From the surface the 2010 Home Run Derby looked as plain as the incessant suburban sprawl surrounding Angel Stadium in Anaheim. The lineup was as unspectacular as the list of guests appearing on “Last Call with Carson Daily.” And like I do every time I see the first few frames of “Last Call,” I asked myself why?

Why was Chris Young in a home run hitting contest? Why did Bobby Valentine call Big Papi “Jose Ortiz?” Why did Hanley Ramirez steal Aqua Man’s shoes? Why is Corey Hart’s beard a blonde replica of Abraham Lincoln’s? And why doesn’t someone let Carson use an actual studio? Are times that bad?

I’ll admit it, I was ready to dump on the derby. I had already decided it was baseball’s slam-dunk contest – going on for far too long and involving too few stars.

But all of a sudden David Ortiz dug into the box, spit on his batting gloves, clapped his hands, waved his magic 38-ounce wand, and single-handedly stole the show.

Big Papi was his gregarious self – beaming a broad smile, swinging from his heals, and fraternizing with everyone within an arm’s reach of him or any of his 32 homers. His adorable son was cheering him on from first-base line. Ortiz even made Ramirez – a ballplayer whose talents are obscured by a small market and a bad reputation – come across as affable if not innocent.

Ramirez served as the necessary salve in a competition that desperately needs at least two competitors at the top of their game. So he clicked his teal slippers, played the antagonist, and put on a laser show of his own.

But even when it was about Ramirez, it was about Big Papi.

Oritz vacillated between being the powerful slugger with laser focus, then the father figure to his fellow countrymen, wiping Ramirez’s sweaty brow with a towel, and cooling him down with some mid-round Gatorade. The two spoke after about the bond that grew between them during Ramirez’s time in the Red Sox organization.

Ortiz even did what no one saw coming – teaming a Red Sox up with a Yankee.

With Ortiz’s usual pitcher, Ino Guerrero, in the Dominican Republic for the All-Star break, Yankees’ bench coach Tony Pena was Papi’s hand-picked hurler on Monday. The move paid dividends as Papi was in a groove all night.

Once Ramirez grounded his last out softly through the left side, and the trophy belonged to Ortiz, Big Papi added another serving of human drama, dedicating the trophy to his friend, Jose Lima, the former Dominican player who recently died at the age of 37.

The night wasn’t without its flaws. At more than 2 ½ hours long the derby could use a nip here and tuck there. Miguel Cabrera and Will Ferrell both should probably reconsider the man-perm, and ESPN still hasn’t found away to combine its two greatest broadcasting tools – the ultra-slow-motion cam and Erin Andrews.

But for one balmy night in Southern California, Ortiz gave the Home Run Derby a much-needed facelift.

Used with permission of the author.

Theo is a staff reporter and feature writer for the Marin Independent Journal where he covers local prep and college sports. As an Associate Production Manager for ESPN, he helped produce Sunday Night Baseball among other national ESPN and ABC Sports telecasts. In addition to his contributions to Sports Climax, he is a columnist for Examiner.com and is the play-by-play voice for Sonoma State University baseball and softball.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Sitting in a bar with a frosty pint at 7:30 a.m., you tend to learn a thing or two. The heightened awareness that comes along with rising with the stark morning sun combined with ordering several foreign beers amidst a crowd chanting “U-S-A!, U-S-A!” opens you up to new experiences.

For me, it was the beauty that lies within America’s torrid love affair with soccer. (I’m not sure when we voted on this, but apparently we all decided that we were going to become soccer fans – if only for a month.)

The low-scoring nature of soccer has caused its fans to evolve, to move the goal line, so to speak. Sitting at a sticky counter, elbow to elbow with this guy, I learned that the joy in watching soccer isn’t in the goals, but in the chances your team has to score these evasive goals.

To make life easier, I’ve adopted this philosophy with the San Francisco Giants.

The shortcomings of the Giants offense has been well documented – honestly I’ve seen more scoring take place in line for a Star Wars movie. And the agony the lack of runs cause, seemingly on a night-in-night-out basis (see Dodgers 4, Giants 2), has spoiled too many opportunities to celebrate.

To amend this dire ineptitude of scoring, try this the next time you’re at the yard – third base is the new home.

A base runner that safely advances to third is the baseball equivalent to a “scoring chance” – and the Giants have a lot of these. So the next time you see Giant on third, stand up, cheer, raise your arms in victory, hug the nearest stranger next to you, and blow your Vuvuzelas. Honor the beauty, the physical poetry that is a near-run, and then imagine the bliss of an actual run.

