sfgate.com file photo: San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner on Thursday night at the Oakland Coliseum against the Oakland A’s hitting for himself, swinging for a double and going six plus innings for the win
OAKLAND-Madison Bumgarner became the first pitcher in 40 years to bat in an American League park, and what a performance by the lefty.
In his first at-bat, Bumgarner hit a double off the glove of Billy Burns in centerfield, which led to a six-run third inning and the San Francisco Giants defeated the Oakland A’s 12-6 before a sellout crowd of 36,067 at the Coliseum.
Following the Bumgarner double, Denard Span walked, then Angel Pagan tied up the game with a single to score Bumgarner and then Brandon Belt doubled. Instead of walking Buster Posey intentionally, Dillon Overton threw a pitch that Posey launched over the left-center field wall for his ninth home run of the season.
Bumgarner gave the bullpen much needed rest, as he went 6.1 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits, not walking a batter and striking out four on his way to ninth win of the season.
In those 6.1 innings of work, Bumgarner allowed two home runs, the one to Marcus Semien in the bottom of the first inning and then a two-run home run to Yonder Alonso in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Alonso was the first by a left handed batter since he allowed one to Scooter Gennett of the Milwaukee Brewers on Opening Day at Miller Park.
With the victory, the Giants are just the second National League team to reach 50 wins and the third in the major leagues. Both the Chicago Cubs and the Texas Rangers each have 51 wins.
On the very next pitch by Overton, Brandon Crawford hit his seventh home run of the season, as he was the last of six in a row to score against Overton.
Overton was able to get of the inning, as he struck out Mac Williamson, got Grant Green to strikeout and after a walk to Ruben Tejada, Bumgarner popped out to Jed Lowrie at second base to end the inning.
Things got worse for the A’s and Overton in the top of the fourth inning, as Span doubled and then scored on a Pagan double and that was it for Overton, as Bob Melvin replaced the left-hander with Andrew Triggs.
In just three innings of work, Overton went three innings, allowing seven runs on eight hits, walking three and striking out one. Overton saw his earned run average increase from 4.76 to 11.42.
It did not start good for Bumgarner, as he gave up to Marcus Semien with one out in the bottom of the first.
The Giants added four runs in the top of ninth, as Fernando Rodriguez allowed four runs on one hit, walking and no one.
Belt came up with the big hit of the inning, as he lined a double through the extreme shift.
OAKLAND–The whole process of going from red hot to hot under the collar took 6 2/3 innings for the Giants. At the conclusion, the team’s ability to execute the basics, starting with catching the ball, were in question.
Talk about a precipitous drop.
On Tuesday, the Giants led 4-1 in the 6th inning, and were in position to even their series with their Bay rival, the A’s, and capture their 14th win in their last 17 contests. Instead, the Giants’ bullpen imploded in what would become a 13-11 loss. Then the defense folded its’ tents in the first three plus innings on Wednesday, as the Giants went on to lose 7-1.
Along the way, Wednesday’s starter, Jake Peavy could be seen asking anyone capable of forming an answer, “What just happened?”
Well, what happened was the Giants allowed the A’s 19 runs—on just 14 hits—while contributing seven walks and four errors. A streak where that many guys cross the plate in such a short period doesn’t happen once a season, maybe once every couple of seasons. Somehow, given all that went wrong, a bunch of the focus landed on the leaky defense.
“That’s one thing we were doing well—catching the ball,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “You deal with streaks where you have trouble scoring runs, but one thing we have to do is consistently catch the ball.”
The first of the errors came with the Giants leading 4-3 on Tuesday. Marcus Semien’s ground ball to third could have been the final out of the inning, and preserved the Giants’ lead. But Conor Gillaspie air mailed his throw to first allowing Semien to reach, and baserunner Stephen Vogt to advance to third. Two batters later, the A’s would take their first lead of the night on Billy Butler’s two RBI single.
On Wednesday, the defense got so bad, Peavy could be seen cursing and muttering almost until Bochy relieved him with the Giants trailing 7-0. In that inning, Angel Pagan had a bead on Semien’s drive to the left field warning track, but then the ball glanced off Pagan’s glove and Semien ended up at third. Peavy lost it at that point, then allowed an RBI double to Billy Burns and a RBI single to Coco Crisp before he was relieved.
At that point, the Giants had already suffered a collision between infielder Ramiro Pena and outfielder Mac Williamson on a ball that dropped for a three-base error, and put Pena on the disabled list with the former Yankee expected to be unavailable for at least a week. Two batters later, Williamson appeared to have Jed Lowrie’s home run ball in his glove, but saw the ball go out when it bounced out of the outfielder’s glove.
