Where the San Francisco Giants Stand at the All-Star Break

In what's been a roller coaster season filled with plenty of ups and downs, the San Francisco Giants ride into the MLB All-Star break with a record of 48-43 overall, with 7-wins in their last 9 games. And if not for a disaster by the bullpen on Thursday night, they would easily be coming off a four-game sweep of the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers. Instead, they took three of four from the Brew Crew with three big wins in three completely different ways. After dropping the opener on Thursday night by a final of 3-2, the Giants staved off another loss in game two by rallying from behind to complete one of the franchise's most wild comebacks in recent memory. 

Trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the ninth inning and facing arguably the most dominant closer in all of baseball since 2018 in All-Star Josh Hader, the Giants completed their most improbable comeback with three home runs in the inning, including a walk-off blast. Igniting the rally was a no-doubter from rookie catcher Joey Bart to lead off the frame. Darin Ruf then parked one in the bleachers with one out to bring the Giants within a run, before an Austin Slater single, Yermin Mercedes hit by pitch and Thiaro Estrada single helped load the bases for one Mike Yastrzemski who did the rest. Sending the first pitch he saw deep into the night and over the wall in centerfield, Yaz hit the Giants' first walk-off grand slam since Bobby Bonds in 1973, ending a drought by the Giants that had seen every other MLB team record a walk-off grand slam in the last 15 seasons. It also marked the first time in MLB history that a team hit three home runs in an inning including a walk-off grand slam. Game three against Milwaukee saw a pitchers-duel between starters Alex Cobb and Eric Lauer, with the Giants pulling off the 2-1 victory thanks to a bases-loaded balk in the 8th inning by Brewers reliever and former Giant Jandel Gustave. And in the finale, the Giants' bats woke up in a 9-5 win behind homers from LaMonte Wade Jr. and Brandon Belt, backing another stellar outing from starting pitcher and All-Star snub Logan Webb. 

Despite coming off one of their better series victories of the season, it wasn't long ago that Gabe Kapler and company were dropping game after game against inferior competition. On the cusp of being 10 games above .500 as recent as June 22 before a blown save by Jake McGee in Atlanta, the Giants have been nowhere near that mark ever since. Following their series against the defending World Series champion Braves, the Giants proceeded to drop two of three at home to the lowly Reds, split a short two-game set with the Detroit Tigers, and were swept at home by the White Sox who entered the series four games under .500. But the struggles didn't stop there as San Francisco took to the road and dropped two of three to the last-place Diamondbacks before needing a ninth inning rally to avoid being swept in the desert. The Giants then dropped the first two of four in San Diego before a pair of inspiring outings from starters Carlos Rodon and Alex Wood helped the Giants get some of their mojo back. Returning to Oracle Park, the Giants took two of three from Arizona before their strong showing against Milwaukee, which leads us to where we are now. 

Currently tied with the Philadelphia Phillies in the loss column for the third and final NL Wild Card spot, San Francisco is slated to open the second half of the season in L.A. for a three-game tilt with the archrival Dodgers whom they swept in San Francisco when they last battled in mid-June. Both teams have taken completely different turns since they last saw one another, as the Dodgers sit in first place in the NL West with an NL-best record of 60-30 and only seem to be getting stronger. Meanwhile the Giants hope to pick up after the All-Star break right where they left off while getting a few guys back along the way. With pitcher Jakob Junis activated just in time on Sunday to shake off some rust before the All-Star break after being out since June 10 with a hamstring injury, the Giants swingman pitcher who contributed both out of the bullpen and in the starting rotation before his stint on the IL, was arguably the club's best pitcher at the time he got hurt. The team also received third baseman Evan Longoria back from the IL after being out since July 6 with an oblique injury, giving the Giants much needed help in the infield at a critical time as shortstop Brandon Crawford hits the IL for the second time in less than two weeks with an injured knee. One player the Giants will not be seeing return from IL this season is starting pitcher Anthony DeSclafani who recently announced the will miss the remainder of the 2022 season due to right ankle surgery. 

