Category: San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants Sunday game wrap: Heyward wins it in extras; 13th inning walk off single for 3-2 win

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By Jeremy Kahn

AP photo: Jason Heyward (right) of the Chicago Cubs exults with first base coach Brandon Hyde (16) after hitting a 13th inning liner to score Anthony Rizzo for the gamer on Sunday at Wrigley to cap a 3-1 series win over the San Francisco Giants

Jason Heyward is new to the Chicago Cubs, but he is quickly becoming a hero on the North Side of Chicago.

Heyward tied up the game with a single in the bottom of the ninth inning and his base hit in the bottom of the 13th inning gave the Cubs a thrilling 3-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants at Wrigley Field.

Anthony Rizzo led off the bottom of the 13th inning with a single off of eventual losing pitcher Matt Reynolds, advanced to second on a Ben Zobrist groundout. After Addison Russell was walked intentionally, Heyward ended the game with a single to score Rizzo.

The Cubs lead in the National League Central is an amazing 16.5 games over their longtime rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, while the Giants lead over the Cardinals for the top spot in the wild card race was lowered to just 1.5 games.

Things were going good for the Giants, as they looked to split the weekend series against the Cubs, especially with a one run lead in the bottom of the ninth inning. Russell led off the inning with a double, went to third on a Santiago Casilla wild pitch and tied up the game when Heyward single him in.

Johnny Cueto gave up five hits in seven innings of work.

Ehire Adrianza put down a perfect sacrifice bunt that scored Eduardo Nunez in the top of the third inning, who doubled, stole third and broke for home on Adrianza’s bunt.

Nunez drove in the other Giants run in the game in the top of the second inning, as he drove in Hunter Pence, who reached on a Heyward two-base error.

In losing three of the four games in the series, the Giants were able to get 14 hits, while they were unable to score in 16 innings against the Cubs bullpen.

Joe Nathan made his first appearance for the Giants since 2003, and pitched a perfect 12th inning.

San Francisco Giants Saturday game wrap:Bumgarner out duels Arrieta

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By Jeremy Kahn

AP photo: San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner delivers against the Chicago Cubs in the first inning at Wrigley Field on Saturday

When you need a big win in the road, you better turn to your ace to take the ball and that is exactly what Bruce Bochy did.

Madison Bumgarner allowed two runs on five hits, and struck out 10, as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Chicago Cubs 3-2 at Wrigley Field.

It was the fourth win in his last five starts for Bumgarner, who is now 14-8 on the season, as the Giants bounce from two straight one run losses to open this pivotal four-game series.

Jake Arrieta lost for the first time since July 30, as the Cubs saw their five-game winning streak cone to an end.

Arrieta gave up three runs (two earned) and four hits in six innings of work, as he fell to 16-6 on the season.

The Giants defense came up huge in the bottom of the ninth inning, as they attempted a comeback victory.

Anthony Rizzo came off the bench to earn a walk off of Giants reliever Will Smith, and then Dexter Fowler laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt, as Eduardo Nunez threw to Joe Panik for the first out and then came the play of the game.

Panik threw to Brandon Crawford, who snuck in behind Rizzo, who was caught in no man’s land and Crawford tagged out the leaning Rizzo to complete the double play. Santiago Casilla then notched his 30th save when Kris Bryant lined out to Crawford to end the game.

That was not the only chance for the Cubs to possibly win the game, as Bumgarner struck out Matt Szczur for the third time in the bottom of the sixth inning and two on. Hunter Strickland got Addison Russell to flyout to Hunter Pence with the bases loaded to end the seventh inning.

Pence drove in the first Giants run of the game in the top of the first inning, as he reached on a Tommy La Stella throwing error that allowed Angel Pagan to score from third base.

Nunez drove in what proved to be the winning run, as he drove in Panik with a single in the top of the fourth inning.

Arrieta helped out his own cause, as he drove in a run with a single off of Bumgarner to score Javier Baez in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Crawford then stretched the lead up to two runs once again, as he scored on a wild pitch in the top of the sixth inning.

Baez cut the lead down to one in the bottom of the sixth, as he hit a sacrifice fly to score Ben Zobrist from third base.