New addition, Reuben Tejada, got the start at third in place of the injured Matt Duffy, and he then muffed Josh Reddick’s foul pop. Reddick then drew a walk to extend the inning.
“We didn’t handle a popup, no question it changed the game. It made Jake work a lot harder. He was in a good groove there. Then we drop another popup. We just got to clean it up. That’s the one thing we were doing very well,” Bochy said.
The Giants have dropped three straight to the A’s after winning 13 of 15. Clearly, part of the problem was a stressful, laborious, but successful series over the weekend with the Phillies. That definitely took a lot out of the Giants. Another factor is the A’s are having their best stretch of the season, after falling into last place in the AL West and more than 10 games below .500. The A’s have won six of seven and seen their offense pick up dramatically during the streak.
A’s starter Sean Manaea came off the disabled list and pitched into the sixth inning on Wednesday, shutting the Giants down by scattering six hits and a walk allowed. Manaea is one of three rookie starters the Giants will face in this series, with Dillon Overton scheduled to start for Oakland on Thursday.
Madison Bumgarner, poised to become the first starter to hit in an American League Park since Ken Brett in 1976, will get the start for the Giants.
photo by: theageofconsent.BlogSpot.com: Battle of the Bay poster of the 1989 World Series between the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s
OAKLAND-Ever since Bud Selig created interleague play back in 1997 there is one thing that has stayed consistent, the rivalry between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland A’s for bragging rights in the Bay Area.
Of course, the fans all over the Bay Area have fun with this rivalry; because of the proximity of the two cities to each other.
Entering play tonight, the A’s have a close 56-52 lead over the Giants in the 108 games between the two teams.
When the first series took place 19 years ago, the Giants and the A’s split the four-game series with each team winning one at home and one on the road.
In 1998, the two teams once again split the four-game series with each team sweeping one another on the road.
Over the next two seasons, the two teams each went 3-3 against each other, as in 2000, both teams reached the postseason. It was the first time that the two teams made the postseason in the same season for the first time since the Battle of the Bay World Series that the A’s swept 4-0 in 1989.
With the 2001 season, the Giants became the first team took take a series between the two teams, as the reigning National League Western Division Champions defeated the reigning American League Western Division Champions four games to two.
During the 2002 season, the A’s took four out of the six from the Giants, who go on to win the National League Championship, but fell short in the World Series, as they lost to the Anaheim Angels in a thrilling seven-game series.
Over the next two seasons, the team’s once again split the season series, with each team winning three games in both 2003 and 2004. Eric Byrnes hit for the cycle on Fathers’ Day at what was then called Pacific Bell Park.
The Giants two out of three over the A’s at SBC Park in 2005, but got by swept by the A’s for the first time at the Coliseum.
In the 2006 season meetings between the two teams, the two teams split their season series. It was the seventh time in the 10 years of interleague that the would split their season series.
During the two-year span of 2007-2008, the A’s took nine out of 12 from their Bay Area rivals, as the A’s won all three games at AT&T Park in both 2007-2008.
Between 2009-2011, the Giants began to dominate the series, especially at AT&T Park, as during all three years, the Giants 9-0 versus the A’s at AT&T Park; however during that same time, the A’s swept the Giants at the Coliseum in 2010 and 2011. In the 2010 and 2011 Bay Bridge Series, each team swept one other on their home field.
Over the next four years, the Giants took 11 of the 20 games between the two teams, including going 5-1 versus the A’s in 2015.
The Giants longest winning streak against the A’s is six games, while their longest losing streak is seven games.
AP photo: San Francisco Giants hitter Angel Pagan hits for a two run single off the Oakland A’s the A’s catcher is Stephen Vogt in the fourth inning at AT&T Park on Tuesday night
SAN FRANCISCO-What a crazy game between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland A’s in the second game of their annual Bay Bridge Series.
Jake Smolinski hit a three-run pinch-hit home run in the top of the eighth inning, as the A’s scored five runs in the inning on their way to a wild 13-11 before a crowd of 41,730, the 448th consecutive regular season sellout at AT&T Park.
It was the first career pinch-hit home run for Smolinski, as the A’s came back for the third time on the evening.
The loss by the Giants spoiled a career night for Conor Gillaspie, who went 4-for-5 at the plate. It was the second four-hit game of Gillaspie’s career, as he also picked up four hits in a game against the Cleveland Indians on May 26, 2014 while a member of the Chicago White Sox.
