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Ryan Vogelsong, Andres Torres lead San Francisco Giants by Colorado Rockies 2-1 |
Ryan Vogelsong was a long shot to be a Giant this season. Now he’s looking like a potential National League All-Star. Vogelsong’s remarkable comeback story just keeps getting better, and the appreciation from the stands keeps getting louder. He received a pair of thunderous ovations in the Giants’ 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday afternoon. First, Vogelsong limited the Rockies to just one run — a Chris Iannetta home run — in eight sparkling innings. Then, after it looked like he was out of the game for a pinch hitter, Vogelsong emerged from the dugout to put down a sacrifice bunt that aided in the tiebreaking run as the Giants found another way to win close and late at home. After taking two of three from the Rockies, the Giants are 10-2 at home against NL West opponents. The Giants won with help from their bench and a clutch single by Andres Torres. After pinch hitter Pat Burrell drew a leadoff walk from right-hander Matt Lindstrom, Giants manager Bruce Bochy pulled back rookie Conor Gillaspie from the on-deck circle and had Vogelsong step to the plate. Vogelsong earned a standing ovation after his bunt dribbled down the first base line, advancing pinch runner Manny Burriss. Torres appeared to go around on a 2-2 pitch that bounced to the screen, moving Burriss to third, but he received another life. He took advantage by lining the next pitch into left-center field. It came just in time for Vogelsong (4-1) to earn a victory. The Giants are 6-2 in his eight starts since he took over for disabled left-hander Barry Zito in the rotation. Zito is starting a minor league rehab assignment Monday for Single-A San Jose, but there’s no hurry. Vogelsong has allowed just three earned runs over his last six starts, good for an 0.69 ERA over that span. Vogelsong is succeeding with movement and command. He even overmatched Carlos Gonzalez, last year’s NL batting champ, while striking him out three times. The Giants needed to break through against Rockies right-hander Jason Hammel, who had a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Miguel Tejada broke it up with a line single to right field, and with runners at the corners, Freddy Sanchez followed with a tying single up the middle. Brian Wilson pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning, throwing just 10 pitches. For more on the Giants, see Andrew Baggarly’s Extra Baggs blog at blogs.mercurynews.com/extrabaggs. Not much else going on in the MLB planet today. Posted in giants-news | Comments Off
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Giants top Rockies 2-1 behind Torres, Vogelsong |
Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Ryan Vogelsong throws to the Colorado Rockies during the eighth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Sunday, June 5, 2011. San Francisco won 2-1. Ryan Vogelsong pitched eight fantastic innings and Andres Torres singled home the tiebreaking run, leading the San Francisco Giants over the Colorado Rockies 2-1 Sunday in a series highlighted by dominant pitching. Freddy Sanchez also drove in a run for the Giants, who won their fourth in five games. Miguel Tejada had two hits. Chris Iannetta homered for the Rockies, who are 4-12 in their last 16 games and have not won back-to-back games since May 16-17. Vogelsong (4-1) matched his career high with eight innings, giving up a run on four hits. He walked one and struck out seven. He’s allowed one run or less in each of his past six starts. Brian Wilson worked the ninth for his 17th save in 19 chances. Matt Lindstrom (0-1) walked pinch-hitter Pat Burrell to open the eighth inning, and pinch-runner Emmanuel Burriss was sacrificed to second by Vogelsong. Burriss went to third on a wild pitch and scored easily on Torres’ tiebreaking single. The teams combined for 10 runs in the three-game series. Rockies starter Jason Hammel retired 17 of his first 18 batters. He allowed one run and two hits in seven innings, walking two and striking out four. One pitch after Vogelsong thought he caught him looking at strike three for the final out of the fifth, Iannetta hit his eighth home run, a shot that easily cleared the left-field fence. Hammel carried a no-hitter into the sixth. He got the first two outs but walked Torres. Miguel Tejada ended the no-hit bid with a hit-and-run single and Sanchez followed with his RBI single. Hammel has thrown one career complete game – a loss at Los Angeles in July 2009. Notes: Giants 1B Brandon Belt was placed on the 15-day disabled list and replaced on the roster by INF Conor Gillaspie. … Rockies OF Dexter Fowler was out of the starting lineup with a sore abdomen. … Giants C Buster Posey visited the clubhouse for the first time since undergoing surgery on his left leg. … Hammel needs two strikeouts to match Bruce Ruffin (319) for 14th on the Rockies’ career list. … Torres was picked off first base in the eighth after getting picked off at second Saturday. Subscribe to our feed!. Posted in giants-news | Comments Off
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Vogelsong, Torres lead Giants over Rockies 2-1 |
SAN FRANCISCO —
