Giants vs. Diamondbacks: Giants Offense Awakens, Drop D'backs 8-1

The Arizona Diamondbacks were one game away from handing the San Francisco Giants their second series sweep in a row on Wednesday afternoon, but the Black and Orange were having none of it. Behind Ryan Vogelsong's strong outing the G-Men exploded for two 4-run innings, avoiding the sweep with an 8-1 victory at AT&T Park. 

San Francisco opened it up in the third with an Pablo Sandoval RBI single that plated Andres Torres, followed directly afterward by Carlos Beltran's RBI single to center. Orlando Cabrera got his first RBI as a Giant with a groundout to short, followed by another RBI groundout by Cody Ross. They struck again in the fifth with a pair of two-RBI doubles from Orlando Cabrera and Cody Ross to make it 8-0, a far cry from the lackluster offense of the last week or so. 

As a team the Giants had 12 hits as Jeff Keppinger and Pablo Sandoval both went 2-5, bumping Kep back to .300 on the season. Carlos Beltran went 3-5 with a triple, Aubrey Huff went 2-4, while Andres Torres went 1-4. 

Ryan Vogelsong (W 9-1) kept the D'back in check all afternoon, holding them scoreless until a seventh inning single from pitcher Zack Duke would pull him out of the game. Vogey struck out seven while walking three in his six innings of work, keeping the D'backs to only five hits in another stellar outing in front of the home crowd for the All-Star.  

On the other side of the coin, Jason Marquis' (L 8-6) debut with Arizona was one to forget after giving up seven earned runs in only four innings of work, allowing 10 hits with one walk and only one strikeout on 80 pitches. 

With the win the Giants move to 62-49 on the year, one game ahead of the Diamondbacks in the NL West. Full box score can be found here. 

For more in depth discussion and analysis of the Black and Orange, check out McCovey Chronicles. 

The San Francisco Giants have had a laundry list of injuries this season, with one of the major losses coming in the form of infielder Freddy Sanchez. Sanchez underwent successful shoulder surgery on Tuesday to repair a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder (right), and now eyes a full recovery by the time spring training 2012 rolls along. 

Freddy had been trying to rehab the shoulder enough to come back and play this season, but after some intensive rehab and acquistion of infielders Jeff Keppinger and Orlando Cabrera both the team and Freddy felt it best to undergo the surgery and come back full strength next season. 

Head athletic trainer Dave Groeschner noted that Freddy would need a few weeks to let the injured area "calm down" following surgery before returning to his rehab schedule. Sanchez injured the shoulder diving for a ground ball June 10 in a 3-2 Giants win against the cincinnati Reds.  Sanched played in 60 games in 2011, batting a respectful .289 along with a .730 OPS, as well as three dingers and 24 RBI. 

The San Francisco Giants are trying to hang on to the lead in the NL West after the Arizona Diamondbacks swooped into AT&T and took the first two games from the defending champs. The Black and Orange are on a five game losing skid now, but can regain a one game lead in the division today if they can somehow find a way to win a game.

Pablo Sandoval and Carlos Beltran will switch positions in the batting order this afternoon with Beltran moving to clean up and Pablo moving into the third slot. Andres Torres will be back in center field and leading off, moving Cody Ross to left, batting seventh, thus putting Nate Schierholtz back on the bench. Eli Whiteside will be behind the dish to catch Vogelsong, while Aubrey Huff has earned himself another start at first base.

Your San Francisco Giants:

1. Andres Torres CF
2. Jeff Keppinger 2B
3. Pablo Sandoval 3B
4. Carlos Beltran RF
5. Orlando Cabrera SS
6. Aubrey Huff 1B
7. Cody Ross LF
8. Eli Whiteside C
9. Ryan Vogelsong P

Arizona Diamondbacks Lineup:

1. Willie Bloomquist SS
2. Collin Cowgill LF
3. Justin Upton RF
4. Chris Young CF
5. Ryan Roberts 2B
6. Paul Goldschmidt 1B
7. Cody Ransom 3B
8. Henry Blanco C
9. Jason Marquis P

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

The San Francisco Giants have found themselves in a place they haven't been in nearly two months, tied for first place atop the NL West with the Arizona Diamondbacks. They've lost five games in a row stemming back to the Reds series over the weekend, and now turn to Ryan Vogelsong to get them back on track and in sole possession of first place once again. 

Vogelsong (8-1 2.23 ERA) currently leads the National League in ERA, and will look to keep the D'backs off the base paths as much as possible Wednesday afternoon. He is coming off of a no decision in Cincy over the weekend where he lasted six innings, while allowing three earned runs on seven hits along with two walks and only a single strikeout. Vogey is a different pitcher at home though, sporting a 1.28 ERA and 1.08 WHIP at AT&T in 63 and 1/3 innings pitched so far, along with a 17/40 BB to K ratio. 

