Tag: San Francisco Giants

Sports Headline Podcast with Tony Renteria: Was Bonds’ toxic behavior or steroid use the real reason for not making the Hall of Fame?

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personal.pu.edu photo: Barry Bonds former San Francisco Giants outfielder’s steroid use has been the question by some writers when it came time to vote for Bonds

On the Sports Headlines Podcast with Tony:

1 Barry Bonds, the former San Francisco Giant, once again passed over by the Baseball Writers Of America in his bid for induction into the Hall of Fame. Tony weighs whether the decision is based on Bonds’ treatment of the media or his unknowingly using steroids.

2 During his career, Bonds was surly towards teammates, coaches, and even got into it with former Giants manager Dusty Baker. Did his relationships in the clubhouse also play a part in his not being elected?

3 Bonds was no doubt had Hall of Fame numbers, but the writers who vote said those numbers are tainted.

4 Bonds got just a slight bump up from 53% of the voting in 2017 to 56% this year–well below the 70% needed for election.

5 What will Bonds be most remembered for his surliness or his hitting ability?

Tony Renteria does the Sports Headlines each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

 

That’s Amaury’s Podcast, News, and Commentary: McCutchen expected to play right field; brought in to provide punch in the lineup

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Photo credit: @TheCUTCH22

On Amaury’s Podcast:

Andrew McCutchen comes to the San Francisco Giants after hitting .279, 27 home runs, 88 RBIs, in 156 games last season.

The Giants settled their third base issues with acquiring Evan Longoria from the Tampa Bay Rays. Now McCutchen will play right field for the Giants. McCutchen’s age 31 might be a reason that he will won’t play center his old position and that playing right will allow him to cover less ground in the outfield than center field in a larger landscape like AT&T Park.

McCutchen was sent from Pittsburgh his contract ends at the end of the 2018 season. Giants Executive vice president Brian Sabean said that the Giants were looking to bring someone on board with a good track record McCutchen who has start status could bring that hope for San Francisco.

McCutchen’s contract was worth $51.5 million. He was the Pirates’ key player. Why would the Bucs let someone like that go?

Amaury’s podcast bonus: Former Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Tony Taylor is 82 years old hit .261, 2007 hits, 75 home runs, and 598 RBIs career from 1958-1976. Born in Central Alava Cuba.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does the News and Commentary Podcast each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Sandoval ends season with a walk-off home run Giants win 5-4

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San Francisco Giants’ Pablo Sandoval celebrates after hitting a walk off home run against the San Diego Padres in the ninth inning of a baseball game Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-What a great way to end a nightmare season than with a walk-off home run from Pablo Sandoval.

Johnny Cueto went five innings, allowing four runs on 12 hits, while striking out two; however, it was a Sandoval walk-off home run that gave the Giants a come-from-behind victory to give the Giants a 5-4 victory over the San Diego Padres.

This was the first walk-off for Sandoval since May 21, 2013 against the Washington Nationals at AT&T Park.

The Padres jumped out to a 2-0 lead before the Giants even came to the plate, as Erick Aybar doubled in Travis Jankowski, who led off the game with a double of his own. After a Carlos Asuaje single, Yangervis Solarte drove in Aybar.

Sandoval got the Giants within one run, as he grounded out to Solarte at first to score Buster Posey, who doubled to lead-off the bottom of the second inning.

Hunter Renfroe extended the lead back up to two runs in the top of the third inning, as he belted his 26th home run of the season.

Jankowski gave the Padres 4-1 lead in the top of the fourth inning, as he singled in Luis Perdomo, who hit his fourth triple of the season to lead-off the inning.

The Giants began to cut into the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, as Brandon Crawford doubled to score Denard Span. Following an out from Sandoval, Jarrett Parker singled to score Posey.

Nick Hundley then tied up the game with a force out to score Crawford, and that would be the score until Sandoval’s heroics in the bottom of the ninth inning.

A quartet of relievers that included Ty Blach, Stephen Okert, Cory Gearrin and Hunter Strickland did not allow a hit and just two walks.

Luis Perdomo pitched seven innings, allowing four runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out four and ended the season with a record of 8-11.

With the four triples, Perdomo became the first pitcher since Robin Roberts of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1955 to have four triples in a season.

