Category: San Francisco Giants

By Jeremy Harness

photo courtesy sfgate.com: The San Francisco Giants prepare to play indoors at Tampa’s Tropicana Field on Friday night against the Rays

Unlike the Warriors, who have appeared to have taken a significant step back in their quest to win their second straight NBA championship, the Giants have gotten their game back on track after a brief slide.

After taking two of three from the hated Los Angeles Dodgers, the Giants swept right through the Milwaukee Brewers in a three-game series at AT&T Park, punctuating things with a convincing 10-1 win.

The Giants will now travel across the country to take on the Tampa Bay Rays, a team that holds a 31-33 record and is currently in fifth place in the American League East, for a three-game weekend series.

For the Friday opener, the Giants will send Jeff Samardzija to the hill against the Rays’ Chris Archer.

Jake Peavy, who has had his share of struggles this year on the mound, appears to be getting it together after throwing six scoreless innings in his previous start against Dodgers, will start Saturday against Tampa’s Matt Moore (3-4, 5.05 ERA), who himself tossed seven shutout innings in his previous outing.

The Giants will close the series out on Sunday by starting righty Albert Suarez (2-1, 3.33 ERA) opposite Rays right-hander Jake Odorizzi (3-3, 3.79 ERA), who gave up five runs over only 5 2/3 innings in his last outing.

NOTES: The Giants are once again getting re-acquainted with an old pal.

The team signed right-handed reliever Jean Machi to a minor-league deal on Thursday. He went 11-2 with a 3.47 ERA over four years with the Giants from 2012 to 2015, but he really struggled since leaving the Giants.

The 34-year-old spent the first half of this season in the Cubs organization, but while playing for their affiliate in Iowa, he was released earlier this month.

If that wasn’t enough, a bout with alcohol made it much worse. Shortly after his release, a drunken Machi was seen urinating on the bumper of a car owner by an employee of a nearby restaurant. When the employee asked him to stop, the pitcher then challenged him to a fight.

Now he has another chance, to recapture the form that made him such an effective weapon out of the bullpen.

 

file photo h4-entertainment.com: San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Cain in file photo will have his throwing arm looked at as he has pain and will return to the DL for the second time this season

On the Giants podcast with Michael Duca Giants pitcher Matt Cain is making his second trip to the DL after having pain in Monday night’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Cain who just came back from the 15 day DL pitched on Monday and was missing corners, some pitches were low, breaking balls weren’t working and the Brewers were touching him up. He also got inured last season and has been five degrees off dead center ever since.

Cain has had multiple surgeries and he came back feeling a lot of promise this season and didn’t pitch well and then started to pitch well and had a 1.77 ERA through three starts and then he had a hamstring injury and apparently he came back this Monday to have arm issues and was replaced by Chris Stratton who was an emergency call up from Triple A Fresno. Stratton had his ten day wait to go back to the big leagues waived when a player is injured a replacemnt player can be called up in an emergency. Stratton pitched in relief against the Brewers on Wednesday afternoon in the Giants 10-1 win.

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

 

 

 

By Jeremy Kahn

AP photo: San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner throws against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning of Tuesday night’s game at AT&T Park

SAN FRANCISCO-It is not very often that you score the eventual game-winning run on a wild pitch, but it happened in the second game of the three-game series at AT&T Park.

Will Smith threw two consecutive wild pitches on back-to-back pitches that allowed Angel Pagan to score from third base, as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 3-2 before a crowd of 41,750, the 442nd consecutive sellout at AT&T Park. This was the fourth consecutive win for the Giants, as their lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers remains at six games after the Dodgers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-4 at Chase Field.

Pagan singled with one out, then Gregor Blanco followed with a single and then Smith uncorked a wild pitch with Madison Bumgarner at the plate that advanced Pagan and Blanco an additional 90 feet. On the very next pitch, Smith threw his second consecutive wild pitch that allowed Pagan to score the game-winning run.

Bumgarner was cruising along, as he retired the first nine Brewers in order until Jonathan Villar broke up the perfect game with a single leading off the top of the fourth inning.

In all, Bumgarner went eight innings, allowing two runs on just four hits, while walking just one and striking out eight, as he improved his record on the season to 8-2 and his earned run average is now at 1.91.

This was Bumgarner’s seventh consecutive win, and over his last 11 starts, Bumgarner has allowed two earned runs or fewer in each of his last 11 starts, the longest streak by a Giants pitcher since Juan Marichal also went 11 straight starts between September 30- May 26, 1966.

The one down fall for the Giants was their lack of producing with runners in scoring position, as they went 2-for-12 and left 13 men on base.

In his first start since September 5, 2015, Matt Garza went four innings, allowing one run on just four hits, with a walk and struck out five and did not fare in the decision.

