Matt Cain turned in the third consecutive strong pitching performance and Nate Schierholtz continued his torrid streak with his first homerun of the season as the Giants beat the Florida Marlins 6-3, sweeping the three game series on the road.

Cain (2-1) pitched no-hit ball into the sixth and lasted into the eighth inning, surrendering two runs on four hits while striking out six Marlins en route to the victory.  Schierholtz went 3-3 to raise his average to .381 on the season and blasted a solo shot in the fifth (1) off loser Ricky Nolasco (2-2) to make the score 3-0.   Aaron Rowand had two hits and drove in two, continuing his own personal tear since returning from the disabled list earlier this week.  Brian Wilson recorded the final out for his sixth save of the season.

In the opener, the Giants bullpen squandered a dominating thirteen strikeout performance by Tim Lincecum as Sergio Romo gave up a three run eighth inning blast to Dan Uggla (6) that temporarily gave the Marlins a 6-5 lead.  However, Rowand hit his second homerun of the season off closer Leo Nunez with two outs in the ninth, sending the game into extra innings.  A two run single by Aubrey Huff in the top of the 12th followed by a bases loaded hit by pitch by Schierholtz staked the Giants to a 9-6 lead against Burke Badenhop (0-3).  Guillermo Mota pitched a perfect bottom of the twelfth for his first save of the season.  Dan Runzler (1-0) struck out the side in the bottom of the eleventh for his first major league victory.

In the middle game, Barry Zito (5-0) pitched dominating ball into the eighth and Aaron Rowand homered (3) for the second straight game as the Giants won, 3-2.   Sergio Romo redeemed himself from the previous evening, inheriting a bases loaded, no out situation in the eighth.  He responded by striking out slugger Hanley Ramirez on three pitches and then inducing a double play by Jorge Cantu to retire the side.  Brian Wilson created a situation then got out of it, surrendering one run and picking up the save (5).   Nate Robertson (2-3) pitched well, but picked up the loss.

SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!  That felt good.  I was concerned at first when the bully gave up the lead for Lincecum.  However, timely hitting appears to be the name of the game on this road trip.  That’s not a bad thing.  Schierholtz, Rowand, and Huff all appear to be scalding the ball right now.  Matt Downs too.  In fact, the only person who is NOT bashing at this time is Pablo Sandoval.  He went 2-6 in the opener with a crucial double.  However, he was rather quiet in the last two games.  Not worried yet.  We’ll keep our eyes on that situation.  Great job by Romo to come back in the middle game.  Gotta take our hats off to that one.  Edgar Renteria started in the third game but it appears that he re-injured his groin as he left early tonight.  Let’s watch those developments, too.  There’s only one thing I can think of that would be great to follow a sweep.  Let’s bring our brooms up north to New York.  Go Giants!!!!

The Giants will next venture to New York City to take on the Mets on Friday evening.  The Marlins travel to the capital to take on the Nationals, also on Friday.

A ninth inning rally by the Philadelphia Phillies, coupled with several extra inning efforts, kept the Giants from sweeping the defending NL champions in San Francisco, as Philadelphia prevailed 7-6 in eleven innings.

Tim Lincecum entered the ninth riding a dominating effort and leading, 4-1.  After a walk, he was lifted and closer Brian Wilson entered.  However, he couldn’t continue his dominating 2010 performance as the Phillies loaded the bases, then tied the score on a bases clearing double by Jason Werth.   The game went to extra innings, where the Phillies took a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the tenth on a run scoring wild pitch by Jeremy Affeldt.  However, Andres Torres tied the score, driving home Nate Schierholtz with an RBI single in the bottom frame.  The Phillies responded with two runs against Sergio Romo (0-2) in the top of the eleventh.  The Giants could only muster one off Nelson Figueroa in the bottom of the inning, via Schierholtz’s second double (and fifth hit overall) of the day.   Figueroa got his first save of the season.   Ryan Madson (1-0) picked up the victory.

