Tag: giants

Big innings push the Giants past the Reds, and into first place in the NL West

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Crawford greeted

By Morris Phillips

Given the early season statistical numbers, it wasn’t a surprise that Brandon Crawford’s home run off Cincinnati’s JC Ramirez stood as the game-winner on Monday night.

So far in 2016, the Reds’ inexperienced bullpen has sprung leaks in multiple spots, allowing 22 home runs in 26 games, the most allowed by any big league team’s relievers by a large margin. Meanwhile, the Giants have proven to be a more than capable power hitting team, hitting 28 jacks in 27 games. Throw in the historically, homer-friendly nature of Great American Ballpark, and the decisive scenario of Crawford batting against Ramirez in the seventh inning with two runners aboard, and the Giants trailing 6-5 was set.

To that point, Monday’s game already stood as an offensive showcase with the Giants scoring three runs in the second, only to see the Reds respond with six runs in the third, ruining what would have been a nice return to Cincinnati for the Giants’ $100-million-dollar man, Johnny Cueto.

With two runs already in, Crawford stepped up and deposited Ramirez’ 2-1 pitch three rows beyond the right center field wall, giving the Giants lead again on their way to a 9-6 win.

The Giants’ won for the second straight day, after dropping the first two games of a six-game road trip, and moved into first place in the NL West, despite their very modest 14-13 won-loss record.

Crawford had been scuffling prior to his big at-bat, hitting around .200 over his previous 18 games, and struggling when given opportunities to knock in a run or two. But Ramirez’ breaking ball hung, and Crawford pounced.

“I’ve gotten a few RBIs through ground outs or sacrifice flies, but getting a hit in that situation is always a lot better,” Crawford said.

The Giants’ shortstop finished the night’s scoring in the ninth, knocking in an insurance run, giving him four RBI on the night. Brandon Belt had three of the team’s 14 hits, and scored twice.

Manager Bruce Bochy got contributions from most of the 25 guys available, as Mac Williamson replaced the injured Angel Pagan in left, and gave way to Gregor Blanco in the sixth in a double switch. Kelby Tomlinson started at second, giving Joe Panik a rare day off, and four relievers followed Cueto, allowing the Reds just one hit.

Cueto pitched eight seasons in Cincinnati, and was greeted warmly by the smallish crowd. That reception transitioned nicely into the pitcher’s infield single that knocked in a pair of runs in the Giants three-run third inning. But the reception turned rough in the third when Cueto was touched for a three-run homer from Joey Votto, followed by a run-scoring triple off the bat of Jay Bruce.

But throughout, the veteran remained composed, barely blinking when Votto’s shot cleared the wall. It must have been Cueto’s familiarity with the Great American Ballpark situation, where runs have traditionally been scored in bunches. Not surprisingly, Cueto followed the six-run third with a pair of scoreless frames to keep the Giants within reach.

Reds’ starter Brandon Finnegan put up four scoreless frames after the Giants took their early 3-0 lead, and seemed poised for a win. But Ramirez relieved Finnegan, and could record just one out before surrendering the home run to Crawford. It was the first home run this season allowed by Ramirez, but the Reds’ bullpen has allowed at least one run in 20 consecutive ballgames, an embarrassing feat achieved just once since 1913 at the major league level.

The Giants resume their series in Cincinnati on Tuesday as Jeff Samardzjia faces the Reds’ John Moscot. Moscot suffered shoulder discomfort in his previous start, so his participation isn’t assured. The team said that Moscot will be re-evaluated in pre-game warmups before being allowed to pitch.

Giants, Casilla hold on, down the Padres 5-4 in series opener

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By Morris Phillips

In a ballgame that took nearly four hours to work through a full nine innings on Monday night, the top of the eighth took on a life of its own.

Seven Padres’ hitters saw pitches from four Giants’ relievers as the home team’s comfortable 5-2 lead shrunk to a run, and the game became potentially a one-pitch affair. In the absence of familiar names like Romo, Affeldt and Lopez, anxious fans and impatient seagulls got initial looks at Derek Law and Josh Osich, and another look at Hunter Strickland, now three seasons into attempting to lock down a defined role in a rapidly changing bullpen.

