In Houston to open the season, all eyes were on Barry Bonds, who began the 2004 campaign just two homers shy of his Godfater, Willie Mays. Roy Oswalt pitched a fine 7+ innings for Houston, allowing 2 doubles by Barry in the early innings. In the eighth, after a visit to the mound, Roy's first pitch to Barry was deposited just over the right field wall, for a 3-run homer and tied the game at 4. In the ninth, SF manufactured another run, and Matt Herges earned save 1 as SF wins on opening day, 5-4...

Tuesday, SF saw Andy Pettite for the first time and it was Neifi Perez who delivered a three-run double in the fourth to lead SF to a 7-5 win over Houston. Brett Tomko started in his debut for the Giants, lasting 4+ innings, giving up 3 earned runs. David Aardsma made his ML debut for SF as well, and earned the victory, as Herges gets save number two in as many games...

Wednesday, Roger Clemens made his Astros debut and promptly quieted the Giants, allowing one hit and striking out nine over 7 innings. He gave Bonds one intentional pass, but struck him out twice. Astro bats hammered Jerome Williams with 5 earned runs over six innings, and Houston easily won 10-1...
 

In San Diego to inaugurate PETCO Park, SF faced their third veteran ace pitcher in as many days. First Pettite and Clemens for Houston, and now David Wells was on the hill. The teams seemed tentative til late in the game, when SF took a 2-1 lead in the ninth, blowing the save for returned Padre closer Trevor Hoffman. SD got the run back and wrecked the save opp for Matt Herges. In the 10th SF got a home run from Marquis Grissom to make it 3-2. In the bottom frame, Herges had trouble, was replaced by Aardsma, who gave up two hits and the game went to the Padres, 4-3...

Saturday night at PETCO, SF picked up four runs on 2 hits and 2 walks in the third inning, but Kirk Rueter was tagged for four runs as well. Brower pitched the sixth into the seventh, and was responsible for the two Padres that scored. SF mounted a charge in the ninth, but Hoffman struck out Tucker on three straight pitches to end the game. SD 6 SF 4...

Sunday night in the series finale, Peavy kept SF scoreless through seven innings as SD held on to a 3-0 lead. But the Padres' relief buckled as SF exploded for five runs in the 8th and one more in the 9th to win for the first time at PETCO. Bonds walked twice, once intentionally...
 

Opening day at SBC Park was a great day as in the fifth inning, Barry Bonds hit Home Run Number 660 into McCovey Cove and tied godfather Willie Mays for #3 all time. The three-run homer put SF up 5-4 over the Brewers, and SF pushed across two more runs to the Brewers one, for a Giant 7-5 victory. Bonds had three hits, JT Snow two and Herges picked up save #4...

Tuesday night Marquis Grissom hit two home runs to give SF a 3-0 lead. In the seventh, however, it was Barry Bonds who hit a blast into the bay for home run 661 and sole possession of 3rd place all time. The pitching held off the Brewers, and Hermanson earns the victory, and Herges, his fifth save, one for ever Giant victory so far in 2004...

In Wednesday's afternoon finale, San Francisco didn't play very well. Brian Cooper was just called up to start and considering, didn't do all that bad. Two earned runs on four hits over six innings - a 2-run HR by Brewer threat Geoff Jenkins was enough to hold off SF. The Giants only managed four hits in getting shutout, 3-0...
 

Friday, the Dodgers began their weekend at SBC Park, and it was like being hit by a board game. Milton Bradley went 0-3, but picked up an RBI in Dave Roberts each time, ruining Jason Schmidt's return to the mound. Barry Bonds made it interesting, hitting a 2-run homer in the bottom of the ninth off of Gagne, to make it 3-2, but that's how it would end, with a victory for los Dodgers...

Saturday afternoon, Bonds homered in the eighth and Pedro Feliz homered in the ninth, but a double play ball hit by Grissom ended SF's chances and left Barry on-deck, and the Giants lost to the Dodgers, 5-4. LA's Milton Bradley continued to play SF, hitting a 2-run homer and two Dodgers, LoDuca and Hernandez, had four hits apiece for the bad guys...

Sunday afternoon, starter Brett Tomko allowed six runs in the fifth, including back-to-back-to-back jacks to put LA up 7-2 over SF. Barry Bonds got four hits off of Dodger pitching, a single, a double, and two home runs, to right and center field, for 5 RBI. Once again, LA left Barry on-deck, and gets their 3rd consecutive 1-run win, beating SF 7-6, for their first sweep in SF since 2001...
 

On a wet Monday night in SF, the Giants faced San Diego and David Wells again. In the third, leading 1-0, SF got four consecutive hits off of Wells, including a Hammonds double, a Grissom home run followed by a Bonds solo blast, to go up 4-1. SF held San Diego to just a single run in the sixth, when, in the top of the ninth, and with two out, San Diego gets its own 4 consecutive hits, pushing a couple of runs across to make it interesting, but Brower got the final out and SF wins, 4-3...

The Giants were lackluster early Tuesday night, and starter Dustin Hermanson was not sharp in letting the Padres jump out to a 5-0 lead. But in the fourth, Barry Bonds homered in his 7th straight game to make it 5-2. Pedro Feliz followed with a solo shot, and just like that it was 5-3. But San Diego was able to match SF and in the end, it was Padres 9, Giants 5...

Wednesday night, San Diego's leadoff man reached base in each inning except the ninth. Most of them scored to boot, and SF again played very lackluster in an 11-0 drubbing, picking up just four hits, and allowing, oh, 17! Bonds consecutive game home run streak was snapped as he struck out once and was walked twice. He's now walked 20 times, and struck out four...

Thursday's daytime finale was more deja vu for the Giants, as in not much offense, and allowing the Padres to go wild. It was a six run 2nd inning that did in the Giants and Rueter. Despite a lead off home run from Durham, SF could never overcome that 2nd inning, and lost 9-4...
 

Visiting Los Angeles, the beginning stages of Friday's game looked promising. SF was manufacturing runs, leading 4-2 after 4 innings. But then Tomko gave up a homer to Shawn Green, and suddenly it was tied. Into extra innings, and in the 12th, Matt Herges gave up a double to Izturis, then a single to Milton Bradley, and it was all over. Bradley is a Giant-killer this year. Final: LA 5 SF 4 in 12 innings. Bonds had two singles, and FOUR intentional walks. SF is now in last place in the West, and LA has won six 1-run games, an SF specialty last season...

Saturday night, Jerome Williams was the beneficiary of early Giants offense, as Ray Durham led off with a home run and two more were plated for a quick 3-0 lead. SF built the lead to 5-1 with two RBI off a Pierzynski bloop single. Williams would allow only 2 hits after the third inning, those in the ninth, allowing LA to pull to within 5-3 on an Encarnacion homer. Herges was able to save the game, his sixth save, and SF snaps another 4-game losing streak, beating LA 5-3. Bonds had a groundout and 3 walks...

Sunday was just awful. Brian Cooper needed to make an emergency start in place of Dustin Hermanson, and the Dodgers had a field day. Three runs in both the third and fourth sealed SF's fate on the afternoon. The final was 9-0, SF's second massive blowout in a week...
 

Atlanta makes their only visit of 2004 to SBC Park and on Monday, SF won a tough game, 3-2. SF got their runs in the third inning, on a Neifi bunt single, a Durham triple, an Alfonzo double, and a Feliz single. In the fifth, Altanta countered with two on a Mark DeRosa HR. As it ended, Schmidt gets his first win, and Herges his seventh save. Dustin Hermanson went on the DL and Deivi Cruz was called up from Fresno...

Tuesday night, SF allowed a 3-spot in the third to the Braves. SF tried to keep it close, but, well, let's just say it got out of hand. The Braves scored 7 in the top of the ninth, to crush SF as the Giants' pitching woes continue, 12-3. Brett Tomko earns his firts win as a Giant, and Michael Tucker hit his first HR in a an SF uniform...

Wednesday night, SF spotted the Braves 2 runs on a hit by Johnny Estrada. In the fourth, SF exploded against ex-Giant Russ Ortiz, plating nine runs. Those runs would come in handy, as the Braves chipped back at SF's lead and pulled to within 10-7 before the final out. SF hit into a mlb-leading 32nd double play and Bonds reached 500 intentional walks...
 

Florida in for four, and Thursday afternoon Barry Bonds hit number 668. But Florida hit three solo home runs scoring four to wreck the nice afternoon at SBC and win game one 4-3. Felix Rodriguez takes the loss on the 9th inning Mike Lowell HR. Brian Dallimore made his big league debut pinch-hitting in the 7th, but grounded out...

Friday night against the Fish was looking bad, as Correia was getting hit hard. But SF came back against Willis, including Brian Dallimore's Grand Slam for his big league hit. After two innings, it was a new ballgame, tied at NINE. Go Figure. In the fifth, SF pushed across three more runs and that held as the final was 12-9 SF. Tyler Walker gets his first win as a Giant; Herges the save, his 8th...

Saturday, SF began May on a good note. After going down 2-0 early, and 3-1 after five, SF got a key 2-run single from Pierzynski in the sixth (AJ was 3-4 on the day), and a double by Grip to right in the seventh that also scored two, and put SF up for good, 6-3. Schmidt earned his second win of the week, and Herges picked up a four-out save, for save number nine. Bonds was intentionally walked four times, and flied out once...

Sunday afternoon, with Bonds taking the day off, it was time for the others to pick up the slack. Yorvit Torrealba did just that this day with a Grand Slam in the second inning to put SF up 5-0. Florida eventually went up 8-6 and in the bottom of the seventh, SF was able to tie it up. Into extra innings, and pinch-hitter Bonds was walked, and a few batters later, Torrealba crushed one to the left-center gap and that was the game. Final SF 9 Fish 8. Now, finally, a day off...
 

At Shea for three, Tuesday night's game saw Barry sit once again, today with a sinus infection. SF had leads at 1-0 and 2-1 until things unraveled against Tomko in the sixth inning. Not long after the Mets announcers mentioned how Tomko was susceptible to the long ball, Mike Cameron hit a 2-run homer as part of a five hit burst, chasing Tomko, and handing SF defeat, 6-2...

Wednesday night, Bonds sat again with the sinus infection. The game was tied at 2 coming out of a rain delay, and in the bottom of the eighth, Matt Herges allowed 2 Home Runs (Spencer and Cameron) and just like that it was basically over. The final was Mets 8, SF 2...

Thursday night, the Mets beat SF in the 11th inning, off a 2-out Mike Piazza solo HR, two win it for the Mets 2-1 and sweep the Giants. Schmidt and Leiter both pitched well, and the scoring didn't start until the seventh. Pedro Feliz hit a solo-homer for SF, only to be matched by Karim Garcia in the bottom of the inning. Bonds returned to the lineup and was walked twice intentionally, the dangerous one in the eleventh that loaded the bases. But then Feliz struck out to end the threat; then Piazza did his game-winning damage. So it goes...
 

SF visits Cincy - Friday night, was a pitchers affair untl the seventh inning. After Bonds was walked, Pedro Feliz popped a home run, and SF was up 2-0. In the eighth, SF plated four more. Move to the bottom of the ninth, and SF's pitching makes it interesting, loading the bags full of Reds, but Herges holds on and actually earns a save in the SF 6-1 victory...