In the opener, the Giants scored early off of previously undefeated Roy Halladay (4-1), plating two runs in the first and one in the second inning en route to a 5-1 San Francisco victory.  Mark DeRosa hit a two out, two run single to start the scoring and Eli Whiteside homered and doubled in a second run.  Jonathan Sanchez (2-1) picked up the victory despite wildness (five walks), striking out six in five innings while only surrendering one run.  The bullpen dominated, with three pitchers combining to toss four shutout innings of relief.

In the middle game, the Giant bats came alive against Jamie Moyer (2-2), winning 6-2.  Aubrey Huff (2) and Matt Downs (1) hit solo homeruns to put the Giants ahead for good in the second inning.   Nate Schierholtz starred in the field, throwing out two runners at second base and making a diving catch in the first inning.  Todd Wellemeyer (1-3) picked up his first victory as a Giant, pitching seven plus innings of three hit, two run ball.   Pablo Sandoval and Edgar Renteria each drove in two runs to add to the final tally.

I would have liked the sweep.  However, a series victory is nice.  Great pitching up until they pulled Lincecum.  I’d like to know why he was yanked after a walk.  Why not Wilson in either to begin the inning or let Lincecum take care of his own game.  The Wellemeyer start was good, too.  However, I still am not sure that I trust him.  Schierholtz is blasting the ball.  Good job, Nate.  He should be moved up in the lineup, NOW!!!!  Perhaps he could swap spots with Mark DeRosa at five.  Just a thought. 

The Giants will next play host to the Colorado Rockies on Friday night.  Philadelphia will host the New York Mets on Friday evening.

The San Francisco Giants rode three straight strong starts to two victories against the offensive juggernaut of the St. Louis Cardinals. 

In the opener, Tim Lincecum (4-0) baffled Cardinal hitters for seven innings, striking out eight and scattering six hits, leading the Giants to a 4-1 victory and halting a four game slide.  Lincecum, who didn’t have his A game stuff, worked around trouble all night as the Giants played small ball, taking advantage of Cardinal mistakes, staking the ace to a 4-0 lead over losing pitcher, Jaime Garcia (1-1).  Brian Wilson pitched the ninth for his third save. 

In the middle game, Barry Zito (3-0) tossed eight shutout innings, striking out ten, and outdueling Adam Wainwright (3-1), 2-0.  The two pitchers matched zeroes for 7 1/2 innings until Nate Schierholtz led off the bottom of the eighth with a double and scored on a pinch single by Andres Torres.  The Giants tacked on one more run, via Aubrey Huff’s sacrifice fly, for the final tally.   Brian Wilson pitched the ninth for his fourth save of the season.

In the closer, Albert Pujols blasted a first inning homerun (7) off Matt Cain (0-1), leading the Cardinals to a 2-0 victory.  Brad Penny (3-0)dominated in his return to San Francisco, scattering eight hits over 7 2/3 shutout innings.  Ryan Franklin pitched the ninth for his sixth save of the season.   Pablo Sandoval collected three hits in a losing effort.

Okay.  A series win is nice.   The pitching was great.  Even Cain pitched well in a losing effort.  Brian Wilson was nails (as usual).  However, the hitting was atrocious.  Only two real bright spots.  Those would be Panda and Schierholtz.  Each was great all series.  However, they need to be moved closer in the lineup.  Perhaps Nate up to five and Sandoval in cleanup.  Just a thought.  This is the second straight series where the bats were flacid (and you could make an argument that it has been for three straight series).  You can’t win without offense.  The team is setting the table, but nobody’s driving them in.  That’s the way it was in San Diego and that’s the way this series was.  Sloppy.  Andres Torres is starting to come around.  I liked the start for Travis Ishikawa (though I wasn’t too wild about the results).  Bottom line, they need to move the hot hitters closer in the lineup.  I’m really excited to see what Schierholtz can do for the team if moved up. 

The Giants will next host the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday evening.  The Cardinals will go home and host the Atlanta Braves on that same night.

A late homerun by Manny Ramirez sunk the San Francisco Giants, 2-1, and kept them from gleaning the fruits of victory from back to back excellent starts Tim Lincecum and Barry Zito against the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Staked to a 1-0 lead via a solo shot by Juan Uribe (2), Zito spun 7 1/3 shutout innings and exited, ahead 1-0, following a one out walk to Garret Anderson.  Sergio Romo (0-1) came on to face pinch hitter Manny Ramirez who launched a two run homerun (2) for the final tally, 2-1.  Clayton Kershaw tossed seven excellent innings for a no decision.  Ramon Troncoso (1-0) pitched 1/3 of a inning and backed into the victory for Los Angeles.  Jonathan Broxton pitched the ninth for his first save of the season.

