Category: San Francisco Giants

By Jeremy Kahn

AP photo: The San Francisco Giants starter Jake Peavy fires a pitch in the third inning against Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night at AT&T Park

SAN FRANCISCO-Brandon Belt changed the outcome of this game with just one swing of the bat .

Belt hit a base clearing double with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, as the San Francisco Giants came from behind to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-4, before a sellout crowd of 42,238, the 444th consecutive regular season sellout at AT&T Park.

With that bases loaded double by Belt, the Giants raised their batting average with the bases loaded to .407 (24-for-59), the best in the major leagues.

This was the 31st win in 40 games for the Giants, their most wins in a 40-game span since going 31-9 from June 12-July 21, 1954. If you remember correctly, the New York Giants that season won the World Series in a four-game sweep over the Cleveland Indians.

With the victory, the Giants are now 21 games over .500 at 48-27, and are now seven games ahead of the second place Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West, who lost earlier on Friday night by the final score of 8-6 to the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.

The Giants put together a rally in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Trevor Brown singled, and then pinch hitter Buster Posey lined a shot to centerfield that was just out of the reach of Herrera and Brown to advance to second base.

Span then sacrificed Brown and Posey an additional 90 feet for the first out of the inning. Then Joe Panik walked to load the bases to bring Belt to the

Freddy Galvis scored the Phillies second run of the game on a Odubel Herrera sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth inning.

Galvis led off the inning with a double went to third on a Peter Bourjos single, and then scored on the Herrera sacrifice fly.

The Giants took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, as Denard Span reached on a Ryan Howard error, and scored on a Angel Pagan with two outs just following a Brandon Crawford single of his own.

It looked like Jake Peavy was headed for his seventh loss of the season; however that changed in the bottom of the seventh inning and he picked up his fourth win of the season. Peavy went seven innings, allowing two runs on seven hits, walking two and striking out four.

On the other hand, Zach Efflin went six innings, allowing just one unearned run and striking out one; however he did not fare in the decision.

Things got a little interesting in the top of the eighth inning, as Maikel Franco tripled over the head of Span in centerfield, then after pinch hitter Tommy Joseph struck out for the second out of the inning, Cameron Rupp walked and then pinch hitter Tyler Goddel singled to load the bases, then Galvis singled to score Franco from third base.

Leading 5-3, and on their third reliever of the inning, Peter Bourjos walked to score Rupp to cut the lead down to 5-4; however Cory Gearrin was able to get pinch hitter Andres Blanco to ground out to Belt with Gearrin for the final out of the inning.

Javier Lopez came on in the top of the ninth inning to get Herrera, and then Bruce Bochy went to his usual closer Santiago Casilla, who was able to get Cesar Hernandez out on strikes; however he got into a bit of trouble, as walked Franco, allowed a single to Joseph and hit Rupp to load the bases for Goeddel.

Casilla was able to retire Goeddel on a bang bang play at first base, as Ramiro Pena made a great play with his glove and threw to Belt for what looked like the final out of the game; however Phillies manager Pete Mackanin challenged the call and after a 36 second review, the play stood and the Giants won their fourth in a row.

Bochy used Derek Law, Josh Osich, Gearrin, Lopez and Casilla, who picked up 17th save of the season.

By Jeremy Harness

USA Today photo: San Francisco Giants Joe Panik scores in the fourth inning and receives congratulations in the dugout in Pittsburgh’s PNC Park on Thursday

The Giants used a four-run third inning on Thursday to make their way past the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-3, at PNC Park.

In doing so, the Giants won for the 12^th time in 14 games and are tied with the most wins in the majors with the Chicago Cubs and the Texas Rangers with 47 victories. In addition, the Giants played Thursday without right fielder Hunter Pence as well as third baseman Matt Duffy in the lineup.

The team was also missing Brandon Belt, Gregor Blanco, Brandon Crawford and Angel Pagan. However, that did not prove to be much of a problem at all.

The Pirates did take a 1-0 lead in the first inning, but two innings later, the Giants exploded for four runs, much of it courtesy of Joe Panik’s three-run triple off Pittsburgh starter Jonathon Niese.

Pittsburgh had an answer in the bottom half of that inning, as the Pirates scored a pair of runs to cut the Giants’ lead to a single run, following Gregory Polanco’s run-scoring sac fly.

Mac Williamson, who assumed Pence’s regular position in right field on Thursday, made sure that the Giants would not relinquish this lead. In the top of the sixth, he launched a 446-foot home run that easily cleared the wall in left-center to give the Giants a two-run cushion.

Williamson had three hits and drove in a pair of runs, while Ramiro Pena, who played shortstop in place of Crawford, added a pair of hits.

While unspectacular, starter Albert Suarez (2-1, 3.69 ERA) was steady and did just enough to get the victory. He threw five innings and surrendered three runs on four hits, walking two and striking out six.

