Tag: San Francisco Giants

First game: Tyler Anderson goes six to keep Giants in the playoff hunt; SF beats Pads 5-4

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The San Francisco Giants pitcher Tyler Anderson who pitched six innings and surrendered two runs in his start get picks up the win. Anderson seen here throwing in the second inning for the first game of the doubleheader (AP News Photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-With the playoffs on the horizon, the San Francisco Giants needed to see good pitching from their starter in the first game of a doubleheader.

Tyler Anderson went six innings, allowing just two runs on five hits, walking four and striking out and the Giants defeated the San Diego Padres 5-4 in the opener of the twin bill at Oracle Park.

Anderson got those runs from Brandon Crawford, who tied up the game in the bottom of the second inning, as he hit his seventh home run of the season.

Tommy Pham gave the Padres the lead in the top of the second inning, as he doubled off of Anderson to score Austin Nola to give the playoff bound Padres a 1-0 lead; however, that lead only lasted one-half inning until Crawfords home run to center field.

Wilmer Flores gave the Giants the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth inning, as he hit his 10th home run of the season. The 10 home runs by Flores are one more than he hit during the 2019 season.

The bottom of the fourth inning is where the Giants broke the game wide open, as Joey Bart continues to improve at the plate, as he hit an opposite field single that scored Evan Longoria.

Bart then scored on a two-run home run by Mike Yastrzemski, who joined Flores in the double figure club, as Yastrzemski hit his 10th home run.

That four-run inning in the bottom of the fourth inning was huge, as the Padres began to peck away at the Giants lead in the top of the seventh inning.

Jurickson Profar led off the inning with a ground-rule double and that brought Gabe Kapler out of the dugout, and it was the end of the line for Anderson.

Tony Watson, who replaced Anderson on the mound then walked Trent Grisham, and then Fernando Tatis, Jr., singled in Profar and Grisham went to third on the throw.

Manny Machado then hit a comebacker that Watson fielded cleanly; however, his throw to Brandon Belt went into right field for an error that allowed Grisham to score from third base and cut the Giants lead down to 5-3.

Watson then got the first out of the inning, as he got Eric Hosmer to flyout to Mauricio Dubon in center field; however, Tatis, Jr., scored from third base to bring the Padres within one run.

Following the Hosmer sacrifice fly, Wil Myers hit a broken bat flyout to Steven Duggar in right field for the second out of the inning.

With the final chance to tie up the game, Austin Nola was unable to tie it up, as he flew out to Dubon in centerfield and the Giants escaped within their 29th win of the shortened-season.

In his only inning of work, Watson gave up two runs on one hits and walked one, as the Giants are trying to lockdown one of the two wild card spots in the National League.

Chris Paddack took the loss for the Padres, as he went 3.2 innings, allowing five runs on eight hits, walking one and striking out three. With the loss, Paddack dropped to 4-5 on the season.

NOTES: There was one move, as he Giants made the following roster move prior to game one, as RHP Jeff
Samardzija reinstated from the 10-day IL and appointed as the 29th man for today’s doubleheader.

IF Brandon Belt’s game-tying solo home run in the 8th inning yesterday was the 1,000th hit of his career…according to Elias, Belt became the fifth Giant to homer for his 1,000th hit, joining Fred Merkle (July 4, 1916 G2), Freddie Lindstrom (August 1, 1930), Bobby Bonds (May 19, 1974) & Buster Posey (September 27, 2016).

Prior to their win in the first game of the doubleheader, the Giants were 0-4 in their two doubleheaders this season…it’s the first time the Giants have been swept in two doubleheaders in the same season since 1984, when they were swept in five of their eight…the last time the Giants swept a DH against San Diego was June 16, 1985…the last time SF was swept in a DH by San Diego was September 24, 1984.

UP NEXT: Samardzija will make his return to the rotation, as he will take the mound in the second game, which is the makeup game from the Saturday September 12 game that was postponed at Petco Park, while the Padres will send Dinelson Lamet to the hill.

Twenty- Eight Years Ago Larry Carter Almost Became the Answer to a Horrible Giants Trivia Question

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(truthfinder.com/find/larrycarter file photo) Former San Francisco Giants pitcher Larry Carter is the subject of Tony the Tiger’s column He was a Giant?

Twenty- Eight Years Ago Larry Carter Almost Became the Answer to a Horrible Giants Trivia Question.

