Sports News and Trade Rumors: Pro Sports Daily

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July 4

San Jose Mercury News

"It took Ryan Sadowski seven years to reach the major leagues, and he has squeezed the most out of every moment since he arrived a week ago. The Giants' 26-year-old rookie took a one-hit shutout into the seventh inning in his home debut Friday night and won his second straight start since being called up from Triple-A Fresno in a 13-0 victory over the Houston Astros. The Giants opened a 10-game homestand with their biggest offensive showing this season. The outburst included home runs by Pablo Sandoval and Travis Ishikawa and three-hit performances by Nate Schierholtz and Edgar Renteria. But it has been all about pitching with this squad all season, and the rout Friday was no different. ..."

Lucky 13 - runs scored and scoreless innings

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July 4

San Francisco Chronicle

"The Giants smacked baseballs all over China Basin on Friday night. They scored 13 runs in the first three innings and offered a week's worth of offensive highlights: Pablo Sandoval crushing the ball (homer and triple), Travis Ishikawa going deep, Nate Schierholtz and Edgar Renteria each pocketing three hits. All this and the stage still belonged to The Big Sadowski. Ryan Sadowski is more tall than big, actually - his uniform practically sagged off his wiry, 6-foot-4, 195-pound frame. Even the red, Fourth-of-July weekend cap looked too big for Sadowski's head. But he rolled out another tidy row of zeroes in ushering the Giants to a rollicking, homestand-opening, 13-0 victory over Houston. ..."

Former Giant Ortiz pitching well again

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July 4

San Francisco Chronicle

"If Giants fans divert their gaze today from Tim Lincecum, the centerpiece of the club's future, they might spot a piece of its past - Russ Ortiz, in the flesh, standing atop the mound for the Houston Astros. This will be Ortiz's first appearance in San Francisco in two years, when his second stay with the Giants ended in serious arm trouble. Ortiz, 35, ultimately had surgery in August 2007, to replace the ligament (Tommy John surgery) and repair a torn flexor tendon in his right elbow. Given his age and the dual issues involved, Ortiz's career spun in doubt. But he has come back strong, with a 3-3 record and 3.36 ERA in 18 appearances (eight starts) this season with the Astros. Ortiz has ..."

St. Louis Cardinals exploit two forms of charity

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July 4

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"San Francisco didn't play good defense Thursday night. The Giants also gave the Cardinals extra baserunners by intentionally walking Albert Pujols two more times. For a change, the Cards exploited both forms of charity. Led by Ryan Ludwick's timely RBI singles in the first and fifth inning, they rolled to a 5-2 victory. This ought to help some of their much-maligned hitters relax at the plate. "You need constant reinforcement in this game," Cards manager Tony La Russa said after the game. "Everybody needs success sometimes to keep their confidence up." The big story of the night was, of course, Todd Wellemeyer's commanding performance. He repaid pitching coach Dave Duncan's confidence by ..."

Masters of?improbable?at it again

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July 4

Houston Chronicle

"Something amazing has happened to the Astros over the last few weeks, and we may never figure out what it was. Teams evolve during a six-month season that eventually exposes every weakness. What has happened to the Astros is more dramatic than that. For 47 games, they were one of baseball's worst teams. For 30 games since, they had played .633 ball entering Friday's game. That's a 103-victory clip over the course of an entire season. Is 30 games a small sample? Sure it is. But to go from 19-28 to 19-11 is an indication something significant changed. We know some of the story. The starting rotation went from being one of baseball's worst to one of its real solid ones. The bullpen has gone ..."

Ortiz returns to special city

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July 4

Houston Chronicle

"Russ Ortiz will be back on the mound in a place he'll always call home this afternoon. "Most people recognize me as a Giant," the Astros righthander said. "That was the team that drafted me, my first big league team. I was able to do have some good years, both personally and as a team." The Giants took him in the fourth round of the 1995 draft out of the University of Oklahoma, and had him in the big leagues three years later. He started 144 times for the Giants in five years and won 67 of his 110 big league victories for them. Between 1999 and 2002, he was rock-solid, averaging 16 victories and 209 innings. He helped get the Giants to the playoffs twice, including 2002, when they lost a ..."

