Giants Waste Cain's Solid Outing, Fall 3-2 To Dodgers

It was labeled as a must win game for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and they lived up to the pressure, winning 3-2, and taking a game back in the National league west.

The highly hyped game was your classic west coast contest. Pitching, defense, a little more pitching, and timely hits secured the win for the Dodgers. Matt Cain and Chris Capuano matched each other pitch for pitch, out for out, yet neither factored into the decision, as Ronald Belisario earned his fifth win of the season for Los Angeles.

Cain was on cruise control through the first five innings. He yielded the Dodgers to just two hits over that span, and his pitch count remained low. The Dodgers, however, evened the game at one in the sixth inning. Ironically, Chris Capuano sparked the one out rally with a single. Mark Ellis followed him with a single, and Shane Victorino hit a sacrifice fly to deep centerfield which was easily deep enough to score Capuano from third.

Capuano was steady all afternoon. The southpaw allowed just five hits and walked three. He instantly settled down after surrendering three hits and a run in the first, yielding the Giants’ bats to just one hit until the seventh inning where he saw Brandon Belt break the tie game with a hard liner back to the mound that scored Buster Posey from third.

The back and forth duel continued when the Dodgers battled back in the eighth frame.

 Juan Rivera led the inning off with a double down the right field line. The catcher, A.J. Ellis moved him over with a sacrifice bunt back to the mound. The biggest play in this entire sequence though, came from the dugout. The skipper Don Mattingly elected to pinch run Rivera for the speedy Alex Castellanos when Rivera reached third base. It would paid dividends just a few pitches later when Cain threw a wild pitch that skipped away from the catcher, and Castellanos slid across the plate to beat the toss from Posey by inches. In all likelihood, the slow footed Rivera wouldn’t have scored the tying run.

It turned into a bullpen battle in the eighth when Capuano was lifted for Belisario. Despite walking two, Belisario retired the Giants unscathed. His essence to shut the Giants down was pivotal, as the meat of the Dodgers lineup was due up in the ninth with a chance to break the tie.

Jeremy Affeldt replaced Casilla in the ninth, and he dug himself into a deep hole early when he allowed a leadoff triple to Adrian Gonzalez. Hanley Ramirez, who had eight RBIs against the Giants in nine games in a Dodgers’ uniform coming into the game, cashed in for his ninth RBI off them with an RBI double. Ramirez’s clutch hit proved to be the difference in the close game.

Matt Cain was strong, but he received minimal run support. Sound familiar? He pitched 7.1 innings, permitted just two runs, and struck out five.

Jake Dal Porto Covers the Giants for The World Of Bay Area Sports

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Cain Looks To Pad N.L West Lead Against Dodgers: What to Watch For, Lineups

The Giants bumped their lead in the National League West to 5.5 games last night after prevailing 5-3 behind Marco Scutaro’s two-run single. The Giants look to extend that hefty lead today with Matt Cain on the mound.

Cain surrendered five runs to the Cubs nearly a week ago. He will oppose Chris Capuano who allowed two big home runs to the Diamondbacks in a 5-4 loss in his last start.

Andre Ethier.... Adrian Gonzalez.....

Ethier comes into Saturday’s game with a .472 (25-53) batting average off Matt Cain. And the sample size isn’t tiny either. However, none of those 25 hits have resulted in home runs, and only three are extra base hits. Gonzalez, though, is hitting .321 (18-56) off Cain, with four home runs and 13 RBIs. Nine of his 18 hits off Cain are have been for extra bases.

Angel Pagan Is Hotter Than the Sun

OK, maybe I’m over-exaggerating, but the above statement isn’t far from the truth. The Giants’ center fielder is hitting .341 over the past 20 games. Not to mention that he has scored 22 runs, collected nine doubles, three triples, and one home run during that span as well. Pagan is 2-7 off Chris Capuano lifetime.

Cain Back Home

Cain should receive a warm welcoming when he trots out to the mound in the first inning considering that he hasn’t made a home start since August 11th. During his four road starts since the 11th, he posted a 2.96 ERA, and went 4-0. However, home should be a welcoming site for Cain, who boasts a stellar 2.24 ERA in his friendly confines. The Dodgers though, won’t be quite as welcoming. Despite finding success against them this season (14IP 2.57 ERA), his career stats aren’t as respectable (4-8, 3.45 ERA).