As for the MLB All-Star Game itself, Giants fans will be able to cheer on outfielder Joc Pederson (17 HR, 42 RBI) and pitcher Carlos Rodon (8-5, 131 K's, 2.66 ERA) as both players were named to their second Mid-Summer Classic. One guy who won't partake in this year's All-Star festivities is Giants ace Logan Webb (9-3, 2.83 ERA) who was snubbed after registering a 1.37 ERA over his last seven starts. Another Giant who has earned noteworthy recognition this season is outfielder Luis Gonzalez. In what's been another one of GM Farhan Zaidi's great finds is Gonzalez who was claimed off of waivers from the Chicago White Sox late last season. Capitalizing on an injury in the outfield to the recently traded Steven Duggar, Gonzo has been a nice add to the Giants this season and although he recently returned to the club after a stint on the Injured-List and has seen some struggles with a back injury, he was named the Rookie of the Month in the National League for the month of May. 

With ten fewer wins than they had at this point last year during their magical and historic run to a franchise-record 107 regular season wins, hopefully the All-Star break won't put a stop to their recent red-hot streak. Instead, hopefully this last string of success will kickstart a new streak for a Giants team likely to kick the tires on a few trades at the deadline if all continues to go well. 

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SF Giants add former All-Stars in preparation of 2022 Season

A day after team owners and the MLB Players Association ended a 99-day lockout by striking a deal for a new collective bargaining agreement and agreeing to have a baseball season after all this year, the San Francisco Giants made their first splash of the off-season with the signing of former White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodon. Agreeing to a 2-year, $33 Million dollar deal, the former first round pick of the White Sox who was selected third overall out of North Carolina State in the 2014 MLB Draft, joins a Giants ballclub looking to repeat as division champions after pulling off a major upset by fending off the high-powered and hated rival L.A. Dodgers in 2021. The deal for Rodon comes after the 29-year old southpaw enjoyed his best season in the Majors yet, winning a team-high 13 games for the AL Central-winning South Siders which also included his first All-Star nod. 

Perhaps the highlight of Rodon's season last year and the pinnacle of his big league career thus far, the former top prospect twirled the 20th no-hitter in White Sox franchise history in an 8-0 win over the Cleveland Indians on April 14. Rodon continued that early season dominance the rest of the way in 2021, finishing the season atop the leaderboard in earned run average with a minimum of 20 starts, pitching to the tune of a 2.37 ERA in 132.2 innings pitched which ranked best in the majors among starters. Unfortunately, Rodon would fall short of the 162 innings pitched threshold, preventing him from being recognized as the league's ERA leader. Durability and consistency are the two biggest question marks and concerns Rodon entering his Giants tenure, having only registered one season of 160+ innings pitched and just a single double-digit winning season to his name as Tommy John surgery and shoulder fatigue has plagued Rodon throughout his career. However, Giants GM Farhan Zaidi and skipper Gabe Kapler are hoping his success last year is just the start of Rodon turning a corner and putting his injury history behind him with more progress to be had. 

Other signings this offseason have included the likes of pitchers Alex Cobb, Jakob Junis and Carlos Martinez, as well as the re-signing of pitchers Anthony DeSclafani (3-years, $36 Million) and Alex Wood (2-years, $25 Million) as well as team captain Brandon Belt at first base. Cobb, who was drafted by Tampa Bay back in 2006, registered several solid seasons for the Rays, recording a sub-3 ERA in back to back seasons in 2013 (11-wins, 3-losses, 2.76 ERA) and 2014 (10-9, 2.87). After a handful of rough seasons in Baltimore with the lowly Orioles, the 34-year old right-hander got back on track in 2021 with the L.A. Angels where he went 8-3 with an ERA of 3.76. The Giants are hoping Cobb can continue to climb back to his former self, signing him to a 2-year, $20 Million dollar contract back on November 30. Righty Jakob Junis, formerly of the Kansas City Royals, is a swingman-type pitcher who has pitched both in the starting rotation and as a reliver, and will likely hear Kapler call his name from the bullpen after inking a one-year deal. The Giants also announced the signing of former Tigers lefty Matt Boyd (1-year, $5.2 Million plus incentives) who will be sidelined until midseason with an elbow injury that required surgery last September. Boyd is a distant relative of Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller and further adds to the team's pitching depth. 

