BASTA: Brian Sabean Quietly Having A Solid Offseason

((HT: BASTA/Ben Leonard))

Clearly, the Giants have not had the most flashy off-season. They missed out on re-signing Pablo Sandoval and picking up Yasmany Tomas and Jon Lester, while the Padres went out and acquired practically every outfielder on the market. However, standing relatively pat may not be the worst thing for the Giants. They have made three financially sound moves this winter, the first being re-signing reliever Sergio Romo to a two-year, fifteen million dollar contract. Sabean followed by signing Jake Peavy to a two-year, twenty-four million dollar deal, and then went out and acquired Casey McGehee from Miami to man the hot corner. In acquiring McGehee, the Giants gave up merely pitching prospects Kendry Flores and Luis Castillo, who apparently play baseball. Giants fans may bemoan Sabean’s seeming lack of action, but his moves may prove to be shrewd when it is all said and done.

First and foremost, McGehee will never replace Sandoval in the clubhouse or on the field. He does have a very similar portly frame, but has much less power. He was about an average major league hitter in 2014, becoming the National League’s Comeback Player of the Year and posting a wRC+ of 102. For those looking for a masher, McGehee has never been one in any resemblance, although he did launch twenty-three homers in 2011, albeit fueled in part by relatively hitter-neutral Miller Park. He also brings championship experience to the table, as he won a title in Japan with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in 2013. Perhaps Sabean values his experience winning in odd years.

Lacking power, his success is fueled by average, a statistic that can largely be dictated by luck, as hit placement fluctuates from season to season. However, despite his inflated .335 BABIP, way above his career averages, McGehee’s line drive rate spiked almost three percent in 2014. Harder contact makes it easier for hits to fall in. Hence, McGehee’s increase in hard hits balls was likely due to an adjustment he successfully made, not luck.

In addition, McGehee has proven to be an slightly-below average defender at the big league level. He has lost twenty-four DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) in his six years in the big leagues, a serviceable number. He is no Manny Machado, but he certainly isn’t the Matt Kemp of the infield. Once more, McGehee comes at virtually no cost in prospects or money, and likewise risk, commanding a salary of just over one million dollars in 2015. He is under club control for just one year, and is likely a stop-gap type piece until Sabean can find a free agent or trading partner to solidify the position for good. Essentially, the Giants gave up next to nothing for a reliable rental at third base, a player who posted a sold 2.0 WAR in 2014.

The Giants didn’t just save money at third base: they also bought from the bargain bin at starting pitcher in signing Peavy. Peavy pitched very well with the Giants in 2014, posting a 2.17 ERA after coming to the Bay Area from Boston. However, this success was largely fueled by an insanely low 3.2 HR/FB%, well below his career average of 9.5%. For this reason, Steamer pegs Peavy for a 3.67 ERA in 2015, a solid number for a bottom-of-the-rotation starter, about market value for twelve million. Bochy has a special bond with Peavy that started in their days in San Diego; he just pitches better under Bochy.

For these reasons, Peavy likely represents insurance for the Giants if they don’t sign James Shields or Max Scherzer, and could fit in nicely in the fourth spot in the rotation behind Bumgarner, Cain, and Hudson. If they do sign Shields or Scherzer, Tim Lincecum would be forced out of the rotation, leaving the Giants with considerable depth at starting pitcher, coupled with Yusmiero Petit. In either scenario, the Giants are set for 2015 with their rotation; Shields or Scherzer would just be icing on the cake. Economic savings on Peavy and McGehee give the Giants the flexibility to win a bidding war with any team competing for Scherzer or Shields’ services, namely the Detroit Tigers. The Giants are currently the favorites for Shields, with no other team clearly in the running. Shields would be markedly cheaper, and is much more likely to sign with San Francisco.

Sergio Romo’s deal was probably the worst financially for the Giants, but fifteen million over two years isn’t much of a risk in this era of baseball. However, as I mentioned in my offseason preview, Romo has been in decline every year since 2011.

Year/xFIP/WAR

2011 1.49/2.0
2012 2.61/1.0
2013 3.20/1/1
2014 3.40/-.3

Romo’s slider didn’t break as tightly in 2014, especially during a rough June stretch. However, he picked it up as the season dragged on in the setup role. Hitters seem to have adjusted to his increasingly hittable slider. However, with righty reliever Pat Neshek signing a very similar deal with Houston, the Giants did not over-spend, at least too much. Romo projects to be somewhat better in 2015, as Steamer sees him posting a 2.95 ERA.

In all, Sabean spent around twenty million on three players. Giants fans may decry Sabean as frugal, but his strategy of signing his homegrown players has certainly paid off in the last five years. Sabean has shown he was willing to spend big in offering competitive deals to Lester and Sandoval, and these smaller deals allow him to spend big on a right-handed horse. Casey McGehee and Jake Peavy aren’t quite Sandoval and Lester, but they aren’t quite Joaquin Arias and Tim Lincecum, either. This mid-tier moves may not seem significant, but they solidify two very shaky spots on the Giants’ roster. Whether Sabean uses his surplus money on a left fielder AND a top-of-the-line starter remains to be seen, but the Giants would be fine starting off 2015 with Lincecum in the fifth starter role and Blanco in left. Blanco is a perfectly competent major league left fielder, one who can handle cavernous AT&T Park very well. As I alluded to in my off-season preview in November:

Unless Sabean becomes infatuated with another veteran outfielder (See Derosa, Mark), there is no reason to believe that anyone but Gregor Blanco will be the Opening Day left fielder.

Blanco is cheap and reliable, and can handle the bat more than well enough, posting a 107 wRC+ in 2014. Sabean quietly has had a great offseason, although not moving at quite the same pace as the A’s or the Padres. His apparent frugality allows him to spend big on those who deserve the big bucks, Nick Markakis not being one of them.

So, Do We Have Plans For Tiger Stadium NOW...???

((HT: WXYZ-TV))

They're on, they're off...

They're on, they're off...

The plans for the renovation, rebirth, and renewal of "The Corner" at Michigan and Trumbull...

The city of Detroit has plans through their Economic Development folks to renovate for a $30-plus million pricetag.

The cool part would be the Police Athletic League using the field for youth sports

Let's see what they have in mind...


The HQ hopes that everything works out- FINALLY!!!

But, we're not really holding our breath. We do like the idea of Detroiters investing, but we're still not holding our breath.

BASTA: Scherzer, Plouffe Among Many Options for Giants After Lester’s Decision

((HT: BASTA/Ben Leonard))

First, it was Pablo Sandoval. Then, it was Yasmany Tomas. Now, it is Jon Lester. The Giants may be fortunate to have lost out this time, as doling out a six-year deal to a thirty year old starter is a very risky proposition. Lester has logged a massive amount of innings over the years, and he has accumulated more wear-and-tear than your average thirty year old. Outsiders may be looking too much into his 2.46 ERA in 2014; it defied a 3.10 xFIP, and he stranded a much higher percentage of runners on base than his career average. Lester is very good, but he is certainly not worth $155 million. However, the Giants were very much in the thick of the race themselves, as they reportedly offered six years and $150 million. That figure gives us a rough estimate of the budget going forward to fill in vacancies at third base, possibly left field, and in the starting rotation. Sabean likely would be willing to dole out roughly $25-50 million more than the $150 million offered to Lester, and he showed that he is willing to compete with the big spenders. What should Sabean do with this unfathomable amount of money to better his franchise?

Option One: Max Scherzer and Trevor Plouffe

Scherzer made one of the most perplexing financial decisions a player could make: turning down a six year- $140 deal to risk injury and decline before hitting free-agency. It seems to have paid off, as he is demanding a $200 million dollar deal from teams. That figure likely isn’t realistic, as no pitcher besides Clayton Kershaw has cleared the $200 million threshold; however, he has been remarkably consistent, and even more valuable than Lester.

Season/GS/IP/K-9/BB-9/HR-9/BABIP/LOB%/GB%/HR-FB/ERA/FIP/xFIP/WAR

2012 32 187.2 11.08 2.88 1.10 0.333 76.5% 36.5% 11.6% 3.74 3.27 3.23 4.5
2013 32 214.1 10.08 2.35 0.76 0.259 74.4% 36.3% 7.6% 2.90 2.74 3.16 6.4
2014 33 220.1 10.29 2.57 0.74 0.315 77.2% 36.7% 7.5% 3.15 2.85 3.12 5.6

His only “subpar” season was in 2012, as a result of an inflated BABIP and HR/FB ratio, despite similar peripherals. The Giants would kill to have Scherzer at the top of their rotation, along with Bumgarner and Cain. His price tag would be the only question mark. It remains to be seen if Sabean will go over $200 million for a free agent, given his tendencies to only lock up his own players. If the Giants do in fact break the bank to sign Scherzer, Sabean will need to go searching for third base options in the bargain bin. As a speculative pick, Trevor Plouffe would be a great option for both the Giants and the Twins.

