Tonight, the Giants capped off an amazing comeback run in the NLCS by defeating the Cardinals 9-0. The Cardinals, who’ve got to be kicking themselves right now after failing to capitalize on a 3-1 lead in the series, never were really in tonight’s game. The Giants tacked on runs in the 1st and 2nd innings before exploding for five runs… Read more →
I’ve been watching the Giants for almost 20 years now and I can’t remember a Giants pitcher that pitched off his fastball more than Ryan Vogelsong over his last two NLCS starts. Maybe Jason Schmidt, when he was dominating the National League, but it’s pretty damned special what Ryan Vogelsong is doing right now with his fastball. Velocity. Movement. Location…. Read more →
A quick-fire post before I settle down this Sunday and get ready for tonight’s game. — (1) Will Vogelsong be able to (again) successfully pitch inside to Cardinal right-handed batters? Vogelsong’s Game Two start was magnificent. As I noted at the time, Vogelsong really hammered right-handed batters inside with his fastball. The result was this: And this: The first image… Read more →
I know I did it. You probably did it too. You probably make some jerk comment about how Barry Zito — vastly overpaid, not all that great pitcher — was starting in the playoffs for the Giants in a must-win, do-or-die, NLCS Game Give. You did it, just like I did it, because it was the easy thing to do…. Read more →
Watching Hunter Pence go down swinging on one knee, hacking at a slider in the dirt, in a crucial at-bat in the 7th inning of yesterday’s Game Three against Mitchell Boggs was a painful sight. Pence, acquired at the trading deadline to bolster the outfield depth and add offensive firepower to the lineup, has struggled with the Giants and is… Read more →
I’m going to ask you to remember way back in the middle of August and September. Way back to when Ryan Vogelsong was struggling. Before August 13, Vogelsong’s league leading ERA sat at 2.27. Seven games later, Vogelsong’s ERA sat at 3.65. Panic ensued among the fan base. Was Vogelsong finished? He was giving up a jillion hits per start…. Read more →
From Alex Pavlovic’s Giants Extra blog: But here are the more concerning numbers: 89, 90, 89, 89, 89, 89, 90, 89, 89, 89. Those are his fastball velocity numbers from the fourth inning, when he gave up two doubles, a homer and four runs. In last night’s start, Madison Bumgarner, per Brooks Baseball, averaged 89 miles per hour on his… Read more →
The Giants find themselves in a familiar position once again after tonight’s game. Dropping the opener of a playoff series at home is starting to feel inevitable. It’s way too early in this series to start panicking, but the Giants have to play better at home. After Game Two in the NLCS, the Giants will play three straight games in… Read more →
Whew. And just like that, the Giants are in the NLCS. Most of what you’ll read about today’s game will focus on Buster Posey’s grand slam in the fifth inning. And, to be honest, it was a huge hit for the Giants, pushing the lead to 6-0, and reminding us that Buster Posey is the truth and the light. Hitting… Read more →
Playoff baseball is awesome again. After a postseason of offensive futility, the Giants’ bats came alive in Game Four, hitting three home runs, racking up 11 base hits, and scoring eight runs against the Cincinnati Reds. What an amazing turn of events. After getting destroyed in Game Two, the Giants looked like a team that didn’t belong in the postseason…. Read more →