Entering the month of September which would be the final month of the 2019 MLB regular season, the San Francisco Giants would need a strong finish if they wanted to send their future Hall of Fame manager off with one final postseason run before his retirement. Still in the thick of things fighting for a shot at an NL Wild Card spot, things began to look rather gloomy the first two weeks into the month for Bruce Bochy's ballclub as they played baseball for 18 consecutive days before finally having a day off. And with several teams ranked ahead of them in that Wild Card chase, the Giants didn't exactly get off to the start they had hoped for. After dropping the finale at home to the division rival Padres which allowed San Diego to claim the series by taking three of four, the Giants took to the road to face two of the National League's best.
A four-game set against the Red Birds in St. Louis would serve as a punch in the gut as the Giants eventually dropped three of four, but lost much more than the series as lefty reliever Tony Watson was lost for the season following an injury he sustained while trying to make a tag at first base. X-rays later revealed he suffered a fractured wrist, confirming what the training staff had feared. Aside from the first home run of Mauricio Dubon's career in the series-opener and a four-hit game by Kevin Pillar which was his fourth of the season and eighth of his career in Game 3's 9-8 win for San Francisco, the Giants were left with little to cheer for following the series-finale in which the Cardinals ran away with by a final of 10-0. Turning their focus to the archrival Dodgers in what would be skipper Bruce Bochy's final series in L.A., the Giants would award their manager with a series victory by taking two of three and helping Boch improve his win total at Dodger Stadium to 107, the most ever by an opposing manager in what is now the third oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball. To put Bochy's Tinseltown success into perspective, Hall of Famer Bobby Cox is the next closest manager with 68-wins at Dodger Stadium. Helping his manager get there was Dubon who logged the first three-hit game of his career as he hit a home run off of Clayton Kershaw and finished a triple shy of the cycle.
Making his 48th career start against the Giants, Kershaw who has virtually made a career out of dominating Bruce Bochy's ballclub, would fail to go more than 4-innings in what would ultimately be the shortest outing of his career against San Francisco. Like Dubon, it was another rookie in Game 2 that would answer the call as pitcher Tyler Beede again saved his best stuff for the hated Dodgers. After logging his first career win on the road against L.A. back in June, Beede not only duplicated that performance, but did himself one better by tossing five shutout innings before handing the ball off to the Giants bullpen who took it from there to complete the shutout. San Francisco's 1-0 win would mark the first time the Dodgers were held scoreless in a game since the month of May. Returning home to Oracle Park, the Giants welcomed in the Pittsburgh Pirates for a four-game set and were rudely awakened in the opener as the Giant bullpen who was without their closer in Will Smith due to back tightness, failed to hold a 2-run lead in the 9th inning and let a gem by Madison Bumgarner go to waste when the Bucs scored 4-runs to steal a victory. It would end a streak of 55 consecutive wins for the Giants when entering the 9th inning with a lead.
The bullpen would nearly blow their second game in a row and put a damper on a gem by Johnny Cueto who made his triumphant return to the mound after missing 13 months due to Tommy John surgery, but San Francisco managed to hold on for a 5-4 win. With 5 shutout frames in his first outing in over a year, Cueto continued his career dominance over Pittsburgh which boasts a record of 10-0 and an ERA of 1.68 in his last 14 starts against the Pirates, dating back to his days in the NL Central with the Cincinnati Reds. In that win, Shaun Anderson who was a closer during his collegiate career at the University of Florida, would record his first career big league save after making the move from the rotation to the bullpen. Sadly, the Pirates would find an answer for the rest of San Francisco's pitching rotation as they took three of four from the Giants who again found themselves in dire straits. Thankfully, they'd have a series against the lowly Miami Marlins ahead, the worst team in the National League. And with stellar outings all across the board from the Giants starting pitching staff, San Francisco would take two of three from the Marlins. While Beede and Cueto tossed shutouts in Games 1 and 3 of the series, it was Madison Bumgarner (7 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 2 ER, 3 K) who got the short end of the stick as he received a no-decision despite notching his 15th consecutive outing of allowing three earned runs or less.
With a rare visit to the granddaddy of them all -- Fenway Park, we would get to witness one of the cooler moments in baseball this season when Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski not only had the privilege of taking the field against a Boston Red Sox franchise his Hall of Fame grandfather became a household name with, but also logged a milestone against them. In Game 1 of a 3 game series, little Yaz slugged his 20th homer of the season some 36 years after his grandpa Carl Yastrzemski hit his last homer while playing all 23 of his big league seasons in Boston. Holding such Fenway Park records as the most games played (1,676), RBI's (1,063), runs (994) and doubles (382), while finishing second in home runs (237) behind only the great Ted Williams, both Carl and his grandson Mike would get to share a memorable moment when the two participated in the ceremonial first-pitch prior to Game 2. In a 15-inning marathon that saw Bruce Bochy set a franchise record with 13 pitchers used in Game 1, outfielder Alex Dickerson supplied the game-winning run with a sacrifice-fly to give the G-Men a 7-6 win, the franchise's first regular season victory at the 107-year old ballpark. And with another 11 pitchers used by Boston, the two teams combined to use 24 pitchers, tying an MLB record set by the Rockies & Dodgers on Sept. 15, 2015.
Another milestone would come one day later when the Giants ran away with an 11-3 win in Game 2 to give their skipper 2,000 career managerial wins, becoming just the 11th big league manager to reach the illustrious mark. Helping Bochy reach that milestone was backup catcher Stephen Vogt who tied a mark for the shortest home run hit this season (excluding inside-the-park) with a 2-run shot in the top of the first inning that traveled 311-feet, hitting Peske's pole out in right field. Coincidentally enough, Andrew Benintendi and Christian Vazquez are the two players tied with Vogt tied for the shortest homer this season, both of whom play for the Red Sox. Though the Giants would fail to pull off the sweep, they would leave Beantown with a series victory and a happy skipper as the team headed to Atlanta in what would be Bochy's final series on the road. Getting pummeled 6-0 in the opener, the Giants wouldn't fair much better in Game 2 as the Braves got the better half of Johnny Cueto who suffered the loss in Atlanta's 8-1 victory. Salvaging the series-finale behind six stellar innings from rookie Logan Webb, the Giants staved off a sweep and returned home with a 4-1 win before their final homestand of the season.
Hosting the Colorado Rockies for three games, the two teams would partake in a 15-inning slugfest that saw the two teams combine to hit 8 home runs, the most home runs ever hit in a single game in Oracle Park history. Oh, and that record for the most combined pitchers used in a single game that the Giants and Red Sox set just a week earlier, would also come to an end as the Giants and Rockies combined to use 25-pitchers, setting a new record. And when it was all said and done, it was Colorado who walked away with an 8-5 victory as Charlie Blackmon delivered the deciding blow with a 3-run homer in the 15th inning. Stuck in another tie game entering the 9th inning in Game 2, a Giants rookie would put an end to any thoughts of a second consecutive extra-inning affair when outfielder Jaylin Davis made his first career homer a game-winner as his solo shot to dead center helped the Giants walk-off with a 2-1 win. Part of the Sam Dyson trade that brought Davis over from the Minnesota Twins, the home run was a long time coming for someone who had hit 35 HR's in the Minors this season. The 2-1 win would also be the 29th 1-run win of the season for the Giants, the most 1-run wins in a single season for Bochy which looking back, probably isn't the healthiest thing for a 64-year old manager. Luckily for Boch, his team would save him from the stress of a close game the very next day as the Giants won the series finale by a final of 8-3 to take two of three from the Rox.