In the opener, the Dodgers jumped all over Todd Wellemeyer (0-2) early, scoring seven runs in the first two innings, winning 10-8 after the Giants scored five meaningless runs in the ninth.  Adam Ethier blasted two homeruns (2,3) including a grand slam to back Vicente Padilla (1-1), who went seven solid innings, striking out seven Giants.   He also hit Aaron Rowand in the helmet with a pitch in the fifth inning.  Rowand exited and was taken for examinations which revealed several fractures around his nose.  He was placed on the 15-day disabled list.  Matt Downs was recalled from AAA Fresno to take his roster spot.

In the middle game, Tim Lincecum (3-0) shone for the third straight game, pitching six shutout innings, striking out seven, as the Giants won 9-0.   Giant hitters tore apart knuckleballer Charlie Haeger (0-1) to the tune of seven runs on seven hits and five walks in three innings.  With the bat, Lincecum went 3-4 with three RBI, to support his own cause.  Juan Uribe, Bengie Molina, Eugenio Velez, and Edgar Renteria all drove in a run to back Lincecum.

To be honest, this is the best I’ve felt after losing a series in quite a while.  Pitching was above average.  Hitting was adequate to good.  Per the games lost, the second could have gone either way.  Of course, there’s the argument, why wasn’t closer Brian Wilson brought on?  Why was Manny pitched to?  While both are legitimate, Romo is a quality pitcher and worthy of being trusted in the eighth in such a situation.   Per the first game, yes the bats weren’t there for a slugfest.  However, my only complaint is Wellemeyer (though he did alright after the early stumbling).   I’m starting to doubt he’s up to the task to be the team’s number five starter.   I think he did well enough in spring training to be here now.  However, I say that if he doesn’t start producing in the next game or two, he should get a few reps in the bullpen and they should look to the minor leagues for a replacement (probably Kevin Pucetas).  After all is said and done, the Giants went toe to toe with the Dodgers and came out of it looking pretty good (if even with less victories than losses). 

The Giants will next travel to San Diego to play the Padres.  The Dodgers will travel to Cincinnati to play the Reds on Tuesday night.

The San Francisco Giants blasted three homeruns and Jonathan Sanchez dominated as the NL West leaders beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, Wednesday afternoon, by a tally of 6-0. 

The hit parade began in the second as Aubrey Huff hit his first homerun as a Giant;  a solo inside the park number that caromed off the wall in triples alley off loser Charlie Morton (0-2).  Eli Whiteside followed four batter later with a three run blast, giving winning pitcher Jonathan Sanchez (1-0) all the runs he would need on this day.  Sanchez was masterful, tossing eight shutout innings while giving up only three hits and three walks and tying his career high with eleven strikeouts.  Aaron Rowand closed the scoring with his first homerun, a two run shot in the fifth.

In the opener, Barry Zito (2-0) won his second consecutive strong start, pitching into the seventh, while Bengie Molina went 4-4, driving in four and hitting his first homerun of the season as the Giants prevailed, 9-3.  The team hit early and often off losing pitcher Brian Burres (0-1), chasing him after four innings.  Mark DeRosa drove in two and Pablo Sandoval went 3-4 on the day as San Francisco rapped out twelve hits.  Aubrey Huff scored three runs in the effort. 

In the middle game, Matt Cain played well, pitching six innings of five hit ball.  After he left, the Giants rallied to tie the score at three, giving Cain a no-decision on the day.  However, the bullpen couldn’t hold the Pirates down as loser Jeremy Affeldt (2-1) gave up an unearned run as Garret Jones singled in Andrew McCutchen in the eighth.  The Pirates tacked on two in the ninth off Brandon Medders and closer Octavio Dotel withstood a two run homerun by Eugenio Velez (1) in the ninth to collect the save (2) as the Pirates won, 6-5.  Evan Meek (1-0) bounced back from a blown save to pitch two shutout innings for the win and Andy Laroche (1) and Akinori Iwamura (2) lifted homeruns in the winning effort. 