The Twins do not have much of a need at third base, as they are still rebuilding, and have prized hot corner prospect Miguel Sano coming up in the next few years. They are not primed to win now, and Plouffe is unlikely to fit in the Twins’ long-term plan because of Sano. However, the Giants would need to part with a prospect from an already-thin farm system to do so. Andrew Susac, Kyle Crick or Gary Brown likely could get a deal done with Minnesota, at a very minimal cost. Plouffe earned just $2.4 million in 2014, while posting a .335 wOBA along with a solid 3.5 WAR, better than Pablo Sandoval’s. He is a solid all-around player, as his 7.8 defensive component of FanGraphs’ WAR was seventh best among third basemen last year. Plouffe and Scherzer would likely be the best option for the Giants, albeit not the cheapest. Gregor Blanco is a perfectly competent everyday left fielder, as all Giants fans should come to recognize, and there is no dire need to replace him.

Option Two: Justin Upton, Chris Johnson, Brandon McCarthy

The Braves are suddenly in rebuilding mode, as they traded away star outfielder Jason Heyward to the Cardinals. Atlanta is looking ahead to their new ballpark in 2017, and their front office is willing to part with present stars to help their future. The Giants could fill their “hole” in left with the talented Upton, and provide a fill-in at thrid base for Sandoval, all in one trade.

However, Upton is a rather overrated asset, mostly because of his power. He is a weak defender, and would not fit in well at AT&T Park. As you can see, his value is inflated by his power, but his defense holds him back. In addition, he would be only a rental type player, as his contract expires after this season.

Chris Johnson would become the Giants’ everyday third baseman, which is not a very safe proposition. His value relies on batting average, which is not very consistent. Random placement of batted balls varies immensely from season to season, and without much power in his game, his value fluctuates rapidly from year to year. He hit .321 in 2013, but it was fueled by an absurd .394 BABIP, which predictably fell back to earth in 2014, creating a massive dip in wRC+ (127 to 82). Johnson is also a below-average defender, which cannot counteract his inconsistency at the plate.

The Giants would likely need to part with some combination of Susac, Crick, and Brown (and maybe a major leaguer) to acquire Upton and Johnson, who would be somewhat ill-suited for San Francisco. It would be considerably cheaper, but more of a bandage-type move than a long term replacement.

To fill the void at starting pitcher, the Giants could plug in Brandon McCarthy. McCarthy would be relatively cheap, somewhere around twelve to fifteen million per year for three to four years. He posted an inflated 4.05 ERA, fueled by an unusually high HR/FB rate, and he underachieved mightily relative to his xFIP (2.87). AT&T Park would rationalize these numbers, and likely drop his ERA into the low three range. McCarthy would be a steal for the Giants, and he would make the lackluster additions of Upton and Johnson somewhat palatable.

Season/BB%/K%/ISO/BABIP/AVG/OBP/SLUG/wOBA/wRC+/BsR/OFF/DEF/WAR

2013 11.7% 25.0% 0.201 0.321 0.263 0.354 0.464 0.357 128 5.6 26.0 -16.3 3.1
2014 9.4% 26.7% 0.221 0.332 0.270 0.342 0.491 0.363 133 0.6 24.4 -7.7 3.9

Option Three: Brandon McCarthy, Chase Headley, and Jonny Gomes

Chase Headley and Scherzer would likely be unattainable together, as it would simply cost too much. Headley has an offer on the table for four years and sixty-five million from an unknown team. Coupled with Scherzer’s high demands, it would be too much over budget. However, if you replace Scherzer with McCarthy, it gives the Giants a lot more wiggle room to sign Headley. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, Headley has quietly become the best defensive third baseman in the game. Despite his MLB-best 21.6 defensive component of Fangraphs’ WAR, Headley lost out on the Gold Glove, partly because he switched leagues (traded from Padres to Yankees). The switch-hitting third baseman was better than Sandoval in terms of WAR last season (4.4-2.7), despite a somewhat subpar offensive year. After the trade to New York, he did post a 121 wRC+ after a wRC+ of just 90 with San Diego. Headley would bring veteran leadership to San Francisco, along with Gold Glove-caliber defense at third. He also brings breakout offensive potential. In 2012, Headley hit thirty-one home runs and posted a 145 wRC+ , despite playing his home games in the cavernous Petco Park.

Jonny Gomes is a speculative add, given the Giants’ stated desire to add a platoon bat to pair with Gregor Blanco in left. He would come very cheap, likely on a one or two year deal for minimal money. He rakes against left handed pitching, and would complement Blanco perfectly in a platoon, even though Blanco is adept in left. He has posted a .861 OPS against lefties in his career, along with a 133 wRC+. The Giants could stomach his relatively poor defense, as he would not be a full-time player.

Option Four: Cole Hamels (UPDATE)

The Giants are reportedly in on the Phillies’ Cole Hamels. However, this seems to be a long-shot, as the Giants don’t have the major league or minor league talent to compete with the Dodgers or Red Sox in potential trade offers.

Verdict:

The first trio, McCarthy/Headley/Gomes would be the most financially sound, along with being more future-proof than the Upton/Johnson/McCarthy deal. The Upton deal is unlikely at this point, but it does accomplish most of the Giants’ goals in one fell swoop. The Scherzer/Plouffe option would be the best on the field for the Giants, but money could be an issue. In the end, some combination of these will likely be employed by Sabean. The Giants will sign a starting pitcher; the front office has made this very clear. The Giants need someone to fill in for the weak Petit/Lincecum spot, and to provide insurance in case of injury or lack of production, whether that be McCarthy, Scherzer, or even Ervin Santana.

Stats and info courtesy of FanGraphs, Baseball Reference

Scott Boras Wants A Team In Montreal

((HT: Sportsnet))

And, at the Winter Meetings, he thought the team should be the Rays as the ones to move.

Here's his gaggle...

Makes sense to the HQ, now all the town needs is a barn in town to make it happen.

The team could not play in the Big O because it's out of date, unless the provision was for a year or two during costruction. The fans have never been an issue there, it has always been ownership and wanting to invest in a team there.

So, the HQ agrees with Boras... let's see if everyone else does...

World Series Recap: Madison Bumgarner Wins The World Series

Giants Win World Series For Third Time In Five Years; Bumgarner Is MVP

By: Apurv Baichwal

The Giants have been known as the Torture since 2010. They always seem to string games and series out to the very end, and they possess an uncanny ability to put themselves in the worst positions yet still win. After being shutout and completely dominated 10-0 yesterday, the Giants came back strong to win this game, and the World Series, 3-2.

Simply making the World Series for the third time in five years proved the Giants’ skill, but winning the World Series for the third time in five years proves that they are a dominant team in baseball, and a perennial contender to win the Fall Classic. They also made themselves the second National League team to win three in five years, with only Stan Musial’s historic St. Louis Cardinals of the 40s. This year, they won in Game 7, after barely making the postseason from the wildcat position, but even so, they played amazingly in the postseason and showed everybody that they were meant to be there, and they were meant to win the World Series.

Madison Bumgarner was easily named World Series MVP, after having another stellar outing today. On only two day’s rest, Bumgarner entered the game in the fifth inning and pitched five stellar innings, and 68 pitches after his 117 on Monday, to earn himself a five inning save, the first save of his career, and give himself an ERA of .43 in this World Series. This relief appearance marked his first of the sorts since Game Six of the 2010 NLCS, and he made it a great appearance. In his five innings, he only allowed two hits, while recording four strikeouts in a stellar, almost perfect appearance. He finished the Fall Classic with a huge outing, and he cemented himself in World Series history with his great performance. He already had the record for the best career World Series ERA from his last outing, but he made this number almost visible, as he lowered it to .25, a number that looks more like a batting average than an ERA.

