Yesterday
Here's every September 29 game in San Francisco Giants history that mattered.
1962 home vs. Astros we were 15-5 at the end of April, 1 game up on LA. We were 35-15 at the end of May, half a game up on LA. We were 51-28 at the end of June, half a game up on LA. We were 67-39 at the end of July, 4 games behind LA. We were 85-49 at the end of August, 2.5 behind LA.
We come in 1.5 out, we have 3 left to play, LA has two left.
Doubleheader at the Stick against Houston. We get the first to move to 100-60. Haller, McCovey, and Cepeda all homered, Stu Miller went 3+ in relief of Jack Sanford, we win 11-5. But we drop the second 4-2, we only gave up 5 hits, but Marichal didn't get out of the 5th and we just couldn't get close to evening the game. Fortunately, LA lost - so with a day to go, we are 1 game out of first.
Walk off 1964 home vs. Houston, we're 4.5 out with 6 to go, the first place Reds lose and we take advantage, 4-4 in the bottom of the 11th, Matty Alou walks them off with a leadoff homer. We're in 4th, so it's still tough to navigate, but with 5 left we are 3.5 games out of first.
1965, until September we never spent a single day in first, but 13 days ago a 14 game win streak gave us a 4.5 game lead. Today we lose to St Louis. The Dodgers win. We're 2 back with 3 left. Down 8-6 in the 9th, 2 on, 2 out, McCovey at the plate - but Hal Woodeshick strikes him out.
1966, off day, 3.5 out with 4 to go.
1969 off day, 2.5 out with 3 left
1971 - there have been a total of 3 days all season where we didn't at least have a share of the lead, but the Padres walk us off (Nate Colbert hit a 3 run homer off Jerry Johnson) and with 1 to go we have a 1 game lead on LA.
1982 home vs. Astros, we've never spent a day even tied for the lead, and two months ago we were 13.5 out of first - but we come into this one 2 back with 5 left and we beat the Astros (in front of less than 9000 paid on a Wednesday night at the Stick) we get 14 hits including homers by Davis and Leonard. We win 6-1. The Braves also win - they have a 2 game lead over both us and LA with 4 to play.
1987 NL West Champs (clinched 9-28)
1989 NL West Champs (clinched 9-27)
1993 we lose to the Rockies, the Braves win, we're 1 out with 4 left
1997 NL West Champs (clinched 9-27)
2000 NL West Champs (clinched 9-21)
2001 home vs. Padres Russ Ortiz goes 7, strikes out 7, at 1-1 in the 6th Barry Bonds hit #69 on the season, off of Chuck McElroy, we win it 3-1. He had been 2-32 off McElroy. Barry's now one homer short of tying McGwire's single season record (and Rickey Henderson, now leading off for San Diego, is one run short of tying Ty Cobb's runs scored record). This was Barry's 563rd career homer. Arizona also won. With 7 left, we stay 2 out.
2002 NL Wild Card (clinch 9-28)
2003 NL West Champs (clinch 9-17)
2009 home vs. Diamondbacks, we come in 5 out of the WC with 6 left, we leave 5 out with 5 left after beating the Snakes. A Bengie Molina 2 run homer in the 4th off of Doug Davis gave us a 4-1 lead in a game we'd win 8-4.
2010 home vs. Diamondbacks, we led through most of April, but after May 6, we didn't have first place by ourselves until 13 days ago. Over the last two weeks we've been trading it on and off with the Padres - we come into this one up 2 with 5 left. We only get 5 hits, and only score in the fourth- but that's enough, we win 3-1 and stay 2 up with 4 to go. Lincecum struck out 11, all 3 runs came on one swing of Pat Burrell's bat off Ian Kennedy.
2012 NL West Champs (clinched 9-22)
2014 NL Wild Card (clinched 9-25)
2015 The Dodgers end our season, Kershaw throws a 1 hitter and strikes out 13.
2016 home vs. Rockies, from May 11 to August 15 we had at least a share of first every single day, but the last time we saw first was August 20 and are now fighting for the last WC spot, 1 up with 4 left coming in to this one. Johnny Cueto goes 7, strikes out 11, and with us up 3-2 in the 6th, he bunt singled us into 2 more runs when Nolan Arenado threw it away. We win 7-2. The Cards also win - so with 3 games to go our WC lead stays at 1.
See you tomorrow. Go Giants!