Well, all in all, a good series.  The pitching is still clicking and Huff is contributing.  That’s all good.  They gave Brian Wilson an inning of work today.  Again, good idea.  No need to get him rusty.  It seems like this team can beat you with whoever they send to the hill.  Sanchez’s outing today echoes that.  When they win, it’s a no-doubter.  When they lose, it’s up in the air.  That’s how they’ll keep the momentum as they head into division play this weekend.  Keep it up, guys. 

The Giants get an off day and then will travel to Los Angeles to play the Dodgers on Friday.  This should be a true test to how ‘for real’ the team is.  The Pirates go home and host the Cincinnati Reds  on Friday.  GO GIANTS!!!!

The San Francisco used a combination of stellar pitching and clutch hitting to beat the Houston Astros 10-4, culminating the season opening three game sweep for the Giants.

In the opener, Tim Lincecum (1-0) tossed seven shutout innings, surrendering only four hits, striking out seven and walking none as the Giants prevailed 5-2. He was bolstered by a three run second inning, featuring RBI singles by Bengie Molina and John Bowker and a sacrifice fly by Juan Uribe off losing pitcher Roy Oswalt (0-1). In the eighth, newcomer Mark DeRosa hit his first homerun of the season for the Giants, extending the lead to 5-0. The Astros rallied for two runs in the ninth before closer Brian Wilson came in and slammed the door for his first save of 2010.

In the middle game, Barry Zito (1-0) pitched six innings of shutout, three-hit ball, and combined with four other Giants relievers on a 3-0 shutout victory. San Francisco put a three spot on the board in the sixth, behind run scoring single by Aubrey Huff and Juan Uribe, sandwiching a sacrifice fly by Bengie Molina, off losing pitcher Wandy Ramirez (0-1) for their only scoring of the day. Brian Wilson pitched a perfect ninth for his second save of the season.

In the finale, the Giants bats erupted for six runs in the final two innings, breaking a 4-4 tie and crushing the Astros 10-4. John Bowker lifted a two-run homer (1) in the second as the Giants opened up an early 2-0 advantage. After increasing the lead to 3-0 following a run scoring double play ground out by Mark DeRosa, former Giant Pedro Feliz stroked a double to make it 3-1 in the fourth. Edgar Renteria pushed the lead back to 4-1 in 7th, driving in Aaron Rowand with one of his five singles on the day. All the while, Matt Cain was sharp, pitching into the seventh, surrendering only one unearned run. However, the Astros rallied behind a two out triple by Cory Sullivan, pulling to 4-3. Jeremy Affeldt (1-0) relieved and surrendered a run scoring infield single to Michael Bourn, knotting the score at 4-4. That’s when the fun began. In the top of the eighth, the Giants teed off on reliever Sammy Gervacio (0-1), scoring once on an error on a bunted ball off the bat of Eli Whiteside by Gervacio and another time on an RBI single by Aaron Rowand. In the ninth, the Giants piled on four more runs, with a leadoff homerun by pinch hitter Travis Ishikawa (1) and run scoring singles by Renteria and Rowand following an RBI double by Juan Uribe for the final tally.

Wow!!! What can I say? Awesome series by the orange and black. Great pitching by all starters (Cain should have won as that triple should have been caught). Edgar Renteria and Juan Uribe are both on fire. John Bowker is looking great. DeRosa blasted his first. Even Travis Ishikawa got into the act. Brian Wilson was nails in the first two games. Not needed today. Incredible stuff!!! Let’s see if they can keep it going. If we see more of this in 2010, we will be looking at a post-season visit.

The Giants will head home on Friday to play the Atlanta Braves. The Astros will play host to NL champ Philadelphia Phillies. Let’s keep it up!!! Go Giants!!!

Much maligned off-season free agent signing Edgar Renteria launched a grand slam as the Giants rallied to beat the Colorado Rockies, 9-5, completing a three game home sweep to lift San Francisco into a wildcard tie.