Ryan Vogelsong, the one-time mop-up man, has found a home with the San Francisco Giants. He’s throwing as if he wants to make it permanent. Vogelsong pitched eight fantastic innings and Andres Torres singled home the tiebreaking run, leading the Giants over the Colorado Rockies 2-1 Sunday in a series highlighted by dominant pitching. “Until this year I was always the guy who came in when the game was lopsided either way and usually when we were behind by a lot,” Vogelsong said. “To be counted on to win games, it’s awesome, just a great feeling. It’s a role you need to do and not just hang out and be a sideshow.” Freddy Sanchez also drove in a run for the Giants, who won their fourth in five games. Miguel Tejada had two hits. Chris Iannetta homered for the Rockies, who are 4-12 in their last 16 games and have not won back-to-back games since May 16-17. Vogelsong (4-1) matched his career high with eight innings, giving up a run on four hits. He walked one and struck out seven. He’s allowed one run or less in each of his past six starts. Brian Wilson worked the ninth for his 17th save in 19 chances. Until this year, Vogelsong hadn’t pitched in the major leagues since 2006. He spent three years in Japan and shuffled between three organizations last season. “It was a long road for him but he never gave up,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “He kept grinding to get back to the major leagues. That’s one of the best stories I’ve seen since I’ve been in the game.” With Barry Zito beginning his minor league rehab assignment in San Jose on Monday night, the rotation could get a little clogged up. “Voggy is not going anywhere,” Bochy said. “He’s going to pitch every fifth day. We might have to get a little creative here. We’re just starting to talk about it now.” Matt Lindstrom (0-1) walked pinch-hitter Pat Burrell to open the eighth inning, and pinch-runner Emmanuel Burriss was sacrificed to second by Vogelsong. Burriss went to third on a wild pitch and scored easily on Torres’ tiebreaking single. The teams combined for 10 runs in the three-game series. “Got to hit, that’s all I’ve got,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. “You give up two runs, you should win. It’s that simple. We gave up six runs in the series but we only scored four.” Rockies starter Jason Hammel retired 17 of his first 18 batters. He allowed one run and two hits in seven innings, walking two and striking out four. “It’s hard knowing he’s out there working so hard for us,” Colorado outfielder Carlos Gonzalez said. “To not score any runs for him is difficult. It’s tough to lose a game like that.” One pitch after Vogelsong thought he caught him looking at strike three for the final out of the fifth, Iannetta hit his eighth home run, a shot that easily cleared the left-field fence. “I snap a little and get it out of the way,” Vogelsong said. “In tight games you have to go back out and pitch. I just slammed my glove down a few times and said a few things you probably don’t want to write.” Hammel carried a no-hitter into the sixth. He got the first two outs but walked Torres. Tejada ended the no-hit bid with a hit-and-run single and Sanchez followed with his RBI single. “He lost command there for a brief moment but because of what’s not taking place for us offensively, that’s all it takes,” Tracy said. “It comes back to we didn’t hit. We were 1 for 12 with seven strikeouts with our 2-3-4 hitters. It’s not the first day we’ve had to deal with this. It’s what is holding this team up.” Hammel has thrown one career complete game – a loss at Los Angeles in July 2009. NOTES: Giants 1B Brandon Belt was placed on the 15-day disabled list and replaced on the roster by INF Conor Gillaspie. … Rockies OF Dexter Fowler was out of the starting lineup with a sore abdomen. … Giants C Buster Posey visited the clubhouse for the first time since undergoing surgery on his left leg. … Hammel needs two strikeouts to match Bruce Ruffin (319) for 14th on the Rockies’ career list. … Torres was picked off first base in the eighth after getting picked off at second Saturday. Thanks for reading! . Posted in giants-news | Comments Off
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Ryan Vogelsong pitches San Francisco Giants by Colorado Rockies 2-1 |
Ryan Vogelsong was a long shot to be a Giant this season. Now he’s looking like a potential National League All-Star. “It’s one of the best stories I’ve seen since I’ve been in the game,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said after the Giants’ 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday afternoon. The story keeps getting better, and the appreciation from the stands keeps getting louder. Vogelsong received the ovation of his life as he walked off the mound after pitching eight spectacular innings. In the bottom of the eighth, he received an even stronger outpouring from the standing, sellout crowd. Vogelsong put down a sacrifice bunt, which preceded Andres Torres’ tiebreaking single as the Giants took two of three from Colorado and leapt back into first place in the N.L. West. “The fans are great here. They know the game,” Vogelsong said. “They know how important it is. “This is the best thing you could ever experience. I wish everybody could experience what I’m going through right now. It’s awesome.” It is awesome for any pitcher to allow just three earned runs over a six-start span, as Vogelsong has done while posting a 0.69 ERA. It’s