Once we learn to re-frame the archaic goals we have had in place as baseball fans and look to the progressivism of soccer, the pesky runner stranded at third won’t seem like a missed opportunity, but instead it will stand as a time to cheer — at least until the next double play.

My World Cup is half empty – Schuepp’s Scoop

Fixed game in 1982 World Cup creates schedule change – Sports Climax

French World Cup team continues their circus act – Sports Climax

Re-printed with permission of the author.

Theo is a staff reporter and feature writer for the Marin Independent Journal where he covers local prep and college sports. As an Associate Production Manager for ESPN, he helped produce Sunday Night Baseball among other national ESPN and ABC Sports telecasts. In addition to his contributions to Sports Climax, he is a columnist for Examiner.com and is the play-by-play voice for Sonoma State University baseball and softball.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Twenty-six (26) runners left on base, 17 walks issued, and a grand total of five runs crossed the plate.

Yes, it was the Padres and the Giants at their finest, with the Padres being just a little finer in a 3-2 win in China Basin on Tuesday. San Diego took the first game of this three-game series that should be known as the “first to three runs wins.”

It was like watching the most recent season of “24,” but instead of Jack Bauer manipulating evidence out of suspects he uses the kids from “Glee” to draw out the valuable information with their catchy musical numbers. Or, as Duane Kuiper calls it, “2010 Giants baseball: torture.”

For the first time this season Zito was below average, allowing a season-high seven walks and suffered his first loss of the year. He also missed a chance to become the first Giants left-hander to win six straight games since Noah Lowry did it in ‘05.

Zito blamed his poor showing on an “inconsistent release point,” among other things:

“Timing was off tonight, didn’t have any command of anything. Sometimes it just happens where you just don’t feel as good as other times.

“It was a battle the whole night, starting with that first at bat (against Scott Hairston) that was 11 pitches or something. So they put up good at bats and I wasn’t throwing enough strikes and they worked their walks.”

It was a familiar tune for Zito, who has struggled against the khaki and blue of the Padres. In 16 career starts against San Diego, Zito is now 3-7 with a 4.23 ERA.

The Giants failed to beat the Padres for the fourth straight time in 2010, and now trail the NL West leaders by 1 1/2 games. But, even with the mini relapse, Giants; manager Bruce Bochy didn’t seem concerned with Zito’s effort.

“He’s been so good, you know, he’s gonna have an off night and even with that he gave us a chance,” Bochy said. “He battled, competed out there, and, despite the walks, he kept them to three runs and that’s not bad. We had our chances and we were just a hit away form taking the game.”

David Eckstein continues to haunt the Giants like a bad case of two-year $12 million dollar contracts to mid-level veterans.

The “Gift from God” went 2-for-2, drove in a pair with a two-out, second-inning single and also drew three walks and stole a base. As a team, the Giants have allowed a National-league leading 35 stolen bases. Only the Red Sox (44) and Royals (36) have been burgled more.

The Padres put 21 base runners on, and drew 12 walks from Giants pitching, but only managed to score the three runs. It was enough for San Diego’s stellar bullpen, which is the main reason behind the Padres’ fast start.

Ryan Webb, Luke Gregerson, Mike Adams and closer Heath Bell pitched 4 1/3 innings of relief, allowing just two hits and a walk. It was the necessary remedy after Padres’ starter Wade LeBlanc was inconsistent, too.

LeBlanc pitched a shaky 4 2/3 innings but, like his counterpart Zito, gave his offense a chance.

“They’re very underrated,” Bochy said, “if you look a the second half last year, how (the Padres) played, it’s a good ball club over there.”

Pablo Sandoval hinted that his hibernation may be coming to an end. The Panda laced a triple into the right-center gap and eventually scored on an Aubrey Huff single in the third. In the fifth, Huff singled in front of Juan Uribe’s triple to make it 3-2.

Still, it’s the week anniversary of the Giants win over the Marlins, so let’s celebrate by mocking a teenaged organization with two World Series titles.

Seriously, we’re mocking them, turn up the volume. Hope you liked Creed.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy told his No. 5 starter Todd Wellemeyer that his next turn in the rotation would be skipped due to off days the Giants have scheduled on Thursday and Monday. In other words, the skipper put his 0-3 right-hander who entered Tuesday’s game against the Phillies with an 8.16 ERA on notice.Wellemeyer heeded the call, and so did the Giants as they picked up a 6-2 win on the shores of McCovey Cove Tuesday night.