As if emotions weren't already at an all-time high this season as San Francisco prepared for Bruce Bochy's final series at the helm of the Giants, the final series of the season would come against the archrival Dodgers. Having already clinched the division as well as the number one seed in the National League, the Dodgers had little to play for aside from crashing the party of their bitter rival and a skipper that has enjoyed success against them. And with the Giants' playoff hopes already out the window, San Francisco would also have little to play for with the exception of sending their beloved manager off with one final series victory against L.A. Unfortunately, the Giants would fail to win their skipper one final game in the series as the Dodgers completed the three-game sweep. The Giants would have plenty of opportunities in Game 1, but failed to capitalize as they stranded a season-high 17 runners on base, their most since 2017. With a 9-2 loss in the opener, the Giants failed to muster a single run in Games 2 and 3 as L.A. put the finishing touches on their historic regular season with victories of 2-0 and 9-0, respectively. But with the games rendered meaningless, Giants fans packed the house during Game 162 as the franchise honored their skipper of 13 years by bidding him a farewell fit for the legend he is.
With video tributes all day long between innings from celebrities, friends, former players and teammates alike, to gifts being given, the day would be one big celebration, regardless of the outcome on the field as not a single fan had left the ballpark despite the 9-0 score. And the plethora of Giants players that came out from center field to surprise and congratulate Bochy on his big day was truly special. From players like Barry Bonds, Omar Vizquel and Pedro Feliz, whom Bochy managed during his earlier years with the Giants, to players on each of the World Series champion teams in 2010, 2012 and 2014. Perhaps the most surprising appearance was that of fan favorite and 2-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum who made his first Oracle Park appearance since 2015 to bid his former skipper a final farewell. And the stories shared by many of those players and Bochy himself made it just as emotional as it was beautiful as an era came to an end, fittingly as Bochy rode around the ballpark in a classic vehicle, waving goodbye to the fans. With Bochy receiving a key to the city from San Francisco Mayor London Breed, the Giants organization will now be in search for a new manager to give the reigns to for the first time in 14 years. Finishing his 25-year managerial career with an overall record of 2,003 wins and 2,029 losses, Bochy is one of only nine managers to win three or more championships and all eight before him are enshrined in Cooperstown.
Finishing the year in third place in the NL West at 77-85, their third consecutive losing season, San Francisco struggled at home as their 35-46 record at Oracle Park was the franchises worst since 1984 dating back to their days at Candlestick. In comparison, the Giants were a much better ballclub on the road as they finished with the fourth best road record in the National League at 42-39. And some of the team's best highlights on the season came from players both new and old. While the starting pitching staff enjoyed a solid bounce back year from Jeff Samardzija who enjoyed his best season yet in a Giants uniform, finishing with an 11-12 record an an ERA of 3.52, his lowest in a season since 2014 when he split time between the Cubs and Athletics. Another Giants hurler that continued to set and break records was ace Madison Bumgarner who amassed over 200 strikeouts for the fourth time of his career, tying him for second-most in the SF-era history with Tim Lincecum and Gaylord Perry. And with another two home runs hit this year for MadBum, he and battery mate Buster Posey became the latest pitcher-catcher duo to homer in the same game three times since 1900, a mark only three other battery mates have reached.
But perhaps the biggest surprise this year, was that of Kevin Pillar who quickly became the heart and soul of this Giants team after being acquired from the Blue Jays a week into the season. When he wasn't dazzling in the outfield with his superb defense, Pillar was setting career-highs in home runs (21), extra-base hits (61), RBI (88) and runs (83), while also leading the team in hits (157), HR (21), RBI (87), XBH (60), runs (82) and steals (14). The winner of this year's Willie McCovey Award, Pillar would also become the first player since 1920 to lead his team in HR, RBI and stolen bases after beginning the season with another club. Pillar would also be one of three Giants to hit 20+ home runs this year as he was joined by Evan Longoria (20) and Mike Yastrzemski (21), their first trio to hit 20+ homers in a season since 2006 when they had four (Barry Bonds, Ray Durham, Moises Alou and Pedro Feliz). With another season in the books and vacancies in a number of positions outside of manager, questionmarks surrounding free-agent to-be players like Pillar, Will Smith and Madison Bumgarner come into play. Expected to be another busy offseason for GM Farhan Zaidi, Giants fans will surely have their ears to the ground as they anticipate those questions and more to be answered.
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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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Following their first winning month of 2019 and closing the book on June having played their best ball of the season, the San Francisco Giants would see their winning ways continue into the month of July. And if a 14-13 win-loss record in June was any indication of things to come, Giants fans would be hard pressed to believe the streak that would follow, given their ability or lack thereof to win games early on in the season. However, a streak of 17 wins in 20 games which hadn't been done by a Giants team since 2001, would be just as surprising as it was impressive, especially considering they stood 12 games under .500 in late-June.
Kicking things off with a three-game set in San Diego at Petco Park, a stadium that has been none too kind to the Giants the last few seasons compared to years past, skipper Bruce Bochy would witness his club score double-digit runs at Petco for the first time in their last 52 visits as the Giants ran away with a 13-2 victory in the opener. Those hot bats would continue into Game 2 as San Francisco tallied another 10-runs in a 10-4 win, marking the team's third consecutive game with double-digit runs, a feat that hadn't been accomplished by a Giants team since August 23-25, 2010. And though the Giants saw their double-digit streak end in the series finale, they did manage to sweep the series with a 7-5 victory as Evan Longoria and Alex Dickerson teamed up to hit the Giants' first set of back-to-back homers this year. It would be a memorable series for Longo who clubbed home runs in all three games of the series, including two in Game 2, becoming only the third player to hit four HR's in a series at Petco Park since the yard opened in 2004.
Returning home to host the St. Louis Cardinals for three games before the All-Star break, Giants ace Madison Bumgarner would take the ball in Game 2. After tying his friend and former teammate Tim Lincecum for the 2nd most strikeouts in SF Giants history, MadBum would surpass his old pitching mate with a punchout in the first inning. But Bumgarner would see his night cut short after taking a line-drive off his left forearm just two batters into the game. And while he would stick around for two innings, the swelling eventually got the best of him, forcing him to leave the game. It wouldn't be anything the bullpen couldn't handle as the Giants went on to win the game and take the series the following day, two games to one. Winners of six of their last seven games, the Giants suddenly found themselves playing their best ball of the season entering the All-Star break and any fear of the their recent hot-streak fizzling out following the four days off would be put to rest rather quickly as they picked up right where they left off and struck for double-digit runs in their first game back. Hitting the road to face the Milwaukee Brewers, the Giants opened a thrilling series against the Brew Crew with a 10-7 win in extras, clubbing five homers for the first time since 2014, en route to the victory thanks to a grand slam by Buster Posey in the 10th inning. And though Milwaukee would avenge the loss with a walk-off win the following day, it was the Giants who got the last laugh as they escaped Miller Park with the series win by taking the rubber-match, 8-3.
