Category: Uncategorized

By Jeremy Kahn

MIAMI-Maybe the four-day All-Star break from baseball was helpful for the San Francisco Giants and their bats.

After limping to the finish line at the end of the first half one game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Giants bats awoke in a big way in the opener of their three-game series against the Miami Marlins, as they defeated the Marlins 9-1 before only 23,017 at Marlins Park.

“They came out and played well this first game, this is a great sign and off a tough pitcher, Eovaldi has great stuff,” said Bruce Bochy.

With the victory, coupled with the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Busch Stadium, the Giants are once again in sole possession of first place by mere percentage points in the National League West.

This was the Giants 39th win of the season when they score the first run of the game, and are now 39-15 when they hit a home run.

Their .722 winning percentage when hitting a home run in a game is the highest in the National League.

Brandon Crawford got the Giants on the board in the top of the second inning, as he took a Nathan Eovaldi offering over the right field wall for his eighth home run of the season.

“With him you have to, he does have four good pitches,” said Crawford.

It was an 11 pitch at-bat for Crawford against Eovaldi.

“Great at-bat, and he did a nice job,” said Bochy.

Buster Posey got in on the act in the top of the third inning, as he singled in Hunter Pence, who walked with one out in the inning.

After Pablo Sandoval doubled Posey to third base, Michael Morse singled in Posey for the Giants second run of the inning and their fourth of the evening.

The Giants blew the game wide open in the top of the fifth inning, as they scored five runs, as Posey drove in his second run of the game with a single that scored Pence, after he led off the inning with a double.

Following Posey’s second single and second run batted in of the game, Sandoval took an Eovaldi pitch and put it into the right field seats for his 12th home run of the season.

Crawford rounded out the scoring for the Giants in both the inning and the game, as he hit a sacrifice fly Marcell Ozuna in centerfield to score Morse, who doubled with one out.

This was the fifth time this season that the Giants have scored five or more runs in an inning, and the fourth time on the road.

Madison Bumgarner pitched a great game, as he went six innings, allowing one run, while scattering four hits, walking two and struck out, as he upped his record to 11-7 on the season.

“Good to see everybody playing like that, good to see, I guess everybody had a good All-Star break,” said Bumgarner.

Bumgarner raised his record to 7-2 with a 1.94 earned run average in 11 road starts this season.

Before being taken out of the game and being replaced by Hector Sanchez, Posey went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two runs batted in.

Posey was not only the Giants player to pickup three hits on the night, as Morse also went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a run batted in.

The Giants 1-6 batters went 11-for-22 with eight runs scored and six runs batted in.

Crawford was the only batter out of the 7-8-9 hitters to get a hit, score a run and drive in any runs, as he drove in three on the evening.

As a team, the Giants went 6-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

Second baseman Joe Panik went 2-for-5 at the plate, and it was the fifth time since being recalled from Fresno on June 20 that he had two hits in the same game.

This was the fifth three-hit game of the season for Morse, his first since June 12 at home versus the Washington Nationals.

It was an off night for Eovaldi, who lasted just four innings, allowing eight runs on nine hits, walking one and striking out five and allowing those two home runs and fell to 5-5 on the season.

Yusmeiro Petit replaced Bumgarner in the bottom of the seventh inning, and he pitched one inning, allowing one hit and striking out one.

Javier Lopez came on in the bottom of the eighth inning, and retired Christian Yelich, but then gave up a single to Ed Lucas before being replaced by Juan Gutierrez.

The right-hander threw two-thirds of an inning, allowing one hit.

The Giants fourth reliever Jean Machi finished the game, as he pitched a perfect inning with one strikeout and the Giants raised their record on the season to 53-43.

“Some guys in the pen could use work,” said Bochy.

On the other side of things, Marlins manager Mike Redmond used four different relievers before the night was done, as Dan Jennings, Chris Hatcher, Mike Dunn, Bryan Morris and Steve Cishek finished the final five innings for the Marlins, who fall to 44-51 on the season.

Giancarlo Stanton drove in the only Marlins run of the evening, as he took a Bumgarner pitch and planted it into the fixture in left-center field and according to ESPN Stats Info, it was measured at 466 feet.

It was the 139th career home run for Stanton, moving him into fourth place on the Marlins all-time home run list, passing Miguel Cabrera,

Stanton trails Dan Uggla by 15 (154) home runs for the most in team history, then it is Hanley Ramirez with 148 and Mike Lowell with 143.

Christian Yelich extended his hitting streak up to 11 games, as he went 1-for-4.