The perhaps prematurely maligned starter struck out Chase Utlley, looking, as part of a perfect first inning. It was evident that Wellemeyer’s pre-game discussion with pitching coach Dave Raghetti was already paying dividends, as he dodged in and out of a few jams, but turned in his best start as a Giant, by far, pitching 7-plus innings of two-run ball, while striking out four and walking three.

“I’v been working with ‘Rags’ and (Mark) Gardner and have been trying to iron some stuff out mechanically,” said Wellemeyer, who moved to the first-base side of the pitching rubber in order to open up the plate. “(I) just tried to stay within myself, … I knew I could pitch better than what I’d shown the last two games.”

Not only did Wellemeyer win the start, he also won over many of the 31,792 fans in attendance. Many of whom were presumably unhappy with his Giants tenure up to this point.

“It’s natural for them to think that way,” said Wellemeyer of the standing ovation he received when he departed in the eighth, and the early criticism he’s endured. “You know I don’t blame them, they can get on the bandwagon though if they want, they’re welcome.”

Despite the tune-up, Wellemeyer and the Giants were trailing 1-0 in the second when Aubrey Huff deposited his first “real homer” as a Giant in the arcade in right. A batter later Matt Downs hit a no-doubter out to left for his second career home run as a Giant, as the home team showed no mercy to 47-year-old Jamie Moyer. The only outs made the inning were a laser off the bat of Bengie Molina that was snared by Phillies third baseman Placido Polanco, a sharp Mark DeRosa groundout, and a strikeout of Wellemeyer, which followed Nate Schierholtz’s double off the top of the fence in left.

Schierholtz was impactful in the outfield too. In the first he made a diving catch on Polonco’s liner, which seemed to settle down his pitcher. In the second he threw out Ryan Howard, who was cruising into second base after what looked to be a sure double. Giants’ short stop Edgar Renteria gets credit for an assist, as he was standing, flat-footed, waiting nonchalantly for the throw, encouraging Howard to go in easy. Howard strolled in and was tagged out a step before he reached the bag. The decoy didn’t go unnoticed by the Giants either, as both Bochy and Schierholtz complemented the veteran infielder.

Later in the fourth, Howard smoked a pitch off the right field wall, and was more than satisfied to stay at first instead of challenging the arm of Schierholtz again.

“I’m sure they know (about Nate’s arm) it’s tough down there on that wall, you think it’s gonna be a double and Nate plays it as well as anybody and he’s got the arm to throw with,” said Bochy of his right fielder’s prowess.

The Phillies flashed some leather too. Juan Castro started a spectacular double play on Pablo Sandoval’s grounder up the middle with a diving stop, and issued a shovel pass with his glove under and across his body to second baseman Chase Utley, who grabbed it barehanded and threw to first where it was scooped by Howard. Replays confirmed that Sandoval beat the return throw, but the first base umpire clearly got caught up in the play.

Moyer, who joins the likes of Jack Quinn (47), Phil Neikro (48) and Satchel Paige (58) as the oldest hurlers to start a game in MLB history, hasn’t won in San Francisco since July 16, 1987. Considering the results of his most recent effort, Moyer’s unlikely to pick up another start, let a lone a win in The City.

For the second straight night the Giants touched up a Philly starter for 10 hits, and Moyer allowed four earned runs over his six innings. So far on this daunting nine-game homestand, the Giants are 4-1 against two playoff teams from a year ago, and have allowed just six runs.

“Pitching’s been there, timely hitting’s been there, you know, you just have to play your best ball against a team like this,” said Bochy, who admitted he would reconsider allowing Wellemeyer to make his next start. “‘Welly,’ he settled in there as he went, you could see him get more and more comfortable as the game went on, he was hitting his spots.”

Andres Torres continues to make loud contact, as he flew out to the warning track twice and had four solid at bats. But he wasn’t rewarded until his double in the fifth which set up a one-out second-and-third situation. Renteria, who was 3-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs, singled scoring Wellermeyer, who singled himself off of Moyer. Sandoval later smashed a base hit, this time past a diving Castro, scoring Torres, making it 4-1. The Giants would tack on two more in the seventh off reliever Chad Durbin, when Torres walked, stole second and scored on Renteria’s single.

Medders pitched a perfect ninth with help from Schierhotlz, who gunned down Utley trying to stretch a single into a double, in hopes of sparking some late-inning magic.