Giants get to Paulino early, blow out Astros 13-0

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July 4

Houston Chronicle

"Slip-sliding away… It got ugly early and then it got really ugly and then it was all you could do was laugh. The Astros got lit up by the San Francisco Giants, losing 13-0 Friday night at AT&T Park. "It was one of those nights," Cecil Cooper said. "We hadn't had one of these in quite a awhile." It wasn't just any 13-0 loss. It was 9-0 after two innings and 13-0 after three. If was over before it was over. And yet, when the first pitch was thrown, five National League Central teams were separated by one loss. When it ended, five National League Central teams were separated by two losses. The Astros (38-40) still trail the Brewers, Cardinals, Reds and Cubs, but they could easily be ..."

Sandoval relishes using maple bats

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July 3

San Francisco Chronicle

"If baseball ever bans maple bats because of their danger, some players are going to be awfully upset. Those who use maple love it. The problem is, maple bats seem to break in half or explode more readily than ash, and the results can be injurious. In consecutive games here, Pablo Sandoval broke a Louisville Slugger maple bat and the barrel helicoptered into the seats behind home plate. The first one hit a woman in the head and she was escorted from her seat for treatment. The second flew over the first few rows of seats and hit a wall. "I never saw it," Sandoval said of the first incident. "I feel bad because that's never happened to me in a game." Baseball is taking some steps. Each maple ..."

Wellemeyer rebounds in 5-2 win over Giants

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July 3

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Despite his best effort to paint a positive veneer over the widening cracks in his season, Cardinals starter Todd Wellemeyer had something stronger than his erratic performances tugging at him. He had his doubt. The righthander finally negotiated a truce in the seasonlong battle with his mechanics, pitching 7 1/3 strong innings to hoist the Cardinals to a 5-2 victory against San Francisco on Thursday at Busch Stadium. Wellemeyer said it was the first time this season that he was confident in his pitches because he was consistent with his delivery. He walked off the field to an ovation from the crowd of 41,875 feeling different. He felt right. MORE CARDINALS CARDINAL BEAT: Daily blog of ..."

Giants could send four to Midsummer Classic

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July 2

San Francisco Examiner

"It's time to turn this year's All Star game into The Freak Show. Nobody deserves to start the Midsummer Classic more than Tim Lincecum. The 25-year-old Giants ace leads the majors with 132 strikeouts and three complete games while his 2.37 ERA is second best in all of baseball. Lincecum (8-2) is red hot and rock-star cool. He's The Freak because he's so unique. Tim commands a game the way a young Mick Jagger prowled the stage. With a blazing fastball and baffling change-up he makes hitters quiver like teenage girls at their first Stones concert. Tim is clearly the senior circuit's best hope of ending their 12-year winless streak against the AL. Let's hope National League manager Charlie ..."

Rasmus' walk-off lifts Cards over Giants

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July 2

San Francisco Chronicle

"The Giants' carnival of scoring folded its tent Wednesday night. After stomping on, sliding into and trotting over home plate 29 times in their previous four games, the Giants found the dish elusive against Adam Wainwright, who struck out 12 in nine innings. So they lost to the Cardinals 2-1 on Colby Rasmus' home run leading off the 10th inning, on a 3-2 fastball from Bobby Howry, after the Giants thought they retired Rasmus twice. First, Pablo Sandoval ran to the dugout rail and dropped Rasmus' catchable pop foul. Then, home-plate umpire Bob Davidson kept his right arm holstered on a 2-2 sinker that looked a bit low, but maybe not. Howry stormed out of the clubhouse quickly after the ..."

Renteria still looks good to the Cardinals

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July 2

San Francisco Chronicle

"Edgar Renteria's two-year, $18.5 million contract was criticized by those who believe the Giants grossly overpaid a declining player who would not have received nearly as much money from anyone else in a buyers' market. Renteria called that hogwash Wednesday. He said the Giants were one of three teams that offered healthy multiyear deals. The question arose after Cardinals manager Tony La Russa revealed that St. Louis wanted to sign him last winter, too. Renteria recalled his agent discussing interest from St. Louis, for whom he played six seasons (1999-2004), but said it did not make an offer. La Russa called Renteria "one of our favorites" when he was a Cardinal and seemed taken aback ..."

