In a move echoing their commitment to a youth movement, the San Francisco Giants released veteran outfielder Dave Roberts, parting ways with a player whose tenure with the team could be described as underwhelming, at best.  Since signing a three year, $18 million contract with the Giants prior to the 2007 season, Roberts has spent substantial time on the disabled list and has never been the table setter originally envisioned by the Giant brass.   His release signals a vote of confidence for Nate Schierholtz and suggests that the Giants are serious about giving the talented young player a serious look as their number four outfielder in 2009.   The Giants are still obligated to pay Roberts contract for 2009, however. 

In other moves, relief pitchers Keiichi Yabu and Kelvin Pichardo were both optioned to AAA Fresno.  Yabu played a significant role in the Giants bullpen in 2008, appearing in 60 games. 

Barry Zito and the San Francisco Giants finished up a four game series with the Atlanta Braves on Monday afternoon with a 5-0 victory. The Giants took three out of four games against the Braves in the series to improve their record to 53-71 on the season.

Zito who pitched seven innings won for just the third time since the all star break and is now 7-15 on the year. Zito gave up five hits while walking two and striking out three Braves hitters. Keiichi Yabu and Sergio Romo each pitched an inning of relief to combine with Zito on the shutout.

The Giants got on the scoreboard right away as they pushed across three runs in the first inning. Rich Aurilia and Pablo Sandoval both had rbi singles while Aaron Rowand had a rbi sac fly. The Giants were then held scoreless until the sixth inning when Rowand hit a solo home run. The team got another run in the seventh inning when Dave Roberts walked with the bases loaded.

The Giants will now start up a series on Tuesday night with the Florida Marlins.

Giants Baseball Blog

Alex Hinshaw gave up a two run home run to Lance Berkman in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Giants lost to the Astros 7-4. The Giants had been been up 4-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning but Darin Erstad then tied the game with a rbi single. With the loss, the Giants were swept in the four game series down in Houston. The team just isn’t playing good baseball right now.

Kevin Correia was charged with seven hits and four runs in 6 2/3 innings as he got the no decision. Even though Hinshaw was charged with two runs, Keiichi Yabu took the loss as he allowed the first runner on base before Berkman hit the home run.

Randy Winn finished the game with two rbi’s at the plate while Fred Lewis and Pablo Sandoval both had one rbi each. Lewis had a solo home run while Sandaval’s rbi came on a sacrafice fly. This was a tough game all the way around as it was one that the Giants could have won.  Just a couple of mistakes at the plate and on the mound that really hurt them.

Giants Baseball Blog

The Giants are in a bad way right now.  Their offense is struggling mightily as they were shut out for a second consecutive game, only able to muster three hits against the Mets in Wednesday night 5-0 loss. 

The Giants got a good effort from starter Jonathan Sanchez, he kept the Mets scoreless until the bottom of the fourth when he gave up a three run shot to Met’s catcher Ramon Castro.  There was a 42 minute rain delay in the bottom of the fifth, and Sanchez did not return to the mound.  In his four innings of work, he allowed three earned runs on three hits while walking three and striking out six.  Keiichi Yabu worked an inning and a third and allowed two runs on five hits-however, he got no help from second baseman Ray Durham, that guy has no range!

Johan Santana and the rest of the Met’s pitching staff kept the Giants’ offense in check shutting them out for a second straight night.  As a team the Giants left 6 guys on base.  The only real time the Giants looked as if they might score was in the top of the fourth, with two out Rich Aurilla hit a double to left and Jose Castillo walked, but Santana got rookie Emmanuel Burris grounded into a force play at short to end the inning.  In the top of the fifth, with the rain pouring down on Shea Stadium, Ray Durham worked a two out walk, but Randy Winn flied out to center to end the inning.  All in all the entire Giants’ offense never looked like they were even in the game. 

San Francisco will try to salvage a win in the third game of the series before heading off to meet up with a hot Cubs team.  Barry Zito will be on the hill for the Giants and the Mets will counter with John Maine.  First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. 

Giants Blog

The San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs were tied at 5-5 heading into the eighth inning but Giants relief pitcher Tyler Walker gave up a home run to Mike Fontenot and the Cubs went on to beat the Giants 6-5.  The Cubs have now won two of the first three games in the four game series and will go for the series win on Thursday.

Giants starting pitcher Kevin Correia pitched 6 1/3 innings as he gave up seven hits and four runs including one home run to get the no decision.  Sergio Romo and Walker both gave up a run each as both players pitched one inning.  Keiichi Yabu was finally able to slow the Cubs down in the ninth inning as he pitched a scoreless inning.

All of the Giants runs came via the home run ball as John Bowker hit a two run home run in the sixth inning off of Cubs starting pitcher Ryan Dempster.  Ray Durham then hit a big three run home run off of Carlos Marmol in the seventh inning that tied the game at 5-5.  The Giants didn’t have an answer however in the eighth or ninth innings and lost the game 6-5.

The Giants can still get a split in the series with a win against the Cubs as they plate a very late afternoon game to finish up the series.

Giants Blog

The San Francisco Giants beat the Cleveland Indians for the second night in a row.  This time it was a 4-1 victory for the visiting Giants.  Now with a win on Thursday, the Giants will sweep the Indians which would be a great feat for the team.