Beating Up The N.L West

In their last 16 games against N.L West foes, the Giants have won 12 of them. That trend should seemingly work in their favor, as their 24 remaining games are against N.L West teams.

Kemp Out

There’s not much to say here. Details of why Kemp is out of today’s lineup are unavailable, but my best guess is that his hamstring in tightening up again.

Lineups

Giants

1. Angel Pagan (S) CF
2. Marco Scutaro (R) 2B
3. Pablo Sandoval (S) 3B
4. Buster Posey (R) C
5. Hunter Pence (R) RF
6. Joaquin Arias (R) SS
7. Brandon Belt (L) 1B
8. Gregor Blanco (L) LF
9. Matt Cain (R) P

Dodgers

1. Mark Ellis (R) 2B
2. Shane Victorino (S) CF
3. Adrian Gonzalez (L) 1B
4. Hanley Ramirez (R) SS
5. Andre Ethier (L) RF
6. Luis Cruz (R) 3B
7. Juan Rivera (R) LF
8. A.J. Ellis (R) C
9. Chris Capuano (L) P

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Giants Build On NL West Lead With Huge Win Over Dodgers

Marco Scutaro has had some big hits over his long career. And his hit tonight will rank as one of his biggest hits ever.

Scutaro had a go-ahead two-run single in the seventh inning, Tim Lincecum pitched 6 1/3 solid innings and the Giants beat the Dodgers 5-2 in the opener of a three-game series between the two teams.

Adam Kennedy homered for the Dodgers, who are now 5.5 games behind the Giants. Lincecum walked seven batters (one in every inning), but he pitched well and had great fastball command. He located his fastball inside, and kept Adrian Gonzalez, Matt Kemp and others off-balance all night.

Lincecum didn't get the win, but Santiago Casilla did. Casilla came into a one-out, two on jam, but he got Matt Kemp to ground out and he fanned Hanley Ramirez with a great pitch. Jeremy Affeldt and Sergio Romo pitched well to end the game, and Romo got his 10th save of the year by pitching 1.1 scoreless innings.

Matt Cain (13-5, 2.98 ERA) takes the ball for San Francisco tomorrow, while Chris Capuano (11-10, 3.63 ERA) pitches for the Dodgers.

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Lincecum, Giants Look to Pad N.L West Lead Against Dodgers: Preview, Lineups

With the N.L West on the line, the Giants will start a pivotal weekend series against the Dodgers tonight. Tim Lincecum will get the ball in game one.

Lincecum pitched 6.1 innings against the Cubs in his last start on Saturday, allowing just two runs. In 17.2 innings this year, Lincecum owns a 2.55 ERA off the rival Dodgers.

Lincecum's counterpart will be Josh Beckett who was acquired in a trade from Boston in late August. Beckett yielded the Diamondbacks to just one run over 6.2 innings in his first home start in the Dodger blue.

Note(s)

- The Giants called up pitcher Yusmeiro Petit today as an extra arm in the bullpen.

- Xavier Nady's status remains questionable after suffering a left hamstring strain on Wednesday
night.

- Brandon Belt will make his first start in left field tonight.

Lineups

Dodgers
1. Mark Ellis (R) 2B
2. Shane Victorino (S) LF
3. Adrian Gonzalez (L) 1B
4. Matt Kemp (R) CF
5. Hanley Ramirez (R) SS
6. Andre Ethier (L) RF
7. Adam Kennedy (L) 3B
8. A.J. Ellis (R) C
9. Josh Beckett (R) P
   
Giants   
1. Angel Pagan (S) CF
2. Marco Scutaro (R) 2B
3. Pablo Sandoval (S) 3B
4. Buster Posey (R) 1B
5. Hunter Pence (R) RF
6. Brandon Belt (L) LF
7. Hector Sanchez (S) C
8. Brandon Crawford (L) SS
9. Tim Lincecum (L) P

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How to Fix Baseball: A Radical Solution to an Ongoing Dilemma

The San Francisco Giants and Oakland A's are having a slap fight over San Jose that in the long run only promises to hurt the Giants (and Sharks) and wont propel the A's into a finical power or really even move them anywhere near the top half of teams. San Jose is a desperate hail mary by the A's that will in the end only be a money grab for the owners and hurt the Giants ability to continually bring elite baseball to Northern California. The Bay Area isn't big enough for the amount of teams that currently call it home (Giants, A's, 49ers, Raiders, Warriors, Sharks) and needs to reduce by probably two to give the others a fighting chance at being elite, the 49ers move to Santa Clara helps and so would a move by the Raiders to LA but because I cant see that happening let me propose a different much more dramatic move:

Send the A's back to the East Coast, specifically New Jersey.