NOTES: Once again, the Giants went over the three million mark in attendance, as they accomplished it for the eighth consecutive season and for the 16th time in the 18 years since moving to AT&T Park.

The 2018 season will open at Dodger Stadium against the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 29.

On this date in Giants history, Brandon Crawford hit a grand slam in the top of the fifth inning, as the Giants would go on to defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-0 behind Madison Bumgarner in the National League Wild Card Game. Bumgarner went the distance, and allowed just four hits.

Cain’s career ends with a heartbreaking loss to Pads 3-2

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Matt Cain raises his arms walking to the dugout after pitching in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017, in San Francisco. Cain made his final start after announcing his retirement. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-On the day where Matt Cain pitched the final game of his 13-year career, he was not able to get the win.

Austin Hedges hit a two-run double with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, as the San Diego Padres came back to defeat the San Francisco Giants 3-2 before a crowd of 40,394, at AT&T Park.

Down to his last strike, Hedges hit a ball over the head of Hunter Pence in right field to score Christian Villanueva and Cory Spangenberg.

Cain was sharp in the final start of his career, and was in line for the win; however, the bullpen was unable to hold the lead that Pence gave them in the bottom of the third inning.

Pence narrowly beat out a Carlos Asuaje throw to first base that Pablo Sandoval to score from third base, as the Giants took a 1-0 lead.

Pence drove in Ryder Jones with a single in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Giants a 2-1 lead.

Cain went five innings, allowing just two hits, while striking out five and left to a standing ovation from the fans.

Not only did Cain receive a standing ovation from the fans, but every member of the Giants staff and players hugged 32-year old right-hander. The Padres also showed their respect, as they applauded for their longtime rival as he left the field for the final time.

Reyes Moronta blew the save in the top of the sixth inning, as he gave up the game-tying home run to Wil Myers.

It was the 30th home run of the season for Myers, becoming the first Padres player to top the 30-home run plateau since Chase Headley did so when he hit 31 in 2012. This was the sixth home run of the season for Myers.

Jhoulys Chacin pitched six strong innings in his last game of the season for the Padres, as he gave up one run on five hits, walking two and striking out six. Chacin finished the season with a record of 13-10.

During his career, Cain was a part of 109 no-decisions since 2005, which ranks as the third-most in the major leagues during that period. In 44 of those 109 games, Cain left the game with the lead

Not only did Cain receive a standing ovation from the fans, but every member of the Giants staff and players hugged 32-year old right-hander. The Padres also showed their respect, as they applauded for their longtime rival as he left the field for the final time.

Cain is just the fourth player to play at least 10 years and just wear the Giants uniform, joining Jim Davenport, Scott Garrelts and Robby Thompson.

Even though he did not fare in the decision, Cain ended his career with a 10-game losing streak, the longest of his career and the longest by a Giants pitcher since Rod Beck lost 11 in a row from August 21, 1995 thru April 29, 1997.

The right-hander ended his career at AT&T Park with a record of 60-60 in 179 regular season games.

NOTES: Johnny Cueto will close out the season for the Giants, as he takes the mound one last time, as he looks for his ninth win of the season. Like the Giants, the Padres season will come to a close on Sunday as well and they will send Luis Perdomo to the mound in the season finale.

The ninth inning loss was just the fourth loss of the season by the Giants after they entered the eighth inning with a lead. Coming into the game, the Giants were 49-3.

San Francisco Giants report: 100-loss mark is still reachable for Giants

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Photo credit: San Francisco Giants (@SFGiants)

By Jeremy Harness

 SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants can make some history this weekend, but it’s surely not the kind they were looking for.

 See, they currently sport a 62-97 record, which is at press time the worst record in the entire major leagues, and they have a three-game series against the San Diego Padres at AT&T Park this weekend to close out the series.

 If you do the math, the Giants have a chance to lose 100 games in a season for the first time in quite some time. The Giants have lost 100 games or more only once in franchise history, as the 1985 team went 62-100.

 It was the year that Jim Davenport was fired in midseason and replaced by Roger Craig and finished sixth in the National League West, back when there were only two divisions in each league.

