Category: San Francisco Giants

Michael Duca on the A’s and Giants

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by Michael Duca

SAN FRANCISCO–In this series the Giants would like to leave the Los Angeles Dodgers bloody and win at least four out six in this last homestand of the season consisting of the Dodgers and Padres. If the Giants do take four out of six the following things can happen number one they can finish no worse than tied with Colorado for fourth place. If the Rockies lose even one game the Giants would be guaranteed not to finish in the cellar.

Number two they would have won the season series against every western division team, so there is a little bit of something to play for there. There are guys who are trying to establish themselves like the Giants Ehire Adrianza who is going to get a good look next spring and he has a chance to be next year’s Tony Abreu or next year’s Joaquin Arias.

For the Giants Brandon Belt who had a very good year and he’s really, really improved over the second half of the year and until he cooled off in New York City he was on a march towards maybe hitting .300 by the end of the season and he was hitting .290 when he left L.A. Looks like that’s not going to happen. Still a .285 season certainly is respectable and I hate to see what will happen if he as they are discussing gets together with Buster Posey in the off season and picks up Posey’s weight training room than we might be able to see Belt as a 20-25 home run hitter.

If you have Belt in the line up along with a hopefully returning Hunter Pence as another 25 home run guy and Posey as another potential 25 home run guy suddenly you got something in the middle of that line up. If Pablo Sandoval goes out and loses weight like he should and said he will, he’s potentially a 25 home run guy and now you have a pretty darn solid line up right there with four guys in the middle of the line up and these guys can hit somewhere between 75-90 home runs among them.

Tim Lincecum the Giants starter is a hope for an extension, people forget what this kid has done he threw 1500 first strikeouts faster than any pitcher in baseball history. He’s in a class that it doesn’t take very long to call roll let’s put it that way. He’s still young and he’s clearly lost some velocity but that’s alright everybody does. Either you can pitch or you don’t and it seems to me he learned how to pitch.

Swinging A’s: In the American League wild card Tampa Bay could come out and they’ve been dominating this year and it could be Texas who the A’s have dominated this year, or it could be Cleveland and I’m sure they don’t want to see Angel Hernandez as an umpire at Progressive Field or better remembered as Jacobs Field. The A’s might face Detroit and they seemed to do just fine the last time they went to Detroit but Boston might be a little bit more of a problem for the A’s in post season.

I see the A’s being a possible American League Championship team I don’t know who’s coming out of the National League and what the momentum is going to be and I didn’t think anybody saw the Giants as a World’s Championship team either time that they won it , certainly nobody did after the first two games against Cincinnati in the N.L. Playoffs.

A’s third baseman Josh Donaldson is a solid player and that young man is a solid kid I’m very happy for him when you realize that he’s playing Gold Glove quality third base and is in the running for an MVP at third base he was a catcher two years ago now you realize just how good he is. We found out one thing for sure the A’s are not a modern appliance they do not have pilotless ignition on that note they need a spark and Coca Crisp was certainly it. He just torched the league with his come back.

i wouldn’t have given 100 to one odds that Jed Lowrie would play more than 95 games this year on opening day it’s been his history to get injured and some how they’ve kept him healthy this season and they’ve kept him in the line up this year, and while he may not appear to be the quintessential number three hitter he certainly is not much of a home run hitter he’s only got about 13 or 14 he’s going to approach 50 doubles this year and that just means when you get Coco on base he’s going to hit one out of every three games he’s going to get a hit that’s going to drive him home.
That’s just an astonishing rate of success for a guy who was always thought of as a good player but never has been thought of as a consistent player that may change now.

Micheal Duca does A’s and Giants commentary each week for Sportstalk

Pair of home runs do in Giants

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By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-It maybe the last week of the season, but whenever the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers face each other, it is always a big thing.

Matt Kemp hit a leadoff home run in the top of the sixth inning off of Matt Cain, as the National League Western Division Champion Dodgers took game of this three-game series with a 2-1 victory over the Giants before a sellout crowd of 41,625 at AT&T Park.

Kemp’s solo home run broke a 1-1 tie, after the Giants tied it on a Tony Abreu home run in the bottom of the fifth inning.

It was the second home run of the season for Abreu, and it came one-half inning after Yasiel Puig hit a 429-foot home run to right-center field in the top of the fifth inning.

Hyun-Jin Ryu pitched seven innings , allowing one run on four hits, walking one and striking out six on his way to 14th win of the season.

Cain saw his record fall to 8-10 on the season, as he went seven innings, allowing two runs on seven hits, walking three and striking out four.

The 23 home runs allowed by Cain by this season are a new career-high, after allowing a career-high 21 just last season.

Puig was hit by a pitch against Cain in the top of the third inning, and then transposed Cain’s first offering over the wall in his next at-bat for his 19th home run of the season.