Brandon Crawford put the Giants on the board in the bottom of the third inning, as he drove in Joe Panik, who led off the inning with an infield single that went off the glove of Matt Garza and bounced to Chris Carter, and he in turn threw to Carter and at first Panik was called out at first base by umpire Joe West.

Bruce Bochy challenged the ruling, and after a 58 second review, the call was reversed. Posey then singled for the second time, and after Matt Duffy struck out for the second time in the game, Panik and Posey pulled off a double steal that advanced them an additional 90 feet and then Crawford came through with an opposite field single.

Jonathan Lucroy tied up the game with one swing of the bat, as he took a Bumgarner offering and put it into the left field bleachers for his 10th home run of the season.

Angel Pagan untied the game in the bottom of the fifth, as he grounded into a Fielder’s Choice that scored Posey from third base. Posey led off the frame with his third single in as many at-bats, then Duffy and Crawford each walked to load the bases for Pagan, who grounded a ball to Chris Carter at first base, who threw to Villar at second for the force out of Crawford.

The Brewers tied up the game once again in the top of the sixth inning, as Villar doubled and then Hernan Perez singled him in.

After retiring the first batters of the bottom of the sixth inning, Brewers reliever Carlos Torres got into some trouble, as Posey picked up his fourth hit of the night, then Torres hit Brandon Belt on the foot; however he was able to escape further damage, as he got Duffy to ground out to Carter at first base to end the inning.

USA Today file photo: San Francisco Giant Hunter Pence will be out six to seven weeks with a torn hamstring

On the Giants podcast with Morris Sunday’s game with the Los Angeles Dodgers was razor close a one run win 2-1 and the Giants haven’t had a win by more than two runs in almost two weeks. The Giants Jake Peavy went six innings , four hits, one walk and three strike outs and his work stood up and he got relief help from six relievers after he left the game. The Giants got a crucial win to increase their lead in the NL West now five games in front of the second place Dodgers.

It’s incredible how this team is doing it without Hunter Pence out with a torn hamstring and Angel Pagan both on the disable list. The Giants are using Gregor Blanco in right and Mac Williamson in left in place of Pence and Pagan. Denard Span is in center. Also Peavy is looking like he’s back on track for the Giants picking up his third win against six loses.

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

 

 

 

By Jeremy Kahn

AP photo: San Francisco Giants Brandon Belt is congratulated by Joe Panik (12) after hitting two run shot in the sixth inning over the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias at AT&T Park on Sunday

SAN FRANCISCO-Brandon Belt gave the San Francisco Giants a huge win with just one swing of the bat.

Belt hit a two-run home run off of Julio Urias in the bottom of the sixth inning, as the Giants defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 before a crowd of 41,583, the 440th consecutive sellout at AT&T Park. With the victory, the Giants stretch their lead over the Dodgers to five games.

Just prior to the Belt home run off of Urias, Joe Panik walked to setup the battle with Belt and a on a 1-1 pitch, Belt took the Urias offering and put it into the right field bleachers for his eighth home run of the season.

That would be the runs that Jake Peavy would need, as he went six innings, scattering just four hits, while walking one and striking out three and saw his record on the season improve to 3-6.

This was the 15th time that Peavy won against the Dodgers, and with the victory, he is now 15-3 all-time against the Dodgers. His .833 winning percentage is highest by any pitcher with at least 15 decisions against them. Peavy breaks a tie with Jack Chesbro, who pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates against the then Brooklyn Dodgers from 1899-1902, this according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Peavy earned his 150th victory, becoming just the sixth active pitcher in the Major Leagues with 150 or more wins.

Urias, who at just 19 years old is still looking for that elusive first win of his short major league career. In 5.1 innings of work, he gave up two runs on four hits, walking just one and striking out seven.

The left-hander was the first teenager to start in a Giants-Dodgers game since Mike McCormick did so at age 19 for the Giants against the Dodgers at Seals Stadium in 1958. Urias was the first Dodgers pitcher to start as a teenager against the Giants since Don Drysdale did so at the Polo Grounds also age of 19 in 1956. Unlike Urias, who lost his decision, both McCormick and Drysdale won their decisions, this according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Former Palo Alto High School Star Joc Pederson drove in the only run for the Dodgers in the top of the seventh inning, as he hit his ninth home run of the season. Pederson’s home run landed in San Francisco Bay, the 108th “Splash Hit,” since the park opened back in 2000 and the 39th by an opponent. It was the second “Splash Hit” of the week, as Brandon Belt hit one against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night. Pederson is the second opponent to do it this season, as Ben Zobrist did it on May 20 for the Chicago Cubs.

Entering the game, Chase Utley was an abysmal 1-for-17 in his career against Peavy, but that all changed, as Utley went 3-for-3.

Matt Duffy extended his hitting streak at home up to 12 games, and is hitting .356 (16-for-45) during the streak.