 If history is any indicator, things could quickly be looking up for the Giants. With Craig no longer the interim manager, the Giants quickly righted the ship the next season, finishing 83-79 and a third-place finish in the division before winning the NL West in 1987.

 In the meantime, however, it is not looking good at all, and the Giants do not want it to be historically bad when Sunday comes to a close.

 What is also coming to a close along with the season on Sunday as Matt Cain’s career. The veteran righty has said that he will retire at year’s end, forgoing free agency as this is the final year of his contract. He will take the ball Saturday afternoon opposite Padres right-hander Jhoulys Chacin (13-10, 3.98 ERA).

 Chacin has won his previous two decisions, including an outing last Saturday that saw him shut out the Rockies over six innings and give up only one hit in the process, walking three and striking out six.

 Cain, meanwhile, will just hope to end his career on a high note before his home fans. He has suffered through a 3-11 campaign with a 5.66 ERA. On May 15, he beat the Dodgers by surrendering only a run on five hits, walking three and striking out five to improve his record to 3-1.

 He has not gotten a victory since. And he may need to pull out some of the old magic to keep his team from going to a historic low.

 

Diamondbacks walk off Wednesday’s win over Giants 4-3; Cain calls it a career

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Arizona Diamondbacks’ John Ryan Murphy, right, celebrates with teammates, including Jeremy Hazelbaker (41) and Kris Negron (45) as David Peralta, middle, is doused with a liquid after his bases loaded walk scored the winning run against the San Francisco Giants during the ninth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017, in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks defeated the Giants 4-3. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Arizona added to the San Francisco Giants season-long misery Wednesday afternoon at Chase Field, when David Peralta drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth, giving the NL playoff-bound Diamondbacks a 4-3 victory.

J.D. Martinez kick-started the D-Backs rally by leading off the home ninth with a solo home run, his 49th of the season and 29th as a Diamondback since he was acquired from Detroit on July 18.

Martinez also tied MLB’s September home run record with 16, tying the mark Ralph Kiner set with Pittsburgh in 1949. He also picked up run batted in No. 36 for the month, breaking the D-Backs’ previous mark of 35 set by Luis Gonzalez in June 2001.

In the bottom of the ninth, Martinez’s home run was followed by singles by Jake Lamb and A.J. Pollock. Kristopher Negron, pinch-running for Lamb, was thrown out by Joe Panik when Daniel Descalso reached on a fielder’s choice.

After an intentional walk, Pollock scored when John Ryan Murphy also reached on a fielder’s choice. With the bases still loaded, Giants closer Sam Dyson (3-3) walked Peralta, who got the rare RBI walk to drive in Descalso.

Diamondbacks reliever J.J. Hoover (3-1) got the win.

Earlier, Denard Span tripled, doubled and scored twice for San Francisco. Jeff Samadzija had a strong start, with four strikeouts and a walk while allowing one run.

Pablo Sandoval’s first-inning double drove in Span – who led the game off with a triple – with the game’s first run. Panik scored on a Brandon Crawford groundout to give the Giants a 2-0 lead off D-Backs starter Braden Shipley, who lasted 3 1/3 innings.

CAIN HANGS ‘EM UP
Giants veteran right-hander Matt Cain announced that his Saturday start at AT&T Park will be the last of his 13-year career – all with San Francisco.

Cain, 3-11 this season, informed his teammates of his decision in a closed meeting before Wednesday’s game. He debuted with the Giants in 2005, pitched in two of the team’s three winning World Series appearances, and has a career mark of 104-118 with a 3.69 ERA.

The Giants announced they will honor Cain at Sunday’s regular season finale against San Diego on what is also the right-hander’s 33rd birthday. Cain, a three-time All-Star who threw the Giants’ first perfect game ever in 2012, is completing his contract, which had a team option for one more season.

Dodgers win fifth division championship;Giants drop 4-2 contest to open series

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Los Angeles Dodgers’ Logan Forsythe sprays sparkling wine in the locker room after the Dodgers won the NL West title with a 4-2 defeat of the San Francisco Giants in a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 22, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

By Jeremy Kahn

On the same day that the Los Angeles Dodgers and their fans celebrated Tommy Lasorda’s 90th birthday, the team celebrated something else with their win.