In all, the Giants bullpen gave up 10 runs on nine hits, walked five and struck out two over the final three and a third innings.
Brandon Crawford hit a bases clearing triple for the Giants, as they took an 8-5 lead on their East Bay rivals.
The Giants scored four runs in the frame, just one-half inning after the A’s came back from a 4-1 deficit after they scored four runs of their own to take a 5-4 lead.
In all, the sixth inning lasted 51 minutes 54 seconds, according to Bill Arnold of the Sports Features Group. Also in the inning, there were eight runs scored on six hits between the two teams.
Crawford got the Giants on the board in the bottom of the third inning, that scored Angel Pagan and Buster Posey.
Pagan extended his hitting streak up to nine games, and is now 15-for-36 during that stretch.
Khris Davis got the A’s within one run in the top of the fourth inning, as he hit his 19th home run of the season.
Trailing 4-1 entering the top of the sixth inning, the A’s stormed all the way back to take a 5-4 lead, as they were helped out by a Stephen Vogt two-run double and then a two-run pinch-hit single by Billy Butler.
Neither starting pitcher fared in the decision, as Albert Suarez lasted 5.2 innings for the Giants, allowing three runs on three hits, walking three and striking out five. Kendall Graveman pitched five innings, allowing four runs on nine hits, walking one and striking out three for the A’s.
The Giants cut the A’s deficit down to one in the bottom of the eighth inning, as Ramiro Pena singled in Crawford, who walked after Ryan Madson retired the first two batters he faced in the inning. Pena was the third consecutive Giants batter to reach base with two outs, as Trevor Brown singled just before Pena singled in Crawford.
Ryan Phegley added a two-run double in the top of the ninth inning that scored both Stephen Vogt and Marcus Semien. Coco Crisp drove in Phegley with a single thru the right side.
Jarrett Parker made it interesting in the bottom of the ninth inning, as he hit a solo home run and then Denard Span hit his fourth home run of the season, as the Giants went back-to-back for just the second time this season.
This was the first time that the Giants went back-to-back since Span, Panik and Posey hit three in a row on Opening Day (April 4) against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.
The number one prospect in the San Francisco Giants minor league system is shortstop Christian Arroyo. Arroyo is currently assigned to the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels of the Eastern League.
Arroyo was drafted in the first round with the 25th pick in 2013. Frankly, most teams did not see him as a first-round selection. The Giants were impressed with Arroyo’s hitting and took him in that first round.
Arroyo won the MVP of the Arizona Rookie League and finished second in the MVP voting in 2014 in the short-season Northwest League by batting .333. The Giants had skip low Class-A and promoted him to San Jose of the California League for 2015. He batted .304 for San Jose.
Arroyo is considered to be an extremely advance hitter for his age (he turned 21 May 30). He known for making hard contact. The Giants would like to see Arroyo be more selective to improve his walk totals. The also believe being more patient would help his power numbers.
Defensively Arroyo has good hands and a strong arm at shortstop. His speed and range are of concern for playing the position. The questions about his abilities at shortstop plus the presence of Brandon Crawford and Joe Panik in the big leagues could lead to a change of position for Arroyo.
Arroyo’s strong arm could make him a candidate to play third base or possibly one of the corner outfield positions. The goal will be to find a place for him to play to get his bat into the lineup.
Arroyo is currently batting .283 with a .343 on base percentage and a .436 slugging percentage in 67 games. He has 75 hits in 265 at bats with 21 doubles, one triple, two home runs and 23 RBI. Arroyo has walked 18 times and struck out 45 times. Arroyo’s 21 doubles puts him in a three-way tie for the league lead in that category.
Based on his progress so far, Arroyo is projected to be “big league” ready by 2017. That might mean he is ready for a September call up in 2017 which if he is successful means Arroyo is going to be ready to challenge for a 25-man roster spot in 2018.
If Arroyo is not moved to a corner outfield position, there is a great deal of speculation that Giants fans may never see him in orange and black. Arroyo possesses the type of talent that many teams would like to add to their arsenal. Arroyo could well bring the Giants some much needed talent to fill holes that might exist in the player personnel scheme.
If you are a fan that likes to keep an eye on the future, then you will want to keep your eye on Christian Arroyo. What the Giants choose to do with him will tell you a great deal about what is going to happen with the club in the near future.
