Giants Sign Miguel Tejada for $6.5MM

The Giants just agreed to sign Miguel Tejada to a 1yr/$6.5MM contract. I am not even joking...

Yesterday, I defended Tejada as an option in an argument with a friend. I'll admit it. I cited three reasons as to why:

• Durable (he's averaged 158 games each season since 1999). Yes, he's going into his age-37 season. But I figured that wouldn't matter, given his durability in the past. 
• Due for a resurgence (his 2010 season seems to me like an outlier, and he could likely hit more like the player he was in 2009) 
• Cheap. I figured he'd be a last-minute option, and the Giants could get him for $3MM. After all, he was signed to a one-year $6MM deal in 2010, and performed worse than he ever has. I figured he'd receive quite a pay decrease. Man, was I wrong. 

Brian Sabean panicked. He saw the Cardinals acquire Ryan Theriot. He knew that he couldn't get Stephen Drew nor Jose Reyes. He knew Derek Jeter was not a legitimate possibility. Most importantly, he saw the Dodgers acquire NLCS hero Juan Uribe. J.J. Hardy was probably not easily accessible, nor was Jason Bartlett I suppose (there are speculations that the Rays wanted Sergio Romo...). So Sabes acted fast. Too fast. And he gave Miguel Tejada twice as much money as he deserves. 

I don't dislike Tejada as the Giants' starting shortstop, and maybe I'm crazy because of it. After all, he produced 1.4 WAR in 59 games with the Padres. Obviously, that's a partial product of small sample size. But he's not terrible. He could easily produce 2 WAR for the Giants, which would render him, in some eyes, an average shortstop.

But this is not how the Giants succeed. They succeed by getting those bargain contracts, like the $6MM that they had to shed out for the combination of Aubrey Huff and Juan Uribe in 2010. And it got them to the World Series. 

This is a stupid deal, not because Tejada is bad -- although it would be nice if the Giants got a player that wasn't nearing 40 years of age -- it's that they gave him $6.5MM. I think, in terms of WAR, he could very possibly meet that value (or even exceed it). He produced 1.3 WAR last year, his worst season ever, and that's valued at near $6.5MM. So I don't doubt that he can live up to the contract.

But again, that's not how the Giants succeed. They need players to be worth more than their contract. For $3MM, I would love to have Tejada. Of course, I would appreciate if the Giants had a decent back-up plan, for the possibility that Tejada gets injured or just plain sucks, but I would have been fine with a one-year $3MM deal. Even in spite of his declining power, his poor walk rates, his terrible defensive range, and his age.

This contract can be filed under Brian Sabean's terrible contracts, along with the Aaron Rowand contract, the Dave Roberts contract, and the Barry Zito contract. It won't harm the Giants too much, but it was an obvious mistake. 

I can now feel content in going back to criticizing Sabean. Everybody fell in love with him when the Giants won the World Series, although I felt that he was receiving too much credit. Hopefully, people will be able to recognize that not all of his moves are brilliant, like the acquisitions of Cody Ross and Pat Burrell. Hopefully, people will realize that Tejada is receiving more money than he deserves and more money than the Giants needed to pay him. 

If Tejada returns to his 2009 form, I will still hate this contract. To reiterate, it's more money than the Giants needed to pay him.

UPDATE: As Andrew Baggarly notes, "Tejada also has led his league in ground-ball double plays in five of the last seven seasons. Recall that the Giants broke a 70-year-old franchise record for GIDPs in 2010, with Pablo Sandoval pacing the NL." Yikes...

WS Game One Recap

What a game...

Let's start with the pitching matchup:

Tim Lincecum did not pitch well. There's no getting around it...his final line -- 5.2 IP, 4 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 3 K. Any game where Lincecum goes 5+ innings and manages just three strikeouts is a bad game, for him. He's only done that six times in his career. It's quite excusable, though, considering the offensive outburst the Giants had, the somewhat sloppy defense played behind him, and the fact that he's facing one of the best offenses in the majors.

