Surprising Giants Win Season-Series over Rival Dodgers

The wonder boys of San Francisco have done it again, this time reclaiming sole possession of first place in the National League West after taking two of three from the archrival Los Angeles Dodgers and besting their hated foes to claim the season series: 10 games to 9. Let's face it, the Giants weren't even supposed to be here heading into the season, especially this late into the year, not to mention against the All-Star cast of talent that is the defending champion Dodgers. And yet, Gabe Kapler's ragtag Giants team has found a way to do it again, this time taking the rubber-match at San Francisco's Oracle Park, while handing Cy Young contender Walker Buehler his first career loss to the Giants in 10 career starts and his worst outing of the season in which he allowed a season-high six earned runs over a season-low three innings pitched. All while the Giants were forced to play their second consecutive bullpen game in as many days. 

As good as Buehler had been this season while boasting a record of 13-2 and an MLB-best earned run average of 2.05 entering Sunday's outing, he's been even better when facing the Giants. Prior to Sunday's game which was televised on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball, Buehler had absolutely owned the Giants this season to the tune of a 0.79 ERA in 34 innings against them over five starts. With a perfect record of 7-0 against San Francisco in 12 career games, including 10 starts, Buehler has especially enjoyed pitching at Oracle Park where he's won all six of his starts there since being called up to the Majors in 2017. However, with first place on the line, the Giants were finally able to breakthrough against Buehler, attacking him early and often in the count. After a solo home run from Brandon Belt opened things up in the first inning, the recently recalled Steven Duggar who was called up from Triple-A Sacramento and plugged into the lineup just hours before first-pitch, delivered a 2-run triple before eventually scoring on a single from Darin Ruf. Brandon Crawford and Curt Casali continued the surge with an RBI double and RBI single, respectively, ending Buehler's night after only three innings pitched. The Dodgers were aided a run on a controversial ball-four call that drew a bases-loaded walk in the fifth and got a pair of runs late in the 9th inning off of a pinch-hit homer from Albert Pujols, but were unable to complete the rally before falling by a final score of 6-4. 

Despite their struggles hitting with runners in scoring position in the first two games of the series (a combined 4-for-30), those struggles were nonexistent in the finale for the G-Men (4-for-10) when facing one of baseball's best. After surrendering sole possession of first-place in the NL West for the first time since April 25, the Giants reclaimed their throne with the thrilling victory in the series-finale to their epic season-long battle which could very well witness another chapter, but in postseason-form. Dating back to their days in New York, the Giants and Dodgers have never met in the postseason up to this point, and could very well see that come to an end this year if whichever team is forced to play in the one-game Wild Card playoff, is able to win their game and advance to the National League Division Series. As if the rivalry needed anymore drama added into the mix. Since dropping their first four games of the season to L.A., the Giants have gone on to win 10 of the last 15 versus Dave Roberts' Dodgers club. With just a 1-game lead in the division following a win from both teams on Labor Day, the Giants currently own the best record in all of baseball at 88-50 and will try to keep their distance over Los Angeles in the standings with only 24 games remaining in the regular season. 

Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest 

San Francisco Giants Month in Review: August 2019

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.


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

Giants Month in Review: May 2018

After closing out the month of April on a four-game winning streak and having won three consecutive series, the San Francisco Giants continued their winning ways into May. With a rubber-match victory over the Padres to take the series and finish the nine-game homestand with a 7-2 record, the Giants took to the road where they would complete their first road sweep of the season by stopping a red-hot Braves team in their tracks, which had won five straight before welcoming the G-Men to town. The Giants made themselves feel right at home by erupting for big innings in each of the first two games of the series, scoring early and often, outscoring Atlanta 20 to 6 with a 9-4 victory and a 11-2 victory before squeaking out a 4-3 win in the series finale and claiming their fifth consecutive series win. But their fun on the road trip would end there as the Giants headed to the City of Brotherly Love where they were embarrassed in four games and were shown no love by the Phillies.

The Fightin' Phils served up an 11-0 shellacking in the series-opener, putting a screeching halt to San Francisco's four-game win streak. And though the margin of victory would decrease in the next three games, the Giants would see the same outcome as they were outscored by Philly 32-8 in the series. The nightmarish series would mark Philadelphia's first four-game sweep of the Giants in Philly in 36 years, dating back to 1982. Thankfully the series-finale, a 6-3 loss, was only seen by fans who logged onto Facebook as the game was not shown on television and limited to only those who use the social media app. Phillies first baseman Carlos Santana who was signed as a free-agent during the offseason, provided a good portion of the offense in the series against the Giants, homering in three of the four games and collecting a whopping 13 RBIs. And as quiet as the Giants were on offense considering the bandbox stadium the Phillies call home, Philadelphia's pitching was exceptionally well, stymieing San Francisco's offense to the tune of a 1.46 ERA in 24 2/3 innings and striking out 40.