 

By Jeremy Harness

AP photo: San Francisco Giants Buster Posey is greeted at home plate by Denard Span after scoring on a Ramiro Pena single in the second inning off Pittsburgh Pirates

When you’re on a roll, like the one that the Giants find themselves on these days, you just find different ways to win on a consistent basis.

Wednesday was one of those instances. The Giants found themselves down early on, but they got their bats going in the middle innings to pull out a 7-6 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.

Jeff Samardzija had one of his more forgettable outings of the year – although there have not been very many – as he gave up six runs on six hits and lasted only three innings. Most of that damage was done in the second inning, as Gregory Polanco tagged Samardzija for a three-run homer that gave the Pirates a 5-1 lead.

Jung-ho Kang added a solo homer in the next inning, but the Giants would soon start their march. Brandon Crawford began the comeback with a single to right in the fourth, and the Giants added a pair more in the fifth to cut the lead to only two.

In the sixth, Ramiro Pena’s double narrowed Pittsburgh’s lead to a single run, and then Joe Panik scored him as well as Jarrett Parker with another double to give the Giants a lead that they would not relinquish.

However, the comeback would not have been made possible had the bullpen not stretched itself to help out Samardzija. After the starter was chased after the game following the third inning, five pitchers combined to give up only four hits the rest of the way and not a single run.

After not playing in the majors in 2015, Pena has had an impressive start to his tenure with the Giants. The third baseman, who is taking over for Matt Duffy, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained Achilles tendon, is batting .462 after five games, including going 2-for-5 on Wednesday and driving in a pair of runs in the process.

Crawford and Denard Span also had a pair of hits on Wednesday.

 

By Jeremy Kahn

sfgate.com photo: San Francisco Giants Angel Pagan was the game hero versus the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday

After seeing their eight-game winning streak come to an end in the series opener, the San Francisco Giants evened up their four-game series in convincing fashion.

Angel Pagan hit a grand slam as part of a seven-run fourth inning, as the Giants destroyed the Pittsburgh Pirates 15-4 at PNC Park.

Once again, Johnny Cueto was his usual dominant self, as he went 6.2 innings, allowing just one run, scattering four hits and improved to 19-4 all-time versus the Pirates. Cueto raised his record to 11-1, and is a winner of eight in a row.

Conor Gillaspie picked up four hits including a home run in the top of the fourth inning, where the Giants scored those seven runs and broke the game wide open. Gregor Blanco scored three times for the Giants.

Not only did the Giants score seven runs in the fourth inning, and added five runs in the eighth inning. The 15 runs and 22 hits were both season highs for the leaders of the National League West.

Nine consecutive Giants reached base in the seven-run fourth inning before an out was recorded by the Pirates.

It was the third home run of the season for Pagan, and his second career grand slam.

Matt Duffy was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left Achilles, and Mac Williamson was recalled from Sacramento.

By Morris Phillips

AP photo: Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Jeff Locke throws against San Francisco Giants on Monday night in the first inning at PNC Park

The Giants came to Pittsburgh hotter than they’ve ever been. Eric Kratz arrived in town 10 days ago and was still looking to make an impression, hopefully starting with an initial, base hit. And Jeff Locke’s spotty record over six seasons as a Pirate, made one fan armed with a Twitter account hope that the lefty wouldn’t return for a seventh.

So guess what transpired along the Allegheny River on Monday night?

The Giants fell to the Pirates 1-0 with Madison Bumgarner losing for the first time since April as Kratz homered, Locke pitched scoreless ball for six plus innings and the late-game heroics that had fueled San Francisco’s historic streak failed to materialize.

With all of the geographic factors portending a different result, the whole equation ultimately hinged on Angel Pagan’s inability to hang on to Kratz’s home run ball that he caught initially, but dropped when his glove arm crashed into the left field wall during his descent. The almost catch made Pagan to throw his glove down in disgust, caused Bumgarner to appear bummed, and gave Kratz the opportunity to explain it all, which didn’t go particularly well.

“I don’t know if he helped it over, but he didn’t hurt it from going over, put it that way,” Kratz opined.

Kratz’s blow put the Pirates ahead in the fifth. When the Giants threatened in the seventh, Pirates’ manager Clint Hurdle executed the rare move of lifting Locke, who had allowed five hits and no walks, for a reliever to face Bumgarner, a pitcher with the ability to change the game with one swing of the bat and one, career homer off the Pirates’ starter. But that move paid off for Pittsburgh when Naftali Perez came on to retire Bumgarner to end the inning with a baserunner on second base.

Setup man Tony Watson retired the Giants in the eighth, and closer Mark Melancon finished the Giants off, inducing a double play, ground ball off the bat of Buster Posey after Brandon Belt singled leading off the ninth.

The Giants came in with a major-league best 27-8 record since May 11, also the best streak over that number of games since the team came to San Francisco more than 60 seasons ago. But before the game, the team announced starting third baseman Matt Duffy was going on the disabled list and Denard Span would be scratched due to neck stiffness, highlighting the fact that while the team has been hot, they haven’t been healthy.