Colby Rasmus goes deep to rescue Redbirds

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July 2

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Cardinals rookie Colby Rasmus turned an unlikely second chance into a game-ending home run that made someone else the hero. After his at-bat had been spared by a dropped fly ball in foul territory, Rasmus launched a full-count pitch from San Francisco reliever Bob Howry to deep right-center field for a 2-1 victory against the Giants on Wednesday. Rasmus' first career game-ender - and the first by a Cardinals rookie since three years before he was born - kept the Cardinals from wasting Adam Wainwright's finest start of the season. The righthander pitched most of the game with a one-run lead, defused the Giants' decisive inning and kept a frazzled lineup in a game it almost cost him. "What ..."

Giants fall on homer in 10th

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July 2

San Jose Mercury News

"The Giants watched for years as opposing managers gave the four-finger salute to Barry Bonds. Wednesday night, they wiggled back. Manager Bruce Bochy intentionally walked Albert Pujols, the force of nature in the St. Louis Cardinals' lineup, in each of his first two plate appearances. But when the Cardinals got the winning hit in the 10th inning of their 2-1 victory, their supernova-hot slugger was standing in the on-deck circle. Colby Rasmus sent the red-clad faithful home happy, going deep on a 3-2 fastball from Bob Howry as the Cardinals snapped the Giants' three-game winning streak. Pujols' looming presence probably influenced Howry's decision to throw a straight fastball instead of ..."

Unlike home run king Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr.'s career lacks juicy details

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July 1

New York Daily News

columnist Tim Smith

"Ken Griffey Jr. says there are some similarities between himself and Barry Bonds. "We're both the sons of very good players who turned out to be pretty good baseball players," Griffey said. They are both sluggers who mounted an assault on Hank Aaron's home run record. And that is where the comparisons end. Griffey, who is fifth on the all-time home run list (he entered Tuesday night with 620), has been stymied by injuries during his 20-year career. Bonds actually surpassed Aaron's record, hitting 762 home runs. But Bonds is a pariah in the sport, haunted by the specter of steroids, while Griffey, who has returned to Seattle to end his career where it started, has escaped the scourge of ..."

Giants take it to Cardinals

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July 1

San Francisco Chronicle

"Winning behind their ace was one thing, destroying the opponents' ace was quite another. The Giants have done both here. They followed Tim Lincecum's two-hit shutout by mauling Chris Carpenter for six runs in five innings and beating the Cardinals 6-3 on Tuesday night. With their eighth win in 11 games, the Giants moved a season-high eight over .500 (42-34), assured no worse than a .500 trip and completed a rousing June (17-10) that establishes them among the elites in a league short on dominating teams. "Hats off to the offense tonight," Randy Johnson said after surrendering all three of St. Louis' runs on Albert Pujols' 29th and 30th homers. The first was a solo that traveled so far ... ..."

Two Pujols homers don't cost Randy Johnson win No. 303

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July 1

San Jose Mercury News

"The Giants completed their best month in a half-decade with perhaps their most impressive all-around game of the season. Randy Johnson cast Goliath's shadow on the mound, and his lightly regarded offense cast plenty of smooth stones Tuesday to beat one of the game's best pitchers in a 6-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Albert Pujols hit two home runs off Johnson, but those were just bottle rockets to entertain the home fans. Pujols couldn't shield the Giants from battering Chris Carpenter on their way to finishing June with a 17-10 record — their highest victory total in a month since they won 18 games in June 2004. Johnson picked up his 303rd career victory while proving he can ..."

Taking the upper hand

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July 1

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"Maybe what they needed was the challenge of facing one of the game's best pitchers. The Milwaukee Brewers have been a team grinding its gears lately and struggling in several aspects, so seeing San Francisco Giants ace Matt Cain to start this three-game series didn't seem like a good thing. But the actuality turned out to be a very different thing. The Brewers got to Cain early and never let up, beating up the Giants, 5-1, behind Yovani Gallardo's dominant 118-pitch performance Friday night at Miller Park. The victory moved the Brewers back into first place in the National League Central, percentage points ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals, who lost to Minnesota, 3-1. After the Brewers lost ..."

