Week 3 - Coming off back to back road wins to open a season for the first time since 1989, the (2-0) San Francisco 49ers would look to do one better by improving to 3-0 for the first time since 1998. And though they would eventually get the job done and add another tally in the win column, it wouldn't come easy nor would it be pretty as the 49er offense would have its fair share of miscues and would have to be bailed out by the defense. On a day the Niners held a halftime presentation to honor Terrell Owens aka T.O. into their Hall of Fame, the 49ers offense committed a number of t.o.'s of their own as they were beaten badly in the turnover department on Sunday. Kicking off their home-opener and hosting the visiting (0-2) Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco would need to pull out all the stops in order to reign victorious in a game that would see them commit a total of five turnovers, including four in the first half alone after only two in the first two weeks combined.
Things would get off to a rocky start early on for the home team as San Francisco watched their first drive of the game go up in flames just three plays in as running back Matt Breida bobbled a pass from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo that wound up in the hands of Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt. They would nearly suffer another turnover during their second possession on a fumbled pitch to Raheem Mostert as the backup running back prematurely turned his head before having full possession of the ball, as the 8-play drive ended with a punt. But the Niners wouldn't be so lucky on their following drive which ended with another interception as the newly acquired Minkah Fitzpatrick made his presence felt in his Steelers debut, intercepting a tipped pass that was hurried when Garoppolo felt the pressure of a near sack. Just when things began to look up for the Niner offense, the team was doomed by consecutive fumbles inside the red zone as Mostert coughed up the ball at the Pittsburgh 15-yard line after being tackled, and Garoppolo fumbled at the Pittsburgh 7-yard line following a bad snap. Despite the four turnovers suffered in the first half, the 49ers were very fortunate to find themselves trailing by only three-points as the Steelers took a 6-3 lead into the half.
After being held scoreless in a quarter for the first time this season, the Niner offense would begin to finally show life in the third quarter. Making his first career start in place of the injured Ben Roethlisberger who was lost for the year with a shoulder injury in Week 2, quarterback Mason Rudolph failed to show the same poise he exhibited in the near comeback against Seattle just a week prior. And on Pittsburgh's opening possession to start the second half, the Niner defense finally got the best of him as he was intercepted on an errant pass intended for JuJu Smith-Schuster. Coming up with the interception was K'Waun Williams who helped the 49ers generate their first trip to the end zone thanks to the first of two rushing touchdowns by the third-string running back Jeff Wilson Jr., giving San Francisco a 10-6 lead, their first of the day. Following San Francisco's first three-and-out of the season midway thru the third quarter, Rudolph and JuJu would redeem themselves when the two connected on a 76-yard touchdown to put Pittsburgh back on top. 49ers rookie receiver Deebo Samuel who caught his first career touchdown a week ago, would also get to redeem himself after dropping a pass that would've put his team in prime field position one drive earlier. After hauling in a 20-yard reception that put San Francisco in enemy territory, Jimmy G. and company marched their way into the red zone before handing the ball off to Wilson Jr. who did the rest.
While it was the stout defense that kept them in the game for most of the afternoon, the Niner secondary was dealt a blow at the start of the fourth quarter. Checking into the game and seeing his first live NFL action since September 2017 was former Pro Bowl cornerback Jason Verrett. Making his 49er debut after Ahkello Witherspoon suffered a leg injury that required him to be carted off the field, the rust was very apparent for Verrett who was called for an obvious pass interference penalty on the second play he saw, before getting beat for a 39-yard touchdown pass to Steelers rookie Diontae Johson one play later. Looking to answer with a touchdown of their own and trailing 20-17 with under seven minutes remaining in regulation, the 49ers committed their fifth and final turnover. Facing third and goal with Garoppolo in shotgun formation, the ball was snapped at the worst time possible as the ball ricocheted off receiver Richie James Jr. who was in motion, resulting in an easy recovery by Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt. However, the Niners would catch a break and would force a fumble of their own just three plays later when running back James Conner coughed up the ball that gave San Francisco new life as the duo of former Oregon Ducks Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner teamed up to force and recover the loose ball.