By Tony “The Tiger” Hayes

Larry Carter – RHP – 1992 – #52

He Was A Giant?

There’s a good chance that even the most attentive Giants fan would shrug and mutter “never heard of him” at the mention of Larry Carter.

But if baseball’s back room dealings had turned out differently in the fall of 1992, Giants fans would probably have a much different reaction to Carter – a West Virginian right-hander with nice curve and decent split-fingered fastball

Had the National League not reversed course and put the kibosh on the sale and relocation of the Giants to Florida’s Gulf Coast, the name “Larry Carter” would have become the answer to a most horrible trivia question.

“ Who started the final home game in the history of the San Francisco Giants.”

After decades of featuring some of most dazzling and colorful pitchers in the business (Juan Marichal, Gaylord Perry, John Montefusco, to name a few) it appeared the Giants would play their last game in The City with the anonymous, 28-year-old Larry Carter on the mound.

That’s right, Larry Freakin’ Carter.

Why Was He A Giant?

The Giants already had one foot squarely in Tampa Bay when Carter made his big league debut with SF in September of 1992.

Seven years into his professional career, Carter finally got a call to the bigs leagues three weeks after discontented Giants owner Bob Lurie announced the sale of the club.

After more than a decade and four failed ballot measures to construct a new downtown ball park, the frustrated Lurie had had enough. He wanted out.

So on 8/7/92 Lurie announced he had reached an agreement in principle to sell the Giants to a group of investors from Tampa for $115 million.

Once the sale was ratified, the club would wave “Bye Bye Baby”to the Golden Bay Area and say hello to the Humid Bay Area.

The news caused a dour and depressing air to hang over the Giants team and its local fan base.

It was in that environment that the wide-eyed Carter walked into a big league club house for the first time in September of 1992.

“I feel I’m a guy with a big heart,” said Carter. “If you believe you can do it, you can do it. You set your mind to it.”

Before & After

Originally a 10th round draft pick of the Cardinals in 1986, Carter was inked by the Giants as a minor league free agent in 1988 after missing all of 1987 with an elbow injury.

Though never viewed as a big time prospect, Carter proved his worth as a reliable organizational arm -capable of getting outs as both a starter and reliever.

After going 9-8, 2.95 at Double-AA Shreveport in 1991, Carter followed up with a solid campaign at Triple-AAA Phoenix in 1992, posting a 11-6, 4.37 ledger.

Upon joining SF, presumptive lame duck manager Roger Craig figured he had little to lose by inserting the eager Carter into the Giants starting rotation.

Carter would register a decision in each of his six Giants starts, going 1-5, 4.64.

Going forward as we now know – the National League never wanted to vacate the lucrative SF market. So they held off voting on the move to Florida long enough to find a local SF based ownership group.

In the end the Tampa group got huffy, about being jacked around – but SF nevertheless kept the Giants.

Carter however was not part of the Giants effort going forward.

After 1992, he remained in the minors the rest of his playing career.

He Never Got His Own Bobblehead. But…

Before the Giants were rescued from the evil intentions of Tampa, it looked likely that after decades of intense, personal battles, the Giants long-standing territorial rivalry with the Dodgers was coming to an sad end in 1992.

Starting in 1993, the Giants and Dodgers would be geographically separated for the first time ever.

Whether it was a coincidence of the Giants forthcoming move or not, both teams performed as if in a drugged malaise the final stages of the ‘92 campaign.

With the threat of relocation looming, the Giants sputtered to a 5th place finish, with a final record of 72-90.

The Dodgers meanwhile weren’t going anywhere – literally… and figuratively.

Sure, Chavez Ravine was still a destination spot for Angelinos – but in the standings, the Dodgers were stuck in the La Brea Tar Pits.

Tommy Lasorda’s 1992 charges finished with the Dodgers worst record since moving to California – 63-99 – finishing in the cellar of the National League West for the first time.

But when Carter took the ball at Dodger Stadium on 9/11/92, it was still SF vs. LA and that still meant something.

Carter faced a lineup that included Eric Karros, Lenny Harris and Mitch Webster and he earned the only victory of his big league career, allowing just a single run in seven frames in a 7-3 Giants win.

“I think his adrenaline was flowing pitching here against the Dodgers,” manager Craig said. “He was aggressive and kept coming after hitters.”