In this specific game, the pitching was really key, as Jeremy Affeldt and Madison Bumgarner combined for a 7.1 inning shutout. Affeldt pitched 2.1 innings, an extremely long outing for him, but he was great for the whole of it, as he only allowed one hit, although he did hit a batter. He picked up the Game Seven win with this stellar outing, although the MLB seemed confused about this fact, as they originally credited the win to Bumgarner. Fortunately, they corrected this mistake, as they properly assigned the win to Affeldt and the save to Bumgarner. After Affeldt’s great pitching, Bumgarner stole the show with his performance, as earlier noted, earning him the five inning save. Tim Hudson started this game, although he did not last long, and he was the only pitcher to struggle for the Giants. Although his outing was quite poor, he still earned himself a place in World Series history by being the oldest pitcher to ever start a World Series game at 39 years old. He also earned himself a more notorious spot, as his start was the shortest World Series Game Seven start in baseball since 1960, at only 1.2 innings. In these innings, Hudson gave up two runs on three hits and a walk, as he never really seemed to settle into the game. It is possible that he would have settled down later, but Bochy did not give him a chance, as he made the quick—and most likely correct— decision to go to the bullpen early.

Another smart Bochy decision was to start Juan Perez in left field instead of Travis Ishikawa. They both provide about the same offensive prowess, except that Ishikawa has been strong in clutch at bats, while Perez is a speedier runner. The main difference between the two is that Juan Perez is a much better left fielder, as he is actually an outfielder, unlike Ishikawa who is truly an infielder. This move paid off in multiple occurrences, especially when Perez made a catch running back towards the wall, that Ishikawa very probably would not have made. The other play was one where Perez sprinted to the left field line to catch a ball that would have dropped in fair if Ishikawa had been playing, due to the fact that he does not possess the same speed as Perez. So, Bochy’s managerial decisions were great today, both with his pitchers and his defense.

The scoring in this game all came early, and both offenses were quiet after the fourth inning, as the two bullpens, or really the Royals bullpen and Bumgarner, locked down the hitters. The Giants struck first in the top of a second with a strong rally, exactly what we predicted they would need to win the game today. Pablo Sandoval led off the inning by letting a pitch graze his elbow and give him a free pass to first base. Hunter Pence then followed with a single to left, advancing Sandoval to second, and Belt added a single of his own to load the bases. The Giants then scored two runs on two sacrifice flys, the first by Michael Morse and the second by Brandon Crawford. Although the Giants once again scored runs without a hit, they still managed to manufacture the runs, as both Morse and Crawford used their at bats well to knock in the runs.

Unfortunately for the Giants, the Royals responded in the bottom of the second with two runs of their own, chasing Tim Hudson from the game. This World Series Game Seven matchup remained tied until the fourth inning when the Giants added the decisive run in the game.

Back to the defense: in the third inning, Joe Panik converted a tremendous double play that went through a challenge process as Royals’ first baseman Eric Hosmer was originally ruled safe at first. This call was overruled after a long, long replay, and in addition to being a huge play, it was also a huge momentum boost, as the Giants really looked to have their “it” factor, something we predicted they would need to win before the World Series even started.

The situations in the second and the fourth inning were very similar, with the results being quite similar as well in an episode of deja vu. Pablo Sandoval once again led off the inning and got on base, although this time he did so with an infield single up the middle, that he managed to beat out because the second baseman slipped while trying to make the play. Hunter Pence then singled to center advancing Sandoval to second, in another eerily similar play. Brandon Belt, however, broke the pattern as he flew out to deep left field. This out was turned into a productive one, fortunately, as Sandoval realized that the Royals’ left fielder would be moving backwards to make the catch, and therefore in a poor position to make a throw. He used this knowledge as he tagged up from second and slid head-first into third ahead of the throw to get to third with one out. By advancing to third, he put himself in a great position, and that one base running play was the reason why the Giants scored. Right after this play, Michael Morse slapped a single to right field, easily scoring Sandoval and advancing Pence to third. Had Sandoval stayed at second on Belt’s flyout, the Giants very likely would have not scored the winning run. So, Sandoval’s base running, along with his hitting and fielding, was key to the Giants’ win.

In the bottom of the ninth, with two outs, and Bumgarner still pitching, the Giants added to the Torture. Royals’ left fielder Alex Gordon hit a single to center, which alone would not have been very torturous. However, Blanco over ran the ball and allowed the ball to bounce under his glove. It then rolled to the wall where Juan Perez slipped and eventually picked up the ball, giving Gordon more than enough time to make it to third base. 

From here, the Royals’ star catcher Salvador Perez, who was injured earlier in the game when Hudson hit him right above the knee with a pitch, came to bat with a man on third and two outs in the bottom of the ninth in Game Seven of the World Series. Fortunately, Bumgarne stayed calm and collected as he forced Perez to pop out foul of the third base line, where Sandoval caught the ball easily, then collapsed with joy.

Overall, the Giants came together today to put together rallies, produce runs, and most importantly win. The heart of the order was great, led by Sandoval who went three for three with two runs scored. Pence and Belt also had great nights at the plate each going two for four, while Pence added a run. Michael Morse also picked up two RBI on one hit and a sacrifice fly in three at bats.

Bumgarner was stellar today. Pablo Sandoval made a statement that will be important this offseason as he is a  now technically a free agent. Hopefully the Giants retain him, as he proved himself to be a great asset the whole season, and especially this series, but there will definitely be multiple teams vying for him. The Giants have won the Fall Classic today, for the third time in five years, and they proved themselves to truly be the best team in baseball.

Follow Apurv on Twitter: @abaichwal

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

DEVELOPING: Cards Taveras Dies In Car Crash

((HT: 120Sports))

Sad news out of the Dominican Republic...

120 is reporting that St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Oscar Taveras has reportedly died in a car crash in his native country.

“Obviously, we have deep condolences to his family. We are still waiting for more details before issuing a full statement,” said Cardinals GM John Mozeliak, via MLB.com’s Jen Langosch (on Twitter).

From MLB Trade Rumors:

Taveras’ girlfriend also reportedly passed away. A variety of outlets from the Dominican Republic had reported news of the accident. Taveras was 22 years old. ESPN Deportes' Dionisio Soldevila says the police report indicates that Taveras’ car had veered off the road.

KMOV-TV in St. Louis reports his death was confirmed around 7:30 PM. Taveras was scheduled to play winter ball in the Dominican Republic before returning for spring training where he was expected to compete for the starting spot in right field.

The 22 year old came to the majors in style earlier this season


More when we know more...

Morning Roundup: Brian Stow Says Play Ball as Giants Rout Royals

((ht: mlb.com))

With all the college football action Saturday, you may have missed game 4 of the World Series.

And if you did, you missed another great game in a series that may not be highly rated on TV, but has been genuinely fun to watch.

The San Francisco Giants rallied from an early 4-1 deficit, to come back and beat the Kansas City Royals 11-4.

The game featured the Giants hammering the seemingly invulnerable Royals bullpen for 8 runs without hitting a home run the entire game.

Hunter Pence had 3 hits and 3 RBI's and Pablo Sandoval and Joe Panik drove in 2 runs apiece.

But perhaps the biggest highlight of the night came before the game started. Brian Stow, a Giants fan seriously injured and nearly killed a couple of years ago after being attacked by a couple of Los Angeles Dodger fans in L.A, surprised Giants fans by rolling out in a wheelchair and telling everyone it was time to "Play Ball"



Game 5 is Sunday night in the city by the Bay. It looks like this may very well be a 7 game series.

Here are Saturday nights highlights---or at least some of them starting with the 5 runs they got off Royals rookie reliever Brandon Finnegan:

Marlins Man Gives Up World Series Seat to God Bless America Singer

((ht: ftw.usatoday.com))

Nice....

If you've been watching this years World Series, chances are you've seen "Marlins Man" aka attorney Laurence Leavy sitting behind home plate in his orange Miami Marlins gear.

Mind you the Marlins are not playing in said World Series.

Leavy has been taking heat for sitting behind home plate with the Kansas City Royals going so far as to offer him Royals swag and a different seat to watch the game.

But Leavy has declined, drawing attention to the Marlins and himself just by sitting there.

Well "Marlins Man" did something Friday night that he'll be remembered even more for.

After hearing Steven Powell of the U.S Navy battle a bad microphone while singing "God Bless America" at ATT Park in San Francisco, he offered up his seat to the sailor.