AND

Move the Rays from Tampa Bay to Alabama

Reason 1: Money in the North East
In less than a few weeks the New Jersey Nets will move to Brooklyn, this will reduce the number of teams in New Jersey to one, theDevils, and open the ability of New Jersey adding another team. As crowded as the area would become for the baseball season with the Yankees, Mets, and Phillies already in there, people in New Jersey would flock to a team the has NJ on their hats after a while if they win. Adding the A's to the area would also force the powers in the North East to compete more for the available money and the teams would probably cut spending helping the rest of baseball go against the Goliaths.

Reason 2: Money on the West Coast
The Giants and Dodgers have had a strange relationship for a while because of money. The Giants have always had their cash flow cut into by the A's and for a while the Dodgers were able to take advantage by spending more than the black and orange, leading to World Series wins. For the past couple of years the Dodgers have been a mess and the Giants actually spent their cash and they in turn also won a World Series. ESPN says the Yankees and Red Sox have the best rivalry in sports (because both teams are able to spend so much); so just imagine for a second if the Giants had the entire Bay Area financial power to themselves. The new Dodgers owners have decided to take back the LA market from the Angels by spending like there is no tomorrow. With two bay area teams I doubt the Giants can keep up.

Reason 3: Saving the Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays cant compete for long run in the AL East and against the (state aided)Miami Marlins. As I will explain below the best chance for the Rays is to take a huge gamble and move to an area that isn't traditional and hope they can pull off the same miracle as the OKC Thunder. If they can win early and are the only professional team around they just might have a fighting chance.
Reason 4: New Divisions/ Rivals/ Playoffs
This part of my argument is the most extreme, but the MLB wants to increase its playoff system and the only way I can think to make it work in the long run is new divisions, uniform rules (no DH of course) and a lot of teams jumping. So in my new baseball world with the New Jersey A's and Alabama Rays; here are my new divisions:

NL West:
San Francisco Giants
Los Angels Dodgers
San Diego Padres
Anaheim Angels
Arizona Diamondbacks

(The new NL West could also be called the California division; by adding all the Golden State teams under one roof every year would be a battle for state bragging rights, and in the years the Diamondbacks are the front runners its Cal vs Zona)

NL Central:
St. Louis Cardinals
Chicago Cubs
Chicago White Sox
Cincinnati Reds
Cleveland Indians

(In the new NL Central the biggest debate I had was if I wanted to add the the Indians or Royals but in the end I figured letting the Tribe and Reds battle for Ohio and keeping the rivalry with the White Sox alive, outweighed the Red Birds/ Royals battle of Missouri)

NL East:
Philadelphia Phillies
New York Mets
Toronto Blue Jays
Pittsburgh Pirates
Washington Nationals

(The NL East was one of the hardest divisions for me to keep balanced and I truly apologize to the Pirates who it seems will keep getting kicked around. This set up however does get the interstate rivalry between the Phillies and Pirates and also has NY vs DC still locked in)

AL North:
Seattle Mariners
Colorado Rockies
Minnesota Twins
Milwaukee Brewers
Kansas City Royals

(The AL blue collar division will always be at a financial disadvantage with the other groups, however amongst themselves there is no clear superior team and the midwest battles between Colorado, Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Minnesota will be fun. Also like in the NL West those four fan bases can get together and root against liberal Seattle whenever the Mariners field the best squad)

AL South:
Atlanta Braves
Miami Marlins
Alabama Rays
Texas Rangers
Houston Astros

(The five southern teams form a lot hostility in this set up which might finally breathe some life into southern major league baseball. It has the Texas rivalry, a new Alabama versus Georgia showdown and the Miami Marlins taking on the traditional south)

AL East:
New York Yankees
Boston Red Sox
New Jersey Athletics
Detroit Tigers
Baltimore Orioles

(Of all the new divisions I think the history of the new AL East is one of my more proud alignments. The old Yankees/Tigers rivalry is reborn, the A's are back near their original home and it lets north easterners focus only on themselves which means the rest of us don't have too)

With so many teams switching leagues an expanded playoffs and year long interleague play seem reasonable, if only to keep up old hostilities. Well thats my plan to fix major league baseball, thank you for reading.