By Jeremy Kahn

MIAMI-As I sit here in the pressbox at yet another baseball stadium, I cannot help reminisce on the first baseball I attended on this ritual I started back in 2007.

Yes I attended baseball games prior to 2007, as I went to my first ever baseball game on June 14, 1977 when the Los Angeles Dodgers played host to the Pittsburgh Pirates at Dodger Stadium.

Asides from going to Dodger Stadium as a child and a young adult, I also attended games at Angel Stadium, the now demolished Kingdome in Seattle, the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Candlestick Park and eventually AT&T Park.

It was on that Saturday in August of 2007, that I attended my one and only baseball game at the corner of East 161st and River Ave. in the Borough of the Bronx and Yankee Stadium.

Just one year later, the “House That Ruth Built” was closed forever and the Yankees into their new palace of a Stadium just across the street.

Roger Clemens took the mound that day for the New York Yankees against the reigning American League Champion Detroit Tigers.

Seeing that ballpark up close and personal was amazing, and going into Monument Park to see all those plaques was priceless.

Besides seeing Clemens pitch that day, I got to see Mariano Rivera enter the game to his usual entrance music of “Enter Sandman” by Metallica.

The Yankees won the game over the Tigers on that afternoon, but being at Yankee Stadium was a treat for anyone who went to a game there.

Three days after going to my one and only game ever at Yankee Stadium, I made a trek via the Number Seven train out to Queens and Shea Stadium, the soon to be former home of the New York Mets.

Like their American League counterparts in the Bronx, the Mets were also planning on leaving their current home after the 2008 season.old stadium

I received a Press Credential to the game between the Mets and the San Diego Padres, even though it was a 44-year on its last legs, the old stadium did have some pizazz to it.

The iconic Apple in Centerfield that rose when the Mets, and who can ever forget the planes that fly in and out of LaGuardia Airport, which is not that far away from Shea Stadium.

After going to the Mets game on a Tuesday night, I hopped on a bus the next afternoon and headed to Philadelphia and Citizens Bank Parkfor the second game of my three city tour.

The Philadelphia Phillies issued me a press credential for that evening’s game against the Dodgers and depsite the fact that the Dodgers absolutely crushed the Phillies by the final of 15-3, I was able to cross another stadium of my list.

After that summer, I would have to wait another three seasons to continue my trips around the country to different ballparks.

Beginning with the 2010 season, and continuing to this season, I have taken a road trip with the San Francisco Giants.

Even though, the Giants were not there, I have been to both of the new stadiums in New York, as I went to a game at Yankee Stadium, a 11-2 Yankees victory that saw the Yankees score all their runs in the bottom of the third inning.

Two nights later, I went to Citi Field, the new home of the Mets and saw the Cincinnati Reds defeat the Mets in a close game.

Just 24 hours after seeing the Mets and Reds at Citi Field, I went to the first of my two games at Citizens Bank Park for a series between the Phillies and the Atlanta Braves.

Following the two games in the City of Brotherly Love, I headed to Washington, D.C., where I finally got to see a baseball game our Nation’s Capitol.

The Washington Nationals issued me a press credential, and as fate would have it, the Nationals would be play the Giants.

After winning two out of three in the series, the Giants would go on to win their first World Series since 1954, when they defeated the Texas Rangers in five games.

Over the next three seasons, I would make road trips to Wrigley Field in Chicago, Comerica Park in Detroit, Petco Park in San Diego, Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Coors Field in Denver, Chase Field in Phoenix.

Tonight, my ballpark trip continues to Marlins Park in Miami, the home of the Miami Marlins. After arriving here, it dawned on me, man if this ground could talk, as this is former home of the Miami Dolphins and the University of Miami Hurricanes football teams.

Not only did the Dolphins and Hurricanes play in the Orange Bowl, but it was also the home of the annual Orange Bowl until it moved to Sun Life Stadium.

By Jeremy Kahn

MIAMI-While on their way to Miami, the San Francisco Giants were forced to make an emergency landing not too far from home.

Pitching Coach Dave Righetti, who first joined the team in the Dusty Baker era was hospitalized in Las Vegas with a case of Vertigo.

Righetti, who is 55 years old will not join the team in Miami, where the Giants begin a three-game series against the Miami Marlins this evening at Marlins Park.

It is unclear if Righetti will join the Giants on the second and final leg of their trip, a four-game series that begins in Philadelphia on Monday night.

Bullpen coach Mark Gardner will be the pitching coach this weekend.