Cliff Lee, who came into this game with tons of hype (considering his career postseason dominance), but had a terrible start: 4.2 IP, 6 ER, 8 H, 1 BB, 7 K. In all fairness, he had the large gap created in right field due to Vladimir Guerrero's poor range, but it didn't seem to play a big role in his disaster of a game. Most of the hits he allowed were right up the middle, indicating that the Giants were timing his pitches very well.

Lee entered the game with a 0.75 postseason ERA in 2010. His 2010 postseason ERA is now 2.51

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This isn't the first time the Giants have done well against an elite starting pitcher. They've put up crooked numbers against some of the best in the game this year. Here are some notable incidences:

4/26 Roy Halladay - 7 IP, 5 ER
5/8 Johan Santana - 7.2 IP, 4 ER
7/3 Ubaldo Jimenez - 6 IP, 7 ER
9/12 Mat Latos - 4 IP, 5 ER
10/8 Tommy Hanson - 4 IP, 4 ER
10/16 Roy Halladay - 7 IP, 4 ER
10/28 Cliff Lee - 4.2 IP, 6 ER

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Player of the game? The guy who used this as his walk-up music. Freddy Sanchez.

Sanchez went 4 for 5 with three doubles, two runs, three RBIs. He became the 13th player in World Series history to have three doubles in a single game. He came close to tying the record with a fourth double, but his final hit was ruled a single with an error by Vladimir Guerrero.

Most Doubles in a World Series Game:

Player	Date	Series	Tm	2B
Frank Isbell	1906-10-13	WS	CHW	4
Jacoby Ellsbury	2007-10-27	WS	BOS	3
David Eckstein	2006-10-26	WS	STL	3
Craig Biggio	2005-10-08	NLDS	HOU	3
Trot Nixon	2004-10-27	WS	BOS	3
Jim Edmonds	2000-10-05	NLDS	STL	3
Bret Boone	1999-10-26	WS	ATL	3
Fred McGriff	1995-10-11	NLCS	ATL	3
Jim Gilliam	1953-10-03	WS	BRO	3
Al Dark	1951-10-08	WS	NYG	3
Hank Greenberg	1945-10-07	WS	DET	3
Max Carey	1925-10-15	WS	PIT	3

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 10/27/2010.

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Bengie Molina got a very warm welcome from San Francisco Giants fans. He gave the team three good years, so it was nice to see this. He also had a decent game: a couple of hits, an RBI, and two runs scored.

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Santiago Casilla shall be acknowledged for his 1.1 no-hit no-BB scoreless innings of baseball. He helped to settle the game down when the Rangers were starting to mount a comeback. He will likely play a critical role in this series, as the Rangers have a plethora of hot-shot right-handed hitters: Elvis Andrus (debatable), Michael Young, Nelson Cruz, Vladimir Guerrero, Ian Kinsler, and the way he's hitting right now, Bengie Molina. The Giants don't have -- at this point -- a solid middle relief right-handed pitcher that they can trust. Sergio Romo was good all year. Ramon Ramirez was great for the Giants. Even Guillermo Mota had his good moments. But not one of them has shined in the postseason. Someone's gotta step up, and I think it'll be Casilla or Romo. We'll see how it unfolds. But if the Giants offense keeps having outbursts like these, it won't really matter.

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Nothing is predictable in the postseason. Everybody thought that the Roy Halladay v. Tim Lincecum matchup would be an amazing pitchers duel, but it was rather disappointing (not that they didn't pitch well). Everybody thought that the Cliff Lee v. Tim Lincecum matchup would be an amazing pitchers duel (Lee, Lincecum poised for Game 1 greatness), but it was quite the opposite.

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11 of the last 13 teams that have won Game One of the World Series have gone on to win the series. The Giants, if they win Game Two, will only need to win one of three games in Texas to stay in good shape. Winning Game One was huge. They did this to their ace, at ATT Park, which is not a hitters park, especially compared to the Ballpark in Arlington. Three wins away from a World Series Title. It feels good

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NLCS Game Six Recap

WE'RE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES!