Giants don't have what it takes to hang onto wild card

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June 30

San Francisco Examiner

columnist Glenn Dickey

"Though the Giants have been at or near the top of the NL wild-card race lately, I still doubt that they'll be in the postseason. Here are my reasons: Injuries: The Giants have been remarkably injury-free so far this season, with no major players being injured for a long period. Contrast this with the New York Mets, who lost stars Jose Reyes and Carlos Delgado to injuries last month. Reyes (torn hamstring) is out indefinitely and Delgado (torn lambrum and a bone spur in his right hip) is out at least until August. The baseball schedule is a demanding one, with very few days off. It's unlikely the Giants can avoid a major injury and, with their lack of depth, they could be in trouble if they ..."

Sandoval a sensation in either league

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June 30

San Francisco Chronicle

columnist John Shea

"The numbers are in, and now it can be told Pablo Sandoval succeeds at any level - even with the big boys in the American League. The interleague season is over, and Sandoval went 20-for-50 (.400) against American League pitchers, which tied him for sixth in the majors in baseball's 13th annual crossover games. On equal par, Matt Cain posted a 1.04 ERA in three interleague starts, third best in the majors and tops in the National League. More important, the Giants owned the NL's second-best interleague record at 9-6, escalating talk of the wild card - far earlier than usual, but an appreciated consolation for Giants fans, whose team missed the playoffs the past half-decade and trails the ..."

S.F. appears in solid shape, by comparison

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June 30

San Francisco Chronicle

"The wild-card standings are sort of a joke this time of year, but nobody's laughing at the Giants or making fun of their chances. When it comes to finances, stability and the most important category of all - pitching - San Francisco is in remarkably good shape for a team so widely written off in spring training. We can leave the Dodgers out of this discussion, but if you include the other first-place teams (each hanging by a thread), there's a 12-team race in progress for the National League wild card. If you think the Giants have problems, they're on a breezy Caribbean cruise compared with the other contenders. The Giants might not be in position to make a major deal for a hitter, because ..."

Giants' Sadowski, Sanchez keeping their roles

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June 30

San Jose Mercury News

"Ordinarily, Jonathan Sanchez's three-strikeout relief inning Sunday would have been impressive enough to win back his spot in the rotation. But after Ryan Sadowski shut out Milwaukee over six innings in his major league debut, the Giants couldn't just stick the career minor leaguer on a regional jet to Fresno. So Sadowski will stay in the rotation. And Sanchez will continue to iron out his issues in the bullpen with pitching coach Dave Righetti. "His breaking ball and change-ups were really good," Righetti said of Sanchez. "Outstanding, really. He was throwing them for strikes and putting people away, which is really something he didn't do as a starter. "It's only one game, but it was ..."

Giants' Lincecum pitches two-hit shutout against Cardinals

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June 30

San Jose Mercury News

"Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti already counted the boxes on his pocket schedule: If the National League wants Tim Lincecum to start the All-Star Game, he'd be fully rested for the assignment. After Monday night, how could N.L. Manager Charlie Manuel pick anyone else? Climbing the same bump where the All-Stars will converge next month, Lincecum gave the Giants what might have been the most masterful start of his young career. Combining classic power with Madduxian precision, Lincecum needed just 95 pitches to finish a career-best two-hitter in a 10-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Last year, Lincecum became the first Giants pitcher to lead the majors in strikeouts and he ..."

Cardinals' Clayton Mortensen has rough debut

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June 30

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Righthander Clayton Mortensen became the 14th rookie to play for the St. Louis Cardinals when he relieved against the San Francisco Giants in the seventh inning tonight. It was not an auspicious debut. Mortensen, 7-4 at Class AAA Memphis, allowed five runs in his first inning although only one was earned, because of an error by second baseman Skip Schumaker. Then, in his second inning (the eighth), he allowed a home run into Big Mac Land by Juan Uribe as the Giants took a 10-0 lead, and the Giants won by the same score."

Cardinals get nowhere vs. San Francisco Giants

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June 30

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"The Cardinals were fortunate to limit their dubious distinctions to one on Monday night at Busch Stadium. Quietly, very quietly, manager Tony La Russa absorbed his 1,000th loss as Cardinals manager. Little notice was paid as the San Francisco Giants executed a rapid-fire 10-0 takedown before 37,737 at Busch Stadium. At least the home team got a hit ... two, in fact. Giants starting pitcher and reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum (8-2) threatened to make a historic parlay as he carried a perfect game for 4 2/3 innings before center fielder Rick Ankiel lobbed a single to shallow right field. By then, the Giants led 4-0 on a night that offered scant suspense beyond the locals' ..."