Just when the Giants couldn't get out of Philly fast enough, they would have to go from one side of Pennsylvania to the other as their road trip concluded in Pittsburgh against the Pirates. And San Francisco's luck wouldn't be much better there either after being handed an 11-2 beat down in the series-opener. The Giants would drop the first two games of the series before salvaging game 3 with a 5-0 victory on Mother's Day to snap the six-game skid, avoid the sweep and at least closeout the losing road trip (4-6) on a positive note. But the series versus the Pirates will be most remembered for Andrew McCutchen returning to Pittsburgh for the first time since being traded in the offseason after nine memorable seasons in a Bucs uniform. Receiving a standing ovation in each game, it's safe to say McCutchen is still very much loved in the Steel City. Despite the losing road trip, the Giants received a nice jolt on offense from backup second baseman Alen Hanson who filled in quite nicely for the injured Joe Panik, before landing on the disabled-list himself with a hamstring injury. Playing in nine of the ten games on the road before being shelved, Hanson clubbed three homers, drove in nine RBIs and hit .316 for the month of May.

Returning home for seven games, the Giants would play host to the Reds for a three game set, opening with a 10-7 victory. It would be this game that would feature hit No. 1,500 in the career of Andrew McCutchen, this coming a little over a week after Evan Longoria collected his 1,500th career hit, making them the 41st and 42nd players to record their 1,500th career hit while wearing a Giants uniform, the most of any franchise in all of baseball. It would be in this game that the Giants would also tie the mark for the most doubles hit in a game this season, collecting seven two-baggers, a feat that only the Cubs, Blue Jays and Tigers have matched so far in 2018. Another impressive feat would be that of Giants first baseman Brandon Belt who continued to feast off of Cincinnati pitching as he homered in all three games of the series, making it five consecutive games in which Belt has homered against the Reds dating back to May 13, 2007, giving him 12 career long balls versus Cincy, tied for the most he's hit against a single opponent (Arizona the other). His solid series against the Reds would help the Giants take the series two games to one, as well as earn him NL Player of the Week honors as he went 12-for-27 (.444 avg) with 5 HR, 11 RBI and 8 runs scored. For Belt who is on pace for a career year which will hopefully see him eclipse the 18 HR mark which he's reached twice in his career, it would be his second time receiving POTW honors and first since August 11, 2013.

With the Rockies in town for the first time in 2018, the Giants would host Colorado in a four-game series which they would eventually split after dropping each of the first two games. In the series-finale, Giants catcher Buster Posey would log his first triple since September 10, 2016, as the Giants won 9-5. Speaking of rare feats, a two-game trip to Houston to face the reigning World Series Champion Astros would witness a pair of relatives and former College teammates facing off against one another between Giants second baseman Brandon Crawford and Astros pitcher Gerrit Cole. With family in attendance, Cole who is married to Crawford's sister, would serve up a 2-run home run to his brother-in-law as Crawford provided the only offense the Giants would muster up in the series-opener. But Cole would get the last laugh, pitching a gem to get the win and becoming the fastest Astros pitcher to 100 strikeouts by innings pitched (67 IP). That would be all the excitement we would see from the Giants in this series as Houston pulled off the two-game sweep, outscoring SF 15-3.

