Giants vs. Diamondbacks, Series Recap: Giants Miss Sweep With Tough Loss in Extra Innings

The San Francisco Giants certainly had an up and down weekend at Chase Field. They battled it out with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Barry Zito landed on the 15 day DL, Aubrey Huff got his first home run of the season, and it took 3 extra frames to keep the G-Men from sweeping their first series and winning five consecutive games. Let’s take a closer look:

Giants Pitcher of the Series: Guillermo Mota- Mota made the longest appearance in his 12 year carrer for the Giants on Saturday after Zito went down injured. He lasted for 4.1 innings, allowing 3 hits, an earned run, no walks, and 4 strikeouts. His longest previous outing had been 3 innings in way back in 2006. Mota has had 7 appearnces already this year, and has a tidy 1.05 WHIP and 12 strikeouts in 12.1 innings of work.

Giants Hitter(s) of the Series: Buster Posey, Pablo Sandoval: Both of these guys were locked in at the plate this series, and their hits came in clutch moments of the game. Both Buster and Pablo had 2 home runs a piece during the series as well as each knocking in 4 RBI. Buster is now batting .296 with 11 RBI while Panda is sporting a .340 average while leading the team in hits (18) and OBP (.386). Good work fellas, keep it up.

Notable Number: .000- Darren Ford was called up after Andres Torres went down, and after 7 years in professional baseball and a few short stints with the black and orange peppered into his carrer, he still had never registered a major league AB. That all changed on Saturday, but to no avail. Ford struck out on 3 pitches, and the inning before got thrown out at second trying to steal as a pinch runner. And after Sunday he now has 2 AB’s to his name, but still the triple zeros as well. Hopefully his luck will turn around…

Upcoming Schedule: The Giants now head to the mile high city to take on the NL West leading Colorado Rockies. The Rox will see the top of San Francisco’s rotation as Tim Lincecum, Jonathan Sanchez, and Matt Cain are set to duel it out with Esmil Rodgers, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Jorge de la Rosa in this three game set. The first two games are set for 5:40 PT, and the finale at 12:10 PT. All games can be seen on CSN Bay Area and heard on KNBR 680 AM.

Series Results:
Friday: W 5-2
WP: Matt Cain (2-0)
LP: Daniel Hudson (0-3)
Sv: Brian Wilson (4)

Saturday: W 5-3
WP: Guillermo Mota (1-0)
LP: Joe Saunders (0-2)
Sv: Brian Wilson (4)

Sunday: L 6-5
WP: Josh Collmenter (1-0)
LP: Dan Runzler (1-2)

Giants vs. Diamondbacks, MLB Scores: Giants hit 3 HR's, D'backs Prevail in Extras 6-5

The San Francisco Giants found themselves in a shootout for the third game in a row with the Arizona Diamondbacks, looking to sweep the series. And despite home runs by Aubrey Huff, Buster Posey, and Pablo Sandoval, the Diamondbacks took the Giants to extra innings, where the denied the G-men’s sweep by a score of 6-5 in 12 innings.

It was a Stephen Drew single that scored Justin Upton in the bottom of the 12th to eventually get the win, but these teams were trading blows all game long. A Chris Young sac fly and a Stephen Drew triple made it 3-0 D’backs in the third, but the Giants answered with Huff’s first homer of the season in the fourth. Justin Upton blasted one in the 5th to the second deck in left center, then the Giants responded in the 6th in a big way. Huff hit a sac fly to make it 4-2, followed by back-to-back jacks by Buster and Panda to take the lead 5-4. Dan Runzler (L 1-2) gave up an RBI single to Ryan Roberts in the 8th to tie it up, where Javier Lopez allowed the final run in the 12th.

Madison Bumgarner started the game, and went for 6 2/3 allowing 8 hits, 4 runs, 1 walk, two strikeouts, and a home run. He is still searching for his first win of the season. Josh Collmenter (W 1-0) got the win for the D’backs for his two scoreless innings in extras.

Full box score can be found here.