Working their way up with short passes and runs before knocking on the door of the end zone, Garoppolo would find Dante Pettis who finished with a quiet 20 yards receiving on four receptions, but none greater than the one that put his team ahead, 24-20 with 1:15 remaining in the fourth quarter. With a pair of Steelers defenders draped all over him, Pettis was able to haul in the five yard touchdown catch, celebrating with an emphatic spike of the ball as Garoppolo threaded the needle. With one last chance, Mason and the Steelers would have to make a last-ditch effort to reach the win column for the first time this season, but those dreams would come crashing down as Pittsburgh failed to move the chains and turned the ball over on downs with an incompletion on fourth down. Prior to the 49ers shaking off the five turnovers and sealing the 24-20 victory, teams that had started a game with an 0-4 turnover ratio had owned a record of 0-28-1 since the start of 2016. The win for San Francisco would also be their first in a game in which they committed 5+ turnovers since November 8, 1998 vs Carolina.
Completing 22 of 32 pass attempts, Jimmy Garoppolo finished with 277 yards and a touchdown to go along with his pair of interceptions, however, I'd argue that the first of which was more on the receiver than it was the QB. Nonetheless, Jimmy G stepped up when he needed to and made a number of big plays when it appeared that the offense had all but lied down following the countless amount of turnovers. George Kittle hauled in a game-high six catches to lead the team with 57 receiving yards and fullback Kyle Juszczyk who had his most productive game of the young season wasn't far behind with 51 yards receiving on three receptions. Raheem Mostert and Matt Breida each ran of 79 and 68 yards respectively, but it was the goal-line guru Jeff Wilson Jr. who capitalized at the goal-line as he became the first player in team history with 2+ rushing touchdowns in his first two games played since 1956 (Hugh McElhenny).
Week 4 Bye & Week 5 Preview - Heading into the Bye Week undefeated at 3-0, the 49ers will take advantage of the early season rest before preparing for a Monday Night showdown against their next opponent in Baker Mayfield and the (1-2) Cleveland Browns. Facing an elite group of receivers in Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, the 49ers will be without one of their starting corners in Ahkello Witherspoon who was diagnosed with a right foot sprain that will keep him sidelined for at least a month. And hopefully with the extra preparation, Jason Verrett can get his feet under him and shake off the cobwebs before making his first start in over two years. Having held their opponent to under 100 yards rushing for the second straight week, the 49ers will look to make it three straight weeks when they go up against Nick Chubb who fell just 4-yards shy of the century mark in Week 3 against the Rams. The 49ers will also like their chances with their own rushing attack as San Francisco ranks 2nd in the league in rushing as well as 4th in yards allowed thru the first three weeks of the NFL season. Finally, two Niners that should be rejoining the team for the Week 5 meeting vs Cleveland are running back Tevin Coleman (ankle) who's been out since Week 1 and rookie receiver Jalen Hurd (back) who is expected to make his season-debut.
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Week 2 - Coming off their first road win since December 31, 2017, the (1-0) San Francisco 49ers would look to go 2-0 on the road to open a season for the first time since 1989 when they went on to win their fourth of five Super Bowls. And facing an (0-1) Cincinnati Bengals team that had nearly pulled off a Week 1 upset over the Seahawks in Seattle behind 418 passing yards by Cincy QB Andy Dalton -- the 5th-most passing yards in a single game in Bengals franchise history, the 49ers would be up for the challenge after spending the week practicing in nearby Youngstown, Ohio, hometown of the York & DeBartolo families. Playing in the second hottest home game in Bengals history, it would be the first meeting between the two teams in four years. And after winning the coin-toss and electing to defer, the 49ers offense would open the game nearly as hot as the Cincinnati temperature.
Following a three-and-out forced by the San Francisco defense, Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49er offense would need only four plays to find the end zone as the speedy Marquise Goodwin hauled in a 38-yard touchdown reception from Garoppolo who found his wide-open receiver for the easy score. It would be the start of a busy day for Garoppolo who matched a career-high with three touchdown passes on the afternoon. But the Bengals would stick around for at least the early part of the first quarter as Cincy tied the game on their ensuing possession as Bengals QB Andy Dalton connected with receiver Tyler Boyd for a 47-yard reception on their first play of the drive which eventually setup a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight-end Tyler Eifert. Having to make due without their starting running back in Tevin Coleman, the 49ers ground attack would do just fine as the trio of Matt Breida, Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. combined to feast for 238 of San Francisco's 259 yards rushing, while adding another 84 yards receiving. Equally as effective when passing, Mostert helped the Niners regain the lead on their second possession when coach Kyle Shanahan dialed up a screen play that ended with the third-string running back reaching the end zone on a 39-yard catch-and-run touchdown.