By DANIEL DULLUM
Sports Radio Service
Thursday, July 17, 2014

The Toronto Blue Jays claimed A’s left-handed pitcher Brad Mills off waivers Thursday. Mills was designated for assignment by Oakland on July 7 after the Athletics acquired pitchers Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel in a trade with the Chicago Cubs.

While with Oakland, Mills was 1-1 with a 4.41 earned run average in three starts. Before joining the A’s in a deal with Milwaukee, Mills 4-2 with a 1.56 ERA for Triple-A Nashville.

In their first action since the All-Star break, the Athletics are home this weekend, hosting the AL East-leading Baltimore Orioles. On Friday and Saturday, the A’s will celebrate the 25th anniversary of their 1989 World Series championship team.

Hall of Famers Rickey Henderson, Dennis Eckersley and Manager Tony La Russa will be on hand, along with Jose Canseco, Dave Henderson, Carney Lansford, Dave Parker, Lance Blankenship, Todd Burns, Mike Moore, Ken Phelps, Tony Phillips, current A’s coaches Mike Gallego and Curt Young, and 1989 coaches Merv Rettenmund and Tommie Reynolds.

Dave Stewart, the most valuable player of the ’89 World Series, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Saturday night. There will be autograph sessions on Friday and Saturday, with proceeds going to charity.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the A’s return to AL West play when Houston visits the Coliseum for a two-game set.

By Jeremy Harness

In the month of June, the Giants went from having an 8 ½-game lead in the National league West to currently trailing the division-leading Los Angeles Dodgers by a game heading into the second half of the season.

They don’t seem to have any kind of momentum going for them at this point. Well, with the exception of a familiar face but very recently had been the most unlikely of heroes. Two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum was once the catalyst around which the Giants’ rotation fed off of.

However, as the velocity on his fastball dropped, his ability to locate did not improve. Until recently, his ability to adjust was even worse, and it showed in his win-loss record as well as his ERA.

Two months ago, Curt Schilling listed in ESPN The Magazine a handful of pitchers who, like Lincecum, had lost a considerable amount of velocity and graded the manner in which they have adjusted to that. Felix Hernandez, who started Tuesday’s All-Star Game for the American League, got a well-deserved “A” grade.

Lincecum, on the other hand, was given an “F,” as he had struggled mightily with his control for the past two years as his velocity dropped from his accustomed 95-mph fastball to a more modest 90. In order to be successful as a major-league pitcher with less-than-overpowering stuff, hitting your spots becomes crucial.

For the better part of those two years, the control continued to be lacking, and that it didn’t appear that he would be able to grasp that any time soon.

But then, a funny thing happened: Lincecum seemed to figure it out. In his previous four starts combined, he gave up only one earned run in 30 1/3 innings, all of them resulting in Lincecum victories. Among them was the no-hitter that he tossed June 25 against San Diego, during which he only walked one batter and ended up kick-starting the hot streak that he is currently on going into the second half of the season.

The Giants need to find a way to ride that kind of momentum, such as when they went through the 2012 postseason despite falling behind in the first two rounds against Cincinnati and St. Louis, respectively.

Lincecum looks like he has figured it out. Starting Friday night in Miami as they begin a three-game series against the Marlins to begin the second half, the Giants need to recapture that feeling, just as their resurgent right-hander has.

By Jeremy Harness

If you look at any World Series-contending team in the majors, they all have similar categories: solid pitching, timely hitting, and one other major component. They also have a solid table-setter at the top of the order.

The Giants’ pitching has been hit-or-miss throughout the season, as has been their hitting in key situations. However, the area that has consistently hurt them thus far in the 2014 campaign

Pagan initially landed on the disabled list June 25 with a nagging back lower back injury that has had him out of action since June 14, but the team is hopeful that he will be back in the fold as they prepare to make their stand in the second half of the season.

The Giants originally expected Pagan to be ready to go in time for their three-game series against St. Louis, but he suffered a setback in his recovery while running, as he experienced a bulging disc in his back, forcing him to see a back specialist in Los Angeles following that.

Injuries are nothing new to the veteran center fielder. Pagan played in only 71 games last season before being sidelined for the remainder of the year with a hamstring injury in late June.

Without Pagan at the top of the order, the Giants have struggled in large part in that part of their game. Since he has been out of the lineup, the team has had to use Gregor Blanco, who has been virtually useless at the plate and hardly gets on base anyway.

Hunter Pence has checked out fairly well in that position, but he has his biggest impact in the fifth spot in the lineup behind Pablo Sandoval, with the purpose of driving in runs.