even better when you’re a 33-year-old minor league free agent who hadn’t pitched in the big leagues for four seasons before cracking the roster in mid-April. It might seem obvious, but Bochy was ready to confirm it: Whenever Barry Zito is ready to return, Vogelsong will remain in the rotation. “We’re starting to talk about it,” Bochy acknowledged. “There’s a point we’ll have to figure out what we’ll have to do. It’s obvious Vogey isn’t going anywhere. He’ll go every fifth day. We might have to get creative here.” Zito will begin his minor league rehab assignment for Single-A San Jose on Monday, when he is expected to throw 85 pitches. He can remain in the minors for a maximum of 30 days. The Giants will need a starter at the end of June, either to pitch during a June 28 doubleheader at Wrigley Field or in the ensuing days. A lot can happen in three weeks. But Vogelsong (4-1) keeps sustaining his success. With all his pitches snapping across the plate, he held the Rockies to four hits in eight innings, issued just one walk and struck out seven — including three whiffs of reigning N.L. batting champ Carlos Gonzalez, who looked overmatched each time. Vogelsong has a 1.68 ERA in 10 games (eight starts) and has a 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The stats confirm what the eye beholds. Everything about his success looks to be sustainable. “He wanted to be a Giant, and that was special to us,” said Bochy, who will manage the N.L. All-Star squad and will make final appointments to the roster. “He’s taking full advantage. He’s pitching as well as anybody in the league, really.” And Vogelsong is appreciative. “Any experience I had in the big leagues before this was as a long man, pitching when we were blowing a team out or getting blown out — usually getting blown out,” said Vogelsong, who pitched parts of five seasons with Pittsburgh. “So to be on a team like this and be counted on to win games, it’s a great feeling.” The Giants are 6-2 in Vogelsong’s starts, but they needed a couple of late rallies to make a winner of him after he allowed a home run to Chris Iannetta in the fifth. Miguel Tejada broke up right-hander Jason Hammel’s no-hit bid with his clean, two-out single in the sixth after Torres walked, and Freddy Sanchez followed with a tying single up the middle. The Giants pushed ahead in the eighth. After pinch hitter Pat Burrell drew a leadoff walk, Bochy pulled back rookie Conor Gillaspie from the on-deck circle and had Vogelsong step to the plate. “Vogey handles the bat as well as anybody, really,” said Bochy, who didn’t hesitate to let him face reliever Matt Lindstrom’s upper-90s heat. “That’s not an easy task against a guy throwing that hard. He kept his nose in there.” Vogelsong’s bunt dribbled down the first-base line, advancing pinch runner Manny Burriss. Torres came close to swinging on a 2-2 pitch that bounced to the screen, moving Burriss to third, but he received another life. He took advantage by lining the next pitch into left-center field. When told of Bochy’s comments regarding his rotation spot, Vogelsong did not break into a dance. He knows a major league job is a precious thing. He won’t celebrate at someone else’s expense. “Well, let’s not talk about that,” Vogelsong said. The cheers say it all. For more on the Giants, see Andrew Baggarly’s Extra Baggs blog at blogs.mercurynews.com/extrabaggs. Thanks for visiting our blog =). Posted in giants-news | Comments Off
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Giants struggle with runners on, lose to Rockies |
Cody Ross homered on his bobblehead day, and even that wasn’t enough to ease his disappointment following the San Francisco Giants’ frustrating loss. Ross flew out to deep center on the second pitch he saw from Jhoulys Chacin and stranded a pair of baserunners, a theme that continued throughout the afternoon in a 2-1 setback against the Colorado Rockies. The Giants left five men on base, three in scoring position, and had another runner picked off second. “I had a couple of chances early and couldn’t get the job done,” Ross said. “You have to somehow figure out a way to come through right there and I didn’t do it. It stinks because (Madison) Bumgarner threw so well today and the bullpen came in and did a great job. That’s a tough loss.” The Giants have dropped three straight one-run games at home after winning their first 11 such contests at their cozy waterfront ballpark. Bumgarner, the second-year left-hander who has pitched well after losing five of his first six decisions, allowed an earned run and seven hits in seven innings. But after holding down NL Central-leading St. Louis in his last outing while getting seven runs of support, Bumgarner (2-7) had little margin for error against Colorado and it cost him. The news didn’t get any better for San Francisco after the game, either. Brandon Belt, who was called up to help spark the offense after Buster Posey was lost for the year on May 25, was diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his left wrist and could be out for a month. It was San Francisco’s failure to produce with runners on, though, that bothered manager Bruce Bochy the most. “We had some early chances and squandered a couple of good opportunities,” Bochy said. “We couldn’t get a hit with runners in scoring position and when you’re in a tight game