MLB podcast with Tony Renteria: Giants run into Cubs need this series at Wrigley; Will A’s use call ups or try to play spoiler in series with Red Sox

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AP photo: Cancer survivor Audrey Hughes throws out the first pitch before Friday’s game between the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field

On the MLB podcast with Tony the Chicago Cubs were going to be a challenge for the San Francisco Giants going into the current four game series in Wrigley. The Cubs who occupy first place in the NL Central are looking to take this series from the Giants with their line up, pitching, home field and manager Joe Maddon. Giants pitcher Jeff Samardzija struggled in a short performance during Thursday’s outing going four innings, five hits, three runs, all earned, three walks, and three strike outs. Samardzija didn’t get the loss.

Oakland A’s got a day off on Thursday rest in important with all the injuries they’ve had and they needed going into this three game series with the Boston Red Sox who are just two games back in the AL East behind the first place Toronto Blue Jays. The A’s have a clubhouse full of call ups so this is a series where manager Bob Melvin wants to win and a series where A’s vice president and co-owner Billy Beane wants to see whose coming up from their triple A farm system in Nashville.

Tony Renteria does the MLB podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

San Francisco Giants Friday game wrap: Cubs Lester dominates Giants in 2-1 win

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By Jeremy Kahn

AP photo: Chicago Cubs starter Jon Lester who carried a no hitter against the San Francisco Giants in Friday’s matinee at Wrigley Field delivers a pitch in the fifth inning

Sooner or later, the San Francisco Giants will break out of this funk that they have been in since the end of the All-Star break.

Jon Lester threw 6.2 innings of no-hit ball and threw his second complete game of the season, as the Chicago Cubs defeated the Giants 2-1 at Wrigley Field.

With the victory, the Cubs are now a season-high 40 games over .500, as they continue to lead the second place St. Louis Cardinals by a wide margin.

Hunter Pence ended Lester’s no-hitter, as he hit his second home run in as many days and then Brandon Crawford added a double; however the rally ended when Lester got Eduardo Nunez to line out to Kris Bryant at third base.

Lester allowed a double to Trevor Brown in the eighth inning, and that was it, as he improved to 15-4 on the season. Lester allowed walked just two in the complete game outing.

The last time the Cubs were 40 games over .500 was in 1945, the last time they made the World Series.

Dexter Fowler and David Ross drove in the only runs that Lester would need off of Albert Suarez in the bottom of the second inning.

The Pence home run broke a 12.2 inning hit less streak, as the Giants fall to a major league worst 15-29 since the All-Star break.

Buster Posey walked against Lester in the top of the first inning, and then settled down by retiring the next 18 batters.

Lester received help from his defense, as Bryant snared a Crawford line drive in the top of the fifth and then Dexter Fowler made a sliding catch off a Kelby Tomlinson hit in the top of the sixth inning.

Matt Cain was activated off the disabled list with a back injury, and Brown returned to the lineup after missing Thursday’s game with an illness. Brown was tested for strep throat, and the results were negative

San Francisco Giants Thursday game wrap: Bullpen can’t pick Samardzija up, Cubs win 5-4

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By Jeremy Harness

AP photo: Former Chicago Cub Jeff Samardzija throws in the first inning for the San Francisco Giants against the Cubs at Wrigley Field to open the four game series on Thursday night

The Giants’ bullpen has been shaky for a better part of the season, and it was victimized again Thursday night.

After Jeff Samardzija was forced out of the game after pitching only four innings, the Giants could not hold on to a slim one-run lead, and as a result, they fell to the Chicago Cubs, 5-4, within the confines of Wrigley Field.

The first three innings proved to be explosive on the offensive end. Hunter Pence got things started in the first inning with a two-run homer off Cubs starter Mike Montgomery.

However, Chicago came to the plate in the bottom half of that inning and pounced right on Samardzija, who was making his return to Wrigley Field after starting his career with the Cubs. Three runs were scored off the Giants right-hander in the inning, with singles by Kris Bryant and Jason Heyward as well as a double by Chris Coghlan doing the damage.

Samardzija rallied and even helped himself at the plate, as in the second inning, he got a fly ball deep enough to bring Joe Panik home and tie the game. One inning later, a throwing error by second baseman Ben Zobrist allowed Buster Posey to score on Brandon Crawford’s fielder’s choice, giving the Giants the lead.

However, that would not last.

Samardzija was able to settle down for the next three innings after giving up the three-spot and keep the Cubs from scoring any more runs while he was in the game. However, by the end of the fourth inning, he had already thrown 87 pitches, and it was time for manager Bruce Bochy to go to the bullpen.

Things were going smoothly until the seventh inning, when Addison Russell hit a two-run single off reliever Cory Guearrin to give Chicago a lead that it would not relinquish.

