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San Francisco Giants Morning Minute: Another Win to Stay Ahead

By Sean Bialaszek

Sep 30, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants third baseman Conor Gillaspie (21) and second baseman Kelby Tomlinson (3) and center fielder Denard Span (2) celebrate after scoring against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the sixth inning at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 30, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants third baseman Conor Gillaspie (21) and second baseman Kelby Tomlinson (3) and center fielder Denard Span (2) celebrate after scoring against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the sixth inning at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports /
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On this edition of the San Francisco Giants Morning Minute, we discuss the Giants winning another game to stay ahead, as well as the Willie Mac winners.

Good morning, San Francisco Giants’ fans, and welcome to another edition of the Giants Morning Minute. On Friday, the Giants opened the final series of the year with the Los Angeles Dodgers by coming away with a 9-3 win. Madison Bumgarner (15-9) earned his 100th career win, while Brandon McCarthy (2-3) took the loss.

The wildcard race, well, it’s living up to its name. The New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals both won to keep the race exactly the same as the day before. The Mets are a game up on the Giants, and the Cardinals are a game behind.

Here’s what went on Friday.

1 – Willie Mac Award Winners

Before Friday’s game, the Giants announced the winner of the annual Willie Mac Award, and in a surprising twist, it was a tie. Left-handed pitcher Javier Lopez and shortstop Brandon Crawford are the 2016 co-winners.

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Crawford is having another stellar season for the Giants. His .275 average is by far a career high. His 83 RBI leads the team. His 11 triples are tied for the most in the National League. He tied the modern record by recording seven hits on August 8th. He’s well on his way to his second straight Gold Glove.

Lopez is having an uncharacteristically down year, but has pitched more to his own standards in recent months.  His 4.05 ERA and 1.463 WHIP are his personal worst since 2009, but his leadership and veteran presence can’t be understated. The 39 year old, now in his 14th season, is a leader through and through.

This is the third time that two players tied for the award. Crawford and Lopez join Mark Carreon and Mark Leiter in 1995, and Benito Santiago and Mark Gardner in 2001.

2 – Offensive Explosion

It was another the day that the Giants needed a win to stay ahead of the Cardinals. It was another day they fell behind 2-0 in the first inning. It was another day that a big offensive performance kept them ahead of St. Louis in the wildcard race.

The Giants wasted no time making up the Dodgers’ two early runs. Gorkys Hernandez got it started with a leadoff double in the first, and Brandon Belt followed with a walk. Buster Posey‘s single up the middle brought home the first run, and Angel Pagan tied it up with a sacrifice fly.

Los Angeles jumped back in front in the sixth with three straight two-out singles, and the Giants had their backs against the wall again. They responded in resounding fashion.

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With Rich Hill out of the game, it was on Brandon McCarthy to hold the lead. He failed miserably. Pagan worked a walk to lead off, and Crawford and Kelby Tomlinson followed with singles to load the bags. Pinch-hitter Conor Gillaspie followed with a two-run double, continuing his recent hot streak. Bumgarner helped his own cause, driving home two more with a double of his own.

In all, McCarthy didn’t retire any of the six hitters he faced, instead allowing five hits, a walk, and six runs. The inning was capped with Belt smashing a three-run home run to center field off Josh Ravin. That final big blow made it 9-3, which would be the score after the 27th out.

3 – Restoring Law

It’s taken Derek Law a little bit of time to return to early season form after a short stint on the disabled list. The rookie that proved to be one of Bruce Bochy‘s most reliable relievers early in the year didn’t look like that same pitcher. His velocity was noticeably down, and his big breaking ball didn’t have its usual snap. But with more time back on the mound, Law has begun to look more and more like the June or July version.

Fastballs that were 91 and 92 have ramped back up to 94 and 95 on the radar gun. On Friday, he threw seven fastballs, only one of which came in under 93 miles per hour. He even hit 96 once. His big, overhand curveball/slider had a sharper break, and got two strikes for Law.

With Sergio Romo settling back into the ninth inning role, and Will Smith becoming a go-to guy, Law’s presence as a reliable late-inning guy is huge for this bullpen. He can help make life much easier on Bochy and the starting pitchers.

Next: Giants Morning Minute: Still Holding On

And that will do it for this edition of the Giants Morning Minute. Up next, the Giants and Dodgers continue their series with game two. Rookie Ty Blach will make his second start, facing Clayton Kershaw.

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