But, as the ads say, Chase, there’s magic inside, just none for you, at least on this night.

“We’ll keep it going and ride it as long as we can,” said Wellemeyer, “and (we’ll) take it through Colorado, and take it to Florida with us.”

BOX SCORE at MLB.com.

Re-printed with permission of the author.

Theo is a staff reporter and feature writer for the Marin Independent Journal where he covers local prep and college sports. As an Associate Production Manager for ESPN, he helped produce Sunday Night Baseball among other national ESPN and ABC Sports telecasts. Besides his contributions to Examiner.com, the I.J. and Sports Climax, Theo is the play-by-play voice for Sonoma State University baseball and softball.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax™

On any other night, Mark DeRosa’s first-inning single is fielded by the short stop, the Phillies get the two out bases-loaded-hit they often threatened to unleash, Eli Whiteside’s blast down the left-field line hooks just foul instead of chiming off the foul pole, and Philadelphia ace Roy Halladay is his normal, dominant self.

But on this night it all adds up to a 5-1 win over the Phillies for the Giants in China Basin, and over the first four games of this daunting nine-game, 10-day homestand against three of the National League’s four playoff teams from last year, San Francisco is 3-1.

Sanchez (2-1) labored for five innings, but managed to keep the Phillie’s potent lineup at bay, allowing just three hits, one earned run, while walking five and striking out six. He also overcame an inconsistent strike zone by home plate umpire, C.B. Buckner, and a seemingly endless supply of base runners.
After an impressive showing against the likes of Chase Utley, and the newly minted $25-million-man, Ryan Howard – who were a combined 0-for-5, stranding six runners – Sanchez has yet to allow a hit to a left-handed hitter in 14 at bats so far in 2010.

“He really didn’t have his best stuff. That’s the first time all year he didn’t have all three pitches working,” said Eli Whiteside, who was 2-for-3 with a double, homer and two RBIs against Halladay. “They had their opportunities, but he battled. He kept us in it.”

If Sanchez kept the Giants in it, Mark DeRosa brought them there in the bottom of the first. With his team mired in a 5-for-54 slump with runners in scoring position, DeRosa knocked Halladay’s 3-2 curve ball for a two-out single to left, just past short stop Wilson Valdez, scoring Edgar Renteria and Pablo Sandoval, giving the home team an early, and unforeseen 2-0 advantage.

“We’ve been missing that, and it seemed like it loosened the guys up and sent some confidence through the lineup,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “(That was) one of our better at-bats of the year.”

The Phillies helped, too. Sanchez wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam in the third thanks to a nice running catch by right fielder Nate Schierholtz. And in the fifth the Phillies scored a run on Utley’s ground out, but stranded three more base runners when Sanchez got Ben Francisco to fly out softly to left. The Phillies – channeling their inner orange and black – were 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position, and stranded 11, too. The Giants went 3-for-7 in such situations.

In the past, when Sanchez wasn’t on his A-game, it often meant he and the Giants were doomed. But the lefty persevered Monday, and though he left after a grinding 107-pitch outing (three more than Halladay threw in seven innings) Sanchez earned the win.

Though they’ve faced above average starters on each game so far through the homestand, San Francisco pitching has been even better. Giants hurlers have allowed just four runs through the first 36 innings to the Cardinals and Phillies collectively, reassuming a home dominance the team enjoyed in 2009. The staff also boasts a major-league best 2.68 ERA.

“It’s legit,” said Sergio Romo who pitched the final six outs of the game. “We just beat arguably the best pitcher in baseball, and we were able to do it convincingly. We came out today and took it to him.”

Re-printed with permission of the author.

Theo is a staff reporter and feature writer for the Marin Independent Journal where he covers local prep and college sports. As an Associate Production Manager for ESPN, he helped produce Sunday Night Baseball among other national ESPN and ABC Sports telecasts. Besides his contributions to Examiner.com, the I.J. and Sports Climax, Theo is the play-by-play voice for Sonoma State University baseball and softball.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax™

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The San Francisco Giants know that in order to have success this season, they’re going to have to endure their share of theatrics. And they won’t always be the ones playing the role of the gun-slinging hero in this 162-game live-action drama.As for the antagonists? It doesn’t get much different than Manny Ramirez and David Eckstein, who each took turns auditioning their villainous trot.

A day after Ramirez hit career homer 548 to beat Sergio Romo, Eckstein hit his 35th major league round tripper to vanquish Jeremy Affeldt (2-2) in the 10th inning, as the Padres handed the Giants a 3-2 loss in San Diego on Monday.