As a result, the Giants fell behind the Los Angeles Dodgers by one more game, and they are now two games back of the National League West leaders.

The Giants have three more games in Chicago before heading to Colorado and Arizona for three-game series against the Rockies and Diamondbacks, respectively.

 

Giants close home stand with a critical win as the Dodgers lose in Colorado

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Moore provides more

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Arizona’s Paul Goldschmidt, who makes himself at home in San Francisco on three occasions each year, sent a rocket to the centerfield wall in the sixth inning that seem destined to erase the Giants’ 2-0 lead, and add to the slugger’s ledger of feats at AT&T Park. But with great calm, centerfielder Gorkys Hernandez raced back and snatched the drive a split second before crashing into the wall.

Giants’ fans cheered wildly for the tremendous catch, then likely turned to each other to ask, “Who’s Gorkys Hernandez?”

With the NL West crown to be decided in the remaining month of the season, and the Giants battling attrition on an almost daily basis, it’s all hands on deck. Hernandez, briefly a major leaguer in Pittsburgh and Miami, and after putting together a decent season at AAA Sacramento, is that next hand. And at that critical juncture of Wednesday’s 4-2 win over Arizona, a pretty good one at that.

“What a beautiful catch, huh? He’s a gifted outfielder, that’s why he played today,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “We wanted our best defense out there. He’s really good defensively. If he doesn’t catch that ball, now they got second and third (with one out).”

Hernandez’ catch helped make a winner out of Matt Moore for the first time in his new home park. Moore was coming off his near no-hitter in Los Angeles last week, and he was as good, but far more brief this time out. Manager Bruce Bochy, mindful of the 133 pitches Moore threw against the Dodgers, lifted his starter after Hernandez’ catch with one out and one on in the sixth.

“You don’t really watch the scoreboard in April and May, so just right now knowing where we’re at, we’re all focused on getting ourselves on a good hot streak,” Moore said.

Diamondbacks’ starter Shelby Miller took the loss in his return from an extended stay in the minors to regain his stuff after starting his Arizona career with a 2-9 record in 14 starts. But he didn’t appear any more effective in the first inning, allowing hits to Joe Panik, Buster Posey and Hunter Pence to put the Giants up 2-0.

Miller settled after that, pitching six innings allowing just the two runs on six hits. Consequently, the pitcher who the D’Backs leveraged their farm system to acquire has had a confounding season-to-date. Miller’s 2-10 with a 6.81 ERA in his big league starts, juxtaposed against a 5-1 record with a 3.91 ERA at AAA Reno. Maybe it should have been buyers beware for the Diamondbacks: Miller was 6-17 in 2015, his only season with the Braves.

After Miller departed, relievers Randall Delgado and Edwin Escobar failed to record an out in the seventh, allowing the Giants to increase their lead to 4-1. Delgado has been a bright spot for the D’Backs, making 62 appearances, the last 14 without allowing an earned run, but the Giants pounced on the reliever as pinch-hitter Conor Gillaspie tripled, and Angel Pagan doubled him home.

The Giants bullpen had its moment in the ninth, when with two outs closer Santiago Casilla allowed a home run to pinch-hitter Jake Lamb, then a soft single to Jean Segura. But Casilla steadied, retiring A.J. Pollock to end the game.

The Giants got help on the out-of-town scoreboard as the Dodgers dropped the opener of their doubleheader in Denver 7-1. At press time, the Dodgers trailed 5-2 in the second game, and with a loss there, the Los Angeles lead in the division would drop to ½ game. When asked if he noticed what was going on elsewhere during the game, Bochy refused to bite.

“We try to stay positive here, and try to win ballgames, and don’t get concerned with what the other teams are doing. It’s up to us to go out and play better ball and win ballgames,” Bochy said. “It’s the old adage, ‘we control our own destiny.’”

The Giants open a big four-game series in Chicago on Thursday afternoon with Jeff Samardzija returning to Wrigley Field as the starter in the opener. Mike Montgomery will get the start for the Cubs.