One of the more interesting signings is that of former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez. The former 2-time All-Star with the Redbirds saw a fall from grace after recording three consecutive stellar seasons as a starter from 2015 to 2017, before being thrusted into a role split between the starting rotation and as a reliver. Looking to rebound after back to back sub-par seasons out of the bullpen, Martinez lands with a Giants ballclub that has become a safe haven for second chances and a hotbed for players looking to make a rebound. In need of a bat to supply some thump in the outfield, the Giants kicked the tires on such big names as Nick Castellanos and potentially bringing back Kris Bryant, before ultimately deciding on a much cheaper approach by bringing in Joc Pederson. Agreeing to a 1-year, $6 Million dollar deal, the Palo Alto native returns home to the Bay Area where he hopes to visit McCovey Cove quite often with his bat as a left-handed power-hitter. Having played his first 6+ big league seasons in the division with the Dodgers before splitting 2021 with the Cubs and Braves, Pederson became just the ninth players in Major League history to win back to back World Series titles with different teams. Now he'll try to become the first to ever do so with three different ballclubs as he joins the hometown Giants who are coming off a 107-win season, their most in franchise history. 

Whether or not the Giants will have enough firepower to keep up with the Dodgers' ever-expanding cast of All-Stars which just added former MVP first baseman Freddie Freeman to the mix with a megadeal worth $162 Million over six-years, will be a tall task to say the least, but is a challenge Kapler and company will not shy away from. As for the notable departures, outfielder Alex Dickerson (Braves), infielder Donovan Solano (Reds) and outfielder/infielder Kris Bryant (Rockies) all inked deals to play elsewhere, as did reliever Reyes Moranta (Dodgers), while SP Johnny Cueto and RP Tony Watson remain free-agents. Meanwhile, the Giants prepare for life after former All-Star and MVP catcher Buster Posey who announced his retirement following the 2021 season. Opening Day is scheduled for April 7.

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San Francisco Giants Month in Review: September 2019 & Bochy's Goodbye

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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San Francisco Giants Month in Review: August 2019

After a spectacular July which helped catapult the Giants back into the National League wild card race following their MLB-best 19-6 record, the San Francisco ball club turned the calendar to August hoping to continue that success and push for a playoff spot. However, it was very evident in the first full week of the new month that duplicating that run would be easier said than done. Filled with a plethora of ups and downs, excitements and disappointments, the Giants would have as many losses in their first week of August as they had in all of July (6). And while facing such teams as the Phillies, Nationals, Diamondbacks and Cubs, all of whom are also vying for a wild card spot, the Giants could ill afford to hit the snooze button if they planned on keeping pace in the playoff hunt.

After dropping the third and final game in Philly to begin the month, the Giants wrapped up their 9-game road trip with a trio of games in the Mile High City against the Rockies. And after completing a rare four-game sweep at Coors Field during their recent meeting in July, the Rockies made sure their division rivals wouldn't leave town with another series victory as Colorado took two of three games behind the red-hot hitting of their All-Star shortstop Trevor Story who homered in each of the three games. Returning home to host the Washington Nationals in a pivotal 3-game series, the Giants went dormant and were swept after scoring a total of four runs in the series. Hoping to redeem themselves with another wild card hopeful team in town in the Phillies, Bruce Bochy's ballclub was able to bounce back and claim three of four from the Phils thanks to some fireworks on offense from the most unlikeliest of heroes. On a day the Giants celebrated the 30th anniversary of the 1989 World Series team and announced the retiring of No. 22 for Will Clark, another Will stepped up in a huge way and gave Giants fans a thrill.

With seven years in the big leagues and not a single plate appearance to his name, Giants All-Star closer Will Smith couldn't have picked a better time to log his first career hit, lacing a 2-run single to the opposite-field and giving his team a 9-6 lead that he would seal the following inning. Though they weren't as fortunate at the plate, relievers Jandel Gustave and Trevor Gott also logged their first career plate appearances earlier in the game as the Giants became the first team since September 21, 1934 to have three pitchers make their first career plate appearances in the same game. With a day off before their short two-game set against their cross-bay rivals in the Oakland Athletics, the Giants turned to their ace in the series-opener as Madison Bumgarner out-dueled Brett Anderson with seven stellar frames of 2-hit, 1-run baseball as the Giants won yet another game by one run with a 3-2 final. MadBum's stellar outing was his fifth in six games of at least seven innings. And though the A's would split the series with a win the following day, the Giants went into their final series in the desert under manager Bruce Bochy, liking their chances in a ballpark they've had plenty of success in this season. After opening the series with a dominant pitching performance from Dereck Rodriguez who was called back up to the Majors and placed back into the starting rotation, D-Rod had his best outing of the season, pitching seven shutout frames and allowing only four base runners on three hits and a walk as the Giants blanked the Diamondbacks, 7-0.