The Giants will face Jason Marquis (8-5 3.95 ERA) for the first time in a D'back uniform as he makes his debut with his new team this evening. He's gone a disappointing 1-2  in his last three starts, but was more effective than his record would show. Marquis has kept opponents to only seven earned runs over his previous 20 innings (3.15 ERA) along with 12 strikeouts. He ptiched against the Giants back in April when still in D.C., shutting them out in five innings of work en route to a 3-0 Nationals victory.

After Tuesday's loss the Giants are 7-4 against the D-backs so far in 2011, have won 10 of their last 14 against them and are 33-14 versus Arizona since 2009. Let's hope they can get a W today. 

First pitch is scheduled for 12:45 pm PT with coverage on CSN Bay Area and KNBR 680 AM. 

The San Francisco Giants were staring down the barrel Tuesday night as the Arizona Diamondbacks were gunning for a tie for first place in the NL West at AT&T Park. And thanks to two big swings from Justin Upton and rookie Paul Goldschmidt the D'backs got just what they wanted, dropping the Giants by a score of 6-1.

Tim Lincecum (L 9-9) had a no-hitter going into the fifth inning, but ended quickly with a Ryan Roberts single, followed by Goldschmidt's first major league bomb deep to right field. Timmy would last through the seventh, finishing the night with only three hits against him along with three walks and eight strikeouts on 112 pitches. His replacement, Ramon Ramirez, fared no better in his inning of work, allowing another two run jack to the D'backs, this time to Justin Upton. Javy Lopez allowed another two runs in the ninth off of three hits and a walk to shore up a forgetful night for the Giants' bullpen.

Aside from an RBI double from Pablo Sandoval in the fourth the Giants offense once again stunk, even though Pablo went 3-4. Carlos Beltran was 1-4, as was Aubrey Huff, while Orlando Cabrera went 1-4. San Francisco left six men on base as well as hitting into two double plays.

Daniel Hudson (W 11-7) was very solid in his eight innings of work, allowing the lone run on six hits along with one walk and five K's.

With the loss the Giants move to 61-49 on the year., and into a tie for first in the NL West along with Arizona. Full box score can be found here.

San Francisco will look to avoid being swept for the second straight series on Wednesday, sending out Ryan Vogelsong (8-1 2.23 ERA) to take on the newly acquired Jason Marquis (8-5 3.95 ERA) in his D'back debut. First pitch is set for 12:45 pm PT with coverage on CSN Bay Area and KNBR 680 AM. 

Cody Ross will be batting leadoff again for the Black and Orange, followed by
With control of the NL West hanging in the balance, the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants will battle it out tonight on the shores of McCovey Cove. Tim Lincecum will be out to continue his ownage of the D’backs over the course of his career, while Kirk Gibson and his invigorated snakes are looking to topple the defending champions.

Jeff Keppinger and Carlos Beltran. Pablo will bat cleanup, Aubrey Huff will start over Brandon Belt (again), while Orlando Cabrera will be at short and Chris Stewart will be behind the dish to catch Timmy this evening.

Your San Francisco Giants:

1. Cody Ross CF
2. Jeff Keppinger 2B
3. Carlos Beltran RF
4. Pablo Sandoval 3B
5. Aubrey Huff 1B
6. Nate Schierholtz LF
7. Orlando Cabrera SS
8. Chris Stewart C
9. Tim Lincecum P

Arizona Diamondbacks Lineup:

1. Willie Bloomquist SS
2. Kelly Johnson 2B
3. Justin Upton RF
4. Chris Young CF
5. Miguel Montero C
6. Ryan Roberts 3B
7. Paul Goldschmidt 1B
8. Gerardo Parra LF
9. Daniel Hudson P

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

Just a week ago the San Francisco Giants were riding high, sporting a comfortable lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West, unveiling their latest acquisitions on Carlos Beltran and Jeff Keppinger, and almost looking like a playoff lock in July. But now the Black and Orange are on a four game losing streak with only a single game separating them at the D'backs, with the lead in the division up for grabs on Tuesday night at AT&T Park. 

Tim Lincecum (9-8 2.78 ERA) will take the mound for the Giants tonight, hopefully to curb their now four-game losing streak and get back to their winning ways. Lincecum has 7-2 record lifetime against Arizona along with a 2.42 ERA and one complete game in 15 outings against them. Six of his 30 double-digit-strikeout starts have come against the Diamondbacks, not to mention 13 of his 15 starts against them have been quality starts. His carrer wins and strikeout totals are higher against Arizona then any other team, racking up seven W's and 130 strikeouts against the D-backs along the way. Needless to say, Timmy fares well against this team historically. 