The Giants will head to Denver tomorrow to take on the NL West leading Colorado Rockies. The first of the three game series is set for a 5:40 PT first pitch and can be seen on CSN Bay Area and heard on KNBR 680.

For more discussion and analysis, head over to our Giants blog, McCovey Chronicles to get your fix.

Giants vs. Diamondbacks, Starting Lineup Preview: Lineups for Today's Game

The lineups are set as the San Francisco Giants look to record their first sweep of the season and their fifth win in a row today against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Madison Bumgarner (0-2 9.00 ERA) will be looking for his first win of the season today as he squares of with Arizona’s Barry Enright (0-1 6.00 ERA) who will looking to do the same thing. The Giants are in the middle of a 16 of 19 stretch of road games, with their only home set next weekend against the Braves.

Your San Francisco Giants:

1. Aaron Rowand CF
2. Freddy Sanchez 2B
3. Aubrey Huff RF
4. Buster Posey C
5. Pablo Sandoval 3B
6. Pat Burrell LF
7. Brandon Belt 1B
8. Miguel Tejada SS
9. Madison Bumgarner P

Arizona Diamondbacks:

1. Willie Bloomquist LF
2. Kelly Johnson 2B
3. Justin Upton RF
4. Chris Young CF
5. Stephen Drew SS
6. Xavier Nady 1B
7. Miguel Montero C
8. Ryan Roberts 3B
9. Barry Enright P

San Francisco Giants Injury Update: Barry Zito on the DL with Mid-Foot Sprain

As many people had suspected Barry Zito will be placed on the 15-day DL after suffering a mid-foot sprain on his right foot last night during their game with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Zito went for a semi-slide on his knees to grab a Joe Suanders popped up bunt, but managed to tweak his right foot int he process.

Zito has never once missed a start due to injury, dating back to his beginnings in the league in 2000. Zito was seen walking on crutches last night after the game and was said to have a very, very swollen foot. Zito’s DL schedule will have him available around the beginning of May when the Giants head to Washington D.C. to play the Nationals.

In his absence the Giants have called up Ryan Vogelsong as his replacement. Vogelsong has been strong in AAA Fresno so far with a 2-0 record and a 1.59 with 17 strikeouts in his two starts. He hasn’t pitched in the major leagues since 2006 when with the Pirates.

For more discussion and analysis head over to McCovey Chronicles.

Giants vs. Diamondbacks, MLB Schedule Preview: Giants Looking for the Sweep in the Desert

The San Francisco Giants have started to get on a roll, and will look to close out their series with the Arizona Diamondbacks with a sweep. Despite the Giants four game winning streak they haven’ exactly been dominant. 10 of their first 14 games have been decided by 3 runs or fewer, but as long as they’re winning, all is well in the city by the Bay.

Lefty Madison Bumgarner (0-2 9.00 ERA) will be on the mound for the Giants to face RHP Barry Enright (0-1 6.00 ERA) for the Diamondbacks. Both are looking for their first win of the season as well as to chip away at those ugly ERA’s.

The Giants will look to continue to jump on Arizona early, especially with the hot leadoff hitter Aaron Rowand. He had his 5th multi hit game in 11 he’s played so far, bumping his average up to .359. Aubrey Huff, who is still homer-less on the season, wil be looking to change that seeing that he has the highest average at Chase Park over any other active player (.373). Pablo Sandoval is second at .364.

In injury news Barry Zito was placed on the 15 day DL with a mid-foot sprain on his right foot, forcing the Giants to call up right-hander Ryan Vogelsong from AAA Fresno. In his two starts for the Grizzlies this season Vogelsong is 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA as well as 17 strikeouts. He hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2006 when he was still with Pittsburgh. Also, Cody Ross will start his rehab assignment with AAA Fresno today and is on track for arrival with the club next week.

First pitch is slated for 1:10 PT and can be seen on CSN Bay Area an heard on KBR 680 AM.

For more discussion and anaylsis, head over to McCovey Chronices.

