BASTA: 49ers Close Fruitless Season With A Win; Coaching Situation in Question

((HT: BASTA/Baichwal))

This season has been full of ups and downs, with the 49ers showing great promise in some moments but then looking listless in others. Over the past four years, in the Jim Harbaugh and Colin Kaepernick era, the 49ers have had great success, except for this year. They went to three straight NFC Championship games, and even made the Super Bowl two years ago. However, this year all of the success that they had built up fizzled, going from a Super Bowl contender to mediocrity. Coming into today’s matchup against their division rival Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers were 7-8. They managed a 20-17 win today, ending their season at an even 8-8, maintaining Jim Harbaugh’s streak of no losing seasons.

The 49ers 2014 season looked promising as the preseason ended, and they continued to look extremely good, starting the season with a resounding win over the Cowboys. However, the 49ers’ hot start quickly ended, losing two games straight for the first time in Harbaugh’s NFL coaching career to the Bears and the Cardinals. Fortunately, they came back after this with strength, as they took their 1-2 record, and then won three straight games against the Eagles, the Chiefs, and the Rams. However, this 4-2 surge was stopped by back-to-back losses to the Broncos and the Rams, bringing the 49ers record to an even 4-4. The 49ers were then able to bear down and battle hard for three straight wins: an overtime win over the Saints, a defensive win over the Giants, and an Anquan Boldin led win over Washington, giving them a 7-4 record and putting them in a tie with the Seattle Seahawks, in the chase for the NFC Wild Card spot. However, the 49ers’ playoff hopes were quickly yet painfully stripped away, as the 49ers lost four straight games, including a blowout by the division rival Seahawks, a stinging loss to the awful Raiders, another bad loss to the Seahawks, and an overtime loss to the Chargers, forming the 49ers’ longest losing streak in the Jim Harbaugh era. With a 7-8 record, the 49ers tip-toed into today’s matchup, and were luckily able to grab a win, to give them a somewhat acceptable record of 8-8.

On Sunday, the volatile 49ers were on one of their good days. Frank Gore rushed for a season high 144 yards on 25 carries, continuing to add onto his franchise leading rushing totals. Some believe that free-agent-to-be Gore will retire after his tenth year in the league. However, Gore prides himself on his determination and resiliency, making it unlikely that he would leave after a subpar season like this one. Furthermore, he has indicated that he would like to continue his career with the 49ers, the only team he has ever known. Whether or not he plays next season, it is highly unlikely that he will remain with San Francisco due to the fact that they have been grooming rookie Carlos Hyde to be his successor. Furthermore, they simply do not have the money to pay him, even though he is still a very reliable running back at age 31.

Even so, in today’s game he set a couple milestones in what may be his last game in Levi’s Stadium. He recorded his eighth season gaining 1000

rushing yards, also becoming the 20th running back to make it to 11,000 rushing yards. Whether or not he retires after this season, he will have left a huge impression on the 49ers’ franchise, as one of the most consistent players to ever step on the field. ((thanks to BASTA for the photo))

In the passing game, Colin Kaepernick threw for 204 yards on 15 of 26 attempts and two touchdowns, including a 76 yard catch and run to Anquan Boldin. The touchdown catch came early in the first quarter, just after the Cardinals had executed a flawless drive to take an early 7-0 lead. This score tied up the game for the 49ers, shifting the momentum back in their favor. It also gave receiver Anquan Boldin a 1000 yard receiving season for the second year in a row, making him the first 49ers’ receiver to achieve this feat in franchise history. Here’s a link to that play, that capitalized on a breakdown in the Cardinals’ secondary:

Anquan Boldin’s 76-yard touchdown catch and run

The 49ers had a field day on defense, coming up with three interceptions off of Arizona’s backup quarterback Ryan Lindley, all of which extremely important in stopping Cardinals’ drives. The first came courtesy of linebacker Michael Wilhoite, who snagged a third down pass and prevented the Cardinals from taking a field goal attempt that could have changed the result of the game. Cornerback Chris Culliver snagged the next interception early in the third quarter on what looked to be a promising Cardinals’ drive, both ending their drive and giving the 49ers great field position for their own, one that ended in their second touchdown. This touchdown came on a play action drag route by the fullback Bruce Miller, for a three yard score. The third and final interception came in the fourth quarter from linebacker Craig Dahl right after a sack that followed the 49ers punting the ball at the two minute warning. This interception sealed the game as it took away the Cardinals’ final chance to come back in the game, and allowed the 49ers to kneel the ball three times for the win.