Continuing their road trip in Colorado against the Rockies, the Giants would begin a double-header by exploding for 19-runs, the third most runs scored in San Francisco Giants history and the franchises most runs ever scored at Coors Field in its 26 year existence. Following the 19-run outburst, the Giants' 94 runs scored over their last 11 games marked the most runs scored in an 11-game span since the club moved to the Bay Area in 1958. Leading the way in the big win was shortstop Brandon Crawford who became the first shortstop in MLB history to have five hits and a career-high 8 RBI in a single game. Not to mention he became just the third Giant to ever record 8 RBI in a single game and first since 1961, joining some elite company and a pair of Hall of Famers in Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda. Setting the bar rather high with another game to be played just hours later, the Giants would only muster a measly 2-runs in Game 2, but still managed to sweep the double-header with a 2-1 triumph. With wins of 8-4 and 11-8 in the next two, the Giants completed the four-game sweep of the Rockies before returning home for a seven-game homestand. Out of the cellar and no longer in last place in the NL West, the Giants were unable to duplicate the same run production at home that they saw on the road, but still managed to claim three of four games against the visiting Mets to take the series, with all three wins coming in walk-off fashion.
Better late than Never - Reaching the .500 mark for the first time this season at 49-49 thanks to a season-best seven-game winning streak following Game 2, the Giants hadn't reached .500 for the first time this late in a season since August 6, 1982. And helping the Giants get there on offense was outfielder Mike Yastrzemski who put an exclamation point on the series with an opposite-field home run to help his team walk-off with a 3-2 win. The grandson of Red Sox Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski who had 14 career walk-off RBI's, little Yaz became the first Giants rookie to hit a walk-off homer since Al Gallagher in 1970 and helped the Giants move into sole possession of 2nd place in the division. Next on the list would be the first-place Chicago Cubs who the Giants claimed the first two games against before falling in the series finale. After a come-from-behind win that saw the Giants rally in the 8th inning of the series-opener and improve over .500 for the first time since August 14, 2018, the Giants pulled off their fourth walk-off win in six games, this time a solo home run in the 13th inning off the bat of Pablo Sandoval who connected for his fourth career walk-off dinger.
Beginning a 9-game road trip against the Padres, Phillies and Rockies, including the final series in San Diego under manager Bruce Bochy, the Giants looked to finish the month strong. And while the Friars awarded their former skipper with several farewell gifts, the Giants awarded him with another series victory as they took two of three from their division rivals. With another extra-inning home run by Sandoval, this time in the 11th inning of the series-opener, the Giants collected their MLB-leading 11th win in extra-inning affairs and became the first team in the live-ball era to win six extra-inning games in a 10-game span. With an off-day before traveling east to face Bryce Harper and the Phillies, lots of uncertainty surrounded the Giants regarding the July 31 trade deadline and what direction they'd go in after showing new life with their red-hot July. After dropping the series-opener, the Giants came out on top, 5-1 on the day of the deadline. And instead of trading away their two most coveted assets in starter Madison Bumgarner and All-Star closer Will Smith, Giants brain trust Farhan Zaidi did make a number of moves, but none involving the two names that had garnered the most attention.
While hanging onto both Bumgarner and Smith in hopes of a chasing a Wild Card berth, the Giants dealt a number of other arms and jettisoned a few unwanted contracts while fetching several prospects Zaidi hopes can soon contribute in the big leagues. Sending right-handed reliever Sam Dyson to the first-place Minnesota Twins, San Francisco received a pair of pitchers and an outfielder in return (RHP Prelander Berroa, RHP Kai Wei Teng and OF Jaylin Davis). Washing their hands of Mark Melancon and his hefty contract, Zaidi sent the inconsistent ex-closer to Atlanta in exchange for righties Daniel Winkler and Tristan Beck. Freeing themselves of the $18 Million still owed to Melancon thru the 2020 season is enough to deem the deadline a success for Zaidi and the Giants, but perhaps the best return of the day by Zaidi was the score of Minor League infielder and Sacramento native Mauricio Dubon who the Giants fetched from the Milwaukee Brewers (No. 3 prospect) for two troubled relievers in lefty Drew Pomeranz and RHP Ray Black. Finishing off the busy day and his first trade deadline at the helm of the Giants, Zaidi acquired 2018 All-Star second baseman Scooter Gennett and cash considerations from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for a player to be named later or cash.
Another notable transaction that was made in the days leading up to the deadline was the dealing of Derek Holland who was sent to the Chicago Cubs for cash considerations. Spending only a season and a half in a Giants uniform, Holland had an up and down tenure with the club, but proved to be one a fan favorite and a good-energy guy for the Giants clubhouse as he even went out of his way to thank the organization and the fans before his departure.
Entering the dog days of August, the Giants who have now pulled within striking distance for a Wild Card spot and currently trail a handful of clubs by 2.5 games, are in prime position to either bolster or hurt their postseason hopes as they'll face a number of teams jockeying for position in the Wild Card race in the first few weeks. And after their MLB-best run of 19-wins and 6-losses in July, if Bruce Bochy's guys can continue their torrid streak into the month of August, we could be in store for some late season magic before bidding their skipper a final farewell.
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As temperatures across the country begin to increase and offensive numbers begin to soar, the San Francisco Giants entered the month of June hoping the same could be said for their win total. Or at the very least, an improvement from their dismal May in which the team's pitching woes led to a sub-par record of 10-16. And with three-straight wins against the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets to start the month, things finally began to look up for Bruce Bochy's ball club, even if it was short-lived. Making his fourth big league start, pitcher Shaun Anderson would kick things off with a stellar outing as he earned his first career win after pitching 7 innings of 2-run ball as the Giants beat the Orioles, 8-2. Needing 105-pitches to get the job done, Anderson who had never tossed more than 102-pitches in a game at any level of his career, college included, became the first Giants starter to go seven innings or more since Madison Bumgarner back on April 13. Anderson's seven frames ended an SF era record and snapped a streak of 40 consecutive games in which a Giants starter failed to go seven innings deep, the longest such streak in over 100 years for the Giants franchise and longest streak in the MLB this year.