NLCS Game Four Recap

Entering Wednesday's game, Buster Posey and Aubrey Huff had tallied a combined three hits in the NLCS. They broke out in Game Four with a combined seven hits...now that's the Huff and Posey we've all come to know and love.

This is how the Giants were meant to win ballgames...with the help of the two guys who drove their offense this year. Buster Posey and Aubrey Huff are the reason the Giants got this far. Finally, these first-time playoff participants are carrying their 2010 performance into the postseason.

And with that...the Giants are ONE GAME AWAY FROM THE WORLD SERIES.

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Game Summary:

First inning: Buster Posey knocks in Freddy Sanchez for the first run.

Third inning: Buster Posey hits an RBI double to give the Giants a 2-0 lead.

Fifth inning: Giants' lead falls apart...Phillies lead off with two consecutive singles, a sac bunt, and another single to bring the score to 2-1. Chase Utley singles, and Madison Bumgarner is then replaced with Santiago Casilla.

Casilla gives up a two-run double to Placido Polanco, intentionally walks Ryan Howard, hits Jayson Werth with a pitch, and allows the fourth run of the inning to score on a wild pitch.

Giants 2 Phillies 4

In the bottom half of the inning, Andres Torres draws a walk. He advances to second on a groundout, and scores on a single by Aubrey Huff.

Sixth inning: After Pat Burrell draws a walk and Cody Ross doubles, Pablo Sandoval gives the Giants a 5-4 lead with a two-run double.

Seventh inning: Javier Lopez pitches a scoreless innning.

Giants fail to score when Pablo Sandoval grounds into a double play with the bases loaded.

Eighth inning: Lopez allows a leadoff double to Ryan Howard. Sergio Romo replaces him, but immediately allows a double to Jayson Werth to tie the game at 5-5.

Ninth inning: Phillies bring in Roy Oswalt to pitch the ninth in a tied ballgame. Huff singles, Posey singles, and Juan Uribe hits a sacrifice fly to deep left field to win the ballgame in walkoff fashion.

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This was the seventh walkoff win for the Giants on the year. Uribe also had one on August 14, against the San Diego Padres. 

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Glad that Andres Torres got some more playing time today. He went one for two, showing signs of breaking out of his slump. With his speed, he was able to manufacture a run, advancing to second on a groundout after his walk, and scoring on a single. He was caught stealing after he singled in the eighth, though...I'll keep saying it: I want him out there in the field and in the starting lineup over Aaron Rowand. Defense is just too valuable. And when Torres gets hot, he's as good as anyone in the game of baseball (or at least, as good as any centerfielder and/or leadoff hitter).  

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Some things you can't see from just the box score:

• Aaron Rowand nailed Carlos Ruiz at home. 
• Madison Bumgarner did a nice job picking Jimmy Rollins off at first base.
• Juan Uribe had a nice defensive play coming off the bench in the ninth inning.

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Buster Posey. He is everything that's good about the San Francisco Giants. Four hits -- including two doubles -- and two RBIs. All while spending nine innings behind the plate. Just an incredible kid. Derek Jeter, step aside! The face of the postseason for the next ten years is right here:

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Let's face it: Bumgarner wasn't spectacular in Game Four...4.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. But he's exceeded expectations. For him to come up this year, post a 3.00 ERA, and still be a vital part of this rotation in the postseason (so much so that he made the postseason roster easily but the Barry Zito and his 7-year $126MM contract couldn't) is incredible. He struck out six, and only gave up three earned runs. Against one of the best offenses in the majors. In a critical game. At age 21. Come on?! Even though the start wasn't great, what he did is pretty amazing. Hopefully this won't be the last time this postseason that he pitches.

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This was definitely the game of the series, and moreover, the game of the year. Everybody contributed: Posey, Ross, Torres, Uribe, Sandoval, Burrell, Huff. 

After watching this game, I can't say that the Phillies have any chance at the World Series. I just wouldn't believe it at this point. In an act of desperation, they used six pitchers today. 