Renteria’s seventh inning shot (4) off losing pitcher Rafael Betencourt (1-3) turned a three run deficit into a 6-5 lead.   Ryan Rohlinger and Eugenio Velez added to the hit parade in the eighth with a bases loaded two run double and RBI double, respectively.  Brandon Medders (3-1) picked up the win and Brian Wilson pitched the ninth in a non-save situation.  Matt Cain pitched well, but only lasted six innings, giving up back to back homeruns to Todd Helton (13) and Troy Tulowitzski (24) in the fifth. 

In the opener, Tim Lincecum (13-4) shone, tossing eight shutout innings as the Giants beat the Rockies, 2-0.  The defending Cy Young winner struck out eight and surrendered only four hits in the victory.  Pablo Sandoval broke a scoreless tie with his twentieth homerun in the fifth off loser Ubaldo Jiminez (12-10).  Brian Wilson tossed the ninth for his 31st save.

In the middle game, Barry Zito (9-11) played the role of stifler, tossing 8 1/3 innings, striking out seven and surrendering only one run on a solo homerun by Brad Hawpe (19) in the ninth as the Giants won 5-3.  Pablo Sandoval homered (21) for the second straight day and had three hits as the Giants used a balanced offense to beat Jason Marquis (14-9).  Brian Wilson recorded the final out to quell a late Colorado rally and notch his 32nd save.  

Well, a sweep’s great, especially when it’s mathematically needed.  Awesome job by the Giants on this six game homestand.   Especially when taking into account that they went 5-6 on the road trip.  Add the two together and that’s 10-7 in that stretch.  Not great, but good enough for a wild card tie going into the next series.  Pablo is awesome.  The Giants will only get better when they get Freddy Sanchez back next week.  Randy Johnson also might be back soon, but appears headed for the bullpen.  When taking into account that Joe Martinez got a bus ticket to Fresno, I have no idea who will be #5.  Ryan Sadowski hasn’t been that great in AAA since going back down.  I will again make my pitch for Kevin Pucetas.  I hear that newly returned Alex Hinshaw might be getting a turn.  Huh?  You’ve got to be kidding me.  Right now, with every game critical, they can’t be holding tryouts for that slot.  The Giants don’t play until Tuesday and it appears that they’re content skipping the five spot in favor of Lincecum going Wednesday.  Smart.  Today’s rally was huge.  All the more better that it came at the expense of a rival.   I don’t think I approve of the job that Ryan Garko’s been doing, thus far.  Yes, he hit two homeruns the other day.  However, they were in Colorado and the Giants lost the game, 14-11.  Travis Ishikawa’s shot against the Arizona broke the tie late.  I’m much more comfortable with Ishikawa at first.  Just my opinion.  Oh, and Nate Schierholtz forcing out a runner at second on Saturday night was awesome.  Great cannon in right. 

The Giants will next travel to play the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night.  The Rockies host the New York Mets Tuesday night.   

The San Francisco Giants clubbed 18 hits and beat the New York Mets 10-1 to earn a split in the four game set. 

Aaron Rowand had four hits and launched his tenth homerun of the season as the Giants hitters feasted early and often on former San Francisco rotation stalwart Livan Hernandez (7-8), touching the veteran up for six runs in 5 1/3 innings.  Joe Martinez (3-1), a New York native, had a successful homecoming, tossing five innings of five hit ball while surrendering one run.   Nate Schierholtz added a two run pinch-hit double and Randy Winn had three hits to pace the Giants offense.

In the Friday night opener, Met rookie Bobby Parnell (3-4), making only his second start on the year (against 54 relief appearances) was masterful, tossing six shutout innings, striking out seven while walking none, as the Mets won 3-0.  Angel Pagan led off the game with a homerun (3) off Barry Zito (8-11) and Francisco Rodriguez tossed a perfect ninth for his 26th save. 

In the second game of the set, Benjie Molina broke a 4-4 tie in the top of the tenth with a homerun (15) off Francisco Rodriguez (2-4) as the Giants prevailed 5-4 in ten innings.  Brian Wilson (5-5) blew a long save for Matt Cain, but tossed 2 2/3 shutout innings for the win.  Cain was strong again, notching 7 1/3 strong innings and leaving with the lead.  Earlier in the game, Cain hit David Wright in the helmet with a fastball, knocking the slugger out and sending him to the hospital.   Mets starter Johan Santana retaliated, throwing behind Pablo Sandoval in the seventh.  The Giant third baseman responded by depositing the next pitch over the left field fence for his 18th homerun of the season. 