Today’s win was great, and it served as a reminder that the 49ers are an extremely talented and capable team that had the potential for much better results this season than they ended up with. The 49ers executed very well today, and they showed that they should return to their successful ways next year. However, it is now guaranteed that they will have to do so without the coach that brought them success after an extremely long drought: Jim Harbaugh.

Ever since the 49ers started losing, and especially since they fell out of playoff contention, the narrative of this season has been about Harbaugh leaving. People have been predicting whether or not he would leave, who would replace him if he did (we discussed some options here), and where he will go next. Jim Harbaugh is unquestionably a very talented coach, and even when there were allegations that he had lost respect in the locker room, his players were always proactive in stepping up and denying these rumors, speaking about how they like Jim Harbaugh as a coach and have the utmost respect for him. After today’s game, when speaking about Harbaugh’s departure, quarterback Colin Kaepernick said:
((HT: CSN Bay Area))


Out of the three questions that people have been asking for this season, one has been definitively answered, one has a very strong possibility, and one has yet to be answered.

The first and most pressing question was answered after today’s win: Jim Harbaugh is leaving the 49ers. Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers announced that they have mutually agreed to part ways, and he will either leave the NFL or be traded away to fulfill the remaining one year on his five year, 25 million dollar contract. After the game, Jim Harbaugh said:

“I’m forever proud to have been a part of this. It’s been a tremendous four years, it’s been a pleasure to work and serve for this organization…You work at the pleasure of the organization, that’s what we all do.”
Quote courtesy of ESPN

The second question about his replacement is the one that has yet to be answered. The 49ers organization will have to come up with a decision quickly. However, they would want to give their new coach as much time as possible with the team, especially if they look outside the organization. As it currently stands, there are only a few probable options for the coaching position next year, due to the fact that the 49ers need some resemblance of continuity. In addition, Trent Baalke will want a coach who he can control, unlike the abrasive Harbaugh. Also, the 49ers need a coach who can help Kaepernick develop. Currently, he is the only viable starting quarterback in the system, and he has shown signs that he can succeed at the NFL level, although he still needs guidance from a good coach. The three main options in no particular order are Vic Fangio if the 49ers look inward, and Adam Gase or Mike Shanahan if they look outwards.

Vic Fangio would provide the most continuity, as he has been the 49ers’ defensive coordinator for the past four years, joining with Jim Harbaugh from Stanford, and he has 15 years of NFL defensive coordinator experience. Throughout the past four years, Harbaugh has steered clear of the defense, knowing that Vic Fangio is fully capable of running that aspect of the team. If he is promoted to head coach, he would continue to run the defense, and he would give wide berth to current offensive coordinator Greg Roman to run the offense, and essentially the two would work in tandem. Also, he would nestle in nicely with Trent Baalke, and he is a much calmer presence that would not ruffle the management’s feathers.

Adam Gase would be another intriguing option, the hot name on the market this year after transforming Denver’s offense into a well-oiled machine as their offensive coordinator. Of course he would not have the same offensive tools in San Francisco, especially at quarterback and receiver. Hopefully he would be able to help Kaepernick grow, while also providing a valuable boost to the offense, leaving Vic Fangio to handle the defensive side of the game, as Harbaugh has done for the last four years. Experience coaching Peyton Manning give Gase valuable knowledge about the quarterback position, learning from an all-time great.

