The Giants year in review.

[gridlore]

The season opened April 7 with most prognosticators figuring the team would finish well out of playoff contention. The most dire forecasts had the team losing as many as 100 games.

Here's a month-by-month glance at what actually happened:

April W-L: 10-10

April 10-16: The Giants lose six straight, a streak during which they are outscored 42-14.

May W-L: 15-14

May 12: With the score 7-6 Nationals, two outs, two strikes and two aboard, Pablo Sandoval hits a walk-off homer - his first at any level of the game, he says - to take another step toward nationally recognized Panda-hood.

June W-L: 17-10

June 4: Randy Johnson earns the 300th win of his career, a milestone only 23 other pitchers have reached, on a rainy night in Washington, D.C.

July W-L: 14-13

July 10: Jonathan Sanchez, starting only because Johnson is injured, throws a no-hitter, the first by a Giant in 33 years. Sanchez's father, Sigfredo, is in the crowd at China Basin, witnessing a major-league start by his son for the first time.

July 14: Tim Lincecum (10-2, 2.33) starts the All-Star Game, just the second Giants pitcher to do so in 20 years. Matt Cain, finally sporting a W-L to match his ERA (10-2, 2.39), made the team but was sidelined after taking a ball off his elbow July 11.

August W-L: 16-12

Aug. 30: Edgar Renteria hits a come-from-behind grand slam to propel the Giants to a three-game home sweep of the Rockies and into a tie for the wild-card lead (they never did take the lead outright).

Sept.-Oct. W-L: 16-15

Sept. 16: Down 4-0 to the Rockies at home, a string of Giants singles and an error make it 4-2 with men on second and third and no outs. But Renteria pops out, Randy Winn grounds out (one run scoring) and Nate Schierholtz strikes out. Rockies win 4-3, own a 3 1/2-game wild-card lead.

Sept. 24: Just as the glow was returning to fans' playoff hopes, Brian Wilson blows a save by giving up a ninth-inning two-run homer to the Cubs' Jeff Baker with two strikes and two outs.

Oct. 4: In the season finale, Sandoval homers in the 10th inning for his 25th home run and 90th RBI and Wilson closes it out with his 38th save in 45 chances as the Giants beat the Padres 4-3.

Final record: 88-74, fifth best in NL, eighth best in majors.

sigh. How many days until Spring Training opens?

Our personal baseball season was a bit better. We made it to seven home games (one with Niece Prime, aka madelineusher) and had a great time at all of them. kshandra and I both got jerseys, and even a bad day at the ball park beats a good day most anywhere else.

“People ask me what I do in the winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.” - Rogers Hornsby

Comments

[lisa-marli.livejournal.com]

During the Winter I watch Hockey! Go Sharks! :)
May be they will win a championship for the Bay Area.

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

I've tried to get into hockey, and it just doesn't work for me. I root for, and hope for the best from Los Tiburones de San Jose, but watching the games really does little for me.

Maybe it's that the action in front of the net is so hard to follow. Everyone seems surprised when someone scores.

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

A much better season than we expected, that's for sure. Good on you to see so many games in person. I managed two, both as free tickets.

(The second was only sort-of-free because I used the value of the gift card to buy a much-better-than-I've-ever-had seat. I'm collecting seat types; one of these days I hope to have the money for some of the really pricey ones. And I've contemplated what it would take to rent a luxury box for one game; the last time I looked, the price wasn't completely in orbit if I could find a dozen like-minded friends.)

travelswithkuma has written that he's also sorry to see baseball season end, because the only sports on the radio is American Gladiatorial Game football, which he doesn't like. Although next season will be no fun at all, because I think there won't be any radio station within range that gets any baseball, even the Mariners. The last station within range changed formats from sports-talk to Spanish music and only broadcast Mariners games (in English) because they'd contracted to do so this season.