Saturday afternooon in the Queen City and it was home run day. Ken Griffey Jr had a 2-HR day and Barry Larkin added a 2-run HR for Cincy as they win 5-3. The Giants scored all their runs on solo HRs: Hammonds (1st), Snow (3rd), and Mohr (9th). Bonds was 0-3 with a walk. He's now 0-8 since returning from the sinus infection...

In Sunday's series finale, Barry Bonds went 0-4 and extended his slump to 0-15. However, the Reds intentionally walked him in the 10th inning, and we would come around to score as SF wins in 10, 7-6, taking two of three from the Reds. The Giants blew three leads in the game, including a save chance by Herges in the ninth, his second blown save in twelve attempts. Marquis Grissom hit a 2-run homer in the first to get the party started...
 

Pennsylvania week part 1 - Tuesday, the Phils began a 3-game visit to SBC Park, and they came a swingin' - doubles and triples and such off Jerome Williams. Williams left the game in the fourth inning with an sore biceps, and his replacements, Franklin and Walker, also got hit hard. The Giants hit four doubles, but not enough to compensate, and SF loses 10-4...

Wednesday night vs Philadelphia, and for the first time in 31 games he played in this season, Barry Bonds failed to reach base. He went 0-4 with no walks. Fortunately, Pitcher Jason Schmidt supplied the pop, with his first home run of the season, a solo shot. The Giants added three other solo shots in the 4-3 SF victory, a first inning hit by Hammonds, and a 2-fer by Pedro Feliz, solo shots in the fourth and sixth innings. Schmidt pitches eight innings for the win, Herges holds for his 11th save...

Thursday afternoon, SF got their first home run from A.J. Pierzynski, but it wasn't enough as SF lost to the Pillies, 4-3. Rueter took the loss and is now 1-4 on the year. Bonds was walked twice intentionally, and is now batting .091 in May. The Giants left 17 on base in the game, and had the bags loaded in the bottom of the ninth that was able to generate just one run...
 

Penn week continues - Friday, the Pirates visit SF and though the Giants held a 2-0 lead into the seventh, the recently called-up Daryle Ward hit a 2-run homer off of Hermanson in the seventh, and the Bucs added a run in each the eighth and ninth for a 4-2 victory. Bonds missed the game with back spasms. Ray Durham returned to the lineup following his DL stint and went 1-5 in the lead off spot...

Saturday afternoon, the Pirates were all over SF pitching, roughing up Tomko for 5 earned in six innings. SF didn't start scoring until the bottom sixth, but once again, it wouldn't be enough. Again, SF had a bases-loaded situation in the ninth, but were unable to convert. Alfonzo did have a homer for a bright spot, but the sparks weren't enough as SF loses 6-4...

Sunday in the sun, Jerome Williams gave up an early run and appeared settled, but then gave up 2 in the fourth and 2 more in the sixth, helping the Bucs to a sweep of the Giants. Mackowiak had 2 HRs for Pittsburgh and Nunez one as well. Grissom hit a solo-homer for SF, which was his sixth of the season. Bonds sat once again, resting his back the entire weekend. SF went 1-5 on the homestand. ouch!...
 

3-games at Wrigley - Tuesday, on a night when the D-Backs Randy Johnson hurls a perfect game, SF had a gem of their own. Jason Schmidt moved to 4-2 on the season with a 1-hit shutout of the Cubs. The only hit was a infield hit in the fifth. Schmidt walked one, and struck out 13 over his 144 pitches. SF got their run in the fourth after Bonds was walked then brought around to score by a Feliz single. A nice way to start the road trip...

Wednesday night Barry Bonds sat for the fourth game out of five with a sore back. Michael Tucker had a 2-run homer for SF in the fourth inning, but starter Kirk Rueter left in the seventh with the game tied at 3. In the 10th, SF couldn't manufacture anything, and when the Cubs had their chance, it was Moises Alou who hit his 10th homer of the season to win it for Chicago. Brower takes the loss in the 4-3 defeat, and the Giants are cellar-dwellers...

Thrusday afternoon, the getaway game before a flight to Puerto Rico - and Bonds sat again. He might go on the DL. For the game, Hermanson gave up 1 earned run in 5.2 innings, not bad, and Pedro Feliz's solo shot in the fifth made it 3-0 SF. But the Cubs came back to tie on a seventh inning homer by that Moises Alou kid. Once again into extra innings, and it was Neifi Perez who slashed his first homer of the season into the right field bleachers and Herges would hold for the 5-3 Giant win...
 

The Giants make their first visit to San Juan, Puerto Rico to play the Expos - and on Friday night, before some 14,000 fans, SF exploded for six runs in the seventh that began with a Barry Bonds walk (he scored) and ended with Barry grounding out. Wayne Franklin gets the win and Herges his 12th save, as the relief staff worked hard to hold off the Expos...

Saturday night against the Expos, and Jerome Williams pitched pretty well,... SF took the lead in the 4th on a double by Pierzynski, but in the fifth, the Expos got a run to tie at 2. Into extra innings, and in the eleventh, Bonds batted with the bases loaded. He hit a ball to 2nd and on the fielder's choice home, the run was safe. SF 3 Expos 2. A few batters later AJ whacked a grand slam to right field to put SF up for good. Tyler Walker gets the win. Final SF 7 - Expos 2..

Sunday's Puerto Rico finale was postponed due to heavy rain. No makeup date has been set at this time. (aug 18, part of DH in SF) LA and SD lost, so SF picks up a half game, and the after-effects of the 144 pitch effort by Schmidt last week week will be delayed, as he willget a couple of extra days rest as a result of the postponment.
 

SF begins a long stretch vs Arizona and Colorado... and on Tuesday against the D'Backs, Jason Schmidt returned to the mound following his 144 pitch one-hit opus last week, and he was spot on. He didn't give up a run until the eighth inning, on four hits and one walk. He has been stellar in moving his record to 5-2. SF bats were hot Alfonzo - 3 - including a 2-run homer in the first, AJ and Neifi 2 each, and Bonds, a controversial homer to center field, his first in four weeks. Herges gets save number 13. Also, JT Snow and Ray Durham go on the DL...

Wednesday night at SBC, Barry Bonds solo home run in the fourth to center field makes it 2-1 SF. In the bottom of the eighth, SF found themselves down. Arizona walked the bases loaded and then Pedro Feliz smacked a double to the left-center wall, bringin in two runs. Matt Herges saved the game for number 14 on the season, and SF wins 4-3 - wins their fifth in a row, and moves to 3.5 behind the leaders...

Thursday night, SF got 3 RBI by Michael Tucker, and one from AJ as the Giants took a 4-3 lead into the ninth. With two out in the top of the ninth, Arizona's Danny Bautista hit a solo home run off of Herges, blowing Matt's save. In the tenth, the D'backs went quietly. Bottom ten, and Bonds was intentionally walked for the third time in the game. After a WP, Hammonds walked, then Damon Minor gets his second hit of the night [and season], a game winning single, as Bonds comes round to win it for SF and sweep Arizona...
 

Colorado visits SBC... SF played pretty quiet against former Giant Shawn Estes, who felt at home in SF, going 5.1 5 hits 4 walks 6 K's, no runs. The Rockies by then led 2-0 and took that lead into the ninth, then gave it away. They allowed two walks, then a ground out that moved the runners up. A two-out line-drive single by Grip tied the game at 2. Barry Bonds followed, and how, with a opposite field - just over the wall - 2 run homer to give SF the win in the last at-bat, 4-2. HR #671 for Mr. Bonds. Tomko threw strong seven innings, after getting tagged on the elbow by a broken bat, and Brower secures the win...

Saturday night, SF was down 2-1 going into the sixth inning - then Bonds doubled to right center and Fonzi scored. That was followed a few batters later by a Torrealba double, bringing in Bonds and Minor - making it 4-2 SF. In the seventh, Dustan Mohr hit his first SBC home run to make it 5-3. A walk brought in a Rockies run in the top of the eighth, but then Herges was brought in, and earned his 15th save, a 4-out save at that. Final SF 5-3 over Colorado. The win streak is at eight games, and SF is back to .500..

Sunday afternoon, SF moves the win streak to nine, as they prepare to go on a 14-game 4-city road trip. They swept the Rockies with a 3-1 win behind the first inning 2-run splash homer by Michael Tucker, only the fifth Giant to do so. Pedro Feliz doubled in a run in the third, and the 3-0 lead held to the ninth. Schmidt pitched a great game, 8+ innings, 2 hits, 11Ks, throwing 115 pitches for his sixth win. Christensen faced one, then Herges in to close. A ball was hit over Grip's head, and a Rockie scored, but Herges composed and earned the save. SF 3 - Colorado 1...
 

Four in the desert...As May winds down, SF is as hot as they have been in some time. They beat Arizona on Memorial Day, 8-4, starting off with a solo home run by Barry Bonds to right field in the second. In the third, Tucker blasted a solo shot of his own to deep right center, and it was 4-0 after SF plated two more in the fourth. The D'backs got a couple of their own, but SF added one in the seventh, and three more in the ninth to make it academic. Tyler Walker had clean up duty, and allowed a home run, but that was no worry, as SF made it 10 in a row to close May. Rueter gets the win and SF moves to 1.5 games back of first...

June 1st and the streak is over. Arizona beat SF, 6-5. Early SF was down 3-0 but the team battled back and took a 5-3 lead, with four coming in the seventh, sparked by a Feliz home run, and a Koplove wild pitch. Then in the bottom seventh Scott Eyre gave up back to back homers to D'Backs Steve Finley (his second of the night) and Scott Hairston. In the bottom of the ninth, an infield single by Hairston was hard to handle by Alfonzo, and the throw to first was wild. Hariston eventually scored and the streak was poof...

Wednesday night, SF found themselves in a hole against Randy Johnson. He kept SF at bay in the early innings, and SF's Brett Tomko continued to struggle. He lasted 3.1 innings, allowing 5 earned runs. In the fifth, SF finally chased Johnson after putting four on the board. Wayne Franklin allowed a homer and it was 7-4 D'Backs just like that. SF did get 2 more in the eighth, but it wouldn't be enough in the 8-6 loss. Neifi Perez did have a four hit game, and Grip hit his 7th homer of the season...

Thursday, SF gets four in the first off of Brandon Webb. Then, over the course of the evening, the D'Backs pick up 8 RBI with 2 out enroute to an 11-5 drubbing. Herges was brought in for some work in the ninth, and that was a disaster, and just might hurt the relievers psyche. SF has went from a ten game win streak to a 3 game losing streak and the record drops below .500. After the game, the Giants waived Jeffrey Hammonds, who was hitting just .211 with 3 HRs and 6 RBI in 95 ABs. Todd Linden was called up from Fresno...
 

At Coors Field for a wrap-around set of four... Friday night, SF's batters loved the rare air in Denver. SF had 4 homers on the night, Neifi, in the third to tie it at 2; Bonds in the 5th to make it 4-2 SF; AJ a few batters later; and Mohr in the 6th - he had a four hit nite - as SF picked up 5 runs in both the 5th and 6th innings en route to a 13-7 victory over the rockies. Schmidt gets win number 7. His ERA is now 2.61. Not bad the way the seasons been going. SF is at .500 again...

