Category: San Francisco Giants

Marlins avert sweep at home, beat Giants

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By Jeremy Kahn

Looking for their first sweep against the Miami Marlins in the City of Miami since 2010, one unfortunate bounce denied that to happen.

Jeff Mathis hit a double in the bottom of the eighth inning that scored the eventual winning run, as the Marlins came back to defeat the Giants 6-5 at Marlins Park.

The Mathis double bounced off of Giants center fielder Andres Torres that scored Ed Lucas, who singled off of losing pitcher Sandy Rosario.

Chad Qualls pitched 1.1 innings to pickup the win, and Marlins closer Steve Cishek picked up his 27th save in 29 chances.

Hector Sanchez singled with one hit in the top of the ninth inning, but Buster Posey grounded into a game-ending double play.

Hunter Pence hit his first home run in 112 at bats, a two-run poke that was estimated at 458 feet to give the Giants 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning.

Pence tied up the game in the top of the fifth inning, as he singled and it was his eighth run batted in during the three-game series.

Brandon Crawford tied up the game in the top of the seventh inning, as he hit a solo home run and then Sanchez gave the Giants the lead in the top of the eighth inning; however they were unable to hold the lead.

Madison Bumgarner went five innings allowing four runs.

Giants looking for a spark in D.C.

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By Morris Phillips

August 12, 2013

According to Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy, the Giants’ bats are ice cold right now.

The temperature for first pitch at Nationals Park on Tuesday night in steamy Washington D.C. should be around 83 degrees.

Could this convergence of circumstances bring about a change of fortunes for the NL West’s last place club? Probably not.

After losing two of three to the Orioles at AT&T Park over the weekend, the Giants are 15 ½ games behind the first place Dodgers and thinking of next year. The lineups Bochy’s been running out with Roger Kieschnick getting a look and Jeff Franceour frequently featured aren’t fortune changers. Instead, they’re audition lineups as the veteran manager scours his 25-man roster for any signs of life.

A matchup of two teams that made the post-season in 2012 doesn’t offer the same snap that it did just a year ago. The Nationals are just three games under .500 but sit 14 games behind the first-place Braves in the NL East. Bryce Harper’s been terrific for the Nats, and Stephen Strasburg struggled to find his form, but the major theme out of Washington is that their offense is as bad as the Giants.

So on the surface Tuesday’s matchup between Madison Bumgarner and Gio Gonzalez might not allow the bats to break out. But if we watch, we’ll watch for that: any signs of life from the woeful Giants or the disappointing Nationals.

First pitch comes at 4:05pm.

SF Giants split series, defeat Brewers 4-1

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By Jerry Feitelberg

August 8, 2013

0808131The Giants were looking to even the four game series with the Milwaukee Brewers Thursday afternoon at AT&T park. The Giants sent Tim Lincecum to the hill. Lincecum entered the game with a 5-11 record for the season but he looked like the Timmy of old as he picked up the win going eight innings allowing no runs and just ONE hit as the Giants won the game 4-1. Marco Scutaro and Brandon Crawford were terrific at the top of the lineup as they both had three hits each in the game. They had back to back hits in the first, second and sixth inning. The big blow of the game came in the first inning went Brandon Belt hit a three run homer. The game summary follows.

The Giants jumped out to 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Marco Scutaro led of with a single to left. Shortstop Brandon Crawford followed with a double to left center field to put men on at second and third with no out. With one out, first baseman Brandon belt launched a home run to deep right field to score Scutaro and Crawfor ahead of him. Giants lead 3-0 after one inning of play.

The Giants added a run in the bottom of the second. With two out, Marco Scutaro doubled down the left field line. He advanced to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a single off the bat of Brandon Crawford. Giants lead 4-0 after two.

The Brewers got on the board in the top of the ninth. Khris Davis, pinch hitting for the pitcher, doubled to start the frame. Davis scored when Jean Segura singled with one out. Sergio Romo nailed nail the win getting the last two outs of the game. Giants win 4-1. Lincecum gets the win and he is now 6-11 for the season and Donovan Hand took the loss . Hand’s record is now 0-4.