Squaring off against Lincecum will be Daniel Hudson (10-7 3.81 ERA), who has been hotter than hot over the last few months. In his last 18 starts, Hudson has an impressive 10-3 record with a 3.39 ERA, allowing only 46 earned runs in 122 innings over that span along with 21 walks and 89 strikeouts. He sits tied for fourth in wins, tied for ninth in innings pitched, tied for 11th with a .769 win percentage and 12th with a 4.24 strikeout-to-walk ratio amongst all qualifying pitchers since April 26, 2011. Looks like we might have another pitcher's duel on our hands. 

In other Giants news Freddy Sanchez will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery Tuesday , but should be good to go for Spring Training 2012. Barry Zito got Jonathan Sanchez'ed with a phantom injury putting him on the DL; the team is calling it a 'right foot sprain,' the same injury that landed him on the DL earlier this year, although Zito mentioned nothing about an injury to anyone in the clubhouse. Jonathan Sanchez will take his spot in the rotation back from Zito, hoping to have a better showing then he did earlier in the year. 

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

The Arizona Diamondbacks arrived on the shores of McCovey Cove with one thing in mind, to inch closer to the first place San Francisco Giants in the NL West. And after a five-run sixth inning the D'backs did just that, dropping Matt Cain and the Black and Orange by a score of 5-2 at AT&T Park. 

Cain (L 9-7) had it going until the sixth when he imploded, giving up five earned runs on four RBI singles from Arizona, knocking him out of the game after only 5 and 2/3 innings. He seemingly was getting the squeeze from home plate umpire Tony Randazzo that seemed to take away from his concentration. In total Cainer threw 105 pitches on the night, including eight D'back hits along with three walks and five strikeouts. 

Cody Ross starter the game with a bang with a leadoff homer off of Arizona's Ian Kennedy. Ross's eighth dinger of the season was hopefully the start of a great offensive showing, but the Giants bats went silent until Aubrey Huff launched one of his own in the seventh, his 10th on the year. Carlos Beltran went 2-4 in his AT&T debut, while Orlando Cabrera went 1-4 in his. As a team the Giants left six men on base, including two on in the bottom of the ninth with the tying man at the plate. 

Ian Kennedy (W 13-3) had a very strong outing for the D'backs, lasting eight full innings while yielding six hits, one walk and seven strikeouts. J.J. Putz got the save in the ninth, his 25th of the season. 

With the loss the Giants move to 61-48 on the year, and only one game ahead of Arizona in the NL West. Full box score can be found here. 

The Giants will send out Tim Lincecum (9-8, 2.78 ERA) on Tuesday to face Daniel Hudson (10-7 3.81 ERA) for the D'backs. First pitch is set for 7:15 pm PT tomorrow with coverage on CSN Bay Area and KNBR 680 AM. 

Last year at the this time San Francisco Giants were trying to claw their way atop the division against the leading San Diego Padres. But this year they find themselves in an opposite role as the Arizona Diamondbacks attempt to reach the pinnacle of the NL West over the Giants, starting Monday at AT&T Park. 

Matt Cain (9-5 2.91 ERA) will get the ball for the first game of this three game set in China Basin, looking to keep his All-Star form intact in the dog days of summer. Cain had one of the lowest ERA's in baseball in June at 1.65, and followed up with another decent mark in July of 2.53. Cain had a 5-3 record and a 2.71 ERA at AT&T Park over the last few months, and is 3-0 with a 3.54 ERA against Arizona already this season.

Arizona will send out Ian Kennedy (12-3 3.22 ERA) who has won four decisions is a row along with at least six innings pitched in nine of his last 10 starts. Kennedy has had some tough luck with the Black and Orange though, scoring two no-decisions against the Giants despite 16 innings pitched without allowing a single earned run. With Cain's stellar outings as of late, the amount of runs the Giants score at home as is, and their track record with Kennedy this season, we might have another pitcher's duel on our hands (who would'a thought).

The Giants will also have the chance to showcase their newest additions to the Club in front of the home crowd for the first time this season as Carlos Beltran and Orlando Cabrera will make their AT&T debuts with the defending champs. Hope they like sold out crowds screaming at the top of their lungs, cause that's what they're going to get. 

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

Well baseball fans August is upon us, meaning the countdown to the postseason has begun ticking away. And even though the end of the regular season is about two months away still, the ballgames are beginning to mean more with every passing day, and the two top teams in the NL West have found themselves in what could be one of their most important series to date in 2011 in the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks. 

The sweep handed to the Giants out in Cincinnati certainly put a bit of a damper on the additions of Carlos Beltran and Orlando Cabrera, but the newest Giants will be making their home debuts in front of the sellout San Francisco crowds this series, and with first place on the line, you know they'll be hyped up. Arizona is coming off a series is L.A. where they took two of three from the Dodgers, now 12.5 games out of first place in the NL West.

The Padres and Rockies just completed a series of their own in San Diego where the Rox took two of three on rival turf, but they are still 10 games out of first place while the Padres remain in the NL West cellar at 14.5 games out of first place.