SAN FRANCISCO–Whether speed bump or cautionary tale, Monday’s 8-2 loss to the A’s was what it was for baseball’s hottest team. Another game looms tomorrow and another opportunity for the Giants to become the National League’s first 50-game winner this season outweighs a rare, lopsided result.
For Jeff Samardzija, things are a little more complicated. The Giants’ $90 million free agent acquisition completed a rough June on Monday, in which he had three abbreviated starts and allowed nine home runs, including Marcus Semien’s three-run job on Monday that highlighted the A’s five-run, second inning.
Somehow Samardzija needs to get his performances more in line with how his team is performing, something he says is attainable, despite the recent, rough outings.
“It’s just about eliminating those mistakes that come back to haunt you,” he said.
Samardzija had several in the second inning against the A’s, after he cruised through the first. The A’s struck for five runs on three extra base hits, two singles and a walk. For the 6’5” right hander, it was almost like, “where do I start?” in trying to assess the disaster of an inning.
The obvious, first choice would be Samardzija’s 1-2 offering to Semien, a capable hitter, but not a guy who’s going to make his living hitting for power in two-strike counts. But Samardzija threw Semien a slider that was intended to be outside and off the plate. Instead, the pitch was right down the middle of the plate and Semien crushed it.
Some good, some bad, Samardzija’s pattern was weaved through the entire outing, not just the second. Samardzija started seven of the first eight batters in the inning with a strike, but the first pitches didn’t set up outs. Instead, pitches that were supposed to be on the edges, caught too much of the plate prompting the pitcher to say “get your off-speed pitches in the strike zone and your two-strike pitches out of the zone.”
“The second inning got away from him,” Bochy recalled. “He lived in the heart of the plate and we paid for it.”
Samardzija would recover, retiring nine batters in a row to get through the third through fifth innings, before getting hit again in the sixth. Consecutive doubles by Yonder Alonso and Semien made it 6-0 before Billy Burns was intentionally walked to get to A’s starter Daniel Mengden, who was retired ending the inning and Samardzija’s evening.
The Giants had beaten the A’s 16 of 19 times at AT&T Park coming in, giving the Bridge Series some semblance of balance after it had gone decisively to the A’s for years. Last year, the Giants finally broke through, winning five of six. Monday’s wipeout was the Oakland response.
“We’ve had games like this, we just haven’t done it consistently,” manager Bob Melvin said. “We have the ability to do this. If you look at our offensive numbers as a whole and they’re not great–on base percentage, really across the board—and then you look in the lineup, and you say, we should probably do a little bit more.”
Mengden picked up his first big league win after three losses, reinforcing what Melvin had said throughout, that the quirky rookie with the handlebar moustache belongs. Mengden retired the first 12 hitters of the evening, and allowed just two hits through seven. In the eighth, the Giants scored twice during which Mengden gave way to the Oakland bullpen, a task that even the incendiary A’s relief core could handle.
The A’s have won four of five, while the Giants have won 13 of 16 despite the loss.
On Tuesday, Albert Suarez tries to capture his fourth win in five decisions in a matchup with Kendall Graveman at 7:15pm.
forbes.com file photo: San Francisco Giants pitcher and former Oakland A Jeff Samardjzia starts Monday night at AT&T Park against his old teammates in search for is his ninth win
On the Giants podcast with Morris, The Chicago Cubs are hearing the knocking of the Giants on their door as the Giants battle to be the best team in the National League. Also former Oakland A’s pitcher Jeff Samardjzija will start against his former teammates on Monday night to open the two game series at AT&T Park for the San Francisco Giants. He’s pitching better than when he was in Oakland and better than when he was with the White Sox. The Giants so far have got the best of Samardjzia and he hopes to have that continue on Monday night.
In previous games Giants pitcher Johnny Cueto has been lights out but in some of his recent games he has been has had some hic ups and this is actually the third time he’s allowed six unearned runs in a start this year and all three of them has resulted in Giants victories. He struggled on Sunday with six innings pitched eight hits, six runs, all earned, walked two and struck out two and the Giants won.
AP photo: San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey is congratulated after scoring in Sunday’s game versus the Philadelphia Phillies at AT&T Park
SAN FRANCISCO-Despite blowing the lead on three different occasions, the San Francisco Giants were able to muster a run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Bruce Bochy an historic win.
Conor Gillaspie lined a double to right field that scored Ramiro Pena from second base with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, as the Giants defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 8-7 before a crowd of 41,479, the 446th consecutive regular season sellout at AT&T Park.
This was the Giants seventh walk-off of the season, the most in the majors and their first since June 11 versus the Los Angeles Dodgers.