In other words, in order for the Giants to make a big run in the second half – and put the memory of a horrible month of June in the rearview mirror – they desperately need to get Pagan back on the field. Without him, they will likely continue to have a tough time getting things started in the right direction.

And that does not bode well at all for a team that figures to be in a tooth-and-nail battle with the team in the Los Angeles Dodgers that far exceeds the Giants in raw talent.

By Jeremy Kahn

After moving from the Nation’s Capital of Washington, DC to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul in 1961, the newly anointed Minnesota Twins were forced to wait five years to hold the annual All-Star game in their stadium.

On July 13, 1965, the Twins hosted the All-Star Game at the old Metropolitan Stadium in Downtown Minneapolis, where such San Francisco Giants like Willie Mays and Juan Marichal would play in the annual midsummer classic.

It would be a homecoming of sorts for Mays, who as a 20-year old played his minor league baseball for the Minneapolis Millers before being recalled by the New York Giants in 1951 and the rest is baseball history.

Marichal was named the starter by National League and Philadelphia Phillies manager Gene Mauch, and the future Hall of Famer pitched the first three innings without allowing a base runner to reach base.

After moving from the Nation’s Capital of Washington, DC to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul in 1961, the newly anointed Minnesota Twins were forced to wait five years to hold the annual All-Star game in their stadium.

On July 13, 1965, the Twins hosted the All-Star Game at the old Metropolitan Stadium in Downtown Minneapolis, where such San Francisco Giants like Willie Mays and Juan Marichal would play in the annual midsummer classic.

It would be a homecoming of sorts for Mays, who as a 20-year old played his minor league baseball for the Minneapolis Millers before being recalled by the New York Giants in 1951 and the rest is baseball history.

Marichal was named the starter by National League and Philadelphia Phillies manager Gene Mauch, and the future Hall of Famer pitched the first three innings without allowing a base runner to reach base.

In those three innings of work, Marichal retired Dick McAuliffe, Brooks Robinson, Harmon Killebrew, Rocky Colavito, Willie Horton, Felix Mantilla, Vic Davalillo, Earl Battey and pinch hitter Al Kaline and he allowed only a base hit to Davalillo.

By allowing just one hit in those three innings of work, Marichal was named as the Most Valuable Player.

Mays played the entire game in centerfield, and went 2-for-3 against American League pitching, including a home run off of Milt Pappas to leadoff the game for the National League, as the National League would go on to defeat the American League 6-5 before a crowd of 46,706 at Metropolitan Stadium.

Twenty years later on July 16, 1985, the four-year old Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome would host the All-Star Game and only one member of the Giants was named as a representative to the team that team, as the Giants would end the season with a 62-100 record.

Pitcher Scott Garrelts was the only representative on the team, and as fate would have it, Garrelts did not get into the game that evening.

Now that both the old Metropolitan Stadium and the Metrodome are no more, the 85th annual All-Star Game will make its triumphant return to the Twin Cities and Target Field and three members of the Giants family will be represented in the pregame introductions.

Madison Bumgarner, Tim Hudson and Hunter Pence will the 2014 team at Target Field.

Unfortunately, Bumgarner will not be able to pitch in the game, as he pitched on Sunday in an 8-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at AT&T Park, a game where he hit his third home run of the season and second grand slam.

Hudson, who joined the Giants this offseason was named as a replacement for Bumgarner, and will be participating in his fourth All-Star Game and first since 2010.

Pence was named as a reserve to the team by National League manager and former Giants catcher Mike Matheny, who is the manager of the reigning National League Champion St. Louis Cardinals.

Baseball Reference contributed to this story.

In those three innings of work, Marichal retired Dick McAuliffe, Brooks Robinson, Harmon Killebrew, Rocky Colavito, Willie Horton, Felix Mantilla, Vic Davalillo, Earl Battey and pinch hitter Al Kaline and he allowed only a base hit to Davalillo.

By allowing just one hit in those three innings of work, Marichal was named as the Most Valuable Player.

Mays played the entire game in centerfield, and went 2-for-3 against American League pitching, including a home run off of Milt Pappas to leadoff the game for the National League, as the National League would go on to defeat the American League 6-5 before a crowd of 46,706 at Metropolitan Stadium.

Twenty years later on July 16, 1985, the four-year old Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome would host the All-Star Game and only one member of the Giants was named as a representative to the team that team, as the Giants would end the season with a 62-100 record.