Mike Shanahan may be too old for the job at 62, but he has experience with the 49ers as their offensive coordinator from 1992 to 1994, and he also has 20 years of NFL head coaching experience. However, his last season as head coach was with the Redskins in 2013, guiding them to a woeful 3-13 campaign. Shanahan would have been a great option for the 49ers a few years ago, but now he is more of a fringe candidate, due to both his age and lack of recent success. Even so, he would probably provide the largest offensive boost of these three candidates, as he led the Broncos to win the 1997 and 1998 Super Bowls as their offensive coordinator.

Whether the 49ers end up with one of these three candidates or another candidate not listed will be mainly based on how much money they want to spend on a coach and how much control Trent Baalke wants to exert. Each of these coaches comes with a different price tag, with Vic Fangio being the cheapest and Adam Gase the most expensive. The 49ers should probably announce a coaching decision within a few weeks, and they will probably target somebody outside the organization first, and if that falls through, they will be safe with Vic Fangio as a very solid in-house option.

The third question is the one that has not yet been definitively answered, although Jim Harbaugh may have already internally answered the question. He received a quite lucrative offer to go back to the college level as a head coach for his alma mater Michigan, which is looking for a coach with his ability to take a team from rags to riches. He has proven himself extremely capable of raising programs from nothing to instant contenders, first at Stanford and then with the 49ers. However, he has been noncommittal when asked about Michigan, saying that “announcements will be made” about where he will go next year. Unquestionably, Jim Harbaugh is out of the picture for the 49ers, but his next location is still technically up in the air, although Michigan looks to be the destination. From the 49ers’ perspective, it would be better for Harbaugh to stay in the NFL so that the 49ers could trade him either for cash compensation or possibly even players. Either way, Harbaugh should have great success wherever he goes, while simultaneously earning a lofty paycheck.

The 49ers 2014 season is now over, and although it was subpar, the organization still has a bright future. It will be led by breakout rookies like Carlos Hyde and Chris Borland and young veterans Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid. The 49ers have a lot of talent on their team, and they are still very capable of contending next year, especially if they find a coach who can bring out the best in Kaepernick, so that he can finally get the Super Bowl ring that he so badly desires.

Defense Strong and Anquan Boldin Stronger As The 49ers Grab A Win

((HT: BASTA Bay Area/Baichwal))

The 49ers came out strong today, in their usual style, with a strong defensive performance coupled with a solid offense. The entire team seemed to click, especially the defense, as they went out and began the game by forcing a three and out then scoring a touchdown. This three and out involved a nine yard sack by Aldon Smith, on the second play of the game, proving that he is unquestionably back to football and ready to return to his form and play amazingly. He seemed extra quick on the field, working extremely well with his fellow Smith, tackle Justin Smith, to basically hassle Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III through the game. In total, he finished with two huge sacks today, giving him two sacks in his first two games of the season. He looked great on the field, and fortunately seemed to work well with Ahmad Brooks, who was benched for the second half of last week’s win over the Giants, because he felt that his playing time was being cut into too much by the returning Smith. Today, however, both players managed ample field time, and they were both strong points in the 49ers’s overall stellar defense.

After Aldon Smith’s sack and Washington’s three and out on the drive, the 49ers picked up the ball with great field position on their own 41 yard line. From there, Kaepernick looked stellar leading the offense, as he managed to get the 49ers into the end zone with only five plays: three passing and two rushing. On this drive Kaepernick connected with Anquan Boldin twice, for 18 yards and then a beautiful 30 yard score to give the 49ers a 7-0 lead. This touchdown came on a gorgeous corner route, where Kaepernick perfectly landed the ball in Boldin’s hands for the easy score. You can view this touchdown below:

Anquan Boldin’s 30-Yard Touchdown Catch

After this score, the game was quiet for a while, as neither team scored until the second quarter. Until Washington’s score, the 49ers defense was perfect, as they forced RGIII and the ‘Skins to punt to end all four of their offensive drives. Unfortunately, this perfection had to come to an end, as the defense allowed Washington’s rushing attack to get going, allowing a one-yard rushing touchdown to tie the game 7-7.

