Category: San Francisco Giants

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Local Bay Area Radio icons make it to Hall of Fame

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by Amaury Pi Gonzalez

photo of Terry McGovern courtesy google images

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO–On Saturday Bay Area radio personalities were introduced at the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame by former great DJ formerly with KSAN and KSFO Terry McGovern the former morning personality and voice actor. McGovern served as this year’s master of ceremonies and introductions at the BARHOF. McGovern a well known film actor, television broadcaster, radio personality, voice over specialist, and acting instructor.

The Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame, the California Historical Society and Broadcast Legends inducted nine of their own to the Hall of Fame. In the Sports Category former Raiders head coach, television analyst, and KCBS Sports personality John Madden started his introduction on former morning personality from the former flagship station of the A’s and Giants KSFO 560 Gene Nelson (BARHOF 2006).

Then Madden switched his attention and introduced former morning personality from KNBR Frank Dill (BARHOF 2006) who called it a day in 1988, coach Madden also worked with former news anchor at KCBS Al Hart (BARHOF 2006) and current KCBS morning anchor Stan Bunger (BARHOF 2010). Madden who was not there to present but he sent his most heartfelt thanks via video to introduce the personalities.

News Categories: Former KFRC and KCBS newsman from the South Bay Bureau Mike Colgan was introduced by former KGO ABC 7 reporter from the South Bay Bureau Rigo Chacon who is now retired. Colgan has been on the Bay Area radio news scene now for over 40 years. Colgan was part of that legendary 610 KFRC, the Big 610, 20/20 news team, and part of those Billboard Station Of The Year Award years when KFRC won consecutive Billboard awards in the 70s.

Colgan also worked at KPEN Los Altos before working at KCBS in 1988. Colgan’s current assignment is with the KCBS South Bay Bureau. I have personally known Rigo for along time, he does a lot of stuff for the community and told me his dad used to love to listen to me when I first started doing the A’s on the radio in the mid 70s.

Former KYUU great Gil Haar was brought in from Denver to work at KOBY as a DJ in 1958, then Haar worked at KYA and KEWB then moved to KMJ Fresno for five years, and came back to the Bay Area in 1966. He spent the next ten years as news director at KNEW. For those of you who knew him from his work in the 80s he worked with Don Bleu morning disc jockey, Vicky Jenkins news anchor, Whitey Gleason Sports Director at the formerly NBC owned 99.7 KYUU. Haar was famous for ending his news casts by saying “so now you know” he was also there to accept his Hall of Fame induction.

Pioneer: Elma Greer from KSFO radio which was called for many years “the world’s greatest radio station” where Greer was music director who started her 28 year tenure in 1961. Greer won numerous awards during her career as music director. Kathy Antsey Elma’s daughter accepted on behalf of Elma.

Engineering and Education: Ken Nielson a true radio and TV pioneer. He came to the Bay Area from Denver in 1941 and convinced the San Francisco United School District to apply for an FM license and purchase an RCA demonstration FM transmitter used in the 1939 Treasure Island Expo. The end result was that of KALW radio which became the first FM station on the West Coast. Later Ken convinced the school district to purchase TV cameras and related equipment for classes. The equipment was used after school hours to help start KQED TV. Yes, same KQED 9 as we well know it today.

Specialty: Peter Scott came to KSFO after several years at KSJO in San Jose. Peter worked his way up from production coordinator to assistant program director and then onto program director in the mid 70s. After his KSFO days he owned his own recording studio in San Francisco and did voice overs until his passing in 2008. McGovern inducted Scott with the Hall of Fame award.

Personality: Dusty Street got her start in Bay Area radio as one of the fabled “chick engineers” at KMPX in 1967. Street later became a DJ when she moved over to KSAN after the KMPX strike. Street later moved to the LA market from 1979-1995. She spent the last ten years at Sirius XM radio as radio host of classic vinyl.