Woven deep in the web of baseball strategy was manager Bruce Bochy’s faith that his young arms can evolve into a unit as trustworthy as those on his World Series teams sooner rather than later.

“These kids are going to have hiccups,” Bochy confessed.

“They’ll learn from all this.”

Strickland opened the inning and faltered, charged with both Padres’ runs, then Law saw just one batter, hanging a breaking ball to pinch-hitter Brett Wallace, who singled, putting runners at first and third with one out. Osich picked both up by fanning Jemile Weeks, the only batter he faced, and keeping the tying run at third base.

Afterwards, Bochy explained that had Osich faltered, and allowed the Padres to tie the game, he would have opted for another young arm, Mike Broadway. But with the Giants still clinging to a lead, it was time to turn to his most experienced arm, Santiago Casilla, who navigated through the final four outs, giving the Giants a hard-earned 5-4 win.

With the Dodgers falling at home to the Marlins, the win helped negate the effects of this rough home stand in which the home team has won just three of eight, while pulling the Giants within 2 ½ games of the division lead.

To prevail, the Giants got contributions from all over, from Denard Span’s big catch at the center field wall, robbing Matt Kemp of extra bases, to Madison Bumgarner’s gutty performance in which he pitched into the seventh inning. The Giants broke their power drought (just three home runs in their previous 10 games) with Hunter Pence and Buster Posey going deep.

The Giants had 12 hits and that spelled doom for former A’s reliever Drew Pomeranz, who has been an early surprise in San Diego as a starter. On Monday, Pomeranz couldn’t get out of the fifth inning, allowing seven hits, three walks, and four runs.

Bumgarner got the start for the Giants and for once wasn’t matched against the opponent’s ace. The youthful veteran wasn’t that jazzed about his own performance, but left grateful Bochy kept him in the game into the seventh inning, throwing 114 pitches in the process. When the bullpen wobbled and swerved, but didn’t break, Bumgarner was able to pick up his second win of the season.

Angel Pagan contributed three hits, knocking in a pair of runs out of the nine hole to raise his batting average to a healthy .356. The veteran again hit behind Bumgarner, but that’s no slight for a guy who’s made plenty of sacrifices this season. Instead, Pagan trumpeted the quirky strategy.

“After the second inning, it’s just like having another leadoff hitter,” Pagan explained.

Joe Panik contributed three hits, and Posey had a pair of hits and two runs knocked in.

The Giants have Johnny Cueto on the mound Tuesday looking for this fourth win opposed by James Shields, who’s winless in three starts.

Who us worry? Giants lose again, get swept, but Bochy preaches patience

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By Morris Phillips

AP photo Marco Jose Sanchez: The Arizona Diamondbacks Paul Goldschmidt takes a hack for a RBI single in third inning of Thursday’s game against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park

SAN FRANCISCO–When losing gains this type of intensity, philosophical leanings aren’t far behind, and a downcast manager Bruce Bochy was quick to put a hopeful spin on the Giants’ 1-8 slide that has them–at least temporarily–in fourth place in the NL West.

“This was a tough series for us. That’s what it is: one series and come back tomorrow.”

Didn’t say vivid or expansive, just hopeful. Now Bochy’s Giants have to make the next step.

The Giants got some assistance from the visiting Diamondbacks Thursday afternoon, but it was a helping hand, not a comprehensive bailout plan. Shelby Miller couldn’t get past the third inning, walking the first four batters of the frame prompting manager Chip Hale to pull the plug.

But reliever Tyler induced Brandon Belt to hit into a double play on his third pitch after his entering the game and the Giants didn’t threaten again. A 2-2 tie would be as close as the Giants would get in what would become a 6-2 loss.

“I could do a lot of things, I could move the order around, I’ll think on this believe me. That’s what my job is trying to figure out how to get this thing going. whether it’s moving guys up, moving guys around.” said Bochy “it’s too early hopefully to be pressing I don’t think they are. We just have some cold hitters right now. We’re having trouble putting the ball in play. It’s all we need sometimes. It’s a good line up and I still think were going to get this thing clicking.”

The Giants top brass general manager Bobby Evans and team vice president Brian Sabean had a meeting after the game with Bochy analyzing the offense it’s weaknesses and what cures can be made. The Giants with the loss are now 7-10 and fourth in the National League West.