Though there weren't many mistakes in the game by the 49ers, especially in comparison to their Week 1 performance in Tampa Bay, Garoppolo did make one mental error when he threw a pass that he probably shouldn't have while facing a 2nd and 20 deep at his own 15-yard line. Surrounded by six Bengals defenders, Richie James Jr. found himself in no man's land as the pass was intercepted and returned near midfield. Luckily, the mishap wouldn't cost his team as Cincinnati kicker Randy Bullock failed to convert on a 52-yard field goal try. Taking over with good field position, the 49ers would capitalize with another touchdown, this time of the running variety as Jeff Wilson Jr. who was promoted from the practice squad and added to the 49ers roster just a day earlier, struck pay dirt for his first of two rushing touchdowns on the day. Both teams would exchange field goals before the half as a Cincinnati drive near midfield went up in flames when Niners linebacker Kwon Alexander picked off a pass from a running Dalton who was flushed from the pocket before unloading the errant throw. By halftime, the 49ers offense had already accumulated 291 yards of offense, 58-yards more than the Cincinnati defense had allowed in total during their Week 1 loss at Seattle.
Opening the second half much like they did the first, Garoppolo would connect on a 39-yard pass to rookie receiver Deebo Samuel on the first play of the half. Six plays later, Jimmy G would award the rookie with the first touchdown reception of his career as Samuel hauled in a 2-yard score to put his team on top, 31-10. Following another Robbie Gould field goal, the last of the 49ers touchdown-scoring barrage would come on Wilson Jr.'s second rushing touchdown, this time from 4-yards out. Kicker Robbie Gould who had missed only one field goal in all of last season and had already matched that total after a miss a week ago against the Buccaneers, missed another on Sunday as his kick from only 39-yards out went wide right. A garbage-time touchdown with less than a minute remaining would allow Andy Dalton to eclipse the 300-yards passing plateau as receiver John Ross hauled in a 66-yard score. And though Ross and Tyler Boyd would both compile over a hundred yards receiving -- Ross 112 yards on 4 receptions and Boyd with a game-high 122 yards on 10 receptions, it wouldn't be enough as the Bengals were shellacked by a final score of 41-17.
While the 49ers ran amok with 259 of their 572 yards coming on the ground, the San Francisco defense held Cincy's ground attack to only 25 yards rushing on 19 attempts. Meanwhile, Matt Breida needed only ten carries to eclipse the century mark before finishing with 121-yards rushing on 12 attempts as Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. added 83 and 34 yards respectively. Leading the Niners in both receptions and receiving yards was Deebo Samuel who made five catches for 87-yards to along with his first career touchdown. Another noteworthy feat was that of third-year 49ers tight-end George Kittle who hauled in three receptions for 54-yards to reach 2,000 career receiving yards and needing only 33 career games to get there, tied for the third-fastest tight-end to reach that feat. With 31-points scored in their first game and another 41 in their second, the 49ers have now scored 30+ points in Weeks 1 & 2 for the first time since 1998, the last of Hall of Famer Steve Young's seven consecutive Pro Bowl seasons. It would also mark the first time since 2013 that the 49ers would score 40+ points on the road. Completing 17 of 25 passes for 297 yards, Jimmy G helped the 49ers tally 569 total yards of offense, the fifth most in team history since 1960, compared to only 316 total yards by Cincinnati.
But perhaps the most impressive stat of all is that the 49ers offensive-line didn't allow a single sack in the game compared to the four that the San Francisco defense tallied on Sunday. Sadly, that offensive-line would be dealt a huge blow in the third quarter when six-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Joe Staley was lost late in the third quarter after suffering a broken left fibula that is expected to sideline him for six to eight weeks. With the "next man up" mentality the 49ers played with last season given the plethora of injuries they suffered, rookie Justin Skule who was selected as a 6th round pick, will likely get the start in Staley's absence.