Former Giants closer Brian Wilson made his long awaited return to AT&T Park,as he pitched the bottom of the eighth inning and was booed by the Giants fans; however he was cheered loudly by the fans wearing Blue.

Wilson pitched one inning, striking out Gregor Blanco, retiring Angel Pagan on a flyout to Carl Crawford and struck out Juan Perez looking to end the inning.

Buster Posey singled with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning then Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen then threw a wild pitch to advance pinch runner Francisco Peguero to second base, but Jansen regrouped to strikeout Hunter Pence for the second out and then got Pablo Sandoval swinging to end the game.

Giants want wins in final week

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123According to the Giants, you can’t start 2014 on fire if you finish 2013 in a funk.

With six games remaining this season, the Giants desire a winning finish even if means going without seeing more from rookies like Juan Perez or Ehire Andrianza. Of course, Andrianza and Perez aren’t chopped liver. Andrianza’s solo shot in the sixth inning of Sunday’s 2-1 win over the Yankees in New York got the Giants on the board.

But the Dodgers come to town on Tuesday, and manager Bruce Bochy is likely to tab his veterans to fight the NL West champs. The Dodgers need some wins to gain home stadium advantage in the first and second rounds of the playoffs, and the Giants wouldn’t mind seeing them go without those wins. Also, the momentum built by winning three of four in Dodgers Stadium last week is something the Giants would love to build on.

The series with Los Angeles, with Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner and Tim Lincecum making starts, also offers the prelude to the off-season’s most prominent question: Are the Giants potentially good enough to knock off the billionaire Dodgers? These games provide a glimpse into the answer of that vital question.

Also, the Giants have individual goals as well. Buster Posey (.295) and Marco Scutaro (.297) want to finish with .300 batting averages, Bumgarner wants a 200th strikeout, and Hunter Pence wants to hit 26 home runs in a season for the first time. Look for those guys to get their opportunities to achieve their goals, especially in the next three games.

The Giants remain a 1 ½ games ahead of last place Colorado in an attempt to avoid being the first team since the 1998 Marlins to finish last in the season following a win in the World Series. Winning the series against the Dodgers might be enough to keep the Giants from gaining that distinction, especially since the Rockies have just five games remaining, and only two of those at home.

Cain and Hyun-Jin Ryu are the starting pitchers for the series opener on Tuesday at 7:15pm.

Youngsters spoil big day at the Stadium

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iBy Jeremy Kahn

NEW YORK–This was supposed to be the day that the New York Yankees honored one of their legends, but it was the San Francisco Giants youngsters that spoiled the party.

Ehire Adrianza broke up Andy Pettite’s no-hit bid and shutout with one swing of the bat in the top of the sixth, and Tony Abreu won it with a run-scoring double in the top of the eighth inning and the Giants came back to defeat the Yankees 2-1 at Yankee Stadium.

Pettite, who announced he was retiring at the end of the season, pitched into the eighth inning and was pulled after giving up a double to Pablo Sandoval and given a standing ovation by the Yankee faithful.

David Robertson gave up the eventual game-winning hit to Abreu, and was replaced by the hero of the day, Mariano Rivera.

The all-time saves leader, who announced in spring training that he would be retiring at the end of the year came out to a rousing ovation.

Rivera was treated to a 50-minute ceremony, which included a rocking chair from the Yankees and a live performance from legendary Bay Area band Metallica, who performed Rivera’s theme song, “Enter Sandman.”

Javier Lopez picked up the victory, and Sergio Romo notched his 36th save of the season in 41 opportunities.

Jeremy Kahn covers Giants baseball for Sportstalk Radio

Nova goes distance, shuts out Giants 6-0

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By George Devine, Sr.

On an interleague visit to Yankee Stadium, the San Francisco Giants were haunted by the ghosts of the pinstripers and shut out by curveballer Ivan Nova, who went a full nine innings (6 h, 1 w, 7 k; 9-5) and did not allow a visiting player past second base. Ryan Vogelsong took the loss (3-6; 5 ip, 5 h, 5 er, 1 w, 1 k, 1 hr). The Bronx Bombers came into the game three games out in the hunt for a wild card spot and advanced half a game in the quest.

Mark Reynolds began the Yanks’ scoring spree in the third with a single past short, advancing to third on Brendan Ryan’s base hit to left. When Chris Stewart walked, Ryan took second. Reynolds came home on Ichiro Suzuki’s sacrifice fly to center field, at which point Ryan and Stewart each advanced a base. Alex Rodriguez grounded out, 6-3, and Ryan scored with Stewart taking third, coming home on Robinson Cano’s single to left.