But it would be a blessing and a curse as Buster Posey who hit his third homer of the season in the 8-2 win, left the game with a hamstring injury. Thanks to another strong outing the following day by Jeff Samardzija (6 innings pitched, 3 hits, 1 earned run, 0 walks and 6 strikeouts), the Giants managed to take 2 of 3 from the Orioles to claim their first series victory since May 17-19 at Arizona. And with a 9-3 extra-inning win over the New York Mets in their next ballgame, skipper Bruce Bochy in his 13th year with the club, etched his name into the record books by becoming just the second Giants manager in franchise history (138 years) to win 1,000 games. One of only 25 managers in MLB history to have won 1,000 games with one team, Bochy who had won another 951 games at the helm of the Padres, is the most winningest manager in SF Giants history. And even if you combined the two records from Bochy's time with the Giants and Padres, he would still fall shy of the Giants' all-time leader in wins held by John McGraw who owns the club record with 2,583 wins as skipper of the New York Giants from 1902-1932. Unfortunately, Bochy's milestone would be the only positive during the Giants' trip to Queens as the Mets claimed the next two games to take the series.
Looking to put a forgettable month of May behind him in which he boasted an ERA of 19.16, starter Drew Pomeranz bounced back with five shutout frames over the Dodgers. And though he didn't factor in the decision, the Giants were able to pull off the 2-1 win and hand ace Clayton Kershaw his first loss in nearly a year (July 21, 2018), a span of 22 starts and snapping L.A.'s streak of 17 consecutive wins in games started by Kershaw. However, for the second consecutive series, the Giants would take Game 1 only to lose the next two and drop the series. With a day off before their next series, a short two-gamer against the San Diego Padres, the Giants would pull off the two-game sweep of their division rivals to claim their first home series victory since May 1. And with saves in each game, closer Will Smith improved to a perfect 16-for-16 in save opportunities to start the year, surpassing former Giant Craig Lefferts for the most consecutive saves to start a season among left-handers in franchise history; a record Smith would only add to. And with the Milwaukee Brewers coming into town for a three-game set, the Giants would see their longest winning-streak of the season reach four-games as San Francisco took the first two against the Brew Crew before losing in the finale.
Hitting the road to renew rivalries with the Dodgers once again, San Francisco would see another one of their young hurlers record career win No. 1 as Tyler Beede was next to answer the call. Holding L.A.'s menacing lineup to only 1-run over 6 stout innings, Beede pitched around five walks and struck out seven Dodger hitters to become just the fourth Giants pitcher during the SF era to record career win No. 1 at Dodger Stadium and the first since Shawn Estes on July 13, 1996. But yet again, the Dodgers would drop the first game only to storm back the rest of the way to take the series, three games to one. But a visit to the desert for a three-game series against the Diamondbacks would help the Giants get back on track as they took two of three from the snakes. And in Game 1 of that series, an 11-5 win, the Giants received a big game from one of their newest members in outfielder Alex Dickerson. Acquired via trade just 11 days earlier from the San Diego Padres, Dickerson made his Giants debut a memorable one as he collected a career-high 6 RBI's after going 3-for-5 at the plate, one of those hits being a 458-foot grand slam, the longest home run hit by a Giants player this season. With the grand salami, Dickerson became one of only three players in franchise history to hit a grand slam in his Giants debut, joining only Bobby Bonds (June 25, 1968) and Brandon Crawford (May 27, 2011).
Returning home to begin a seven-game homestand, Pomeranz took the mound against the Colorado Rockies, logging a 5 inning, 11 strikeout performance to tie a career-high in K's. It would be the most punchouts by a Giants pitcher in an outing of five or fewer innings since the current mound distance was established in 1893 and the first double-digit strikeout performance by a Giants pitcher since April of last year (Johnny Cueto). But unfortunately for him, his offense failed to show up as the Giants were blanked, 2-0. The team would get another strong outing the following day, this time by Madison Bumgarner (6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 11 K) who rebounded from his worst start of the season after allowing six earned runs in just 3 2/3 innings against the Dodgers. But Colorado would dust off the loss with a 6-3 win in the rubber-match to take the series, two games to one. Hosting the Dbacks for a four-game stint before turning the calendar to July, the Giants would get a "vintage" performance from their ace as Bochy put it. Following his first double-digit strikeout performance since April 2, 2017 against the Rockies, MadBum dazzled again to the tune of seven strong innings in which he allowed only one run on four hits, no walks and struck out nine Arizona hitters to tie his old teammate Tim Lincecum to become the franchises second leading strikeout leader. With 1,704 career K's, all in a San Francisco uniform, Bumgarner trails only Hall of Famer Juan Marichal for the most strikeouts in San Francisco Giants history.
Fading deeper and deeper into the abyss that is the NL Western Division standings heading into July, the Giants find themselves 19 games behind the first-place Dodgers despite June being their first winning month of the season. At 14-wins and 13-losses to bring their overall record to 36-47 at the halfway point of the MLB season, San Francisco will look to gain some momentum before entering the All-Star break. With a chance for the team to rest for a few days in anticipation for the second part of the season, one Giant who won't be missing out on the festivities is closer Will Smith. Named to his first career All-Star Game after logging a perfect 21-for-21 in save opportunities, the most saves before the All-Star break by a Giants lefty, Smith is the franchises first southpaw reliever to be named to the Midsummer Classic since Gary Lavelle in 1983. And his 21 consecutive saves to start a season are the most since Rod Beck converted 28 straight back in 1994. Having held opposing batters to the second-lowest on-base percentage (.218) and fourth-lowest OPS (.494) in the league among relievers, the 29-year old closer ranks 3rd in the National League in saves. And since taking over as the team's full-time closer in June of 2018, a role Smith was none too familiar with prior to being traded from the Milwaukee Brewers in 2016 as he had only one career save prior, Smith has run away with the job since becoming Bochy's ninth inning guy. Along with Bumgarner who's helped raise his stock with consecutive strong outings, Smith, the Giants' lone representative in this year's All-Star Game, could also have his days with the ball club numbered as we inch closer to the trade deadline and both players begin gaining attention from playoff contenders.
June would also see the Giants enter their first MLB Draft under new general manager Farhan Zaidi. Owning the 10th overall pick, the Giants would select outfielder Hunter Bishop out of Arizona State University. With many MLB scouts and analysts calling him a perennial All-Star, something the Giants have long been in need of in the outfield, Bishop compared himself to a mix between Cody Bellinger and Christian Yelich when asked who he'd most liken his skill set to. And we all remember the last time an ASU outfielder batted lefty and manned the outfield for the Giants, just some guy named Barry Bonds. Coincidentally, the Bay Area native even went to the same High School as Bonds. The last two times the Giants held the No. 10 overall pick, they selected a pair of guys named Tim Lincecum (2006) and Madison Bumgarner (2007). Giants brass and fans alike are hoping to complete the trifecta with the recent selection of Bishop.
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After opening the month of May with a series-finale win over the archrival Dodgers to take the rubber-match, the San Francisco Giants took to the road to visit two of the more unforgiving ballparks in the league to a pitcher in Cincinnati's Great American Ballpark and Colorado's Coors Field. And after falling behind early to the Reds who jumped out to an eight-run lead by the third inning, the Giants appeared to be in store for a long evening in the Queen City. Instead, San Francisco managed to tie their largest comeback in franchise history after storming back to erase the eight-run deficit with crooked numbers in the 4th, 6th and 8th innings before a solo home run off the bat of Stephen Vogt with 2-outs in the 9th inning, tied things up at 11-all. In his first game in a Giants uniform and first game at the big league level since recovering from a right shoulder injury that kept him out of baseball for nearly two years, Vogt finished the game a triple shy of the cycle and was the hero of the game until Evan Longoria stole the spotlight with a solo home run that decided the outcome in the 11th inning. It would be a rather fitting win for San Francisco who had to pull a rabbit from their hat to log their first win in Cincy in three years, having previously lost seven straight at Great American Ballpark while being outscored by 43 runs.