The 49ers looked like they might lose the game momentum with this score, but they were extremely efficient to end the first half. With 5:33 to go in the half, they began a long drive from their own seven yard line that eventually resulted in a field goal. They ran twelve plays to pick up 70 yards, including six pass plays, four rush plays, and one sack. The highlight of this drive came on fourth and two at Washington’s 48 yard line. Vernon Davis was only able to pick up 12 yards on the previous play, even though the 49ers needed 14 for the first down after the sack. However, in his usually aggressive style, coach Jim Harbaugh decided to go for it on fourth and two, with only eleven seconds remaining. Kaepernick executed another brilliant pass on this play, this time a 25 harder to Michael Crabtree for the first down at the Washington 23. In a beautiful feat of athleticism, Crabtree rose up, snagged the ball, and managed to land both feet barely inbounds before tumbling to the ground out of bounds, keeping possession of the ball all the way. This play may have been the highlight of the game, due to both its importance and sheer athletic beauty. You can watch the brilliant catch below, beginning at 1:10 in this highlights video:

Game Highlights (Michael Crabtree’s 25-Yard Catch)

Going into halftime, the 49ers had now regained the momentum, and the lead, with a 10-7 score. Unfortunately, as has been the theme this whole year, they came out of halftime looking a whole lot worse than they did going in. The 49ers were held scoreless in the third quarter, with three rather ugly possessions. The 49ers were forced to punt twice, the first on a three-and-out, and Kaepernick threw an interception on a questionable pass intended for Boldin. To his credit, Washington had just put a rookie cornerback into the game, so Kaepernick wanted to test him, and see if Boldin could power through him for easy yards. However, he overthrew this specific ball to Boldin, allowing the rookie defensive back to come up with his first career interception. Also, on a side note, this interception was Kaepernick’s first in 129 passing attempts, as he has been really good as of late at not making errant throws. Hopefully, this one interception can be chalked up to a little bit of overeagerness in going after the rookie, and it should be a single mistake that is not repeated, as Kaepernick has made great strides in his control this year.

To begin the fourth quarter, this trend of fruitless offense continued, as the 49ers almost immediately punted again on a three and out. On the next offensive drive, Frank Gore actually fumbled the ball, in an incredibly unexpected moment. This is Gore’s second fumble of the season, with his first happening last week against the Giants. Once again this fumble was very unusual, as Gore is usually a very sure-handed back, and all of the laudatory comments made last week about the veteran still apply. Last week, I wrote:

“[Frank Gore’s] fumble was his first of the season, and it is very possible that it will be his last, simply because he has averaged 2.5 fumbles per season in his last four. Frank the Tank is called a tank for a reason: he is strong and sturdy. So, the 49ers coaches and their fans should put this fumble behind them if they have not already, as Gore is still a stellar running back and the workhorse for the 49ers.”

Obviously, Frank Gore just fumbled again today, therefore he did fumble again this season, but he is still Frank the Tank, and he is still an extremely strong and sturdy running back, and one of the most reliable in the league.

Gore’s fumble today, was also the 49ers’ second fumble of the game, as Carlos Hyde had one on the first play in the second quarter. Both running backs fumbled today, but Hyde’s fumble is the only one that deserves any worry, as he is a rookie running back and each and every one of his moves needs to be scrutinized, to make sure he can really be the future franchise rusher for the 49ers. Fortunately, this fumble was Hyde’s first of the season, so there is no need to worry about his fumble either. Overall, neither of these fumbles were very noteworthy, as neither Gore nor Hyde’s playing time will be affected, and the 49ers still managed to come away with a win.

Also, on a positive note, Washington were extremely inept at capitalizing on the three turnovers they forced. Simply the fact that they forced three turnovers off the 49ers was surprising, for two reasons, however. Firstly, this is the largest number of turnovers the ‘Skins have forced this season. Secondly, the 49ers were +10 in their turnover differential coming into today’s game, and only +8 leaving it, due to the fact that they gave up three turnovers, and only earned one of their own. Hopefully this sloppiness was just a fact of today, as the 49ers prey on turnovers, and their season is made or broken based on this statistic. Back to the positive note, Washington only managed three points total off of their three turnovers. More specifically, they only earned one field goal that came after a long drive following Gore’s fumble. So, although the turnovers hurt the 49ers statistically, they were not too big of an issue in the game, especially seeing as the Niners still came away with the win.