Sure, they have Roy Halladay on the mound, and he is an innings-eater. But the game's in San Francisco. And the Giants have beaten Halladay twice this year. And the Phillies will be facing Tim Lincecum. And even if they win Game Five, they would still have to win the next two games, against very good pitching. I'd be very surprised if the Giants don't win this series. 

But...nothing can be taken for granted at this point.

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Ready for this?

NLDS Game Three Recap

Torture. Torture, torture, torture.

Let's start by going over my expectations...

Expect the Giants to:

• Ground out a lot; a few double plays...
• Bunt

Expect the Braves to:

• Walk a lot
• Strike out a lot

The Giants hit 15 groundballs...I was right.
The Giants only made one bunt attempt, and it was a failed bunt attempt...I was wrong.
The Braves walked once...I was wrong.
The Braves struck out 12 times...I was right.
Andres Torres was not a key in the game...I was wrong.

NLDS Game Two Recap

Game Summary: 

The Giants got the scoring going in the first inning. Freddy Sanchez singled and Buster Posey walked to set up a two-out three-run homer off the bat of Pat Burrell. Game over, right? The Giants with Matt Cain on the mound and their lights-out bullpen couldn't possibly lose with a 3-0 lead. Well, it got a little more complicated. 

In the second, Cody Ross doubled and Cain knocked him in with a single up the middle. 4-0 Giants. 

Cain, meanwhile, dealt. He was a little shaky, but settled down and ended up putting a line of: 6.2 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 7 H, 6 K, 2 BB. 

Javier Lopez was brought into the game in the seventh with a runner on first and two outs, and he struck out Jason Heyward to end the inning. 

In the eighth, Sergio Romo was brought in. He gave up back-to-back singles to Derrek Lee and Brian McCann, so what did Bruce Bochy do? He brought in Brian Wilson. To record a six-out save. With runners on the corners. 

Wilson immediately induced a weak grounder to third, but Pablo Sandoval failed to record an out. He threw to first, but the throw wasn't in time, so Lee scored, and there were still no outs in the inning. 

Brooks Conrad then laid down a sac bunt to move the runners over to second and third, and then Alex Gonzalez came up to the plate. He smacked a doubled to left field, tying the game at 4-4. Rick Ankiel flied out, and Matt Diaz then struck out to end the inning. 

In the bottom of the tenth, the Giants had a perfect opportunity to win the game. Edgar Renteria led off with a bunt single, got moved over to second on an Andres Torres sac bunt. Freddy Sanchez was then hit by a pitch, and Aubrey Huff was walked to load the bases. Bases loaded. One out. Buster Posey at the plate. The one thing he couldn't do: ground into a double play. What did he do? Ground into a double play. 

In the top of the eleventh, Rick Ankiel crushed a solo shot into McCovey Cove. The Giants couldn't answer, and lost the game 5-4. 

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This is a game the Giants should have won. One might say they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. At one point in the game, the Giants had a 96.4% chance of winning. 

The question is: who to blame for this loss? Of course there isn't one person solely responsible. But let's run through the candidates: 

Sergio Romo -- came into the eighth and gave up back-to-back singles. It's reasonable to blame him. He didn't really do his job as the setup man...who knows what he would've done had he faced the next batter though.

Brian Wilson -- this is just ridiculous, that some fans are actually blaming him. He was brought in with runners on the corners to record a six-out save. He's expected to do much more than necessary. The Giants had a fresh bullpen. They could've brought in one of their other guys. After all, they did have a three-run lead at that point in the game. 

Ramon Ramirez -- he served up the game-winning home run to Rick Ankiel. It's hard to blame him, because he gave two solid innings of relief, and has been great for the Giants since his acquisition. 

Right down the middle...the fifth straight fastball...in a 2-2 count. With nobody on. 

Buster Posey -- obviously nobody's blaming him. But he had a prime opportunity to win the game. At the very least, he could've struck out, giving the Giants one more opportunity to win the game. But he grounded into a double play. 