Week 3 Preview - Off to their first 2-0 start since 2012 when the Jim Harbaugh-led 49ers made it to their last Super Bowl appearance, San Francisco will kickoff their home-opener by hosting the (0-2) Pittsburgh Steelers. Following an embarrassing Week 1 performance against the reigning Super Bowl champion Patriots, the Steelers were stunned at home by Seattle after losing QB Ben Roethlisberger to a shoulder injury. And with Big Ben needing surgery that'll rule him out for the season, the Steelers will get a look at potentially their next franchise quarterback in Mason Rudolph. And though Rudolph will be making his first career start, the Niners can't exactly write off their opponent just yet, regardless of his inexperience at the NFL level as the second-year man out of Oklahoma State looked cool, calm and collected when coming into the game and taking over for the injured Big Ben. In fact, the Steeler offense actually began to show some life when Rudolph took over as he finished with 112 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception in the 28-26 loss to the Seahawks. Pittsburgh did however dodge a bullet with running back James Conner who also left Sunday's game with a knee injury, but should be able to suit up for Sunday's game in Santa Clara. Excited to take the field in front of the 49er Faithful, the 49ers will look to improve to 3-0 on the year as Jimmy Garoppolo takes the field at Levi's Stadium for the first time in over a year when the 49ers defeated the Detroit Lions in Week 2 of last season.
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Week 1 - Football season is officially upon us. And one team that was expected to make vast improvements a season ago before having their new franchise quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo stripped from them some three weeks into the league year due to a knee injury, were the San Francisco 49ers. But the injuries didn't start or end with Jimmy G as the 49ers were ravaged by the injury bug which saw 13 players land on the injured reserve list including running back Jerick McKinnon who signed a big deal at the beginning of last season and has yet to play a single snap with his new team. Heading into the 2019-20 NFL season, the 49ers hope to have much better fortune on their side as it'll likely be needed in the competitive NFC Western division.
A season after forcing the fewest takeaways in NFL history with seven, the 49ers brain trust of general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan made bolstering the defense a point of emphasis in both free-agency and the trade market, as well as in the draft. And with only two interceptions to their name in all of 2018-19, it would only take one week for the newly revamped 49er defense to surpass that mark to begin the new season. Opening the year on the road and facing a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that welcomed a new head coach in Bruce Arians whom the Niners are quite familiar with dating back to his days with the division rival Arizona Cardinals from 2013-17, San Francisco would look to avenge a 29-7 Week 12 loss suffered in Tampa Bay a season ago. And with the way the game started, the 49ers had to have likened their chances early on. With the game time temperature in the 90's and the humidity a factor, coach Shanahan had his guys well prepared as his team worked out during the week in a sauna tent to simulate the sticky conditions.
Unfazed on defense, the 49ers forced a three and out on Tampa's opening possession and helped Jimmy G and company set up shop with prime field position thanks to a big play on special-teams by Mark Nzeocha who blocked a punt by ex-49er Bradley Pinion. Taking over at the Tampa Bay 33-yard line, the 49er offense would begin to march before having a George Kittle touchdown wiped off the board due to a penalty. It would be one of two San Francisco touchdowns nullified in the first half and three in total. Settling for a Robbie Gould field goal, the 49ers would take a 3-0 lead. The Bucs would also have a pair of touchdowns called back in the first half, both on a drive that ended with a fumble inside the red zone as 49ers linebacker Fred Warner punched the ball loose from the hands of tight-end O.J. Howard. The first forced turnover would be a sigh of relief as the San Francisco defense was dealt a blow a few plays earlier when the newly acquired Kwon Alexander was ejected from the game after being penalized for an illegal hit on Tampa quarterback Jameis Winston. As fired up as anyone after signing a new four-year, $54 Million contract and facing his former team, Alexander appeared to be poised for a big game after tallying three tackles and nearly coming up with an interception in the opening quarter before his departure.
Pinned deep near their own end zone, Garoppolo would make a mistake of his own when he threw a pass near the sideline intended for the running back Tevin Coleman who was lined up outside and beaten on the play that Vernon Hargreaves II took to the house for an easy pick-six. After cutting into the deficit with another Gould field goal, San Francisco found themselves a golden opportunity to take a lead when Mark Nzeocha added an interception to his already stellar afternoon resume. But the ensuing possession which saw the 49ers reach field goal range with under a minute remaining in the first half, ended as rookie receiver Deebo Samuel fumbled the ball after running into his own teammate which jarred the ball loose. Thankfully, whatever Shanahan said to his team in the locker room at the half, helped awaken the offense as Garoppolo found a streaking Richie James Jr. who freed himself for a 39-yard touchdown reception to give his team a 13-7 lead. Inspired by their first touchdown of the season, the 49er defense would get in on the fun as Richard Sherman made a house-call two plays into the Bucs' ensuing possession as he intercepted a pass from Winston and returned it for a touchdown. His first interception as a member of Niners would be a memorable one as it was also the fourth touchdown of his career.