Program host: Lisa Kreisler started his career at KLOK in the news department after graduation from San Jose State. When her station switched formats she jumped over to KBAY doing news before becoming co host of the morning show with fellow BARHOF 2015 and former K101 disc jockey Sam Van Zandt. The Lissa-Sam show put KBAY on top of the San Jose ratings. Van Zandt presented Lissa with the plaque.

Executive Harvey Stone originally from Cleveland served 33 years as General Manager/President of KBLX “The Quiet Storm”. He guided “The Quiet Storm” against the giant corporate stations to be rated in the top three on a consistent basis through the 1990s. Harvey is also the CHRS godfather. In 2003 he invited and allowed CHRS to use the historic KRE building in Berkeley as the first home of the CHRS Radio Museum.

Priceless stories about radio, when radio was really radio, when station had news, sports and weather staffs along with their music and program directors. I’m proud to be a part of the BARHOF (2010) preserving history of radio in the Bay Area, mixing with some of these people I have know for years and some that I used to listen to when I first arrived from New York City to San Francisco in 1969 it is always a thrill and a privilege.

A great afternoon was had by all and lunch at the Basque Cultural Center in South San Francisco with an attendance of 140 people on Saturday. For more information please visit http://www.broadcastlegends.com.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio voice for the A’s, the Spanish TV voice for the Angels, and does News and Commentary each week for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Legendary Astro broadcaster Milo Hamilton dead at 88

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by Amaury Pi Gonzalez

photo of Milo Hamilton courtesy of google images

LOS ANGELES–It was Milo Hamilton who was at the microphone calling the play by play for WSB Radio in Atlanta when baseball home run king Hank Aaron swatted his 715th home run to surpass former king of ding the late New York Yankee Babe Ruth. Hamilton made the call on April 8, 1974. Hamilton passed away at the age of 88 and the cause of illness was not disclosed.

Aaron’s 715th home run was anxiously anticipated during the off season as he was held to 713 homers at the end of the 1973 season. It was on opening day 1974 in Cincinnati that Aaron faced the Reds starter Jack Billingham when Hammering Hank belted the home run that would tie Ruth’s all time mark at 714. For the rest of that three game series Aaron wouldn’t go yard.

The Braves wanted to sit Aaron until he got back to Fulton County Stadium to face the LA Dodgers but MLB Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn ordered Aaron to play in every game of the Red series. The Braves wanted to save Aaron for the home games in Atlanta.

It was Hamilton who was on WSB calling the most famous call in baseball when Aaron broke baseball’s all time home run record and it was the mantle of Hamilton’s legendary career. Hamilton called Major League Baseball for 60 years and he always said that Aaron told him when he travels all over the world people refer to Hamilton’s call of Aaron’s home run on radio that night.

The way Hamilton would tell it “were kind of joined at the hip with home run number 715” of Aaron and the home run call. Aaron said of the call, “Your voice goes with me all over the world, everywhere I go when people start talking about that home run, your voice comes back, and I want to say how much I appreciate that.”

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio voice for the A’s, the Spanish radio voice for the Angels, and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNZl6HN5c-0 (link for Milo Hamilton call on Aaron’s 715th home run courtesy of You Tube)

That’s Amaury’s Podcast, News and Commentary: MLB now allowing fans to use social media to decide player awards on line

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by Amaury Pi Gonzalez

photo credit bleacher report photo of MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred

OAKLAND–Everything in baseball is moving towards social media and now MLB is allowing fans to vote on different categories for players who achieved top status. This is a great move by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred who is presiding, baseball as long as we know has been through a lot of changes with the clocks, in between innings, the replays. Baseball is going through a transformation and it’s good that their going through it with social media. That’s the way to do it now and that’s the way of the future.

Can the Angels get back in the race?: The Angels who are four games out of the first place spot for the wild card have a very interesting line up. Except Seattle and Oakland, all the other adversaries are teams that are ahead of them. Right now the Angels are in Seattle. Then after the series in Seattle they go to Minnesota for four games.

The Angels need to beat Minnesota because the Twins are ahead of them in the wild card standings. Then after Minnesota they go to Houston which they took two out of three. I got to broadcast the worst loss for the Angels it was last Sunday. The Halos had a three run lead with two outs in the top of the ninth and Houston Street whose leading the American League in saves with 35 was pitching.