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Dodgers Complete Huge Trade: Why Giants Fans Shouldn't Be Concerned

In 2010, a team with Aubrey Huff hitting third, Pat Burrell hitting fifth and Andres Torres leading off won the World Series. And that team just happened to be the San Francisco Giants.

Now, in 2012, the Giants have Angel Pagan leading off, Pablo Sandoval hitting third and Hunter Pence hitting fifth. Oh, and they've got some pretty good pitching too. Normally, with all of that, you'd have a surefire World Series contender.

But, thanks to one huge trade, lots of people don't see the Giants as a World Series contender anymore. 

San Francisco's biggest rival, the L.A. Dodgers, traded for stars Adrian Gonzalez,Josh Beckett, and Carl Crawford. Crawford isn't going to play until next year (because of an elbow injury), and Beckett is among the worst in the league with a 5.23 ERA. However, Gonzalez is an amazing first baseman and a definite upgrade over James Loney.

Now, the Dodgers have Matt Kemp, Shane Victorino, Andre Ethier, Hanley Ramirez and Adrian Gonzalez in their lineup, and that scares a lot of Giants fans. In April, May and June, the Dodgers were known as a surprising team who couldn't hit but could certainly pitch.

Unfortunately, the MLB's newest rich team has, well, struck it rich. And other teams are going to pay for that—but the Giants won't.

San Francisco is two games ahead of the Dodgers, and they have experience in this situation. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, Ryan Vogelsong and Barry Zito make up arguably the best pitching staff in baseball. And, Sergio Romo, Javier Lopez and Jeremy Affeldt are pretty good relievers.

Even with Gonzalez, the Dodgers are beatable. They've got Clayton Kershaw, who owns a 2.84 ERA in 2012 and won the Cy Young award in 2011. They have Chris Capuano and Aaron Harang, who have done well for the Dodgers. However, there are some concerning areas in L.A.'s pitching staff.

The Giants had a five-game winning streak until they were defeated by the Braves Saturday afternoon. They swept the Dodgers and teed off on Joe Blanton and Chris Capuano earlier in the week. Cain, Lincecum and Bumgarner shut down the Dodgers' offense, although Gonzalez didn't play.

Joe Blanton and Josh Beckett have struggled. Lincecum has struggled for the Giants, but he's shown signs of improvement, unlike Beckett. San Francisco has no holes in its pitching staff; the Giants' worst pitcher won the Cy Young and is 10-8 with a 4.31 ERA.

Both teams have a solid bullpen, and while guys like Jeremy Affeldt, Eric Hacker and Clay Hensley have struggled out of the 'pen for San Francisco, they should have a solid bullpen come playoff time.  

Because of the free-spending Dodgers, most people are predicting the Giants to fail to win the NL West. Not many people think the Giants have enough talent. However, even without Melky Cabrera, the Giants are a good team. Buster Posey and Angel Pagan have been on fire, and Pablo Sandoval and Marco Scutaro have been very reliable.

Just like in 2010, the Giants are using a mediocre offense and great pitching to power themselves to wins. Some guys have been up and down this year, and other guys like Hunter Pence are bound to get hot. The Giants have a ton of talent, and they lead the Dodgers by two games.

Both teams play a lot of divisional games, and both teams have two series left (after the Giants-Braves series ends) against non-NL West opponents. The Dodgers play the Nationals and Cardinals, who own a combined .579 winning percentage. The Giants play the Astros and Cubs, owners of a combined .349 winning percentage.

Los Angeles may look better on paper, but the Giants still have a slight edge. San Francisco is 7-5 against the Dodgers this year, and they have an easier schedule and better pitchers. It will be a tight, stressful race, but Giants fans must have confidence.

Because by the time October rolls around, it's all going to be alright.

This article was originally published on Bleacher Report. 

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Dodgers, Red Sox Complete Huge Blockbuster Trade

The Dodgers and Red Sox have just completed a nine-player blockbuster deal that should make your jaw drop:

L.A. Receives: Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Nick Punto

Boston Receives: James Loney, Allen Webster, Ivan DeJesus, Jerry Sands, Rubby De La Rosa

This just made the Dodgers' lineup a whole lot tougher, which puts more of a stress on the Giants pitching staff to shut them down.