Tampa would answer with a touchdown of their own the very next drive as Winston capped an 11-play, 75-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Chris Godwin. Looking to make it a two-possession game again, Robbie Gould who missed only one field goal all of last season, attempted a 57-yarder that doinked off the middle crossbar and bounced out. Living dangerously, Bucs coach Bruce Arians would make a gamble of his own after his team took over near midfield before marching in the red zone as he elected to go for it on a 4th & goal from the 2-yard line. Bending but not breaking, the 49ers got the much needed goal-line stop as second-year cornerback Tarvarius Moore jumped out in front of a pass intended for Godwin to force the turnover on downs. After exchanging field goals, the 49er defense came through one final time to put the icing on the cake and seal the win with a pick-six interception by Ahkello Witherspoon as Bosa applied the pressure on the quarterback that led to the errant throw, their second pick-six and third interception on the afternoon as San Francisco made out with the 31-17 win. While the offense wasn't very impressive in their first bit of action, the defense was every bit as good as projected as Tampa Bay was out-sacked three to one, including sacks from newcomers Dee Ford and rookie Nick Bosa.
In his first regular season game since the knee injury suffered at Kansas City in Week 3 last year, Garoppolo completed 18 of 27 pass attempts for 166 yards and a touchdown to go along with the interception. The ever so reliable George Kittle led both teams with eight receptions for 54-yards receiving and Raheem Mostert who split the carries with Matt Breida following an injury to Tevin Coleman, led the 49ers in rushing with 40 yards on nine carries. As for the defense, Winston was held to 194 yards passing on 20 of 36 attempts. In a game plagued by 19 penalties in all, 11 by San Francisco, the 49ers prevailed to win their first road game since December 31, 2017, snapping an 8-game road losing streak.
Week 2 - Continuing their season on the road in Week 2, the 49ers will head north to face the (0-1) Cincinnati Bengals who are coming off a 1-point loss to the Seahawks in Seattle. With Cincy nearly pulling off the upset win in Week 1, the 49ers will look to contain quarterback Andy Dalton who displayed an aerial assault of 418 yards passing and two touchdowns. A pair of players who will likely be sidelined for the meeting are the starting running backs as both Joe Mixon of the Bengals and Tevin Coleman of the Niners saw limited action in Week 1 after suffering ankle injuries. While coach Shanahan has already ruled Coleman out for Week 2 with a high-ankle sprain and called his running back, "week to week," the Bengals have not yet decided on Mixon's status as he'll likely be a game-time decision. Even with Coleman ruled out, I'd expect a much stronger performance from the Niners run attack in Week 2 than the one we saw in Tampa with Matt Breida carrying a bulk of the load.
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After a spectacular July which helped catapult the Giants back into the National League wild card race following their MLB-best 19-6 record, the San Francisco ball club turned the calendar to August hoping to continue that success and push for a playoff spot. However, it was very evident in the first full week of the new month that duplicating that run would be easier said than done. Filled with a plethora of ups and downs, excitements and disappointments, the Giants would have as many losses in their first week of August as they had in all of July (6). And while facing such teams as the Phillies, Nationals, Diamondbacks and Cubs, all of whom are also vying for a wild card spot, the Giants could ill afford to hit the snooze button if they planned on keeping pace in the playoff hunt.
After dropping the third and final game in Philly to begin the month, the Giants wrapped up their 9-game road trip with a trio of games in the Mile High City against the Rockies. And after completing a rare four-game sweep at Coors Field during their recent meeting in July, the Rockies made sure their division rivals wouldn't leave town with another series victory as Colorado took two of three games behind the red-hot hitting of their All-Star shortstop Trevor Story who homered in each of the three games. Returning home to host the Washington Nationals in a pivotal 3-game series, the Giants went dormant and were swept after scoring a total of four runs in the series. Hoping to redeem themselves with another wild card hopeful team in town in the Phillies, Bruce Bochy's ballclub was able to bounce back and claim three of four from the Phils thanks to some fireworks on offense from the most unlikeliest of heroes. On a day the Giants celebrated the 30th anniversary of the 1989 World Series team and announced the retiring of No. 22 for Will Clark, another Will stepped up in a huge way and gave Giants fans a thrill.
