Giants vs. Diamondbacks Series Recap: Back-To-Back Sweeps For San Francisco

If you already gave up on the season or hit the panic button, there's something inherently wrong with you. No, seriously, there's no courtesy here - you need to see a doctor or something. It's so early in the season, and now the San Francisco Giants are first place in the National League West, after back-to-back three-game sweeps of the rival Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks, all on a six-game homestand at AT&T Park. They didn't necessarily dominate from the beginning to the end of each game, and in fact, did not score more than four points in any of the three games against Arizona, nor did they win by multiple points in any of the games.

Pitcher of the Series: Brian Wilson
In the previous series, Wilson appeared in three games and got two wins and a save. Against the Diamondbacks, he made two more consecutive appearances, getting another win under his belt and another save, to bring his total for the year up to twelve. Wilson has been lights out this season, and deserves this 'pitcher of the series' award any time he's out there. Worth noting that Javier Lopez came up in game three and earned the save impressively.

Hitter of the Series: Andres Torres
Fresh off the disabled list, Torres went 1-3, 2-3, and 1-4, but he had two walks and two RBI, and is a player that the Giants sorely miss and can now depend on. Plus, nobody else really "wowed" in this series, so he gets the nod. Good to have you back, Torres.

Stat of the Series: Three one-run games
There's a little bit of good and a little bit of bad at this point ... the Giants are able to win those low-scoring affairs and get themselves out of high-pressure situations with the small lead on the line, but when you only score four runs once, it's a scary thing. You need those six, seven, eight-run games in between all of these performances to keep your confidence up. They'd like to improve upon this going forward, but they'll take one-run wins over one-run losses any day.

Series Results:

Tuesday, May 10th: Giants 1, Diamondbacks 0
WP: Brian Wilson (3-1)
LP: David Hernandez (2-1)

Wednesday, May 11th: Giants 4, Diamondbacks 3
WP: Jonathan Sanchez (3-2)
LP: Armando Galarraga (3-3)
SV: Brian Wilson (12)

Thursday, May 12th: Giants 3, Diamondbacks 2
WP: Matt Cain (3-2)
LP: Daniel Hudson (3-5)
SV: Javier Lopez (1)

Upcoming Schedule:
The Giants will head out on a seven-game road trip, with a three-game set against the Chicago Cubs, a two-game set against the Colorado Rockies and a two-game set against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Giants vs. Diamondbacks, MLB Scores: Giants Win 3-2, Sweep Diamondbacks for Sixth Straight Win

For the second time this series the San Francisco Giants found themselves in a pitcher’s duel against the Arizona Diamondbacks as Matt Cain and Daniel Hudson were battling back and forth the majority of the game. Fortunately Cain was on the winning side of the battle as the Giants swept the D’backs by a score of 3-2 at AT&T Park.

Cain (W 3-2) pitched very well, lasting for 7.2 innings with 7 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, and 7 strikeouts. He even took a pitch off his throwing hand in the seventh while attempting a bunt but stayed in the game. The runs to his credit were plated by Jeremy Affeldt and Ramon Ramirez in the eighth, but it was looking like it might have been a shutout for the most of the game. Javy Lopez got the save in the ninth, his first of the year.

Skipper Bruce Bochy showed why he is a lunep genius again by putting Nate Schierholtz and Eli Whiteside in the lineup today, and both of them were very productive. Whitey was 2-4 with two doubles while Schierholtz was 3-4 with a double and a RBI. Nasty Nate also gunned out Gerardo Parra on a ball off the wall as he was digging for second. Andres Torres had an RBI double in the 7th followed by Aubrey Huff RBI single for the Giants three runs.

Daniel Hudson (L 3-5) was on point as well, lasting for 6.2 innings allowing 3 runs on 7 hits with 3 walks and 5 strikeouts. A Stephen Drew infield single and a Justin Upton single plated the D’backs two runs.

Today was Cain’s first win at home this season, capping off a perfect homestand for the G-Men.

With the win the Giants move to 21-16 on the year, taking a half a game lead over the Rockies in the NL West. Full box score can be found here.

The Giants will now head to the Windy City for a 3 game set with the Chicago Cubs starting Friday, with Madison Bumgarner (0-5 4.21 ERA) still searching for his first win against Ryan Dempster (1-4 7.20 ERA) for the Cubs. First pitch is set for 11:20 PT tomorrow morning and can be found on CSN Bay Area and KNBR 680 AM.

Giants vs. Diamondbacks, Starting Lineup Preview: Buster Posey Out, Eli Whiteside In for Today's Game

After San Francisco Giants catcher and reigning rookie of the year Buster Posey took some shots in the face mask last night, we was seeing a few stars in the dugout. But the team is confident that he doesn’t have a more significant injury and will be out today as a precautionary measure, and to just give the guy a day off. That puts Eli Whiteside behind the dish for this afternoon’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks to catch Matt Cain.

After his 0-4 night last night Mike Fontenot will also ride the pine today as Miguel Tejada will move over to shortstop and Mark DeRosa will play third base. Nate Schierholtz will get another start today as well in right field, effectively moving Cody Ross to left and Aaron Rowand to the bench after his 0-3 night last night.

Your San Francisco Giants:

1. Andres Torres CF
2. Freddy Sanchez 2B
3. Aubrey Huff 1B
4. Cody Ross LF
5. Nate Schierholtz RF
6. Miguel Tejada SS
7. Mark DeRosa 3B
8. Eli Whiteside C
9. Matt Cain P

Arizona Diamondbacks Lineup:

1. Kelly Johnson 2B
2. Gerardo Parra CF
3. Xavier Nady LF
4. Stephen Drew SS
5. Justin Upton RF
6. Russell Branyan 1B
7. Ryan Roberts 3B
8. Miguel Montero C
9. Daniel Hudson P

First pitch is set for 12:45 PT this afternoon and can be seen on CSN Bay Area and heard on KNBR 680 AM.

Giants vs. Diamondbacks, MLB Preview: Giants Looking for Second Sweep in a Row at AT&T Park

Whether it be walk off hits, stellar pitching from the starters and the bullpen, of just a good old-fashioned homer, the San Francisco Giants are winners of five straight. Now they are looking to sweep their second series in a row over the Arizona Diamondbacks this afternoon at AT&T Park. 

The comfy confides of AT&T Park have been treating the G-Men very well over the last week or so, and now they will attempt to put the finishing touches on a perfect 6 game homestand before they head out for a 7 game road trip starting Friday against the Chicago Cubs. Matt Cain (2-2 3.38 ERA) will be looking to rack up his first win at home in 2011, but the D'backs Daniel Hudson (3-4 4.47 ERA) will likely have something to say about that. Hudson pitched 7 scoreless innings against the Padres in San Diego earlier this week, and will be looking for a repeat performance today at AT&T. 

The Giants have now won 8 of their last 10 series with the Diamondbacks dating back to 2002 with an impressive 103-64 record against them in that span.

First pitch is set for 12:45 this afternoon with coverage on CSN Bay Area and KNBR 680 AM. 

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

Giants vs. Diamondbacks, MLB Scores: Aubrey Huff Homers Giants Past D'Backs 4-3

The San Francisco Giants have been white hot lately as winners of four in a row, and turned to Jonathan Sanchez this evening to extend it to five. And after a laborious fight by the Sanchize, an Aubrey Huff Homer, and a big night from Miguel Tejada, the Giants took out the Arizona Diamondbacks for the second night in a row by a score of 4-3 at AT&T Park.

Sanchez (W 3-2) seemed to have some issues with the control of his fastball, but managed to claw his way for 6 innings allowing 3 runs on 6 hits with 2 walks and 7 punch outs. Skipper Bruce Bochy pulled out all the stops when it came to the bullpen, using Ramon Ramirez, Javier Lopez, and Sergio Romo in 2 innings of combined perfect work. Brian Wilson continued his terrific homestand by recording his twelfth save of the season despite giving up a leadoff double in the ninth.

Aside from Huff’s homer in the fifth, his fourth or the year, the Giants got some great hitting from the slumping Miguel Tejada. Miggy was 3-4 including a double and an RBI, boosting his average up to .213 for the year now. Andres Torres had himself a great night as well, going 2-3 with an RBI ground rule double in the sixth. All of the starting positional players for the G-Men got a hit except for Aaron Rowand and Mike Fontenot, but Rowand still scored a run on a wild pitch by Armando Galarraga in the fourth.

Galarraga (L 3-3) continued his slide after starting the year 3-0, lasting for 5.1 innings while allowing 8 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Henry Blanco was responsible for 2 of the D’backs 3 runs with an RBI single in the second and a solo home run in the fourth. But the Giants managed to battle back from their early deficit to get their fifth win in a row.

With the win the Giants move to 20-16 on the year and into a temporary tie with the Colorado Rockies atop the NL West as they were postponed due to weather against the Mets. Full box score can be found here.

The Giants will be going for their second sweep in a row tomorrow as Matt Cain (2-2 3.38 ERA) will be on the bump to face the Diamondbacks Daniel Hudson (3-4 4.47 ERA). First pitch is set for 12:45 tomorrow afternoon with coverage on CSN Bay Area and KNBR 680 AM.

Giants vs. Diamondbacks, Starting Lineup Preview: More Lineup Changes as Miguel Tejada Back at Third Base

San Francisco Giants skipper Bruce Bochy continues his tinkering of the starting lineup as Miguel Tejada will be back at third base today with Mark DeRosa on the bench after only one day off the DL. Boch swore that he would try to give everybody equal playing time, and it certainly seems that he will stick by his guns. Mike Fontenot was dropped form the third spot in the batting order for Aubrey Huff, moving Fontenot back to sixth. Aside from that, everything is the same as yesterday.

You San Francisco Giants:

1. Andres Torres CF
2. Freddy Sanchez 2B
3. Aubrey Huff 1B
4. Buster Posey C
5. Cody Ross RF
6. Mike Fontenot SS
7. Aaron Rowand LF
8. Miguel Tejada 3B
9. Jonathan Sanchez P

Arizona Diamondbacks Lineup:

1. Kelly Johnson 2B
2. Ryan Roberts 3B
3. Justin Upton RF
4. Stephen Drew SS
5. Chris Young CF
6. Xavier Nady 1B
7. Gerardo Parra LF
8. Henry Blanco C
9. Armando Galarraga P

First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 this evening and can be seen on CSN Bay Area and heard on KNBR 680 AM.

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

Giants vs. Diamondbacks, MLB Schedule Preview: Jonathan Sanchez on the Mound as Giants Go for Fifth Straight Win

After the performance put together by Tim Lincecum and Cody Ross last night in the San Francisco Giants epic 1-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, the team will now turn to Jonathan Sanchez to push the G-Men's win streak to 5 straight games. The only thing in their way will be 'Mr. Almost Perfect' Armando Galarraga for the Arizona Diamondbacks.  

Sanchez (2-2 3.55 ERA) has been having issues keeping his focus on the mound as of late, walking 6 batters in each of his last two starts. But Armando Galarraga (3-2 5.29 ERA) hasn't fared too much better though, losing 2 of his last three starts after beginning the season 3-0. It likely will be another battle of attrition between these two clubs, with the eventual victor out lasting the other.

The Giants now loaded bench will likely see a barrage of mixing and matching in the lineup card with Andres Torres and Mark DeRosa back from the DL while keeping Darren Ford on the squad as well. The Giants officially have 6 outfielders and 5 infielders, leaving them with only Buster Posey and Aubrey Huff with set positions on the field; everyone else will be moving all over the place. Skipper Bruce Bochy is a mastermind of the lineup card though, so it should be fun to see who will be the Giants hero every night. 

First pitch is set for 7:15 PT tomorrow night with coverage on CSN Bay Area and KNBR 680 AM. 

For more discussion and analysis of your San Francisco Giants, head over to McCovey Chronicles to get you fix. 

San Francisco Giants Need To Continue Strong Play Against NL West

Giants vs. Diamondbacks, MLB Scores: "The Magic Inside" Is Back With a Vengeance

I know the San Francisco Giants slogan of last year, “the magic inside” has been overtaken by “together we’re giant” but with 3 of the last 4 wins at AT&T Park coming in walk off fashion, I think it’s safe to say that the magic is back and in a big way.

The lineup is an ever changing conundrum for Bruce Bochy to decipher each and every night as the Giants are getting healthier and healthier, and he seems to have an almost prescient ability to put the right guys in at the right time. A new hero every night is something that happend a lot for the 2010 Giants, and it seemingly is happening again in 2011. Whether it be Freddy Sanchez, Mike Fontenot, Nate Schierholtz, Cody Ross or any other Giant who has been coming up with big hits, or Javy Lopez, Jeremy Affeldt, or Brian Wilson on the mound, everyone is playing their part and making sure the team keeps winning.

Maybe it was all the torture and success of last season that has forged this team with trials by fire over and over again. Maybe it’s the philosophy and attitude of the Skipper that is shining through his players. Whatever it is, the Giants are hot right now, and feel abundantly confident even when its 0-0 in the bottom of the ninth.

Like ‘em or not, this team is too much fun to watch. And you better believe they’ll be pulling rabbits out of their hats more than a few times the rest of the season.

Giants vs. Diamondbacks, MLB Scores: Cody Ross' Walk Off Leads Giants to 1-0 Victory

The San Francisco Giants Tim Lincecum and the Arizona Diamondbacks Ian Kennedy were locked into a good old-fashioned pitchers duel at AT&T this evening. It was goose egg after goose egg in the box score, and It took until the bottom of the ninth to plate any runs. But the Giants managed to record their sixth walk off of the year with a Cody Ross RBI single as the Giants won in epic fashion by a score of 1-0.

Buster Posey drew a four-pitch walk to start the bottom of the ninth, then pinch runner Darren Ford stole second. Aubrey Huff struck out, then Ross hit a laser down the left field line scoring Ford easily to end the game in the exciting fashion. Three of the Giants last four wins have now been walk offs, while Darren Ford’s value on this team continues to rise as he was not demoted back to AAA.

Tim Lincecum was on point tonight, lasting for 8 innings allowing 4 hits, no runs, 2 walks and nine strikeouts. He had a no hitter through 5 innings as well until Ian Kennedy’s single up the middle broke it up. Brian Wilson (W 3-1) got his third win in his last 4 appearances for the G-men with his scoreless top of the ninth.

Ian Kennedy was no slouch either as he also went for 8 innings, allowing no runs on 4 hits with 3 walks and 8 strikeouts. David Hernandez (L 2-1) was tabbed with the loss for the D’backs.

With the win the Giants move to 19-16, now only half a game behind the Rockies for fist place in the NL West. Full box score can be found here.

The Giants will have their second game of the three game series tomorrow with Jonathan Sanchez (2-2 3.55 ERA) on the mound to take on Armando Galarraga (3-2 5.29 ERA) for the Diamondbacks. First pitch is set for 7:15 PT with coverage on CSN Bay Area and KNBR 680 AM.

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

Giants vs. Diamondbacks, Starting Lineup Preview: Mark DeRosa at Third, Andres Torres in Center Field

The San Francisco Giants are starting to get healthier as the got Mark DeRosa and Andres Torres back from the DL today, and lo and behold, both are in the starting lineup today. DeRosa will get the start at third base, giving the slumping Miguel Tejada the day off, while Torres will be in center field, moving Aaron Rowand to left and benching Pat Burrell. Cody Ross is in right, effectively moving Nate Scheirholtz back to the bench, while Mike Fontenot will remain in the number three spot in the lineup playing shortstop.

To make room on the roster, Ryan Rohlinger will be going back to AAA Fresno, while either Darren Ford or Emmanuel Burriss will be demoted as well. More to come when they decision is made.