This was the Dodgers fifth consecutive one-run decision, their longest streak since the 2010 season (Elias Sports Bureau) and are currently 2-3 during the streak.

Justin Turner was ejected by home plate umpire Mike Muchlinski as the top of the eighth inning came to a close after Turner struck out versus Cory Gearrin. It was the second career ejection for Turner, with his only other ejection coming on May 31, 2015 against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

Once again, Bruce Bochy went deep into his bullpen, as he used Hunter Strickland, George Kontos, Josh Osich, Gearrin, Javier Lopez and Santiago Casilla.

The six relievers combined for one run and two hits in the final three innings of work, and Casilla picked up his 13th save of the season.

By Jeremy Kahn

AP photo: San Francisco Giants Buster Posey gets the warm greetings from third base coach Bill Hayes 58 after getting the game winning hit in the tenth inning Saturday at AT&T Park

SAN FRANCISCO-Buster Posey came up with the biggest hit of the game when the San Francisco Giants needed it the most.

Posey hit a opposite field single that scored Joe Panik from second base, as the Giants came back to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 in 10 innings before a crowd of 41,358, the 439th consecutive regular season sellout at AT&T Park.

The walk-off single by Posey was the fourth of his career, and third walk-off hit, with his last one coming against the Toronto Blue Jays on May 11. This was the Giants sixth walk-off of the season, the most in the major leagues.

Jarrett Parker led off the bottom of the 10th inning by popping out to third base against Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen, but then Denard Span doubled to right field and then scored on a Joe Panik single to left field. Brandon Belt then what looked like the second out of the inning to Trayce Thompson in right field, but he was unable to catch the ball and his throw to second base just missed getting the suddenly sliding Panik. Posey then the second pitch he saw from Jansen into left-center field to send the Giants dugout streaming out of the dugout with enthusiasm.

The win by the Giants extended their lead over the second place Dodgers up to four games, but there were some scary moments in this game, especially when the Dodgers took the lead in the top of the 10th inning.

Chris Stratton, who was the last reliever for Bruce Bochy gave up a leadoff opposite field home run to Adrian Gonzalez on a 0-1 pitch. Thompson then singled, but then Stratton was able to settle down to get Joc Pederson to line out to Parker, Yasmani Grandal struck out for the second out and then Stratton ended the inning, as Howie Kendrick flew out to Gregor Blanco in right field.

This was Stratton’s first appearance in a game since June 2, when he pitched one inning against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. With the victory, Stratton picked up his first career victory.

As for Jansen, this was just his third blown save of the 2016 season, as he fell to 2-2 on the season.

Giants starting pitcher Jeff Samardzjia lasted 4.2 innings, his shortest outing of the season. Samardzjia allowed two runs on seven hits, while walking two and striking out three.

Once again, Samardzjia was unable to make it out of the fifth inning, marking the third consecutive start that he was unable to get thru the fifth. In six of his first 10 starts, Samardzjia went at least 7. 2 innings.

Dodgers starter Scott Kazmir remains winless against the Giants this season, as he went five innings, allowing three runs on five hits, while walking five and striking out three. On the season, Kazmir is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA, while in his other 10 starts, Kazmir is 5-2 with a 3.56 ERA.

The Giants got to Kazmir early, as they scored two runs off of him in the first inning, as Belt and Posey each walked and then Matt Duffy singled in Belt with the Giants first run of the afternoon. Brandon Crawford then singled in Posey following the Belt single.

That would be the score for all of one-half inning, as Thompson singled, then made a heads play, as he advanced an 90 feet on a Pederson fly out to Mac Williamson in left field and then scored on a Grandal single.

Gonzalez drove in the first of his two runs on the afternoon in the top of the fifth inning, as he doubled in Justin Turner, who singled just prior to Gonzalez double.

After Panik singled and Belt walked to leadoff the sixth inning, Kazmir was replaced by Louis Coleman, who got Posey to ground into a force play and then Duffy did the same thing; however Panik was able to score the go-ahead run from third base.

This is where the game got really strange, as the Giants made five pitching changes that included Derek Law, Josh Osich, Hunter Strickland, Javier Lopez and finally Cory Gearrin.

Despite all those changes, the Dodgers were unable to get anything across until Thompson walked with the bases loaded off of Gearrin to tie up the game that scored Chase Utley. In total, it took nearly 30 minutes to complete that half-inning that included those five pitching changes, saw the Dodgers score one run on just one hit and left the bases loaded.

Editors Note: The final score from Friday’s game was left out of the story, and the final was Dodgers 3 Giants 2.

By Jeremy Kahn

AP photo: The Los Angeles Dodgers Clayton Kershaw throws against the San Francisco Giants on Friday night at AT&T Park

SAN FRANCISCO-Justin Turner added his name to the lore of the long historical rivalry between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants on one swing of the bat.

