Category: San Francisco Giants

Giants look like nothing’s gone wrong in 6-2 win over Seattle that snaps lengthy losing streak

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

Duffy

By Morris Phillips

As confounding as the Giants’ nine-game losing streak at home, its conclusion was just as hard to explain as well.

Why? Because after a truly lackluster stretch, the Giants immediately went back to playing credible baseball and looking like a playoff contender in a 6-2 win over the Mariners on Tuesday afternoon at AT&T Park.

Not every title contender can afford to take what amounts to a week-long vacation, but the Giants have without relinquishing their position atop a competitive NL West.  While the Giants were winning, the Dodgers were dropping a tough one at Texas, leaving the rivals three games apart with another big series against each other coming up this weekend at Dodgers Stadium.

In gaining the mini-split with the Mariners, the Giants got clutch hitting to back a strong start from Tim Lincecum, who in turn was supported by a quartet of relievers who finished it without allowing a hit.

The Giants went the first four games of their home stand without establishing a lead at any point.  On Tuesday, Matt Duffy provided the early lead with a rare, two-run homer.  Lincecum and the bullpen protected 2-1 and 3-2 leads until Duffy and Casey McGehee provided a cushion a three-run eighth inning.

“When you go through a rut like this you need good pitching, a timely hit, and it happened today,” manager Bruce Bochy said.  “We played well.”

“We got to play better at home,” Duffy said.  “We had a little meeting today, just pick up the intensity.  And I think that really helped snap us out of what little funk we had going.  These fans are too good, they’re too loyal for us to play like we had been at home.”

Whether the meeting actually had anything to do with the Giants’ resurgence is up to debate.  But unquestionably, the potential is there for a team that’s been all over the map in the first 2 ½ months of the season.  Besides the two losing streaks, the Giants had the best record in baseball for a stretch of 35 days.  Duffy and Joe Panik are emerging, offensive contributors, Brandon Crawford and Brandon Belt are building their best offensive seasons thus far in their career, and the pitching has the same potential it had last season when it carried the team to a world title.

Now if they just solve that little conundrum of consistency, and playing at home, things could take off.

Lincecum pitched into the sixth inning without his new, best stuff allowing four walks, five hits including a home run allowed to shortstop Brad Miller.  While the Freak hasn’t been anything near what he was at his zenith, he’s won seven games, and justified all the trust the club handed him when he signed a new deal before last season.

Duffy ended up with three hits, and evened his competition with Panik with six homers on the season.  Dubbed the tortoise vs. tortoise home run race, it should maintain some intrigue for the two, young infielders throughout the summer.

“I said, your move, Joe,” Duffy recalled telling Panik after he connected in the second inning.

On Wednesday, the Mariners and Giants continue their interleague series in much warmer Seattle.  The matchup is compelling with King Felix Hernandez looking for his 10th win and Madison Bumgarner motoring along as well in search of his eighth win in a ballgame that starts at 7:05pm.

Oakland A’s podcast with Charlie O: A’s win streak reaches three get set to host two with San Diego

Published on by lleonardbwLeave a comment

by Charlie O Mallonee

After dropping two out of three in Anaheim the Oakland A’s had better luck in San Diego with a two game sweep over the Padres with a 6-5 win on Tuesday afternoon at the Oakland Coliseum. The A’s have now won three in a row, it’s kind of systematic of who the A’s have been and will be for the rest of the season. Tuesday’s game a picture perfect game to describe the state of the A’s.

The A’s got some hitting they got some good pitching, they had some not so good pitching but they were able to pull it off. The A’s scored six runs and eight hits, they had six walks, Scott Kazmir had surrendered five hits on three runs six strike outs. They were selective, we talked a lot about runners in scoring position.

Also we had talked about the A’s lack of production effort the A’s in Tuesday’s game went three for nine with runners in scoring position. The A’s got some timely hitting, they got some good relief pitching, and then they got some not so good relief pitching but they were able to pull it off. The A’s were able to score six runs with eight hits and they had six walks.

The A’s hitters were selective at the plate throughout the game, we talked a lot about runners in scoring position and their lack of production they were 3-9 with runners in scoring position. You’ll take a .339 average with runners in scoring position all season long. They did well and they did well the other day on Sunday in Anaheim against the Angels.