The defeat spoiled another good outing by a starting pitcher, and began what is the Giants first losing streak of 2010.

For Matt Cain, who allowed a pair of runs via sacrifice flies in his six innings of work, the outcome is far too unoriginal and overdone. The noted tough-luck righty got his third straight no-decision in 2010, and hasn’t won at Petco Park since Aug. 17, 2006.

Since then, in seven starts the Padres are hitting just .227 off of Cain. His ERA is 3.24, but he is 0-4 in the most important stat column – wins and losses. Remarkably, six times in his nine career starts at Petco, Cain has pitched six or more innings, allowing two runs or less, and doesn’t have a win to show for it in any of those half dozen outings. Somehow, Cain doesn’t mind.

“I like pitching here. I’m confident,” Cain told reporters. “It’s a great ballpark to pitch in.”

In a frighteningly similar fashion to Sunday’s game against the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw, Monday, the Giants hitters were hand cuffed by Padres starter Clayton Richard.

The left hander scattered seven hits, struck out five, walked one, and allowing just one run, which came on a Pablo Sandoval infield single in the fourth. Were it not for Juan Uribe’s ninth-inning home run off San Diego closer Heath Bell that tied the game at 2-2, Cain’s night might have been even worse.

The Giants were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position, and have just one hit in their last 16 at bats in those situations, heading back to Sunday.

“It’s two games,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy told the Bay Area News Group. “We were putting runs on the board until (Sunday). We did what we wanted and created the opportunities.”

The loss sent the Giants to 2-3 against lefties this season, and their offensive woes are perhaps being compounded by some key injuries. Aaron Rowand, who discovered his broken cheek bones will not require surgery, is on the disabled list until May 2, and Mark DeRosa didn’t start for the second straight day due to a strained right hamstring. DeRosa did come up as a pinch hitter in the seventh with two aboard, but struck out.

Additionally, Eugenio Velez – a career .213 hitter from the right side – went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts, and Andres Torres was unable to reignite the success he had against lefties in 2009, going 1-for-4. He also grounded into an inning-ending double play in the fourth with the bases loaded, and his only two hits this year have failed to reach the outfield. Torres is now 2-for-18 on the year, and has started just one less game, five, than has John Bowker, who won a starting job in Spring training.

But, ultimately, it was Affeldt who had to stomach this loss.

“Part of it was I couldn’t locate my curveball,” Affeldt said. “When they don’t have to respect the curveball they can look for the heater, and when you try to throw a heater away and it goes inside, the ball goes where it should have gone (out for a home run). I would have gotten lucky if it had gone foul.”

Re-printed with permission of the author.

Theo is a staff reporter and feature writer for the Marin Independent Journal where he covers local prep and college sports. As an Associate Production Manager for ESPN, he helped produce Sunday Night Baseball among other national ESPN and ABC Sports telecasts. Besides his contributions to Examiner.com, the I.J. and Sports Climax, Theo is the play-by-play voice for Sonoma State University baseball and softball.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax™

Friday night the San Francisco Giants sustained a big blow from the Los Angeles Dodgers’ offense and starter Vicente Padilla. Though Aaron Rowand may disagree, the Giants’ arch rivals waited until the eighth inning of Sunday’s rubber match before delivering the knock-out punch.

Pinch hitting with a runner on and one out, Manny Ramirez hit career home run 548 off Giants reliever Sergio Romo (0-1), lifting the Dodgers to a 2-1 win, and spoiling one of Barry Zito’s best career starts as a Giant.

Zito was masterful in 7 1/3 innings, scattering four hits, fanning three, and allowed just one run, which was a result of a walk to pinch-hitter Garrett Anderson – the last hitter he would face — who scored on Ramirez’s blast. Ramirez hadn’t played in the series since departing part way through Friday’s contest with a strained calf. It was also just the second pinch-hit homer in Ramirez’s 18-year career.

“Romo, he’s been throwing as well as anybody,” Bochy told reporters. “He’s one of our setup guys. I like him out there. He’s made some great pitches. I’ve got him and (Jeremy Affeldt). That is their role, to pitch in the seventh and eighth innings.”

Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw was nearly just as good. The 22-year-old Dodger lefty pitched into the seventh, allowing just four hits and a run, while striking out nine, and walking four. The lone run allowed was on a Juan Uribe (1) solo-homer in the seventh, which came after a long battle, from which Uribe fell down 0-2 before battling back in the at bat.