We had a GREAT TIME ladt night. Thats what life is about. And.... paying it forward every single day pic.twitter.com/yyC0TS4zB0
— Marlins Man (@Marlins_Man) October 25, 2014

Well played Marlins Man, well played---

Here's some Vine Video of Powell struggling with the mic:

BASTA Sports: World Series Breakdown: The Royals Tie Things Up

By: Apurv Baichwal

Talk about reversing trends. After everything went so well yesterday for the Giants, they had the exact opposite results today. Instead of winning 7-1, like they did yesterday, they instead lost 7-2 today, mainly due to rookie Hunter Strickland not being able to pitch well. This loss also marked the Giants first World Series loss in seven games. The game also was the second World Series where the first two games were decided by five runs or more; the only other time this happened was when the Yankees beat the giants 8-1 in each of the first two Fall Classic games way back in 1937. The Giants offense that looked so prolific yesterday actually managed to get hits today as well, but they could not turn these hits into runs. Also, the Giants pitching was not nearly as stellar, from the starters to the relievers.

The game actually started off better than Tuesday, though. Gregor Blanco led off the game by lacing a 97 MPH fastball to right field for a home run, putting the Giants immediately up 1-0. The game looked like it would go pretty well for the Giants after this solo shot, as they went up early, something that has been key to their success all year. This leadoff home run marked the first one of its type in Giants’ World Seres history, and the 10th leadoff man in all of World Series history to knock a leadoff home run.

The Royals responded though very quickly, scoring a run in the first and second innings, bringing the score to 2-1 Royals. The Giants fought back to a tie game in the fourth, in what looked to be a pitchers duel at the time.

Pablo Sandoval led off the fourth inning with a double to center that just bounced off the Royals’ center fielder, Lorenzo Cain’s, glove and squirted to the left, allowing Sandoval to easily make it to second. Hunter Pence was unable to advance Sandoval as he grounded out, but Brandon Belt was still able to knock him in with a double to deep right field, off the wall.

Unfortunately, after the fourth inning, the Giants were unable to muster any runs, and their offense was quite quiet for the rest of the game. One interesting note for the Giants hitters is that every single starter got exactly one hit each; nobody had a multi-hit game, but everyone at least produced a small amount of offense. This should be considered a positive, as although the Giants were not able to string together their hits to score runs, they were still able to gain nine of them.


 On the other side of the game, Jake Peavy looked to be having a pretty good outing until the sixth inning. Through five innings he had only given up five hits and a walk and had only given up two runs. However, after allowing a single followed by a walk that included some very questionable command, Peavy was pulled from the game, and Jean Machi replaced him. Peavy’s final line was five plus innings with six hits, two walks, four earned runs (although two of them came after he left), and two strikeouts.

The next few pitchers didn’t do much better either, as a string of relievers all gave up hits. Machi was unable to record an out as he gave up an RBI single. Javier Lopez was the only bright spot of this bullpen as he completed his assignment and recorded on out. Hard-throwing rookie right-hander Hunter Strickland then earned the award for worst pitcher of the night as he allowed two huge hits, a two-run double and a two-run home run. Although he really gave up four runs, because of the rule about runs being assigned to whichever pitcher placed the runners on base, he was only tagged with two earned runs. Even so, he goes down in history as the second reliever in postseason history to allow five home runs in a single postseason. Strickland also managed to get into an argument with the Royals’ catcher Salvador Perez after giving up the home run due to some miscommunication about where his shouting was aimed. After Strickland was finally taken out of the game, the always trusty Jeremy Affeldt managed to record the final two outs to end the dreadful sixth inning. In total, in a single inning, five Giants pitchers combined to give up five runs on five hits and a walk, all while only recording three outs total. Basically, this inning sealed the game, as the Royals went up 7-1 and held onto this lead for the rest of the game.



Notably, however, Tim Lincecum made his first appearance of the postseason in the eighth inning. He looked great with stellar command of his pitches and pretty decent velocity. He pitched the seventh and was pitching the eighth until he left with two outs after landing awkwardly following a pitch to the plate. According to Bruce Bochy the Lincecum left with back tightness, and the injury should not be a big deal. So, he will hopefully be okay by Friday, as his 1.2 perfect innings with two strikeouts were enough to establish him as a reliable reliever for the Giants in this series even in future leverage situations, possibly instead of the extremely volatile and unreliable Hunter Strickland.



Overall, not much changed on the batting side of the game, as the Giants still got hits; they just were not able to convert them. Gregor Blanco has been heating up as well over this series, and he can hopefully continue his hot streak for the rest of the series to provide a spark at the top of the lineup. The main difference today was the Giants’ usually dominant bullpen that essentially gave up five runs all within an inning. They need to clean up their act and get back to being the dominant force that they usually are, so that Bochy can be confident that the back end of games will be safe in their hands.

This loss evens the series, and although morale may be low, the Giants are coming back to the Bay Area for three games that should be extremely exciting. They managed to split the games in Kansas City, which is exactly what they needed to do, and if they are able to take two of three at home, they should have a really good shot at taking the series. Friday’s game, at 5:07 PDT, will be a showdown between two veteran right handers: Tim Hudson for the Giants and Jeremy Guthrie for the Royals. If Tim Hudson can keep control over his pitches, the offense can string their hits together to score runs, and the bullpen can forget today’s game and be a solid force to close out game, the Giants are more than capable of winning Game 3 of the World Series and putting themselves back up on top.

-Follow me on Twitter: @abaichwal

B.A.S.T.A World Series Game 1 Breakdown: Giants Feast on Royals Pitching

By: Apurv Baichwal

Today’s game marked the beginning of a World Series that should be a close one, filled with long, gruesome, nail-biters. This series is supposed to be a battle between the two best teams in baseball, and for this reason the games should be tight to the very end. This year, the World Series should be even more legendary, because both of the teams came into the postseason from the Wild Card position; the only other time that this has ever happened was in 1989 during the Bay Bridge Series when the Giants lost to the A’s. These teams had to fight from the lowest spots in the postseason, playing without any home field advantage, to make the World Series. So, one would expect these feats to be a testament to both the Royals’ and the Giants’ strength. Therefore, this series—on paper—should be close; every game should go down to the wire.

However, today’s game looked like a regular season game. The Royals could not pitch for their lives, as they gave up seven runs through the game. Even more surprisingly, the Royals’ starting pitcher and their supposed ace, James Shields, was atrocious today, as he was chased after three innings. As we predicted, “Big Game” James Shields really isn’t all that good in the postseason. In fact, he is actually pretty bad, as coming into the World Series he had a 5.63 ERA this postseason, and after this game, it rose even higher. Today he went 3+ innings, allowing a whopping five earned runs and seven hits, along with a walk. Another part of our prediction from yesterday was that Ned Yost is a pretty pathetic excuse for a baseball manager. Ned Yost definitely lived up to that prediction today, as he was obstinate in not pulling out his starting pitcher, even after he allowed three runs in the first. He only finally pulled his pitcher out in the fourth, after he allowed a run and left runners on first and second.

From the Giants’ perspective, the first, fourth, and seventh innings were their best. In the first, the top of the lineup produced, and the whole lineup clicked together to produce three beautiful runs. Gregor Blanco, who struggled earlier in the postseason, opened up the game with a single to shallow right centerfield. Rookie second baseman Joe Panik then advanced him to second with a deep flyout to left centerfield. Blanco exhibited some stellar base running here, realizing that the ball was going to be caught, then deciding to tag up at first, then sprinting over to second before the throw could get there. Buster Posey, showing off his great bat control, then slapped a single to left advancing Blanco to third. With runners at the corner, power-hitting third baseman Pablo Sandoval hit a ball hard down the right field line, a shot that bounced off the right field wall. Blanco easily scored on this one-out double, but Posey was easily called out at home after trying to stretch his way home. Third base coach Tim Flannery made a rare mistake here, as he is usually really good at deciding whether runners should go home, but after the ball took a funny bounce off the wall, Flannery expected the Royals’ left fielder to have a harder time tracking it down. Fortunately, even though Posey caused the second out, usually a no-no when you could instead be at third with one out, Hunter Pence was ready to hit when he came to bat. Hunter Pence absolutely destroyed a fastball to center, as somehow Shields thought it would be a good idea to throw fastballs to a fastball hitter. Pence barely missed one fastball, fouling it straight back, then Shields immediately threw him another one right down the middle that he smashed 421 feet directly into centerfield for a two-run home run.

In case their 3-0 lead wasn’t enough, the Giants heart of the lineup tacked on two more runs in the fourth inning. Hunter Pence led off with a low, hard line drive right near the left field line that barely slid under the Royals’ third baseman’s glove for a double. During first baseman Brandon Belt’s at bat, Hunter Pence advanced to third on a wild changeup that took a bad bounce in the dirt. Belt then walked after five pitches, putting runners on the corner and highlighting the fact that James Shields had no control all game, missing his targets by multiple feet many times and leaving pitches out over the middle of the plate. Michael Morse then came to the plate and singled to right, scoring Pence and advancing Belt to second. Manager Ned Yost, finally pulled out his starter here, but the Giants were not fazed as they added another run in the inning.