A trip to the friendly confines to face the Cubs would prove to be not so friendly as San Francisco's woes at Wrigley Field continued. Having lost 9 of their last 11 games on the north side of Chicago entering the series, the Giants would drop two of three to the Cubbies before heading to the Mile High city and losing two of three to the Rockies. Finishing 2-6 on the road trip, the Giants were again able to end their woeful time away from home with a win, avoiding the sweep with a 7-4 victory, just their second win in the last 14 games at Coors Field. In the Colorado series, pitcher Jeff Samardzija who's had a forgetful 2018 season thus far after starting the year on the disabled-list and missing Spring Training, would be pulled from his start against the Rockies after pitching just one inning, allowing a pair of runs. Experiencing tightness in his throwing shoulder, Samardzija who has an ERA of over 6.50 this year and has been placed on the disabled-list, was none too pleased after being shutdown and was seen breaking a bat over his knee in frustration in the Giants dugout. The early exit for Samardzija would call for an appearance by pitcher Dereck Rodriguez, son of Hall of Fame catcher Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez. Making his Major League debut, Rodriguez would toss 3.1 innings while also logging his first career hit, an RBI double in the 5th. He would allow 5 hits and a walk, surrendering a run, but also showed potential by collecting 4 K's. Giants third baseman Evan Logoria would log the 18th multi-homer game of his career, going yard twice in a losing effort in Game 2 for the first time since July 17, 2016 when he was a member of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Despite the sub-part month of May which saw San Francisco finish 11-16, the Giants managed to gain ground in the standings, which puts into perspective just how poor teams like the Diamondbacks and Dodgers have been over the last month. Entering June, the Giants currently trail the division-leading Rockies by four games, a number they hope to shed with the return of ace Madison Bumgarner on the horizon. Expected to make his long awaited season debut in the first week of June, MadBum who has pitched 8 1/3 innings worth of rehab outings, allowing only 3 hits, 1 run and striking out 15 batters. The Giants are hoping the addition of Bumgarner as well as Joe Panik, Hunter Pence and Mark Melancon who've all been on the disabled-list and are also expected to return in early June, will help right the ship in the city by the bay. These familiar faces as well as the hot hitting by guys like Brandon Crawford who hit .412 in the month of May (9 doubles, 4 home runs and 21 RBIs) to help raise his batting average from under .190 to .307 and outfielder Gorkys Hernandez are sure to make manager Bruce Bochy excited moving forward. Hernandez who's been swinging a hot stick and is hitting .300 on the year, has suddenly found some thump in his bat, having launched six home runs this season (five in May) after totaling eight homers combined in his previous four years in the Bigs.

The Giants will begin the month of June with a six-game homestand in which they'll open by hosting the Philadelphia Phillies who San Francisco will look to exact revenge against after being swept in Philly. After welcoming the D-Backs to town, the G-Men will see trips to the nation's capital, Miami and Dodger Stadium before returning home to face the Marlins, Padres and Rockies before finishing the month on the road in the desert.


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

Giants Month in Review: April 2018

The first calendar month of the 2018 baseball season if officially in the books and for the San Francisco Giants, it was a good one considering they would post their first plus .500 month since June 2016 with a 15-14 record. Despite opening the season without two of their five starting pitchers including ace Madison Bumgarner due to a fractured hand, as well as their expensive closer in Mark Melancon (elbow), the Giants would manage to stay afloat thanks to a resurgence from pitcher Johnny Cueto and a strong finish which included three consecutive series victories to close the book on April. And what better way to kickoff a season than with the game's greatest rivalry -- Giants and Dodgers.

While the Dodgers began the season at home with ace Clayton Kershaw on the mound, the reigning NL Champions entered the day tied with the Baltimore Orioles for the longest active winning streak on Opening Day with seven consecutive victories and seeking their eighth straight. However, Giants pitcher Ty Blach would have other plans as he out-dueled Kershaw for the second time in his career as San Francisco handed Los Angeles a 1-0 loss. Needing only one run of support, second baseman Joe Panik's solo home run off of Kershaw in the 5th inning would be the difference. Entering the game with a career record of 5-0 in seven Opening Day starts and an ERA of 0.99, the Giants would tag him for his first Opening Day defeat. With the win, the Giants who didn't spend a single day in first place in all of 2017, would sit tied for first place in the NL West for at least a day in 2018 and for the first time since August 20, 2016. Of Panik's 29 career home runs to begin the day, only two have come off of left-handed pitching, Kershaw becoming the third.

Oddly enough, Joe Panik and the Giants would repeat the process just a day later as Bruce Bochy's ball club once again handed the archrival Dodgers a 1-0 loss with Panik again supplying the lone run on a solo homer, this time in the 9th inning off of All-Star closer Kenley Jansen. Johnny Cueto would take a perfect game into the 7th inning before allowing a leadoff single, only to induce a double-play two pitches later as he logged 7 shutout frames while allowing just one base runner and facing the minimum in what would be the only Dodger hit of the ballgame. Panik's heroics would fuel only the fourth and fifth 1-0 road wins decided by solo shots by the Giants over the Dodgers. Hall of Famers Willie Mays in 1956 and Mel Ott in 1938 and 1935 supplied the others. With the win in Game 2, Joe Panik became the first player in MLB history to hit solo HR's in back-to-back 1-0 victories and doing so against arguably the two best pitchers at their respective positions to become only the second player in the MLB to homer off of both Kershaw and Jansen in the same season. San Francisco became only the second team in MLB history to win their first two games of the season by a score of 1-0, the 1943 Cincinnati Reds over the St. Louis Cardinals the other.