Without the presence of veterans Mark DeRosa (hamstring), and Aaron Rowand – who was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday – the Giants missed two right handed mainstays in their lineup that may have proved to be helpful against Kershaw.

Eugenio Velez led off and played left field, while Andres Torres filled in in center, hitting eighth. The duo combined to go just 1-for-7 with a walk, and three strikeouts. The Giants also wasted a lead-off double from Aubrey Huff in the fourth, and they left the bases loaded in the eighth when Ramon Trancoso got Uribe to ground out to end the inning.

Second guessing is a part of baseball, and over 162 games a skipper is going to have plenty of chances to be questioned. Giants manager Bruce Bochy will no doubt receive some heat because of the fashion his team lost this one.

But there’s a reason Ramirez holds the record for postseason homers with 28, and is a likely first-ballot Hall of Famer – he’s clutch, and he’s really, really good.
And pitching match-ups, execution, and righty-lefty showdowns often stand out more than assigning blame where it may more easily fit.

The Giants stranded eight runners on Sunday, and had lead-off runners on in three separate innings, and none of them scored. The result was the first series loss for the Giants in 2010, and prevented Zito from improving to 3-0 for the first time in his career.

Re-printed with permission of the author.

Theo is a staff reporter and feature writer for the Marin Independent Journal where he covers local prep and college sports. As an Associate Production Manager for ESPN, he helped produce Sunday Night Baseball among other national ESPN and ABC Sports telecasts. Besides his contributions to Examiner.com, the I.J. and Sports Climax, Theo is the play-by-play voice for Sonoma State University baseball and softball.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax™

Aubrey Huff never had a three home run game in his Major League career, but that’s not going to keep him from telling his grandchildren otherwise.

Despite absolutely crushing three balls to the deepest parts of AT&T Park on Wednesday in the Giants 6-0 win over the Pirates, Huff is still without a personal long-ball trifecta.

“I’ve never had a three-home-run game. I’m going to go ahead and chalk that up as a three-home-run game in my mind,” Huff said. “I don’t know if I can hit a ball any better. I hit one to center for an out and the one to right-center was just ridiculous.

If that don’t go out, I don’t know what you can do. Everybody in spring told me, ‘You’ll see, you’ll see.’ I’m like, ‘Come on, if you get it it’s going to go.’ ‘Nah. …’ “I get it now. I get it,” Huff said.

In his first at bat against Pirates right-hander Charlie Morton leading off the second inning, the Giants cleanup hitter smoked a ball high off the right-center field wall. It kicked toward the foul line, away from right fielder Garrett Jones, and before second baseman Akinori Iwamura could retrieve the unusual carom, Huff was sliding safely into home, earning his first homer as a Giant in less than conventional fashion.

“When I hit it, I thought it was gone anyway. In most parks it is,” Huff told the Associate Press. “I saw it bounce off the wall and as soon as I rounded first I saw it took an amazing hop right. I’m like: ‘Oh boy, here we go. If I am going to hit one out I’m going to try to get a cheapie.'”

Later, to end the fourth inning, Huff watched in frustration as Pittsburgh center-fielder Andrew McCutchen ran down his long fly-out in deep center. His next at bat in the sixth, resulted in another China Basin cruelty, as Huff’s smash was absorbed by the vaunted “Triples Alley, ” ironically holding him to a double.

It was the fourth time in the series Huff was likely robbed by the dimensions of his new home.

Aaron Rowand and Eli Whiteside didn’t endure similar misfortunes. Whiteside’s three-run blast – his first of the year – into the left field seats staked his battery mate Jonathan Sanchez (1-0) to a 4-0 second-inning lead, and Rowand’s fifth-inning bolt made it 6-0. Since opening the season 0-for-10, Rowand is 12-for-30 (.438), and has more hits than any leadoff hitter in baseball on the year.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy was unsure about writing Whiteside’s name into the lineup early on Wednesday with Bengie Molina amidst a scorching stretch at the plate. But after going 2-for-3, and catching a scoreless eight-inning, 11 strikeout performance by Sanchez, Whiteside proved to be up to the challenge.
“Pretty good job back there,” Sanchez said of Whiteside. “He got me deep in the game.”

Outside of a shaky first inning, Sanchez was excellent, but had to escape a bases-loaded jam in the sixth to earn his first career win over the Pirates. It was his fourth career outing with 10 or more strikeouts, and the 11 matched a career high he set during his no-hitter last July 10. Sanchez, who received a standing ovation while walking off the field in the eighth, went more than seven innings for the first time since August 26, against Arizona (seven starts).
“I feel more confident out there,” Sanchez said. “I can trust myself now.”