Bruce Bochy showed some real managerial skill, contrarily to the Royals’ manager, pinch hitting the speedy Juan Perez for NLCS hero Travis Ishikawa, who won the final game of the series. Although fans may not have appreciated the decision, it was effective, as Perez laid down a beautiful sacrifice bunt down the third base line, advancing Belt to third and Morse to second. Brandon Crawford then walked, after a hard-fought at bat, bringing the top of the lineup, and Gregor Blanco to the plate. Now, the Giants’ scored their fifth run with a walk, a laughable play that pretty much summed up the game: the Giants dominated the Royals. In summary, Blanco walked, advancing each runner one base and scoring Brandon Belt, and giving himself a quite ironic RBI.

The Giants still did not stop; however, as they added a final two runs in the seventh. Here, Gregor Blanco led off the inning with another walk, followed by a huge triple to deep right field by Joe Panik. This ball bounced over the Royals’ sliding right fielder and rolled to the wall. By the time the center fielder picked the ball up and relayed it in, Panik had a standup triple and Blanco had scored without difficulty. Pablo Sandoval then scored Panik with a single to short left, giving the Giants seven runs, and more than enough to win the game.

With their huge first inning, the Giants went up 3-0 before the Royals could even come to bat. Although it was only the first inning, the game looked to be almost done, as the Royals and their fans were extremely dejected, and morale was really low. The fact that Bumgarner was stellar through seven innings, overpowering the Royals lineup, definitely did not help this low morale. Bumgarner, who has been the Giants’ ace in the rotation, and the star of their postseason threw his fifth seven plus inning start of this postseason. For comparison, no other pitcher has thrown more than two seven plus inning starts. The point is: Bumgarner has been really, really good this postseason, and he continued his great pitching today.

Bumgarner went seven strong innings, and he shutout the Royals through the first six. He only allowed three hits and one walk, but he gave up one earned run on a seventh inning home run. He threw 106 pitches today, and he threw 71 of them, or 69% of his total pitches, for strikes, recording five strikeouts through his win. This win also marked his third World Series win, in his third World Series start, as he has always been stellar in the Fall Classic. This Giants’ win also caused the Royals to suffer their first loss of the postseason, as they had won eight games in a row, and it truly brought them back to Earth and grounded them, showing that the Giants have come to play and win.  The always trusty Javier Lopez then pitched a scoreless eighth, only allowing one hit, and then the hard-throwing Hunter Strickland managed to close out the game without a blemish, not allowing a baserunner as he recorded two strikeouts.

Back to our prediction of this World Series from yesterday, much of it came true this game.

1. Ned Yost really proved himself to be an awful manager by not pulling his starting pitcher out early enough when the Royals still may have had a chance to win.

2. “Big Game” did not live up to his billing as he allowed five earned runs over three plus innings.

3. The Royals did regress, as was inevitable, as they had almost no offensive production combined with terrible pitching, forcing their first loss of the postseason.

4. The Giants held runners as the Royals did not manage a single stolen base all game. Bumgarner looked sharp holding runners on, with looks and quick throws, and his being a lefty gave him a definite advantage as he was facing first base before every pitch.

5. The San Francisco Giants possessed their “it” factor today, as balls fell in marvelous ways for them, including great bounces and some great plays on their end. The Giants always seem to have the baseball gods on their side in the postseason, as they looked like they were destined to win the game.

Overall, the Giants completely annihilated the Royals with a 7-1 win, and they put themselves ahead in the World Series, with a 1-0 lead. Even if they lose tomorrow, they will have still achieved their goal, as all they needed to do was split the first two games in Kansas. Tomorrow’s game will probably be much harder than today, with control specialist Jake Peavy squaring off against the Royals fire-throwing, 23 year old Yordano Ventura at 5:07 PDT. Hopefully the Giants can continue the hitting prowess they displayed today, as with today’s offensive production they could sweep the Series. Unfortunately, the Giants probably will not get this much production tomorrow, but they could still manage a win if Peavy is able to bear down and use his control to force the Royals’ hitters to chase as they are prone to do. Today’s Giants’ win was stellar, and hopefully tomorrow’s game can be great as well.

Stats courtesy of ESPN.com

BASTA: Five Reasons the Royals Have No Chance in the Fall Classic

((HT: BASTA/Ben Leonard))

The Giants and Royals meet in the 110th edition of the Fall Classic, with Game One starting at 5:07 PST on Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. The recent legacies of these two franchises could not be any more different. The Giants are in their third World Series in five years, while Kansas City has been a marker of futility, with this year marking their first trip to the postseason in twenty-nine years. With the Royals being labeled as the favorites in the series, riding an eleven game postseason winning streak and home field advantage, there would seem little reason to give the Giants a chance. However, the Royals are not as infallible as they might seem:

1. Ned Yost is an awful manager

Ned Yost, the Royals’ oft-criticized manager, deserves his share of censure. He insists on bunting, sabermetrically: the worst thing a team can do to consistently score more runs, unless the pitcher is “hitting”. Yost does not have this excuse, as he manages in the American League. He also hits Alcides Escobar in the leadoff spot, who is a great defensive shortstop and basestealer, but holds a career .286 wOBA. Would you rather have the light-hitting, low on-base skilled Escobar get extra at-bats, or have unknown superstar Alex Gordon take them? Clearly, Yost lives in the past as a manager, and is infatuated with traditional baseball ideology, not what will win games.

Managers ultimately do not have much influence in the postseason or the regular season, but he almost cost his team the wild card game against Oakland. He pulled James Shields in the sixth, which was justified, but for reasons unknown, put in Yordano Ventura, who was battling elbow problems, and is not accustomed to pitching in relief. Yost’s move backfired when Ventura immediatly gave up a three-run homer to Brandon Moss, at the time essentially ending Kansas City’s hopes to win. Only a miraculous rally, coming independently from Yost’s decisions, let them advance. Yost is average at best as a manager, and his mediocrity will come to haunt Kansas City at some point in the series.

2. “Big Game” James Shields does not live up to his billing

James Shields, who has been hyped as “Big Game” James Shields by the national media, has been a far cry from that in his postseason career. He deceptively pitched well in the playoffs for the Rays in 2008, posting a 2.88 ERA in four starts, but was the beneficiary of good luck, as evidenced by his 4.43 xFIP. Here are the rest of his unimpressive postseason numbers:

Year Team G GS IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 BABIP LOB% GB% HR/FB ERA FIP xFIP
2010 Rays 1 1 4.1 4.15 0.00 2.08 0.214 43.5% 57.1% 16.7% 8.31 6.54 5.23
2011 Rays 1 1 5.0 10.80 0.00 0.00 0.471 30.0% 47.1% 0.0% 12.60 1.83 2.83
2014 Royals 3 3 16.0 8.44 2.81 1.69 0.360 74.6% 34.0% 15.8% 5.63 4.82 3.85


The first cousin of ex-Giant Aaron Rowand seems to share the set of genes for mediocrity, especially when it comes to meeting high expectations. The Royals need an ace to compete against Madison Bumgarner in this series, who has been absolutely filthy this October.

Bumgarner will be too much for “Big Game” James Shields to handle, and the Giants will take Game One of the series handily, swinging the series in their favor.

3. Inevitable regression

The fact that the Royals have won eight straight postseason games ironically makes them all the more susceptible to regression, as their fluky streak cannot continue forever, especially with a long break in between series. Contributing to this inevitability is that six of eight games they have played this postseason have been decided by two runs or fewer. This may be a testament to Kansas City’s stellar outfield defense or dominant bullpen, but it can also be used to show that the Orioles, Angels, and Athletics have been perennial chokers when it comes to the postseason, as they (besides Oakland) don’t have the pitching to succeed in the postseason. The Royals have had advantageous opponents and have played outside of their usual selves, hitting eight home runs in eight games when they were last in the majors in home runs in the regular season. Among these eight homers, four came from Mike Moustakas, a once highly-touted prospect who was sent to Triple-A earlier in the season because he was below replacement-level. The Royals are clearly due to regress, and the Giants will play them at just the right time to meet this regression.