NOTES: Bochy said the Giants have not decided on Friday’s starter, first indicating that Matt Cain would return and get the start, then apparently leaning toward swing guy Albert Suarez. Neither option seems ideal, likely making the call a last-minute decision… The Giants announced their first round of September callups with reliever Josh Osich, outfielder Mac Williamson, utility man Kelby Tomlinson the key guys. Those three will be available in Chicago along with pitchers Ty Blach, Steven Okert and Matt Reynolds. Blach posted a 14-7 record in Sacramento with 113 strikeouts.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Cueto leaving some pitches up in the zone; cure don’t get your dobber down

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AP photo: The multiple exposure gives you an idea what the San Francisco Giants had to look at on Tuesday night facing the Arizona Diamondbacks ace Zack Greinke

On the Giants podcast, Johnny Cueto Giants starter isn’t anything like he was in the first half season what happened? Location, location, location his pitches are getting up is he getting tired? This is similar to what he did when he was with the Kansas City Royals at this time last year and he turned it around in the post season and had a brilliant post season for the Royals. Maybe history will repeat itself that way and everything will come out fine. Right now all of the Giants big arms look tired.

In regards to Arizona Diamondbacks starter Zack Greinke there is some kind witchy woman hex magic going for Grenike going on because he threw 436 pitches through the first three innings of Tuesday’s game and yet the Giants couldn’t get to him. Grenike has a career 4-0 record against the Giants he got his ninth win in ten games against the Giants. Greinke threw 106 pitches for the outing in six innings pitched.

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

 

San Francisco Giants Tuesday game wrap: Greinke and Diamondbacks bite Giants

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By Jeremy Kahn

azcentral.com photo: The Arizona Diamondbacks Wellington Castillo takes a swing against San Francisco Giants pitching at AT&T Park on Tuesday night

SAN FRANCISCO-With a chance to gain a half-game on the Los Angeles Dodgers, the San Francisco Giants were not able to take advantage.

Wellington Castillo hit a two-run single in the top of the fifth inning to help the Arizona Diamondbacks defeat the Giants 4-3 before a crowd of 41,443, the 475th consecutive sellout at AT&T Park.

The Giants were unable to gain any ground, and ended up losing a half-game after the Dodgers game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field was postponed due to rain. It will be made up as a split doubleheader on Wednesday.

Johnny Cueto lasted just 4.2 innings, allowing four runs on five hits, while walking four and striking out five and saw his record fall to 14-5 on the season.

Giants nemesis Zack Greinke won for the ninth time in 10 decisions against the Giants, and is now 4-0 all-time at AT&T Park.

Greinke went six innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits, while walking two and striking out one on his way to his 12th win of the season.

Chris Owings got the Diamondbacks on the board in the top of the fifth inning, as he tripled in Jake Lamb, who led the inning with a walk.

After Owings triple that tied up the game, Greinke walked and then Jean Segura drove in the eventual game-winning run with a single that scored Owings from third base.

Michael Bourn was unsuccessful to get the sacrifice bunt, as he bunted into a Fielders’ Choice that saw Buster Posey throw Greinke at third base for the first out of the inning.

A.J. Pollock then walked to load the bases, and then after Paul Goldschmidt struck out for the second out of the inning, Castillo singled in two runs and that marked the end of Cueto’s evening.

The Giants first run of the game came in the bottom of the third inning, as Brandon Crawford hit a sacrifice fly that scored Denard Span from third base. Span led off the inning when he he reached on a fielding error by Segura at second base.

Angel Pagan then singled, and then after a Buster Posey flyout for the first out of the inning, Crawford hit a sacrifice fly that scored Span from third base.

Span was forced to leave the game with a stiff neck in the sixth inning, and was replaced by Gorkys Hernandez.

Joe Panik drove in the Giants second run of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning, as drove a double to right-center field that scored Hunter Pence from second base.

The loss by the Giants also spoiled a three-hit night for Pence, who singled twice and doubled in his first three at-bats. Pence walked in his final at-bat in the bottom of the eighth inning.

This was the first game for Pence with three-or-more hits since a May 29 game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.

With a chance to tie or possibly win the game, Buster Posey grounded out to Segura to end the game.

After Daniel Hudson got the first two batters of the ninth inning, Hudson hit Jarrett Parker, who went to second on defensive indifference. Angel Pagan then drove in Parker to cut the Diamondbacks lead down to just one, but Posey grounded out and the Diamondbacks got away with the one-run victory.

Giants are beat up and the Dodgers are ascending, how does S.F. stem the tide?

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By Morris Phillips

AP photo: San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner delivers against the Atlanta Braves Sunday at AT&T Park Mad Bum’s last win

SAN FRANCSICO–On the same day the Giants banged out four home runs, four triples, and won 13-4 behind Madison Bumgarner, the Dodgers may have played more impressively.

In Los Angeles, the Dodgers pushed across the only run of the day in the eighth inning to back the pitching of starter Brock Stewart, and relievers Jesse Chavez, Grant Dayton and Joe Blanton—four guys who didn’t have definitive roles on the roster when the season began—and beat the Cubs, the team with the big league’s best record.