But perhaps the quote of the day comes from Giants' special assistant Shawon Dunston:

#SFGiants coach Shawon Dunston on potential #Dodgers’ blockbuster: “They’re scared of the Giants!”
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 24, 2012

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Dodgers "Close" to a Deal Involving Adrian Gonzalez

UPDATE: According to Fox Sports, the Dodgers and Red Sox have agreed to a blockbuster deal. 

The waiver wire deadline is quickly approaching, and the Dodgers aren't waiting around. Jon Morosi of Fox Sports, tweets that the Dodgers are close to a deal with the Red Sox that would send Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, and Nick Punto to Los Angeles.

Source: If #Dodgers - #RedSox blockbuster occurs -- and it is "close" -- Boston would send some cash to LA. @mlbonfox
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) August 24, 2012

Morosi also tweets that the Red Sox would receive prospects, not just salary relieve. Jeff Passan notes that if the deal were to happen, the Red Sox would nearly be dumping $263 million in salaries. Of course, the Red Sox would have to send a bit of money to reach an agreement.

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Tim Lincecum: Giants At Dodgers

Madison Bumgarner's lights out performance against the arch-rival Dodgers will undoubtedly be a tough act to follow for the Freak, but the club and fans are noticeably (and should be) more optimistic of the two-time National League Cy Young Award winner, as he's been vintage Timmy since starting the second half.  So, expect him to buckle down in Game Two of this pivotal series with L.A.

Tim Lincecum has been overall pretty good since coming back from the All-Star break.  In his last seven starts, he's gone 3-3 turning in five quality starts, allowing only sixteen earned runs in 43.2 innings.  His most recent outing was the worst of the bunch, and it wasn't even that bad.  Here's the line:

IP.   H  ER  BB  K  HR
4.0  8    4     1    5    1

Sure, he raised his ERA from 5.35 to 5.45 and allowed a two-run shot Ala Danny Espinosa, but it was against the hottest team in baseball, the Washington Nationals, who are a Major League best 76-46.

Lincecum does, however, have more than descent numbers against L.A (6-5 with a 2.87 ERA and 109 K's through 106.2 innings).  On June 27th, he tossed seven masterful innings to shutout the Dodgers while accumulating eight punch-outs.  Opposing pitcher Joe Blanton is 2-4 with a 4.75 ERA in his nine career starts against San Francisco, and is a disappointing 0-2 with a bloated 8.22 ERA in three starts since coming over from Philadelphia.

Worth Noting:

Apparently, skipper Bruce Bochy plans on resting a surging Buster Posey, or possibly using him at 1st base.  Either way, having his bat in the lineup is key, and if Brandon Belt must sit to make room for the NL MVP candidate, I'm okay with it.  We can always bring him in off the bench.

Let's Go Giants.

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Why the San Francisco Giants Will Win the National League West

It won‘t be easy, but there is something special happening again in the city by the bay.

Just two seasons ago, the Giants brought new and old fans together by delivering one of the greatest post-season performances in MLB history, and capturing the coveted World Series title.   What happened the following season was something most Giants fans would surely like to forget, as the team failed to re-live the magic and fell out of contention relatively early, due to an onslaught of injuries and total lack of offense.  Needless to say, 2011 was a complete bust.

2012 is a different year, however.  A chance to start over for a re-invigorated club, shaking off the rust while adding some speed and a few much needed bats.  Enter Melky Cabrera.

After spending five years with the Yankees and two with his next two clubs, in Atlanta and Kansas City, respectively, the Melk Man was cast as nothing more than an average player with some pop and a plus arm.  All that changed this off-season when the Giants said goodbye to 2010 post-season hero Jonathan Sanchez, and gave Melky another chance to show the baseball world the player he really is.  Since arriving to Spring Training in a much leaner physique, he has done nothing but impress and improve here in San Francisco, in what is being heralded as one of the best trades of recent memory, leading all of baseball with 154 hits, and standing 2nd in batting average (.349) behind only Andrew McCutchen (.365).  Not to mention he secured the first All-Star spot of his career.  