Giants' Tim Lincecum may return to St. Louis soon

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June 30

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"San Francisco Giants righthander Tim Lincecum didn't need to completely overwhelm the Cardinals Monday night to establish his credentials. Barring a major upset, or he gets sick, Lincecum already could have expected to be on the Busch Stadium mound again July 14. Lincecum, who two-hit the Cardinals in a 10-0 whitewash, should make his second National League All-Star team in two years. But this would be his first game because he got sick in New York a year ago and was unable to pitch in the last All-Star Game played in Yankee Stadium. Beating the Cardinals for the fourth straight time in four starts in his career - three of those games here - Lincecum required just 95 pitches as he spun ..."

Dye won't bite on Giants rumor, wants Sox to buy

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June 30

Chicago Sun-Times

"White Sox outfielder Jermaine Dye is well-versed in handling trade rumors. So with a Bay Area newspaper reporting that he's on the radar of the San Francisco Giants and their general manager, Brian Sabean, Dye stuck to his own company line Monday. ''I'm not talking about trades,'' he said. When asked again? ''I'm not talking about trades,'' he said. Dye has a no-trade clause covering six teams, but the Giants aren't one of them. The New York Mets, who also are starting to shop for a bat, are. What Dye would talk about Monday was Sox GM Ken Williams' position as of last week that he wasn't a seller. Dye not only agreed with that but hoped he and his teammates could persuade Williams to be a ..."

Giants scouts checking out Jermaine Dye

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June 30

Chicago Tribune

"With the non-waiver trade deadline one month away, teams are expected to increase their evaluations and discussions. And even after White Sox general manager Ken Williams said last week he intends to remain a buyer, it won't stop other teams, such as the San Francisco Giants, from scouting Sox players who can help them for their own playoff runs. The Giants, who lead the National League wild-card race, sent one of their top scouts to Cleveland on Monday to watch right fielder Jermaine Dye. The Giants also were believed to be looking at Cleveland's Victor Martinez, according to a source. Dye, 35, presents a unique case. He has been one of the Sox's most productive hitters and most respected ..."

Lincecum Pitches Complete Game Gem Against Cards

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June 30

San Francisco Chronicle

"After Tim Lincecum pitched a two-hitter that might rank as the best start of his career and the Giants steamrolled the Cardinals 10-0 Monday night, the righty offered a fascinating insight into his thinking, which should be a relief to anyone who fears complacency sneaking into his mop-topped head. "When I saw the lineup card today, I thought they're throwing some pretty good guys out there," Lincecum said. "But then I thought, 'I'm good. I'm here for a reason. I can get these guys out if I make my pitches the way I need to.' " That sounds like a quote from a pitcher who just made his big-league debut, not the reigning Cy Young Award winner who just fired his third complete game in four ..."

Sadowski shines in Giants' victory

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June 29

San Jose Mercury News

"Ryan Sadowski had a big problem on his hands while making his major league debut Sunday afternoon, but it wasn't with the Milwaukee Brewers' powerful lineup. How could he keep all his souvenir baseballs from getting mixed up? "I've got one from the first pitch, one from the first strikeout and one from my first hit," said Sadowski, who pitched with uncommon poise over six innings as the Giants won 7-0 at Miller Park to avoid a three-game sweep. What about the ball that Brewers slugger Ryan Braun smoked off his thigh? "I've got that, too," he said. "It's still in my leg." Sadowski's dry wit wasn't the only quality he displayed. The six-year minor leaguer stepped into a launching pad and ..."

Unit, Pujols ready to rekindle rivalry

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June 29

San Francisco Chronicle

"Randy Johnson was asked Sunday how he has fared against Albert Pujols, now the best hitter in baseball, and said with a smile, "I'm sure he's hit a home run off me and I'm sure I've struck him out once." Actually, Pujols has slammed three regular-season homers against Johnson, and Johnson has struck him out three times. On Tuesday, Pujols will take a .429 lifetime average against the Big Unit into the second night of a four-game series at Busch Stadium, which begins tonight with Tim Lincecum pitching. "I'm looking forward to the challenge," Johnson said. The Giants actually have limited the potential damage by Pujols in recent years. Even in San Francisco last month, Pujols went 7-for-11 ..."