Giants vs. Diamondbacks, MLB Scores: Double Plays, Zito's Foot, Other Random Musings

It was a most interesting win this evening for the San Francisco Giants that came with it’s fair share of crazy incidences. The Giants lost their starting pitcher in the second inning, had 13 hits as a team but only 5 runs to show for it, and had a 7 year player get his first major league at bat of his career.

Barry Zito suffered a mid-foot sprain on his right foot in the second inning as he semi-slid on his knees to nab a popped up bunt from opposing pitcher Joe Saunders. If Zito would have let fall, might have gotten a double play out of it, but instincts always take over, and he nabbed it anyway.

It’s never really a good idea to sit around a think about the ’should’a, could’a, would’as,’ but Zito could have lasted much longer if he didn’t make that play. But he did and consequently is injured, though the x-rays came back negative. The Giants have an off day five days from now, so they could decide to skip his start to give him more time, which I think he needs anyway. He cruised through the first inning, but gave up a single in the second that obviously broke his concentration/confidence. He gave up two runs and a walk thereafter, and that was that for the former Cy Young Award winner. Zito has never missed a start due to injury in 11 years in the majors, but is in serious danger of breaking that streak.

The Giants almost made history tonight as well as they grounded into a remarkable 5 double plays, by five different players. They haven’t hit that many since 2004, and were only 2 shy of the team record of 7 set in 1969. The G-Men should have crushed the D’backs tonight and gotten into their bullpen much earlier than they did, but kept shooting themselves in the foot all night long. Remember, the Giants hit into 158 in double plays last year, second only to the Twinkies 159, and they still won it all, so there’s definitely no panic yet.

Darren Ford has been in professional baseball since 2005, but never recorded a single at bat in the majors until tonight. He unfortunately struck out on 3 pitches, but at least he’s in the record book. Ford should be sticking around for a few more games, at least until Cody Ross and Andres Torres get back in the lineup. I’d like Ford to stay with San Francisco because he is ridiculously fast, an above average outfielder, and has some pop at the plate as well. But there simply isn’t enough room, so enjoy it while you can kid.

As mentioned in the wrapup, Guillermo Mota made his longest appearance ever tonight, lasting for 4 1/3 innings on the mound. His previous mark was 3.0 innings in 2006, which he destroyed this evening.

Lastly, it was Bruce Bochy’s 56th birthday today. Happy b-day skipper, glad the team got a win for ya.

Giants vs. Diamondbacks, MLB Scores: Buster Posey Homers Giants Past D'backs 5-3

It was a balmy night at Chase Field as the San Francisco Giants looked to extend their winning streak to four, but the Arizona Diamondbacks were not going to hand it over without a fight. Both teams traded blows all night, including a 2 run blast from Buster Posey as the Giants edged the D’Backs by a score of 5-3.

Barry Zito started the game tonight looking for his first win of the season, but left in the second inning trying not to miss his next start. Zito slid for a popped up bunt by Joe Saunders causing a mid-foot sprain on his right foot. X-Rays were negative, but Zito has never missed a start due to injury in his 11 year career. That may be in jeopardy now. Zito lasted for 1 2/3 with 3 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk and no strikeouts.

Guillermo Mota made the longest appearance in his career this evening, going for 4 1/3 innings, with 3 hits, 1 run, and 4 strikeouts. Jeremy Affeldt pitched a perfect 1 1/3 with a strikeout, Serigo Romo went for 2/3 scoreless, while Brian Wilson got his fourth save in 5 chances with a 1-2-3 9th.

Buster’s first inning long ball was coupled by the bat of Freddy Sanchez, who went 2-5 with a RBI double in the sixth and a 2 RBI single in the 7th. Aaron Rowand was 3-4 with a walk, Pat Burrell was 2-3, as was Mark DeRosa. The Giants had 13 total hits, but also hit into a remarkable 5 double plays. With that many hits it should have been a beat down, but hey, a win is a win.

Full box score can be found here.