He also embodies what it means to play here in San Francisco, and as we all know, clubhouse tone is something not to be taken for granted.  And that is something that was very important and apparent in the team’s 2010 incarnation.  You can’t have a good team without good clubhouse atmosphere, and from what we’ve seen so far, this team has it in droves.

Cabrera wasn’t the only addition.  Veteran Ryan Theriot has played a key role for the Giants, adding consistent clutch hitting and playing gold glove worthy defense .  Angel Pagan also upgraded the teams speed factor, as well as upgrading at the bat over Andres Torres.

Another part of the team’s collective rejuvenation has been it’s “fountain of youth” approach.  With young players like Brandon Crawford, Gregor Blanco, Joakin Arias, Hector Sanchez, and Brandon Belt, the Giants have many options when it comes to fresh legs and line-up card freedom.  Recent additions Hunter Pence, Marco Scutaro, and Jose Mijares greatly improve the team’s bullpen, bench and out-field, even though Pence is hitting a disappointing .140 with only 6 hits in 43 at bats in a Giants uniform. 

Now these are great additions, but what makes this Giants team the team they are?  That’s right; pitching, pitching, pitching.  With a pitching staff that ranks 6th in the majors (due to slight struggles by ace Matt Cain), the Giants wasted no time in helping the gaping hole in the bullpen left by the eclectic bearded one (Mota receiving a 100 game suspension doesn’t help).  Clay Hensley, Brad Penny, and George Kontos have been welcome additions, and will play key roles in giving Bochy some options in the bullpen down the stretch.

And what stands in the Giant’s way from attaining the glory they once recently held?  That would be their arch-rival L.A. Dodgers, who have seemingly become a different team, much like the Giants.  Bringing in the likes of Hanley Ramirez, Joe Blanton, Shane Victorino, and Brandon League, L.A. looks to be just as set on post-season glory as the Giants.  Arizona is right there, and is not out of it yet, as they‘re playing some good ball.  It will be a tight race, but the Giants will have the edge down the stretch, and here are the reasons why:

1)  Starting rotation--With Barry Zito being a surprise quality arm and Tim Lincecum’s 2nd half resurgence, the rotation is solidified a thousand fold.  Matt Cain will return to his perfect form, and all will be well in the one through five.  The five starters all can dominate in their own right, with some fine-tuning, this staff will be set.

2)  Clubhouse attitude-- As mentioned before, this is very important.  There was no magic left in the tank the previous season, but it has never been more apparent that this club of Misfits 2.0 is teething with magic, and sometimes that can be what makes or breaks a team (see the Boston Red Sox colossal Meltdown of 2011).

3)  Out of contention teams--  The Padres and Rockies have all but thrown in the towel, as they are too far out of contention to even be considered a threat.

4)  The return of Buster Posey-- You would be hard-pressed to find another player that means more to a club than this guy, and I firmly believe he is the heart and soul of this Giants team, however reserved he is.  Leadership on the field is just as important, and he has done nothing but lead.  Buster Posey is one of those intangibles, and he has proved it a thousand times over by being the come-back player of the year, and will no doubt continue to help this team on their way to the post-season.

5)  Upgraded offense-- 2010 was a year of clutch hitting, one run nail-biters, and Black Beard induced heart-attacks with lights out regular/post-season pitching.  This year, the offense is averaging almost two more runs per game (4.2) than last season, and have that extra spark we saw in 2010.  With Melky, Posey, Pence and the imminent return of Pablo Sandoval, this team is set to have a middle of the order that is just as good as any in baseball.

The San Francisco Giants will win the west as result of similar magic that was present in 2010, with Buster, Melky, and that lights-out pitching staff at the helms.  A clash of personalities, a rejuvenated team, bats that are starting to heat up, and an over-all team/city spirit that cannot be beaten, this team is going all the way.

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Dodgers Acquire Shane Victorino

The Dodgers are dealing, and they're looking to improve every facet of their team today.

Phillies have traded Victorino to Dodgers for Lindblom and Ethan martin
— Tim Brown (@TBrownYahoo) July 31, 2012

After acquiring Brandon League last night, they acquire Shane Victorino to address their leadoff woes. Although the Giants were not looking at him, are the Phillies willing to trade any other of their outfielders?

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Giants Get Shutout by Kershaw, Get Swept

Momentum has just changed in the NL West. The Dodgers, who came in three games back of the Giants in the West, finished off the sweep behind Clayton Kershaw’s complete game shut out on Sunday, 4-0.