 

 

Giants Go Deep To Steal Series Finale From Dodgers

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By Shawn Whelchel

AP photo: San Francisco Giants Joe Panik hits for a double in the sixth inning of Sunday’s game versus the Los Angeles Dodgers

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.-The Giants entered Sunday’s series finale against the Dodgers just one home run short of leading the MLB. They used three of them to take three-of-four games from their rivals from down south over the weekend, completing yet another comeback with a 9-6 win.

Buster Posey, Brandon Belt and Angel Pagan all went deep for the Giants on Sunday, leading to their fifth come-from-behind victory on the season that showcases the lineups old scrappiness with their newfangled depth throughout the order.

The 2016 are now the first team in franchise history to hit home runs in their first seven games, and the power surge has not gone unnoticed by skipper Bruce Bochy.

“It’s a team that’s gonna hit with more power. That doesn’t always mean home runs but I think if you look at the doubles, that’s gonna pick up, and throughout the lineup we have guys who can drive the ball. We’re not gonna rely on the long-ball but it certainly helps, particularly when you’re down five runs, it’s usually something that you need.”

Starter Johnny Cueto might have wished he was still in the confines of Miller Park after his second outing with his new team didn’t go over nearly as well as his first start of the season.

The quirky right-hander got knocked around for six runs on the day-including five in the first inning alone- but was picked up by his teammate’s at the plate. Despite his early struggles, Bochy kept faith in his new starter, and Cueto would rebound from a torrid start to give up just one more run over the next six innings before leaving with a chance at the win.

Although Bochy noted the tough first inning, the manager was ultimately impressed with Cueto’s resiliency and ability to bounce back after getting knocked around early.

“For him to end up going seven innings says a couple things. How tough he is, he’s a problem and he comes in there and gets a win after that. He was just a different pitcher after the first inning.”

Dodgers starter Scott Kazmir may not have given up runs in a bunch like Cueto, but the southpaw faired no better than Cueto, getting tagged for six runs over just four innings on seven hits. He was the first Dodgers pitcher to give up three home runs to San Francisco since 2004.

The Dodgers bats and the soggy AT&T turf dampened Cueto’s first start at home as a member of the Giants. After holding Los Angeles to 15 runs in eight career starts prior to Sunday’s game, the Dodgers tagged the 30-year old for five in the top of the frame.

Cueto allowed five hits, a walk and plunked one, while also slipping twice in the AT&T grass while attempting to field his position during that span.

But the Giants would showcase the power of their newfangled lineup, as they would erase Cueto’s miscues with the help of the longball.

Posey would kick things off in the third inning with a solo shot high into the left field bleachers to cut the Dodgers lead to just two. Two batters later, the newly-extended Brandon Belt would launch an equalizer of his own in the deep part of the yard, parking one over the center field wall near triples alley to tie the game.

Cueto, who had settled down after his wild first inning, would be tagged again by the Dodgers’ Corey Seager, whose ten game hitting streak would continue with a line drive single to plate Chase Utley in the top of the fourth to regain the lead for his club at 6-5.

The Giants would find an answer again, this time in the form of a blast from Pagan, whose ball would land just over the left field fence in the bottom half of the inning to notch things up again.

San Francisco’s bats stayed hot heading into the sixth, as Angel Pagan and Denard Span would reach base ahead of Joe Panik, whose seventh hit of the year was a two-rbi double that bounced on the center field warning track to give the Giants their first lead of the day at 8-6. Panik would come around to score on a deep sac-fly by Pence two batters leader to extend the margin.

Bochy’s continuing faith in his starter would be rewarded, as Cueto would settle in to strike out three batters while allowing just two hits and one walk over the next three innings. After escaping one last jam with a two-out liner to Pagan, Cueto would exit the game to a loud standing ovation from the AT&T Park crowd.

The Giants bullpen picked up where Cueto left off, with Sergio Romo and Josh Osich working a rather uneventful eighth inning before Santiago Casilla would down the heart of the Dodgers lineup in order to capture his second save on the season, giving his team a 9-6 final.

The win gives San Francisco sole possession of the NL West heading into a stint with the Colorado Rockies next week.