The franchise-tying 8-run comeback that had happened on four other occasions, coincidentally, have all occurred on the road, with the last taking place on Sept. 4, 1989 also against the Reds. After notching a season-high 17-hits in the opener, the Giants were held to only 5-hits in Game 2 as the Reds avenged the series-opening loss with a 9-2 victory. Game 3 would witness another comeback for the Giants, but this time after being down only 4-runs as San Francisco matched Cincinnati's 4-run first inning with a 4-run 6th before Brandon Crawford's pinch-hit 2-run home run capped the win. The Giants would only manage a split of the four-game series as Cincinnati proved to be too much for the Giants in the first inning, outscoring San Francisco 13-0 in the opening frame as well as clubbing 15 home runs in the series which tied a club record for the most HR's hit in a single series. Another rare feat that was accomplished in Cincy was one by super utilityman Pablo Sandoval who's been used by skipper Bruce Bochy in a variety of roles this season, including off the bench and on the mound. In the series finale, Sandoval became the first player in 114 years to homer, steal a base and pitch a scoreless inning in a single game since Giants Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson achieved the feat against the Reds on May 23, 1905.
Off to Denver, the Giants would call-up the hot-hitting Mac Williamson who's red-hot bat at the Triple-A level would catch the attention of the Giants front-office in time for their series with the Rockies. After clubbing three homers the night before with Triple-A Sacramento, Williamson would continue his torrid streak by launching a home run in his second at-bat of the season to go along with 4 RBI's which helped propel the Giants to a 14-4 win in the opener. Unfortunately, it would be only Williamson's only shining moment after the call-up as he would be designated for assignment and later elect free agency following a 6-for-51 drought at the plate. With inclement weather postponing Game 2 to a makeup date in July, the Giants would partake in their coldest game since 1997 as snow flurries began in the 2nd inning of Game 3. The 39 degree temperature at first-pitch would be the lowest that the Giants would play in since an affair on the north side of Chicago on April 13, 2013 against the Cubs. Seeking his first home run of the season, Tyler Austin would record his fourth career multi-homer game with a pair of long balls, including a 441-foot tape-measure shot, the furthest by a Giant this year. Austin's powerful bat would help the Giants erase an early 7-run deficit, but the San Francisco bullpen would fail to contain the Rockies' formidable lineup which escaped with the 12-11 win.
Returning home to face the Reds again, the Giants would run into more of the same issues as Cincy continued to put up runs in the first inning. And after receiving a no-decision a week earlier in Cincinnati, Reds starter Luis Castillo was out for revenge. Having established himself as one of the better pitchers through the first month with a record of 4-1 and a 1.76 ERA to show for, Castillo backed his claim with another stellar outing by tossing six scoreless innings of 2-hit ball and striking-out 11 batters to tie a career-high. After allowing a combined 5-runs scored in the first inning of the next two games, the Giants were once again forced to play catch up, managing to do so after falling behind three different times before eventually salvaging the series-finale with a win on Mother's Day to avoid the sweep. Another short two-game set against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays would allow players and fans alike to see a team they're not used to seeing as the two clubs would square off in a rematch after the Giants completed the two-game sweep north of the border in Toronto a month earlier. Only this time, the Blue Jays would have reinforcements with them as baseball's top-hitting prospect in Vlad Guerrero Jr. was not yet with the club when the two clubs last met in late April. The son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero displayed his power by blasting the first two homers of his career to help give Toronto the 7-3 victory.
From one top prospect to another, the Giants would see the debut of their top pitching prospect as Shaun Anderson made his debut in Game 2 against the Jays. The 24-year old righty who was acquired from the Boston Red Sox in the trade that sent Eduardo Nunez to Bean Town in 2017, tossed 5 innings while allowing a pair of runs on 2 hits and 3 walks. Anderson who struck out five Blue Jays on the afternoon, wouldn't factor into the decision as the Giants won 4-3, but his manager and teammates liked what they saw in the young farmhand. He would also dazzle at the plate, connecting for a pair of hits to become the first Giants pitcher since 1908 to have a multi-hit game in his MLB debut. In a short three-game road trip to the desert to face the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Giants would be blanked by Dbacks pitching in the opener before ace Madison Bumgarner helped right the ship with an 8-5 win in Game 2. The Giants would need heroics on both offense and defense in order to return home with the series victory, as Brandon Crawford delivered with his glove to throw-out Adam Jones with a close play at first base that nearly sent the Dbacks home with a walk-off victory in the 9th. Meanwhile, Pablo Sandoval delivered at the plate as his opposite-field home run in the 10th helped the Giants take 2 of 3 from their division rivals.
Hoping their winning ways would follow them home to the Bay Area, the Giants would begin a 7-game homestand against the Braves and Dbacks that the team would much rather forget. After dropping Game 1 of 4 against Atlanta, the Giants went into the 9th inning of Game 2 trailing 3-1, but rallied with 3-runs in the inning to walk-off against the Braves, capped by Joe Panik's second career walk-off hit and the third by the Giants this season. But it would be the only highlight of the series as Atlanta won each of the next two to take three of four. After being swept in San Diego by the Padres in which the Dbacks mustered only five runs in the series, Arizona held a team meeting in hopes of putting an end to a slump that saw them lose 12 of their last 17 games entering their series versus San Francisco. Whatever was said in that meeting definitely worked as the Diamondbacks showed no mercy in the series-opener, tying a team record for the second-most runs scored in a game in franchise history as well as the most ever scored by a visiting team at Oracle Park as they ran away with the 18-2 victory. Believe it or not, the Giants would actually hold a 2-1 lead in the game before the Arizona bats really got going, smacking four homers in total. The offensive outburst would be no fluke as the Diamondbacks continued their run-scoring prowess in Games 2 & 3 by winning those meetings, 10-4 and 6-2 respectively, to complete the sweep. With 34 runs in the series, Arizona set a franchise record for the most runs in a three-game road series.
Hitting the road to face two of the three worst teams in all of baseball, the Giants would head to Miami and Baltimore to face the Marlins and Orioles to close out the month of May. But after dropping the first two in Miami, the Giants were on the verge of being swept by the only team in the National League with a worse record than their own. But after being called back up to the Majors to make his first appearance since May 14, pitcher Tyler Beede would help his team stave off the sweep by logging his best outing in the Majors yet. Though he would receive a no-decision, Beede held the Marlins to only 1 run on 5 hits, while waking 3 and striking out 4. With Beede still in search of his first win at the MLB level, one player who did record career firsts was outfielder Mike Yastrzemski who after logging his first hit in the previous series against the Dbacks, tallied his first big league RBI with a game-tying RBI single that scored Brandon Crawford in the 7th inning. Crawford would put his team ahead with a 2-run double as the Giants salvaged the finale to avoid being swept. Visiting Baltimore's Camden Yards for the first time since 2004, the Giants and Orioles would exchange in a rather odd first inning which saw the GMen jump out to an early 5-0 lead before the O's stormed back with a 6-spot of their own. The wild first inning would mark the first time since 2012 that two teams would score at least five first-inning runs in the same game.