Turner launched a Santiago Casilla pitch into the left field bleachers leading off the top of the ninth inning, as the Dodgers defeated the Giants in the opener of a pivotal three-game series before a crowd of 41,208, the 438th consecutive regular sellout at AT&T Park.

The Turner home run was one of two hits allowed by Casilla in the fateful ninth inning, as former Palo Alto High School standout Joc Pederson doubled with two outs; however he was stranded at second base, as Casilla was able to get Yasmani Grandal to fly out to Jarrett Parker to end the inning.

Turner’s home run made a winner out of Clayton Kershaw, who improves to 9-1 on the season. In eight innings of work, Kershaw allowed two runs on five hits, did not walk a batter and struck out 13. It was the eighth time this season that Kershaw topped the double digit plateau in strikeouts and the first time since he struck out 10 against the New York Mets on May 29 at Citi Field.

Johnny Cueto got off to a rough start from the get go, as he hit Chase Utley to leadoff the game, then Corey Seager reached on a infield single. Then with Turner at the plate, Cueto unleashed a wild pitch that advanced the runners an additional 90 feet.

Utley then scored on a balk by Cueto, and Seager moved to third base. Turner struck out for the first out of the inning, and then Trace Thompson, the younger brother of Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson singled in Seager for the Dodgers second run of the inning.

Thompson would be the last runner to reach base against Cueto until he hit Utley in the top of the fifth inning, as he retired 11 in a row up to that point. After Cueto hit Utley for a second time, he retired the next 10, as in all, Cueto retired 23 out of the last 24 batters he faced.

Cueto ended up going up eight innings, allowing two runs on just three hits, while not a walking a batter and striking out eight; however he did not fare in the decision.

Over his last seven starts, Cueto is 5-0 with a 1.01 earned run average, with just six earned runs allowed in 53.1 innings of work.

Cueto also saw 29.1 scoreless inning streak at AT&T Park come to an end in the first inning. It was the second longest streak by a Giants pitcher at home since the Giants moved to San Francisco from New York in 1958. Bud Black holds the records, as he tossed 32.0 straight scoreless innings at Candlestick Park back in 1991.

Matt Duffy got the Giants on the board in the bottom of the first inning, as he took a Kershaw offering and planted it into the left field bleachers to cut the Dodgers lead in half.

It was the first home run by Duffy since April 6 against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park, a span of 214 at-bats.

The Duffy home run was just the fifth allowed by Kershaw this season, and the third by the Giants. Madison Bumgarner and Ehire Adrianza each hit one on April 9, and then Duffy put his name on that list with his third home run of the season in the bottom of the first inning.

Kenley Jansen came on for the Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth inning, and got Duffy and Buster Posey to fly out to Thompson for the first two outs; however Brandon Belt extended the game, when he doubled down the right field line and then pinch hitter Gregor Blanco walked. Jansen then regrouped, and was able to get Brandon Crawford to strikeout swinging and the Dodgers cut the Giants lead in the National League West down to three games.

It was the 17th save of the season for Jansen.

By Jeremy Harness

photo by gammonsdaily.com file photo: 36 year old Travis Ishikawa was signed to a minor league contract with the Giants

SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants have lost four of their past seven games, but they still sit four games ahead in the National League West.

In second place in the division is none other than the Los Angeles Dodgers, and they are on a slightly more of an upward trend than the Giants are at this point. While the Giants split a four-game series a week ago in Atlanta, the Dodgers swept those very same Braves at Dodger Stadium in a three-game series last weekend.

Friday night’s opener at AT&T Park is expected to be a dandy. Clayton Kershaw (8-1, 1.46 ERA) will take the hill for the Dodgers, but this time, he won’t be going up against Madison Bumgarner but rather Johnny Cueto (9-1, 2.16 ERA).

On Saturday, Jeff Samardzija will start for the Giants and will square off against Scott Kazmir, who has spent time with the A’s in the past. The Dodgers will send a 19-year-old to the mound in left-hander Julio Urias to face Giants righty Jake Peavy.

NOTES: The Giants are going to get re-acquainted by an old friend.

The team re-signed outfielder Travis Ishikawa, who came up through the Giants’ organization and won a place in team lore with his game-winning home run that sent the Giants to the World Series in 2014, to a minor-league contract on Thursday.

The 32-year-old Ishikawa had spent this season with the White Sox organization, but he was recently released after batting only .201 in 175 plate appearances. At this point, Ishikawa does not have a defined role with the big club, but the sole purpose of signing him is merely for depth.

Meanwhile, the team also signed 36-year-old Chris Denorfia, who has played with the division foe San Diego Padres for the past few years, to a minor-league deal. He has not played this season, but he did hit .269 last year while with the Cubs organization.