Game 2 of the series would feature one of the most wild back and forth affairs of the season for both teams as the Giants floundered a 7-2 lead in the 8th inning before the two teams exchanged punches in 11 nail-biting innings that eventually saw the Giants squeak away with a 10-9 victory. After the D-Backs erased a five-run lead in the bottom of the 8th inning, Kevin Pillar launched his second home run of the game with a 2-run shot in the 10th inning, but Arizona fought back with a pair of homers of their own to tie the game at 9-all. Stepping up to the plate in the 11th inning already with a pair of home runs, rookie Mike Yastrzemski crushed his third home run of the night to give the Giants a 10-9 lead that they would not relinquish. A game in which both teams combined to slug 12 home runs, Yaz led the way, becoming the first Giant with a three homer game since Jarrett Parker in 2015. Even more impressive, Yaz in his first big league season already has as many three home run games as his Hall of Fame grandfather Carl Yastrzemski who needed 2,294 games before logging his first and only.

Game 3 would witness the Major League debut of right-handed pitcher Logan Webb, the team's top pitching prospect and No. 5 prospect overall. Showing a bit of jitters early on, Webb who at the age of 22 became the youngest pitcher to start a game for the Giants since Madison Bumgarner debuted at the age of 20, eventually settled in and impressed with five solid frames of 1-run ball and striking out seven D-Backs hitters as he became the first Giants pitcher to record a win in his MLB debut in over 10 years (Ryan Sadowski vs Milwaukee). Aided by the second grand slam of Brandon Belt's career, the Giants won the game, 11-6. Heading into the series finale seeking their first four-game sweep of Arizona since 2016 and with ace Madison Bumgarner on the mound who entered the game unbeaten in his last 10 outings, the Giants would like their chances of pulling off the rare four-game sweep against the struggling Merrill Kelly. Instead, it was Kelly who out-pitched MadBum and stymied the Giants bats by giving up only one earned run as Arizona avoided the sweep with a 6-1 win. Making a stop in Chicago to take on the Cubs at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field, the Giants would have another golden opportunity against a team they were chasing in the Wild Card race, but failed to seize the opportunity as the Giants were swept. Aside from an exciting back and forth melee in Game 2 which saw the Giants crank out four homers and the Cubs another three in a grueling 12-11 win for Chicago, San Francisco had little to show for as their inconsistent August continued with Jeff Samardzija suffering a tough-luck 1-0 loss in the series finale.

Returning to the bay area but playing across the bay in Oakland, the Giants would cash in on a huge 8-run 8th inning to claim Game 1 against the A's, 10-5, before playing in the more common 1-run game we've grown accustomed to seeing the Giants win as they returned to the other side of the bay with a 5-4 victory and short two-game sweep. Taking three of four from the A's to take claim of the Battle of the Bay series and the Bridge Trophy which was introduced for the first time just a season ago, Will Smith recorded the final three outs to become the first Giants left-hander to record 30 saves in a season and the eighth reliever to do so in franchise history. Playing host to the Diamondbacks for the final time this season, San Francisco came into the series finale against Arizona having split the first 18 meetings and would see the Giants debut of infield prospect Mauricio Dubon who was acquired from the Brewers at the trade deadline as part of the Drew Pomeranz deal. And though Dubon would record his first big league hit in his second at-bat, the Giants would go on to lose the game and lose the season series to Arizona, 10 games to 9 following the two-game sweep.

Closing out the month of August, the Giants would welcome the Padres for a four-game set and closeout their season series against their division foe. After falling in the opener, the Giants rallied in Game 2 behind a dominant Madison Bumgarner who pitched seven frames and gave up only one run on four hits and two walks while striking out nine Padre hitters. By earning the win, MadBum logged his 60th career victory at San Francisco's Oracle Park, tying former teammate Matt Cain for the most home wins since the stadium's inception in 2000. In the win, outfielder Mike Yastrzemski clubbed his 9th homer in the month of August which tied him with Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda for the second-most home runs hit in a single month by a Giants rookie. Only Willie Mays and Bobby Thomson have hit more (10) in a Giants uniform during their rookie campaign. Another pair of Giants hitters who turned things up at the plate as of late were Evan Longoria and Brandon Belt.