4. The Giants hold runners (unlike Jon Lester)

Buster Posey throws out runners exceptionally well, fifth in the major leagues among qualified players in throwing out 29.8% of potential base stealers. The Royals have rode small ball, including thirteen stolen bases in their road to postseason dominance. They ran all over Jon Lester in the Wild Card Game, who has not picked off a runner at first base since June of 2013 (This is not a joke). Chris Iannetta, the Angels’ catcher, was 38th among non-qualified catchers in stolen base percentage. Madison Bumgarner, the Giants’ Game One starter, allowed just seven base runners to steal on him in seventeen attempts, a measly total for an entire regular season, a testament to his ability to hold on runners. The Royals’ prowess on the base paths is real, but has been greatly accentuated by weak competition. The Giants will be able to ground the Royals’ running game, limiting their firepower, coupled with the aforementioned foreseeable power outage.

5. San Francisco’s “it” factor

The Giants simply have the magic touch when it comes to the playoffs. Every ball seems to bounce their way, including this incredible bunt from Gregor Blanco in 2012.
((HT: MLB.com))


The Giants know how to overcome adversity when it matters, contributing to their title runs in 2010 and 2012. San Francisco has become legendary in the postseason, and they simply have more experience than Kansas City. The little things always seem go their way, including how Matt Adams and the Cardinals forgot how to play defense in the NLCS. The Giants are seemingly the team of destiny once October comes around, and there is no reason for that to change any time soon.

For all of these reasons, the Giants will take the series with relative ease despite playing in tight games, the trademark of their torturous postseason success. Madison Bumgarner will give the Giants an easy win in Game One, and Jake Peavy will cruise take Game Two, helping to steal two games in Kansas City, giving the Giants an easy road to the title.

25 Years Ago: The World Series Got Really Unimportant

((HT: ABC Sports/News 10/KGO-TV/ESPN))

It was one of those moments where you remember where you were as a sports fan...

And we agree with Al Michaels when a simple pre-game took a big turn...


Then, sports guys turned news guys in a hurry...and did an amazing job


And they went for a while...


And kept going


And kept going...


Okay, faithful reader/watcher...

What do you remember about this day 25 years ago...???

Just want to have you share your thoughts here...

BASTA: World Series Berth Cements Giants’ Spot Among October Legends

((HT: BASTA/Ben Leonard))

With all the talk about the “Cardinals’ Way” leading up to the series, the Giants proved that their way is superior. In a tight series, the Giants dominated in the late innings and high-leverage situations to take themselves to the World Series for the third time in just five years. Regardless of the result of the Fall Classic against Kansas City, the Giants have become the new “Big Red Machine,” that the Reds were in the 1970’s, reaching four World Series in seven years.

Madison Bumgarner earned every bit of his World Series MVP Award, gritting through eight innings despite not having anything close to his best stuff. Jon Jay gave the Cardinals an early 1-0 lead in the third on a double that eventual hero Travis Ishikawa should have caught, and gave up two homers in the fourth inning, solo shots to Matt Adams and Tony Cruz. He settled in after the fourth, not giving up a hit for the next four innings. In a postgame interview on FS1, Bumgarner explained that he beared down after the fourth, “Making sure to make pitches with conviction.” Bumgarner’s grit and determination in Games 1 and 5 willed the Giants to win, and he hopes to do the same Tuesday night in Kansas City. With his contributions in the previous two postseasons, Bumgarner has left a legacy of excellence in October, despite just turning 25. Two Giants’ legends, Hall-of-Famers Orlando Cepeda and Gaylord Perry, could not win even one Fall Classic in their entire careers. He wasted no time celebrating his accomplishments in the locker room.
((HT: Alex Pavlovic's Vine))


The Giants had not hit a long ball since Brandon Belt’s in the 18th inning of Game Two of the NLDS, and they certainly changed that on Thursday night. The Giants launched three long balls, including a two-run shot from the light-hitting Joe Panik in the third that gave the Giants a 2-1 lead. Michael Morse added a pinch hit homer in the eighth, tying the game at three apiece and igniting AT&T Park. Morse raised his arms while running around the bases, rallying the crowd and the team in a magical moment for Giants fans. His homer was reminiscent of his game-tying shot against the Padres at Petco Park in July.

With all due respect to Morse’s homer, Travis Ishikawa blew his out of the water, a walk-off three run homer in the ninth against righty Michael Wacha. The homer was the first walk-off home run to send the Giants to the Fall Classic since Robby Thompson’s “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” in 1951, on the way to a World Series loss to the Yankees. Wacha meated a fastball, and Ishikawa did not miss, leaving the Cardinals and Giants crying, for two very different reasons.
((HT: MLB.com))


Ishikawa’s homer cemented his legacy in Giants’ history, in his second postseason. He was part of the Giants’ first championship run, earning his ring in 2010. The Giants and October baseball have become synonymous. No one can dismiss their success as pure luck now that they have done it three times. Pitching and defense have been the core of these teams, and the club followed that model once again on Thursday. Brian Sabean, the Giants’ general manager, was visibly emotional and crying, along with Pablo Sandoval and many others. Hopefully for the Giants, this postseason run will give Sandoval good reason to stay in San Francisco for a hometown discount, as he is due to become a free agent after the playoffs. Even if the Giants are swept in Kansas City, their legend will remain.

BASTA: Resurgent Giants Come From Behind, Take 3-1 Series Lead

((HT: BASTA/Ben Leonard))

Early on, nothing was going the Giants’ way. Ryan Vogelsong was rocked early, giving up four runs in three shaky innings, possibly his last as a Giant. Vogelsong simply could not get ahead of hitters, leaving the Cardinals’ hitters in advantageous counts. While Vogelsong struggled, the Giants’ offense hit starter Shelby Miller hard early, but only got nothing to show for it, with balls hit right at the Cardinals’ defenders. None of that would matter in the end, with the Giants taking a 3-1 series lead with a 6-4 win at AT&T Park.

Vogelsong’s adversity started immdeiatly, when Matt Carpenter led off the game with a hard double that kicked off of Joe Panik’s glove, slowing it down enough for Carpenter to take second. Matt Adams drove him in on a single, giving the Cardinals an early 1-0 lead. Jhonny Peralta bailed out Vogelsong, grounding into a hard double play to third to end the inning. Peralta had another double play in the third, but that one drove in a run, extending the Cardinals’ lead to 3-1. Peralta accounted for four of the nine outs Ryan Vogelsong got, and saved him from disater. After his double play in the third, Kolten Wong launched another home run on a full count, giving St. Louis the 4-1 lead, a shot that would have chased Vogelsong from the game had his spot at the plate not been due up the next inning. Bochy did not want to have Yusmeiro Petit come in for one out and then have to hit or be pinch-hit for. Bochy should have taken him out after the second; usually, if a pitcher has not found his release point by the second, he never will.

Vogelsong left the Giants in a 4-1 hole heading into the bottom of the third. The Giants’ only run up to that point came on a sacrifice fly in the first off Buster Posey’s bat, the star of the game. Despite the three run deficit, there was a feeling in the air that a comeback was inevitable. The Giants’ offense finally got some real results off of the hard-throwing righty, Miller, in the third. Joaquin Arias pinch-hit for Vogelsong, coming through with a single, and eventually was moved to third after a groundout and a flyout. Buster Posey came up, and calmly knocked in Arias, cutting the lead to 4-2. After Pablo Sandoval walked, Hunter Pence also came up clutch with an RBI single to center, scoring Posey and cutting St. Louis’ lead to one run.

Petit’s performance left many observers questioning why Vogelsong ever got the nod in the first place. He kept the ball down, leaving Cardinals’ hitters no chance, as they could only muster one hit in three innings. Petit should get the nod in a potential World Series start (but we’re not there yet) in Vogelsong’s spot. He kept the Giants in the game and gave the club momentum, taking the life out of the Cardinals’ dugout. Petit has not allowed a run in nine innings in the postseason this year.

The star of this series, Buster Posey, and the Giants’ bats came to life in the sixth, taking the lead for good. Posey went two for three with a walk and three RBI’s, coming through when the Giants desperately needed him. Juan Perez came in as a defensive replacement for Travis Ishikawa, and drew a walk from the soft-tossing Marco Gonzales. Perez has really turned it around at the plate after going 0 for his first 9 in the postseason, becoming a key part of the Giants’ last two wins. Brandon Crawford then reached on a hard single to right, and Matt Duffy bunted Crawford and Arias over to second and third.
((HT: MLB.com))


Gregor Blanco stepped up to the plate with two on and no outs, and hit a grounder to the defensively-challenged Matt Adams, who thought he had a chance to get Perez at home, but was too late, and got no outs. Perez’s run tied the game, and demoralized the Cardinals’ bullpen. Joe Panik followed with another grounder to first, and Matt Adams committed another mental error with runners on first and third. He touched first, and tried to go to second, but the throw was wide and let Blanco reach at second. Crawford scored, but Adams had a very good chance to nail him at the plate. Adams seemed lost mentally and didn’t seem to know the situation; the error on the previous play clearly flustered him. Seth Maness relieved Gonzales, and didn’t do much better; he immediately gave up an RBI single to Posey on a meted 0-2 fastball. It was a magical moment at AT&T Park, with the crowd shouting “Posey, Posey,” willing the slugger to come through.