After the ‘Skins field goal, they went up 13-10 on the 49ers. This score fortunately did not last long; however, as the 49ers scored on their next offensive drive. This drive was 75 yards long, and it took eight plays, four passing, three rushing, and a sack. This sack came on the first play of the drive setting the 49ers back six yards. An interesting statistic is that Colin Kaepernick has been sacked 15 times on first down this season, the most in the league. Although this number sounds menacing, its simply an interesting fact, and nothing to get too worried about. From here, the 49ers managed to create a slow and steady, but successful offensive drive, as they broke into the end zone on a Carlos Hyde four-yard touchdown run, in a little under five minutes. This score gave the 49ers a 17-13 lead, and the final score for the game.

After this touchdown drive, the 49ers defense was strong again, as it prevented the ‘Skins from scoring. They forced one punt, but unfortunately the offense was not able to completely drain the clock due to the fact that Washington had and used all three of its timeouts. However, they very quickly ended Washington’s final drive, with a resounding defensive play. Justin Smith sacked RGIII hard from the back, forcing him to cough up the ball, right into the waiting hands of Ahmad Brooks. Brooks caught the ball to recover the fumble at the Washington seven yard line, sealing the game for the 49ers. This play was huge as it gave the 49ers the win, but it also gave Brooks a large role in the win, showing that the 49ers administration still trusts him, even after his questionable sideline antics last game. This fumble was also a sack, and it was the fifth one that the 49ers managed on Griffin III, as they completely dominated the ‘Skins offensive line.

From a statistical point of view, the 49ers completely dominated the game today, except in turnovers and rushing. They managed 246 passing yards to Washington’s meager 77, and their offense was generally more fruitful. However, Washington’s star running back Alfred Morris had a field day as he picked up 125 rushing yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. Even so, if you add up all of the ‘Skins’ offensive yards, you only get to 213, as they were generally held in check.

Colin Kaepernick was pretty good today, and probably better than his stats show, as he finished the game 20 of 29 for 256 passing yards, a touchdown, and an interception. He also rushed for 14 yards on nine attempts, but the Washington secondary mainly kept his rushing game in check. Anquan Boldin was the favorite target of Colin Kaepernick today, as he was a monster on the field. He recorded 137 yards and a touchdown, catching nine of his twelve targets, including one where he took a helmet-to-helmet hit, where the safety fell down dazed, but kept running to pick up five more yards. Boldin is a monster, and almost super-human when he gets going, and today was one of those days as he put on a showcase on the field. Michael Crabtree also had a reasonably good day today, although it pales in the face of Boldin’s, as he caught five of seven targets for 58 yards, including his stellar one mentioned above. Fullback Bruce Miller also had a respectable day, working hard as the all-around player that he is, and picking up 40 passing yards while catching all three of his targets.

On the other hand, the rushing attack was rather weak today, as Frank Gore only picked up 36 yards on 13 carries, and Carlos Hyde had a similarly poor day with 16 yards on seven attempts. Add to the fact that they each fumbled the ball once, and you get to a really quite poor day for the rushing attack today. Hopefully, they can get back to running the ball well, without fumbling at all, as they will need their rushing attack to be strong this Thursday, for the Thanksgiving matchup against the division rival Seattle Seahawks.