Pitcher Scott Garrelts was the only representative on the team, and as fate would have it, Garrelts did not get into the game that evening.

Now that both the old Metropolitan Stadium and the Metrodome are no more, the 85th annual All-Star Game will make its triumphant return to the Twin Cities and Target Field and three members of the Giants family will be represented in the pregame introductions.

Madison Bumgarner, Tim Hudson and Hunter Pence will the 2014 team at Target Field.

Unfortunately, Bumgarner will not be able to pitch in the game, as he pitched on Sunday in an 8-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at AT&T Park, a game where he hit his third home run of the season and second grand slam.

Hudson, who joined the Giants this offseason was named as a replacement for Bumgarner, and will be participating in his fourth All-Star Game and first since 2010.

Pence was named as a reserve to the team by National League manager and former Giants catcher Mike Matheny, who is the manager of the reigning National League Champion St. Louis Cardinals.

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-Madison Bumgarner and Buster Posey did something in the San Francisco Giants series finale that was only twice before since moving to San Francisco in 1958.

Posey and Bumgarner hit grand slams in the fifth and sixth innings respectively, as the Giants defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-4 before a crowd of 41,288 at AT&TPark, the 299th consecutive sellout at AT&TPark.

The duo are the first Giants teammates to hit two grand slams in the same game since Jeff Kent and Bill Mueller turned the trick on September 19, 1998 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the only previous that it occurred was on April 26, 1970, when Dick Dietz and Willie McCovey did it against the Montreal Expos.

Bumgarner is the first pitcher to two grand slams in the same season since Tony Cloninger of the Atlanta Braves hit two in the same game against the Giants at CandlestickPark on July 3, 1966.

The Diamondbacks got on the board in the top of the third inning, as Martin Prado picked up the second of three hits to score Nick Ahmed, who led off the inning with a single.

It was Bumgarner who got the ball rolling for the Giants in the bottom of the fifth inning, as he doubled off of eventual losing pitcher Vidal Nuno.

Hunter Pence then walked, after Gregor Blanco flyout to left field for the second out of the inning, Pablo Sandoval hit a single to load up the bases for Posey.

After taking a ball from Nuno, Posey launched a Nuno offering into the left field bleachers for his second career regular season grand slam and third of his career.

Prior to the grand slam off of Nuno, Posey last hit a regular grand slam on July 7, 2010 against the Milwaukee Brewers at MillerPark.

Posey hit a grand slam off of Mat Latos of the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark in Game Five of the 2012 National League Division Series that propelled the Giants in to the National League Championship Series versus the St. Louis Cardinals.

Joaquin Arias reaching second base after singling to center field, and then advancing to second base on a fielding error by Ender Inciarte, then Edire Adrianza reached first when Ahmed was unable to hold a popup.

Brandon Crawford then walked, and Bumgarner took the first pitch he saw from Matt Stites over the left field wall for his third home run of the season and second career grand slam.

Bumgarner and Posey are the first battery in Major League history to both hit grand slams in the same game, this according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Posey is the first Giants batter to hit a grand slam while in the cleanup spot since Moises Alou on May 7, 2005 against the Washington Nationals, this according to David Feldman.

It was not just great offense on the day for the Giants, as they received great plays on defense on back-to-back plays in the top of the sixth inning.

Pence made a running catch into the seventh archway in right field off of a Paul Goldschmidt hit ball for the second out of the inning, following the Pence catch, Sandoval made a diving stab on a Mark Trumbo hit, regrouped and then threw to Arias at first base for the final out of the inning.

That was the second great defensive play by Pence on the day, as he made a terrific throw to Sandoval to get Inciarte going to third on a base hit by Prado in the first inning.

Brandon Belt was scratched from the lineup just prior to the start of the game due to back stiffness.

NOTES: Due to the fact that Bumgarner will be unable to pitch in the All-Star Game on Tuesday night at Target Field, Tim Hudson was named to the All-Star team as his replacement.

It will be the fourth All-Star Game for Hudson, and his first since 2010, when the game was played at Angel Stadium of Anaheim, a 3-1 victory, ending a 13-game winless streak for the Senior Circuit and gave home field advantage to the National League in the World Series.

Bruce Bochy set his pitching rotation for the first five games of the upcoming road trip to Miami for three games, and then onto Philadelphia for four games.

Bumgarner will go on Friday, then Hudson on Saturday, then Tim Lincecum will close out the series on Sunday in Miami. Pennsylvania native Ryan Vogelsong will open the series against the Phillies on Monday and then Matt Cain will pitch on Tuesday.