With the victory, Bochy became just the fourth manager in New York/San Francisco Giants history to win 800 games, joining John McGraw, who won a team record 2,583 from 1902-1932, Bill Terry, who managed the club from 1933-1941 and won 823 games during that nine-year stretch and Dusty Baker, who won 840 games for the Giants from 1993-2002.
“McGraw has nothing to worry about,” said Bochy.
It was a rare off day for Johnny Cueto, who matched his season-high in earned runs, as he gave up six earned runs in six innings of work. This was the third time this season that Cueto allowed six earned runs in a game, April 10 versus the Los Angeles Dodgers and on May 2 against the Cincinnati Reds.
Cueto went six innings, allowing six runs on eight hits, walking two and striking out two, as he did not fare in the decision.
Angel Pagan continued his hot hitting, as he went 4-for-5 at the plate to pickup his first four-hit game since April 25, 2015 against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. During the three-game series, Pagan went 8-for-13 (.615) with four batted in.
Today was one of the best days I have felt since I came back,” said Pagan.
The Phillies came back from deficits of 5-1, 6-5 and 7-6 before Pena scored on a Gillaspie double with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola lasted just 3.1 innings, giving up five runs on 10 hits and striking out four. Nola hit three batters, including hitting back-to-back batters in the bottom of the third inning, where the Giants scored four runs to take a 5-1 lead.
The bullpen trio of Derek Law, Josh Osich and Cory Gearrin pitched the final three innings, allowing just one run on four hits and struck out one. Gearrin pitched the ninth inning to pickup his third win of the season.
photo from philly.com: Philadelphia Phillies hitter Cameron Rupp takes a cut for a double as San Francisco Giants catcher Trevor Brown can only follow the flight of the ball Saturday night at AT&T Park
SAN FRANCISCO-Cameron Rupp changed the outcome of what looked like a sure Madison Bumgarner win with one swing of the bat.
Rupp took a Bumgarner pitch and planted it over the centerfield wall in the top of the seventh inning, as the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the San Francisco Giants 3-2, before a crowd of 41,928, the 445th consecutive regular season sellout at AT&T Park.
The win by the Phillies put an end to the Giants four-game winning streak, and made a winner out of Jeremy Hellickson.
In six innings of work, Hellickson allowed two runs (one earned), walked one and struck out two, as he raised his record to 5-6 on the season.
Bumgarner went 6.1 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits, walking just one and striking out seven
By allowing three earned runs, Bumgarner saw his streak of allowing two or more earned runs fall. Bumgarner was one game shy of tying Jesse Barnes, who completed 13 straight such starts from July 17, 1920 until September 16, 1920.
Bumgarner walked in the bottom of the second inning, and picked up his seventh hit of the season in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Buster Posey scored the first Giants run of the game in the bottom of the second inning, as he singled to leadoff the inning, went to third on a Angel Pagan double and scored when former Giants prospect Tommy Joseph was unable to make the play on a Gregor Blanco ground ball for an error.
Posey drove in the Giants second run of the game in the bottom of the third inning, as he hit sacrifice fly that scored Joe Panik from third base. Panik led off the inning with a single, and went to third on a Brandon Belt single.
That would be the score until the Phillies rallied against Bumgarner in the top of the seventh inning.
Joseph doubled to lead off the inning, and then scored the Phillies first run of the game when Andres Blanco singled him in and then Rupp launched a Bumgarner offering over the centerfield wall for his seventh home run of the season.
The loss by the Giants denied getting Bruce Bochy that elusive 800th win since becoming the Giants manager in 2007.
Bochy would have joined John McGraw, Dusty Baker and Bill Terry as the only Giants managers who have 800 games or more. McGraw leads with 2,583 from 1902-1932, Baker won 840 from 1993-2002 and Terry won 823 from 1932-1941.
It looked like the Giants were going to tie up the game in the bottom of the eighth inning, but Brandon Crawford’s line drive was caught by Tyler Goeddel in left field, who in turn threw to Blanco to complete the double play to get Panik, who was running on the pitch.
Panik led off the inning with a single, went to second on a David Hernandez wild pitch and then Hernandez walked Posey just before Crawford lined into the double play that ended the threat and the inning all in one swing..
The Giants, winners of 31 of their last 40 games, are rolling (Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports).
By: Eric He
SAN FRANCISCO – With both the Warriors and Sharks losing in the championship round within a week, Bay Area sports fans are understandably in a bit of a depression.
But they don’t have to look far to find a team more than capable of bringing home a title by the year’s end: the San Francisco Giants.
