Gam Wrap 7/17/2015: Giants 6 D'Backs 5

The Giants brought torture back into their vocabulary as they used 10 pitchers to literally outlast the D'Backs in the opening game of the second half pushing across a run in the 12'th inning then making it stand up.  Key Lines:

Joe Panik- 3 for 6, Sac.  BA= .311.  Panik has really settled into a groove.  Lefty, righty, hard-thrower, soft-tosser, doesn't seem to matter.  He just keep stroking that ball.  He continues to show tremendous range at 2B too.

Matt Duffy- 3 for 7, 2B.  BA= .297.  Duffy doesn't look like a bulldog, but he sure is one at the plate.  He might be the toughest out in that lineup and the Giants have become of team of tough outs.  He is just not having that 3'rd strike!

Hunter Pence- 3 for 6, 2B, HR(4).  BA= .296.  Pence is looking noticeably bulked up and so far it seems to be paying off.  When you consider what the Giants were able to accomplish with him on the DL for most of the first half and how much of an impact he makes in the lineup, you have to be feeling bullish on the second half.

Brandon Crawford- 3 for 6, 2 2B.  BA= .267.  Crawford might have needed the All-Star break more than any other Giants position player.  He came out smoking in the first game back.

Matt Cain- 5 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 5.06.  Cainer was not fooling either of the first two batters in the D'Backs lineup, AJ Pollack and David Peralta.  Thank god for Yasmany Tomas, who went 0 for 6 out of the cleanup spot, or this game might have been a route for the D'Backs.  I will say, Cainer's stuff did not look that bad and the strike zone was ridiculous.  I did not recognize the home plate umps name, so he may have been a rook or a fill-in, but wow!  That was bad!  Cainer's FB was 91 MPH and the breaking balls had good movement, but his command was shaky….and the ump.

Sergio Romo- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.94.  Romo looked like the rest did him some good too.  

Santiago Casilla- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 3.24.  Casilla is a guy who needs his rest and he looked sharp too.

Ryan Vogelsong- 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's.  ERA= 4.15.  Vogey was Bruce Bochy's ace in the hole.  He's out of the rotation, but Huddy doesn't need to activated for his turn until next week, so Vogey gave Bochy a 9 man bullpen.  He used all 9 and Vogey being a starter and coming off the 4 day break could have gone 6 or 7 innings if he had to.  He ended up needing to go 2 and came away with the W.

The Win cut the Giants deficit in the NL West to 4 games pending the outcome of the Dodgers suspended game against the Nationals which the Nats lead 3-2.  The Giants also gained a game on the Cubs in the Wild Card race and now trail by 1 game for the second WC spot.  They also put another game of distance between themselves and the 3'rd place D'Backs with the D'Backs now 8 games off the Dodgers pace.

Jake Peavy tries to extend the Giants 4 game win streak this evening against Chase Anderson or the D'Backs.