Street got blown up as the Astros scored five runs unanswered in the top of the ninth and the Angels lost again on Monday night in Seattle 10-1. I said this on the air and I hate to say it and you want to be positive on the air when you broadcast for a team. We mentioned that loss as fatal for the Halos.

The Angels could have swept the Astros they had a terrific homestand, they could have swept the Astros a first place team and with two outs and two strikes and there was a three run homer by former A’s Jed Lowrie a pinch hitter none the less. In the end the Astros scored five runs off the Angels. The Astros beat the Angles, the Angels control their destiny because their playing teams that are on top of them but they can’t afford to lose them.

Anaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio voice for the A’s, the Spanish TV voice for the Angels, and does News and Commentary each week for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Duffy Powers Giants to Fourth Straight Victory

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By: Ben Leonard

SAN FRANCISCO —

Matt Duffy had two doubles, Tim Hudson gritted through pain, and Brandon Belt drove in a pair of runs and saved a few with his glove to give the Giants a 5-3 win over the Reds, their fourth straight victory.

The Giants got to Cincinnati starter Keyvius Sampson early, knocking him for two runs before most fans were even in their seats. After Angel Pagan singled to lead off the bottom of the first and Alejandro De Aza reached on an error, Duffy added his first double, roping a liner down the right field line. De Aza only scored because Jay Bruce had trouble holding onto the ball once he fielded it, giving the Giants a free run.

They added on two more in the third inning, Sampson’s last in an outing cut short by the Giants’ offensive success. Ehire Adrianza walked after launching a towering splash hit that went just foul on the previous pitch, and later moved over to third on a sacrifice bunt and a fly-out. Duffy followed with his second double of the game, a line shot down the left-field line. With 26, Duffy now has the second-most doubles for a Giants’ rookie since 1986, when Will Clark and Robby Thompson both had 27.

The big thumpers behind Duffy, Brandon Belt and Marlon Byrd, followed with a booming triple and a just as booming double, respectively. After three extra-base hits in the third, the Giants found themselves holding a comfortable 4-0 lead heading into the fifth, when it almost unraveled.

Bruce Bochy lauded Duffy after the game, praising his grit and determination:

“This kid has had a terrific year. He hasn’t had a day off in ninety-something games, and he just goes out there and looks the same every day. You’d think he’d show some wear and tear at this point. Even when he had a bad ankle there for a few days, he played through it — he’s a tremendous kid. I know there’s been a couple other guys with big rookie years, but he’s right there in the mix. He’s a pleasure to manage.”

 

With Duffy giving the Giants such a big cushion, Tim Hudson had been cruising, giving up hits only to one player, Ramon Cabrera (Who went 4 for 4, and is 6 of his last 9), until there was one out in the fifth. Hudson explained that his hip had been ‘barking at him’ since the second inning, and he seemed to lose his stamina as the game went along. But he insisted that the injury wouldn’t affect his next start, and was just “one of things that [he] has to deal with from time to time. It’s something we’ll just treat and take care of.”

Regardless of why, Reds’ hitters starting getting to Hudson better the second time through the lineup, loading the bases with one out after a single, double, and walk. So with two ‘big lefties’ in Jay Bruce and Joey Votto coming up next and lefty specialist Javier Lopez warm in the pen, the decision to yank Hudson after just 70 pitches wasn’t about his hip, but rather, “the matchup,” in Hudson’s eyes at least.

Lopez did his job at first, inducing Bruce to ground out, with Belt making a great play ranging to his left on a soft grounder to nail the runner at the dish. Even though Bochy thought it was a ‘terrific play,’ Belt surprised “all of [them] in the dugout” with his decision to throw home.

One person wasn’t surprised at all: Buster Posey. He had told Belt to go home on a slow roller instead of turning two during the mound visit that replaced Hudson, and go home he did. It probably ended up saving the Giants a run, which could have changed the outcome of the game.