Giant Footprint

On Sunday 9/27/92 more than 45,000 fans would cram into Candlestick Park for Fan Appreciation Day. It was the final home game of the ‘92 regular season vs. Cincinnati. And it was also looking more and more as if the Giants were playing for the final time in SF.

Despite the near-sellout, the atmosphere felt like a solemn funeral.

Fans circulated throughput the Stick as if in a daze, some carrying signs begging the team to stay; the rest just carrying heavy hearts.

Among the crest-fallen fans in attendance was the greatest Giant of them all – Willie Mays.

“You’re looking at a lot of tradition here. You’re talking about Giants tradition,” Mays said. “Now if you go to Tampa, you’ve got to change all that. I hope they stay here. I mean, I live here!”

So it was that Larry Carter took the mound vs. the visiting Reds that afternoon- an 85 -degree Indian Summer special.

Cincinnati jumped on Carter for a couple of runs early, but then the rookie settled down, and pitching well into the sixth inning. Still he took the loss in the 3-2 Reds win.

It was a few more anxious weeks before the dust settled and Giants fans learned the team was here to stay.

The Giants would return in 1993 to much fan fare, with free agent signee Barry Bonds at the center of a 103-win club.

But Carter wasn’t a part of it.

As it turned out that late September contest vs. the Reds wasn’t San Francisco’s final big league home game after all – but it was was for Carter.

 

 

 

Rockies strike back, pin critical 5-4 loss on the Giants

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Gabe Kapler immediately turned his focus to Friday’s doubleheader, and the biggest 14 innings of the season for his Giants.

And what of Thursday’s agonizing 5-4 loss to the Rockies that could have had his club in the driver’s seat regarding the postseason heading into the weekend?

Kapler simply avoided any reflection–emotional or analytical–involving the Giants.

“They got the job done, and you have to kind of tip your cap to them,” Kapler said of the Rockies. “They did pull out all the stops. They put the five-man infield out there. They extended Bard, I’m guessing, probably beyond the most comfortable space. That was a good effort by their ballclub.”

What the Giants hope to achieve with 14 flawless innings on Friday, they basically failed to achieve in 11 uneven innings Thursday afternoon. The Giants jumped out to a 3-0 lead after two innings, only to trail 4-3 after seven. Brandon Belt’s homer got the Giants even after eight. Then the Giants put themselves on the precipice of victory with a bases loaded, one out situation in the tenth, only to stall and then see the Rockies take control in the 11th.

Kevin Gausman essentially admitted what Kapler would not regarding the frustrating affair.

“We don’t really have the luxury of sitting around and feeling bad for ourselves,” Gausman said. “We’ve got a doubleheader tomorrow against the Padres. If we can win both those games that would be huge. Just try to forget about it.”

The Giants’ offense wasn’t as decisive as its been at Oracle Park. After their early flurry, the Giants scored one run over the game’s final nine innings. They failed to fully capitalize on five extra-base hits, and the bases-loaded failure in the tenth could have given them control of the game. The team’s improving bullpen held up, but allowed the game-winning run in the 11th.

The out-of-town scoreboard provided some good news; some bad on Thursday. The Marlins bounced back, beating the Braves to remain over .500 and ahead of the Giants. Meanwhile, the Brewers fell to the Cardinals, keeping them behind the Giants, and along with the Phillies, saddled with a losing record.

Headline Sports podcast with Tony Renteria: Raiders head to New England can they keep it going?; With many injuries do 49ers have a chance against Giants?; plus more

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Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr hoists one of 28 passes for 282 yards on Monday Night Football in week 2 of the NFL season against the visiting New Orleans Saints at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The Raiders are in Foxborough for this Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots. (AP News photo)

On Headline Sports podcast with Tony R:

#1 Tony, how surprised were you that the Las Vegas Raiders had gone on a 2-0 start was it a matter of getting the lucky breaks or they are good as they look?

#2 Talk about Raiders quarterback Derek Carr on Monday Night Football he threw  28 for 38 for 282 yards for three touchdowns against a very good Saints team.

#3 The San Francisco 49ers have a vast number of injuries Jimmy Garoppolo QB (ankle), Nick Bosa DE (knee), Solomon Thomas DT (knee ACL), Tevin Coleman RB (knee) and Raheem Mostert RB (knee). They just got by the Jets last week and face the Giants Sunday will they be ready?