Dodgers dogged: Giants respond to early deficit with a 12-run outburst, win home opener

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Mays Opening Day
Hall of Famer Willie Mays stands with Pamela Irvin Fields, second from left, and Patricia Irvin Gordon, right, the daughters of Hall of Famer Monte Irvin, before the start of an opening day baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers Thursday, April 7, 2016, in San Francisco. At left is Giants pitcher Sergio Romo. The daughters of Irvin, who died in January, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. (Jason Watson/POOL via AP)

 

By Morris Phillips

Talk about tight scheduling. One inning after the Dodgers’ flirtation with pitching history ended, the Giants’ Opening Day offensive fireworks display commenced.

Alex Wood extended the Dodgers’ season-opening scoreless pitching streak to 31 innings–one inning short of the major-league record established in 1963–then fell into trouble in the fifth inning. The Giants scored three times, the first significant blow in a 17-hit attack that carried them past the Dodgers, 12-6 in the team’s home opener.

Angel Pagan delivered a two-run single in the sixth that gave the Giants their first lead, 5-4. Then in the eighth, Hunter Pence capped the Giants’ scoring with a grand slam off J.P. Howell. In all, 11 Giants came up with at least one hit, led by Joe Panik and Buster Posey with three each.

“It can look awfully dim, like it did there for a while today, and then turn,” starting pitcher Jake Peavy said of the period where the Giants trailed 4-0. “That’s one thing about this team we always talk about: this team plays 27 outs, then let the chips fall where they may.”

The Dodgers came into the first of 19 games between the longtime rivals both limping and thriving, after sweeping the Padres in San Diego without allowing a run, despite opening the season with 10 players on the disabled list. Their surprising start continued with the appearance of Peavy, who didn’t have his best stuff, allowing the Dodgers 10 hits and four runs before he was lifted after five innings.

In contrast, the Giants opened with a 12-run outburst in Milwaukee, but were far off of that offensive output in their following two games, totaling five runs while splitting the final two games against the Brewers. But Thursday was a reminder that the Giants’ lineup—in full health—could be among the best in the major leagues, with their ability to attack both big and small. Included in the Giants’ hit barrage Thursday were bunt singles by Kelby Tomlinson and Denard Span, along with four extra-base hits including Pence’s slam.

Through four games, five Giants’ regulars—Posey, Panik, Pagan, Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford—are all hitting .333 and above to rank among the NL’s top 30 hitters.

Once Peavy departed, and the Giants struck for their initial three runs, Chris Heston made his season debut, pitching one scoreless inning and picking up the win. Dodgers’ starter Wood was chased in the sixth after allowing the first two hitters to reach. Then Yimi Garcia came on, and gave up the two-run single to Pagan, and RBI hits to Panik and Posey.

In all, the Giants delivered eight hits with runners in scoring position, and like they did in the opener, showed the ability to hit deep in counts, one way to surely frustrate opposing pitchers.

“All the way down the line, and even a lot of our pitchers, we can hit,” Pence said. “It makes everyone better. We’ve got a lot of guys who are going to keep competing with you no matter what you’ve got.”

Former Giant Dave Roberts assumed the managerial position for the Dodgers this winter after Don Mattingly was fired. So far, the former player under Giants’ skipper Bruce Bochy has had a comfortable ride, but things get tougher on Friday night when he turns to 26-year old rookie Ross Stripling making his major league debut on the mound.   The Dodgers currently are without injured starting pitchers Brett Anderson, Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu.

Matt Cain will make the start for the Giants with game time set for 7:15pm.

Giants open 2016 season with a power display in Milwaukee

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Buster bust out

By Morris Phillips

Giants’ hitters spent the afternoon trying to top each other’s feats in an Opening Day offensive explosion for the record books in Milwaukee.

Denard Span knocked in five runs in his first game as a Giant, and Matt Duffy plated four in a 12-3 rout that was capped by three consecutive home runs in the eighth inning by Span, Joe Panik and Buster Posey. The back-to-back-to-back homers in the opener had only been accomplished twice in major league history, most recently by the 1997 Padres.

Madison Bumgarner started on Opening Day for the third straight year despite experiencing fever and chills starting on Sunday. The former World Series MVP lasted just five innings, allowing three runs on five hits and five walks, but departed with a 7-3 lead.