With seven years in the big leagues and not a single plate appearance to his name, Giants All-Star closer Will Smith couldn't have picked a better time to log his first career hit, lacing a 2-run single to the opposite-field and giving his team a 9-6 lead that he would seal the following inning. Though they weren't as fortunate at the plate, relievers Jandel Gustave and Trevor Gott also logged their first career plate appearances earlier in the game as the Giants became the first team since September 21, 1934 to have three pitchers make their first career plate appearances in the same game. With a day off before their short two-game set against their cross-bay rivals in the Oakland Athletics, the Giants turned to their ace in the series-opener as Madison Bumgarner out-dueled Brett Anderson with seven stellar frames of 2-hit, 1-run baseball as the Giants won yet another game by one run with a 3-2 final. MadBum's stellar outing was his fifth in six games of at least seven innings. And though the A's would split the series with a win the following day, the Giants went into their final series in the desert under manager Bruce Bochy, liking their chances in a ballpark they've had plenty of success in this season. After opening the series with a dominant pitching performance from Dereck Rodriguez who was called back up to the Majors and placed back into the starting rotation, D-Rod had his best outing of the season, pitching seven shutout frames and allowing only four base runners on three hits and a walk as the Giants blanked the Diamondbacks, 7-0.
Game 2 of the series would feature one of the most wild back and forth affairs of the season for both teams as the Giants floundered a 7-2 lead in the 8th inning before the two teams exchanged punches in 11 nail-biting innings that eventually saw the Giants squeak away with a 10-9 victory. After the D-Backs erased a five-run lead in the bottom of the 8th inning, Kevin Pillar launched his second home run of the game with a 2-run shot in the 10th inning, but Arizona fought back with a pair of homers of their own to tie the game at 9-all. Stepping up to the plate in the 11th inning already with a pair of home runs, rookie Mike Yastrzemski crushed his third home run of the night to give the Giants a 10-9 lead that they would not relinquish. A game in which both teams combined to slug 12 home runs, Yaz led the way, becoming the first Giant with a three homer game since Jarrett Parker in 2015. Even more impressive, Yaz in his first big league season already has as many three home run games as his Hall of Fame grandfather Carl Yastrzemski who needed 2,294 games before logging his first and only.
Game 3 would witness the Major League debut of right-handed pitcher Logan Webb, the team's top pitching prospect and No. 5 prospect overall. Showing a bit of jitters early on, Webb who at the age of 22 became the youngest pitcher to start a game for the Giants since Madison Bumgarner debuted at the age of 20, eventually settled in and impressed with five solid frames of 1-run ball and striking out seven D-Backs hitters as he became the first Giants pitcher to record a win in his MLB debut in over 10 years (Ryan Sadowski vs Milwaukee). Aided by the second grand slam of Brandon Belt's career, the Giants won the game, 11-6. Heading into the series finale seeking their first four-game sweep of Arizona since 2016 and with ace Madison Bumgarner on the mound who entered the game unbeaten in his last 10 outings, the Giants would like their chances of pulling off the rare four-game sweep against the struggling Merrill Kelly. Instead, it was Kelly who out-pitched MadBum and stymied the Giants bats by giving up only one earned run as Arizona avoided the sweep with a 6-1 win. Making a stop in Chicago to take on the Cubs at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field, the Giants would have another golden opportunity against a team they were chasing in the Wild Card race, but failed to seize the opportunity as the Giants were swept. Aside from an exciting back and forth melee in Game 2 which saw the Giants crank out four homers and the Cubs another three in a grueling 12-11 win for Chicago, San Francisco had little to show for as their inconsistent August continued with Jeff Samardzija suffering a tough-luck 1-0 loss in the series finale.