The Seahawk’s beat another division foe, the Arizona Cardinals today, giving them the same 7-4 record as the 49ers. Currently as it stands this is the NFC West standings:

1 Arizona Cardinals 9-2

T-2 Seattle Seahawks 7-4

T-2 San Francisco 49ers 7-4

4 St. Louis Rams 4-7

The Rams are effectively out of the playoff chase, but all of the other NFC West teams have a legitimate chance at making it. Today, the Seahawks proved that even the Cardinals, who are tied for the best record in the NFL, are mortal, and they pushed them down to a still stellar 9-2 record. The Seahawks and the 49ers play this Thursday, and the winner of this game will most likely be in the lead for a wildcard spot in the NFC. Currently, both teams are tied for the second Wild Card spot, and it is very possible that three teams from the NFC West make the playoffs, with both Wild Cards in this division. Above all, it is imperative that the 49ers win this Thursday, as a loss will make the road to the playoffs exponentially harder. So, hopefully, they can win this Thanksgiving, to keep their playoff hopes alive, while also defeating the hated Seattle Seahawks.

NOTE: We will not be addressing the Washington football team by their current official name due to its highly offensive nature. We will instead by addressing them by their city or a nickname, until the organization changes its name. This move is part of a boycott effort that is being followed by many people and organizations, including entire television stations, like CBS, and ex-football legends. We respectfully ask that the Washington team changes its name, due to the fact that it is currently a racial slur against Native Americans.

BASTA: Royals Slaughter Giants To Earn Game 7

((HT: BASTA/Apurv Baichwal))

Ouch.

Today’s game was bad, and there’s really not too much to be said about it. The Giants got shutout 10-0, in Game Six of the World Series. Fortunately, they were up 3-2 before today, so today’s game can simply be forgotten.

Peavy had a pretty awful day by statistics, as he only lasted 1.1 innings, and he gave up five earned runs on six hits and a walk. However, the only consolation to this awful stat line is that most of these hits were cheap, including a chopper to Brandon Belt that turned into an infield single. In the second inning, the Royals’ leadoff man, Alcides Escobar hit this chopper to Belt, who had to come off the line to field it. With runners at second and third, Belt took his time checking the runners to make sure they would not try to advance in this one out situation. He was then about to run to first to get the out, but then Peavy called for him to look home for some unknown reason, causing him to hesitate. Then, by the time Belt could run to the bag, the speedy Escobar had beat him there for an infield single. Although this hit was an extreme example, the idea was still there: the Royals got a lot of lucky hits, especially in the second inning.

In total, they scored ten runs, seven of which came in the fateful second inning. Generally, none of the Giants pitchers were on top of their stuff, although they got dined a lot worse than they should have been. For example, Peavy was actually not pitching too badly, and he only gave up five runs because he left the game with the bases loaded after giving up two runs. Since everyone who was on base scored, Peavy was charged with all of those runs, although Yusmerio Petit was the pitcher who actually gave them up.

Here's proof:
((HT: MLB.com))


Looking at Petit, he had a very poor outing today, giving up two runs on three hits in .2 innings pitched. He has been stellar in long relief situations through this postseason, besides today, and hopefully this game is just a hiccup. He has been great out of the bullpen, filling in the middle innings when the Giants’ starters get pulled early. He will most likely be vital tomorrow, in Game Seven of the World Series, the last game of the baseball season.

On a more negative note, Hunter Strickland pitched like Hunter Strickland again today, and he gave up a solo home run to Mike Moustakas in the seventh inning. Hopefully Bruce Bochy has realized that he is not a reliable pitcher to put out on the mound, and he will likely not be used tomorrow as long as the game is close, which it most likely will be.

Tomorrow’s game has the same start time of 5:07 PDT, in Kansas City, and it will be a showdown, as it is an elimination game for both teams. The winner will earn a ring; the loser will go home. So, the Giants really need to win this game.

The Giants hitters only mustered six hits today, and that number will most likely not be enough to win the game. Ten hits is probably the magic number that they will need to win, although that all depends on whether they are able to string their hits together into rallies. The Giants did have five walks today, which is a surprisingly good number, but most of that must be credited to the wild tendencies of the Royals’ starter Yordano Ventura, who gave up three walks in a row in the third inning.