like that, that’s what it takes. They did, and they got a break on a throwing error.” Troy Tulowitzki had three hits and drove in a run, Chacin pitched six effective innings and the Rockies earned their first win at AT&T Park this season. Chacin (6-4) allowed one run and four hits to end a personal two-game losing streak and help snap the Giants’ three-game winning streak. Tulowitzki singled and scored on a throwing error by shortstop Brandon Crawford in the fifth, then added an RBI single in the sixth that gave the Rockies a 2-0 lead. The star shortstop is a career .298 hitter in San Francisco. Ross hit his fifth homer with two out in the bottom half of the sixth. Matt Lindstrom and Rafael Betancourt each threw a scoreless inning before Huston Street got three outs for his 15th save in 17 chances. The Rockies found a way to win despite their continued lack of production. They have scored three runs or fewer in 12 of their last 14 games and are 4-10 over that span. Bumgarner faced the minimum through four innings. He struck out six and walked one, but is 0-3 with a 4.39 ERA in five home starts this season. “I’ve got in a pretty good rhythm the last few starts and it feels good,” Bumgarner said. “I’m getting to where I want to be. I’m making pitches and I feel good.” NOTES: Giants C Chris Stewart made his 15th career start. … The start of the game was delayed 20 minutes by rain. … A fan was struck in the face by a foul ball and had to be led off by medics. What do you guys think about this. Posted in giants-news | Comments Off
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Giants Lose To Rockies 2-1 |
The tarp is seen covering the field before the Colorado Rockies and the San Francisco Giants MLB game at AT&T Park on June 4, 2011 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF/AP) — Cody Ross homered on his bobblehead day, and even that wasn’t enough to ease his disappointment following the San Francisco Giants’ frustrating loss. Ross flew out to deep center on the second pitch he saw from Jhoulys Chacin and stranded a pair of baserunners, a theme that continued throughout the afternoon in a 2-1 setback against the Colorado Rockies. The Giants left five men on base, three in scoring position, and had another runner picked off second. “I had a couple of chances early and couldn’t get the job done,” Ross said. “You have to somehow figure out a way to come through right there and I didn’t do it. It stinks because (Madison) Bumgarner threw so well today and the bullpen came in and did a great job. That’s a tough loss.” The Giants have dropped three straight one-run games at home after winning their first 11 such contests at their cozy waterfront ballpark. Bumgarner, the second-year left-hander who has pitched well after losing five of his first six decisions, allowed an earned run and seven hits in seven innings. But after holding down NL Central-leading St. Louis in his last outing while getting seven runs of support, Bumgarner (2-7) had little margin for error against Colorado and it cost him. The news didn’t get any better for San Francisco after the game, either. Brandon Belt, who was called up to help spark the offense after Buster Posey was lost for the year on May 25, was diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his left wrist and could be out for a month. It was San Francisco’s failure to produce with runners on, though, that bothered manager Bruce Bochy the most. “We had some early chances and squandered a couple of good opportunities,” Bochy said. “We couldn’t get a hit with runners in scoring position and when you’re in a tight game like that, that’s what it takes. They did, and they got a break on a throwing error.” Troy Tulowitzki had three hits and drove in a run, Chacin pitched six effective innings and the Rockies earned their first win at AT&T Park this season. Chacin (6-4) allowed one run and four hits to end a personal two-game losing streak and help snap the Giants’ three-game winning streak. Tulowitzki singled and scored on a throwing error by shortstop Brandon Crawford in the fifth, then added an RBI single in the sixth that gave the Rockies a 2-0 lead. The star shortstop is a career .298 hitter in San Francisco. Ross hit his fifth homer with two out in the bottom half of the sixth. Matt Lindstrom and Rafael Betancourt each threw a scoreless inning before Huston Street got three outs for his 15th save in 17 chances. The Rockies found a way to win despite their continued lack of production. They have scored three runs or fewer in 12 of their last 14 games and are 4-10 over that span. Bumgarner faced the minimum through four innings. He struck out six and walked one, but is 0-3 with a 4.39 ERA in five home starts this season. “I’ve got in a pretty good rhythm the last few starts and it feels good,” Bumgarner said. “I’m getting to where I want to be. I’m making pitches and I feel good.” NOTES: Giants C Chris Stewart made his 15th career start. … The start of the game was delayed 20 minutes by rain. … A fan was struck in the face by a foul ball and had to be led off by medics. (Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services may have contributed to this report.)
37.778824 That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow. Posted in giants-news | Comments Off
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