What is this all about?
Here are the top 5 July 19 moments in San Francisco Giants history.
1964 home vs. Houston, Sunday doubleheader, we come in having lost 5 straight and are a game out of the lead in the NL. This is Game 1 - both starting pitchers (Marichal and Farrell) throw complete games, it's 2-2 in the 8th when Jim Ray Hart hits a 2 run homer. We win it 4-2 and then go on to take the back half as well.
Walk off 2001 home vs. Rockies, 5.5 out of first, 1-1 in the bottom of the 9th, Ramon Martinez had just singled to tie the game - Jeff Kent works a bases loaded 2 out walk off of Juan Acevedo to win it. Four of the top ten second base seasons in franchise history are Kent's, this is the 7th best
Walk off 2005 home vs.Atlanta, 9.5 out, 4-4 with two out in the 9th, Jason Ellison singles home the winning run off of Jay Powell. Ellison was a career 5th OF who got fewer than 600 at bats in his career, but this year he was our primary CF, getting more plate appearances than the rest of his 6 year career combined. He was bad, had a 77 OPS+, which was his career best, and was nothing special with the glove. We sent him to Seattle before the 2007 season for a non prospect.
Walk off 2006 home vs. Milwaukee, it's game 95, we're 2.5 games out, down 6-5 in the bottom of the 9th, Ray Durham wins the game with a base hit that scores 2 off of Derrick Turnbow. 2 years later, almost to the day, it's to the Brewers where we send Durham to finish his career.
2011 home vs. Dodgers, it's game 98 and we've got a 4.5 game lead in the west - we're in good shape here in in mid July, bottom 7, bases loaded, Brandon Belt doubles the first pitch he sees from Hung Chih Kuo down the left field line, scoring 2, putting us up 5-3 and that holds up as the final score. Belt homered earlier in the game, It's Belt's rookie year, he broke camp with the club but got sent down after 19 games (the Giants have never entirely appreciated Belt's value) this was his first game back after a month and a half in AAA. Through 2016, here are the first baseman with more San Francisco WAR than Brandon Belt.
Willie McCovey
Will Clark
That's it. That's the list.
See you tomorrow. Go Giants!