Veteran right-hander Tim Hudson will start the game, facing off against the Royals’ veteran righty Jeremy Guthrie, in a repeat matchup from Game 3. Once again the Giants need to hope for a different outcome, as they lost last time 3-2. Hudson will have to manage his control like he always does and keep the ball low so that he can get groundouts. If he can keep the ball mainly on the ground, he should be able to have a solid outing and hopefully prevent the Royals from starting any big rallies. Petit may also have a role tomorrow in long relief, especially if Bruce Bochy decides to make a pitching change early. Finally, Madison Bumgarner may even see some action tomorrow if the situation of the game deems it necessary. Seeing as this game is the final one of the season, Bumgarner may come out of the bullpen in key situations in Bochy feels that he can help the Giants win.

The Giants need a win tomorrow (obviously), and they will do anything necessary to win it (obviously). So, Bumgarner may see action, Lincecum may see action, and anyone could be coming off the bench to pinch run or pinch hit in seemingly unusual situations, as the Giants will need to manufacture runs in anyway they can. To do so, they will need to maximize their potential to score, meaning that they need faster runners on the bases whenever possible, and with runners in scoring position they do not want to be wasting at bats on weaker hitters.

Unlike today, where the Giants got shutout, tomorrow San Francisco needs to score some runs if they want to win. If the offense can click and come up with a couple strong rallies to put four or five runs on the board, the Giants will have a quite decent chance of winning the Fall Classic. Hudson will have to be a workhorse, and the bullpen will have to be locked in on the pitching side, and with these two aspects together the Giants have a very high chance at winning. Finally, San Francisco has made itself famous for the “it” factor, where they always seem to get good bounces, great rolls, and the benefit of all coincidence. We wrote about this “it” factor in our World Series preview, and the notes still ring true. The Giants need the baseball gods to be on their side if they want to win, as today the baseball gods sided with the Royals making the Giants lose. Finally, the Giants can win tomorrow, but only if they string hits together, lock their bullpen in, and have the benefits of the baseball gods on their side, providing them the final spark that they need to finish October with a ring.

Follow Apurv on Twitter: @abaichwal

BASTA: Giants Trounce Nationals 10-3

((HT: BASTA their own selves))

Wow. The Giants looked GOOD today. The offense was probably the best we've seen since the All Star Break. The top and middle of the lineup clicked for a few huge innings like the fourth and ninth of three and four runs respectively.

Buster Posey continued his hot streak from yesterday hitting his second home run in two days, his fifteenth of the season in the sixth inning. Posey also had an RBI double hard off the right field wall, bringing his numbers to 2-5 with two runs and two RBIs on the day. However, even this great performance overmatched by rookie second baseman Joe Panik. He went 4 for 5 today with some amazing at bats where he looked to be in complete control through his at bats. He hit his first home run of his career, a three run blast to center in the fourth to round out his great day. He finished with two runs scored and three RBIs. Backup first baseman Travis Ishikawa, who is currently filling in for the injured Brandon Belt, continued his hot streak today as well. He only had one hit in five at bats today, but that one hit was a two run double in the eighth that provided the Giants some insurance runs.

The Nationals had a ten game winning streak going on before this week, but the Giants who have been pretty hot too as of late broke that today. The Nats opened up the scoring on a Panik error in the first, one that he more than made up for with his hitting. However, the Giants came back with Panik's homer in the fourth which was followed by the Nats scoring another run in the bottom of the inning, bringing the score to 3-2. The Giants then scored seven runs straight in the sixth, eighth, and ninth, giving them the huge lead of 10-2. They allowed one run in the bottom of the inning, but held them to that one to put the final score at 10-3 Giants.

In addition to the stellar offense today, there was some great pitching too. Starter Tim Hudson had a short but strong outing of 5.1 innings giving up two runs, but only one earned, and he earned his ninth win of the season and his first since July 16. Javier Lopez, Jean Machi, and Sergio Romo together pitched a scoreless fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth, recording four strikeouts over the innings while only giving up one hit collectively. Juan Gutierrez had a little trouble in the ninth, giving up a run, but he managed to limit the damage and close out the game safely.

