Baseball Lifer

PHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We just barely averted a sweep at the hands of the Reds, which would have been a complete disaster. After a weekend of very little offense, and six and two-thirds no-hit innings by Cy Mahle, the Giants finally broke through for six runs in the eighth inning on their way to a 6-4 win.

GAMEBALL:

Longo

He only had one hit, but it was the big one: a Great American Ballpark-aided go-ahead three-run home run to right-center with two outs in the eighth. It was the much-needed alarm clock that went off in the Giants Dugout, as the Giants would go on to score a pair later in the inning as well.

TIP OF THE CAP:

Alex Cobb: Cobb had a really solid outing, going six innings, striking out eight and just allowing two runs. I’m really glad he didn’t have to take a hard luck loss.

Albert Almora: Knocked in three of the Reds’ four runs with a single in the first, and a two-run shot off a 100-MPH fastball from Camilo Doval in the ninth.

Thairo: For breaking up Cy Mahle’s no-hitter with a two-out double in the seventh.

Joc: Put the Giants on the board with a chopper up the middle that went off the glove of shortstop, Kyle Farmer—playing on the right side as part of the shift—and into right field for a base-hit.

Shane Livensparger: He called what probably should have been fall four strike two to make the count full to Longo. Next pitch: BAM, home run, 4-2 Giants.

Luis Gonzalez: Knocked in a pair of runs with an opposite-field double down the left field line later in the top of the eighth to make it a 6-2 game.

John Brebbia: Might as well give a shoutout to the guy who got the win.

JOKER:

The Cock

The Giants were on the Cock today, and even though I have a subscription, I couldn’t watch the game, because I didn’t have a premium subscription. Though, apparently, some people with regular subscriptions like myself were able to watch the game. That, plus I heard that it was lagging, and up to three minutes behind the actual game. Not the best way to try and grow the game.

SMACK OF THE STICK:

Tyler Rogers: He pitched a scoreless eighth, but not without giving up a hit and a walk.

Camilo Doval: I just wanted a quick and quiet bottom of the ninth without any drama. Is that too much to ask?

FLIP OF THE FINGER:

Rob Manfred: Who of course thinks inaccessible lagging livestreams are what will grow the game. Idiot.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

We barely averted a sweep at the hands of the worst team in Baseball, but even if we were swept, I wasn’t going to panic, especially since we just took two of three from the third-best team in Baseball.

Also, Belt and LaMonte remain out, and people may remember that Belt’s absence after getting hit on the hand in Denver on Sept. 26 last year made a big impact. Get Belt and LaMonte back, and we’ll get hot.

Stephen