Pablo Sandoval -- his error could've been the first out of that inning in which the Braves tied the game. He didn't do much with the bat either, going one for four with a strikeout. The three times he made contact were all groundballs. 

Bruce Bochy -- he brought Brian Wilson in to record a six-out save with runners on the corners. He used his LHP asset, Javier Lopez, in the seventh inning, when the Braves weren't threatening at all to score. Matt Cain could've at least been given the opportunity to try to record the final out of the inning against Jason Heyward -- who hasn't done much of anything with the bat in the last three weeks or so. 

So who to blame? Nobody in particular. Just a series of minor mistakes that culminated in a very tough Giants loss. If Romo had recorded a 1-2-3 eighth inning, the Giants could've won. If Posey had gotten a walk-off single/sac fly/double/triple/home run/ etc. in the tenth inning, the Giants would've won. If Ramirez hadn't served up that home run to Ankiel, the Giants could've won. If Bochy hadn't brought Wilson into the game so early, the Giants could've won. 

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Props to Aaron Rowand and Edgar Renteria. They're probably two of the most hated Giants, due to their large contracts and poor performances, but they each delivered a clutch pinch hit. Aaron Rowand singled in the seventh to get Cody Ross all the way to third, but the Giants couldn't score. 

Edgar Renteria, meanwhile, had an absolutely brilliant at-bat to lead off the tenth. On the first pitch,  he took a home run hack for a swinging strike. On the next pitch, which just about everyone assumed would be another swing for the fences, he laid down a textbook bunt single. And he strained Billy Wagner's left side a little bit, which flamed up on the next bunt by Andres Torres, forcing Wagner to be taken out of the game. 

Maybe this is the veteran know-how playoff experience that everyone alludes to. Whatever it is, it was certainly nice to see. 

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This is probably going to be a five-game series. I don't see how the Giants could possibly win the next two in Atlanta, where the Braves play so well, against Tim Hudson and Derek Lowe. On the other hand, I don't see how they could lose the next two. If they lose Sunday's Game Three, they can send Lincecum out on the mound for Game Four. And I just don't see them losing behind Lincecum. 

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Nice outing by Matt Cain. It was expected, but these outings are taken for granted. It was clutch. A nice playoff debut indeed. 

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It's a shame the Giants couldn't win in front of the largest crowd in AT&T Park history. On the other hand, it's nice that the Giants were able to draw the largest crowd in AT&T Park history in a National League Division Series game. Just imagine how packed it could get for the World Series...

San Francisco Giants Take Second Game in LA Series, 2-1

Matt Cain pitched a great game. What's new? He dueled with Billingsley for seven innings for a line of: 7 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 5 K. The game was scoreless until the 7th inning: Ishikawa doubled with one out, Burriss pinch ran for him and advanced to third on a wild pitch, and after a Velez groundout, Fontenot stepped to the plate in a two-out RISP position (runner on third). He battled and blooped an inside pitch into the outfield for an RBI single. With a 1-0 lead, Sergio Romo, who has been a fantastic setup man for the Giants, came into the game and retired the side in order. The Giants were not done scoring yet, though. In the 8th, Huff led off with a double, followed by an intentional walk to Buster Posey. After Juan Uribe flied out to shallow centerfield, Pablo Sandoval, whose biggest weakness has been his high amount GIDP (grounded into double plays), stepped to the plate. The Giants caught a break when Jansen, the Dodgers' reliever, threw a wild pitch, which allowed Posey and Huff to each advance. This eliminated the double play possibility for the Giants, which was key, as Sandoval promptly hit a groundball to second base. The throw came home and Huff sped home, taking a hard slide into the plate and scoring a second run for the Giants. He clearly took a hard hit to the shins with the slide, but nevertheless slid with all of his force, exemplifying his eagerness for a ticket to the postseason. The run would be important, as Wilson gave up a two-out opposite-field solo home run to Ethier in the bottom of the 9th. Wilson fell behind quickly to the next batter, Jay Gibbons, but worked a 2-0 count into a full count and threw 98 mph gas to strike him out swinging, bringing the Giants to a half-game deficit in both the NL West and the NL Wild Card.