On a weekend the Giants played the worst team in baseball, and the Dodgers played the best, the Giants fared no better than their rivals, winning twice and losing once. After the Dodgers fell 8-1 to the Rockies in Denver on Monday, and the Giants enjoyed a day off, Los Angeles’ lead in the NL West sits at a 1 ½ games, so far a number the Dodgers are doing a lot more to protect than the six-game lead the Giants held during the All-Star break.

On the surface the teams couldn’t be closer in achievements and results—both have scored 586 runs this season, both have allowed 524—but this week shows that the Dodgers have clearly been the more impressive club, whether or not injured ace Clayton Kershaw finds his way back to the mound before the season ends.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Giants fell in Los Angeles with both their aces, Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto, on the mound. On Thursday, the Giants rebounded behind Matt Moore’s near no-hitter. Again, advantage to the Dodgers.

So what can the Giants do to close the gap?

Most importantly, they can’t blink now. After Wednesday, the Giants play 17 of their next 24 games on the road. Injuries are mounting; reliever Derek Law was placed on the disabled list, Brandon Belt is battling a stiff neck, and Hunter Pence hasn’t really been healthy all year. Since returning from his two-month stint on the disabled list July 30, Pence has hit just one home run. Now, Pence is battling a hamstring issue–the classic injury for a body forced to compensate for nicks in other places—and missed the previous two games.

Also this week, Jake Peavy and Gregor Blanco landed on the disabled list.

If the Giants can stay within striking distance, over the next 26 games, they then get the final six of the regular season at home, and the final three against the Dodgers (September 19-21). The trick is getting there, and a deficit of 2 ½ games heading into the final week may be the most realistic to overcome. That means the Giants must play no worse than one game off the pace of the Dodgers over that 26 games, with the last three in Dodgers Stadium.

It won’t be easy.  For one, the Giants don’t have a definitive fifth starter with Peavy on the DL, and Albert Suarez suited to long relief, as a guy who couldn’t get through the opposing lineup a second time in his start on Saturday. All of a sudden, Matt Cain is back in the picture, scheduled to come off the disabled list for a start Friday in Chicago.

Cain shut down the Cubs at AT&T the first time around, but how will he fare in Wrigley Field? Cain’s ERA in six road starts this season is over six. His ERA in three August starts before he was shut down was 7.24. Neither number bodes well for Cain’s viability on Friday.

So who can the Giants depend on with the team sliding and their collective health deteriorating? At the top of the list are leadoff hitter Denard Span and Joe Panik, who homered twice in the same game on Sunday, the first time he’s achieved that feat in his major league career. Span’s hit .346 in August, boosting his overall average to .277.

Jarrett Parker was promoted and replaced Pence in right field on Sunday. If Pence needs more time, Parker becomes the starter. With Parker it’s big (nine extra base hits, 19 walks) or insignificant (38 strikeouts in 114 official at-bats) further highlighting the tenuous position of the club as a whole.

With Law removed from the bullpen, someone else needs to get hot. If it’s hot as Law was (most recent 11 innings, 0.79 ERA) then it will be significant. Will Smith, Sergio Romo and Hunter Strickland are the likeliest candidates to heat up, but if one of those three falls off, that could be just as telling.

On Tuesday, the Giants welcome the Diamondbacks with Zach Greinke facing Johnny Cueto in a matchup of double-digit winners at 7:15pm.

 

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: LA gets thumped in Colorado 8-1 Giants now 1.5 back

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AP photo: Nick Hundley of the Colorado Rockies goes yard with a two run shot off the Los Angeles Dodgers Kenta Maeda in the fourth inning at Coors Field on Monday night

On the Giants podcast with Morris, overall hate it to be a downer but this is the week that the Giants played the worst team in the NL the Atlanta Braves and their competitor the Los Angeles Dodgers played the best team in the NL the Chicago Cubs and they didn’t gain any ground. Both Dodgers and Giants won two out of three in their series and the Giants fell two games back and in spite of their win on Sunday over the Braves didn’t gain any ground on LA.

The Dodgers got rolled by the Colorado Rockies on Monday night 8-1 so the Giants who were idle on Monday night gained a half game now 1.5 back in the NL West. There are 30 games left in the season as the season dwindles down in terms of where you are in regards to the race in the NL West. Any deficits that the Giants experience that hit three or four games will set things back for them.

Morris has all the latest on the Giants podcast each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com