Ryan Vogelsong racked up another quality start, going six innings while allowing just one earned run.

Vogelsong worked himself into trouble in the third inning when he allowed back to back hits to Matt Kemp and Juan Rivera. Vogelsong would get Andre Ethier to hit a deep fly ball to center field and Rivera tagged from second, giving Hanley Ramirez a chance to drive in his sixth run of the series. That he did, as he beat out a double play grounder to give the Dodgers the lead in the fourth.

Marco Scutaro didn’t help Vogelsong out by dropping a pop up with two outs, which would lead to an unearned run on a Luis Cruz RBI double.

However, Clayton Kershaw would need nothing more, as he carved up the Giants for a complete game masterpiece. He allowed just five scattered hits throughout the game, while using his sweeping curveball to strikeout seven. More noteworthy, he struck out Melky Cabrera three times.

Even though Kershaw would need nothing more than a 2-0 lead, the Dodgers tacked on two more runs in the eighth on two RBI singles from Cruz and Mark Ellis. The two runs were charged to Jeremy Affeldt, who made some decent pitches but also made some bad pitches and the Dodgers made him pay.

George Kontos came in for one out and give up Affeldt’s second run.

One bright spot was Santiago Casilla who performed well for the second straight outing. Despite allowing a double to Ethier, he managed to work out of the jam by using his off speed pitches to induce outs.

What’s on Tap:

The Giants will start a four game series against the Mets on Monday night.

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Kemp and Ramirez Drive in 7 Runs Combined to Take Game 2 of the Series, 10-0

The Dodgers, led by Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, and Hanley Ramirez who went 5-13 with four runs and seven RBIs combined, cruised past the Giants 10-0 in game two of the series.

Barry Zito was everything but sharp on Saturday afternoon. Mark Ellis led off the game with a single, which forced Zito to pitch to the heart of the Dodgers’ lineup with runners on base. Two batters later, Kemp ripped a two-run deep into the left field bleachers.

Zito left several pitches up in the zone, and the Dodgers capitalized, roughing him up for four runs in 5 1/3 innings. In a positive view, the southpaw walked just one while striking out four.

Buster Posey led off the second inning with a double that one hopped the  However, his teammates were unable to get him over with less than two outs, as Chad Billingsley retired the next three batters.

Wasted leadoff doubles were practically the theme today. Angel Pagan stretched a single into a double in the fifth inning, but again, the Giants were unable to move him over and get him in. To cap it off, the Giants were 1-8 with runners in scoring position, continuing their season long disaster in those situations.

Barry Zito found himself in trouble in the fifth inning when he allowed back to back hits to Luis Cruz and A.J Ellis. With runners on second and third, Billingsley helped himself with a sacrifice fly to medium left field.

The wheels really fell off in the seventh inning, though. With George Kontos pitching, Ellis crushed a home run to start the rally. Kontos didn’t get help from his defensive, either, as Brandon Crawford couldn’t handle a tough chopper, leading to two more Dodger runs on back to back doubles by Kemp and Ramirez.

The Dodgers refused to let up, however. Kemp and Hanley drove in three more runs combined in the ninth inning, padding the Dodgers already hefty lead, 10-0.

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Ramirez's Two-Run Homer in Extras Downs the Giants, 5-3

The Giants and Dodgers lived up to the heated rivarly on Friday night. In fact, that would be an understatement.

Stephen Fife, who was making just his second major league start, shut down the Giants’ struggling offense after allowing a run in the bottom of the second inning. Fife pitched a quality 6 1/3 innings, striking out two Giants’ batters.

Cain cruised through the Dodgers’ lineup until the sixth inning. None other than the pitcher Fife started a two out rally with two strikes on him. He lined a solid basehit to right field, but on a sight misplace, he was able to slide his way into second base. No error, however.

Fife’s two outs double was crucial, as it flipped the Dodgers’ lineup over. Jerry Hariston Jr. drilled an opposite field double down the line which scored Fife. Then, Mark Ellis smacked a single of his own in to right center field, giving the Los Angeles a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning.

They weren’t done there, though. James Loney, who has found a good amount of success of his career, laced a single over the jumping Brandon Crawford’s glove, notching the score 3-1 in the sixth.