With the win it moves the Giants to 8-6 on the season who have now won 9 of their last 9 games at Chase Field. San Francisco will finish their series in Arizona tomorrow afternoon, with the first pitch slated for 1:10 PT. Madison Bumgarner (0-2 9.00 ERA) will be on the mound to face Barry Enright (0-1 6.00 ERA) for the D’Backs. Coverage can be found on CSN Bay Area and KNBR 680 AM.

For more discussion and analysis of the Giants, head over to McCovey Chronicles to get in on the action.

Giants vs. Dodgers, Starting Lineup Preview: Brandon Belt out, Mark DeRosa in at First Base

The lineups are set for the second of the San Francisco Giants three game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks this evening, with just a slight tweak in the lineup. Mark DeRosa will play first today as Brandon Belt gets the day off against the D’Backs lefty Joe Saunders (0-1 6.00 ERA).

Barry Zito (0-1 5.56 ERA) will be looking to lock up the G-Men’s fourth win in a row and his first for the season. But if he can’t get it done, I think it might be about time to lose the ‘stache. It’s definitely a bossy lip jacket, but it might be worth shaving off if he keeps having sub-par outings. Maybe a Don Mattingly sole patch? Anyway, I digress…

And now, Your San Francisco Giants:

1. Aaron Rowand CF
2. Freddy Sanchez 2B
3. Aubrey Huff RF
4. Buster Posey C
5. Miguel Tejada SS
6. Pat Burrell LF
7. Pablo Sandoval 3B
8. Mark DeRosa 1B
9. Barry Zito SP

Diamondbacks Lineup:

1. Willie Bloomquist LF
2. Ryan Roberts 2B
3. Justin Upton RF
4. Stephen Drew SS
5. Chris Young CF
6. Xavier Nady 1B
7. Miguel Montero C
8. Melvin Mora 3B
9. Joe Saunders P

First pitch is scheduled for 5:10 PT this afternoon, and will be broadcast on CSN Bay Area as well as KNBR 680 AM.

For more in depth discussion and analysis of the San Francisco Giants, head on over to McCovey Chronicles to get in on the action.

Giants vs. Diamondbacks, MLB Schedule Preview: Barry Zito, Joe Saunders Look To Get Into Win Column

The San Francisco Giants appear to be a totally different team than last year. Matt Cain is getting run support (which he maintains, this early in the season, is simply a set-up to a sure-to-be hilarious prank later on in the year) and Pablo Sandoval is hitting three-run homers. Cain was absolutely on fire last night, it was a great game for the Giants, the only negative was the final two innings in which Javier Lopez and Brian Wilson gave Giants fans just a little bit of torture, you know, for old times sake.

Were you down for some more of that sweet, delicious torture? Well, the Giants are sending Barry Zito to the mound, to hold on to your hats, or pants, or whatever it is you generally hold on to in these kinds of situations. Zito has given up earned runs of four and three in his two outings this season, and is still looking to get in the win column at 0-1. The team needs Zito to get back on track and fast, but he'll most likely need some run support.

Joe Saunders will be taking the mound for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and if there's anything Giants fans can be happy about, it's that he's been at least as inconsistent, if not more so, than Zito has been this year thus far. He's out to a 0-1 start, though he definitely pitched badly enough to get to 0-2 in his game against the Cincinnati Reds, in which he lasted only three innings and gave up five runs (four earned) off of six hits, while walking five and fanning only one batter. His other start yielded two runs and three walks for the Chicago Cubs.

On Friday, the Giants placed center fielder Andres Torres on the disabled list, and he won't be eligible to return until April 26th. Darren Ford was called up from Fresno, and saw action at center field in the ninth inning on Friday, after arriving to the game shortly after it began. 

Giants vs. Diamondbacks, MLB Scores: Giants Top D'Backs 5-2 Behind Pablo Sandoval 3 Run HR

The San Francisco Giants strolled into Chase Field to face the Arizona Diamondbacks tonight, and from the first inning of the ballgame knew they were leaving victorious. Matt Cain kept the D’backs offense relatively quiet and Pablo Sandoval hit his this third home run of the season, leading the charge on a 5-2 victory this evening.