Lopez ended up walking Votto on four pitches with the bases loaded to give the Reds their first run, but George Kontos slammed the door by getting Brandon Phillips to ground out to end the inning.

After that, the Reds only added four more hits, including Jay Bruce’s two-run homer to make it interesting, cutting the Giants’ lead to 4-3. Belt added an insurance run in the eighth with a sacrifice fly, extending the Giants’ lead to 5-3, a figure that would hold, despite a shaky ninth from Santiago Casilla. The right-handed closer gave up two hits to start the frame, and had to throw 27 pitches, but eventually the Reds folded.

Notes: 

Even though the Giants won, they remain 7.5 games back of Los Angeles after their win over Colorado on Monday….The Giants moved to 4-1 against the Reds on the season….Reds’ center fielder Billy Hamilton had to leave the game with a sore right shoulder….The Giants have won 20 of their last 25 home games….Chris Heston (11-10, 3.55) will take the hill tomorrow in the series finale, facing left-hander John Lamb (1-3, 5.18)….

 

 

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Giants enjoying the string of home cooking with wins over the Reds and Padres

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by Michael Duca

photo credit bing images Padres announcers Dick Enberg and Mark Grant

SAN FRANCISCO–If you watched Saturday’s game in which Giants pitcher Mike Leake was going you had to ask yourself if Leake was going to be able to outscore Mike Leake. Leake helped his own cause in the Giants victory 10-3 with his first home run of the season and his eighth hit in 62 at bats. He did serve up three runs to the Padres on Sunday and once Leake got the lead he settled down.

For Friday Giants starter Madison Bumgarner nearly pitched a perfecto going into it with two outs in the eighth inning. Mad Bum had faced 23 straight hitters before the no-no was broken up by the Padres Melvin Upton Jr with a single up the middle. BJ Upton was 0-10 against Bumgarner but Melvin Upton Jr is one for one. The name change served him well.

What’s unfortunate on this leg of this homestand is the Giants are losing so many players and I worked over the weekend covering the Padres and Giants series in the TV booth with Padres TV announcer the great Dick Enberg helping him provide stats for the Padres and Enberg said “after 50 years of the game you know that every team has injuries” but Enberg could not recall a club that has had as many significant injuries as the Giants have had.

Three fifths of the Giants starting rotation has been out at one point, all of their starting outfield, their starting double play combination and their third baseman who started the season Casey McGehee was off the roster for the rest of the year. It’s remarkable given what they’ve done all things considered.

Basically the Giants had the best road team in baseball to start the season but once they got out on the road with only three clubs in the bag but as of today the Giants road record is 34-41. Also with Hunter Pence who also has been hurt most of the year. With a Pence in the line up the Giants are 42-21 in two out of three game series that he plays.

That’s just an astonishing number for one guy to have that kind of impact and he’s basically five or six games over .500 right now to be 21 games over .500. That means their 14 games under .500 without him. It’s a huge difference with one player. It speaks to what he is on the field and what he could do in the outfield. What Pence could do with his arm and with his legs and what he could do with his bat.

Michael Duca does the Giants podcasts each week for http://www.sportsradioservice.com listen to Miguel below

Giants vs. Reds: Lineups, News, and Notes

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By: Ben Leonard

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Monday night, the San Francisco Giants (75-68) will take on the Cincinnati Reds (60-82) to open up a quick two-game series between the two clubs at AT&T Park.

7.5 games back and desperate for wins, the Giants can’t lose very many games if they want to catch up to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West — but they’re sending a guy to the hill who has gotten a lot of them over his storied 20-year career: Tim Hudson.

In what very well could be his last career start, the 40-year old Hudson (7-8, 4.51) looks to help the Giants, coming off a sweep of the Padres, continue their recent winning ways. In his last start, the veteran right-hander went six strong innings, giving up just one run and  hitting a home run himself. 

Over Hudson’s last four appearances (2 GS), he has posted a 2.70 ERA — and has enjoyed recent success against Cincinnati. Over his last four starts against the Reds, Hudson has dealt to the tune of a 2.48 ERA. 