In the following inning Curtis Granderson singled to right and came home on Eduardo Nunez’ second home run of the year, to left. Another homer to left, by Alfonso Soriano in the sixth – his 34th — put the icing on the New York cake.

The two teams meet again at 10:05 a.m. PDT on Sunday, September 22, with Yusmeiro Petit (4-0) facing legendary Yankee southpaw Andy Pettitte (10-10) who is reportedly making his last appearance in the Bronx.

A-Rod’s grand slam puts Yanks on top of Giants

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By Pearl Allison Lo

Behind in the count with two outs , Alex Rodriguez changed the game and also passed Lou Gehrig for most grand slams with 24, as New York beat San Francisco 5-1 Friday.

Giants’ starter Tim Lincecum was lifted in favor of George Kontos after 121 pitches and the bases loaded.  Rodriguez entered the inning just 1 for his last 25 and was behind 2-1 when his hit landed with the spectators in deep right field, leading to a much needed win for his team.

It was a tie game since early on in the matchup.

The Yankees’ Alfonso Soriano hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first to make the score 1-0.

The Giants tied the game the following inning.  Brandon Crawford was issued a leadoff walk.  One out later, rookie Juan Perez doubled Crawford back to home plate to make it 1-1.

Rodriguez’s grand slam set up came in the bottom of the seventh.  Eduardo Nunez led off with a single and stole second after one out. Brendan Ryan was then hit by a pitch and a fielder’s choice left runners on first and second once again.  Ichiro Suzuki then walked to load the bases.

Sabathia was lifted in the top of the eighth after 107 pitches and issuing a leadoff single in the game that featured two former Cy Young winners .

Lincecum threw two wild pitches in addition to his two walks in his first game playing against New York

San Francisco had a one out, runners on the corners scoring opportunity in the top of the first.

The Yankees also had the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the third.

Game notes: During the game, Lincecum became the first Giants pitcher with 1,500 strikeouts since  Gaylord Perry in 1971.  Both teams get right back to playing Saturday at 10:05 am with two morning games in a row.

Bumgarner paces Giants to series win

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By Jeremy Harness

Madison Bumgarner has been the most reliable pitcher for the Giants this season, and it showed again Thursday afternoon.

The left-hander tossed seven innings and gave up only a run on four hits while striking out 10 hitters as the Giants took down the New York Mets, 2-1, at Citi Field to come away with the three-game series.

Bumgarner got the runs he needed in the fourth inning, as Juan Perez and Ehire Adrianza each knocked in a run.

In the bottom of the fourth, Bumgarner gave up an RBI single to Daniel Murphy, but he was able to limit the damage, and that would be the only real trouble he would be in for the rest of the game.

Now usually we would say that the Giants got out of town with the series win, only if they got out of town. See, the Giants will go to another part of New York City to start a three-game series against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

Michael Duca on A’s and Giants

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by Michael Duca

OAKLAND–When it comes to Josh Donaldson he’s probably the best player the American League left off the All-Star roster and there’s little doubt that Donaldson has been pretty consistent and is number two in the A.L. in WAR which is one of those stats when you go to replace a player all year and that’s probably the best one or actually judging a player. He’s just about the best in the A.L. at providing victories for a team both offensively and defensively.
Donaldson has played an outstanding third base he would probably be the leading candidate for the gold glove if it weren’t for Mario Marchado in Baltimore and he is amongst the best offensive third baseman in the A.L. if it weren’t for the Miguel Cabrera guy in Detroit. He’s sort of the avis of third basemen in the A.L. second best defensively, second best offensively, probably best all around.
Donaldson in the playoffs:  To know how Josh Donaldson is going to do in the playoffs is something you can’t ask before the playoffs. How big of a role was the Giants Marco Scutaro last year? Nobody was expecting that, how big of a role was the former Giant Cody Ross in 2010? Nobody was expecting that. What happens in the playoffs was because teams have been scouted for weeks, weeks, and more weeks the key players tend to get shut down and the role players tend to play the biggest roles for the winning teams because if the role players who come and provide the offense allow a game to go far in the playoffs it’s the unexpected it’s the team tendators who show up out of nowhere.
Angel Pagan is carrying the Giants offense: People in the pressbox laugh when I say the Giants Angel Pagan has proved he’s the Most Valuable Player in the National League. By a real definition the term MVP he’s clearly the most valuable player to his team because they were in first place when he got hurt. Then the Giants played 20 games below .500 while he was gone and since his return they’ve climbed from the cellar back to third place.
There isn’t any question how important he is to the team, the best way to explain him is he gives the maximum effort and demands maximum effort and produces a higher level of energy within the clubhouse and on the field amongst their teammates. Who could ever forget last year watching the fast clap, the sunflower seed throwing, all of that stuff that outsiders think of is silly and a little boyish is really good how seriously good athletes manage to alleviate the pressure of playoffs.
It’s to revert to being little boyish, it’s to revert to going out and having fun when you perform and you relax and you let your talent to take over and that’s what Pagan did for the Giants last year and that’s what Hunter Pence did for them last year much like Juan Uribe did for them in 2010.
The way the Giants have played winning seven out of their last nine is their late September test against really good competition unless they had something to lose and I think the Giants will do really well to finish up the season. The Giants will be able to demonstrate a little bit more long ball power in the upcoming series at Yankee Stadium and the Giants pitching staff will probably do a good job in that ball park also because they throw a lot of ground balls.
The most important thing that’s going to come out of that series is the Giants are going to carry away with them forever the memory of being there for Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera’s last regular season home game and to see what the Yankees have planned for the future Hall of Famer.
Michael Duca does commentary each week for the Giants and A’s for Sportstalk