Longoria finished the month strong and placed among the N.L. RBI leaders since Aug. 10, having drove in 20 RBI's which tied him with Starlin Castro of the Marlins for second-place, trailing only the Cincinnati Reds' Aristides Aquino's 22 RBI's. As for Belt, the Giants veteran first baseman logged 14 RBI's in 14 games since Aug. 15, the second-most among N.L. first baseman behind only Pete Alonso of the Mets who knocked in 16 RBI's in 15 games. Unfortunately for the Giants, the hot-hitting of Belt & Longoria wouldn't be enough to fend off the Padres who eventually took three of four from the Giants. In the series-finale against San Diego whom Giants skipper Bruce Bochy began his managerial career with, the Giants unveiled a new, "Thank you, Boch" placard out in left field during a pregame ceremony. The sign along with an emotional reception for Pablo Sandoval who pinch-hit in the 7th inning before coming out to a thunderous ovation, made for an unforgettable day for Giants fans, despite the 8-4 loss. Following what could be his final appearance in a Giants uniform as he's set to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery in the coming days, Sandoval will be a free-agent at the end of the season.

Finishing with an 11-16 record in August and falling to 66-70 on the season, the Giants have once again fallen on hard times as they've seen their Wild Card hopes slip to 7 games behind the Cubbies who currently hold the second Wild Card spot. Even worse than their sub-par record in August, were the injuries suffered by relievers Trevor Gott and Reyes Moronta. Gott was forced out of a game against Arizona after experiencing tightness in his forearm which was looked at and eventually came back as a grade 1 UCL sprain and flexor strain that is expected to sideline him for at least two weeks. Moronta, however, wasn't as lucky as the shoulder injury suffered against San Diego will put an end to his 2019 campaign. Finally, August also saw the end of Joe Panik's tenure with the Giants as the former first-round draft pick and All-Star second baseman was released by the Giants and signed by the hometown Mets. The Giants would also release second baseman Scooter Gennett as the failed experiment lasted less than a month after he was acquired from the Cincinnati Reds at the trade deadline.

With another tough schedule ahead in the month of September with series on the road against the Cardinals, Dodgers, Red Sox and Braves, the Giants will definitely have their backs against the wall as they'll be forced to pull off another incredible run like the one they put together in July if they plan on making the postseason. Needing all the help they can get, Bruce Bochy and company will see the return of Johnny Cueto who hasn't pitched in the Majors since July of last year after needing Tommy John surgery. With starting pitching being an issue over the last month outside of Bumgarner and Samardzija, the thought along of having a healthy Cueto on the mound is one the Giants will welcome with open arms as they look to put together one final miracle for Bochy during his final month at the helm.


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San Francisco Giants Month in Review: July 2019

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.


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

San Francisco Giants Month in Review: June 2019

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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Giants Month in Review: May 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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First Longo, Now 'Cutch -- Giants stay Busy in Quiet Offseason

In what's been a slow developing market for the league's top available free-agents this offseason in Major League Baseball which has had very little excitement compared to years passed, baseball fans have been kept waiting for the next big splash. And though the San Francisco Giants have yet to dip their toes into the waters of free-agency, they've been one of the more active teams this winter in acquiring new talent. Providing us with the most excitement out of anybody up to this point with the lone exception of the blockbuster deal that sent National League MVP and Home Run Champion Giancarlo Stanton from Miami to the Bronx, whom the Giants had also pursued, the G-Men have successfully landed a pair of players via trade that they hope can help them regain their winning ways in preparation for another dose of some even year magic.

Following the acquisition of All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria on December 20 which gave Giants fans an early gift to unwrap in time for Christmas, the front-office went out and added another big bat in the lineup in the form of outfielder Andrew McCutchen. Sending a pair of prospects to Pittsburgh in exchange for the 5-time All-Star, the Pirates who appear to be in full on rebuild mode after trading away their two most well known players, received right-handed pitcher Kyle Crick and outfielder Bryan Reynolds from San Francisco. The decision to deal McCutchen who's in the last year of his contract, comes just two days after the ball club agreed to move ace Gerrit Cole to the defending champion Houston Astros. Both players helped put Pittsburgh back on the baseball map and into the postseason, snapping a 21 year playoff drought. Unfortunately, the Pirates would fail to make it past the division round, but gave baseball fans in Pittsburgh a reminder of what postseason baseball tastes like in the Steel City by clinching playoff spots in three straight seasons from 2013-2015.