Yastrzemski, grandson of Boston Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski, spent 703 games in the Minors prior to being called up last week, serving 663 of those games in Baltimore's farm system before being traded to San Francisco during the spring. Little Yaz is the latest Giant to join the revolving door that is left-field which has now seen ten different players man the position in 2019. And though he never got the chance to play a big league game in an Orioles uniform at Camden Yards, he certainly made up for it by homering in his second at-bat of the game to record his first career dinger which tied the game at 6 in the 2nd inning. But the O's would one-up San Francisco again in the bottom half of the inning by scoring a pair of runs and take a lead that they wouldn't relinquish a second time as Giants starter Drew Pomeranz was hit hard and failed to make it through the second inning even after his team gifted him with a 5-run first inning, their most runs scored in the opening frame all year. The Giants ended up dropping the game by a final of 9-6 which dropped them to 10-16 in the month of May and 22-34 overall, 15.5 games behind the first-place Dodgers.
It was a rough one for the Giants pitching staff in the month of May as their league-worst 7.32 ERA was the poorest combined earned-run average in a full month for any Giants team in the history of the franchise. And no pitcher has struggled more than the aforementioned Pomeranz who after allowing a career-high eight earned runs in Baltimore, has seen his ERA climb to 8.08 on the year over 10 starts as he's registered only one quality start this season. With what appears to be a resurgence from both Tyler Beede and Dereck Rodriguez who pitched in relief for Pomeranz in Baltimore after being sent down to the Minors following his own struggles, it's likely Pomeranz has seen his last start in the rotation at least for now. And things won't get any easier following their current road trip which concludes against the Mets in New York as the Giants return home to host the archrival Dodgers who own the best record in the National League at 39-19.
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Beginning their 2019 campaign and final season under skipper Bruce Bochy with an aging roster and a new general manager in Farhan Zaidi, the San Francisco Giants would open the year with a 7-game road trip against division rivals San Diego and Los Angeles. Expected to take a leap forward and improve upon their 2018 season, the Padres welcomed the Giants into town by taking 3 of 4 from San Francisco to kick start their best start to a season since 2012 as Bruce Bochy's ball club was asleep at the wheel on offense and was held to a whopping 5-runs in the four-game set. San Diego managed to quiet the Giants' bats and set a new franchise record for the most consecutive scoreless innings to begin a season with 17, before a solo home run in the ninth inning by third baseman Evan Longoria stopped the bleeding and finally put San Francisco on the board nearly two full games in.
To put their woes and inexperience into perspective, Bochy's Opening Day outfield which consisted of rookie Connor Joe in left field, Steven Duggar in center and Michael Reed playing in right, the starting pitcher for that day -- Madison Bumgarner, began the season with 15 more career home runs than the trio of outfielders combined. The Giants ace would add another long ball to his career total (18) in the series against the Dodgers with his 18th career dinger which moved him into 20th on the all-time home runs list among pitchers. However, the Giants would suffer a similar fate during their first trip to Chavez Ravine, claiming the series-opener against the hated Dodgers, before dropping the next two. In the series-opener, the lone game of the series that the Giants would reign victorious, both Brandon Crawford and Brandon Belt notched career double No. 200. The team would also make one of their first moves of the season by acquiring outfielder and defensive wiz Kevin Pillar from Toronto via trade in exchange for right-handed pitchers Juan De Paula, Derek Law and infielder Alen Hanson. Pillar, who grew up just a stones throw away from Dodger Stadium in nearby West Hills, California, and was the longest tenured Blue Jay at the time of his trade at 6+ years, would make his presence felt in the Giants' first home stand.
After dropping 2 of 3 in the Giants' home-opening series against the Tampa Bay Rays, Pillar smashed his first career grand slam in the team's next series against the Padres. It would also mark the first grand slam for the Giants since April 7, 2017 as they went all of last season without one. Unfortunately, the grand salami which gave the Giants a 5-0 lead, wouldn't be enough to fend off a Padres comeback, even with Bumgarner on the mound as the Friars stormed back to steal the victory, 6-5. In the same game, Bumgarner moved up the ranks and surpassed Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry for the 7th spot on the franchise's all-time strikeout leader board with 1,607. The Giants would redeem themselves the following day with a 7-2 win aided by another 4 RBI day for the recently acquired Pillar. With back to back games with 4 RBI's, Pillar would continue to make an immediate impact and joined some elite company by becoming the first Giant since Barry Bonds to drive in 4+ runs in consecutive games. But after losing the rubber-match to the Padres the following day, the Giants' dismal start would mark the first time in 36 years that they dropped each of their first four series to begin a season.
Better results would come in their next series as San Francisco played host to a four-game set against the Colorado Rockies. Taking each of the first three games, including an 18-inning marathon that finished with a walk-off celebration, the Giants failed to complete the sweep, but were satisfied with their first series victory. In the 18-inning win, the first for the Giants since 1933 when they still called New York home, both teams saw a combined 501 pitches thrown as the Giants set a franchise record with the most combined strikeouts in a game with 24, surpassing the previous mark of 22 K's during a 23 inning affair on the road against the Mets in 1964. Backup catcher Erik Kratz who caught all 18 innings, served up the deciding blow by driving in Brandon Belt with a bases loaded fielders-choice and becoming the first catcher to catch at least 18 innings and deliver the game-winning RBI in the same game since Bob Boone of the Angels on April 13, 1982 against Seattle. The game also tied the longest game in Oracle Park history, an 18-inning match against the Arizona Diamondbacks back on May 29, 2001. The team's first road trip out east, would see stops in the nation's capital and the Steel City before heading up north to Canada for a visit with the Blue Jays. The Giants were able to bookend their meetings against the Nats and Bucs with wins. And in the first of which, a 7-3 victory in Washington D.C., the Giants clubbed three homers off of Nats All-Star Stephen Strasburg, a rare feat as the former number one overall pick had only allowed three homers in a game on two other occasions in his 209 previous starts.