With the win in Game 2, skipper Bruce Bochy became the first visiting manager to win 100 career games at Dodger Stadium, while he witnessed his team log a pair of 1-0 wins in the first two games of the season. This after they failed to log a single 1-0 victory in all of 2017. But the positives in the opening series would stop there as the Dodgers pulled the good 'ol switcheroo in Games 3 and 4 by shutting out the Giants, 5-0 and 9-0, respectively. L.A. would allow the fewest runs through the first four games to start a season since 1914, yet only managed to split the four-game set as all four games would end in a shutout. The Giants would set a dubious feat by becoming the first team since the 1988 Baltimore Orioles to score two runs or fewer through the first four games of the season. Only the 1968 Dodgers (1) and 1937 Braves (1) scored fewer.

Getting the start in the Home Opener just like he did on Opening Day, Ty Blach wouldn't fair nearly as well in his first start at home as he did on the road as San Francisco hosted the visiting Seattle Mariners for the first of two games. After tossing five shutout frames in L.A., Blach was tagged for four runs in the first inning alone before suffering the loss as the Giants fell, 6-4. Panik would launch his third homer of the season in the fourth inning, snapping a streak of 21 consecutive scoreless innings by the Giants offense. It would mark only the second time in MLB history that the first three runs of the season were scored by one player. The Giants would get their revenge the following day as Johnny Cueto tossed another gem by allowing only 1 earned run in 6 innings and the Giants offense erupted for 10 runs, smacking a trio of home runs in the 5th inning, including back to back jacks by Pablo Sandoval and Brandon Crawford. It would mark the first time SF struck for three HR's in an inning since June 2, 2016 at Atlanta.

Meeting with the Dodgers again in what was supposed to be a 3-game series in San Francisco, turned into a short 2-game set due to the first rain delay at AT&T Park since 2006 and only the sixth in the stadium's history. Making up for the postponed Game 1, one of the newest member of the Giants would introduce himself to the rivalry in a huge way as newcomer Andrew McCutchen logged his first five-hit game since 2010 before connecting for his sixth, a 3-run walk-off home run in what would be one of the best at-bats by a Giant in recent years. Fouling off pitch after pitch in the 14th inning, McCutchen deposited the 12th pitch of the at-bat into the left field bleachers for his first career six-hit ballgame and the seventh walk-off home run of his career as the Giants won in extras, 7-5. And in case you're wondering, the only other player in MLB history since 1900 to record six-hits and a walk-off HR would be Jim Northrup of the Detroit Tigers who did so on August 28, 1969 vs the Oakland A's. Taking the Dodgers to extra innings the following day, the Giants would once again fail to log a series victory as L.A. escaped with the 2-1 victory.

While welcoming the red-hot Arizona Diamondbacks, the Giants would be forced to call up not one but two of their top pitching prospects as Cueto was placed on the 10-day disabled-list with a left ankle sprain suffered after pitching another 7 shutout innings. Tyler Beede, the Giants No. 4 propsect and 14th overall selection in the 2014 MLB Draft would make his Major League debut. Arizona would welcome the rookie pitcher by tagging him for two runs in the opening frame as walks proved to be an issue for the 24-year old. Though the two first inning runs would be all he'd allow, he would depart after only 4 innings of work. And while he wouldn't factor in the decision, the Giants would go on to win by a final of 4-3 thanks to another walk-off hit by McCutchen. Unfortunately, San Francisco would drop the series 2-games to 1 as pitcher Andrew Suarez made his MLB debut and was handed the loss. After retiring the first 10 batters he faced, Suarez ran into some trouble by surrendering the long ball as he was taken deep twice and eventually allowed four runs on 5 1/3 innings pitched.