Bumgarner had won seven consecutive decisions, while Locke had allowed 18 runs in his two, previous starts.

 

By Jeremy Kahn

AP photo: A Giant leap for joy by San Francisco outfielders Angel Pagan, Denard Span, and Gregor Blanco after the club chalked up it’s eighth straight win at Tropicana Field on Sunday

With their second consecutive three-game sweep, the San Francisco Giants have matched their season long winning streak.

Joe Panik was the hero once again, as he hit a run-scoring single in the top of the eighth inning, as the Giants defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 5-1 at Tropicana Field.

Jake Peavy picked up his third win in his last four starts, as the Giants won their season-high tying eighth straight game.

Brandon Belt his team high 10th home run, as the Giants improve to a major league best 27-8 since May 11, the same day when they started their other eight-game winning streak.

Unfortunately, this game did not get off to a great start, as the Giants committed three errors in the first two innings and gave the Rays their only run of the game.

Despite the three errors, the Giants were able to stay in the game, as the Rays went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

Peavy pitched a strong six innings, allowing one run on four hits, while walking one and striking out eight.

Rays starter Jake Odorizzi also went six innings, not walking a batter and also struck out eight in getting a no decision.

The Giants finally got to Rays pitching in the top of the eighth inning, as they scored four runs off of Rays relievers Xavier Cedeno and Tyler Strudevant.

Panik drove in the eventual winning run, as he singled in Gregor Blanco, then Belt walked to end Cedeno’s afternoon and Posey greeted Strudevant with an opposite field single . Following a Brandon Crawford foul out, Conor Gilliaspie doubled to right-center field to put the finishing touches on the scoring and another win.

By Jeremy Kahn

AP photo: San Francisco Giant Joe Panik (12) is congratulated by teammates Gregor Blanco (7) and Trevor Brown (14) after hitting a three run homer in the ninth against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Saturday

When the San Francisco Giants look back on their first half of the 2016 season, this game might be in their Top 10.

Joe Panik drove in four runs, including a huge three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning, as the Giants came back to defeat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-4 at Tropicana Field.

Panik’s home run was the sixth home run between the two teams on the afternoon.

It was the seventh straight victory for the Giants, who are now 17 games over .500 and currently lead the National League West by seven games over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

After trailing 3-2 in the top of the seventh inning, the Giants tied it up when Brandon Crawford hit a single off of Erasmo Ramirez that scored Buster Posey.

Giants starting pitcher Albert Suarez went 4.2 innings, allowing three runs on five hits, walking two and striking out four.

Following Suarez, the quintet of Steven Okert, George Kontos, Josh Osich, Hunter Strickland and Cory Gearrin allowed one run on three hits.

Strickland gave up one hit and a walk, as he won his third game of the season without a loss.

Despite allowing a ninth inning home run to Logan Forsythe in the bottom of the ninth inning, Gearrin picked up his second save of the season. Gearrin was closing the game; because current closer Santiago Casilla is on the Paternity List.

Evan Longoria gave the Rays a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, as he took a Suarez pitch and launched it into the left field.

Matt Duffy then tied it up in top of the second inning with his fourth home run of the season.

Brad Miller and Logan Morrison gave the Rays a 3-1 lead with solo home runs in the bottom of third and fourth innings respectively.

Panik drove in the first of his four RBIs in the top of the fifth inning, as he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded that scored Trevor Brown from third base.

By Jeremy Kahn

AP photo: San Francisco Giant pitcher Jeff Samardzjia gets a hand shake from catcher Buster Posey after Samardzjia picks up a four hitter at Tropicana Field on Friday night

Jeff Samardzjia entered his start on Friday night in a mini slump, but that all ended with an outstanding performance against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Samardzjia, who came into the game with a 7.36 earned run average and a 0-2 record in his last three starts threw a complete game, scattering four hits and the San Francisco Giants defeated the Rays 5-1 at Tropicana Field.

This was the Giants sixth consecutive win since losing the opener to the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 10 at AT&T Park.

Both Brandon Crawford and Gregor Blanco each drove in two runs, while Brandon Belt hit a solo home run for the Giants, who are now a season-high 16 games over .500.

The Rays drew a crowd of 40,135, their largest crowd since their home opener against the Baltimore Orioles in 2006. This season, the Rays are averaging 16,037, the second-lowest in the majors.

The large crowd at Tropicana Field was due to it being Pride Night, and this year’s event was dedicated to the victims of last Sunday’s mass shooting in nearby Orlando. This past Tuesday, the Rays made all available tickets just $5.00, with all the proceeds going to the Pulse Victims Fund.

Samardzjia struck out four in his complete game outing, where he lost his shutout when Brad Miller hit a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Prior to the Miller home run, Samardzjia retired 22 of the previous batters he faced.