The Giants' little guys -- their supplemental players -- are making the difference in these games. Ishikawa hit a pinch-hit double, Emmanuel Burriss pinch ran for him, and Fontenot knocked in the run. These contributions from bench players are the things that will win these close ballgames for the Giants - and they really have a great collection of bench players. Their speed is good in Ford, Burriss, and Velez, and they have competent left-handed hitters and defensive replacements in Ishikawa and Schierholtz. Also, Fontenot's left-handed bat is a perfect complement for Freddy Sanchez's bat (Sanchez is a much better against lefties: .348 against lefties, but just .270 against rightys.) These players become especially key in the wake of Andres Torres' appendectomy.

Notes:

• The Giants have now won 10 of Matt Cain's last 12 starts. 
• The Giants' 1.63 team ERA this month is the best mark in the majors. 
• Over the last 16 games, the Giants pitchers have been on fire with a 2.04 ERA. 12 of their last 16 outings have been quality starts. 
• The Andre Ethier home run was just the second earned run allowed by Brian Wilson in 20.0 innings since August 1. 
• Brian Wilson recorded his 43rd save...this number ranks 1st in the National League, and is tied for 1st in the majors with Rafael Soriano....Wilson now stands just five saves away from Rod Beck's SF record of 48 saves in a single season. He has nine 4+ out saves this year, an indication of his stamina as a closer. 
• Congratulations to Aubrey Huff on his newborn child!

Tomorrow: Battle of the Southpaws - Jonathan Sanchez will square off against Ted Lilly. The Giants bat a collective .229 (35 for 153) against Lilly in their careers. Believe it or not, the Giant that owns the best career numbers against Lilly is Rowand, who is 8 for 22 (.364) with a home run. Sanchez has been incredible to watch lately. He's allowed just one earned run over his last three starts (20 innings), despite walking seven in his last start. Hopefully, he'll continue to pitch well - consistency isn't his strong suit...

If the Rockies and the Giants both win tomorrow, the Giants will claim sole possession of first place in the NL West. It's not out of the question: Ubaldo Jimenez will be on the mound for the Rockies. 

Bruce Bochy - "Right now, we can't count on Andres. He just had the surgery. We have to move on. We have some good players here. I hope they respond well to some playing time."

Home Sweet Home

The San Francisco Giants beat the Cubs 4-3 on Monday on a walk-off sacrifice fly by Pat Burrell. Madison Bumgarner didn't have his best game: 5.2 IP, 3 ER, 9 H; but the bullpen picked up the slack. Mota, Romo, Wilson, Ramirez, Lopez, and Ray combined for 5.1 shutout innings, allowing only 3 baserunners. This masterful job by the bullpen confirmed its depth after the Giants' thinned out their pitching staff by designating Todd Wellemeyer for assignment and calling up Emmanuel Burriss. The Giants hitting was not explosive, but ultimately got the job done. In the 5th inning, Andres Torres scored on a Buster Posey ground-rule double, and Renteria then scored on a wild pitch. In the 6th, Andres Torres came through again with an RBI single to tie the game at 3-3. It would remain that way until the bottom of the 11th, when Buster Posey was intentionally walked to load the bases for Pat Burrell. Pat Burrell hit a deep flyball to center, and that was the difference in the game.

Notes:

• After going 2 for 3 with 2 doubles and 2 walks, Pat Burrell is now 13 for his last 36 (.361 avg). 9 of his last 13 hits have been extra-base hits, and he's brought much-needed plate discipline to the Giants.
• Andres Torres was 2 for 5 with a double, and is now batting .354 over his last 18 games. He now has 36 doubles on the season, as he remains 2nd in the NL in doubles. 5 players are tied for 3rd in the NL in doubles with 29.
• Pablo Sandoval was 1 for 3. A lot can be said about his struggles, but he's hitting .323 at home. For what it's worth, ZiPs projects him to hit .304 for the rest of the season with 5 home runs. That would be significant to the Giants.
• Brian Wilson struck out the side. No baserunners. Dominated.
• The Giants improved to 34-20 at home. The National League finally won the All Star Game, so they get home-field advantage if they do happen to make it to the World Series...
• Uribe grounded into the only Giants double play on Monday. Giants are on pace for a franchise record 162 double plays. Their current franchise record? 153.
• Four Giants had multi-hit games, but more importantly the Giants had 11 walks.