The Reds counter with right-hander Keyvius Sampson (2-4, 6.94), who is making just his tenth Major League appearance for a rebuilding squad. A 2009 fourth-round pick by the San Diego Padres, Sampson has never faced the Giants. 

The Giants’ pitching staff will have to face MVP candidate Joey Votto, who has been red-hot (Pun intended) since the All-Star Break. Currently, his .561 OBP since the break has been the eighth highest in Major League history, behind five Barry Bonds and two Ted Williams seasons. Pretty nice company.

The Giants’ offense has also been red-hot as of late, outscoring the Padres 27-4 over the weekend, fueled by a lineup that hit .340, including .400 with RISP.

They’ve been doing it even without five key regulars, including Joe Panik, who received an MRI on his back and is unlikely to play again this season. The same might be true for Hunter Pence, who took dry swings today but might be shut down given the Giants’ place in the standings. There was better news regarding Brandon Crawford, who is nearing a return after fielding grounders and hitting in the cage.

LINEUPS:

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Bumgarner Flirts With Perfection, Tosses Shutout In 8-0 Victory.

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By Shawn Whelchel

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.-It may have only been September, but starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner looked to be in mid-October form on Saturday night as he flirted with perfection through 7.2 innings during the Giants 8-0 win at AT&T Park.

After retiring the first 23 batters of the game in order, Bumgarner’s bid for perfection came to a disappointing ending after outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. hit a 2-1 pitch up the middle of the infield for a single.

The single may have thwarted Bumgarner’s shot at the history books, but the hard-throwing lefty came back out to an ecstatic crowd to down the Padres in order in the bottom of the ninth to cap off his complete game shutout, earning his 18th win of the season.

Bumgarner looked dominant throughout the night, mixing in his entire arsenal of sharp 0ff-speed balls while painting this strike zone with his fastball command.

The southpaw was hardly shook until the night-changing single by Upton Jr., with just two deep fly balls in the fifth inning and a sharp liner that was gloved by a perfectly placed Kelby Tomlinson at second base in the seventh threatening his night.

While the raucous crowd at AT&T Park may have been disappointed by the night’s outcome, the ever stoic Bumgarner balked at the thought of being upset over the missed opportunity.

“I don’t mean to say it like I don’t care, but I’m not here for perfect games, or no-hitters, or any of that,” said Bumgarner. “That’s definitely special, no doubt about it, but my main concern is winning games…I’m just as happy with what we got.”

However, his teammates, along with manager Bruce Bochy, were more candid in their disappointment in not being able to watch Bumgarner sling his way to the history books.

“I think we all felt it. Once you get in the fifth inning area, the way he was throwing the ball, he was on tonight with all his pitches,” said Bochy. “What an incredible performance. We’re all a little disappointed, yet you witness just a beautiful game he threw tonight.”

So where does an outing like Saturday night’s rank amongst Bumgarner’s many impressive starts after the 26-year old slinger has seemingly made a career of pitching in big-game scenarios?

“Its right up there,” Said Bochy, ” This one was right there with so many great games he’s thrown. He just had a great look about him from the get-go.”

Opposing starter Ian Kennedy looked to match Bumgarner’s performance during his first three trips to the mound, before being roughed up his second time through the lineup.

The Giants broke open Saturday’s pitching duel with a two-out rally that plated four across the bottom of the fourth inning.Kennedy continued to cruise through the first two batters of the bottom frame, before a pair of consecutive walks to Buster Posey and Brandon Belt gave the Giants their first runner in scoring position of the ballgame.

Marlon Byrd would cash in on the scoring opportunity by knocking a two-out double off the glove of the sprinting Justin Upton near the left field warning track to clear the bases for a 2-0 lead. The Giants would tack on a pair of additional runs as the speedy Kelby Tomlinson legged out a triple after splitting the left-center gap with a line drive, followed by an Ehire Adrianza bloop single to left field to cap off the scoring outburst.

Kennedy’s night would not get any easier during his next trip to the mound, as Angel Pagan opened up the bottom of the fifth with his second home run of the season, launching one over the arcade in left field to give the Giants a 5-0 lead.