So the A’s are starting to pick that up a little bit and their starting to get some timely hitting, Ben Zobrist a guy who’s not been hitting for high average but has been coming through with timely hits hit a two run home run his third homer of the season off Padre pitcher Andrew Cashner. Zobrist’s homer couldn’t have been timed any better.

Charlie O does A’s commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com listen to the podcast below

That’s Amaury’s Podcast, News, and Commentary: FBI probe into Cardinal officials hacking Astros GM Luhnow (photo John Luhnow right and George Postolos)

Published on by lleonardbwLeave a comment

by Amaury Pi Gonzalez

LOS ANGELES–The St.Louis Cardinals officials that are being investigated for hacking into the Houston Astros network are believed to have hacked from their home according to the FBI. The idea of a Major League team hacking into another club’s network is unheard of and this is something that is totally unprecedented. The computer world of hacking has now come to MLB.

The Cardinals are a very successful franchise way before the computer world, the won back in the days of the 1940s with Enos Slaughter and Stan Musial and those guys. Then in the 60s with Bob Gibson, Curt Flood, and Lou Brock. Then later with Albert Pujols and Mark McGwire. Pujols this year is doing very well with the Angels.

This is a unique case and were going to learn more as this case develops when the FBI finishes up their investigation. The FBI is a serious crew they don’t investigate just anybody they will look into this case thoroughly and that’s what investigators do. Who knows they might investigate if other MLB teams are doing the same thing.

Right now were not privy into all the forthcoming information and the FBI is looking into the St.Louis Cards hacking the Astros network and the FBI investigating is a serious organization. This is one of the most respected and feared organizations in the world and remember the FBI is the organization that investigated the FIFA money embezzlement scandal. This hacking case which involves the Cardinals is a very interesting case and this will be followed very closely.

Former Cardinals executive Jeff Luhnow was very smart with developing the Cardinals success and now the Astros huge success and Luhnow speaks perfect Spanish. He’s a very bright guy he ended up bringing a number of Cardinal executives to Houston with him and the Cardinals were seeking revenge and there was jealously and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Cards were not trying to get back at Luhnow.

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 listen to his podcast below

https://soundcloud.com/sports-radio-service/thats-amaurys-news-and-commentary-tue-jun-16-2015

Ouch!: Giants drop record ninth-straight home game in 5-1 loss to the Mariners

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

Seattlebration

By Morris Phillips

For eight, briskly played innings Monday night, Giants’ fans patiently waited, and then it happened.   After witnessing the best act of the night by someone wearing a Giants’ uniform, the home crowd roared with approval.

Just one thing: the kid in the Giants’ uniform full of verve, variety and dancing uncontrollably for the in-between innings’ Dance Cam isn’t a major league ballplayer. He’s a kid. And his act did little to impact the game where the Giants offered more of the same in what’s developed into a disastrous stretch of ball along McCovey Cove.

So in a nutshell: After dropping a 5-1 decision to the visiting Mariners, the Giants have lost nine straight at AT&T Park, their worst stretch at home since 1940 when the New York Giants lost 11 in a row at the Polo Grounds. The Giants haven’t won a home game since knocking off the Braves, 4-2 on May 29.

And, it hasn’t been pretty with the exception of the kid, who had at least 15 distinctive dance moves, and was so compelling the camera hung with him for a good 90 seconds. Conversely, the Giants’ offense hasn’t been watchable, scoring just three runs in the first four games of the home stand.

On Monday, Mariners’ starter Taijuan Walker made it look easy, shutting down the Giants for seven innings, allowing one run on seven hits. Walker’s had a nice stretch of four starts, but he’s still the highly touted prospect that hasn’t yet panned out, losing nine of his 20 career starts to date. But against the Giants, he got ahead of hitters, pitched effortlessly, and as pitchers so fashionably say these days, Walker let the hitters get themselves out.

“We’re just making better pitches, not trying to throw anything harder or trying to be too cute with anything, just making better pitches,” Walker said of a stretch of four starts in which he’s won three times and posted and ERA of 1.55.

Quite naturally, Giants’ hitters looked overanxious as well. Three of the first five innings concluded with a Walker strikeout, and eight of the nine Giants’ hitters to bat with a runner in scoring position, failed to reach. For those counting, that’s 21 baserunners stranded in the last four games.

With the offense scuffling, Giants’ starter Tim Hudson had his work cut out for him once again, and he held up until the fifth, when he allowed a pair of runs that put the Mariners up 3-1. Four of the seven Mariners to bat in the inning singled off Hudson, including Logan Morrison, who placed perfectly a pop up in between Angel Pagan and Jarret Parker, who were charging, and a retreating Joe Panik.