The third game was likewise a pitcher’s duel as Jonathan Sanchez and Mike Pelfrey matched pitches for more than seven innings, each leaving with the score tied 2-2.   Daniel Murphy drove home Jeff Francoeur, singling off Jeremy Affeldt in the bottom of the ninth to win the game for the Mets 3-2 and make a loser off Sergio Romo (3-2).  Francisco Rodriguez (3-4) struck out the side in the top of the ninth for the victory.

Well, they got the split.  That’s what you ask for on the road, right?  But the bats (with the exception of the last game) were silent.  Four good outings and two wins to show for it.  I don’t know.  I’m amazed more the more I watch this.  Come on guys.  Cain losing a three run lead was a bit of a shocker, too.  I pray that David Wright is okay.  It appears as if he is.  Ended up on the disabled list with a concussion.  Martinez played well.  That’s nice to see.  Let’s keep this momentum going into the next series.  Heck, the Dodgers keep losing.  Perhaps the Giants can win this thing yet. 

The Giants will next travel to Cincinnati on Tuesday to play the Reds.  The Mets host the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday. 

Juan Uribe lifted his fifth homerun of the season to left field, sinking the Dodgers 4-2 in ten innings and allowing the Giants to salvage the final game of the three game set with division leader Los Angeles.

The Dodgers forced extra innings when Adam Ethier singled home Rafael Furcal, tying the score against Tim Lincecum with two outs in the ninth.  Winner Brian Wilson (4-5) quelled the rally and pitched the tenth for the win.  Uribe blasted an 0-2 offering from loser Guillermo Mota (3-4) into the seats for the final tally.  Lincecum finished the day surrendering four hits, two runs, and striking out seven.  Great day for the game’s top pitcher.  He should have had the win.  Ended up with a no decision.

In the first game, the Giants jumped out to an early 1-0 advantage when Travis Ishikawa blasted an offering from HIroki Kuroda (5-5) over the right field fence in the second inning.  However, the Giants would get little else as Matt Kemp banged a three run double off loser Jonathan Sanchez (5-10) in the fourth en route to a 4-2 victory.  Mark Loretta followed with a run scoring single to give the Dodgers a 4-1 advantage.  Benjie Molina hit a rather meaningless solo homerun (14) off closer Jonathan Broxton in the ninth.  However, after allowing a single to Randy Winn, Broxton slammed the door the rest of the way for his 25th save of the season.

In the middle game, the Giants again struck first, jumping out to a third inning 1-0 advantage over Randy Wolf (6-6).  However, rookie Joe Martinez (2-1) couldn’t hold the lead through the fifth and the Dodgers prevailed 9-1.  Martinez shut the Dodgers out through the first four frames but was chased after Ethier and Manny Ramirez blasted back to back run scoring doubles to give the Dodgers a 3-1 lead.  The hit parade continued in full swing in the seventh when Ramirez (13) and Matt Kemp (16) sent balls into orbit off Brandon Medders for the final numbers. 

All in all, the Giants looked atrocious this series.  Yes, I know that the umpires blew some (A LOT) of calls this series.  However, that doesn’t excuse Sanchez’s wildness (two walks before the back breaking double) or the inept offense shown by the Giants.  Questionable managerial moves, too.  Such as, in the first game, Ishikawa blasted a homerun and drew the team’s only walk on the day.  He had a chance to come up with runners on base but late, because a lefty was on for the Dodgers, he was lifted for a right hand hitter (Ryan Garko).  STUPID!!!  Does the concept of ‘hot hand’ mean nothing to Bochy?  Guess not.  And another thing.  I think I’m tired of seeing Garko in the lineup.  I don’t care if he was a deadline pickup.  He’s been playing horrible.  There’s a reason Ishikawa’s had more reps recently.  I won’t hold the feet of Martinez to the fire too much.  He did a servicable job for four innings.  But the pressure might have gotten to him in the fifth.  He’s young.  However, he needs to get through that frame.  If not, tickets to Fresno can be bought at a premium.  Did I see Randy Winn batting fifth this series?  Wow!!!  That’s a sure fire way to protect Molina at four.  Incredible.   This was a huge series.  They needed two or three wins and got one.  Amazing.   I guess there’s always the wild card.  Timmy should have had the victory today.   Perhaps there’s a reason why they call the umps ‘blue’.  Did I just say that?  Strike that from the record. 