Dropping the next two against the Nationals, the Giants began play in rainy Pittsburgh where the Pirates handed the Giants another pair of losses, including a rain-shortened game that was called after only five innings played and a 3 hour rain delay. San Francisco would avoid being swept in Pittsburgh for the first time since 2008 with a win on Easter Sunday behind pitcher Dereck Rodriguez who improved to 3-0 on the road thanks to a 3-run homer to center field by Buster Posey which ended a homer-less drought that would span 236 at-bats and marked his first HR since June 19, 2018 vs Miami. The homer that came in the fifth inning would also be the first of Posey's career hit against the Pirates. A short two-game stop in Toronto saw the return of fan favorite Kevin Pillar in front of a Blue Jays fan base that serenaded him with a standing ovation. The Giants bats would awake for four homers in the first game, before Drew Pomeranz pitched a shutout as the G-Men pulled off the two-game sweep. A return home to host the New York Yankees for only the second time in Oracle Park history, the Giants were rudely greeted by a banged up Bronx Bombers team that still managed to pull off the three-game sweep. However, one positive would be that the Giants would finally put an end to their dubious National League record of 25 games without a first inning run to start a season, second in baseball history to only the American League's 1948 Chicago White Sox who went 28 consecutive games to start a season without. With a sacrifice-fly in the first inning to drive in Tyler Austin, Buster Posey would put a dagger in the unwanted distinction.
The Giants would get a chance to redeem themselves as the Dodgers came into town for a three-game set. And in a hard-fought Game 1, the Giants rallied against their archrivals as Evan Longoria connected with his biggest hit in a Giants uniform, a bases-clearing double in the 7th inning that led to the 3-2 come-from-behind victory. After the Dodgers slugged their way to a 10-3 victory in Game 2, the Giants took two of three from their bitter rivals as Buster Posey supplied the game-winning hit with an RBI single that scored Steven Duggar from second base and lifted San Francisco over the Dodgers in walk-off fashion. For the Giants, the walk-off victory was the second of the season for Posey and company and was the eighth of Buster's career, third against Los Angeles which tied him with Matt Williams for the most walk-off hits as a Giant against the Dodgers since both teams relocated from New York to California. And though ace Madison Bumgarner received a no-decision in the win, the outing which saw him toss 6 innings of 1 run ball and strikeout 8, was a welcoming sight considering he was coming off a bad start against the Yankees in which he surrendered a career-high 11-hits.
Following their series-victory over L.A., the Giants improved to 13-18 on the year, but remain in last place in the NL West. The first week of May is likely to be a tough one for the Giants who begin a 7-game road trip with four games in Cincinnati before heading to the Mile High City to face the Rockies. And while the Reds are also cellar dwellers in their respective division at 12-17 entering the month of May, we all know how unfriendly the Reds' home of Great American Ballpark can be to opposing pitchers and the same could be said for the high altitude at Colorado's Coors Field. The Giants will look to turn things around in both places as they try to right the ship.
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In what's been a rather dull offseason for Major League Baseball with the top two coveted players in Bryce Harper and Manny Machado still on the free-agent market less than a week before the start of Spring Training exhibition games, the news of San Francisco Giants skipper Bruce Bochy announcing his retirement following the 2019 season might be the biggest news yet this offseason. The 63 year old skipper who is already the oldest manager in the league, will celebrate his 64th birthday less than three weeks into the 2019 season. However, it's safe to say he'll be treated like everyday is his birthday for the entire season by his team, front-office and fans alike as he looks to hang it up following his 13-year tenure as manager of the Giants and his 25th season overall.
Basically a shoo-in for Cooperstown, the future Hall of Fame skipper announced from a dugout prior to Monday's Spring Training workout in Scottsdale, Arizona that the 2019 season would be his last at the helm of the team he managed to three World Series titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014 and helped create into a dynasty. "In my mind it's time," he told reporters before admitting his plans to stick around the game of baseball in some form or capacity. What position that'll be, we'll just have to wait and see, but my guess is that Giants brass will make him a Giant for life or for however long he's willing to man a position. The active leader in wins among all Major League managers, Bochy currently stands with 1,926 total wins during his combined time spent with the Giants and San Diego Padres which places him 11th on MLB's all-time wins list. A former Manager of the Year Award winner in 1996 with the Padres, Bochy would go on to lead San Diego to only their second World Series appearance just two years later before losing to New York during the Yankees' 1996-2000 dynasty. Relocating from San Diego to San Francisco in 2007, Bochy would become one of only five managers in MLB history to lead a team to three titles in a five-year span and is the only manager in the game's history with 900+ wins with multiple franchises.
Helping bring a trio of World Series championships to a city that had been starving of a title since the Giants followed the archrival Dodgers from New York to California in 1958, not many of the players he managed were as beloved as the manager himself during his time spent spent with the Giants which I'd say is pretty rare for a skipper these days considering how short we've seen some managerial careers last in certain places. As for the other nine managers before him to hoist the Commissioners Trophy at least three times, they've all been enshrined into Cooperstown which should make Bochy a lock to one day be able to say the same. Boasting a career record of 1,926-wins and 1,944-losses which equates to a .498 winning percentage, Bochy is 975-969 during his time with the Giants who will need to win at least 75 games in 2019 to ensure a winning record for their skipper of the last decade plus. But Bochy's team will try doing a lot more than that to help give him a proper sendoff, even if it means fighting off superior teams like the Dodgers and Rockies within the division. 82 wins shy of tying another Hall of Famer and World Series-winning manager with the Giants -- Leo Durocher, Bochy could move into the top 10 of all-time wins among managers. But we all know another miraculous postseason run and fourth World Series title is really what lies on the minds of Bochy and his team as they prepare for his final go-around.
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Closing out the month of July strong, the Giants kick started August with a win over the rival Diamondbacks to complete their three-game sweep in the desert. Slated to visit the Mile High City to conclude their six-game road trip with a trio of games against the Colorado Rockies, the Giants were hoping to keep that momentum rolling into Denver where the baseball gods have been none too kind lately to the team from San Francisco. Instead, Bruce Bochy's ball club would suffer much of the same fate that has recently hurt them in the past as the Giants were swept after scoring a measly three runs all series, a franchise-worst for a three-game series at the usually hitter-friendly Coors Field where the Giants have now lost 14 of 16 games. It would also mark the lowest output in a three-game series for the Giants since June 12-14, 2015, at Arizona. The series-finale, an 8-1 loss, was only the seventh game in franchise history in which the Giants failed to log a single extra-base hit at Coors Field and the first since May 19, 2013.
Looking forward to returning home to AT&T Park where the Giants had done most of their winning this year, Buster Posey and company would begin a 10-game home stand by hosting the visiting St. Louis Cardinals for a four-game series. Even more exciting would be the return of hurler Johnny Cueto who would return to a big league mound for the first time since April 28. But unlike his first five outings of the season as he dazzled to an MLB-best 0.84 ERA, Cueto who had allowed only three runs all year up to that point, would be forced to shake off the cobwebs since his elbow injury and would be welcomed back rather rudely as St. Louis scratched five runs across the board thru the first two innings. It would only get uglier from there as the Giants were trounced by a final of 11-2. After splitting each of the next two games, San Francisco would get a big game from backup third baseman Pablo Sandoval who logged his third career 5 RBI game and first since September 4, 2013, as the Giants pulled away with the 13-8 victory to split the four-game set. Boston fans have got to be scratching their heads as Sandoval who was acquired by the Giants after being released by the Red Sox a year ago, did not have more than 3 RBI in a single game during his 161-game stint in a Boston uniform. Not to mention the team is still paying him.