While pivotal, do-or-die basketball and hockey games were held in Oakland and San Jose over the last couple of months, the Giants have quietly racked up regular season wins in May and June.
On Friday night, with no Warriors or Sharks around and the A’s on the road, the Giants had the Bay Area’s undivided attention, and they reminded everyone that they are still a damn good baseball team.
Sure, they barely hung on with a near-bullpen implosion to beat the lowly Phillies, 5-4, but the Giants are rolling nonetheless.
They are now a season-best 21 games over .500 with 48 wins, tied with the Cubs for most in the majors. The Giants have won 12 of their last 13 games and are comfortably in first place in the division — seven games ahead of the underperforming Dodgers. Since May 11th, the Giants are 31-9 — the best record in all of baseball. In fact, they have never won more than 31 games in a 40-game span — the last time they did that was in 1954, when they were still the New York Giants.
“Honestly, I didn’t know that,” said first baseman Brandon Belt, when asked about that mark. “That’s pretty impressive. It’s been a lot of fun. It’s a lot of fun when you win games. That comes from the top all the way down. Nobody ever feels like we’re ever out of a game. We always feel like we have a shot at coming back.”
In a year of history in Bay Area sports — the Warriors winning 73 games, the Sharks reaching their first-ever Stanley Cup Final — the Giants are having a historical season themselves, flying under the radar.
Now, they’re in the spotlight.
Friday night was just another ho-hum win for the hottest team in the majors. Jake Peavy held the Phillies to two runs in seven innings. He exited the game on the hook for the loss, but by the end of the seventh, he was on track for a resounding win.
“Big league wins are never easy,” Peavy said. “Once again, the boys did what we most always do, and that’s find a way to hold on. Big job by everybody. The concentration level when things aren’t well, to be able to finish the drill was key.”
Trailing 2-1 and getting nothing off Phillies’ starter Zach Eflin, the Giants turned the game around in a hurry against the bullpen. Two hits to lead off the inning, a sac bunt, a walk and then a bases-clearing double by Belt to deep right field sent a sellout crowd at AT&T Park into a frenzy.
What’s comforting about the Giants is that they’ve proven they can win with the same core players, year after year. Madison Bumgarner is still their horse. Buster Posey is still their rock-star catcher. Belt and Brandon Crawford are still studs on the infield. Manager Bruce Bochy is still guiding the ship in firm command.
“They’ve done it so many times, so it’s not like they’re feeling any pressure up there,” Bochy said on the timely hitting.
Indeed, the Giants are batting .316 with runners in scoring position in their last 11 games.
“They’re used to it,” Bochy continued. “You don’t want to have to be the guy, but I think all of them do. They want to be up there, being the guy with men on base, when we need a big hit.”
It doesn’t matter who happens to step up. The Warriors’ mantra is “Strength in Numbers,” and the Giants reflect that as well. The theme of a true “team” has continued to ring true, with unsung heroes stepping up to make important plays — think back to Travis Ishikawa and Michael Morse during the Giants’ 2014 World Series triumph.
With two regulars in Hunter Pence and Matt Duffy on the shelf, the Giants have not missed a beat.
“As we’ve done in the past in those World Series years, we just have a lot of guys step up in their place,” Belt said. “I don’t know if it’s anyone in particular, but just the entire team steps it up a notch. We have some big guys out. We need a total effort from just about everybody. I don’t think there’s one person that has to step and do it. It’s got to be a team thing.”
On Friday, it was third baseman Ramiro Pena, a 30-year-old journeyman playing his first major league games since 2014 with the Giants, shining in the biggest moment. With the Giants hanging on by a thread in the ninth, up by a run with two outs but with the bases loaded, Pena charged a weakly hit ground ball by Tyler Goeddel and threw him out by a hair with a tremendous defensive play to end the game.
“The last play of the game, it’s hard to make a better play with what was at stake and Pena just made a great play there to save us,” said Bochy.
Belt, who leads the team with a .305 batting average and should receive All-Star consideration, doesn’t feel pressured in the least to be the star every night.
“As a player, you want to feel like you’re helping the team win ball games,” he said. “That’s a lot of fun, but at the same time, nobody feels like they have to get the job done because they know the guy behind them will be able to pick them up.”
Now that right there is “Strength in Numbers,” but unlike the Warriors and the hockey team in the South Bay, the Giants may very well finish their historic season with a championship. And since it’s an even year, I wouldn’t bet against them.
By Charlie O. Mallonee
