantage of by the Miami Marlins, as he surrendered six runs on six hits, as he also walked six batters while striking out only two. He currently owns a less-than-stellar 6-7 record with a 4.51 ERA.

 He will be up against Padres lefty Clayton Richard (5-8, 4.66 ERA), who is coming off an outing during which he gave up only a single run on five hits over six innings of work.

 Bumgarner will make his highly-anticipated return to the bigs the following afternoon, and he will go head up with righty Jhoulys Chacin, who owns an 8-7 mark with a 4.32 ERA. He is also riding a two-start winning streak, during which he gave up only a run and seven hits combined.

 

AP File Photo: San Francisco Giants executive vice president of baseball operations Brian Sabean during an MLB National League Division Series Game 3 Baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and the San Francisco Giants Sunday October 10, 2016 at the AT&T Park, San Francisco Ca. The San Francisco Giants defeated the Chicago Cubs 6-5. (Bill Nichols Images via AP)

By Jeremy Harness

SAN FRANCISCO–Brian Sabean executive vice president of the San Francisco Giants recently came out and said that the Giants’ season thus far has been “embarrassing,” and that his team has suddenly forgotten how to win.

 Who can blame him?

 Outside of the Philadelphia Phillies, the Giants have been the laughingstock of the major leagues. They currently own the second-worst record in baseball, which is even more astonishing considering that this team was in the postseason last year.

 And oh yeah, there’s that whole three-championships-in-five-years thing.

 Let’s cut to the chase here. Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, Joe Panik and Madison Bumgarner aren’t going anywhere any time soon, since one has cemented his legacy as a World Series hero and one of the greatest playoff pitchers in history, one is a budding star and the other stars are locked into long-term deals.

 Meanwhile, right fielder Hunter Pence and reliever Mark Melancon have full no-trade clauses, so they will be sticking around as well, while Brandon Belt is under contract for four more guaranteed years.

 Now there are some familiar names who could be playing for other teams by the end of this season, including starter Johnny Cueto as well as Matt Cain.

 Cueto may be the first to go. The righty is technically signed for four more years at $21 million per season, but he can opt out after this season and receive a buyout. He has expressed a desire to return to the American League to finish his career, and with the way things are going now, it’s hard to believe that Cueto would want to hang around this rapidly-sinking ship.

 Cain could follow him out the door. That is, if anyone wants him at this point.

 Cain’s gigantic six-year, $127.5 million deal comes to an end after this season, and even though a $21 million club option is in place for next season, it’s hard to imagine the team picking that up. The trick is to find a team that will be willing to gamble – albeit a half a season – on a guy who is coming off a major elbow surgery and is having a subpar 2017 campaign.

 Cain, meanwhile, is being moved to the bullpen to make room for Bumgarner, who is expected to make his return to the Giants’ rotation Saturday in San Diego. If he performs well out of the bullpen – manager Bruce Bochy said that he is expected to be the team’s long reliever – that will likely peak the interests of contending clubs in need of a reliever who can also be a spot starter.

 So although there is almost no chance that the Giants make the playoffs this year – they were among the first teams to be taken off the books for this year’s postseason – the remaining few months of this season should be interesting, if not spectacular.

 

AP File Photo: San Francisco Giants Catcher Buster Posey (28) comes home to score during the Major League Baseball game between the Miami Marlins and the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco, CA on July 8th. (Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)

By Jeremy Kahn

Even though the San Francisco Giants are in the cellar of the National League West, and out of the playoff picture, one things remains consistent, Buster Posey making the All-Star team.

When the All-Star game begins tonight at 5:00 on Channel 2, you will see Posey’s name announced as the starter for the National League for the third consecutive season.

After missing basically, the entire 2011 season after his devastating ankle injury that was suffered in a home plate collision with Scott Cousins of the Marlins, Posey made his first All-Star team in 2012.

In his first All-Star game appearance, Posey went 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored and the National League defeated the American League 8-0 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.

Posey’s walk came in the top of the first inning loaded the bases for then teammate Pablo Sandoval, who tripled down the right field line to extend the NL lead up to 4-0 on their way to an 8-0 victory.

After starting the 2012 game in Kansas City, Posey made his second team, as he was a replacement for Yadier Molina of the St. Louis Cardinals, who beat him out for the fan vote.

In his lone plate appearance against the American League, Posey struck out against Greg Holland of the Kansas City Royals in the bottom of the seventh inning.

After not making the All-Star team in 2014, Posey returned the game in 2015 and started for the second time in the last four seasons.

Posey went 0-for-2 in his two at-bats in the 2015 game at Great American Ballpark, as the American League defeated the National League 6-3.

In his first at-bat against Dallas Keuchel of the Houston Astros, Posey grounded out to Jose Altuve of the Astros at second base in the bottom of the second inning.

Posey came up in the bottom of the fourth inning, and against David Price of the Tampa Bay Rays, Posey lined out to right field.

Once again, Posey started again in the 2016 All-Star Game at Petco Park in San Diego, as he went 0-for-1 with a walk and a run scored, as the American League defeated the National League 4-2.

Posey grounded out to Altuve in the top of the second inning, while facing Corey Kluber of the Cleveland Indians and then in the top of the fourth inning, Posey walked and then scored when Marcell Ozuna of the Miami Marlins singled.