Morrison’s seeing-eye hit scored Brad Miller and drew a visible reaction from Hudson. The veteran would depart in the sixth on the hook for the loss, which would become his 23rd loss in an interleague game, the most all-time, a dubious record Hudson now shares with former teammates Derek Low and Barry Zito.

In the eighth, the game’s only fireworks came off the bat of Kyle Seager, who took reliever Jeremy Affeldt authoritatively into the right field arcade.

The Giants look to avoid a winless homestand on Tuesday afternoon Tim Lincecum takes the mound in a matchup with Seattle’s J.A. Happ.

NOTES: Matt Cain’s rehab start in Sacramento on Monday was a mixed bag. Cain threw 3 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits with seven strikeouts. Cain threw 75 pitches, displaying a healthy mix of fastballs that topped out at 91 MPH and changeups that registered 77 MPH. The veteran starter is expected to make one or two more such starts before any decision is made on his return to the big league club.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Get away night games wore out Giants coming back to S.F. for homestands

Published on by lleonardbwLeave a comment

by Michael Duca

SAN FRANCISCO–The San Francisco Giants who brought a eight game consecutive home loss streak into AT&T Park and by all means necessary want to avoid a franchise record 11 game home loss streak. The club is not too panicky right now just being 3.5 games behind first place Los Angeles. You have to go back to the 1940 New York Giants to find the last Giant team that lost 11 straight at home.

The 2015 Giants will need over three homestands to eclipse the New York record. With train travel in 1940 and not plane travel 11 game homestands were pretty common back then. The Giants want to avoid their third five game loss streak at home. Let’s face it you show up and you put on the uniform and you strap it on everyday with the intention of winning. It’s not a question of you wanting to avoid a five game losing streak you want to avoid a one game losing streak. You just come out to win everyday and that’s the goal that’s the reason why you show up.

The Giants had a successful road trip in Philadelphia and New York combined going 4-1, that was a good road trip, this is a good road team, this is one of the best road teams in baseball. These guys know each other they like each other and they get along well. To be perfectly blunt and honest with you one of the reasons these homestands have been terrible is that the schedule makers just butchered things for the Giants on this particular trip.

This is going to happen again very soon, the Mets had the option on get away day to determine the time o and they made the Giants play a night game. The game went a little longer than anybody would have hoped it wanted to go and as a consequence they missed the curfew at LaGuardia by six minutes. They had to get leave LaGuardia and take a bus to the other side of Long Island to JFK where the private terminal was being occupied by a Saudi Prince and they waited for that to be cleared before they can get on a different aircraft from the one they originally chartered to come back to SFO and they played a game that night.

That’s going to throw them off and get you out of your routine, it won’t be long and it will happen again, there’s another selected getaway night on a Sunday in Washington that the Nationals selected on July 5th which is scheduled as a 8:00PM EDT game and afterwards the Giants hop a charter again and fly out to SFO and then play that same night they arrive on Mon Jul 6th for a 7:15pm start.

Michael Duca does San Francisco Giants commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com listen to his podcast below

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: The shift Ted Williams never changed his swing (photo Eddie Dyer and Joe Cronin)

Published on by lleonardbwLeave a comment

by Amaury Pi Gonzalez

Just think what would happen to you and millions of drivers if, there was a new law in the United States of America, in which we all would have to drive on the left side of the road(like in England)and all our cars would have the steering wheel on the right side of the dashboard. In a way the very “popular” shift today in baseball has frustrated many hitters. Today’s computer generated technology gives each team and manager a full list of the tendencies of each hitter, where they usually hit the ball, where they do not. Obviously this technology was not available before.

Fans simply believe that hitters should hit(slap the ball)where there are no fielders. But anybody that has played baseball, knows that one of the most difficult things to do, is to hit the ball where you want. A guy like Red Sox David(Big Papi)Ortíz, he has shown his frustration and his displeasure with the shift every time he comes to the plate. But Ortíz has been playing for 20 years, do you think it is easy for him to adjust? Yes, he is a talented hitter, but we are creatures of habit, and it is not easy to change your swing when you had great success for so long. It will be easier for the younger guys to adjust, and eventually most will.