The Giants wouldn't fair much better in their next two series' as San Francisco hit the road to face division rivals San Diego and then a trip to the desert to meet with the D-Backs. After a 7-0 victory over the Padres in which starter Chris Stratton threw 7 strong innings, the longest outing of his career, the Giants threw their second 1-hit shutout of the season, the only hit of the ballgame recorded by an opposing pitcher. The Friars would be sure avoid a repeat performance of Game 1 as they managed to take the next three games from the Giants who would then drop the series-opener against Arizona as San Francisco lost the fourth straight game. In a pitchers duel between Cueto and D-Backs hurler Patrick Corbin, both pitchers would be stingy in the hits column as Cueto allowed only two base runners in seven innings while striking out 11. But as good as he was, Corbin would do him one better as he took a no-hitter into the 8th inning before Brandon Belt's 2-out infield single prevented him from making history. It would be the Giants' only hit of the game as Corbin finished the complete-game shutout in Arizona's 1-0 victory. San Francisco would bounce back in Game 2 as Chris Stratton gave the Giants another solid performance, allowing only one run over 7 frames. Sadly, he would get a no-decision as closer Hunter Strickland blew the save in the 9th inning. The Giants would score two runs in the 10th on Brandon Belt's 100th career home run, a 2-run shot, before nearly blowing another lead as Corey Gearrin flirted with danger and gave up a run until finally sealing the 4-3 win. But Arizona would take the rubber-match in Game 3 with Zack Greinke on the mound, 3-1.

A trip to Anaheim to closeout the last of the Giants' 10-game road trip would appear to be the turning point as the G-Men finally claimed their first series victory of the young season. With a convincing 8-1 victory in Game 1 in what would be the 2018 debut of San Francisco starter Jeff Samardzija who had spent the first three weeks of the season on the disabled-list with a right pectoral strain, the Giants would set the tone in the series. After losing a close one in Game 2 by a final of 4-3 which saw the Giants strikeout 17 times, their highest total in a nine inning game since facing Sandy Koufax in August of 1959, SF would take the rubber-match, 4-2, behind another stellar outing by Cueto who logged another 6 scoreless innings. But the talk of the series would belong to Giants first baseman Brandon Belt who set an MLB record with a 21-pitch at-bat against Angles rookie Jaime Barria in the first inning. Belt worked the count full and fouled off 16-pitches with two strikes before flying out to right. The at-bat broke the previous record of 20-pitches held by Ricky Gutierrez of the Astros who had a 20-pitch battle with then-Indians pitcher Bartolo Colon, set on June 26, 1998. The record-setting at-bat by Belt lasted 12 minutes and 45 seconds long and though he would record an out, he would go on to collect two hits in the game including a home run in the 5th, his fourth in as many games to help him celebrate his birthday week. In an effort to chase Barria early, the lengthy at-bat would prove to be effective as Barria threw 49-pitches in the first inning alone, despite not allowing a run in the frame. He would be chased after allowing two runs and throwing 77-pitches in only 2+ innings.

As for his counterpart on the mound, Johnny Cueto would continue to dazzle, tossing another 6 shutout frames and allowing only two hits and two walks while striking out seven to become the first Giants pitcher to string together four consecutive starts while allowing a run or fewer to being a season since Noah Lowry in 2004. Giants great Juan Marichal did it twice in 1965 and again in 1966 with five. Keeping it rolling, Cueto's ERA of 0.35 (1 earned run in 26 innings pitched) would be the lowest by a Giants pitcher through their first four starts since 1968. As for Belt, the Giants first baseman became the first Giant to log four homers in four games since Hunter Pence in 2013. Belt would continue to swing a hot bat in their next series against the Nationals. Belt's hot swinging would be joined by outfielder Mac Williamson. After some minor tweaks to his batting approach, a newfound swing would help Williamson tear through the Minors and receive a promotion to the big club as Hunter Pence was placed on the disabled-list with a thumb injury. In his first game with the Giants after being called up from Sacramento, Williamson cranked a home run against the Angels. He would continue to reinvent himself the very next day in front of the home fans by launching a 464-foot home run to the opposite field against Washington. The 464-foot shot would be the longest homer to the opposite field this season and the fourth longest of any kind this season.

Still seeking their first series victory of the year with less than a week remaining in the month of April, the Giants would get their wish with a win in Game 2 against the Nats. After suffering from food poisoning while in Anaheim and losing 9 lbs. over three days, Ty Blach helped pitch the Giants to their first three-game winning-streak of the season as the Giants edged Washington, 4-3 to take the first two games of the three game set. Though Blach would not factor in the win as he fell victim to a 3-run homer that would tie the game in the 4th inning, Williamson's opposite-field HR would be the deciding blow. While Max Scherzer would keep the Giants at bey in Game 3, preventing the sweep in a 15-2 drubbing, the Giants would take a step in the right direction before another go around with the Dodgers.