The Giants improved to 7-2 in 2010, the team’s best start since going 8-1 to open the 2003 season. That year the Giants went 100-62 to win the NL West.

Re-printed with permission of the author.

Theo is a staff reporter and feature writer for the Marin Independent Journal where he covers local prep and college sports. As an Associate Production Manager for ESPN, he helped produce Sunday Night Baseball among other national ESPN and ABC Sports telecasts. Besides his contributions to Examiner.com, the I.J. and Sports Climax, Theo is the play-by-play voice for Sonoma State University baseball and softball.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax™

SAN FRANCISCO – Ten years to the day the Giants christened AT&T Park, their spanking-new digs on the shores of McCovey Cove, with the first regular season game. Sunday, the team reunited 13 members from the 2000 National League West championship team for a day of reflection and commemoration.

After a four hour, nine minute rain delay washed away most of the festivities, the Giants turned their attention to avoiding a full-on replica of that April afternoon a decade ago that was spoiled by a 6-5 loss to the Dodgers.

Thanks to Tim Lincecum’s 10 strike-out performance, some timely two-out hitting, and the first home run of the year for Pablo Sandoval, the Giants didn’t allow history to repeat itself, picking up a satisfying 6-3 win over the Atlanta Braves.

Lincecum survived a first inning hiccup – a mammoth two-run shot off the bat of Braves catcher Brian McCann (2) that made it 2-0 Atlanta. It was also the first homer allowed by Lincecum at AT&T since the Rockies Seth Smith hit on Sept. 23, 2008. But the Giants’ ace settled down, retiring 20 of the next 24 hitters he faced, and nine by way of strikeout.

Lincecum (2-0) departed after 108 pitches and with a 3-2 lead in the seventh. In has last inning of work, he struck out the side, retiring Matt Diaz, Omar Infante and pinch-hitter Brook Conrad in order, marking the 20th time in his young career that he racked up double-digit Ks.

“I was just trying to keep a good rhythm,” said Lincecum about his impressive finish. “When we scored, it was a big deal to come out there and throw up a zero, so whether it was the strikeout I was getting the outs on, or ground balls, I was just trying to get outs, and trying to keep that momentum going that we had.”

Giants manager Bruce Bochy admitted that initially he wasn’t totally comfortable about sending Lincecum out there, considering the weather.

“We really debated about whether to play the game, and I have to admit I was probably as nervous as I’ve been with Timmy at the mound when it started sprinkling (in the first inning),” Bochy said. “What a game, terrific game there. Timmy, great job, …The kid’s won two Cy Youngs, so nothing surprises you when he does something out there.

“He made one mistake in the first inning, that fastball got away form him, but he settled down pitched great, in the seventh, he probably had his best inning their with his stuff.”

At first glance, the weather wasn’t the only threatening element of frustration for a crowd of 38,062. Frigid, stiff winds blowing in off the Bay quieted the crowd, and Atlanta starter Kenshin Kawakami did the same by setting down the first 11 Giants he faced.

Finally in the fourth, Sandoval broke through with a two-out triple, and Aubrey Huff singled through a vacated hole at short, as Atlanta was shading the lefty to pull.

The Giants would take the lead in the sixth, with more two-out magic, as Sandoval singled to left, Huff followed with a walk, and they both came around to score on Mark DeRosa’s single to right. Braves right fielder Jason Heyward, fielded the hit cleanly and looked to have a play on Sandoval at the plate. But the rookie’s throw was up the line, hitting Sandoval, and caroming toward the Braves dugout, allowing Huff to score, and DeRosa to end up at third.

“It’s great, obviously, coming back late like we did, that was big,” said Lincecum, who killed time during the delay with a 30 minute nap and some Golden Tee. “Pablo started off every rally we had, it was great to see him have a big day like that. ‘Huffy’ coming up big, DeRosa coming up big in an RBI situation.”

Kawakami (0-1) was the tough-luck loser, despite needing just 65 pitches in six innings against the Giants bats. The Giants would add three runs of insurance in the eighth, two of which came on Sandoval’s titanic blast that pierced through the winds before landing beyond the seats on the arcade in right center.

“Not those two, I’m not sure a hurricane would have held those up,” said Bochy, referring to both Sandoval and McCann’s booming shots.