Here's postgame where Duane and Mike caught up with Panik about his August
((HT: CSN Bay Area))


The Giants stay 3.5 games behind the Dodgers with this win, but they seem to be heating up, as they have won two series in a row, three games in a row, and have won six out of their last eight games. Hopefully they can take this great game and continue playing at this caliber to take this series and make a great run at the division title and the postseason. Let's hope for some good times ahead, halfway through the dog days of August, and a run deep into October for the Giants.

NOTES:
–Centerfielder Angel Pagan left the game with an upper calf injury and is currently day-to-day.

BASTA: Giants Split Doubleheader Against Cubs

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The theme of this series really has to be the rain. The Giants took two out of the three games in this surprisingly rainy series, and many think they should have swept.

The first game of the impromptu doubleheader ended with the same verdict as the five-inning version: a Giants' loss. The game was resumed from the bottom of the fifth and the Giants drew blood in the sixth. They had to dig there way out from a 2-0 deficit, and they began this process in the sixth when Joe Panik pinch-hit for Joaquin Arias and hit an RBI single to drive in rookie first baseman Adam Duvall. Afterward, both teams were held scoreless for the rest of the game. However, the Giants came very close to scoring in the ninth. Duvall led off the inning with a groundout followed by Panik and Crawford hitting back to back singles to put the tying run in scoring position with one out. After Blanco struck out looking, Pagan drove a ball hard up the middle, but unfortunately it deflected off of the pitcher Hector Rondon, and he was then able to pick up the ball and underhand it to first. Everybody thought Pagan had a hit, but unfortunately the Giants were not that lucky. After the game manager Bruce Bochy said, "We all thought when Pagan hit the ball it was going through."

On the other side of the ball, the pitching was superb for the Giants. Yusmeiro Petit "started" the game for the Giants today and pitched two perfect innings with five strikeouts. Jean Machi and Jeremy Affeldt then followed with hitless innings to close out the game.

With this game, the Giants were trying to become the first team to win a protested contest since the Pirates beat the Dodgers in 1948. Unfortunately they could not, and Anthony Rizzo's two run homer in the first inning on Tuesday was enough for the Cubs to squeak through. The Giants did look sharper in the second half of the game as they had more hits and were the only team to score. The pitching was also excellent throughout the game for both teams, especially the Giants who pitched today. Fortunately, the Giants' luck improved in the next game, allowing them to take the series.

In the second game of the doubleheader, the Giants came back and won 5-3. The Giants scored one in the first on a Posey RBI, but the bottom of the first haunted them with Bumgarner giving up three runs on two home runs. Fortunately these were the only runs Bumgarner gave up as he settled down for the rest of the game. He pitched 7 strong innings, scoreless after the first, and he recorded a whopping 12 strikeouts. The bullpen then closed the game out with two scoreless innings using Javier Lopez, Sergio Romo, and Santiago Casilla, who picked up the save, his eleventh of the season. Bumgarner also got his 14th win today.

In this game, the Giants spaced out there runs scoring one in each of these innings: the first, third, fourth, fifth, and seventh. Posey went 4-4 with a home run and two doubles, one RBI and two runs scored, providing a huge offensive boost to the Giants after his day off yesterday. Sandoval also went 3-4 with two doubles and two RBI. Morse had an RBI as well, and Bumgarner knocked in Arias in the fourth on a line drive single to left field.

Here's the look at Posey's night:
((HT: MLB.com))


Overall, this second game was great for the Giants with solid offense, although it did come very slowly over multiple innings. They also had the stellar pitching we have come to expect, with Bumgarner settling down after a poor first inning. The Giants take this series and stay 3.5 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West. Hopefully they can continue the winning against the Nationals tomorrow at 4:05 PT, the beginning of a three game road series.

NOTES:
–Fittingly, there was another rain delay during the first game today that halted it for one hour, 57 minutes, bringing the total delay—including Tuesday's game-ending stoppage—to a whopping six hours and 32 minutes, or 48 hours depending on how you look at it. It also drizzled again in the second game, although it did not need to be stopped.

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