The Giants next travel to New York to take on the Mets Friday night.  The Dodgers will hopefully lose to the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix.  We can hope, right?

Freddy Sanchez waited several days to make his debut for the San Francisco Giants.  However, his performance Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies not only helped boost the team to a 7-3 victory, but also helped endear him to Giant faithful as the team took three of four games at home against the NL East leaders. 

Sanchez singled and doubled, driving in two critical runs and scoring once as the Giants rallied from an early 3-1 deficit with six unanswered runs in the fifth and sixth innings off losing pitcher Cole Hamels (7-6).   Barry Zito (7-10) went six strong innings, limiting the high powered Phillies offense to six hits and three runs (two earned), striking out five and walking none.   Eugenio Velez continued his torid hitting, driving in two runs with a bases loaded single in the sixth that tallied the final runs.  Aaron Rowand also contributed an RBI triple in the second. 

In the opener, Pablo Sandoval drove in four runs with a sacrifice fly, double, and homerun (16) as the Giants won 7-2.  Rodrigo Lopez (3-1) was hit early and often in losing his first decision on the season.  Eugenio Velez had three hits and drove in three with a double and two singles.  Jonathan Sanchez (4-9) pitched into the sixth, surrendering three hits and striking out seven.  The only real blemish on Sanchez was Chase Utley’s 23rd homerun of the season in the sixth.  Giant outfielder Andres Torres left the game after the bottom of the second with a strained left hamstring.  He was replaced by Randy Winn.

In the second match of the series, newcomer and defending AL Cy Young winner Cliff Lee (8-9) handcuffed the Giants on four hits, carrying a no-hitter into the sixth.  Jayson Werth drove in three and launched a homerun (22) in the 5-1 Phillie victory.  Rookie Ryan Sadowski (2-4) didn’t pitch poorly, but lost his fourth straight decision, leaving after four innings with shoulder tightness, surrendering one run on three hits and three walks.   

In the third game, Tim Lincecum (12-3) stymied the Phillies through eight shutout innings, winning 2-0.  Lincecum struck out eight and scattered seven hits and walked one.  Joe Blanton (7-5) was the hard luck loser, pitching seven strong innings, blemished only by two sacrifice flies by Juan Uribe.  Brian Wilson pitched the ninth for his 27th save. 

Great series for the Giants.  I can’t really think of too many complaints.  The pitching was awesome.  Even in the loss, Sadowski pitched well.  A lot of good momentum to end the home stand with a 6-1 mark.  The staff did an impressive job with turning back an incredibly potent offense.   Sanchez was great in his debut.  This is what the team needs.  Velez has been a sparkplug since his recall.  Nice to see that he’s over .300 and doing what was expected when coming out of spring training last year. 

In moves to make room for Sanchez, the Giants optioned Jesus Guzman and Ryan Sadowski to Fresno, recalling reliever Waldis Joaquin from Connecticut.  Joaquin has pitched well in the minors but is most likely holding a spot until they either recall Kevin Pucetas or Joseph Martinez to make the start on Wednesday or look to a reliever, such as Justin Miller, to make a spot start.  Not sure if this is a demotion for Sadowski or a chance for him to work on pitching in the minors for a bit (and to take a closer look at his injury).  I think it’s a good opportunity for either Pucetas or Martinez to have a shot in the rotation, but we’ll know for sure on Wednesday.

The Giants travel to Houston to begin a three game set with the Astros Monday night.  The Phillies will go to Denver to start a three game set with the Rockies on Tuesday.  The Giants and Rockies each sport identical 58-47 marks to lead the National League wild card chase.  Go Giants.  Go Phillies.