The requiem for the California Dream will have to wait after the Giants pulled off one of their best all around performances in recent memory to win their third game in a row over the Rockies. Timely hitting with a bit of power, situational hitting, strong pitching and absolutely scintillating defense, this game had it all! Key Lines:
Steven Duggar RF- 2 for 4, SF. BA= .238. So, Duggar has reached base 6 times in 15 PA over his last 3 games and one of the outs was a SF. He also showed off his impressive range and athleticism on a couple of shallow fly balls that would have dropped for a lesser defensive OF.
Kevin Pillar CF- 1 for 3, HR(4), SF. BA= .161. 4 dingers and 12 ribeyes in his last 6 games.
Buster Posey C- 2 for 4, 2B. BA= .227. Posey's RBI double was a flyball that hugged the RF line. He still doesn't look like he's getting much power behind the stroke.
Pablo Sandoval 1B/3B- 1 for 4, 2B. BA= .304. Pabs double to leadoff the 4'th inning led to a run but it was his defense, particularly throws, that were the standout plays. First, he threw a laser beam to nail Trevor Story trying to take an extra base at 3B. Later he moved over to 3B on a double switch and threw out a runner at 1B from deep behind the bag. 2 sensational throws that were fun to watch.
Gerardo Parra LF- 2 for 3, SF. BA= .200. Parra also made 2 nice grabs of fly balls in LF to add to the Giants list of stellar defensive plays.
Madison Bumgarner LHP- 7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 7 K's. ERA= 3.12. This was a vintage Bummy performance. Bochy was pushing it when he sent Bum out there for the 8'th inning and he gave up a leadoff double, but at least this time Boch had the sense to pull him immediately before further damage was done.
Reyes Moronta RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K's. ERA= 3.52. Moronta came in with no outs and a runner on 2B. He proceeded to strike out the side and looked unhittable in the process. Particularly impressive was his use of at least 4 fading 91 MPH changeups to strike out Charlie Blackmon. Those are 2-seam FB's with extra movement to a lot of pitchers!
Sam Dyson RHP- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, Save(1). ERA= 1.04. Dyson gets the Save Op by default with most of the bullpen only available in a dire emergency that fortunately was not necessary. File this one away, though in case Will Smith falters or gets traded.
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With the Win, the Giants remain 4 games behind the surprising NL West leading Padres who topped the D'Backs for their 4'th straight Win and 8'th Win in 10 games. The Giants also moved into sole possession of 3'rd place ahead of the D'Backs who lost to the Padres. Meanwhile, the Dodgers dropped their 6'th in a row to the BrewCrew and now lead the Giants by just 1 game. The Giants are just 2 games behind in the Wild Card race. Is it just me, or is this starting to feel like 2010?
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Derek Holland tries for the 4-game sweeeeep tomorrow facing fireballing German Marquez.
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Like I said in the intro, this might be the best all-around game I've seen the Giants play in at least the last 3 years. The hitting wasn't spectacular, but it was there. They executed their situational hitting close to perfection with 3 SF's and a very nice sac bunt by Yangervis Solarte. The pitching was terrific as it has been all season so far. It was the D that really shined, though with the laser throws from Pablo, a nifty barehand play by Longoria at 3B, the running, tumbling catch by Duggar in shallow R-CF. A diving stop and throw by Joe Panik and the catches by Parra. Most of all, they played with spirit and looked like they wanted to be out there and were having fun all in spite of playing 18 innings the night before. Great game and great vibes for the future. California Dreaming is alive!
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Late Update: Tyler Austin did not play despite the Rockies starting a lefty. Turns out he hurt his elbow during a throwing drill and is headed for an MRI with an IL stint likely.
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The phrase torture in giants baseball is back remix 2009-2010 season...
ReplyDeleteLove the clutch hitting and heads-up play from Sandoval. In the 18 inning game, seeing him engaged and smiling at the railing. he really seemed to be enjoying himself.
ReplyDeleteSo now the outfield... is a strength? Baseball is an odd old game.
ReplyDeleteDrB writes: "Is it just me, or is this starting to feel like 2010?"
ReplyDeleteso torture?
I was referring more to the Padres unexpectedly jumping out to a lead in the NL West and the Giants bringing in a bunch of misfits.
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