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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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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