Saturday, the twilight must've caused SF fits, as they appeared to have the sun in their eyes during the 11-2 drubbing at the hands of the Rockies. Michael Tucker had a home run and 3 hits total, and Bonds was walked three times, but Pedro Feliz went 0-4 behind Barry, and the Rockies scored three in the third, sixth, and eighth. Rueter moves to 2-5 on the season, his ERA at 5.29...

Sunday, SF just beat up the Rockies, winning 16-4. SF scored 3 in the 2nd, 5 in the 5th 1 in the 6th, and 6 in the 8th, 1 in the 9th. Bonds hit a solo homer in the sixth, the only SF homer on the day. Ransom scored three times, and Tucker, Minor and Ransom each had 3 RBI. Hermanson went 7 and struck out six and gave up 2 earned...

Monday afternoon, getaway day, and SF got out of the gate quick, getting five in the first inning, including 3 on a Torrealba HR. Colorado tied it at 5 in the third with four runs of their own and that lasted until the seventh, when pinch-hitter Damon Minor broke the tie by bringing home Mohr. In the eighth, Pedro Feliz hit a solo homer, and in the ninth, Pedro hit another - this time with one on, and SF wins 10-5. Brower gets the win...
 

Interleaqgue play began in St Petersburg Tuesday. and SF got up on the D'Rays quickly, with two in both the first and second innings. The latter was off of Michael Tucker's bat, a 2-run homer. The 4-0 lead held for Jerome Williams, who pitched seven innings, allowed just four hits, and wins his fifth. Marquis Grissom had three hits after missing a couple of games...

Wednesday, Jason Schmidt pitched a great seven innings, and SF led 1-0 going into the eighth. SF's run came in the first inning as some key hits scored Neifi. But to the eighth, where after 1 batter, Schmidt departs [7+, 5h, 8k], and Christensen gets in a jam, then Felix makes it worse, allowing two hits that score 3 D'Rays. In the 9th, SF get 2 to tie, on . In the 10th, SF doesn't score and the D'Rays get em loaded off of Tyler Walker, and Jose Cruz Jr slaps a single down first for the Tampa Bay win, 4-3. Cruz was handed his Glode Glove from last seasib before the game. Fitting that he would get a touch of revenge for not keeping him after the dropped fly ball last October in the NLDS game 3...

Thursday night, SF once again scored in the first. But SF wouldn't score again until Michael Tucker's solo home run in the top of the ninth. In between, Tampa Bay scored five runs and takes the series. Three of the runs came in a fifth inning homer, off of Rueter, the eventual loser, now 2-6 on the year. Barry Bonds was absent to attend a friend's funeral...
 

Moving to a series in Baltimore... Friday's game was rained out and will be part of a DH on Saturday...

SF and Baltimore finally got underway Saturday afternoon - now part of a day-nite doubleheader - Barry Bonds opened the scoring in the third with a solo home run (#475). Palmeiro homered for the O's, so it's the first time in some 33 years two 500 HR players have donged in the same game. SF would get four runs in each the 6th and 11th innings en route to victory. In the sixth, Aflonzo hit a homer, to provide two of the four, and in the eleventh, AJ hit a homer to open up that extra frame, and put SF ahead 6-5 and set the stage for three more runs. Herges pitched three innings of relief for the victory in the 9-6 SF win.

Saturday night, Torrealba hit a 2-run homer in the second, a lead SF kept until the fifth, when the O's tied it up on starter Noah Lowery. Feliz tripled in Linden in the seventh to make it 3-2 SF, and then Feliz eventually scored. Balitmore got 2 in the bottom of the eighth, and once again, into extra innings. There SF would fail. Eyre had pitched 2.2 innings, but in came Herges who allowed a single, got a srikeout, then a pass, and then a bases loaded single to Bigbie, and in 12 innings, O's 5, SF 4. Bonds was walked five times in the evening, four intentional...

Sunday afternoon, with Bonds 2-run HR in third, he has now registered 500 as a Giant, making the Giants the first franchise with 3 such players. Overal, SF recorded a career worst 13 hits off of former Giant hurler Sidney Ponson, tagging him with his 8th liss in the 7-3 victory. Tyler Walker earns his first ML save. SF ends the road trip 7-7...
 

Back home after the longest road trip of the season... Tuesday, the Blue Jays made their first visit to SBC Park. They had to face Jason Schmidt. Schmitty pitched great, 12k's over his 6.2 innings of work, allowing one run. SF was up 4-1 when reliever Tyler Walker allowed a 2-run homer to the Jays' Gomez. But Rodriguez would do his job, and Herges would throw a four-out save, his 17th save of the season, in the Giants 4-3 victory. Schmidt earns his career-high eighth consecutive victory...

On Wednesday, Ray Durham returned to the lineup after his DL stint, Kirk Rueter got the run support and cruised in seven innings. SF got 4 in the first inning and 3 in the third. HR's by Feliz (1st) and Pierzynski (3rd) fueled those innings. In the fifth, SF picked up three more off of basehits, including an RBI single by pitcher Rueter. He would throw 103 pithces over 7 innings for this third win of the year versus six losses. SF wins 10-2 and moves into second place in the NL West, where they last stood on April 19...

Thursday afternoon, SF and Toronto had played to a tie at 5 going into the bottom eight. Pinch-hitter Bonds was intentionally walked, then Ray Durham laid down a bunt and was safe. Michael Tucker was next and hit a triple to deep right center, scoring two. AJ would bring in Tucker to make it 8-5 SF. Herges came on and snagged his 18th save, as SF completes the sweep...
 

Boston rolls into town... Friday night, SF got consecutive at-bat homers (4 RBI) from Marquis Grissom early, and that put SF up 7-2. But then Boston started hitting, and in the fifth, plated seven runs with three home runs, to go up 9-7, then added two more in the eighth. SF got those two back and it was 9-11, until Boston decided to hit two more homers in the top nine to make it 9-14, and the final score...

Saturday afternoon, SF breaks out with four in the first, including a lead-off home run by Durham. Boston would get one in the fourth, then it was calm til the eighth. Boston tied the game with three runs on one play. But in the bottom of the eighth, SF got two to go ahead on a 2-run blast by Alfonzo. In closing out the Red Sox over 4 outs, Herges earns the win despite allowing the single to Nixon that tied the game...

Sunday, Jason Schmidt showed All-Star form, pitching a one-hitter enroute to a 4-0 SF win over the Red Sox. Schmidt struck out nine and walked two in his second, and SF's second, complete game of the season. The only BoSox hit was a double by Youklis in the sixth. It was 0-0 going to the bottom seventh when, with two on, a Barry Bonds pop up fell for a hit, and the ump called the advancing Tucker safe at third. Boston's Manager was ejected, and the next batter, Alfonzo. against a new pitcher, clubbed a grand slam to be the hero for the second day in a row, as Schmidt holds the ninth... This is the Red Sox' first shutout suffered this season...
 

Dodgers in SF for four... Monday night, Rueter and Perez kept the bats away until the fifth. LA got one, then SF got it back after a double by Bonds and a RBI single by Alfonzo. In the sixth, Durham doubled, then scored to make it 2-1. In the top of the ninth, with Herges aiming for a 4-out save, he tossed a wild pitch, and LA tied the game at 2. In the bottom or the ninth, with two out, SF sandwiched two walks inside of two singles, and Mohr scored the winning run on Ransom's single to cap the SF 3-2 win over LA. Rueter made is 300th career start in the Bigs, but got no decision...

GIANTS IN FIRST... Tuesday night, SF regained its rightly crown atop the AL West with an 11-5 drubbing of the Dodgers. Deivi Cruz went 5 for 5 with 2 RBI, while Edgardo Alfonzo picked up a career-high 6 RBI, including 3 off a bases-clearing double in the eighth that salted the game away. Ray Durham scored three runs. First place is somewhere the Giants haven't been since April 13, and were in last place on May 19, but now is the time to cement the lead and take over the NL West. Jim Brower earned the win, tossing a couple of innings of key relief...

Wednesday night, the Dodgers got two in the first, then in the bottom of the second, SF got three runs on a one-out bases-loaded triple by Ray Durham to take the lead. Jerome Williams, Wayne Franklin, Felix, Scott Eyre, and Matt Herges would take care of the rest as SF wins again, 3-2...

Thursday's late afternoon game saw SF finish the sweep of the hapless Dodgers. AJ Perzinski went 3-4 with 2 RBI in the 9-3 rub out of La-La Land. SF spotted LA a run in the fourth, and scored three of their own in their half of the fourth; then added six more in the sixth, including a 2-run HR from Grissom. Brett Tomko returned to the lineup, and threw his best game of the year: 6 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 3 K, for only his second victory of the season. Dodger reliever Eric Gagne was tossed from the game, after throwing high and tight to Michael Tucker, and generally being an ass...
 

Bay Bridge Series in Oakland... Friday night, SF got off to a great start, scoring five in the first inning, including a 3-run homer by Deivi Cruz and a solo shot by Pedro Feliz. Ray Durham had three hits on the night. Jason Schmidt started and pitched great, keeping Oakland at bay. Schmitty threw 8.1 innings, and a 9th inning 2-run homer chased him. Eyre allowed a hit, then Herges came in and after a hit, got a double play ball to end the game. For Herges, his 20th save. For Schmidt, his 10th consecutive victory, as SF wins 6-4...

Saturday night, where Oakland had the major's largest crowd of the season, Dustan Mohr and Deivi Cruz each had three hits apiece for SF, but Oakland would score a run in the 10th inning to win 7-8. Lucky for SF to get there, however, as they put together a 4-run ninth, blowing the save for new A's closer Octavio Dotel. Pierzinski had a 3-run homer, and Tucker sac'd in Ransom to bring SF back from the brink. Rueter goes 6.1, but it's Brower who absorbs the loss...

Sunday afternoon, Barry Bonds regained his home run swing, smashing a ball into the right-center bleachers in the fourth inning to put SF on the board. In the fifth, SF added three more, one from a Grissom home run. Dustin Hermanson pitched 6.2 innings, givining up just two runs. Torrealba brought in Neifi Perez in the ninth for some insurance, and Herges would hold for save number 21. SF 5, Oakland 2...
 

SF visits Chavez Ravine... Tuesday night, Noah Lowery pitched a great game, going seven innings, allowing just 2 hits and 1 run, while striking out nine. SF got a run in the first on a broken bat single by Alfonzo, but that would be all. SF left 11 on base through the game, while the Dodgers got a run-scoring single by LoDuca off of Felix Rodriguez in the eighth to help Los Angeles beat SF 2-1. A tough loss...

Wednesday night, Ray Durham led off the game with a home run off of Hideo Nomo. In the third, Barry Bonds hit a 3-run blast to left-center field. In the fifth, Grissom connected deep into the Dodgers bullpen. SF built up a 7-0 lead for starter Brett Tomko, who had no trouble with LA until garbage time in the ninth. Eyre and Brower get the last two outs, and the final is 7-1, Giants. Nomo has now lost something like nine in a row. His fastball might hit 82mph. tsk. SF goes 18-10 in June, avoiding their traditional June Swoon...

In the third inning of Thursday night's series finale, Jason Schmidt helped his own cause, by scoring the first run on a first-pitch home run to left field off of Dodger starter Jose Lima. In the seventh, tied at two, Barry Bonds led off and deposited a ball into the right field bleachers. Later, AJ scored to make it 4-2 SF. In the bottom of the inning, an error by Bonds allowed LA to tie it at four. In the eighth, with Felix in relief, the Dodgers scored one to go ahead 5-4. GagMe closes the ninth for LA by striking out the side. Final: LA 5 SF 4 - damn...
 

The Athletics visit The City... Friday night, Oakland jumped out to a 3-0 lead on Kirk Rueter. SF countered, scoring all seven runs via the home run ball. Grip hit a solo shot in the bottom of the first. Ray Durham hit the first of two on the night in the third, a 2-run shot. In the fourth, Barry Bonds jacked number 680 of his career, a solo shot to left field. Ray Durham picked up RBI's 3-4-5 on the night, with a copy-cat home run to left in the sixth inning. Bonds had a nice assist from left to Neifi to Torrealba to scotch an A's run. Rueter gets the win in the SF 7-3 win...

Saturday afternoon Dustin Hermanson pitched a great game for SF against Oakland, going 7 innings, notching 11 K's, just one run - unearned - and a 2-1 lead. In the eighth, reliever Felix Rodriguez couldn't hold the lead and Oakland scored the tying run. In the ninth, tied at 2, Matt Herges was brought in for a non-save situation. That turns out to be a bad idea, as he gets tagged for four runs and SF goes down 2-6 to the Athletics. It's not all Matt's fault, however. On the day Ray Durham had two fielding errors, which led to four unearned runs, and another chance where the ball hit off his foot...

Sunday, Independence day, and the 82nd game of the year, the beginning of the second half, and Barry Bonds sets the All-Time Record for walks. SF starter Jerome Williams would only last four innings against Oakland, allowing five runs on seven hits. Eric Byrnes hit 2 HRs for Oaktown. SF battled back with a run here and two there, but it wasn't enough as SF loses the game 6-9 and the series 1-2 to Oakland. SF's lead in the NL West has shrunk, to just a half game ahead of the Padres, as KC just rolled over for San Diego. LA took 2-3 from Anaheim, to get to 1.5 games back...
 

Colorado visits SF, and they get all over Brett Tomko and handed SF it's third straight loss, 4-7. The Rockies had five after one and added another in the second. That would be enough. The loss on holiday Monday cost SF first place in the west, as their third straight loss, plus San Diego's win puts the Padres in first. SF did get two hits each from Deivi Cruz and JT Snow, but the three-run third couldn't compensate for not getting runners to second in the latter half of the game. SF needs a break...

Tuesday night, the Giants offense built a nice 6-1 cushion after seven, including 3 hits and 3 RBI from JT Snow. Jason Schmidt pitched a gem through his seven innings, allowing one hit (Helton homer) and striking out twelve. Then the relief came in and it all went to pot. Colorado batted around and scored five runs in the eighth to tie, and in the ninth, made the most of a hbp and walk and scored two big runs to give the Rockies the game, 8-6. Colo's now won five in a row, SF has lost four in a row and drops into third place in the West...

Wednesday night Kirk Rueter's job was to get SF back to its winning ways. Kirk lasted into the seventh and only allowed five hits, his last being a 2-run homer to make it SF 5, Colo 3. For their part in the return to winning, Barry Bonds hit a homer to lead off the second inning, and Feliz had a 2-rbi double in the third. More insurance was added in the seventh and even a lead a bullpen shouldn't (cough) give up. They did allow a run, but that was all - SF wins 8-4. The NL west top 3 teams are .008 apart...
 

The once formidable D'Backs visit SBC before the All-Star Break...Thursday, the Giants were looking tired. Dustin Hermanson allowed single runs from innings 2-6, and suffered his first loss since mid-May. Wayne Franklin, in relief, allowed three in the seventh. Bonds had three hits, and AJ had four. SF did have the bases loaded in the ninth, but Yorvit struck out and that was that. SF 4 AZ 8 final...

Friday night, SF got to Randy Johnson, and, coupled with a botch by Luis Gonzalez on the warning track, would lead to an SF 8-3 victory. SF got two runs in the first inning, and in the fifth, tied at 3 and with two out, Alfonzo hit the fly that LuGo bonked on. The ensuing throw by Finley got away, and overall, three Giants would score. Randy was not happy with LuGo, and they fought in the runway to the clubhouse. SF would add single runs in the sixth and seventh to secure the win...

Saturday night was Lon Simmons Night, to honor the broadcaster who will be headed to Cooperstown in a few weeks. SF didn't get many runs for Brett Tomko, but they didn't need to. Tomko was sharp going 7.2 innings, allowing his only run in the eighth, after SF had built a 3-0 lead. JT Snow hit a two-run homer in the fifth, and AJ added a sac fly in the seventh. Tucker caught a dangerous ball in the eighth, but was OK, after clanging off the padded bricks. Tomko and Snow led the hit attack with two each. Tomko moves to 4-5 on the year and Herges gets save number 22...

Sunday afternoon, All-Star Jason Schmidt started and after an early run by Arizona, settled down very nicely, going eight innings, tossing 127 pitches, 5 hit, 10 k, 2 bb, and moving his record to 11-2. The offense scored in every inning from the fourth on, including five runs in the fifth, and thumped Arizona, 9-2. Grissom and Durham each has a solo homer, and Michael Tucker had a triple he scored on, following an error. Durham had 3 RBI and Mohr a pair...
 

Well, it's been a tough first half of the season, and yet magically, SF is right in the thick of things, matching LA in the Win column. SF seems to have found a balance of players, with minor league movement having calmed down a bit. On the mound: Jason Schmidt has proved his worth, but almost a month late, due to a DL stint, and Kirk Rueter has been a bit disappointing. Dustin Hermanson went a good stretch without a loss, Jerome Williams has been solid, but is young and still learning. Tomko has been so-so. Felipe's use of the relievers could be challenged, as he yanks em quick based on matchups, and some relievers have simply had a tough go, as everyone seems to get work. Matt Herges, while notching 22 saves, also has a few big blown ops and a couple of meltdowns. Felix Rodriguez has just been unpredictable, and that's maddening, both to him, and us fans. On offense, many players have had their streaky moments: Deivi Cruz, Marquis Grissom, Ray Durham, Pedro Feliz, and AJ. Barry Bonds set the MLB record for intentional walks, and this, before the All-Star break. SF will continue to need to find a way to protect Bonds in the lineup.
 

SF visits Colorado for four important division games... Thursday night, the beginning of the shorter second-half, and SF didn't have trouble getting players on base, but had trouble plating some. Fifteen LOB for the game, and going to the fifth, SF was ahead 3-2. JT Snow made a rare fielding error, and that runner would score on a Larry Walker HR to give the Rockies the lead. SF looked listless, until facing Shawn Chacon in the ninth, got some good hitting, some Colorado miscues and a blown call by the ump, and scored four times in the inning to go up 7-4. Colorado got one back and chased Herges, but Eyre settled it down and SF wins 7-5...

Friday night, after a 2hr25min rain delay before the first pitch, SF's little four game win sreak came to an abrupt halt. The Rockies scored two in the first inning, three in the fourth, and a pair in the seventh for a 7-1 win. Pedro Felez knocked in Neifi Perez for SF's lone run in the fourth. Colorado's Todd Greene was huge, with 4 RBI off of 2 HR in the heavy Denver air. Rueter goes six and gives up five earned for the loss, his record now 5-7. Felix Rodriguez gave up back to back HR in the seventh, and I have to belive patience is wearing thin wth him. Former Giant Shawn Estes gets the win, moving to 9-4 for the Rockies. SF hit into their 88th DP, worst in the league. A stat we never were close to before...

Saturday night, Jason Schmidt and Aaron Cook both pitched very well for their teams. But it was Jason Schmidt who got the run support in the SF 4-0 victory over the Rockies. In the fourth, Tucker doubled in Durham, and in the sixth, JT Snow did the same. Barry Bonds hit a smoked 2-run double down the right field line in the eighth to add some insurance. On the night, SF only got 3 hits, but scored 4 runs, so go figure. Schmidt went eight innings, allowing four hits, walking two, and striking out eight over 126 pithces. Brower and Eyre combine for the ninth inning relief...

Sunday afternoon, Ray Durham led off and hit a homer, the first by the Giants during this visit to Colorado, and the first of what would be four solo shots on the day. AJ knocks in two more and after a half inning, it's 3-0 SF. SF went up 5-1, but Colorado was able to tie twice. In the eighth tied at 6, Deivi Cruz took the first pitch and homered to left. In the ninth, Michael Tucker and Barry Bonds each added solo HRs to make it 9-6 SF. Herges came in to 'save' and, of course, gave up a 2-run HR to Burnitz, then Wilson followed with a homer to tie, all with no out. He is relieved by Eyre, who allows a ball to be hit deep over Bonds head, and Colordo wins 10-9. This hurt. Herges screwed up BAD... 

A quick series in the desert... Monday night, Brett Tomko pitched well enough, going 7.1 innings, giving up 9 hits, but only allowing one run as SF beat the D'backs 6-1. Tomko did have the offense supply a nice 4 run second inning to set the pace for him, which inclueded a 2-RBI single by Durham. SF got their six runs on eight hits, with only two players having two hits, but got the hits to add up when it counted. Grissom made a fine catch to end the game. Bonds sat out after a root canal, but vowed to face Johnson on Tuesday...

Tuesday, SF handed Arizona its 9th straight loss, winning 3-1 behind a fine performance by Jerome Williams, who allowed 1 run on 4 hits over seven plus innings. In what many think was Randy Johnson's last Arizona home start, SF got to RJ early, going up 3-0 after two innings on some 'small ball.' I'll take it. As Felipe continues to parade the bullpen to the mound in the late innings, matchup after matchup, Herges was in to close in the ninth. Matt ran into serious trouble and was bailed out by Christensen, who gets the save on a ground ball DP with the bags loaded. The defense turned a total of 3 DP's in the late innings, to help squelch Arizona's chances. Bonds went 1-4 with one hit, and one RBI, in the first on a ground ball...
 

SF home for two against the Padres, then back on the road... Wednesday night, Rich Aurilia made his NL return to SF, as a member of San Diego, after the waive/trade from Seattle. He felt right at home, going 3-4 with a run scored and an RBI in the 7-1 thrashing of the Giants. Kirk Rueter was tagged for three runs in the first, and only lasted five innings, with 4 earned runs. SD starter Jake Peavy was able to quiet SF's bats, with the exception of a JT Snow homer in the second. Loretta and Ojeda joined Aurilia with three hits each...

Thursday afternoon, Jason Schmidt suffered his first loss in three months, and eight earned runs as the Giants were swept in the short series at SBC. SF got two runs in the second on a Pedro Feliz home run, but then gave up SIX in the third. AJ Pierzynski was bad at the plate, fouling out to the catcher with the bases loaded in the fifth, and hitting into two double plays. That darn Padre Aurilia had a 2-run single and was 4-7 in the two games against his former side. David Wells earned his first career victory over the Giants. With the 9-4 loss, SF drops to third place in the NL West, 3.5 games back, with a huge series at St Louis looming...
 

The big weekend series in St Louis got off to a great start Friday night behind Dustin Hermanson, once a 14-game winner for the Cards. The Giant hurler kept the Cards without a hit until one out in the seventh inning, allowing a solo homer to Albert Pujols. Felipe pulled Dustin after allowing two more hits and another run, so his line was 6 2/3 ip - 2 runs - 3 hits. The offense did their part for Dustin, getting 2 in the fourth, a Ray Durham solo shot in the fifth, and a 3-run Barry Bonds blast to right in the seventh, on a 3-2 bad location pitch by Jeff Suppan. Neifi brought in AJ in the eighth, and that would make the final SF 7 Redbirds 2...

Saturday afternoon, Barry Bonds is 40 today... This game was tit-for-tat: SF opened the scoring in the second, getting a run across. The Cards followed with an Edmonds HR off Tomko to tie. Bottom six, Cards score one, to be followed in the top of the seventh by a Grissom HR. Now tied at 2. Top nine, PH Feliz brings in PR Ransom on an infield single that Womack couldn't handle. Bottom nine, SF's bullpen by committee allowed a Cardinal run to tie and push the game to extra innings. Top ten, Dustin Mohr batted for Tucker and walked, and was homered in by Edgardo Alfonzo, putting SF up for good at 5-3. Tomko threw eight innings in a fine start, allowing six hits and two earned runs. Birthday Boy Bonds went 1-4 with an INT walk...

Sunday afternoon, the 100 game mark for SF - the Cardinals' Matt Morris tossed a complete game seven-hit shutout over SF, as St Louis avoids a series sweep with the 6-0 win. SF was very quiet at the plate and didn't get a player to 2nd base until the eighth inning. SF also wonderfully grounded into four double plays. Jerome Williams started and gave up four earned runs on six hits and five walks in five innings of work, including a three run fifth. Barry Bonds and Albert Pujols had the day off. A whimper of a game to end the series. SF off for four in San Diego next...
 

Four game set in San Diego... Jake Peavy kept SF's bats quiet through two rotations, allowing no hits, 2 walks and one hbp in the first five innings, while the Padre offense took a 2-0 lead. In the sixth, following a Ray Durham ejection, SF awoke, as they got a walk and four hits that would tie the game at two and chase Peavy. In the seventh, Felix allowed two runners on base, and Eyre allowed a sac fly to score one, breaking the tie. Bonds was walked four times on the evening, one of those intentionally. He stole second in the eighth and after going third, tried to come home on an AJ tapper to second, only to get cut down at home. Hoffman gets the save. Final SD 3 Giants 2. SF now 4.5 games behind LA...

Tuesday night, Jason Schmidt lasted eight innings, but had his share of difficult innings. Fortunately, he got 2 runs of run support in each of the first two innings as SF went up 4-0. The Padres got a run in each the second and third innings, to make it 4-2. In the sixth, Dustan Mohr hit a big HR off of David Wells to put SF up again by four. SD played some little ball and got a run back in the bottom six. Schmidt was strong into the eighth, where he tired, and even balked. SF took the three run lead to the ninth, when the Padres started their rally. Brower started the inning and allowed a hit and a walk, Christensen threw one pitch which scored a run on a hit, and then Herges came in with no out and got some key ground balls to save the game and make the final SF 6 Padres 4...

Wedensday nights San Diego's Brian Lawrence kept SF without a hit til the fifth, when the Giants got a double by AJ Pierzynski and an RBI single by Neifi Perez. By then SD already had 3 on the board, and were looking for more. In the sixth, after Hermanson got into trouble, Wayne Frankin allowed the damage to bear fruit, as the Padres put together a five run inning on four hits to put the game out of reach. SF's positive batting note was from AJ, who had three hits on the night, including a ninth inning 3-run HR to make the score 9-4, but that would be all for SF. Hermanson takes the loss. The Dodgers lost their game, so SF is still 3.5 games back. ...

Thursday night, SF got off to a good start. Durham led off with a homer, and Bonds hit his first Petco bomb in the fourth. SF was up 3-1 going into the bottom fifth, when San Diego mounted two rallies, the second when a ball got under CF Michael Tucker's glove and two scored. SF tied it up in the sixth on a Snow single, but then the Padres got 2 in the sixth and one in the seventh to go up and eventually win 7-4 and take three in this four game series from SF. The Giants are now an abysmal 3-10 versus the Padres in 2004 and are 2 behind SD and 4.5 behind LA. Tomko takes the loss. Kevin Correia was called up and got some work in relief, as Wayne Franklin went on the DL with a back issue...
 

St Louis visits for the weekend... The first news was the trade of Felix Rodriguez to the Phillies for Ricky Ledee and minor league righty Alfredo Simon. Tucker hit a homer in the first inning, then Bonds hit a 2 run blast into the Bay and SF was up 3-0 after one. Jerome Williams left with an injury in the fourth, followed soon after by Ray Durham, who hurt his wrist on a tag. In the sixth, the Cardinals tagged Walker and Brower for six runs, hitting the ball to the gap consistently. The Cards added another run in the seventh to go up 7-3. Deivi Cruz led off SF's seventh with a HR to make it 7-4, but SF couldn't plate any more runs, so 7-4 is how it ends. SF now 5.5 back of first...

Before Saturday's game, SF put Jerome Williams on the DL, and called up Merkin Valdez from Norwich. Jerome has a strained right triceps muscle. As for the game, SF took only two-thirds of an inning to knock Matt Morris from the game, tagging him for eight runs on seven hits. Morris tossed 40 pitches. Good thing SF got that 8-0 lead, because the Cards battled back with one in the third, and two runs in the fifth, seventh and ninth to climb within one run before Jason Christensen was able to grab the save. SF wins 8-7 and with the win, Kirk Rueter gets his 100th victory in a Giant uniform...

In Sunday night's game, Jason Schmidt gave up a 2-run dinger to Scott Rolen, but then settled down and struck out 10 over 7 innings. SF did get one run in the second to make it 2-1, but Schmidt left after seven still down by one. That left the game up to the relievers, and and as usual in 2004, they let us down. Merkin Valdez, Scott Eyre and Tyler Walker combined to allow two more Cards runs. StL added two more in the ninth and are beaten 6-1 as the lsat 20 Giants in a row are cut down. Not a good series...
 

Cincy brings the chili to SF... Tuesday night, following a much needed day off, the Giants found a new starter: lefty Noah Lowry. Called up to make the start as Dustin Hermanson has been tabbed the Closer, Noah made the most of his start, holding the Reds hitless through six innings. He ended up with a complete game shutout, his first in the bigs, as SF pounded Cincy 11-0. Noah struck out nine and allowed just three hits. JT Snow had four hits on the night, and Barry Bonds hit two HRs and five RBI total. At one stretch in the seventh, Snow-Bonds-Feliz went back-to back-to back with solo HRs. SF added three more in the eighth to cap the evening. LA won, but SD lost, so SF picks up a game on the Padres and the Wild card...

Wednesday night, SF lost a tough one, 8-7 to the Reds. Worse than that thoough, was the announcement that Jerome Williams underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow. He's out a minmum of six weeks, and made the lack of pitching acquisition at the deadline all the more glaring... As for game, SF was down 5-1 going into the fifth, when Dustan Mohr hit an inside the park HR, the first Giant to do so at SBC. That sparked a rally to tie the game at five. Cincy got a two-out HR in the top of the the sixth to reclaim the lead, before SF got one back. Cincy matched run that with one of their own in the seventh. Durham homered in the eighth for SF and the Giants did manage to get players to second in both the eighth and ninth innings, but couldn't plate them. Eleven pitchers threw in the game, as both squads are so bullpen dependent. Eyre takes the loss in relief, giving up that homer in the sixth. SF now 6.5 games behind LA and 2 out of the Wild Card...

Thursday afternoon... WHA HAPPEN...? SF was down 2-1 in the sixth when Kirk Rueter was pulled because Alou's relieveritis acted up again. Brower came for 1.1 innings, and got the job done. In the eighth, Eyre, Herges and Valdez combined to allow TEN runs [seven earned], strking out one, walking two, hitting two, one wild pitch, a double, four singles, and a homer, plus one error by Alfonzo. Just like that, the Giants went from contenders in the NL West to ADMITTING that they were playing for the Wild Card, of which they are now three games down going into the weekend hosting the Cubs. Our 'big' deadline trade, Ricky Ledee, went 0-4. No offense Ricky, and no pun intended, but you were not needed by this team at this time, when pitching should have been the focus. Regulars Grissom, Snow, and Bonds had the day off..
 

The Cubs make their only SF visit... Friday night, the Giants struck first on a 3-run homer by Michael Tucker in the third inning en route to a 6-2 victory over Chicago. SF roughed up Matt Clement for six earned runs in five innings. Tucker picked up another RBI in the fourth, and JT Snow hit a 2-run homer in the fifth to cap SF's scoring. Jason Schmidt threw seven innings and struck out eleven for his fourteenth victory, 100th career win, and dropped his 2004 ERA to 2.74, but both starters got into trouble. The Cub defense gave Bonds many extra chances at the plate, with Bonds walking twice early on, and scored both times. The Dodgers lost Friday as Gagne couldn't hold for the win, so SF picks up a much-needed game in both races...

Saturday afternoon, rookie Brad Hennessey was making his debut starting for the Giants against Greg Maddux, who would be going for his 300th career win. In perfect weather, both pitchers allowed seven hits. Hennessey left first, giving up four runs in 4 2/3 innings. Maddux lasted into the sixth, giving up two singles but left with none out and a 6-3 lead, as the Cubs got two each in the third, fourth and fifth. Alfonzo would score to make it 6-4, but that was as close as it got. Moises Alou homered in the ninth to make the final 8-4, and SF loses the game they had gained the night before in both of their races. Alfonzo and Pierzynski had five of SF's eleven hits. Bonds was 1-3 with a walk and an RBI of a sac fly in the first inning. Herges pitched two innings of relief, with 3 K and 1 hit...

Sunday, Noah Lowry kept the Cubs off balance over his 7.1 innings pitched, and wins his second game of the week out-duelling Kerry Woods as SF holds off Chicago, 6-3. SF scored twice in the first, quickly matched by da Cubs. Mohr hit a sac fly in the 3rd to score Bonds, and was teriffic on defense. SF manufactured one run in the seventh and two more in the eighth. Five of their six runs came with two outs, so SF made the most of being in a tight situation. Four Giants had two hits apiece, and Dustin Hermanson throws 1.2 innings for his first save as a Giant...
 

Spending the week in Pennsylvania... Tuesday night in Pittsburgh, Giant starter Brett Tomko was known early on as 'triple Tomko' as the Bucs hit three triples in the first five innings. After a Craig Wilson homer in the sixth, it was 4-3 Pirates, but in the seventh, Barry Bonds hit a solo laser shot, and that sparked a three-run inning, with an AJ homer, and a Ledee scoring ground-out. In the eighth, a double-play ground ball hit to defensive replacement Cody Ranson snuck under his glove for a key error as Pittsburgh kept the inning alive to score three runs of their own and reclaim the lead, 7-6. Top nine, and with 2-out and a 3-1 count, Michael Tucker hit his second solo homer of the night to tie the game at seven. In the ninth though, with two out, Herges allowed a single to Jack Wilson, then a triple to Mackowiak that scored Wilson, and the Buccos steal the win 8-7. Another painful loss for SF...

Wednesday night was a sad affair for SF, as the Pirates got a walk-off home run to defeat the Giants in eleven innings, 8-6. The Giants did get off to a good start with scoring three in the first via a bases-loaded walk to Bonds and a single by Alfonzo. Pittsburgh tied it right up at three, then took a 4-3 lead in the third. Deivi Cruz tied it up at 4 in SF's next at bat, doubling in Grissom. But SF gave up two to the Bucs just like that and were down 4-6 til the ninth. In the ninth, with one out and one on, Ray Durham smashed a bomb to right field to tie the game and quiet the crowd. SF had their chances in the tenth and eleventh innings, but could plate no runs before Craig Wilson ended the game with his big fly. With the tough loss, SF is now 8.5 games back, their biggest defecit of the season...

Thursday night Jason Schmidt gave San Francisco what it needed. The Giant All-Star tossed a four-hit complete game shutout of the Pirates, his 15th win of 2004 (vs 4 losses), and third complete game this season as SF gets a much-needed 7-0 drubbing of the Pirates. No Giant had better than a double, but SF picked up five of them, including the "game winning" double by Barry Bonds in the first inning off the center field wall to drive in JT Snow (double, also first inning). The Bonds double was RBI 1,812 and ties him at 14th all-time with Frank Robinson. SF got two more on a soft hit by Alfonzo in the fourth, and piled it on in the seventh with a four-spot, as a single by Tucker and a Grissom double drove in two runs apiece and make it 7-0. For his effort, Schmidt struck out eleven, walked just one, and all four hits were singles. ...
 

Moving to Philly for the weekend and their first visit to Citizens Bank Park, SF made a roster move as Neifi Perez was given his unconditional release. Deivi Cruz had taken over short and with a healthy infield, Felipe Alou decided to call up a pitcher, Kevin Correia. Oh, the game. JT Snow had the game of his life, hitting three HR and scoring five runs to propel SF past Philadelphia 16-6. Barry Bonds also had a home run and was on base all five times. AJ picked up five RBI, Snow four, and Grissom three. Giants rookie starter Brad Hennessey, in just his second start, went five innings, allowing just one earned run to claim the victory. A total of five runs plated by Philly in the first two innings were mostly the result of two errors, but Hennessey's offensive support was SF exploding for four runs in the third and six more in the fourth. A total 18 hits [6 HR] allowed SF to vent some recent frustration. They don't gain in the West, but are 1 game out of the Wild Card....

After a six home run night on Friday, SF continues the bat attack hitting four homeers to beat Philadelphia 7-6. After two and a half innings, it was 5-0 thanks in part to early home runs by Dustan Mohr and Cody Ransom. The Phillies battled back, scoring two runs in the each of the third, fourth and fifth innings to take a 6-5 lead. SF tied it up with a Grissom homer [#17] to left in the sixth, and as Bonds emerged on deck in the eighth to pinch hit, Torrealba saw a pitch he couldn't resist and knocked it out of the park to left field to cap the scoring at 7-6 SF. Ledee made a good catch in the ninth to help squelch a Phillie chance. Christiansen gets the win and Hermanson the save as SF gains a game on LA...

Sunday afternoon San Francisco swept the Phillies, winning 3-1 as something Felipe Alou speculated upon turned out to be spot on. He surmised that the ball wouldn't carry as well in the humid air of Citizens Bank Park. Apart from a Philly homer in the sixth inning to open the scoring, all other fly balls stayed in the park, unlike the first two games of the series. Following that Philly run, SF got two in the seventh, one from a Ledee sac fly that scored Bonds, and the other on a Deivi Cruz double that scored AJ. The Giants got an insurance run in the ninth on a Feliz double off former Giant hurler Felix Rodriguez. Tomko earns the win, moving to 6-6 and Hermanson gets the save. Dodgers and Padres win, but the Cubs lose, so SF is tied for the NL wild card...
 

Montreal visits for four games... Monday night, SF and the Expos were tied at 4 going to the bottom of the fifth. Bonds led off and walked, moved up on a wild pitch, and eventually scored to make it 5-4 SF. The Expos would tie the game with a run of their own in the eighth, but in the bottom of the eighth, Michael Tucker led off with a walk of his own and would come around to score on Ricky Ledee's line drive single. SF added two more insurance runs to win 8-5. Dustin Hermanson gets the save. SF gains a game on the Dodgers, and jumps the idle Cubs for first in the NL wild card standings as SF hits the 120 game mark 10 games over .500...

Tuesday night, after spotting the Expos a run in the first, Barry Bonds took over with a solo homer to center in the second, and a two-run pop fly to the arcade that put SF up 3-1. Jason Schmidt took a 4-2 lead to the ninth, but in warmups, left the game with a tweak to his right groin. The relievers, Eyre and Hermanson couldn't get it done, and allowed the Expos to score two and tie. To the bottom nine, where SF played some little ball as JT Snow picked up his third hit of the night scoring pinch-runner Ricky Ledee from second to give SF the 5-4 victory. Snow has an eleven game hitting streak and sparkled on defense. Schmidt gets no decision - Hermanson the win. Bonds' HR total is now 691...

Doubleheader Wednesday... Game One had rookie Brad Hennessey start and he went six innings and allowed 3 earned runs, but had to absorb the loss in a 6-2 defeat to the Expos. SF scored one in the first and another in the fourth, but that would be all, as SF left the bases loaded twice. Also, in the eighth on a Bonds foul out, Dustan Mohr was caught napping between second and thrid base for a DP. The next half inning, Montreal put together a series of hits and sacrifices to score three insurance runs and make the final 6-2...

Game 2 of the DH, a game originally scheduled for San Juan, PR, the Giants took out their first game frustrations. After spotting the Expos a run in the first, SF got two in the first, six in the third, two in the fourth and one in the fifth to open up an 11-1 lead. The teams traded runs, but in the end it was SF victors at 14-4. Barry Bonds scored the run in the fifth on a solo HR to center, number 692 of his career and number 34 of 2004. JT Snow picked up a hit in the third to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. Spot starter Wayne Franklin picked up the win with one earned run and four strikeouts over six innings...
 

Let's go Mets...Not. The Miracle Mets come to visit, but Friday's game was no Met miracle... Starter Noah Lowry struck out every Met starter by the fifth inning. He didn't give up any runs until he tired in the seventh, when the Mets scored three. But by then SF had seven on the scoreboard. A first inning home run by Edgardo Alfonzo made it 2-0 SF. In the second, Feliz hit the first of two solo homers, and the Giants took advantage of Met errors to tally four runs in the inning. Feliz's second homer came in the fifth to make it 7-0. Bonds, Feliz and Durham each had three hits, and the game was never close. SF is still 4.5 games behind LA and ahead of the Cubs for the WC...

Saturday afternoon was a tough loss for the Giants in twelve innings, as the Mets got two runs in the top of the 12th on a dropped fly by Dunstan Mohr to win 11-9. That dropped ball followed a great 1-2 double play where Feliz got the out at first and Torrealba applied the tag at home to keep the game tied. SF got 3 runs early to have that lead spoiled by Tomko. SF tied it in the bottom of the eighth and again in the tenth to stay alive. Then came that twelfth inning. Ten DP's were turned in this one, a new ML record. Nine of the last ten innings, the Mets had the leadoff batter get on base. Bonds went 4-4 with two walks. Deivi Cruz also had four hits and Feliz grabbed three walks. JT Snow missed his second game with an infected bug bite on his elbow...

Sunday afternoon, the Giants made short work of the Mets, winning 3-1 in a game lasting just 2hr 13m. SF picked up all three runs on two first inning home runs off Met starter Ginter: a lead off job by Ray Durham, the 32nd of his career, then a few batters later one by Barry Bonds, a 2-run shot to the right field bleachers. Kirk Rueter would go seven innings for the win, allowing a Hidalgo solo home run in the fourth and four scattered singles to earn his seventh win of the year. Brower, Eyre and Hermanson provided relief and Dustin earns his fifth save since assuming the closer's role. SF completes the homestand going 5-2 and winning nine of their last eleven games. They maintain their slim wild card lead and are 4.5 behind the Dodgers in the West...
 

Three in sunny Miami... Tuesday night, following a rain delay of nearly an hour, the Marlins were ready when their at-bats came in the first inning. Spot starter Wayne Franklin lasted just 2/3 of an inning, allowing seven runs on fifty pitches. The Marlin pitchers, for their part, held SF to just three singles and one earned run on the evening, which came in the third when Correia scored from third on a wild pitch. It was an ugly 9-1 loss to Florida. SF calls up Aardsma ahead of Sept call-ups as they need a fresh arm. Corriea goes to Fresno for now. JT Snow pinch-hitted in the tenth and grounded out, ending his hitting streak...

Wednesday night had a better result, as starter Noah Lowry went five innings, giving up four earned to Florida. The Giant offense had a couple of early runs, but it was in the sixth when Cruz hit a solo homer. In the eighth, Feliz, connected on a two-run blast to tie the game. Into extra innings and in the tenth, Bonds was intentionally walked to load the bases. Pinch-hitter AJ Pierzynski followed with a four-pitch walk of his own, and the game winning run ws plated. Hermanson held for the save, and the game belonged to the Giants. LA lost, so the Dodgers lead shrinks to 4 games in the NL West...

Thursday night, and Mr Brett Tomko shows up, big time. Tomko tossed the first complete game shutout game of his career, a four-hit gem as SF gets a much-needed 5-0 victory over the Fish. Ray Durham hit a 2-out 2-run homer in the third, and SF put two more on the board in the fourth to open up a 4-0 lead. Deivi Cruz singled in an insurance run in the eighth to keep SF in the chase for the playoffs. Tomko gave the bullpen much needed relief going into the long series at Atlanta. Josh Beckett takes the loss for Florida. Of note, Bonds ends the year 2-12 versus Florida in seven games and logged 16 walks...
 

Four wrap-around games in Hotlanta... Friday night, SF and the Braves were scoreless going to the sixth inning. Jaret Wright pitched to Bonds with two on and Barry deposited the ball in the left field seats to put SF up 3-0. But Kirk Rueter tired in his sixth inning on the mound and gave up three runs before being removed. Herges came in, and with the bases loaded, fielded a ball and threw to first rather than go home, allowing the lead run to score. His brain went on vapor-lock, and SF was down. In SF's eighth, former Dodger Tom Martin struck out Barry to end the inning. Bottom eight, a routine inning ending ground ball to Ransom was thrown away and another Brave scores. Atlanta wins 5-3. Ouch, especially because every other team in the race lost as well...