Matt Cain (W 2-0 1.42 ERA) lasted for six full innings tonight, allowing 4 hits, one earned run, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. The Giants bullpen did a good job backing Cain up with only Javier Lopez allowing a run while Jeremy Affeldt and Ramon Ramirez held it down for 2 scoreless innings. Brian Wilson came in for the save in the ninth, his third of the season.

Pablo Sandoval’s three run jack in the first inning set the tone for the game, along with Miguel Tejada’s RBI’s double. Aubrey Huff scored on a throwing error by catcher Miguel Montero in the fifth, the fifth and final run for the Giants. Buster Posey went 2-4, Freddy Sanchez went 2-5, while Brandon Belt was 1-4.

As for the Diamondbacks Daniel Hudson (L 0-3 4.26 ERA) he was roughed up in his 6 innings of work allowing 5 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, and an impressive 10 strikeouts. Willie Bloomquist was 1-4 with 2 RBI, while Justin Upton went 2-4.

Full box score can be found here.

The Giants will have their second of the series with the D’backs tomorrow as Barry Zito (0-1 5.56 ERA) will take on Barry Enright (0-1 8.00 ERA) for Arizona. First pitch is scheduled for 5:10 PT and can be seen on CSN Bay Area and heard on KNBR 680 AM.

For more discussion and analysis, head over to McCovey Chronicles to get in on the actio.

Giants Center Fielder Andres Torres Put On Disabled List

The San Francisco Giants were holding out hope that center fielder Andres Torres would be able to come back sooner rather than later from an Achilles injury, but they've finally broken and placed him on the disabled list. Torres injured himself in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 10th, and hasn't played since then. It's a 15-day DL, which means he'll be eligible to play again on April 26th, when the Giants take on the Pittsburgh Pirates.

San Francisco recalled Darren Ford up from triple-A Fresno to take Torres' spot on the roster, though he doesn't seem to factor into any actual fielding or batting situations. He did get some playing time last season, as a pinch runner, and scored a run in one situation, but has not yet had a major league at-bat. Ford is insurance at this point, as the Giants found themselves stretched thin when Freddy Sanchez missed the final game of the three-game set against the Dodgers.

They've been shuffling the lineup around, going with both Miguel Tejada and Aaron Rowand as the lead-off man, usually Torres' spot. Tonight in game one against the Diamondbacks, it's Rowand.

Giants vs. Diamondbacks, Starting Lineup Preview: Lineups Set for Tonight's Game

The San Francisco Giants are in Phoenix this evening to take on the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first of a three game series. It will be the Giants first trip to Chase Field this season as they look to make it three wins in a row.

And now, your 2011 San Francisco Giants:

CF Aaron Rowand
2B Freddy Sanchez
RF Aubrey Huff
C Buster Posey
3B Pablo Sandoval
LF Pat Burrell
1B Brandon Belt
SS Miguel Tejada
SP Matt Cain

Arizona Diamondbacks lineup:

LF Willie Bloomquist
2B Kelly Johnson
RF Justin Upton
1B Russell Branyan
CF Chris Young
SS Stephen Drew
3B Melvin Mora 3B,
C Miguel Montero
SP Daniel Hudson

First pitch tonight is scheduled for 6:40 PT, and unfortunately I am unsure if the roof will be open or closed at Chase Field. You can watch on CSN Bay Area or listen in on KNBR 680 AM.

For more discussion and analysis of the Giants, head over to McCovey Chronicles to get in on the action.

Giants vs. Diamondbacks MLB Schedule Preview: Matt Cain, Daniel Hudson Square Off On Jackie Robinson Day

Ending the series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on a high note was absolutely key for the San Francisco Giants. There's a lot to be said about rivalries and whether or not teams play harder against said rivals, but it's undeniable that the players feel better after beating a rival than they do after just any old win. Jonathan Sanchez picking up the win in a very solid outing was key for him, and closer Brian Wilson coming in and dominating in games one and two was also very key, as the Giants will be depending on him an awful lot this season.