Following their series with St. Louis, the Giants would take part in a trade by shipping outfielder Austin Jackson who had been struggling since signing a two-year deal with the Giants in the offseason, as well as relief pitcher Cory Gearrin and Minor League pitcher Jason Bahr to the Texas Rangers in exchange for a player to be named or cash. Continuing their streak of 16 consecutive games without a day off, the Giants would welcome the Cubs for a three-game series as Pandamania continued with a 2-1 walk-off victory in the 11th inning. Pablo Sandoval aka the "Kung-Fu Panda" capped off a pitchers duel between Chicago's Kyle Hendricks and Giants rookie Andrew Suarez, with a bases-loaded, RBI single that plated McCutchen and dismissed Cubs manager Joe Maddon's decision to employee a five-man infield. The Cubbies would get revenge the very next day with a 2-0 shutout victory, but the Giants would get the last laugh with yet another walk-off victory in the rubber-match. Buster Posey would prove to be the hero in the 13th inning as he welcomed rookie pitcher James Norwood who making his MLB debut, would serve the deciding blow as Posey's game-winning knock kicked off the wall in right to seal the 5-4 win. The walk-off would be the fifth of Buster's career and would give the Giants a league-high eight on the year.
As soon as the Giants appeared to be righting the ship in time for the All-Star break, they would square off with their bay area rivals -- the Oakland A's. And with a new Battle of the Bay trophy debuting and on the line for the winner of the season series between the two clubs, Game 1 would go to the Giants without any issue by way of a 7-1 final. But with the Athletics entering the series with a 53-41 record on the year, the series would prove to be no easy task as Oakland took each of the next two games to hand San Francisco their first series loss at home since April. Making matters worse, pitcher Jeff Samardzija would be placed on the disabled-list for the second time of the season just before the All-Star break. As for the All-Star Game itself, the Giants would see two of their own named to the Mid-Summer Classic roster as shortstop Brandon Crawford made his second career All-Star appearance after being named a starter for the first time in his career. Crawford would be joined by Buster Posey who although he would elect to sit out from participating in any All-Star festivities while nursing an injured hip, would be named to the All-Star team for the sixth time in his career.
With the All-Star break coming to an end, the Giants would see the Battle of the Bay series shift to Oakland where the Giants would once again open the series on top thanks to another strong line from rookie pitcher Dereck Rodriguez who twirled 6.1 innings of 3-hit ball, allowing only one run in the Giants' 5-1 triumph. Game 2, however, which featured a record crowd of 56,310 fans in attendance, the largest crowd to ever witness a baseball game at the Oakland Coliseum and the largest crowd in MLB this season, would tilt in the Athletics favor. After getting the win in Game 1 of the series in San Francisco, Madison Bumgarner would see better days on the mound than the performance he put together in the rematch as he walked a career-high six batters, including two with the bases loaded. He would see his MLB-best streak of 89 consecutive outings of at least 5 innings pitched come to an end as MadBum was pulled after failing to get thru the fifth inning. And though the Giants would rally in the ninth inning to send the game into extras, they would eventually lose in 11 innings. Oakland would ultimately take the series, claiming 2 of 3 games with a 10-inning thriller in the finale.
A short two-game trip to Seattle's Safeco Field would see the Giants and Mariners split before the Giants returned home for a four-game series against the playoff hopeful Milwaukee Brewers. After dropping the first two to Milwaukee, the Giants would fall below the .500 mark for the first time in over a month. One guy doing most of the damage for the Brewers was outfielder Christian Yelich who went berserk against Giants pitching by going 9-for-17 in the series with a pair of homers, five RBI and six runs scored. And though he would collect two hits in the series finale, the Giants managed to bypass Yelich's hot hitting and avoid the four-game sweep by salvaging game 4. With the victory, Giants skipper Bruce Bochy logged his 1,906th career victory, helping him surpass Casey Stengel and move into 11th place on baseball's all-time wins list among managers. Oddly enough, Bochy wouldn't even be present as he moved up the list of all-time winningest managers as he was in Cooperstown, New York, attending the Hall of Fame enshrinement for his former player while managing the San Diego Padres -- Trevor Hoffman. Instead, bench coach Hensley Meulens would fill-in for the absent Bochy.
Speaking of the Padres, the Giants would pay a visit to sunny San Diego for a short two-game meeting with the Friars to closeout the month of July. Having been a thorn in the side of the Giants for the past several seasons, Bochy's club was able to solve the Padres at least this time around as they completed the two-game sweep with consecutive extra-inning wins. And though they would finish July by going 11-14, they did end the month strong and managed to stay within striking distance in the division by bringing their winning-streak to three games and currently stand 55-54, 5 games behind the first place Diamondbacks. With the July 31 trade deadline approaching, the Giants were on both sides of the fence as potential buyers and sellers as team brass claimed they were buyers, but rumors began to swirl of a possible trade involving outfielder Andrew McCutchen. Instead, the Giants decided not to make any deadline moves.
But before the Giants would even touch the field in August, their month would get off to a rocky start as it was confirmed on August 1, that Johnny Cueto would need season-ending Tommy John surgery which he'll undergo on Aug. 2, sidelining him for approximately one year. It would be an unfortunate end to what began as a stellar season for Cueto who looked like the best pitcher in all of baseball before the injury, pitching to the tune of a 3-0 record and 0.84 ERA in five starts. After the injury, Cueto looked like one of the worst, going 0-2 and posting an ERA of 6.86 in the four starts following his return. A day and night difference for the 32-year old Dominican pitcher who team officials were fearing may need to undergo the season-ending procedure before a follow up confirmed it.
Madison Bumgarner will kick things off in August when the Giants pay a visit to Arizona for a three-game series versus the Diamondbacks as the Giants ace enters the game needing only one win to notch the 109th victory of his career which would tie him with 2-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum for fourth most in the franchises SF era as he already holds the Giants record for most career wins among lefties after moving past Kirk Rueter with his win over the Cardinals on July 8. He would pass Woody with ease, needing 39 fewer starts to leap the fan favorite who spent a decade in the Giants rotation. The series versus Arizona will kick start a streak of four consecutive series against teams either leading their respected divisions or with playoff aspirations, including the Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates and Los Angeles Dodgers.
San Francisco will have a chance to gain some ground on Arizona as they pay Chase Field a visit for the first time since their sweep at the end of July. However, the D-Backs who have begun playing winning baseball again, having won 7 of their last 10, will look to exact revenge from the recent sweep. Pittsburgh is suddenly right back in the thick of things after pulling off an 11-game winning-streak and are now back in the Wild Card hunt, trailing by 3.5 games. Houston seems to be slumping after showing some ill-effects by playing without their star middle infield as both Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve are on the shelf with injuries, but still have an impressive record of 69-41 despite dropping 6 of their last 10 games. And then there's the Dodgers who will look to showoff their new toy in All-Star third baseman Manny Machado who was acquired from the Baltimore Orioles. August will also feature the number retirement of Barry Bonds when the Giants host Pittsburgh, the team the 7-time MVP burst onto the scene with before becoming baseball's all-time home run leader.
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