After taking Game 1 on Friday night, the Giants would host a double-header on Saturday to makeup the game rained out on April 6. And while the Dodgers would tee off on Chris Stratton in the first of two Saturday games to the tune of a 15-6 final, the Giants would bounce back in Game 2 by winning 8-3. They would complete the three-game sweep with a 4-2 win on Sunday to make it three straight series victories in a row. Continuing to be a thorn in the side of the Dodgers, Ty Blach would pitch the Giants to victory as he improved his numbers against L.A. to 4-2 and an ERA of 2.03 in 10 career appearances. More importantly, the Giants' streak of three consecutive series wins would be their first since May of 2017. Hoping to continue the trend into the month of May, San Francisco finished April by defeating the San Diego Padres in walk-off fashion thanks to a 3-run 9th inning that was capped off by former Padre Nick Hundley who's 2-out knock drove in the tying and winning runs. It would be the third walk-off win of the season for the G-Men and the third of Hundley's Giants career, second against his former ball club. The walk-off victory would lift the Giants over the .500 mark, somewhere they hadn't been since the end of the 2016 regular season as they closed out the month of April on a winning note, by winning 8 of their last 10 games.

But just when the Giants began playing good baseball and things were looking up regarding pitcher Madison Bumgarner who's hand is healing well according to team doctors and is expected to begin throwing from a bullpen mound this weekend, the team announced that Johnny Cueto would be placed on the 10-day disabled-list for the second time this season with right elbow inflammation. The news comes as a surprise given how well Cueto pitched in his last outing and comes just before the Giants prepare to hit the road for a 10-game road trip out east with stops in Atlanta, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Stops in May also include trips to Houston to take on the reigning World Series champion Houston Astros and 2016 champion Chicago Cubs. Boasting the best ERA in baseball among starters, Cueto is the third Giants starter to hit the DL this season and will be on the shelf sporting a 3-0 record and 0.84 earned run average in 5 starts this season. Joining Cueto on the DL will be second baseman Joe Panik who is expected to miss six weeks after undergoing thumb surgery which will create quite a task for the Giants in the month of May if they plan to stay float in the competitive NL West.


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

Giants Month in Review: May

With the San Francisco Giants off to a slow start in the opening month of April, the G-Men finally resembled a reigning World Series champion team in the month of May. Baseball's second calendar month saw the Giants win the first five games of the month, including a 3-game sweep of the Angels before taking 2 of 3 versus the San Diego Padres as San Francisco finally returned to and eventually surpassed the .500 mark for the first time since the team got off to their 3-1 start to the season. With the Miami Marlins in town for a four-game set at AT&T Park where they've fared well as the visiting team, boasting a record of 14-4 on the road vs SF since 2010 entering the series, the two teams would split by taking two games apiece.

Following a successful 10-game home stand in which the Giants went 7-3, Bruce Bochy's ball club took to the road where they met with the hottest team in the American League -- the Houston Astros. In town for only two games, the Giants and 'Stros would split the series as San Francisco took the series opener by a Final of 8-1 behind rookie hurler Chris Heston. Heston, who was without a doubt the highlight of April for the orange and black, had a more pedestrian month of May, but still performed well in a number of starts, including a gem versus Houston in which he allowed only 1 run on 2 hits and no walks while going the distance. Heston became just one of two Giants rookies since 1900 to pitch a complete-game while striking out 10 and allowing two or fewer base runners. Though Heston's ERA ballooned from 2.77 in the month of April to 4.58 in May, translating to a respectable 3.82 ERA overall, he did improve his record to 5-3 after logging 3 wins and 1 loss. For the month of May, it was pitcher Ryan Vogelsong who shined brightest as he compiled 4 wins in the month while logging a minuscule 1.14 ERA. 

The road trip would conclude with a 4-game stop in Cincinnati where the bats would awaken just in time for the arrival of Hunter Pence. After dropping the series-opener, the Giants would account for their first double-digit performance of the season with a 10-2 shellacking in Game 2. The Giants would then put up double-digit runs in consecutive games for the first time since 2012 with an 11-run outburst the following day, tagging Reds starter Mike Leake for a career-high 9 earned runs in route to an 11-2 victory. The series finale would be a much closer ballgame but still ended with a familiar result as the Giants came away with the 9-8 win to take 3 of 4 at the site of this year's MLB All-Star Game. It would be a memorable series for two Giants in particular as both Brandon Belt and Hunter Pence were most likely sad to leave the hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark when it was time to head home. With Hunter Pence making his season debut in Game 3 of the series, recording a single, double and a walk while scoring three runs, he fared just as well at the plate in the series finale by going 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs and logging his first home run of the season. As for Brandon Belt, the Giants first baseman saw his batting average jump from .271 to .321 by collecting 9 hits, 8 runs, 7 RBI and homering in three consecutive games after entering the series without a single homer on the year.