Now though, they're ready to hit the road, and tonight will be taking on the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first game of a three-game set and a six-game road trip. We're slated for a pitching matchup between Matt Cain of the Giants and Daniel Hudson of the Diamondbacks.

Cain has been the most impressive of the San Francisco pitchers so far this year, with a 1-0 record in two starts and a 1.38 earned run average. He gave the Giants their only win against the Dodgers in the opening four-game set to start the season and was dealt a no decision against the St. Louis Cardinals last Saturday, a game the Giants would eventually win 3-2, despite Cain giving up both of those runs off of five hits.

He'll be looking for run support, and that might hinge on the status of second baseman Freddy Sanchez, who missed Wednesday's finale against Los Angeles with a shoulder injury, but is listed as probable. Centerfielder and lead-off man Andres Torres is still listed as doubtful.

Hudson hasn't been playing terribly, but he is off to a rough start, sporting an 0-2 record with a 3.46 ERA. His last outing on Saturday yielded two runs for the Reds off of three hits, while walking three and striking out eight. It was definitely a strong outing from him, but he was handed the loss as the Diamondbacks couldn't score more than one run, though they'd eventually lose by 6-1 anyway.

He'll be on the lookout for Pablo Sandoval and Aubrey Huff, the former hit a homerun (along with, surprisingly, Mike Fontenot) and the latter went 2-for-3 with a run batted in. The Giants are 6-6 overall, but only are 2-4 on the road so far this season. Arizona is 3-3 on their current nine-game homestand, and the Giants clearly held the edge in Arizona last year, winning six of nine on the road against the Diamondbacks. 

Don't be alarmed when you see the jerseys today - they'll all be sporting the number 42, in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. All players, managers and umpires will be sporting the number, and there will be a ceremony before the game. 

Tim Lincecum Donates $25,000 to the Bryan Stow Fund

MLB Standings Update: Giants Looking to Vault Themselves Up the Standings

The San Francisco Giants and their fans would have liked to see the 2010 World Series Champions come out of the gate and play, well, like champions. But it hasn't necessarily been the case for the Giants so far, especially early in the season. The Giants have begun to get into the groove of the grind as of late, but still have work to do to catch the 10-2 Colorado Rockies, now holding the best record in the National League led by Troy Tulowitzki and his 7 home runs already. And although we are only a few weeks into the season, it already looks like it's going to be a dogfight in the NL West, seeing that 1 game separates four teams in the standings. San Diego couldn't recreate their miracle start of last season, with the Dodgers and Diamondbacks have played rather inconsistently, as have the Giants. 

San Francisco currently sit one game out of the top spot in the NL wild card with the Cubs, while the Brewers and Marlins currently sit atop the standings. A lot of teams in the National League will be competitive in the wild card this year, so the Giants are going to make sure they take care of business along the way. 

Giants vs. Diamondbacks, MLB Schedule Preview: Giants Head to Arizona Looking for More Wins

After the San Francisco Giants took two out of three against the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier in the week, the G-Men will be looking to keep the momentum moving as they head to Chase Field k to face off with the Arizona Diamondbacks. San Francisco has been playing some tightly knit ball games as of late, having to come back from deficits in their last two games, a tribute to their 2010 selves perhaps, but as long as they're winning, I'm sure it doesn't matter to many. 

Arizona has started their season at a 5-6 clip, as manager Kirk Gibson is attempting to figure out what made them so hot last season after he was promoted late last summer. They D-Backs have got some decent pop in their lineup with guys like Chris Young and Justin Upton, and their pitching staff is much better than it had been the few season prior. I think one of these teams is going to give the other fits during the series, and it's going to come down to pitching. 

Matt Cain (1-0 1.38 ERA) will take the mound for the Giants tonight to square off with Daniel Hudson (1-1 8.00 ERA) of the D-backs, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:40 p.m. and can be seen on CSN Bay Area and heard on KNBR 680. 

For more discussion and analysis head over to McCovey Chronicles to get in on the action. 

Giants, A's Celebrate Jackie Robinson Day