Yesterday
Here are all the October 14 games that mattered in San Francisco Giants history. It's a big day.
1962 World Series, last day of rain, Game 6 is tomorrow.
1987 NLCS Game 7, we're in St Louis, its 3-3, a win and we have our first pennant since that '62 team that's still waiting for the rain to stop - but we don't get it. It was over early, Jose Oquendo hit a 3 run homer off Atlee Hammaker in the second to put St Louis up 4-0 and they win the game 6-0. Our season is over.
1989 World Series Game 1, it's our first World Series game since '62, and it's just over the bridge, we're in Oakland to face the powerhouse A's and they whip us in game 1. We get shut out 5-0. Oakland gets 3 off Scott Garrelts in the 2nd, Dave Parker homers in the 3rd, Walt Weiss in the 4th. Dave Stewart throws a complete game 5 hitter. Game 2 is tomorrow.
2002 NLCS Game 5 home vs. Cardinals, we're up 3-1, a game away from the pennant, but 15 years ago we went to St Louis up 3-2 and you know how that turned out, so there is at least some level of historical need to get this done on this Monday night at the new ballpark. The Cardinals leave two on in the first, a runner on third in the second, men on the corners in the third, and two on the 6th - but Kirk Rueter escaped all of it, turning the game over to the pen in the 7th and the Cards immediately broke the scoreless tie with a double by Mike Matheny and a Fernando Vina sac fly off of Felix Rodriguez. That holds until the bottom of the 8th, Matt Morris has gone the whole way, but with 1 out he loads the bases, meaning there's no place to put the next batter - Barry Bonds - who just misses, but his sac fly ties the score. Bottom of the 9th now, Morris still on the mound, he gets the first two Giants - then David Bell hits a first pitch single followed by a Shawon Dunston single. 2 on, 2 out, the Cards go to the pen, Steve Kline to face Kenny Lofton - who hits a walk off single to right - Bell scores the winning run. And for the third time in San Francisco history, the Giants win the pennant.
2010 NLCS starts in two days.
2012 NLCS Game 1 it's the NLCS, so of course we're playing St Louis, unlike '87, and '02, October 14 doesn't mean the end of the series, this is Game 1 and we lose the opener at home 6-4. Madison Bumgarner gets lit up, gives up 6 earned and doesn't get out of the 4th inning. We got 4 back in our half of the 4th, the big blow a 2 run Gregor Blanco triple off of Lance Lynn. But that's it, we lose 6-4. Game 2 is tomorrow.
2014 NLCS Game 3 home vs. Cardinals, it's the NLCS, so of course we're playing St Louis. What the hell is going on between us and the Cardinals? There are other teams. We split the first two in St Louis and jump all over John Lackey in this one, 4 runs in the second inning, the big blow a 3 run Travis Ishikawa double. Kolten Wong cuts our lead in half in the 4th with a 2 run double off Tim Hudson, they add a run apiece in the 6th and 7th to tie the score. We don't get a baserunner after the 4th inning until putting the first two on in the 10th and scoring the winning run when Randy Choate threw away a sacrifice bunt. We're up 2-1, game 4 is tomorrow.
See you tomorrow. Go Giants!