Left fielder Alejandro De Aza would follow up Pagan’s solo blast with a drive of his own deep into triples-alley, just past the sprinting reach of RF Matt Kemp before landing safely at third with a triple. De Aza would be plated two batters later after Belt reached second base on a throwing error by 2B Cory Spangenberg, who launched the ball into the Padres dugout following a double-play attempt.

The error on Spangenberg would quickly haunt the Padres, as Byrd would net his third RBI of the night with a rocket up the middle for an RBI single, giving the Giants a 7-0 lead heading into the sixth inning. Byrd’s single would also chase Kennedy from the game, ending his night after 4.2 innings pitched while surrendering seven earned runs on seven hits.

Belt would add on an additional run to support Bumgarner in the bottom of the seventh by launching a solo shot over the sixth archway in left field to make it an 8-0 game.

The outburst of offense was a side story to Bumgarner’s impressive effort however, as the crowd was keyed in on the dominant southpaw’s efforts throughout the night.

The Giants will look to sweep the series against San Diego tomorrow as Mike Leake takes on the Padre’s Odrisamer Despaigne in a 1:05 p.m start tomorrow at AT&T Park.

 

Game Notes:

The Giants have scored five or more runs in nine of their last 11 home games.  San Francisco has also won 18 of their last 23 games at AT&T Park.

Tonight’s complete game was Bumgarner’s 10th of his career and fifth shutout.

Bumgarner’s night was his closest bid to perfection in his career at 7.2 innings. His previous high was 7.0 perfect innings against Colorado on August 26, 2014.

That’s Amaury’s Podcast, News and Commentary: Met’s can win NL title if they can get the Harvey situation fixed

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by Amaury Pi Gonzalez

LOS ANGELES–The New York Mets star pitcher Matt Harvey said that he would stop pitching if the Mets put a pitch count on him. Team executive Sandy Alderson said he would try to reach a compromise with Harvey on Tuesday night. The goal of the Mets is to win their division and go to the World Series.

The Mets have one of the best young pitching staffs in the Majors. With Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, and old Bartolo Colon whose still winning with a record 13-11 ERA 4.18 at 42 years old. Harvey should be able to pitch and years ago pitchers used to throw in the big leagues and then they would go to Latin America and then they would pitch again in the winter leagues.

All these guys made a lot of money and they don’t need another job in the winter, the only people who play in the winter are the rookies or the people with experience and gather their knowledge and come back the following year and come back to the diamond. The way I see it the Harvey situation is ridiculous.

Harvey said on twitter that he will pitch in the playoffs and it’s hopeful that he does. Putting a pitching limit on Harvey is not going to work for him. It’s become impossible and he’s going to pitch and that’s what he’s there for. He’s getting paid to pitch, Harvey is a good pitcher, he’s number one in that rotation.

We now know the pitching coach is telling the starter to give the club just six good innings. OK what’s going to be next? “Give me six good innings but don’t make it more than 70 pitches” is baseball going to generate to a six to seven man pitching rotation. Nobody can go more than six or seven innings?

People get tired after pitching 290 innings, it’s ridiculous and it’s hopeful that he can pitch as long as he wants. I only wish Harvey the best of luck. The Mets fans have to be up in arms and asking “what’s going on, were in first place and we want to win but our number one pitcher says he won’t pitch” and keep in mind this is happening in the number one TV market in the country so this situation is under a microscope.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does Spanish radio for the A’s, Spanish TV for the Angels, and News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com Listen to the podcast below

San Francisco Giants Podcast with Michael Duca: With Panik back Giants glad to have front line squad going again

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by Michael Duca

SAN FRANCISCO–Giants second baseman Joe Panik was playing rehab ball in right field in the Giants Sacramento triple A affiliate where the Rivercats were playing a wish bone defense and a ground ball in the hole Panik went over towards the first base line going for the ball it deflected off first baseman and former Giant Kevin Frandsen’s glove back to him to his right he managed to skid to a stop on the grass using his spikes got it barehanded was able to reach out and catch the ball and then throw the runner out to first base with the pitcher covering.