The Giants beat the Dodgers

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by Jerry Feitelberg

The day started with the Los Angeles Dodgers  in first place with an 18 ½ game lead over the Giants.

The Giants have had a very tough year and the Dodgers are going to win the division but none of that mattered as the Giants beat the Dodgers 4-3 and won three out of four on the road in LA. The rivalry is there. Anytime you can beat the Dodgers is a great day for Giant baseball. No matter how far down in the standings, it is always sweet to beat the hated Dodgers.

Ryan Vogelsong started for San Francisco and he pitched well. Vogelsong went six innings allowing seven hits and three runs. The Dodgers’ pitcher, Edison Volquez also pitched well. Volquez went 5 2/3rds innings giving up three runs on five hits. All three runs given up by Volquez were driven in by the red hot Hunter Pence.  Pence drove in seven runs in the 19-3 blowout Saturday night and he hit two more home runs  and had three RBIs on Sunday. The game summary follows below.

Hunter Pence got the Giants off to a good start when he hit a solo home run to lead of the second. Vogelsong dodged a bullet in the bottom of the fourth when Juan Uribe led off the frame with a triple but the Dodgers failed to score. The Dodgers loaded the bases in the fifth. Adrian Gonzalez was the hero for the Dodgers when he blasted a double to right that cleared the bases and the Dodgers le 3-1 after five.

The lead didn’t last long as that man, Hunter Pence, put the ball into the left field seats driving in Brandon Belt. For Hunter it was his 25th home run of the season and he now has 92 runs batted in so far this year.

The Giants took a 4-3 lead in the eighth. Brett Pill hit a pinch hit home run off Dodger left, Paco Rodriguez. Giants’ relievers Jean Machi, Santiago Casilla and Sergio Romo shut the door on the Dodgers to give the Giants the win.

Game notes- Hunter Pence hit a home run in every game of the four game series. Willie Mays is the only other Giant to do so. It was the ninth career two home run game for Pence and Pence tied a career high with his 25 home runs. Pence’s 19 RBIs over the six game span is the most ever by a Giant since RBIs became an official statistic in 1920.

Winning pitcher was Jean Machi and Sergio Rome picked his 35th save of the year.

Ex-Giant Brian Wilson pitched in the 7th inning for the Dodgers.

Giants are off to New York for a week. They play the Mets for three then travel to the Bronx to play the Yankees.

Pill with the big hit in Giants win

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By Jeremy Kahn

Brett Pill just wanted the opportunity to play down the stretch for the San Francisco Giants ,and he got it against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers.

Pill hit a two-run single off of Cy Young Award candidate Clayton Kershaw in the top of the seventh inning, as the Giants came back to defeat the Dodgers 4-2 at Dodger Stadium.

The Pill single drove in Pablo Sandoval and Joaquin Arias, and on the play, Pill advanced to second when Andre Ethier bobbled the ball for an error in centerfield.

Hunter Pence continues to be one of the Giants hottest hitter, as he hit his 22nd home run of the season, an opposite field poke off of Chris Withrow in the top of the eighth inning.

Madison Bumgarner went the first six innings for the Giants, as he he allowed two runs on five hits, walking only two and striking out six.

The lone mistake of the night by Bumgarner was when his former teammate Juan Uribe smashed a two-run home run over the left-center field wall to break a scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Arias got the Giants on the board in that same top of the seventh inning when Pill hit his two-run single, as Arias hit a single that scored Pence.

It was the 12th win of the season for Bumgarner, and the 34th save of the season for Sergio Romo, who pitched the final one and one-thirds to nail it down.

Romo allowed two hits and struck out rookie sensation Yaisel Puig with two on and nobody out in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Adrian Gonzalez grounded out on a wacky play to end the game, as his batted ball went up the middle off of Romo’s ankle and bounced over to Arias who threw to Pill to end it.Brett Pill