Everyone was getting excited coming into this series thinking that it was basically a done deal as far as the Giants winning the West is concern, but the Padres look determined to defy the odds. It's only the bottom of the 1st inning in Saturday's game (as I type this), but the difference in the way t
he two teams are playing is already evident, and the Giants better get it together, or else they could lose their grip on this thing. The frustrating part of it was watching Zito struggle through a nasty, 30+ pitch inning to start the first inning, then watching the Giants offense come up in the bottom half and go down in just 8 pitches. The reason why the Giants offense had been clicking lately, is because they weren't being so over-aggressive at the plate. Now all the sudden, they must be feeling the playoff fever, and it's making them antsy, because it looks like they're just trying to speed/get through these games rather than actually winning them. Now the Giants are only down 2, and there is still a ton of baseball left today, so I'm nowhere near ready to declare the Pads the victor's just yet, but the Giants have to answer back here in the early innings, otherwise this division's going down to the season's final day.Keep posted here at GBB as we'll make various additions to this post throughout the day as the game draws to an end. At least Zito looks a little more settled here in the 2nd inning, let's hope it holds up and the offense gets going, I don't think I can take another Tim Stauffer shutout.
Sunday's Game Now Matters: Well, it's official, the Giants couldn't quite make the comeback Saturday vs. San Diego, and the Padres are now just 1 game behind the Giants heading into the final game of the season on Sunday. Barry Zito's horrendous 2nd-half luck continued Saturday, as the Pads got to him for a few early runs in the first, then the defense let him down again, and he ended up with his 10th loss since the all star break. He's not 9-14 on the year, despite pitching quite better than his record would indicate. Pablo Sandoval and Juan Uribe tried did their part,
as Uribe hit a bomb in the 7th to get the Giants on the board, then Sandoval got them to within 2 runs in the 9th and really gave the Giants hope with a pinch-hit RBI single. Then, with runners on the corners and just 1-out, Jose Guillen pinch hit with the tying run on base, but grounded into a game ending double-play.... So this sets things up for Sunday's showdown, in which the Pads will try and force a 1-game playoff, and the Giants will try and end their 8-year playoff drought. The pitching match-up is a dandy too, but it slightly gives the Padres the edge as they throw they're young ace, Mat Latos, vs. the Giants' nasty lefty, Jonathan Sanchez. All I can say, is the Giants better be playing, and Bruce Bochy better be coaching, like this Sunday's game is the 7th game of the World Series though, and pull out all stops in order to avoid the 1-game playoff.
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