Called the Boudreau or Ted Williams shift, used against Ted Williams during the 1946 World Series by Boston Red Sox manager Eddie Dyer, to “contain” and “get into the head”of a great hitter like Williams. It was devised on a blackboard in between a doubleheader by Cleveland manager Lou Boudreau. Today’s shift were standard to guys like Johnny Bench or George Foster when they came to the plate. But usually was reserved for those type of hitters.However, as I have seen with my own two eyes, teams now use the shift for .178 hitters with regularity. In some cases it looks like a joke.

Ted Williams was first man who hit against the shift, always refused to try beating the shift, because it would mess up his swing. Can anybody argue against Williams here? Have we seen anybody hitting .400 since Teddy Ballgame?

The great Ted Williams, maybe the best pure hitter in the history of the game, must be turning over his grave!

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

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Mets just couldn’t see the ball in Heston’s no hitter

Published on by lleonardbwLeave a comment

by Michael Duca

SAN FRANCISCO–My favorite mantra regarding baseball day to day is that the game is a marathon not a sprint and that’s the reason they play that many games. The cream rises to the top as they say if you give it long enough time to work out. The Giants are still scuffling they are still without pitchers Jake Peavy, Matt Cain, and to a real extent their without outfielder Hunter Pence who was just placed back on the DL again.

Pence came back from his injury did not contribute a tremendous amount in a physical presence and then injured his wrist a bone bruise diving trying to make a catch against the Philadelphia Phillies. Pence wasn’t back very long before he was gone again and he’s going back on the DL in time to get some more rest.

You tack onto that they were without Gregor Blanco whose day to day with a concussion after being hit in the head from a throw during infield practice. You have to start thinking, “wow how can that happen to the same team twice” in consecutive years. That’s what happened to Brandon Belt last season.

Chris Heston’s no hit masterpiece on Tuesday night at Citi Field: I was not out there calling the pitches so I can’t tell you for sure what was working out there. What sure looked like was working was the curve ball which was his strike out pitch and his sinker was deadly. There were only two balls that were hit to the outfield the entire game one of them a bloop to left field and a fly to right field that was caught.

The two balls that were hit out of the infield were hit five innings apart, Heston hit more batters than batters that hit him with three hit bys. Heston had 11 strikeouts in the game and looked absolutely masterful. A number of them were called third strikes this gives you an idea the Mets couldn’t see the ball.

The Mets didn’t have no idea where the ball was and just couldn’t see it. You usually would get off a weak swing, you just don’t stand there and look at it. You usually don’t just stand there the umpire might be fooling you for awhile with his strike zone but it’s not going to go on for nine innings.

Michael Duca does San Francisco Giants commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com for more listen to the podcast below

San Francisco Giants pither Chris Heston and Buster Posey embrace after Heston completes his no-hitter against the New York Mets

Heston No-hits Mets

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

By Jeremy Kahn

On a night where the Golden State Warriors were playing their first road NBA Finals road game in 40 years, it was a rookie for the San Francisco Giants who took the headlines in the Bay Area.

Chris Heston, making just his 13th career start put his name into baseball immortality, as he threw a no-hitter and the Giants defeated the New York Mets 5-0 at Citi Field.

It was the first no-hitter in Heston’s life, and also the first no-hitter of the 2015 season in Major League Baseball.

Heston struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth inning to finish the game with 11 strikeouts and zero walks. The only Mets runners to reach base came via hit by a pitch, which Heston hit three batters.

On the evening, Heston picked up his first two runs batted in of his major league career and also picked up two hits on the night

This is the fourth straight year that the Giants pitching staff has tossed a no-hitter, beginning with Matt Cain’s perfect game in 2012, followed Tim Lincecum in both 2013 and 2014. The only other team to turn this feat was the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1962-1965, when Sandy Koufax threw four no-hitters.

The Giants got on the board in the first inning, as Angel Pagan drove in a run on a groundout, Matt Duffy hit a home run in the top of the sixth and then Yonkers native Joe Panik extended his hitting streak to 14 games, as he added a home run in the seventh inning.

It was an historical night for Bruce Bochy as well, as he picked up his 700th win as the manager of the Giants.

This was the 17th no-hitter in Giants history, and their first in the city of New York since Carl Hubbell tossed one back in 1929.

Giants go with pitching again in the 2015 Amateur Draft, tab Phil Bickford in first round

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

By Morris Phillips

Don’t ask why.  Just know, the Giants prefer a college guy.