Saturday afternoon was just as unkind to SF as Friday night was...Jason Schmidt had a terrible outing, leaving in the fourth inning after allowing ten hits and six earned runs. SF's offense couldn't help out much as the Braves powered to a 9-3 victory. Furcal had four hits and as many RBI for the Braves [I like that kid], while Giant Michael Tucker is a frozen 0-25 in his past eight games. Durham had SF's only extra base hit, a double in the third, and he eventually scored. LA snuck in a victory and SD wins, so SF is tied for 2nd in the west and still 1 game behind the Cubs in the wild card...

Sunday night on ESPN and Barry Bonds gave 'em a show with two massive home runs to propel SF to a 9-5 victory over the Braves. Both homers came off former Giant Russ Ortiz and Bonds had four total hits on the night and six RBI. SF called up Brad Hennessey to make the start and he departed the game before being eligible for the win, but he only gave up 3 earned runs on six hits. Christiansen gets the win and Hermanson the save. The Dodgers and Padres won, but the Cubs lost, so the Wild Card is a 3-way tie...

Monday afternoon getaway turned painful for the Giants. Michael Tucker broke a 0-27 streak with a 2-run single in the sixth and totaled four RBI on the day. JT Snow's double in the seventh made it 6-4 SF. However, the Giants relief pitching let them down, allowing a run in the seventh on a sac fly and Hermanson in the bottom of the ninth allowed two runs two score with none out as the Braves win 7-6. SF loses ground to the Cubs and idle Padres...
 

Tuesday, SF is home for week vs the Mountain time zone. Colorado is first, and it's a bit of a hit-fest. Fortunately, it went the Giants way as they leg out a 9-5 win. Ray Durham went 3-5 with 3 RBI [a nice 3-run double in the fourth to make it 5-2 SF] and Marquis Grissom hit a 3-run homer in the fifth to increase the lead. Brett Tomko was fine through five innings, until the last out of the fifth, when he twisted his ankle after strkining out Royce Clayton and couldn't pitch the sixth. X-rays were negative. Tomko allowed five hits and 2 earned runs, while striking out five and walking two to earn the win. Torrealba hit his fifth HR in the second inning, a solo shot to start the scoring. Padres and Cubs both lose, so SF is tied for the WC lead again with the Cubbies...

Wednesday night, a single by Pedro Feliz scored Ray Durham in the third inning to score SF's only run, as Rockies starter Jamey Wright allowed just four hits over seven innings as Colorado beats SF 4-1 and ends their eight game losing streak. In a low-energy game, each team had one exta base hit, a double. Barry Bonds was walked three times. SF loses a game to the Cubs in the Wild Card. SF recalled three from Fresno with the 'September call-ups': Torcato, Dallimore and Ellison, but NO Pitchers, go figure...

Thursday night, SF found themselves down 6-1 to the Rockies after four and a half innings. The fifth inning HR by Vinny Castilla ended Schmidt's game. Jason is still not great since his arm tweak a few weeks ago. SF battled back, with two in the fifth, and single runs in both the seventh and eighth. In the ninth, Tucker walked, but was then picked off first to squash any rally. SF loses 6-5. Ugh. In moves. veteran righty hurler Dave Burba was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers and returns to the Giants, where he pitched from 1992-95 and in 2004 has an ERA of 4.08...
 

Arizona plays three in SF... Friday night Giant starter Brad Hennessey gave up three runs in the first inning to the D'backs, and it was looking like a long night. But SF fought back, and how. Six runs were scored in the first inning, and four runs in each of the second, fifth and sixth innings enroute to an 18-7 drubbing of Arizona. The bummer for SF is that they still used five pitchers to complete the game. SF's two homers came in the second with a solo homer by Alfonzo, then after a Cruz double, Barry Bonds laid into #697 of his career and #39 in 2004...

Saturday afternoon, SF found themselves down 7-1 to the D'backs after five innings. In the __ Marquis Grissom regained his composure after fouling a ball off his ankle and hit a change-up for a line drive Grand Slam. 7-5 AZ just like that. SF gets four more in the eighth, on key hits from Mohr and Cruz to go up 9-7. In the ninth, a couple of questionalbe umpire calls, but AZ can do nothing and loses 9-7 to the mighty Giants...

Sunday, both San Franscisco and St Louis completed their respective sweeps, so the Giants are now 3.5 games back of LA. SF was down 1-0 until the sixth, when Edgardo Alfonzo popped a 2-run homer. In the seventh, Torrealba scored after hitting a triple and Dallimore scored on a Grissom single to add two more big runs. SF beats Randy Johnson 4-1, as Brett Tomko pitched better than the Unit and moves to 9-6 on the season, while striking out eight. ...
 

Quick two in Colorado... Tuesday night in the third, Barry Bonds hit his 40th HR of 2004 and #698 lifetime to put SF up 3-2. Mark Sweeney hit a grand slam in the seventh to put Colorado up 6-3, before Durham scored two in the eighth to tie. But Christiansen allowed a 2-run Burnitz home run and SF could only manage to get one run back in losing 8-7 to the Rockies. SF did have the bases loaded when Grissom struck out. Jason Schmidt is still not in great shape, allowing six earned in 6.1 innings, but it is the thin air of Denver...

Wednesday night, SF found themselves down 3-1 after seven innings, their only run til then coming on an Alfonzo solo HR in the fourth. In the eighth, SF put together a four run rally that would win the game. Feliz got it started with a single, Bonds doubled, Alfonzo brought in Feliz. Then Cruz doubled and scored both Bonds and Fonzi. After a pitching change and the obligatory Pierzynski out, Grissom doubled to score pinch runner Ransom. Snow singled, Durmam walked, then Mohr struck out and Feliz, batting around, popped out. Hermanson earns the save in the ninth and SF finds themselves tied with a surging Houston for the NL Wild Card lead...
 

Weekend in the desert... Whod've thunk this: Randy Johnson drills Barry Bonds in the right shoulder in the fourth inning Friday, and as Bonds is getting tended to and regaining his composure, a healthy chorus of Boo's for Randy Johnson at BankOne Ballpark. But no damage was done, and the players do respect one another. Bonds didn't score that inning, but he did score in the seventh on a Torrealba single to put SF ahead 1-0. Though Tomko had allowed just two hits, Felipe replaced him with the overused Jim Brower in the bottom seven, and it was bad. He allowed a man on, then with one out, Doug DeVore homered to make it 2-1 D'Backs. RJ would get his win on his birthday, his 100th as a D-Back, allowing just four hits and one earned run over seven innings with eight strikeouts.

Saturday night Barry Bonds became the first player to earn 200 walks in a season, as he walked three times in SF's 5-3 win over the D'Backs. The walks played a part in scoring, as in the first, a walk to Bonds moved Feliz to second for free, where he scored on an Alfonzo single. Another Bonds walk sparked a three-run fifth, where SF made the lead 5-0, via two walks, a Grip's double, and AJ's single. Arisona did get a homer in the seventh off Lowry, and two in the ninth, charged to Burba, but Hermanson holds for the save, and the win goest to Noah Lowry...

Sunday afternoon in Phoenix, Jason Schmidt regained his form, going the distance in SF's 5-2 season finale with the D-Backs. The Giants homered to victory with four solo shots from Pierzynski [4th], Snow [5th], Bonds and Feliz [both in the ninth]. The Bonds homer, his first home run of the series, bounced off the video screen in deep center. Pedro Feliz followed that with a homer of his own. Schmidt allowed just two earned runs on four hits, 2 walks and with nine strikeouts. With the win, SF is in first place for the NL Wild Card, a game ahead of Houston and the Cubs...
 

SF visits Milwaukee for three... Tuesday night saw Barry Bonds walk a couple of times, and both led to runs being scored. After Milwaukee scored a couple off Rueter in the third, SF took their turn in the fourth. Feliz got on base, and Bonds walked before Marquis Grissom ripped a double that scored both baserunners. In the fifth, an intentional pass moved Ray Durham to second, where he scored on Alfonzo's single. That would make the game 3-2 Giants and that's how it ended. The Brewers did have rallies in the sixth and ninth, but couldn't plate any runs. To kill the sixth inning rally, Barry Bonds threw out Bill Hall at the plate. Kirk Rueter gets the win, and Hermanson the save as SF holds its slim Wild Card lead over the Cubbies...

Wednesday night our man Barry Bonds was held hitless while earning one walk that would come round to score on a JT Snow 3-run homer in the sixth inning, which put SF up 3-0. Deivi Cruz hit a two-run homer in the eighth, and in the ninth, SF adds three more on a Snow double and an AJ single. Snow had 5 RBI on the evening. Big props to Brett Tomko, who pitched a complete gmae four-hit gem and helped rest the bullpen. Tomko didn't allow the Brewers' single run until the eighth and struck out seven while walking just one. Tomko is 4-0 with an ERA of 1.00 in his last five starts. Nice to see him settle down and really contribute. SF picks up a game on the Dodgers...

Thursday, Barry Bonds ended the Milwaukee visit homerless and still waiting for number 700, but he did go 3-3 with a walk and an RBI as SF shuts out the Brewers 4-0, completing the sweep, and getting another fine starting pitching performance when it is so badly needed. This time it was rook Brad Hennessey, who went seven innings for the win, allowing just two hits, three walks, while striking out four. Bonds' hit in the first, a double to bring home Deivi Cruz, was the game winning hit. JT Snow sac-fly'd in Feliz for the second first inning run. In the third, Feliz and Grissom each hit solo homers to make it 4-0, and that, of course is how it would end. Houston and the Cubs both won, so there was no change in the wild card race, but the Dodgers were shutout by the Padres, so SF is just 2.5 games down to LA as we face the final fifteen games of 2004...
 

SF's last homestand of 2004 began Friday the 17th as San Diego visited SF. Jake Peavy has been great against SF this season, but tonight, he ran into trouble early. He hit Barry Bonds then JT Snow, and that brought in a run. A couple of hits later, and it was 3-0 Giants. In the third, a bit of MAGIC, on a 0-1 curveball, Barry Bonds hit home run #700, an opposite field solo HR to left to make the score 4-0. At one point in the game, Edgardo Alfonzo and Ray Durham both made spectacular plays, showing great late-season form. Giant starter Noah Lowry did give up a run in the seventh before Felipe got cold feet and brought the hook, but Noah is 5-0 this season, which a tremendous start for the young lefty. Burba does fine in relief and Hermanson gets the save. SF is red-hot...

Saturday afternoon at SBC Park, Barry Bonds quickly hit home run number 701, a blast to right-center field as he led off the second inning. But that would be all SF could score off David Wells and his relievers. The Padres countered with a Jay Payton 3-run homer in the seventh that sealed the Padres 5-1 win over SF. Jason Schmidt, who had returned to form in his last start, takes the loss despite striking out eight. LA and the Cubs both lose, so no movement in either race...