After being named to five NL All-Star teams in nine seasons with the Pirates and putting up MVP numbers from 2012-2014 including a 2013 campaign which saw him take home MVP honors, the one nicknamed "Cutch" took a step back in 2016 and experienced a dip in production before seeing a resurgence in 2017, especially towards the end of the season. From May 24 on, McCutchen registered a .400 OBP and slugged .540 to finish with a .363 OBP and .486 SLG, both improvements over the previous season. Hitting .279 on the year, McCutchen tallied 28 home runs and 88 RBI's, both of which would've led a Giants offense that has long lacked a power threat in the lineup. Happy to now have him on their team, Giants brass and fans alike are hoping McCutchen can add a spark similar to the one another Pirates outfielder and former MVP had supplied after being acquired by San Francisco in the past who goes by the name of Barry Bonds. Of course the sting of Bonds' departure from Pittsburgh was one the team and its fan base had to deal with for many years until McCutchen debuted in 2009 and eventually took the team on a ride they hadn't been on since Bonds wore No. 24 and was still in a Pirates uniform. Like Pittsburgh who looked upon McCutchen to be their saving grace, the Giants are hoping their newest acquisitions have plenty left in the tank as the club looks to bounce back from a last-place finish in the NL West and a dreadful 98-loss season which ranked as the franchise's third worst season since the club moved out west from the streets of Manhattan, New York.

As for Longoria who has two years remaining on his contract and is coming off his third career Gold Glove Award, the new Giants third baseman should fit in quite well in an infield that has stout defenders all across the board in fellow Gold Glovers Brandon Crawford, Joe Panik and Buster Posey. Spending the first 10 seasons of his big league career with the Tampa Bay Rays where he left as the franchise leader in home runs (261), RBI's (892) and runs scored (780), the 3-time All-Star left behind a similar legacy than the one his new teammate left in Pittsburgh. Like McCutchen, Longoria helped end a funk in Tampa Bay by leading the Rays to their first glimpse of postseason baseball with playoff berths in 2010, 2011 and 2013 as well as the team's one and only World Series appearance in 2008, a season in which Longo was named AL Rookie of the Year. With 2017 being a down year offensively for Longo who hit .261, drove in 86 runs and smacked 20 homers, he still managed to top every Giants hitter in both categories as San Francisco was the only team in the league who failed to produce a single player with 20 HR's. With that in mind, the Giants dealt outfielder Denard Span, their No. 1 prospect Christian Arroyo and two additional prospects to Tampa in exchange for the longest-tenured player in Rays history.

Sure Giants fans would've much rather have seen the brain trust of Brian Sabean and Bobby Evans make the move for the duo much earlier in their careers with both players now in their 30's, McCutchen 31-years old and Longoria 32, but the two bring with them a plethora of experience as well as some well decorated resumes and are tremendous upgrades at their respective positions over what Giants manager Bruce Bochy had to work with the season prior. And for an outfield that had hit 40-some home runs combined a season ago, they're adding a guy who hit 28 dingers on his own in 2017 as McCutchen leaves one pitcher-friendly ballpark for another. Ranking dead last in the league in home runs hit by team, the Giants who hit 128 homers, hit 23 fewer long balls than the next closest team (Pittsburgh). Those additions in the lineup as well as a full season from ace Madison Bumgarner who was lost for nearly three full months after sustaining injuries stemming from a dirt biking accident, figure to help the Giants make a rebound in 2018. And with the division-rival Dodgers, D-Backs and Rockies all making the postseason in 2017 and poised to duplicate the feat, San Francisco will need all the help they can get. And they may not be done making moves.

With Giants skipper Bruce Bochy expected to have McCutchen man right field and shift Hunter Pence from right to left, a center fielder could very well be next on the list as such free-agent names as Carlos Gonzales, Cameron Maybin, Jon Jay, Jarrod Dyson and Lorenzo Cain have all been rumored as well as a possible trade for Billy Hamilton of the Reds. However, the possibility of signing Cain who at one point seemed like a lock to land in San Francisco, now appears like a long shot given how close to the luxury tax threshold the Giants now are after acquiring McCutchen who will make just over $14 Million in 2018, with Pittsburgh dishing out $2.5 Million. So until the first pitch of the regular season is thrown, don't rule anything out just yet as the G-Men could very well be in the news again with yet another move being made.

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Giants, Belt off to Hot Start

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

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

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

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


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