Your San Francisco Giants Lineup:

1. Andres Torres CF
2. Freddy Sanchez 2B
3. Mike Fontenot SS
4. Buster Posey C
5. Aubrey Huff 1B
6. Cody Ross RF
7. Aaron Rowand LF
8. Mark DeRosa 3B
9. Tim Lincecum P

Arizona Diamondbacks:

1. Kelly Johnson 2B
2. Melvin Mora 3B
3. Justin Upton RF
4. Stephen Drew SS
5. Chris Young CF
6. Miguel Montero C
7. Juan Miranda 1B
8. Gerado Parra LF
9. Ian Kennedy P

First pitch is set for 7:15 this evening and can be found on CSN Bay Area and KNBR 680 AM.

I’ll be tweeting from the pressbox tonight at AT&T Park, so make sure to follow along on Twitter @sbnbayarea

Giants vs. Diamondbacks, MLB Preview: Tim Lincecum Set to Battle Ian Kennedy in Series Opener at AT&T Park

The San Francisco Giants are only one game behind the Colorado Rockies after sweeping them this weekend, but now must turn their attention to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Giants can overtake the Rocks with some wins against the D'backs this series, starting tonight as they hand the ball over to Tim Lincecum to get their fourth win in a row, their fifth of their last six.  

Lincecum (3-3 2.47 ERA) will be squaring off with the Diamondbacks Ian Kennedy (3-1 3.80 ERA) this evening, the first time the Giants have seen Kennedy this season. In his last start on May 5, he went for 6 full innings allowing 6 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks and 5 strikeouts in the D'backs 3-2 victory over Colorado. The Giants offense will look to score some early runs to give Timmy some breathing room, especially since they haven't scored more than 4 runs in their last 5 games. 

First pitch is set for 7:15 PT tonight, with coverage on CSN Bay Area and KNBR 680 AM. 

For more discussion and analysis of your San Francisco Giants, head over to McCovey Chronicles to get your fix. 

Giants vs. Diamondbacks, Series Preview: Giants Have Options With Andres Torres, Mark DeRosa Off the DL

Coming off of their first series sweep of the season against the Colorado Rockies this weekend, the San Francisco Giants will now host the Arizona Diamondbacks for a three game set at AT&T Park. An added bonus/issue for this series will be the return of both Andres Torres and Mark DeRosa off the disable list Tuesday, forcing skipper Bruce Bochy to play some proverbial musical chairs with the lineup card over the next few days. 

Despite Aaron Rowand filling in admirably in Torres' absence, Bochy seems to be leaning toward starting Andres in center out of the gate on Tuesday. From Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle:

"It's fair to say we'd like to have Andres out there," Bochy said. "He gives us some speed and a switch-hitter in the lineup."    

Along with Rowand, Cody Ross, Pat Burrell, and Nate Schierholtz are all viable options to start in the outfield for the Giants as well, a problem I'm sure Bruce Bochy doesn't mind having. I'm sure it will change game-by-game over the next few days depending on pitching match ups, and I'd be willing to bet there won't be the same starting lineup in the outfield during this series. Personally I'd like to see Ross in left field, Schierholtz in left, and Torres in right.

The infield poses the same issues with the return of Mark DeRosa. Mike Fontenot has been playing decently enough at shortstop to keep him there while coming up with some clutch hits, while Tejada has been seriously struggling at the plate but has been doing well at third base. Henry Schulman suggests that Bochy historically won't move to bench a veteran like Tejada this early in the season, but Bochy does admit that deciding who to play is not an easy decision to make:

"That's going to be a tough call," Bochy said of Fontenot. "He's doing such a nice job. We'll get together Tuesday and talk about how we're going to work this out."    

Getting DeRosa a few days in a row under his belt seems like a good idea to me, while giving Tejada some time to figure out his swing and get some rest. But Boch is the skipper for a reason and always seems to make the right calls in regards to the lineup, and I'm sure all of these guys will see a good amount of playing time. 

As for the Diamondbacks, this will be their third series in a row against NL West opponents after going 3-3 last week against the Rockies and Padres. At 15-18 the Diamondbacks are only 2.5 games behind the Giants in the NL West, and are a dangerous team that can get hot and in a hurry. Luckily the Giants are rolling out the top of their rotation to keep the D'backs in check, hopefully recording their second series sweep in a row.