Bumgarner pulled his big escape act in the first inning after walking three batters and allowing a run. With the bases loaded, he induced Aaron Hill to hit into an inning-ending double play.

“We’ve all seen what he’s done in the postseason multiple times, so I wouldn’t expect the flu to hold down a guy like that,” Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun said.

The healthy Giants’ lineup with capable hitters one through nine impressed Brewers’ manager Craig Counsell with their ability to hit deep in counts, moving the line early against starter Wily Peralta, who lasted just four innings after coughing up four runs on five hits. The Milwaukee bullpen didn’t fare well either, allowing all four the Giants’ homers including Matt Duffy’s blast off Carlos Torres in the fifth.

Duffy knocked in all four of his runs in the first five innings, but Span topped that with total with his three-run shot in the eighth.

“What they’re good at is putting the ball in play on tough pitches with two strikes,” Counsell said.

“That’s a good team. They’re great hitters,” Peralta said. “That’s a tough game for me and for the team today, but we have to move forward.”

Ariel Pena was on the hill for the home run explosion in the eighth, capped by Posey’s blast over the centerfield wall. The Giants last hit four home runs on Opening day in 1983, also the last time they scored as many as 12 runs.

The game was played as light snow flurries descended on the Wisconsin lakefront, but didn’t interrupt the proceedings with the retractable roof at Miller Park closed.   The Giants opened a season in Milwaukee for the first time ever.

While the Giants were as advertised after a trio of splashy free agent signings in the off-season, the Brewers rebuild got off to a rocky start. The news off the field wasn’t much better for Milwaukee, as veteran Matt Garza was scratched from his scheduled start on Wednesday in the series finale due to shoulder issues.

On Tuesday, Johnny Cueto makes his Giants’ debut against the Brewers’ Jimmy Nelson.

 

 

Healthy Giants look ready for opener in exhibition win over the A’s

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Shark ready
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija throw to the Oakland Athletics during the second inning of an exhibition game Thursday, March 31, 2016, in San Francisco.(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

 

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Bigger than a giant Coke bottle and more expansive than a 30-foot long glove, the Giants and their soaring expectations blew through AT&T Park on Thursday for the opener of the Bay Bridge Series. And right on cue, the team performed like a million bucks.

Or $250 million bucks.

Starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija represents a nice chunk of the Giants’ pricey, off-season remodel, and he was the complete opposite of Boston’s Pablo Sandoval on Thursday: prepared, healthy, and clearly capable. A five-inning stint in which he retired 15 consecutive batters, striking out five and walking none said as much. The former Cub, Athletic and White Sox was lights out after Oakland’s Billy Burns tripled to start the game.

“I’m just happy my arm feels good,” Samardzija said. “Camp is just about—especially for a guy like me that likes to throw hard—just getting that velo up, and getting that arm strength, and getting into the 80, 85, 90-pitch mark and knowing that when the season starts you’re ready to go a full pole, and be ready to throw a CG whenever you need to.”

“Good stuff, good tempo, really commanded all his pitches. The fastball had good run. He had a really nice slider with good depth to it,” manager Bruce Bochy said of Samardzija.

All eight, presumptive everyday starters backed Samardzija in the exhibition that went to the Giants, 3-1, including the retooled outfield with Angel Pagan in left, Denard Span in center, and a healthy Hunter Pence in right. In fact, it appears the team will start the season with everyone of consequence ready to go including Matt Cain, who missed the majority of the last two seasons.

Instead of angst regarding the team’s ability, the final days prior to Monday’s opener in Milwaukee could reveal some newfangled, procedural stuff cooked up by old sage, Bochy. How often will the Giants’ starting pitcher bat eighth in the starting lineup? Will the team retain 13 pitchers on the Opening Day roster?

Samardzjia hit eighth, Pagan ninth in Thursday’s lineup, a nod to both the hitting ability of the former Notre Dame football player, and the former leadoff man, Pagan, who has given way to Span in center and at the top of the lineup. The thought, popularized by Tony LaRussa, is that after the first time through the lineup, a team has two table setters ahead of its best hitters, and in this case, a capable hitting pitcher behind seven-hole guy Brandon Crawford. Samardzjia has 10 extra-base hits in his career, including a pair of homers, enough of a resume for the new starter to possibly challenge Madison Bumgarner as the team’s resident Babe Ruth.