Notes: The Giants entered the game homer less in eleven straight home games. The last home run at home was on July 20th.The Giants are now 8-12 since the All-Star break. The Giants recalled Hector Sanchez from Fresno and he caught the game for the Giants. Catcher Guillermo Quiroz was designated for assignment. With the win, the Giants are now 12 games under .500 and their home record improves to 30-29. The Giants play an inter-league series with the Baltimore Orioles Friday night at AT&T park at 7:15 pm.

Attendance was 41,219. It was the 233rd consecutive sellout for San Francisco.

Late rally downs Bumgarner, Giants

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By Jeremy Harness

August 7, 2013
Photo


SAN FRANCISCO – As the eighth inning began, things were looking pretty good for the Giants.

Starter Madison Bumgarner had been giving a spectacular performance, going seven innings and giving up only a pair of hits and a walk while the Giants had just given him a run in the bottom of the seventh to put him in line for a possible win.

That’s when the good feelings ceased, however. The Milwaukee Brewers tagged Bumgarner for four runs in the eighth inning as the Giants fell 6-1 before 41,416 hopeful fans at AT&T Park Wednesday night.

Looking on the bright side, however, Bumgarner now has 10 straight outings that he has pitched at least seven innings, which is the longest streak by a Giants starter since Rick Reuschel had 11 consecutive to end the 1988 season.

The Giants couldn’t get anything going offensively against starter Marco Estrada, managing only one hit against him in the five innings he pitched.

It wasn’t just Estrada who the Giants had issues with on Wednesday. They also have center fielder Carlos Gomez to thank for keeping them off the scoreboard. They hit several hard shots in Gomez’s area, only to watch him run each one of them down.

That started in the first inning, when Buster Posey smacked one that was destined for extra bases, a ball which Gomez leaped at the warning track and snared to end the inning.

The Giants did get a little payback in the seventh inning, though. After he walked with two outs, Bumgarner timed his pickoff move perfectly as Gomez was trying to steal second. From there, first baseman Brandon Belt fired to second for the putout as Gomez spiked his helmet in frustration.

That seemed to spark a rally for the Giants that carried over to the bottom of the inning, as the two Brandons got on base to start things off, Crawford with a walk and Belt with a single that just skipped past second baseman Rickie Weeks’ glove.

A wild pitch by reliever Alfredo Figaro then moved both of them into scoring position with Posey at the plate. Posey was robbed again of a base hit – this time by a diving grab in left field by Khris Davis – but Crawford tagged up from third to put the Giants in front and take the lid off of the scoreless game.

However, the Brewers themselves got some momentum against Bumgarner in the eighth that eventually knocked him out of the game. Davis and Yuniesky Betancourt led off the inning with hits before Jeff Bianchi scored Davis. On the next play, Betancourt scored on a throwing error by Bumgarner on a fielder;’s choice, which gave the Brewers the lead. After the outburst in the eighth, the Brewers put up two more runs off reliever Barry Zito to send even more fans to the exits. 

Giants take advantage of Brewers mistakes, win 4-2

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by Kahlil Najar

SAN FRANCISCO, CA. — On a day billed as a Grateful Dead Tribute Night that saw Bob Weir throw out the first pitch and plenty of tie dyed shirts throughout AT&T Park, the magic was certainly in the air as a plethora of mistakes by the Brewers (47-65) were able to propel the Giants (50-61) to a 4-2 win and give them their first win of this important seven-game homestand.

The Giants started the scoring off in the bottom of the fourth when Gregor Blanco came to the plate and hit a hard grounder to first base that Juan Francisco was able to field but threw the ball into the dirt past an outstretched Scooter Gennett and went into left field. Brandon Belt who was already on second was running on contact and was able to score safely on the Francisco’s fifth error of the year to give the Giant’s a 1-0 lead. In the seventh inning, the Brew Crew were able to tie the game when Francisco hit a deep ball to center field that popped over the fence for a ground rule double and scored Jonathan Lucroy who had started off the inning with his 18th double of the year.

The bottom of the eight proved to be the most mind-bending inning for the Brewers as after a lead off walk and a stolen base to Hunter Pence landed him at second base, the usually reliable John Axford threw a wild pitch on an intentional walk to Pablo Sandoval that moved Pence over to third and Sandoval at first with one out. The pitching miscue landed Axford in the doghouse and the Brewers brought in reliever Michael Gonzalez to face red hot Brandon Belt who had three singles on the day. After bringing Belt to a full count, Gonzalez threw a slider in the dirt that loaded the bases.