July 07, 2017: AP File Photo San Francisco Giants left fielder Austin Slater (53) is helped back to the dugout after getting injured on a ground out to shortstop to end the eighth inning, during a MLB baseball game between the Miami Marlins and the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California. Valerie Shoaps/CSM (Cal Sport Media via AP Images)

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–The first half of the season hasn’t been good from the injury standpoint. The latest problem has been the injury issue for San Francisco during the first half of the season. Their not getting an opportunity to show off that great Major League talent they have on the roster. The Giants leftfielder Austin Slater is out with a hip injury. Slater had to be assisted off the field by Giants first base coach Joe Alguacil on Friday night when Slater injured himself running up to first base. The injury is going to wipe out the rest of Slater’s 2017 season.

The two Brandons: On Brandon Crawford he had a very disjointed first half of the season which started off with Crawford’s wife’s sister suddenly passing away and Crawford had to miss a few games there to take care of his family. Crawford didn’t hit well for the first half in his first 50 plus games of the season. The last two weeks he’s been much better. He had a good game on Sunday against Miami he had a couple RBIs  He’s as close to a cornerstone that the Giants have other than Buster Posey.

For Brandon Belt not a bad first half but as we’ve seen throughout his career he hits those spells he’s been slumping that doesn’t help the club offensively and those are tough spots that prevents upgrading his trade value so the Giants will look to move him if they can. The Giants might move him because they can’t move somebody else. From the Giants standpoint this is a real crossroads for Belt.

Morris Phillips is a Giants beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Miami Marlins’ A.J. Ellis swings for a two-run home run off San Francisco Giants’ George Kontos in the eleventh inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 9, 2017, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-Wouldn’t you know that the player to come up with the eventual game-winning hit for the Miami Marlins would be a former member of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

A.J. Ellis hit a two-run pinch hit home run in the top of the 11th inning, helping the Marlins to a 10-8 win over the San Francisco Giants before a crowd of 41,516, the 530th consecutive regular season at AT&T Park.

It was the first pinch hit home run of Ellis’ career.

The win by the Marlins completed their first three-game series sweep over the Giants in San Francisco since May 1-3, 2012.

Giancarlo Stanton added his second home run of the game just two batters later, his 26th home run of the season. To go along with his home run in the top of the fifth inning, it was the 23rd multi-home run game of Stanton’s career.

In all, Stanton reached six times on the afternoon, as he walked twice, was hit by a pitch, singled and hit those two home runs.

Things were looking good for the Giants in the early going, as Brandon Belt doubled to lead off the bottom of the second inning and then Brandon Crawford launched a two-run home run into the right-center field seats that was measured at 418 feet, Crawford’s longest home run since the 2015 season.

Just one-half inning later, the Marlins tied up the game, as Stanton was hit by a Johnny Cueto pitch and then scored on a Christian Yelich double. Yelich advanced to third on Belt’s throwing error, when Nick Hundley was unable to catch the throw. Marcell Ozuna then tied up the game on a double to score Yelich.

Stanton untied with one swing of the bat in the top of the fifth inning, as he hit a opposite field home run into the right field seats that was measured at 443 feet.

Nick Hundley tied up the game in the bottom of the fifth inning, as he hammered his fourth home run of the season.

The Marlins took the lead for good in the top of the seventh inning, as they scored four runs in total to take a 7-3 lead.

Stanton reached base for the fourth time today, as he walked to lead off the inning, then Yelich picked up his second double of the afternoon that sent Stanton to third base. After a Ozuna walk to load the bases, ended Cueto’s day.

Justin Bour then gave the Marlins the lead for good, as he hit a two-run single. After a Martin Prado ground out, J.T. Realmuto singled to score Ozuna. The final run of the inning came on a JT Riddle sacrifice fly to score Bour.

Denard Span doubled in Conor Gillaspie to narrow the lead down to three, and that was the beginning of the comeback.

The Giants scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, as they led off the inning with three straight singles that saw Crawford drive in Hunter Pence. After a groundout by Jae-Gyun Hwang, Hundley singled in Belt. The Giants tied up the game, as Miguel Gomez picked up his first major league hit to score Crawford.

In all, Cueto went six innings, allowing six runs on six hits, walking six and striking out two; however, due to the Giants comeback, Cueto did not fare in the decision.

Jose Urena pitched five innings, allowing three runs on five hits, walking just one and striking out three. Like Cueto, Urena did not fare in the decision.

NOTES: Cueto is set to start on Friday when the Giants begin a quick three-game road trip to San Diego against the Padres.

Buster Posey is the Giants lone All-Star for the 2017 season. This will be the fifth All-Star appearance for Posey, and this will be his third consecutive start at catcher for the National League. He is the first NL catcher to start in three straight All-Star games since Mike Piazza started in six in a row from 1994-1999.

Madison Bumgarner is set to make his fourth and final rehab start on Monday night, as he will take the mound for the San Jose Giants against the Modesto Nuts at San Jose Muni. Bumgarner is expected to throw around 90 pitches.

The Giants are seven for their last 31 with runners in scoring position, an average of .226.