The drama really began in the eighth inning when Melky Cabrera and Angel Pagan set the table for Brandon Belt who already had two hits on the night. With one out, Belt lined a broken bat single to shallow centerfield, tying the game at three a piece.

Clay Hensley, Jeremy Affeldt, and Santiago Casilla were lights out, pitching two scoreless innings combined, but Sergio Romo was the one who had trouble on Friday night.

Romo entered the game in the 11th, due to face the heart of the Dodgers’ improved lineup. He got Ellis and Kemp out without harm, however, he walked Andre Ethier on a very close pitch that could’ve been called either way. And the call would come back to bite him, as the newly acquired Hanley Ramirez broke the tie by smacking a two-run homer into the left-field bleachers. Ramirez made some gestures as well as he slowly trotted around the bases.

The Giants would put up a fight in the bottom of the inning with back to back singles from Melky Cabrera and Buster Posey, but closer Kenely Jansen retired the next three batters to close the game.

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Hanley Ramirez Traded to Dodgers

Not the Giants, not even the A's, but the hated Dodgers.

Yes, I am unfortunately telling you that Hanley Ramirez has been traded to the L.A. Dodgers.

The infielder was a popular target among both Bay Area teams, and the A's were reportedly very interested in Ramirez last night.

But even two teams couldn't beat out the Dodgers, at least not on this night.

Ramirez is batting .246 with 14 home runs this season.

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Phillies in the World Series, Baby!

Fighting back from behind in clutch situations...jumping out ahead early on...forgetting mistakes and making the next play...this Phillies team has done it all this postseason.

They removed the hearts of the LA Dodgers for the second year in a row and have shown the character of a championship team.

This team has captured the hearts of the city of Philadelphia and their chemistry is unmatched--even by the New York Yankees which is basically a team of mercenaries, free agents with big contracts and low levels of loyalty...(Damon and Boston...A-Rod and his wife and the integrity of baseball...Teixeira and the Braves/Angels/Texas...Burnett Blue Jays...Sabathia Brewers).

(Continue to Philadelphia Sports Scene)

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I Guess I Love L.A.

First of all, I want to take this opportunity to officially throw the 200 Miles From The Citi endorsement behind the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Not only are they my only hope for a non-wasted baseball year (read: no repeat matchup in the World Series), I really like them. Especially this year - they're my feel-good story. So go Angels!

That said, time for my predictions...it's kind of an L.A. story:

ALCS - Angels vs. Yankees

I don't have much solid evidence to back up my rooting for the Angels here...other than the fact that I'm still not 100% buying the Yankees this year.

If the Minnesota Twins could run the bases without looking like the New York Mets, they could have pushed the Yankees to four games...possibly even a fifth...but they just couldn't figure out New York this whole season.

The Angels, on the other hand, match up well against the Yankees.

(Continue to 200 Miles From the Citi)

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Cool Hands Reign in SoCal

Joe Torre and Mike Scioscia remind me of each other, because all these two men do is produce winning ballclubs. Their styles might not be mirror images of one another, but their results are.

Fans in Los Angeles are fortunate to have Torre and Scioscia in the dugout. They are two managers who make the right moves.

Yeah, of course, managers win with talent. Don't forget what the late Yankees manager Ralph Houk told a sports journalist who once asked him what it took to be a great manager.

"Great players," Houk replied.

(Continue to Justice Is Served)

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Coping with Season's End

Reality finally set in during the fourth inning of Saturday's Game 3 of the NLDS.

The Cardinals were dead birds. It was sad like someone punching you in the gut. I had made the journey to St. Louis in August for the first time in over 20 years. I felt a special bond with this year's team. But it was your classic one and done.

How could this team with so much promise in July boosted from the Matt Holliday and Mark DeRosa trades and playing lights out baseball in August, fall with a giant thud?

(Continue to Paul's Redbird Report)

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Cardinals Waste Wainright Gem

Adam Wainright deserved better.

In a perfect world, the 6-7 Cardinal righty would have been rewarded for a stellar pitching performance Thursday night against Los Angeles in Game 2 of the NLDS. Instead, he a earned a
no-decision that would eventually turn into a crushing Cardinal loss.

True, Wainright wasn't perfect, but pretty close. He allowed only three hits including a solo homer. His curve demonstrated serious bite and when he did get into trouble, he survived. How can this guy not win the Cy Young?

(Continue to Paul's Redbird Report)

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