With San Francisco returning Home for a brief three-game series with the Dodgers, the Giants were given an opportunity to chip away at their archrivals grasp on the division lead. And with a three-game sweep for the second time in as many series' at Home this season vs. L.A., the Giants were able to do just that, with all three wins coming in shutout fashion. Despite the many meetings between both clubs throughout their storied history, it would mark only the second time in franchise history that the G-Men swept a series versus their bitter rivals without allowing a single run. The other occurrence was in June 25-27 of 2012. The series finale would feature a match up between two of the game's best pitchers as Madison Bumgarner squared off against Clayton Kershaw for a second time this season with Kershaw being outdueled both times. The second time around, however, Bumgarner would help his own cause, launching a solo homer to left. It would be the first home run allowed by Kershaw to an opposing pitcher in his career.

After hitting the road to play four games in Colorado which included a makeup game that was rained out on April 26, the Giants took Games 1 and 2 to improve their season-best winning-streak to 8 games. They would go on to lose the next two games, however, splitting the series and snapping their win streak before paying the Milwaukee Brewers a visit whom they swept in a three-game set to cap off their road trip. With a chance to finish the month strong at Home, the G-Men welcomed the visiting Atlanta Braves for a four game set. With a 7-0 victory in the series opener, the Giants pitched their fourth straight shutout at AT&T Park and improved their consecutive Home scoreless innings streak to 37 innings. Though the streak would come to an end in the 3rd inning of Game 2, the Giants were able to tally 39 consecutive scoreless innings at Home which matched a franchise record. And though they would go on to take the first two games against the Braves before falling in Game 3, they would head into the 9th inning of the series finale with a 5-3 lead and a chance to take three of four from visiting Atlanta. Prior to Sunday, in the 25 games the Giants entered the 9th inning while holding a lead, they came out victorious in all 25 meetings. But on this day, they wouldn't be so lucky.

And had it not been for an error by Brandon Crawford with 1-out in the 9th on a routine play that we've seen him make a thousand times with a chance to seal the win with an inning-ending double play ball, the Giants would be sitting atop the division in first place at the start of June. Instead, the Braves tagged closer Santiago Casilla for four runs in the frame (3 earned), taking a 7-5 lead which they would go on to win by. But that's nothing to scoff at considering Crawford leads the team in RBI's with 37, seven more than the next closest player in Buster Posey and is a key reason in the Giants' resurgence. He also has 7 home runs which only trails Posey's 8. Despite the disappointing loss, the Giants finished the month of May by going 21-9 to improve their overall record to 30-22 as they currently sit a 1/2 game behind the Dodgers. The Giants' 21-9 record in May marks the franchise's best month since a 21-10 finish in August of 1968. With Hunter Pence healthy once again and Brandon Belt contributing at the plate, things have finally begun to click for a Giants team that hopes to continue their winning ways into the month of June. The reigning World Series champs will be tested early on in the new month as they get set to host the hottest team in the National League when the (26-24) Pittsburgh Pirates, winners of 8 of their last 10 games, stop in for a three game series. 


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

Giants, Belt off to Hot Start

With the San Francisco Giants opening their 2014 season on the road with trips to face the division rival Arizona Diamondbacks as well as the Los Angeles Dodgers, the GMen ride a hot start into San Francisco for Tuesday's Home Opener. After taking 3 of 4 in the desert followed by 2 wins in 3 games vs L.A., the 5-2 Giants will host their first game of the season as they welcome the D-Backs for a three game set. Failing to complete the sweep against the archrival Dodgers on Sunday in a 6-2 loss, the Giants stand atop the NL Western Division standings in first place. For a team that's been better known for their pitching over the last few years, it's been the Giants' bats that have landed them in first place.

After placing dead last in the league in home runs last season and near the bottom of the pack the last few years, the Giants as a team have already belted 10 Home Runs on the year in just seven games. Something that took them 18 games to accomplish just a year ago. Four of which have come off the bat of first baseman Brandon Belt who has so far this year shown the Giants the power they've been expecting from him since drafting him in 2009. Through seven games, Belt who finished with 17 homers in 2013, trails only Arizona's Mark Trumbo who has five homers on the year including one off of Tim Lincecum in Thursday's D-Backs-Giants series finale. Giants All-Star catcher Buster Posey has also contributed a pair of Home Runs to start the year while Angel Pagan, Hunter Pence, Pablo Sandoval and newcomers Michael Morse and Brandon Hicks have all gone deep once.