When asked about his first round-tripper of the year, the Panda didn’t shy away, acknowledging that he likely couldn’t hit a ball much better than he hit this one.

“I don’t think so,” said Sandoval, who was 3-for-4, scored two runs and drove in a pair. “That was the pitch I was looking for. I tried to hit a line drive and got it on the barrel. It was the right spot.”

Not to be completely outdone, Heyward, who introduced himself to Giants fans by going 0-for-5 with four strikeouts Friday, continued his rebound by hitting his second homer in as many days. Heyward took Jeremy Affeldt deep, going the other way to left, making it 6-3. Affeldt would strikeout Diaz to end the game, and pick up his first save of the season, and his first since Sept. 19, 2006.

The last out arrived just in time. As the Giants greeted one another in the center of the diamond, the skies opened up, and instantly the storm was back to full strength.

“It’s been great, opening up like that, wining both series, and coming out on top,” Lincecum said. “But like I said, it’s still really early in the season. We’ve go tot carry this momentum into every series we go in to.”

Re-printed with permission of the author.

Theo is a staff reporter and feature writer for the Marin Independent Journal where he covers local prep and college sports. As an Associate Production Manager for ESPN, he helped produce Sunday Night Baseball among other national ESPN and ABC Sports telecasts. Besides his contributions to Examiner.com, the I.J. and Sports Climax, Theo is the play-by-play voice for Sonoma State University baseball and softball.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax™ 

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Barry Bonds is back in the news after making some interesting comments to a group of reporters recently. Bonds told reporters he was “proud” of Mark McGwire’s steroid admission.

Question via Colleen Dominguez of ESPN: What was your reaction to Mark McGwire’s steroid admission?

Bonds: I have a really good friendship with Mark McGwire. I’m proud of him. I have a great relationship through our entire life and career and I’m proud of what he did and I’m happy for him.

Question: Been swinging a bat, (Barry)?

Bonds: Actually, I went down to Florida to work out with Ryan Howard during the wintertime and coached him a little bit and he’s doing very, very well and hasn’t said one thing about me yet. (Laughs.) But I love him and I’m glad he’s doing well.

Still, Barry hasn’t given much thought to following in McGwire’s footsteps and becoming a Major League hitting instructor. Though he enjoys sharing tips with his fellow hitters — something he was notorious for not doing during his playing career.

Bonds: I was given a gift with the things that I know and can do in this game and sooner or later I will be able to pass that along and whoever wants it, I’ll just talk to them about it. I can see things that they don’t understand how I can see it. I have a very good talent in the game of baseball, especially for hitting. If you want it, I’ll be happy to share with you. I didn’t think it would be something I would do, but I really enjoy helping out others. God gave me a gift and it’s nice to let someone else see what God has given to me.

MLB’s all-time homerun king also reiterated that he hasn’t retired, but wouldn’t comment in much detail about it — in part because the Player’s Association is forming a collusion case against MLB. When he was asked directly about the suit mum was the word.

Question: The Players’ Association is preparing a collusion case against MLB. To what extent do you plan to be a part of that case?

Bonds: You know what, I’m sorry brother, this is the first time I heard about this. First time. I’m sorry, brother. I’d help you out but I can’t.

While Bonds avoided the perpetual black cloud that follows him daily — steroids — a different former Giants outfielder got something off his chest.

Speaking to San Francisco Chronicle beat writer, Henry Schulman, Benard admitted that he used performance-enhancing drugs while playing for the Giants.

“To be honest with you, it was an embarrassing moment that you can’t take back,” Benard told Schulman. “When you’re playing you do some dumb things, thinking, ‘This is going to help me.’ You realize later on they were stupid.”

Benard played parts of nine seasons in San Francisco, and never was healthy enough to earn a job after he left the team following the ’03 season. He’s now 40 and living in Washington with his son and second wife.

Also in attendance for the 2000 reunion aside from Bonds and Benard were Rich Aurilia, Ellis Burks, Felipe Crespo, Shawn Estes, Mark Gardner, Jeff Kent, Robb Nen, Armando Rios, Kirk Rueter, and J.T. Snow.

Re-printed with permission of the author.

Theo is a staff reporter and feature writer for the Marin Independent Journal where he covers local prep and college sports. As an Associate Production Manager for ESPN, he helped produce Sunday Night Baseball among other national ESPN and ABC Sports telecasts. Besides his contributions to Examiner.com, the I.J. and Sports Climax, Theo is the play-by-play voice for Sonoma State University baseball and softball.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax™