Yesterday
Here are the top 5 August 25 moments in San Francisco Giants history.
1979 home vs. Cubs, we're 14.5 out of first, John Curtis goes 7, striking out 9, the big shot is a Mike Ivie three run double off Dick Tidrow to break a 2-2 tie in the 7th. We win 5-2. We got Curtis from the Cardinals in a six man trade right after the '76 season. He was mainly in the pen the first two seasons, but got 18 starts in '79. He had a Giants career ERA+ of 82.
1984 at New York, we're 23.5 out, Randy Lerch goes 6, striking out 6, the big blow is Bob Brenly's, a three run homer off of Bruce Berenyi to break a 2-2 tie in the 6th. B on B violence at Shea. We win 5-4. We got Lerch from the scrap heap for the last two months of the '83 season and he was in our pen in '84, this was one of his 4 Giants starts. He leaves after this season and only pitches in 4 games the rest of his career.
1999 at Chicago, 8 games out, mid week doubleheader at Wrigley, we took the first game, we're up 6-5 in the 9th, 2 on, 2 out, Robb Nen gets Henry Rodriguez to ground to second to end the game and get us the sweep. Through 2016 Nen is the 26th greatest player in San Francisco history.
2004 at Florida, 5 out in the west, only one down in the WC, 5-5 with 2 out in the 10th, AJ Pierzynski draws a bases loaded walk off Rudy Seanez to score Ray Durham with what turns out to be the winning run. Durham led off for the Giants in this game and in 114 other games this season. Here's every leadoff hitter in San Francisco history (meaning, most common leadoff hitter for each season, I'll go backward).
16-Span
15-Aoki
14-12 Pagan
11-10 Torres
9-Velez
8-F.Lewis
7-Roberts
6-Winn
5-Ellison
4-3 Durham
2-Bell
1-99, 96 Benard
98-97 Hamilton
95-92 D.Lewis
91-Felder
90-88 Butler
87- Milner
86-84 Gladden
83-LeMaster
82-Davis
81-Morgan
80-79 North
78-Madlock
77-Thomas
76-Herndon
75-Joshua
74-69 Bonds
68-Hunt
67-J.Alou
66-Fuentes
65-Schofield
64-62 Kuenn
61-Amalfitano
60-Blasingame
59-58 Davenport
2009 home vs. Arizona, 7 out after losing 3 straight at Coors, only 4 out of the WC, so there's still a possibility we're playing in October. 2-2 in the 8th, Travis Ishikawa hits a 3 run homer off of Jon Rauch, we hold on and win 5-4. 23 career regular season home runs for Ishikawa, all but 6 of which were with the Giants (see how I said "regular season"?) This was the 12th.
See you tomorrow. Go Giants!
