San Francisco— The Giants failed at a series sweep of the Reds but the effort was there. After taking the first two games of the series the Giants fell in 12 innings on Wednesday. This is not to say they didn’t go down without a fight, as they battled back from a 10-1 hole. The team took the lead 11-10 thanks to a six run eighth inning only to lose the lead and the game in extras. In fact the team amassed 38 runs in the three game series, an impressive mark. Despite the loss on Wednesday the team has to be full of confidence heading into the off day.
The Giants will enjoy the off day before the Arizona Diamondbacks head into AT&T Park. The Giants swept the Diamondbacks last month in a four game set in Arizona. Combined with the recent success at the plate and the confidence of last months sweep, the Giants look to continue their push for the playoffs.
Tim Lincecum will take the hill on Friday looking to get back on track. The two time Cy Young winner is 11-8 on the season, and is in the middle of the worst month of his career. Lincecum will duel with Arizona pitcher Barry Enright, which happens to be the last pitcher Lincecum beat, dating back to July 25.
The Giants are now tied with the Philadelphia Phillies for the NL Wildcard lead. The St. Louis Cardinals trail both teams by one game. The Phillies face the Houston Astros on Thursday before heading to San Diego. The Giants now trail the Padres by 6.5 games and it’s becoming apparent that the Giants will have to win the Wildcard in order to make the playoffs. The Padres are 76-49, winning eight of their last 10. The weekend series between the Padres and the Phillies will be a showdown, and a tough one for Giants fans. Does one root for the Phillies to win to make up ground on the Padres in the West, or does one root for the divisional foe to open up a lead in the NL Wildcard? Tough choice, none-the-less, the Giants must beat the Diamondbacks. The Giants are 7-2(seven in a row) against Arizona this year, with nine more games to be played against the divisional opponent.
Let’s hope for the runs to keep pouring in and Lincecum to get back to his dominant ways.
Go Giants.