The reigning World Champs tabbed Phil Bickford with the 18th overall pick of the 2015 Amateur Draft, a power pitcher who turned spent two years in college, including last season at College of So

Bickford was the 10th overall pick in the 2013 Draft, but he decided to forgo contract offers from the Toronto Blue Jays as a high school senior and continue his career as a collegian.  After one year at Cal State Fullerton, and one at Southern Nevada, Bickford appears ready to forgo his final two years of amateur eligibility to sign with the Giants.

Bickford is the third college pitcher in the last four drafts to be tabbed by the Giants as their first pick.  Prior to Bickford, the Giants selected Tyler Beede (Vanderbilt) in 2014, and Chris Stratton (Mississippi State) in 2012.

With their second pick the Giants took power-hitting first baseman Chris Shaw.  The Boston College first baseman hit 11 home runs in 144 at-bats this season.  He was chosen with the 31st pick overall, a supplemental draft pick.  At 6’3” and 248 pounds, Shaw fits the profile of a middle-of-the-lineup hitter and he’s the first corner infielder drafted by the team in the first round since Will Clark in 1985.

Like many other organizations, the Giants have preferred drafting collegians, players they feel are significantly closer to being big-league ready than high school prospects.  Both Bickford and Shaw put up impressive numbers at the Division I level.

If the Giants are able to break a string of poor play in New York tonight in the opener of their three-game series against the Mets it will also result in Bruce Bochy’s 700th win as a Giants’ manager.  If he gains that win, Bochy will move into exclusive company in the franchise’s history.  Only John McGraw (2,583 wins), Dusty Baker (840) and Bill Terry (823) have won that many games as Giants.

Hunter Pence is expected to rejoin the lineup tonight.  He’s missed almost a week of action due to wrist tendonitis he suffered trying to make a catch against the Pirates last Tuesday.

Pirates fleece Giants in an unexpected three-game sweep at AT&T Park

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

Liriano

By Morris Phillips

The Pirates’ memory of what transpired on October 1 is probably a lot more vivid than the collective memory of the Giants.

If so, that may explain how the hot Giants had their heels cooled by Pittsburgh in a three-game sweep at AT&T Park that concluded on Wednesday afternoon with a 5-2 Giants’ loss.

The Pirates 2014 post-season was made frustratingly brief by the Giants and Madison Bumgarner in an 8-0 shutout that sent Pittsburgh home for the winter without them even scoring a single run in the playoffs.  What’s worse is the shutout took place at PNC Park in front of disbelieving Pirates fans.  And more worse: the game was effectively over after four innings when Brandon Crawford’s grand slam gave the Giants a 4-0 lead that Bumgarner was certain to maintain.

After that harsh dismissal, it wouldn’t surprise anyone that the Pirates probably had their trip to San Francisco circled on their calendars.  In a three-game sweep in which the Pirates did everything right—especially on the mound—it sure seemed to be the case.

“We did run into a hot club that played very well,” manager Bruce Bochy admitted.  “When they didn’t hit it hard like the eighth inning, groundballs had eyes.  It was one of those series.  What could go wrong went wrong did at times.”

Francisco Liriano allowed four hits and a run in seven innings and the Giants’ hitters were stymied for the third straight day.  In each loss, the Giants scored first only to see the Pirates assume the lead and hold on.  Liriano allowed Joe Panik’s RBI single in the second, but Pittsburgh responded with single runs in the fourth and fifth, then three more in the ninth to put the game away.

Jordy Mercer homered for Pittsburgh in the fifth to give the Pirates a lead, and Jung Ho Kang had the two-run double that capped a three-run rally in the ninth.

The Giants’ lineup was missing Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford and Hunter Pence as Bochy elected to give his heavy-use guys a day off.  Those absences boosted Liriano, who allowed the Giants fewer hits (4) than a trio of relievers that followed him in the final two frames (5). The late rally saw Belt produce a pinch-hit single and the Giants get the tying run to the plate, but the Pirates closed the door.

Reliever Mark Melancon came on with the bases loaded and one out, and he got Crawford and Nori Aoki to ground out to end the game.

The Pirates won for the 12th time in their last 16 games while the Giants have dropped five straight for the second time this season.  The Dodgers lost in Denver to the Rockies 7-6 last night allowing the Giants to stay within two games of the NL West leaders.

On Thursday, the Giants visit President Obama at the White House for the third time in celebration of their 2014 World Series victory before they open a three-game series over the weekend in Philadelphia.