3 more games against the Cubs, then a 3-game series against the Padres. What better way to build momentum for the crucial Padres series then to face the Cubs for 4 games at home!

Tomorrow's game: Giants take on Ryan Dempster tomorrow. Aaron Rowand should be left out of the lineup (1 for 13 career, .077 vs. Dempster), but you might just see Freddy Sanchez despite his recent struggles (6 for 17, .353 vs. Dempster). Oh yeah, and that guy Pat Burrell - 8 for 25 (.320) with 5 doubles and 7 walks against Dempster.

Barry Zito Continues Quality Second Half Pitching

In Barry Zito's fifth 2nd half start, he once again pitched a quality start. Giants starters have now tossed 11 quality starts in their last 13 games; Zito's line: 7 innings, 2 ER, 2 HR, 2 BB, 10 K. Giants fans should come to expect performances like this down the stretch, as Zito has proven to be a 2nd half pitcher over his career. The Giants' offense was quiet, as should have been expected against Tommy Hanson. Torres and Burrell, however, each managed 2 hits; Torres showed how valuable he is to this team by singling to center, stealing second, stealing third, and scoring on a groundout. With the Giants losing 2-1 in the top of the 9th, luck came their way. Buster Posey reached on an error after Huff was hit by a pitch, and Uribe advanced Huff to third with a flyout. Then, Chipper Jones pulled a Bill Buckner on a groundball by Pablo Sandoval to third, with Huff scoring on the play. With a 2-2 game, Giants relievers managed to keep the Braves scoreless and in the 11th, after a trio of walks by Peter Moylan, Pat Burrell hit a sac fly to give the Giants the 3-2 lead. Wilson came in, shut the door, and secured the win for the Giants. Kudos to the bullpen for great work tonight: Chris Ray, Sergio Romo, Javier Lopez, and Brian Wilson combined to shut down the Braves for 4 innings, allowing just 2 baserunners and striking out 5.

Notes:

• Buster Posey is 0 for 8 in this Atlanta series. He'll bounce back eventually: he's only struck out once in this series, so he's not exactly having trouble seeing the ball. Heyward was 0 for 5 on Friday night.
• The Giants have hit 0 HRs in this series, while the Braves have hit 4. This will be key going forward as the Giants have not been able to manufacture without home runs. They are 19-26 on the year in games in which they don't hit a home run.
• Pablo Sandoval was 0 for 4, but he did have 2 walks (1 intentional) and an RBI. And zero strikeouts. I'm still optimistic about his performance down the stretch.
• You might see Aaron Rowand in the lineup tomorrow. He's 8 for 18 in his career against Tim Hudson. Collectively, the Giants are hitting .252 against Hudson in 103 AB with 1 HR and 12 strikeouts.
• Pat Burrell once again contributed greatly to the Giants victory, reaching base 5 times on 2 hits and 3 walks (1 intentional), and also coming through with the winning RBI on a sacrifice fly. His plate discipline and power (7 HRs in 129 ABs with the Giants) have been valuable. I don't think we'll be forgetting about this any time soon:

In the news...

Giants Press Release: "Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants was selected by fans in an online vote as the winner of the "Major League Baseball Clutch Performer of the Month Award Presented by Pepsi" for July, it was announced today. The award recognizes the player who performed his best when the game was on the line. [...] Posey hit .417 (43-for-103) with six doubles, a triple, seven home runs and 24 RBI for the N.L. Wild Card-leading San Francisco Giants during the month of July."

Here's a video of his clutch performance