Cody Bellinger hit his National League rookie record 39th home run, helping the Dodgers to a 4-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium.

With the victory, the Dodgers clinched their fifth straight National League Western Division Championship.

The Bellinger home run off of Jeff Samardzija in the bottom of the third inning, broke a 1-1 tie and gave the Dodgers the lead for good.

Bellinger broke the record of Wally Berger of the Boston Braves in 1930 and tied by Frank Robinson of the Cincinnati Reds. The major league held by Mark McGwire, who set the record while playing for the Oakland A’s in 1987 with a total of 49.

Rich Hill won for the 11th time this season, as he allowed just one run and five hits in six innings of work. Hill also added five strikeouts and a huge double.

Hill hit his first double in 10 years to score Logan Forsythe, who doubled himself. Corey Seager then walked and Bellinger launched a Samardzija pitch into the right-center field bleachers.

Samardzija lost for the 15th time on the season, as he gave up four runs and five hits and the Giants have lost their most games since 1996 with the 94 losses.

The Giants took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, as Gorkys Hernandez reached on a bunt single, stole second and then scored on a Buster Posey single.

NOTES: Madison Bumgarner goes to the mound on Saturday night, as he looks to stop a four-game losing streak and the Giants have not won a Bumgarner start since defeating the Miami Marlins on August 15.

The Dodgers will send Hyun-Jin Ryu to the mound, as he looks to his improve his strong streak down the stretch. Ryu is 3-1 with a 2.62 earned run average in his 11 starts.

Austin Slater could be out for a couple of days with a sore right hip flexor.

Mr. Intense: Vogelsong’s impact on the Giants bigger than his numbers

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AP17260751386541
San Francisco Giants pitcher Ryan Vogelsong waves from the mound before the start of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017, in San Francisco. Vogelsong took the mound and then retired as a San Francisco Giant. (AP Photo/George Nikitin)

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Ryan Vogelsong was back. But his signature intensity was not.

The then 39-year old former Giants pitcher attempted to extend his big league career one more season by accepting a spring training invite from the Twins. But when it became apparent that he wouldn’t make the Opening Day roster, Vogelsong checked out, and all the passion and intensity that drove his unlikely career arc went away as well.

“I pretty much checked out mentally,” he said. “And I knew when I checked out mentally, it was time.”

After seven seasons with the Giants, and nine more in a whole bunch of other places, Vogelsong was done, bringing him to Sunday, when the Giants opted to honor the reliever turned starter for all his service. The club and the pitcher had different ideas on what should be included in the pre-game ceremony.

The Giants offered to sign Vogelsong and have him pitch in a Giants uniform one final time. But Vogelsong, now 40, passed, not wanting to disrupt the sanctity of the game.

So instead, Vogelsong threw out the first pitch, donning an entire uniform, and received a lengthy ovation from the AT&T Park crowd, including his gregarious wife, Nicole and son, Ryder. Emotional and heartfelt, the moment matched the intensity of the pitcher’s career.

Vogelsong was drafted by the Giants in 1998, and made his big league debut in 2001 as a reliever. Midway through the 2002 season, Vogelsong was part of the trade that brought Jason Schmidt to San Francisco in advance of the club’s World Series appearance that fall.

Injuries derailed Vogelsong in Pittsburgh with the Pirates, and his oddysey through Japan and the minor leagues commenced, taking him away from the major leagues for four seasons. In 2011, the pitcher resurfaced, earning a roster spot with the Giants, and going on to win 13 games as a starter. That season, Vogelsong also earned his one All-Star appearance as a more than capable fill-in for the injured Matt Cain.

In 2012, Vogelsong won 14 games, and made three postseason starts, as the Giants won all three on their way to a World Series crown.

Throughout the championship season, Vogelsong labored, pitching with traffic on the bases, refusing to give in, and more often than not finding an escape before trouble surfaced. The quintessential fifth starter, Vogey labored while his more talented rotation mates cruised. But the pitcher earned the respect of his teammates and coaches with his tenacity and willingness to contribute however manager Bruce Bochy saw fit.

“He was very popular in the clubhouse but you saw a different look when it was his day to pitch, and how he competed,” Bochy said.

