Fansided

Giants Still Cannot Hit… And Still They Win

By Jeff Weisinger

Oct 14, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford (35) celebrates after scoring the game winning run during the tenth inning aSt. Louis Cardinals in game three of the 2014 NLCS playoff baseball game at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 14, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford (35) celebrates after scoring the game winning run during the tenth inning aSt. Louis Cardinals in game three of the 2014 NLCS playoff baseball game at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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San Francisco’s walk-off win in Game 3 of the NLCS proves that they find more unconventional ways to win than anyone.  Call it, “The Giants’ Way.”

It’s only fitting that this current San Francisco Giants “dynasty” wins in the weirdest ways possible.  Even numbered years, sudden walk-offs and even the current trend of torture in the Bay Area, “runs thrown in.”

The Giants took a 2-1 lead in the NLCS over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday after Cardinals reliever Randy Choate threw the ball wide of first off of a bunt by Giants center fielder Gregor Blanco in the bottom of the 10th to give the Giants a 5-4 win.  But it was everything leading up to that 10th inning that, again, gave the Giants the unpredictable game-winner.

Tuesday afternoon’s game-winner in the ballpark by the bay came exactly 12 years to the day after Kenny Lofton’s single in the ninth inning sent the Giants to the 2002 World Series against (who else but) the Cardinals.

It’s worth noting that the Giants, who have been criticized for their lack of hitting in the NLDS and currently through the NLCS, opened the game with a four-run first inning highlighted by Travis Ishikawa’s bases clearing double to right-center off of the wall in triples alley with two out off of starter John Lackey.

“I told Buster (Posey) ‘if we ever start hitting we could really be good,’” Giants pitcher Jake Peavy mentioned after Game 3.

It’s also worth noting that four of the Giants six hits came in that first inning.   In fact, the Giants were held hitless after Tim Hudson’s single to left, going down 1-2-3 in the next five straight innings.  San Francisco has gone 192 plate appearances without a single home run.

Oct 14, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tim Hudson (17) pitches during the first inning in game three of the 2014 NLCS playoff baseball game at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 14, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tim Hudson (17) pitches during the first inning in game three of the 2014 NLCS playoff baseball game at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

The Cardinals, on the other hand, erased their four-run deficit off Hudson in the seventh inning, tying the game on Randal Grichuk’s solo homer to left, knocking Hudson out.  Jeremy Affeldt relieved Hudson with one out in the seventh and pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings to get the Giants into extra innings.

“We’re used to it,” Affeldt said after the game.  “We’ve all been here.  We have the experience.  So we run with it.”

That “it” helped the Giants won each of their last four extra-inning games in the postseason, tying the National League record.  Ironically enough, the Giants prevented the Cardinals from taking the top spot in that category.  The Reds (1970-1975) and the New York Giants (1933-1954) are the only other two National Leagues outside of the Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants to win four straight extra-inning games in the postseason.

“That’s our personality as a team,” Hudson said.  “We have guys that scratch and class and go out there and do whatever it takes to score some runs across.  Keep the game close.  And try to find ways to win it there at the end.”

It’s only fitting that the Giants, who won a postseason game with a go-ahead homer in the 18th inning in Washington, tied Game 2 of the NLCS in St. Louis on a wild pitch, won the game on a bunt.

This is the Giants way after all.  Where winning by “normal” methods is too boring.  Why win in nine innings and why win on a game-winning home run when you can torture your fan base (per standard).

Prior to the game-winning bunt, Brandon Crawford drew an eight-pitch leadoff walk off reliever Randy Choate, then Juan Perez bunted two pitches foul before lining a single to left on an 1-2 count to put runners on first and second.

Blanco laid down the bunt perfectly, and Choate fielded it perfectly.  But he didn’t throw it perfectly and The Giants’ Way lives.

“I’m a little delirious I guess,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.  “Man, these are hard fought games.  But it’s something you’re used to.  It’s our way.”

The Giants will send out Ryan Vogelsong in Game 4 on Wednesday night.  Vogelsong has not lost a playoff start (3-0 in five postseason starts), totes 1.19 postseason ERA entering Wednesday night with 25 strikeouts.

While the Giants pitching staff has been nothing but phenomenal this postseason, they’ll still look to get a little bit lucky to finish off the Cardinals again in the NLCS.

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