The Giants’ relievers threw six shutout innings, saving the game. Petit exited after the sixth, and a combination of Jeremy Affeldt, Jean Machi, Javier Lopez. Sergio Romo, and Santiago Casilla locked down the Cardinals’ offense, this time preventing the solo home runs that have killed San Francisco in this series.

With the Cardinals down 3-1 in the series, they will send Adam Wainwright to the hill, who struggled in his last outing against the Giants, going four innings of three-run ball. Ace Madison Bumgarner goes for the Giants, who went seven shutout innings in Game One, giving up only four hits. It does not look good for the Cardinals, who will have to face Madison Bumgarner with a shaky Wainwright and its bullpen in shambles.

The Magical Mystery Tour Continues- 11 In A Row For KC

((HT: MLB.com))

The HQ has cone to appreciate what Ned Yost is doing- and all the crazy, borderline genius that goes with it...

And we're saying 11 in a row because they won the last three in the 1985 baseball championship, then have won the play-in game, the Division Series, and now the ALCS...

You know that this will be shown early on in the discussions of the roll the Kansas City Royals are on...


Ned Yost's genius has worked on multiple levels that include speed, stealing bases, and moving from station to station

It includes your number three hitter BUNTING OVER RUNNERS IN THE FIRST INNING!!!


And a pitching staff that, if you get to the seventh inning, has three relievers lock it down from there...

Enter Greg Holland...


Welcome to the last series of the year, Royals...

ICYMI: Royals Magical Mystery Tour Continues--One Game from World Series

The Kansas City Royals are 7-0 in the American League Playoffs right now.

Yes, at the risk of jinxing their crazy ride, they've won seven straight games. And sometimes with some crazy finishes, sometimes with amazing plays and sometimes just by plain luck.

Tuesday night, the Royals beat the Baltimore Orioles 2-1 to take a 3-0 lead in the best-of-7 American League Championship Series.

They did it in large part with their pitching and defense Tuesday. Mike Moustakas made a crazy, lunging, diving over the dugout railings catch and Jerermy Guthrie along with 4 relievers combined to hold the Baltimore Bats in check.

Oddly, the winning run came on a 6th inning sacrifice fly by Billy Butler.

K.C will trot out Jason Vargas to try and clinch their World Series berth since the early 1980's, which ironically is roughly the last time the team was in the playoffs...

That game kicks off Wednesday afternoon...

Here are your Tuesday night highlights...

Moustakas's crazy catch:




And closer Greg Holland finishing the game;

BASTA: Choate’s Error Helps Giants Overcome Bochy’s Poor Managing

((HT: BASTA/Ben Leonard))

Bruce Bochy is infatuated with his veteran players, and it almost spoiled an early four-spot from the Giants’ offense. Only an egregious throwing error from Randy Choate bailed out the Giants’ skipper and the offense, which sputtered after a hot start. The Giants won in their typical playoff fashion, relying on magic and what some would call luck in a tightly contested game to take the 2-1 series lead in a 5-4 win in ten innings over the Cardinals

The Giants’ offense backed Tim Hudson early, rallying after veteran righty John Lackey got two quick outs to start the game. Buster Posey laced a single to right, and Pablo Sandoval followed with a opposite field single of his own to put runners at first and second. Hunter Pence fell into an 0-2 hole and proceeded to slap a pitch at his shoulders down the line in right, good for a double that gave San Francisco a 1-0 lead. After falling behind 3-0 to Belt and clearly pitching around him, Lackey intentionally walked Belt, loading the bases for Travis Ishikawa. Lackey was able to execute, unlike Nationals’ reliever Aaron Barrett. On the first pitch, Lackey meated a 90 MPH fastball, and Ishikawa did not miss, launching it to deep right center, bouncing at the foot of the wall for a bases-clearing double. The right fielder Grichuck appeared to lose sight of the ball, and took a strange route that left him farther away from the ball than he should have been, preventing him from making a play on it.
((HT: MLB.com))


After the explosion in the first inning, the Giants got absolutely nothing for the next eight innings. Their only two base runners were on a single from starter Tim Hudson, and Pablo Sandoval, who reached after being hit by a pitch. In an interview on FS1 after the game, Hunter Pence explained that Lackey “beared down” and started “work[ing] it in on us,” when the Giants expected him to “work away.” The Giants should have been able to make this adjustment, but clearly didn’t, as Lackey went on to throw six innings in total, not allowing any runs after the first.

As Lackey settled in, Hudson fatigued, starting out well but slowly fading. He allowed just one hit in the first three innings, but started to run out of steam in the fourth. After giving up back to back singles to lead off the frame, Hudson gave up hard contact but got Holliday to line out, and struck out Jhonny Peralta. With runners on first and second for Kolten Wong, Hudson hung a curve that Wong launched, just a few feet short of leaving the yard in right center, cutting the Giants’ lead to 4-2. The Cardinals continued to chip away in the sixth, when Peralta drove in a run with two outs on an RBI single to left, just beyond the reach of Sandoval at third.

That should have been it for the 39-year old Hudson, who has struggled with hip problems as of late and hasn’t been able to go deep into games. With 86 pitches under his belt going into the seventh, Bochy should have recognized that going to his bullpen was the right option. Instead, he left Hudson in, even after giving up a scorcher to A.J. Pierzynski that Ishikawa was able to glove. With one out, Hudson hung a changeup to Randal Grichuck, and he launched it off the foul pole in left for a homer, tying the game and chasing Hudson from the game. Luckily for the Giants, they escaped with a win, largely due to 3 and 2/3 innings of dominant pitching from their bullpen.

Randy Choate was dominant against lefties in the regular season, yielding a stingy .171 wOBA in the regular season, but that didn’t matter against Brandon Crawford, who battled to lead off the tenth with a walk. Juan Perez failed to get the bunt down twice, leaving the count at 0-2. Perez worked the count to 2-2, and drove a pitch to left center, over the head of Peralta for a single, putting runners at first and second.

Gregor Blanco also failed to put down his first bunt attempt, but got the second one down. As Blanco put it on an FS1 interview, “the first one was a little rushed, then I told myself to just put it down.” Blanco’s bunt was not perfect in execution, a little too far away from the line, but it was perfect in effect. Randy Choate picked it up and rushed the throw, letting the ball sail into the Cardinals’ bullpen and the game sail away from St. Louis. Brandon Crawford came around to score easily from second, and the Giants took Game Three.
((HT: MLB.com))


Choate’s miscue may mask Bochy’s questionable managing, but it may still come back to haunt San Francisco later in the postseason. It cost the Giants a victory on Sunday, and could very well do so again. Veterans are not better at battling fatigue than younger players, despite what Bochy may think; it is actually the opposite. Experience may calm nerves, but it certainly isn’t a panacea.

BASTA: Bochy’s Poor Decisions Prove Costly As Cardinals Tie Series

((HT: BASTA/Ben Leonard))

One day after a magical win to take Game One of the NLCS, the Cardinals’ come-from-behind victory left the Giants thinking about what could have been. The fiery Jake Peavy struggled early, but largely averted disaster and kept San Francisco in the game. Mistakes plagued the Giants’ bullpen, allowing three solo homers in the last three innings. The Giants’ bullpen has allowed six runs this postseason, and all six have come on solo shots. Sunday’s game was entertaining, although disappointing for the Giants; three lead changes made Sunday a night to remember for baseball fans.

Jake Peavy did not have his “A” game on Sunday, letting too many fastballs fall right down the middle; yet the Cardinals largely did not make him pay for his egregious mistakes. The Cardinals made lots of loud contact in the first two innings, but hit balls right at Giants’ defenders and got nothing to show for it. Postseason hero Matt Carpenter turned the tide in the third, launching an inside fastball from Peavy into the right field stands for a solo homer, giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. After seeing his three home runs in the NLDS, Peavy was wary of throwing inside early in the count to Carpenter, with his first two offerings hitting the outside corner; his third pitch was not on target. Carpenter’s dinger made him the first leadoff man to have four or more home runs in postseason history.