Pagan looked dashing, his hair perfect at shoulder length, all on display when he rushed in and made a sliding catch on Yonder Alonso’s sinking liner in the third.   At the plate, Pagan picked up a couple of hits, raising his spring average to .405. In the eighth, after four at-bats, the 35-year old veteran gave way to Gregor Blanco, a nice luxury as the team’s returning fourth outfielder.

The Giants think they’ve got a couple of other bench gems in Kelby Tomlinson and Ehire Adrianza, which has allowed the team to consider carrying just four outfielders as both Tomlinson and Adrianza have spent time playing some outfield in the spring. Adrianza has had an impressive camp, displaying his versatility and readiness to help the club in several capacities.

The Giants’ bullpen has an intriguing option in Josh Osich who’s being given every opportunity to replace the retired Jeremy Affeldt as a lefty-specialist. Osich did have a rough moment in the seventh when A’s All-Star Stephen Vogt touched him up with a majestically-hit RBI triple.

The A’s didn’t have much success at all: managing just three hits all night and booting several balls defensively. The whole package played out as a commercial for the Giants, a team that as it’s constructed could win a bunch of close, low-scoring games at home with their superior rotation and bullpen, especially at chilly AT&T. If that’s how it plays out, the Giants could challenge their record for home wins since the park opened in 2000, set by the 2003 squad that went 57-24 at home.

Jake Peavy will get the start in game two of the Bay Bridge Series facing Kendall Graveman at 7:15pm.

 

 

 

Huddy throws his last pitch, and Jeremy Affeldt announces his retirement in Giants’ 3-2 loss to the Dodgers

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Huddy final bow

By Morris Phillips

Brett Anderson’s first post-season start came after a 14-month period of inactivity following elbow surgery, preceded by only six regular season starts, and just two weeks after a muscle strain sidelined him again.

Anderson pitched six shutout innings that night, picked up the win, and kept his Oakland A’s from elimination in the 2012 NLDS at the hands of the Detroit Tigers.  Oakland manager Bob Melvin gushed at Anderson’s performance that night, saying “I don’t know how you could expect more than we got out of him tonight.”

Three years later, Anderson—finally healthy—made his case for another post-season start on Thursday at AT&T Park.

Anderson pitched into the eighth inning, allowing just four hits as the Dodgers held on to beat the Giants, 3-2.  After losing seven straight to the Giants in San Francisco for the first time in more than 50 years, the Dodgers rebounded by winning two of the final three meetings this season while putting the finishing touches on an NL West title.

Anderson had the Giants out-of-tune, retiring 14 consecutive batters at one point, and keeping them off the scoreboard until Angel Pagan’s infield single scored Jarrett Parker in the eighth.   Anderson rebounded after Pagan reached, getting Brandon Crawford to ground out. That’s when manager Don Mattingly elected to remove Anderson in favor of reliever Chris Hatcher in search of the final out of the inning.

Kelby Tomlinson made things interesting when he greeted Hatcher with an RBI double to bring the Giants within a run.  But Hatcher recovered too, inducing Matt Duffy to fly out to end the inning.

The Dodgers still have pending business over the weekend: trying to post a better record than the Mets in an attempt to capture home field advantage in their best-of-five series starting October 9, and trying to figure out which starter will follow Zach Greinke and Clayton Kershaw in their post-season rotation.

Anderson made his case for the role with his outing Thursday.  The 27-year old surpassed 180 innings pitched in a season for the first time, and made his 31st start of the season, also a career-best.  His trademark sinker had the youthful Giants’ lineup off stride as Anderson compiled 15 ground ball outs.

“He had us off-balance all day,” manager Bruce Bochy admitted.

Bochy elected to pencil in just two veterans—Buster Posey and Marlon Byrd—in his starting lineup, and the inexperience showed.  No Giant reached second base until the eighth inning, and that was essentially due to Howie Kendrick’s throwing error.

Anderson recorded only his second win against the Giants in nine career starts.