It was one of those amazing reaction plays you look at that and you think “well don’t think the back is bothering him anymore.” Panik is an instinctive defender. There is really no way you could be prepared for a ricochet like that, you just react to it. Kelby Tomlinson has really done a nice job in Panik’s absence covering at least the batting order spot and driving in runs and getting on base going his speed. He’s not as able a defender as Panik is. He doesn’t have the timing and rhythm down as Brandon Crawford. Panik also played without Crawford and played with Ehire Adrianza.

It has also been a less than ideal situation for backup second baseman Kelby Tomlinson having said that just getting back your starter is always a lift for the team. Getting guys back having the real front line squad there to the point that’s it possible. The Giants losing skid got to seven that where it got to the point where it started to effect the team physiologically.

After that seventh consecutive loss they held a players only team meeting and came to the conclusion that of the season may well be lost the last 25 games don’t have to be and they could play those games to their highest level of capability and let the chips where they do and they’ll be able to feel alright about it in the off season.

The biggest thing right now for San Francisco is there ten games back in the loss column from the Dodgers their seven or eight back. That’s a lot to make up. You can four of them head to head but you need some help. Is there help coming? Possibly the Giants don’t play another .500 ball club all year except for the Dodgers and they don’t have to leave the Pacific Time Zone for most of the year.

The Dodgers face the Angels who are scuffling for a playoff spot next week and after that they face the Pirates. So there is some possibility still there.

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

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: The difference between the Giants and Dodgers

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by Amaury Pi Gonzalez

photo credit mlb.com of Clay Kershaw

LOS ANGELES–The difference this season, right now, between these two eternal rivals, since the days of New York, could be condensed(in my humble opinion)to this sentence that follows:

“The Giants have one #1 pitcher, while the Dodgers have two #1 pitchers”. Madison Bumgarner for the Orange and Black and Clay Kershaw and Eric Greinke for the Blue and White.

I know everybody has an opinion regarding baseball and the passion runs deep specially in the Bay Area when you mention the Dodgers; not as much in Los Angeles, when you mention the Giants, since in the southland there is little passion for much of anything during a baseball game, except having some good suntan lotion on hand during day games, watching whose is sitting next to Larry King on the seats behind the plate, and leaving Dodgers Stadium by the 7th inning so the traffic jam you encounter is not as nasty as many, coming down from Chávez Ravine.

The glass is half full and half empty. While Dodger fans are gloating because of the recent three-game sweep of the Giants, many Giants fans are saying that their team is very much hurt with so many injuries with Hunter Pence, Brandon Crawford, Joe Panik and Angel Pagan (who just returned to the lineup). The Dodgers also are without Yasiel Puig, however that could even be good news for the Dodgers in the final month of the season, since the unpredictable Cuban could then be ready for postseason.

I want to be objective here, and I think anybody that follows the game can agree, that there is no team, this year in the major leagues with pitchers like Kershaw and Greinke on the same rotation, and that could be the difference for the Dodgers to win this division by…….two games! It is as simple as that.

Can the Giants catch the Dodgers and win the division?….yes, it is possible. Can the Giants catch the Chicago Cubs and win a spot as a wild card? Yes, it is possible.

All that is possible, the Giants did not win the western division in 2014 and they won the World Series. Believe it or not, in the history of the Los Angeles Dodgers they have won their division the last three seasons in a row, something they have never done before, however the last time they made it to the World Series (as I remember well)was in 1988, when during that first game at Dodger Stadium, Kirk Gibson, who could not take batting practice(talking about people hurt)hit that memorable home run off the best reliever in those years Dennis Eckersley. I am sorry A’s fans for bringing that up, but it is part of history.

And yes, the Dodgers can also blow the lead they have over the second place Giants, but they are in a very strong position, and the Giants have to be very healthy the rest of the way to catch up. Buster Posey has to show up and hit some home runs, he is the leader of that team.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio voice for the A’s and the Spanish TV voice for the Angels and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com