Peavy’s struggles continued in the fourth, surrendering a leadoff walk to Matt Adams, and Jhonny Peralta followed with a hard single to center. In a head-scratching move by Cardinals’ manager Mike Matheny that somehow paid off, All-Star catcher Yadier Molina sacrifice bunted, moving Adams and Peralta to second and third (Molina left in the sixth with an oblique strain, leaving his status in doubt for the rest of the playoffs).Molina’s injury looms large for St. Louis, as the All-Star has been an invaluable piece of their recent postseason runs. Deep in the Cardinals’ order, Peavy intentionally walked Kolten Wong to load the bases, but defensive star Randal Grichuck lined a single up the middle, giving St. Louis the 2-0 lead. Peavy got the next two outs, but rightfully gave way to Jeremy Affeldt to start the fifth. He needed 76 pitches to make it through four shaky innings, but in typical Peavy fashion, fought and gave it his all to keep his team in the game.

The Giants’ offense responded in the fifth, with Brandon Belt leading off with a single and Travis Ishikawa lacing a double, setting up second and third with no outs for Joaquin Arias, pinch-hitting for Peavy. His broken bat groundout to second off of Cardinals’ starter Lance Lynn cut St. Louis’ lead to 2-1. Some typical Giants’ October magic contributed to a two-out rally in the sixth, on a poorly-hit double from Pablo Sandoval that fell just out of reach of a sliding Matt Holiday in left and into the stands for a ground-rule double. Hunter Pence worked Lynn for seven pitches, then lined a single to right center to score Sandoval, chasing Lynn and his dominant fastball from the game. Lynn threw 79% fastballs in the regular season, second in the majors behind Bartolo Colon (82.6%).

Gregor Blanco finally produced out of the leadoff spot, driving in a run on an RBI single just past the diving second baseman Wong with the infield in, giving San Francisco the 3-2 lead in the seventh. However, Bruce Bochy decided that it would be a good idea to let Jean Machi pitch to the dangerous lefty hitter Oscar Taveras instead of Javier Lopez, and Taveras made Bochy pay with a deep solo shot to right, tying the game at 3 apiece. The homer was the second Machi has given up this postseason, on a hanging forkball from the portly right hander. Javier Lopez was ready and waiting in the bullpen, but Bochy, for some reason, put the righty in instead, who had never faced Taveras. Taveras was 1 for 1 in his career against Lopez (A single), not exactly a large sample size.

Bochy continued the string of preposterous decision making, inserting Hunter Strickland into the game in the bottom of the seventh and the game tied at three. After giving up three homers in the NLDS, one would think that Bochy would not put him in in such a high-leverage situation against another great fastball hitter in Matt Adams. Strickland served up a high fastball to Adams on a 2-1 count, and Adams did not miss, depositing it into the right field stands, giving St. Louis the 4-3 lead.

With their backs to the wall, the Giants conjured up a rally in the ninth, scoring a run on a scudded wild pitch from Trevor Rosenthal, who was overhyped and blatantly overthrowing, missing high several times. Matt Duffy scored all the way from second, tying the game at four apiece on a play that constituted great individual hustle on the part of the scrawny rookie. However, the comeback was to no avail, as Sergio Romo hung a changeup in the bottom half of the frame and Wong did not miss, hitting a walkoff homer, the fourth solo shot for St. Louis in the game.

Here's the home run barrage
((HT: MLB.com))


Wong’s shot knotted the series at one apiece heading to San Francisco. Tim Hudson will go for San Francisco on Tuesday afternoon, in his first start since Game Two of the NLDS, when he went 7 and 1/3 innings of one run ball. He will face John Lackey, the active leader in postseason innings pitched.

BASTA: Bumgarner Propels Giants to Take NLCS Game One

((HT: BASTA Bay Area/Ben Leonard))

The baseball world had become infatuated with the Cardinals’ ability to hit left handed pitching after they rocked Clayton Kershaw not once, but twice in the NLDS, eliminating Los Angeles. Madison Bumgarner begs to differ after an utterly dominant performance against the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night, carrying the Giants to a 3-0 victory. The Cardinals never had a chance against the lanky lefty, scattering only four hits in 7 and 2/3 masterful innings, his fourth postseason start going seven or more scoreless innings. He established the strike zone early and often, getting ahead of Cardinal hitters and putting himself in advantageous counts. The Giants’ shutout win was their seventh straight road playoff victory, the longest in National League history. They have won ten of their last eleven in October overall, and their 27 playoff wins since 2010 are second only to the Cardinals’ 30. The Giants and playoff baseball have become synonymous.

Bumgarner did struggle a bit in the first inning, giving up a hard leadoff single to playoff hero Matt Carpenter and hard contact to several other Cardinals, but St. Louis got nothing to show for it, retired in order after Carpenter. It was smooth sailing for Bumgarner the rest of the way, as he settled in, leaving the Cardinals absolutely no chance. In a cold night at Busch Stadium, Bumgarner froze several hitters with his cutter, at times breaking from the inside corner all the way to the outside corner. He has not allowed a homer to a left-handed hitter since April 11th, when Carlos Gonzalez launched one at AT&T Park.
((HT: MLB.com))


The Cardinals only real chance at scoring came in the seventh, when Yadier Molina and Jon Jay hit back-to-back singles with one out. Rookie Kolten Wong moved the runners over to second and third on a groundout to first, but Tony Cruz struck out on a high 93 MPH fastball to end the inning. St. Louis has been strangely reliant on the seventh inning this postseason, scoring 15 of their 18 runs in the frame. This number isn’t just a product of pure coincidence; the seventh is usually when starters begin to feel fatigue. The Giants’ offense silenced the crowd at Busch Stadium early, giving Bumgarner a cushion. Adam Wainwright, who dealt with shoulder problems after his early exit from Game One of the NLDS, was not his usual dominant self. He was roughed up once again, giving up three runs (two earned) in 4 and 2/3 shaky innings, laboring to limit the damage. Saturday marked the first time he failed to pitch five innings in consecutive starts. He has given up 21 base runners in 9 postseason innings this season.

The Cardinals’ ace has pitched a major league high 512 and 2/3 innings in the past two seasons; perhaps this immense amount of innings has taken a toll on the righty. San Francisco employed some of their trademark “Magic Wandu” in the second inning, scoring two runs without making much hard contact. Pablo Sandoval led off the inning with a double to right, a ball that appeared to be caught by right fielder Randal Grichuk, but it came out after crashing hard into the wall. Sandoval finished the game with three hits, marking the third career postseason game with three hits for the plodding third baseman. After his double, Hunter Pence worked the count against Wainwright, drawing a walk. After Brandon Crawford struck out, Travis Ishikawa hit a flare single to the opposite field, falling just over the head of a diving Matt Carpenter, scoring Sandoval and giving the Giants a 1-0 lead. With two outs and the bases loaded, Gregor Blanco hit a sharp grounder to Matt Carpenter at third, but Carpenter booted it, letting it carom off of his glove, scoring Pence from third.

Had Carpenter stayed in front of the ball, he would have been able to field it cleanly. Instead, he backpedaled and dropped his left foot, making it harder on himself. The Giants struck again in the third, after another strange series of events. Buster Posey and Sandoval led off the inning with back-to-back singles, both on curveballs from Wainwright, his signature out pitch. Pence followed with a line shot that was slowed after hitting Wainwright’s glove, allowing the second baseman Wong to field it, except he didn’t. He bobbled the ball and wasn’t able to tag the bag, but shortstop Jhonny Peralta recovered it and was able to get the out at second. Instead of a sure double play, the Giants had runners on first and third with one out. Brandon Belt followed by putting up a tenacious at-bat, working the count and eventually hitting a deep sacrifice fly to center, extending the Giants’ lead to 3-0.

Santiago Casilla pitched a perfect ninth inning, sealing the game.


After taking Game One of the NLCS, the Giants will try to take a two game lead into San Francisco on Sunday, sending Jake Peavy (6-4, 2.17) to the hill against Lance Lynn (15-10, 2.74). Lynn has struggled in six career playoff starts, posting a 4.57 ERA, but was good in one start this year, going six innings and giving up two runs against the Dodgers. Michael Morse was added to the NLCS roster, sending Gary Brown home, but was not used on Saturday. His defense is a liability, especially when he does not have his timing back at the plate yet. Travis Ishikawa filled the void in left, and clearly didn’t miss a beat.