While it's unlikely they'll be able to maintain their recent slugfest the rest of the way as the Giants get set to take to the much more pitcher friendly AT&T Park, I can easily see them putting up a decent Home Run total this year opposed to the last few seasons. But hitting the long ball won't be the only thing Giants fans hope to see an improvement from last year. Starting pitching which has been the bread and butter of the orange and black for the last several years, saw both former ace Matt Cain and Ryan Vogelsong take a step back from their 2012 output. While Vogelsong spent time on the disabled list, Cain struggled for much of the season and suffered from a rocky first half before bouncing back down the stretch. 2-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum had slightly better numbers in 2013 than he did in 2012, but still had an ERA north of 4.00 and has yet to regain the magic that put him among the top hurlers in the game.

Madison Bumgarner who was named the ace on this year's starting staff, would be the only bright spot in the rotation while logging a superb 2013 season and being named to his first All-Star Game. Last season also saw the last of Barry Zito in a Giants uniform as the Giants chose not to accept the 2014 option on the veteran southpaw's contract who was replaced with the elder but more consistent Tim Hudson. Hudson dazzled in his Giants debut, pitching 7.2 innings of 3-hit, shutout ball as the newest member of the rotation struck out 7 Arizona batters and was awarded with the Win in a 2-0 victory. The 38-year old Hudson will look to carry that momentum into Tuesday's game as he gets set to start the Giants' Home Opener against the same team he pitched against in his debut. Catch Hudson and the Giants kick things off at home for the first time this season as they take on the Trevor Cahill who will be seeking revenge for the (2-7) Arizona Diamondbacks at 1:35 p.m. 


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

The Belt Factor

For years now, the homegrown talent in the San Francisco Giants pitching rotation has paved the way to their recent success. One problem they've also endured however, is developing promising young talent at the first base position. The 2010 World Champions who haven't had an everyday first baseman pan out since Will 'The Thrill' Clark did in the late 80's, are hoping they finally found their answer in Brandon Belt. Since being selected in the 5th round of the 2009 MLB Draft, the Texas native has rapidly moved his way through the Giants farm system, and into Spring Training where he awed skipper Bruce Bochy and played well enough to earn a spot on the Giants Opening Day roster.

Accompanying Belt through his big league journey, will be last year's Rookie of the Year, Buster Posey who was in Belt's very position last season after being called up in late May. The mid-season call up of Posey propelled the Giants in the division and helped ease the burden on the rest of the cast, in routing the franchise to their first ever World Series title since moving out west in 1956. With all that taken into account, who better to have Belt be shown the ropes to than the 2008 Golden Spikes Award winner who at times last year moved from his everyday catching position to man first base.

On Opening Day this past Thursday, Belt made his Major League debut where he finished the game 1-for-3 with a walk, logging his first big league hit in his very first at-bat off Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw. The following day, Belt connected with his first career home run over the centerfield wall, a 3-run shot off Chad Billingsley. Something the Giants organization hopes to see a lot more of for many years to come. Eventually, Belt's big moment would be negated by two Giants errors, spelling doom for the reigning World Champs who went on to lose to the game, 4-3. Ironically, the homer came just one day later than the aforementioned Will Clark who hit his first big league blast in his Major League debut off Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan.

Although his long ball came one game shy of Clark's, the Giants front office isn't the slightest bit reluctant to think the left-handed hitting Belt could be the next All-Star first baseman Clark was in his 8 years with the franchise, making it to the mid-summer classic five times while a member of the Giants. Expected to share duties at first with Aubrey Huff once the ailing Cody Ross returns from the Disabled List, Belt does have some experience in the outfield, having played double-digit games in both corners while in the Minors. Luckily for the soon-to-be 23 year old Belt, his versatility just might be his most valuable quality, with Pat Burrell struggling and both Ross and Andres Torres sidelined with injuries.
A demotion to the Minors is another option for Giants manager Bruce Bochy, and wouldn't be all that bad for Belt who's hitting .143 after his first 10 games. Every stop of the way while in the Minor Leagues last year, Belt tore the seams off the ball, hitting a combined batting average of .352 with 112 RBI's and 23 homers. With that being said, just how does one add to an already impressive resume? The trip down to the Minors for a month or so would help Belt get his rhythm back on track and help him translate his game to the main stage.

Though most usually see a return o the minors as a negative, the move would only further his skill set and add some seasoning to the Giants number one prospect, paying dividends once he's brought back up. Since slowing down after his impressive series against the Dodgers, Bochy made it clear that it's still way too early in the developing process to judge where his rookie stands. "We're going to be patient with him, he'll figure it out."