Barry Zito actually got a win and improved to 3-11 on the season.  Yeah, you read that right, Barry Zito won a game!  Zito tossed 6 2/3 innings and allowed four hits and one run while striking out four batters.  The key for Zito was zero walks in his five plus innings of action!

Keiichi Yabu was called on to get the final out of the seventh inning but he was unable to as he gave up a hit and then was pulled from the game.  Jack Taschner got the final out in the inning and then got the first out in the eighth inning before he was pulled from the game and Tyler Walker came in to the game to finish up the inning.  Brian Wilson pitched the ninth inning to pick up his 21st save of the season.

Aaron Rowand led the Giants at the plate with a two run single in the first inning.  Jose Castillo and John Bowker both hit solo home runs in the game as both players finished the game with one rbi each.

The Giants will go for the sweep on Thursday against the Indians.  Do you think they will get the job done once again on the road?  Leave us a comment and let us know your thoughts!

Would you be interested in blogging about the Giants here on sfgiantshomeplate?  Leave us a comment or click the contact us link on the main page and let us know.  We are looking for game recap writers as well as writers that want to just blog about Giants Baseball!

For the second straight game the San Francisco Giants lost to the Detroit Tigers.  On Wednesday, the Giants suffered a 7-2 loss to the Tigers.  The Giants pitchers had problems as the Tigers kept pressure on them the first five innings of the game by scoring runs four out of the first five innings.

Barry Zito struggled once again and only lasted two innings.  Zito gave up five hits and five runs while walking four to take the loss.  Zito is now a very dissapointing 2-11 on the season and it doesn’t look like he is going to turn it around any time soon.

Billy Sadler gave up one run while pitching the third and fourth innings.  Alex Hinshaw pitched the next two innings and gave up one run as well.  Finally Jack Taschner, Keiichi Yabu, and Vinnie Chulk threw scoreless innings in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings.

It was pretty funny how the Giants scored their first run in the game.  In the second inning, Armando Galarraga threw wild pitch that struckout Brian Horwitz.  However, Travis Denker was on third and scored on the wild pitch.  The second run of the game in the sixth inning Emmanuel Burriss reached on an infield single and Steve Holm scored on a throwing error by Tigers third basemen Carlos Guillen.

Yeah the Giants scored two runs and didn’t even have a rbi.  That is not the correct way to score runs lol.  No wonder why the lost.

Giants Blog

John Bowker blasted a three run home run in the eighth inning as the San Francisco Giants scored five runs in the eighth and defeated the Detroit Tigers by the score of 8-6.  Bowker’s three run shot came off of Fernando Rodney who was making his first apperance of the year for the Tigers.

After Bowker’s three run blast, Fred Lewis hit a two run ground rule double to score two more runs.  It was a good thing for Lewis’s two run double because the Giants would give up two runs in the ninth inning before ending the game.

Keiichi Yabu ended up getting the win and is now 3-3 on the season.  Tim Lincecum pitched a good game as he tossed seven innings and allowed six hits and four runs.  Lincecum did give up two home runs to Marcus Thames as he was the only one that really did any damage.  Brian Wilson pitched the ninth inning and gave up three hits and two runs as he had a bad outing.

Giants Blog

The San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies combined for 17 runs at Coors field in Denver, and there was only one home run hit in the game!  The Giants were able to defeat the Rockies by the score of 10-7 and avoid the three game sweep in the series.

Fred Lewis hit the only home run in the game when he went deep in the second inning with a three run shot.  Other then that, it was a bunch of rbi singles pretty much for the Giants.  Rich Aurilia also had three rbi in the game to tie Lewis for the game lead.  Ray Durham finished the game with two rbi while Emmanuel Burriss and Jonathan Sanchez both had one rbi.

Sanchez got the win on the mound for the Giants and is now 6-3 on the season. Sanchez threw five innings and gave up nine hits and seven runs.  Usually Sanchez would have got a loss in the game as he gave up seven runs, but thankfully for him and the Giants, the offense was on top of their game and put ten runs on the board.

Billy Sadler, Jack Taschner, Keiichi Yabu, Tyler Walker, and Brian Wilson should all be congratulated because they held off the Rockies over the final four innings of the game.  They were the real game winners if you ask me.  Wilson notched his 19th save of the season in the game as well.

The Giants will now play the Oakland A’s in a interleague Bay Area matchup.  Hopefully a lot of you will be able to attend the games and root on the Giants!

Giants Blog

You have got to feel bad for the San Francisco Giants right now as they just lost a 1-0 game to the Colorado Rockies in Denver.  The Giants pitching staff did a great job, there was just no run support once again and the Giants ended up losing once again.

Tim Lincecum pitched seven innings and gave up six hits but no runs.  It’s too bad he came out of the game after seven innings the way he was throwing the ball.  Lincecum struckout nine Rockies batters and walked three through his seven innings of action.

Tyler Walker pitched a scoreless eighth inning but in the ninth inning, Keiichi Yabu gave up two walks and one hit.  With the bases loaded the Giants brought in Jack Taschner who recorded one out but then had a sacrafice fly hit off of him to end the game.  The run was charged to Yabu who took the loss and dropped to 2-3 on the season.

As for the Giants offense, they only had six hits on the game.  The offense left 17 runners on base while only take two walks and striking out six times.  Very bad game for the Giants at the plate and it really sucks because the pitchers did a good job and kept them in the game.

Giants Blog