#4 The Oakland A’s are headed to a three game wild card series they won the AL West and unlike last year’s wild card when they hosted the Tampa Bay Rays for just one game and were one and done they get a possible three game series out of the first round of these MLB playoffs.

#5 The San Francisco Giants who defeated the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night 5-2 are tied with the Milwaukee Brewers for the last and final eighth spot in the NL Wild Card Standings which means every game until the end of the day Sunday count for a lot for the Giants to get in the playoffs.

Tony Renteria does Headline Sports every other Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Playoff Push: Dubon’s homer gives Giants the edge in 7-2 win over the Rockies

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Winning formulas never get old, so the Giants reached in the well one more time.

Beating sub .500 teams at home with offense has become a reoccurring theme for San Francisco, and it surfaced again Wednesday night in a 7-2 win over the Rockies. The Giants have won 15 of 19 at Oracle Park with most of the wins just like this one.

Mauricio Dubon hit a three-run homer in the seventh to break up a 2-2 tie, and send the Giants to a second win in this critical four-game series starting the regular season’s final week. With the Cardinals, Marlins and Brewers losing in the tightly-bunched NL playoff hunt, the Giants assumed the eighth and final spot with five games remaining.

“You’re playing meaningful baseball and every hit, every run, every home run, every catch you make counts,” Dubon said. “That’s the fun part of it.”

Dubon’s game-altering shot came two pitches after manager Bud Black lifted starter Ryan Castellani in the fifth, in which he allowed a leadoff double to Alex Dickerson, then walked two of the next four batters, allowing the Giants to tie the score, 2-2.

Yency Almonte relieved and watched Dubon send his slider over the left field wall. Dubon’s was the biggest of the Giants 11 hits, five of which went for extra bases including Evan Longoria’s solo shot that got the Giants on the board for the first time in the fourth.

“The pitch to Dubón was a slider the just didn’t get to the outside part of the plate,” Black said. “It didn’t get away from the barrel. The kid dropped the head on it, got it up in the air. He squared it up.”

The Giants have had their way with losing clubs, winning 22 of 33. They’re 27-11 when they score at least four runs.

Mike Yastrzemski continues to mend his calf, which has caused to miss the last five games. His primary replacement, rookie Luis Basabe injured his hamstring on Tuesday, and is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season and at least two rounds of the playoffs. Steven Duggar was summoned from Sacramento to replace Basabe.

Caleb Baragar started for the Giants, pitching just the first inning as the opener. Logan Webb took over in the second and pitched five, solid innings to get the win. Baragar’s appearance marked the first time the Giants have employed an opener this season, after Bruce Bochy employed the strategy a couple of times in 2019.

Pinch hit home run by Dickerson gives Giants huge win 5-2

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Alex Dickerson’s pinch hit home run in the bottom of the seventh inning got the Giants the eventual win as Colorado Rockies pitcher Jario Diaz just can’t look on Tue Sep 22, 2020 game at Oracle Park in San Francisco (photo from sfchronicle.com)

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-Alex Dickerson came up with the biggest hit of the night at the most opportune time.

Dickerson came off the bench to hit a pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the seventh inning and the San Francisco Giants defeated the Colorado Rockies 5-2 at Oracle Park.

The Dickerson home run was his 10th of the season, and he is now 14-for-29 against the Rockies this season with four doubles, six home runs and 10 runs batted in.

With the victory, the Giants are now in a three-way tie in the wild card with the Cincinnati Reds, who lost to the Milwaukee Brewers and the Philadelphia Phillies, who were swept in a doubleheader against the defending World Champion Washington Nationals.

Austin Slater got the Giants on the board in a hurry, as he took a Kyle Freeland pitch into the left field bleachers in the bottom of the first inning to give the Giants a quick 1-0 lead.

It was the first career leadoff home run for Slater and his fifth home run of the season, as the Giants try and clinch one of the two wild card playoff spots in the 2020 MLB Postseason.

With the victory over the Rockies, coupled with the Philadelphia Phillies being swept in a doubleheader by the defending World Champion Washington Nationals and the Cincinnati Reds losing to the Milwaukee Brewers, all three teams are at the .500 mark.

Joey Bart gave the Giants that all important second run of the game, as he doubled over the head of former Giants centerfielder Kevin Pillar to score Daniel Robertson in the bottom of the fifth inning.