Sunday afternoon, JT Snow was the hero, batting in all four Giant runs in SF's 4-2 victory over the Padres. Snow singled in Feliz in the first to put SF up 1-0. In the fourth, Snow's sac fly scored Cody Ransom, and a big double in the eighth scored Ransom and Tucker. Those runs broke a tie which was the result of a pinch hit 2-run bomb by the Padres' Terrence Long in the top of the eighth, off reliever Dave Burba. After Brower and Eyre record outs in the eighth, Hermanson tosses 1 1/3 innings of relief and gets the win. The Giants win means there is no change in the West or Wild Card races, and starting Tuesday, Houston makes a key 3-game visit to SBC...
 

Red Hot Houston visits SF... Tuesday night it wasn't looking good at the start as Brett Tomko gave up back-to-back homers to the Astros. However, SF found Houston starter Hernandez easy to hit and tagged him for four runs in 2.1 innings. Reliever Duckworth didn't fare any better, allowing four runs in 1.2 innings, and that made it 8-2 after four. SF did add one in the eighth to make the final 9-2 and Tomko ended up going 8.2 innings before Alou was spooked by a walk and brought the hook. Pedro Feliz had four RBI, including three on a bases clearing double as he hit the ball very hard this evening. LA was drubbed by the Padres, so the Giants are just 1.5 games back of the West and continue to lead the Wild Card by a half game over the Cubbies...

Wednesday night saw the Giants get another game closer to the Dodgers as SF beat Houston, 5-1, and the Dodgers lost again to San Diego. SF got a run in the first after Barry Bonds tripled, then was brought home by Snow. Barry was then walked four times intentionally. But Ray Durham would be the thorn in the Astros side. After Kent hit a solo homer in the second to tie, it was on a bobbled grounder up the middle in the fifth to Vizcaino and an errant throw home that allowed Durham to put SF up 2-1. In the sixth, AJ scored on a Cruz single, then Durham hit a ball to the right field corner and that scored two more Giants to put SF up 5-1. Noah Lowery was outstanding in the complete game victory, tossing 102 pitches, striking out seven, and allowing five hits and a walk. Houston's Oswalt doesn't go six and get the loss...

Thursday, The Giants slipped a bit, as they couldn't put together enough offense and their relief pitching vexed them as Houston steals a 7-3 win and drops SF in both the NL West and Wild Card races. Barry Bonds figured in all three Giant runs, with his early walk moving Durham into scoring position; he walked in the third, and scored on AJ's single; he tripled in the fifth and scored on JT's double. But both the SF offense and defense went to sleep and allowed the Astros some hope. Beltran stole two bases in the seventh and scored. The 'stros manufactured a run in the eighth, and in the ninth, it all fell apart on Dustin Hermanson, who took the loss...
 

Dodgers final visit to SF... Friday night Barry Bonds led off the second with a screaming line drive homer over the tall right field wall. Two batters later, Yorvit Torrealba hit a solo shot to left center to put SF up 2-0. In the top of the fourth, Shawn Green hit a 2-run homer, and was followed by a solo Jose Hernandez blast. That made it 3-2 Dodgers and that would complete the scoring. SF wouldn't get another hit until the seventh inning, while LA would get the hits, but also hit into five double plays. In the ninth, Eric Gagne loaded the bases with two out, but was able to get a pop fly from Torrealba to end the Giants threat. SF drops 2.5 games back of LA in the NL West and 1.5 back of the Cubs in the Wild Card. Rueter, who takes the loss, just had no offensive support this evening...

Saturday afternoon, a two-out eighth inning grand slam by Pedro Feliz to left field broke a 5-5 tie with the Dodgers and allowed SF to regain ground in both the NL West and NL Wild Card races with the 9-5 vicotry. Both starting pitchers lasted under four innings, and the teams were able to match the others runs, with the game being tied at 2, 4 and 5. Barry Bonds was walked five times, three intentionally. Snow and Mohr were ineffective at the plate [5 k's between them], while Feliz had four hits, including the one that really mattered. Ray Durham hit a leadoff homer, his eighth such of the season. Eyre takes the victory and Hermanson closed down the Dodgers in the ninth. This was a huge win for SF, probably their biggest of the season, for the obvious reason of the title chase, but also to show their resiliency and heroic ability...

Sunday was a Giant bummer. SF loses 4-7 to the Doders, dropping to 2.5 games back in the west, and missed a chance to leap over the Cubs, who also lost, in the wild card race. SF fell behind early on a first inning Jayson Werth home run that just cleared the wall, and in hindsight, Bonds should have chased. SF tied in the bottom of the first, then went up 3-2 on a Bonds solo home run to center in the third. The Dodgers got single runs in each inning from the fourth inning on, except the eighth, as they just chipped away at SF's relief, and took advantage of SF's three errors. Yet another tough loss. Six games to go, three at San Diego, then three at Dodger Stadium...
 

SF at San Diego's Petco Park... Tuesday night, knowing the Cubs had lost made it a bit easier for SF as the Giants pounded out 17 hits en route to a 7-5 victory over the Padres. SF sent eleven batters to the plate in the fourth inning and scored six runs to go up 6-2. Ray Durham notched his first 5-hit game of his career, scoring twice. Jason Schmidt went six innings for his seventeenth victory, giving up four earned. Eyre, Brower and Hermanson made it interesting with their relief efforts, but SF prevailed nonetheless. LA did pull out a win versus the Rockies in the bottom of the ninth to keep SF back 3 games with 5 to play in the NL West...

Wednesday night, SF had a chance to gain on both LA and the Cubs, with Wells v Lowry. SF got two in the first, then allowed a solo homer to Rich Aurilia in the fourth. SF got the run back in the top five to make it 3-1 SF. In the bottom of the sixth, the Padres' Ramon Hernandez hit a 2-run homer to center field to tie the game. The relievers did a great job, and to extra innings we went. SF got zip, and in the Padres half of the tenth, Alfonzo errored in throwing to first. On the next play, Torrealba picked up a bunt and threw the ball away down the first base line. SF loaded the bases, got a force out to keep it knotted. Loretta then hit a fly ball that Mohr caught, and as he was going to throw home to stop the tag, Mohr stumbled on the bullpen mound and hurt himself. The Padre runner scored and San Diego wins 4-3 in ten innings and deals SF a major setback. Mohr should have let the ball drop in foul ground, but it was a snap decision. Dustan will have an MRI on his knee. Houston takes the Wild Card lead...

Thursday night, final game against the Padres... Jerome Williams made his first start since July 30, and earns the win as SF beats San Diego 4-1. After surgery on his elbow months ago, Williams and went deep into the game, throwing 7 solid innings befor giving the ball to relief. Jerome gave up just one earned run on four hits, with three K's. Padre starter Adam Eaton went 7.1 himself, but takes the loss. San Diego got on the board in the first, but in the fourth, SF went up 4-1, on a rally sparked by Ray Durham's home run. Ray strained a quad muscle the night before, so it's good to see him play. SF spread the hits out as every starter had one hit, with the exception of Grissom. Houston was off so SF is tied again for the Wild Card. LA wins on an 11th inning HR by pathetic David Ross to stay 3 games up on SF and any loss in the final three games vs LA means no NL West for SF...
 

The all-important final series of the year at Los Angeles. SF is able to beat LA and stay alive in the NL West and remain tied in the wild card race with a 4-2 victory over the Dodgers. Kirk Rueter pitched like the veteran that he is, going seven innings and allowing just 2 earned runs on 3 hits. Both hits were solo home runs that brought LA within one run of SF, but the Giants found a way to bring the runs home. In the second, Bonds was walked and he and Cruz would score on a Grissom double. LA got their first solo homer in the fifth. In the seventh, LA got another, but only after SF got a big run on a Tucker single to bring home Ray Durham. SF would add a key insurance run on a JT Snow homer in the eighth inning to put SF up 4-2. Brower made appearance number eighty-nine and held, and Hermanson got the save as SF keeps their NL West hopes alive. Houston and SF remain tied in the Wild Card...

Saturday afternoon, SF got great performances from starter Brett Tomko and Marquis Grissom, but their bullpen collapsed and allowed seven runs in the bottom of the ninth as LA wins 7-3 and captures the NL West Crown. Grissom had all three SF RBI against his old club, two on a single in the fourth, and one on a solo homer to left in the seventh and put SF up 3-0. That paved the way for Tomko, who tossed 7.1 shutout innings, allowing just four hits. After Alou replaced Tomko with Eyre, he brought in Hermanson. Hermanson finished the eighth OK. In the bottom nine, however, it all came apart. Ransom replaced Cruz at short. It went like this: single, walk, strikeout, walk to load the bases. PH Choi walked, run in, SF 3-1. Christiansen replaced Hermanson. Ransom commits a fielding error, run in, bags still loaded, SF 3-2. Herges replaced Christiansen, single, run in, bags still juiced, game tied, just one out. Franklin replaces Herges, and with one strike, Giant Killer Steve Finley does the damage, a Grand Slam to give the West to the Dodgers and back SF into a wild card hole. Houston won their game, so Houston controls their fate on Sunday, and their game starts before Sunday's Giant finale...

Sunday, during the top of the fourth inning of SF's teeing off on Kaz Ishii, the final score of the Houston-Rockies game was flashed on the scoreboard at Dodger Stadium. Houston 5, Colorado 3. That was it. The season for the Giants would end today. Just like that. Time to finish out the final innings, get the bench players into the game, then head for home. But wait, Jason Schmidt was giving no hits through four and a third innings. Jason would be removed after the sixth with a 7-0 lead and allowing just two hits with nine strikeouts. Schmitty would earn a career-best 18th victory and set the SF season record for K's at 251, eclipsing Juan Marichal's 41 year record, in an otherwise meaningless 10-0 beating of the Dodgers. Durham and Feliz homered in the first, and Ray's was his ninth lead-off homer this year. Grip homered in the fifth, Cruz in the sixth and Ellison in the ninth, for good measure. Bonds popped out to third and walked before being replaced by Mohr in the bottom of the fourth...
 

The season started with prgnosticators expecting SF, LA and San Diego to vie to the title. SF weakened their position, letting Worrell go and trading Nathan for Pierzynski, fully expecting Robb Nen to return. That was the first of many setbacks for the Giants, as Nen simply wasn't ready. He had more surgery and his future status is still uncertain.

At the end of the first month, SF found themselves in last place in the west and would be 8 games out through mid-May. Pierzynski had an AWFUL start to the season before coming around. In late May, when JT Snow and Ray Durham went on the DL, the Giants began a surge through June and at the break were just a half game down, SF's last lead in the West ended on July 5.

After the all-star break, SF slumped again, and after on particularly bad loss, announced "we're playing for the wild card." ugh. In August, SF dumped Neifi Perez in favor of Deivi Cruz and SF struggled to get Pedro Feliz in to games as Snow and Durham regained form. Both were better players after their DL stints, particularly JT.

But for the Giants, the big issue had become relief pitching. Starter Kirk Rueter could rarely go more than five innings. Alou was quick to the pen. Herges had been annointed the closer at the start of the season, then melted down and Hermanson had to assume that role. Brower and Eyre were both used over eighty-two times in the season, and SF's relief pitching ERA was somewhere around 4.5. Not good. In the end, SF was close in both races, until Houston surged to win the wild card, and the Dodgers were able to hold off SF and the Padres during the last month and make the playoffs. Wait til next year!