Tim Hudson started for the Giants and Bochy pulled the veteran making the final appearance of his 17-year big league career in the third inning, as the Dodgers were building an early 3-0 lead.  Hudson’s balky hip figured to make his final stint a short one, and when he departed he did so to enormous applause and hearty hugs from his teammates who greeted him on the top step of the dugout.

Hudson leaves baseball as the active leader in wins with 222.

The Giants will honor Hudson and Jeremy Affeldt over the weekend during their season-concluding series with the Rockies.  Affeldt announced his retirement before the game, and he relieved Hudson Thursday, pitching the remainder of the third inning, allowing a hit, and recording a strikeout.

“I had a good friend that I played with a long time,” Affeldt said.  “He told me, ‘This game is meant for young men and sometimes when you’re too old to play, you need to leave.’  And I feel right now that I need to leave.  I’m walking around… they have to tape me together just to be able to get me out there.  So it is time to leave, and it’s time to let someone else have a chance to play.  So I’m going to take my ball and go home.”

Bochy had fond words for Affeldt, who along with Sergio Romo, Santiago Casilla and Javier Lopez pitched out of the bullpen on all three Giants’ World Series title winners.

“He kept guy loose and had fun.  Those guys are hard to replace,” Bochy said.

Affeldt began his press conference as a full-fledged comedian, saying, “I just want to announce my two-year extension with the Giants.  Sorry, Larry (Baer), I don’t know if you knew that.”

Matt Cain, one of Affeldt’s closest friends on the team, attended the press conference, and wasn’t disappointed, saying to no one in particular when he entered “I want to see what he’s going to say!”

Live to fight another day: Giants capture series opener against the Dodgers, 3-2 in 12 innings

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Giants strike

By Morris Phillips

In the biggest game of the year, with the odds stacked against them, the Giants turned to some kid from L.A. “who was sitting on the couch” two weeks ago, not so full of himself that he would ignore a mysterious phone call at 1:30 a.m.

And how did that work out?

Pretty good.

Trevor Brown provided the critical offense for San Francisco on Monday night in a tense, four-hour struggle with the NL West-leading Dodgers that went to the Giants, 3-2 in 12 innings.  As Bruce Bochy so musically captured in the pre-game, the Giants are “staying alive” still facing the daunting task of making up a five-game deficit in the season’s final six games.

Brown, a 2012 10th round draftee out of UCLA, concluded his season with the Triple A Sacramento on September 7.  Like Barry Zito for the A’s, Brown had turned the page on baseball in 2015 when he got a phone call from Giants GM Bobby Evans well after midnight in which he found out that the Giants wanted him to gear up and make his major league debut.

The injury-plagued Giants made room for Brown immediately, plugging him in at catcher and moving regular catcher, Buster Posey, to first base.   Brown started all three games in the Bay Bridge Series over the weekend and was again behind the plate Monday in the biggest game of the year.

All Brown did was manage veteran Jake Peavy’s start beautifully and knock in the Giants’ first two runs with a double in the second inning.  In the 12th, the Giants won it with Alejandro De Aza’s sacrifice fly with the bases loaded plated Marlon Byrd with the game-winning run.

Peavy, who had worked with Brown in spring training, and manager Bruce Bochy couldn’t have been more impressed with the kid who grew up a Dodgers’ fan.

“Brownie’s got a lot of confidence,” Peavy said.  “Brownie feels like he belongs. The moment’s not too big for him, he’s a smart kid who’s educated and he’s not letting the situation get the best of him.”

Far from it.  Brown spoke of all the studying he crammed into his weekend, first studying the A’s hitters, then the Dodgers, developing chemistry with the entire Giants’ pitching staff, and then still maintaining energy for the game itself.

In his critical at-bat, Brown fell behind 0-2, saw a couple of balls, then on the sixth pitch against dominant starter Zach Greinke he pounced.

“I was looking for a fastball the whole at-bat and I finally got one and I hit it,” Brown said.

Brown’s double in the right field gap plated Byrd and Kelby Tomlinson and gave the Giants a lead that would maintain until the top of ninth when Andre Ethier’s RBI ground out evened the score.

That set up a tense, extra-innings’ duel in which both teams exhausted the meat of their bullpens in a search for critical outs.