Returning to the bay area but playing across the bay in Oakland, the Giants would cash in on a huge 8-run 8th inning to claim Game 1 against the A's, 10-5, before playing in the more common 1-run game we've grown accustomed to seeing the Giants win as they returned to the other side of the bay with a 5-4 victory and short two-game sweep. Taking three of four from the A's to take claim of the Battle of the Bay series and the Bridge Trophy which was introduced for the first time just a season ago, Will Smith recorded the final three outs to become the first Giants left-hander to record 30 saves in a season and the eighth reliever to do so in franchise history. Playing host to the Diamondbacks for the final time this season, San Francisco came into the series finale against Arizona having split the first 18 meetings and would see the Giants debut of infield prospect Mauricio Dubon who was acquired from the Brewers at the trade deadline as part of the Drew Pomeranz deal. And though Dubon would record his first big league hit in his second at-bat, the Giants would go on to lose the game and lose the season series to Arizona, 10 games to 9 following the two-game sweep.
Closing out the month of August, the Giants would welcome the Padres for a four-game set and closeout their season series against their division foe. After falling in the opener, the Giants rallied in Game 2 behind a dominant Madison Bumgarner who pitched seven frames and gave up only one run on four hits and two walks while striking out nine Padre hitters. By earning the win, MadBum logged his 60th career victory at San Francisco's Oracle Park, tying former teammate Matt Cain for the most home wins since the stadium's inception in 2000. In the win, outfielder Mike Yastrzemski clubbed his 9th homer in the month of August which tied him with Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda for the second-most home runs hit in a single month by a Giants rookie. Only Willie Mays and Bobby Thomson have hit more (10) in a Giants uniform during their rookie campaign. Another pair of Giants hitters who turned things up at the plate as of late were Evan Longoria and Brandon Belt.
Longoria finished the month strong and placed among the N.L. RBI leaders since Aug. 10, having drove in 20 RBI's which tied him with Starlin Castro of the Marlins for second-place, trailing only the Cincinnati Reds' Aristides Aquino's 22 RBI's. As for Belt, the Giants veteran first baseman logged 14 RBI's in 14 games since Aug. 15, the second-most among N.L. first baseman behind only Pete Alonso of the Mets who knocked in 16 RBI's in 15 games. Unfortunately for the Giants, the hot-hitting of Belt & Longoria wouldn't be enough to fend off the Padres who eventually took three of four from the Giants. In the series-finale against San Diego whom Giants skipper Bruce Bochy began his managerial career with, the Giants unveiled a new, "Thank you, Boch" placard out in left field during a pregame ceremony. The sign along with an emotional reception for Pablo Sandoval who pinch-hit in the 7th inning before coming out to a thunderous ovation, made for an unforgettable day for Giants fans, despite the 8-4 loss. Following what could be his final appearance in a Giants uniform as he's set to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery in the coming days, Sandoval will be a free-agent at the end of the season.
Finishing with an 11-16 record in August and falling to 66-70 on the season, the Giants have once again fallen on hard times as they've seen their Wild Card hopes slip to 7 games behind the Cubbies who currently hold the second Wild Card spot. Even worse than their sub-par record in August, were the injuries suffered by relievers Trevor Gott and Reyes Moronta. Gott was forced out of a game against Arizona after experiencing tightness in his forearm which was looked at and eventually came back as a grade 1 UCL sprain and flexor strain that is expected to sideline him for at least two weeks. Moronta, however, wasn't as lucky as the shoulder injury suffered against San Diego will put an end to his 2019 campaign. Finally, August also saw the end of Joe Panik's tenure with the Giants as the former first-round draft pick and All-Star second baseman was released by the Giants and signed by the hometown Mets. The Giants would also release second baseman Scooter Gennett as the failed experiment lasted less than a month after he was acquired from the Cincinnati Reds at the trade deadline.
With another tough schedule ahead in the month of September with series on the road against the Cardinals, Dodgers, Red Sox and Braves, the Giants will definitely have their backs against the wall as they'll be forced to pull off another incredible run like the one they put together in July if they plan on making the postseason. Needing all the help they can get, Bruce Bochy and company will see the return of Johnny Cueto who hasn't pitched in the Majors since July of last year after needing Tommy John surgery. With starting pitching being an issue over the last month outside of Bumgarner and Samardzija, the thought along of having a healthy Cueto on the mound is one the Giants will welcome with open arms as they look to put together one final miracle for Bochy during his final month at the helm.
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