What is this all about?
Okay - September 24. How many Giants games still mattered on September 24?
1959- off day, we're 2 out with 3 to play
1962- off day, we're 3 out with 6 left
1964 - off day, we're 5 out with 9 left
1965 - we lose to the Braves, it's our third straight loss and now our lead over LA is down to a game with 8 to play
1966 at Houston, we're 4 back with 9 left, we beat the Astros in 13, 5-4, a Willie McCovey triple off Chris Zachary breaks the 4-4 tie. The Astros had us dead in the 11th, bases loaded, 1 out - Lindy McDaniel got John Bateman to fly to right and Joe Morgan got thrown out at the plate trying to tag up. LA wins too, we stay 4 back with 8 to play.
1969 - this godwaful Padres team beats us again, 4-3, we only get 4 hits against the immortal Al Santorini and Tom Dukes. The Braves win, dropping us 1.5 back with 6 left.
1971 - we lose to the Reds, we're having a helluva time on 9-24, the Dodgers win and our lead which was 8 games less than 3 weeks ago is now down to 2 with 5 left.
1981 - if you think a decade without a meaningful game on September 24 is a long time, welcome to my childhood. And this is barely meaningful, we come in 11 out with 11 left and the Dodgers end our season. Eliminated.
1982 at Los Angeles, all hail 1982, we were 13 games out of first place on August 2, but we open a series at Dodger Stadium 4 out with 10 to go (LA in first, Atlanta in second). Sold out Chavez Ravine on a Friday night, 2-2 with 2 out in the 8th, Darrell Evans singles home the tiebreaking run off of Steve Howe. 3-2 is the final score and with 9 games left in the season we are 3 games out of first in the NL West. 1982!
1986 - Nolan Ryan shuts us out and that closes the door on 1986. Eliminated.
1987 - off day, the Reds win, we're 7 up with 10 left
1989 - home vs. Astros sold out Candlestick on a Sunday afternoon, we're 5 up with 7 left, Mike LaCoss gives us a complete game, at 2-2 in the 5th, Robby Thompson hit a 3 run homer off Jim Clancy, we marched to a 10-2 victory. The Padres win - we're 5 up with 6 left.
1990 - home vs. Padres, we come in 9 back with 9 left but survive another day, 1-1 in the 5th, Robby Thompson doubles home the go ahead run off of Derek Lilliquist. We win 3-1. The Reds have an off day, we're 8.5 back with 8 left (the Reds have 9 left)
Walk off 1993 - home vs. Padres, you know the deal, we've been the best team in baseball all season but the Braves ran us down, we come in down 2.5 with 10 to play, we open up 4 games at the Stick against the Padres on a Friday night. 3-3 in the bottom of the 10th, 2 out - Will Clark homers off Gene Harris, just a bolt of left center lightning, and we win 4-3. The Phillies shut out the Braves, so with 9 left our deficit is cut to 1.5.
1995 - the Rockies end our season. Eliminated.
1997 at Colorado, up 1.5 in the West, 4 games left, Pat Rapp returned to the Giants in a deadline deal after five years in Florida and started a half dozen games in the second half, he and 3 relievers combine on a five hitter in Coors, 6 days ago was the Brian Johnson game - it happens again, 3-3 in the 9th, Johnson homers off Steve Reed, we win 4-3. LA loses - we're up 2.5 with 3 to go.
1998 home vs. Pirates we're 1.5 out of the WC with 4 to play, looking for a 4 game sweep of the Pirates. We get it going right in the first inning when Barry Bonds homers off Elmer Dessens, we win it 6-2 and shave half a game. 1 out - 3 to go.
2000 NL West Champs (clinched 9-21)
2001 at Los Angeles, we start a 3 game series at Dodger Stadium 2 out with 12 left, Livan Hernandez and two relievers give up 4 hits, with a 1-0 lead in the 7th Barry his #67 on the season, we win 2-1 and cut the deficit to 1.5.
2002 home vs. Padres, we come in 2 up in the WC with 5 to go and we smash the Padres 12-3, Reggie Sanders homers off Oliver Perez in the second to get it going. The Dodgers lose - we're 3 up with 4 left.
2003 NL West Champs (clinched 9-17)
2004 we lose to the Dodgers dropping us 2.5 back in the West and 1.5 in the WC with 8 to go. We only get 3 hits and, trailing by 1, leave the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th.
2005 - the Rockies shut us out, we're 5 out with 8 to go.
2006 - we lose our 8th out of 9 and the Brewers eliminate us. Eliminated.
2009 - we lose to the Cubs, the Rockies also lose so we remain 4 out on the WC, now with 9 games to go.
2010 at Colorado we've spent most of the season in second, but come in to this one half a game up with 9 left, we only get 3 hits in Coors - but they only get 2 - Tim Lincecum goes 8, strikes out 9, gives up 2 hits, no walks, and 1 earned. We're down 1-0 in the 7th when Pat Burrell hits a 2 run homer off Jhoulys Chacin and that's the final score. San Diego wins - with 8 games left our lead remains half a game.
2011 - the Diamondbacks end our season. Eliminated.
2012 NL West Champs (clinched 9-22)
2014 - we lose to the Dodgers, Milwaukee wins, we're 4 up in the WC with 4 games to go.
2015-the Padres walk us off, we're 8 back with 10 to go
2016 at San Diego we come in a half up for the last WC spot with 8 left and leave in the same spot with 1 fewer game remaining. 6-6 in the 10th (we squandered a 6-0 lead) Kelby Tomlinson singles home Angel Pagan with the go ahead run off of Kevin Quackenbush. We win 9-6.
See you tomorrow. Go Giants!
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