The Giants got big stints from relievers Josh Osich, Santiago Casilla, and Hunter Strickland.  Sergio Romo allowed two of three batters he faced to reach, and was unceremoniously lifted for Strickland, who coaxed a double play ball off the bat of Chase Utley.

The Dodgers’ bullpen was up to the task as well with former starting pitcher Juan Nicasio providing the lengthiest stint after Greinke departed after seven innings.  Nicasio recorded five outs in the ninth and tenth innings, keeping the Giants scoreless despite walking two and giving up a hit.

Pedro Baez pitched the 11th for the Dodgers, getting Brandon Crawford to ground into an inning-ending double play.

In the 12th, Tomlinson and Byrd singled off Yimi Garcia to put runners at first and third with no outs.  After Brown grounded out, De Aza provided the game-winning sacrifice fly.

The Dodgers have dropped all seven contests this season at AT&T Park, their longest losing streak in San Francisco since 1961.  Overall, the Dodgers have dropped four straight, after being swept in Colorado over the weekend, and on Tuesday they face 18-game winner Madison Bumgarner.

Could the NL West-leaders be feeling the pressure?

“I don’t think so,” Peavy admitted.

On Tuesday, Clayton Kershaw and Bumgarner face off for the third time this season at 7:15pm.

Giants hope miracle finish to regular season starts tonight in San Diego

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By Morris Phillips

The Giants 0.2 percent chance to make the post-season and get the opportunity to defend their World Series title will get a serious test tonight.

The NL West-leading Dodgers lost at home on Monday night, and their magic number to clinch the division remains at seven.  After running red-hot to end August and into September, the Dodgers have lost three straight at home.

The Giants haven’t done much to put the pressure on their rivals, most recently losing two of three to the Diamondbacks at home.  But with 13 games remaining, they could still take advantage of a very favorable schedule in the season’s final two weeks.

The defending champs’ primary goal: win 12 of their final 13 games, get to 90 wins on the season, and hope it’s enough to force a one-game playoff with the Dodgers that undoubtedly would be etched into the rich history of competition between the two clubs.

Did we say it would take a miracle?  Well, it will.

The Giants best hope is to take advantage of a schedule that has them finishing their road schedule this week, and their travel schedule on Wednesday.  The Giants open a three-game set at Petco Park against the Padres tonight, then fly back to the Bay Area for their final three road games in Oakland against the A’s over the weekend.

The schedule, however, isn’t all roses and home-cooked meals.  After Thursday’s off-day, the Giants finish the season with 10 games in 10 days.

What will undoubtedly require the help of the baseball gods is what the Giants can’t control.  While they need to get ridiculously hot, they also need the Dodgers to go ice cold.  The Giants can only beat the Dodgers four times, but they will need them to lose at least four more times on top of that.  That’s where the NL West’s three other teams come into play.  The Padres, Diamondbacks and Rockies each have three games left with the Dodgers and one of them will have to beat Los Angeles twice, and the other two can’t get swept.

On top of that, after tonight, the Dodgers’ potent duo of Zach Greinke and Clayton Kershaw are scheduled to pitch six of the team’s final 12 games, if they’re needed, included both of their final two games at home against the Padres.  Just forcing the Dodgers to burn their two biggest assets in the season’s final two days would be an accomplishment.  Given all the recent disappointment the Dodgers have experienced in the post-season, the last thing they want is to not have both pitchers primed and ready to pitch the first two games of the NLDS which starts on October 9.

Did we mention that the unspoken necessity in all of this is a four-game Giants’ sweep of the Dodgers starting next Monday at AT&T Park despite Greinke and Kershaw scheduled to pitch two of those four games?

We said it would take a miracle.

The Giants open their series against San Diego tonight with Chris Heston (11-10) facing former Athletic Tyson Ross (10-10) at 7:05pm.

MIRACLE NOTES: If the Giants were able to force a one-game playoff for the NL West division title against the Dodgers on October 5, remember this:  The Giants wouldn’t have Madison Bumgarner available to pitch, but the Dodgers wouldn’t have Greinke or Kershaw either.  Also, the Dodgers would enter that game tons of doubt built up by an epic collapse, surrounded by hordes of media curious as to how they got themselves into such a mess.