The next batter Jeff Francouer, who was pinch-hitting for Roger Kieschnick smacked a broken bat single off of new Brewer reliever Rob Wooten to left field just over the reach of Jean Segura and allowed Hunter Pence to score from third and give the Giants a 2-1 lead. After a routine pop out by Gregor Blanco, Giants manager Bruce Bochy again decided to bring in a pinch hitter and this time he brought in right-handed batter Joaquin Arias who after three straight sliders hit a ground ball to third that slipped under the glove of Jeff Bianchi and allowed Pablo Sandoval and Brandon Belt to score to give the Giant’s a three run lead with a score of 4-1. Sergio Romo came in the close the game in the top of the ninth and gave up an home run to Juan Francisco but settle down and earned his 27th save of the year.

Giants pitcher Chad Gaudin (5-2) had an impressive game as he lasted for six and one-third innings and only gave up four hits and one run and notched an impressive eight strike outs and continued his streak of only allowing two runs or fewer in eight of his last ten starts. “He’s just been so consistent, both in the ‘pen and starting,” Bochy said. “He’s so valuable on this ballclub. We needed a starter and he’s stepped in and he’s thrown the ball as well as anybody.”

Hunter Pence did his best impersonation of the Grateful Dead Bears as he walked a team high three times and continued his streak of reaching base safely every game since the All-Star game. Brandon Belt also had himself a game today as he notched his second three-hit, two-runs performance of August.

The Giants and the Brewers head back at it tomorrow when Matt Cain (7-6, 4.57 ERA) squares up against Wily Peralta (7-11, 4.57 ERA), game time 7:15pm.

Relievers stop Giants

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By Jeremy KahnAugust 4, 2013
 
9195111_448x252Despite the fact that the usually stellar Tampa Bay Rays starting staff was unable to get the job done, the bullpen picked up the slack.Wil Myers hit a home run, and four relievers pitched four and one-thirds innings of work and were able to hold off the San Francisco Giants 4-3 at Tropicana Field.

Alex Torres went one and one-third of an inning, striking out two on his way tohis fourth win of the season.

Jake McGee pitched a perfect seventh inning, before giving way to Joel Peralta in the eighth and finally the closer, Fernando Rodney in the ninth to notch his 27th save of the season.

The Rays took the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth inning on a hit by former Stanford star Sam Fuld, as the Rays took two out of three from the defending World Champions and have won 25 out of their last 31.

Brandon Crawford drove in two runs with a triple to give the Giants 3-2 lead, but Evan Longoria pulled the Rays even with a single in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Guillermo Moscoso made his first start of the season in place of Barry Zito, who was removed from the starting staff after his last start in Philadelphia.

Moscoso went four and two-thirds innings, allowing three runs on four hits and did not fare in the decision.

 

Rookie with the walk-off to beat Giants

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By Jeremy KahnAugust 3, 2013
 
wil-myersFans at Tropicana Field came to see a pitchers duel, and they were not disappointed; however it was a rookie who came up with the biggest hit.Wil Myers hit a bases loaded single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning, as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the San Francisco Giants 2-1.Myers’ heroics was setup by a Desmond Jennings leadoff walk against eventual losing pitcher Jean Machi, then stole second, Ben Zobrist received an intentional walk and then Evan Longoria walked on four pitches and then Myers hit the second pitch he saw from Machi into left field for the game-winner.

Brandon Crawford could have been the hero in the top of the 10th inning, but he struck out with two runners on to end the threat against Fernando Rodney.

Crawford drove in the Giants lone run of the night in the top of the third inning with a run-scoring single.

Zobrist tied up the game in the bottom of the third inning, as he grounded out to score Jose Molina.

Rays pitcher David Price pitched a great game, as he gave up one run on five hits and struck out five in nine innings of work.

Since returning from a triceps injury, Price returned to his dominant self, as in 57.1 innings of work, the lefty issued one walk, striking out 40, giving up 10 runs on 38 hits.

Price’s opponent Tim Lincecum was not too shabby either, as he went seven innings, allowing one run on six hits, walking one and striking out five.