That Bart RBI double was huge, as just one-half inning in the top of the sixth inning, Charlie Blackmon pulled the Rockies within one run, as he grounded into a force play that scored Pillar from third base.

Drew Smyly went 5.1 innings, allowing just one run, while scattering four hits, walking two and striking out five

Freeland pitched an admirable game for the Rockies, as he went six strong innings, allowing two runs on five hits, walking three and striking out just one.

Robertson, who is usually an infielder came up with the defensive play of the night from left field, as he threw Garrett Hampson out at second base, as he tried to stretch a single into a double.

That play by Robertson was huge, as Raimel Tapia singled two batters later and then Pillar tied up the game, when he doubled off the left field wall to score Tapia.

Robertson, who started the game at shortstop was forced to move to left field after Luis Alexander Basabe was forced to leave the game in the top of the fourth inning due to an apparent leg injury.

Bart came up with his second double of the night in the bottom of the seventh inning, as he was one of two Giants players to have multiple hits against Rockies pitching. Slater, who led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run, hit an infield single that sent Bart to third base.

The Dickerson home run made a winner out of Tyler Rogers, who gave up the game-tying double to former teammate Pillar just one-half inning earlier.

Brandon Belt broke the game open, as he came off the bench to pinch hit for Wilmer Flores and hit a two-run double that scored Bart and Slater.

Sam Coonrod pitched a perfect ninth inning to pick up his third save of the season, as he struck out two, including the last pitch to Tapia that was clocked at 100 miles per hour.

NOTES: Prior to tonight’s game, Chadwick Tromp was placed on the 10-Day IL with a right shoulder strain and Tyler Heineman was recalled from the Alternate Training Site.

On this date in 1969, Willie Mays hit his 600th career home run off of Mike Corkins of the San Diego Padres and it ended up being the game-winner, as the Giants defeated the Padres 4-2 at San Diego Stadium.

UP NEXT: Ryan Castellani will take the mound for the Rockies on Wednesday night, while the Giants have yet to name a starter.

Giants’ playoff push starts off with a nudge in 7-2 loss to the Rockies

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants couldn’t afford to take a night off. But they took one anyway.

The final week of the regular season placed the Giants right where they need to be: at home in Oracle Park where they’ve won 13 of 16. But with starter Johnny Cueto clearly off his game, the Giants fell quietly to the Rockies, 7-2.

The silver lining, if one exists? The Cardinals, Marlins, Phillies and Brewers–the majority of the quintet of clubs the Giants are competing against for the last two National League playoff spots–all lost as well giving all parties a 24-hour reprieve in what figures to be a furious finish that may not be completely decided by Sunday.

Tonight’s lone winner? The Reds, who beat the Brewers, 6-3, winning for the eight time in nine games. The Reds are over .500 for the first time since winning their first game of the season, and currently occupy the seventh seed.

Had the Giants won Monday, they could have moved into the sixth slot. Instead, their back below .500 and a half-game behind a pair of teams that currently hold tiebreakers against them.

Cueto hadn’t pitched since September 13 due to a sore hip, and he didn’t appear healed after allowing a pair of runs in the first, a home run to Kevin Pillar in the third, and balking in a run in the fourth. Cueto’s outing marked the third time in five starts that the veteran has allowed at least six runs. On Monday, he allowed seven runs on eight hits and couldn’t finish the sixth inning.

 

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: Giants get the hitting they were missing against Oakland

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(file photo from San Francisco Chronicle) The San Francisco Giants Alex Dickerson swings for a single in San Diego against the Padres on Sep 13, 2020 contest at Petco Park in San Diego (AP News photo)

On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris:

#1 Morris the Giants avoided being swept by Oakland on Sunday after they were shutout Friday and Saturday it had to be just relieving to pick up a game in series where the hitting was struggling?

#2 Alex Dickerson had that Covid scare in San Diego during the Padres series as he had his mind on the pregnancy of his wife who is expecting a boy anytime now. Dickerson is on a three day paternity leave and may be out for a longer period.

#3 The Giants were short on outfielders, Mike Yastrzemski is out with a mild calf strain and Austin Slater has an elbow strain on Saturday. On Sunday Slater was back in the line up but went 0-3.