 

Road woes continue, Giants fall to White Sox 8-1 in laugher

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Chicago White Sox’s Avisail Garcia, center, scores past San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey, left, as home plate umpire Eric Cooper looks on during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

By Ana Kieu

The San Francisco Giants closed out the three-game series with a brutal 8-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on Sunday.

Giants ace Madison Bumgarner faced the White Sox for the first time in his career. He was matched up against rookie Carson Fulmer, who made his second start of the season.

The Giants got off to an early start as Jarrett Parker sent a fly ball to center for a 1-0 lead at the top of the second inning, but the White Sox poured in the runs in the bottom of the second inning. A throwing error by Mac Williamson allowed Kevan Smith and Rymer Liriano to score on Yolmer Sanchez’s two-run line-drive double. Tim Anderson hit a ground ball single to left. Fresh off a cycle, Jose Abreu jacked a two-run home run for his 30th of the season. The White Sox jumped to a 5-1 lead to end the inning.

Avasail Garcia scored on an RBI double by Matt Davidson, extending the White Sox’s lead to 6-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning.

A wild pitch by Albert Suarez allowed Sanchez to triple for a 7-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Abreu smacked his 31st home run of the season to expand the White Sox’s lead to 8-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Fulmer put in a hard day’s work with six innings, three hits, one run, three walks and nine strikeouts. The White Sox had Sunday’s game from start to finish, winning the series with a lopsided 8-1 victory at home.

Notes
White Sox placed left handed starter Carlos Rodon, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury, on the 10-day disabled list.

Giants right handed reliever Mark Melancon will undergo surgery for his forearm next week. He’ll miss the rest of the season.

Up Next
The Giants return to AT&T Park to host the rival Dodgers. Game 1 between the two teams is on Monday night at 7:15 p.m. PST.

Giants drop series finale to Cardinals 7-3

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San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner works against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By Ana Kieu

SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Giants lost 7-3 to the St. Louis Cardinals in the series finale at AT&T Park on Sunday afternoon.

Madison Bumgarner made his 14th start of the season after being scratched from his start on Thursday with flu-like symptoms.

The Giants broke through in the bottom of the third inning. Buster Posey hit a line-drive single to Joe Panik, who scored a run to give his team a 1-0 lead.

The Cardinals hit back-to-back home runs to take their first lead of the game in the top of the fourth inning. Paul DeJong tied the ballgame 1-1 with a home run on a fly ball for his 21st of the season. Jose Martinez then smacked a home run on a fly ball to left center that gave St. Louis a 2-1 lead.

Bumgarner hit a solo home run for his third of the season, tying the game 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning.

The Cardinals poured in the runs in the sixth inning. Harrison Bader hit his second career home run and the Cardinals’ third of the game to put his team ahead 3-2. Martinez followed with an RBI double to make it a 4-2 game. Yadier Molina added another RBI double to extend the Cardinals’ lead to 5-2.

Bader expanded the Cardinals’ lead to 6-2 with a ground ball single that scored Alex Mejia in the top of the seventh inning. Shortly after, Bader scored on a ground rule double by Martinez to enlarge the Cardinals’ lead to 7-2.

Tim Federowicz hit his first home run as a Giant in the bottom of the eighth inning. As a result, San Francisco cut the Cardinals’ lead to 7-3.

The Giants lost to the Cardinals 7-3 in the series finale at home.

“I contribute a little bit more,” Giants center fielder Gorkys Hernandez said. “You have to finish hard. You have to prepare for next season.”

“This year is really tough,” Hernandez added. “Everyone wants to go to the playoffs.”

Notes
The Giants recalled infielder Orlando Calixte and outfielder Mac Williamson from triple-A Sacramento. San Francisco now has 31 active pitchers on their roster (16 pitchers, three catchers, six infielders and six outfielders).

Giants outfielder Austin Slater went 1-for-3 in his second rehab appearance with triple-A Sacramento last night, playing seven innings in left field. Slater has missed the last 50 games with a right groin strain.

Giants left handed pitcher Josh Osich turns 29 years old today.

Today’s attendance is 39,724.

Up Next
The Giants head to Coors Field to take on the Colorado Rockies for a three-game series that starts this Monday at 1:10 p.m. MST on NSBA, ATRM.