#4 With Yastrzemski out the Giants have used outfielders Darin Ruf, Mauricio Dubon, and Luis Alexerder Basabe who faced Oakland A’s pitcher Jesus Lazardo on Saturday in the Giants second straight shutout loss the Giants just couldn’t get any run production. Sunday was different as Dubon, Ruf and Basabe all scored at least on run in a laugher.

#5 The Giants optioned pitcher Andrew Suarez on Saturday and recalled pitcher Wandy Perralta and infielder Daniel Robertson but will they be enough to help move the Giants out of tenth place in the NL playoff seeding and into eighth? Both did sit for Sunday’s game.

Join Morris Phillips Mondays for the San Francisco Giants podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

A’s stomp the Giants again by a 6-0 final; Second A’s shutout against Giants by same score

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Another tough game for the San Francisco Giants and Donavon Salano who slides back into third only to get tagged out by Oakland A’s third baseman Jack Lamb in the fourth inning at the Oakland Coliseum (AP News photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

After sweeping the Seattle Mariners, the San Francisco Giants began their final road trip of the season against the Oakland Athletics and it seems nothing is going right.

Matt Olson singled in Mark Canha for the only run that the As would need in the bottom of the fourth inning, as they shutout the Giants 6-0 at the Coliseum. This was the second day in a row that the As defeated the Giants by the same 6-0 score.

Jesus Luzardo went six innings, allowing no runs on just five hits, walking no one and striking out seven to pick up his third win of the season.

Kevin Gausman went six innings in his first start since September 7, as he allowed just one run on one hit, walking three and striking out six; however, it was the usual solid Giants bullpen was hit hard, as Sam Selman gave up three runs on two hits, walking one and giving up a huge two-run home run to Jake Lamb.

Things went from bad to worse in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Sam Coonrod allowed two runs on three hits.

In all, the As scored five runs in that fateful seventh inning that saw the As break the game wide open.

The Giants, already without Mike Yastrzemski, who is day-to-day with a right calf strain were also missing Alex Dickerson, who was placed on the paternity list, as his wife is expecting their first child.

Without two of the biggest bats in the lineup, the Giants could muster only six hits on the afternoon, including two by Donovan Solano, who currently fifth in the National League in batting.

NOTES: Prior to the game, a moment of silence was held for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who passed away on Friday at the age of 87.

The Giants fall to 9-17 on the road in the shortened season, including going 0-5 versus the As this season and have been outscored 42-16 in those five games.

Daniel Robertson and Wandy Peralta were recalled from the Giants alternate site in Sacramento, while Andrew Suarez was sent to Sacramento and Dickerson was placed on the paternity list.

UP NEXT: Tyler Anderson will start on Sunday afternoon, as Johnny Cueto, who was scheduled to start will now start on Monday against the Colorado Rockies at Oracle Park, while the As will Mike Minor to the mound.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Giants and A’s lockhorns this weekend at Coliseum

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San Francisco Giants starter Tyler Anderson (31) was none too happy with the ball four call by plate umpire Edwin Moscosco in the third inning after the Mariners Kyle Lewis walked in last Thursday’s game at Oracle Park in San Francisco (photo from the mercurynews.com)

On the Giants podcast with Michael:

#1  Michael how important was it moving the game from Seattle on Monday and the Giants hosting the Mariners on Wednesday and Thursday and taking the two game series as the visiting team at Oracle Park?

#2 Lets look at Wednesday’s game first, Giants pitcher Drew Smyly started the game and went 3.2 innings, gave up four hits and three runs but threw shutout ball for his first three innings until the Mariners had that three run fourth.

#3 On Thursday with the M’s once again the home team at Oracle Park the visiting Giants starting pitcher Tyler Anderson argued a ball four call that walked the Mariners Kyle Lewis in the third inning with home plate umpire Edwin Moscoso  and Anderson was ejected. Talk about the pitch and manager Gabe Kapler said the ejection put them in a tough spot.

#4 The Giants are in Oakland today at 1:10 pm, the Giants have won seven out of their last 11 games and the A’s have won seven out of their last 11 games do you see this today’s contest in light of getting shutout on Friday?

#5 The Giants are starting Kevin Gausman (3-2 ERA 4.50) and starting for the A’s Jesus Luzardo (2-2 ERA 4.32)  how do you see these pitchers matching up against each other for this afternoon’s start.

Join Michael Saturdays for the Giants podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com