GIANTS 7, BREWERS 0

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June 29

San Francisco Chronicle

"From this day forward, he must be known as The Big Sadowski. Ryan Sadowski is big. Go to page 450 of the Giants' media guide - way in the back - and note the 26-year-old is 6-feet-4, with more than 400 minor-league innings plus one season off after shoulder surgery over seven years. Now, as a major-leaguer, Sadowski is 1-0. He walked into Miller Park from the cornfield beyond center field, pitched six shutout innings, got his first big-league hit, took a fierce Ryan Braun liner off his leg, responded by getting a double play and shepherded the Giants to a much-needed 7-0 victory over the Brewers. You do not know Sadowski, but those who have played with him in the minors rave about him. ..."

Suppan's struggles continue

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June 29

Wisconsin State Journal

"One troublesome inning. That's what tainted an otherwise workmanlike outing from Jeff Suppan and kept prompting questions about the Milwaukee Brewers' struggling - and patchwork - starting rotation. Suppan allowed three runs during a marathon second inning, and couldn't make it out of the sixth in Sunday's 7-0 loss to the San Francisco Giants at Miller Park. The Giants sent nine batters to the plate in the second, scoring two of their runs with two outs. Suppan walked Randy Winn to force in a run, and Fred Lewis' infield single scored another before the Brewers veteran right-hander got out of the jam. "I think in your mind you're like, 'Man, why can't I get a ground ball?' or 'Why am I ..."

Cain, Giants haunted by Brewers' bat attack

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June 28

Contra Costa Times

"Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval's day began at 3 a.m., when he said a ghost awoke him in his hotel room. It ended with the Giants losing another game in their personal chamber of horrors. The Milwaukee Brewers' aggressive lineup haunted Matt Cain, rattling his chains for four extra-base hits in the early innings, and the Giants offense couldn't answer against Yovani Gallardo in a 5-1 loss Friday night. Cain (9-2) lost for the first time since May 2. He had been 7-0 over his previous nine starts and missed a chance to become the NL's first 10-game winner. Now the Giants have spent their biggest gun in this important series. Today's starter, Barry Zito, has a 10.05 ERA in three starts at ..."

Molina opens up about struggles

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June 28

Contra Costa Times

"The Giants quietly pulled their campaign to vote catcher Bengie Molina to the All-Star team, and the club's slumping cleanup hitter acknowledged that his confidence is nearing an all-time low. Molina also acknowledged he is having trouble focusing because of personal issues. A favorite aunt died one week ago. That loss, coupled with Father's Day, caused waves of grief to flood over him again from losing his dad in October. Also, his wife is expecting to deliver her first child within a few days, and Molina expects to leave the team to be there for the birth. There is one more distraction: Molina's status as an impending free agent. "Not knowing where you're going to be next year, it's a ..."

Giants watch Brewers rally for win in 9th

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June 28

San Jose Mercury News

"During the seventh-inning stretch at Miller Park, the crowd sings one chorus of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and two choruses of the "Beer Barrel Polka." The Giants might be wailing another tune: "We Gotta Get Outta This Place." In what seemed like a playoff-charged environment Saturday night, the Giants saw Pablo Sandoval hit two home runs and nearly club a third. They saw Barry Zito exorcize his bad Miller Park mojo by shutting down the Milwaukee Brewers through five innings. They saw their offense rally for a two-run ninth against Trevor Hoffman, a future Hall of Famer. Yet for all those encouraging sights, there wasn't a sound to be heard in the visiting clubhouse after a 7-6 loss to ..."

Lead becomes yet another loss in Milwaukee

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June 28

San Francisco Chronicle

"Why does this place have to be the Giants' Bastille? There is no collection of World Series trophies in the Miller Park lobby. The word "Brewers" does not make strong men weep. Why so much anguish - predictable anguish - every time? The Giants had a 4-0 lead in the sixth inning Saturday night. They broke a 4-4 tie in the ninth and led 6-4. They enjoyed two majestic home runs from Pablo Sandoval, who assumed the team lead with 11. They watched in awe as Jeremy Affeldt pulled an elephant out of his hat to keep them alive. And yet the final score was Brewers 7, Giants 6, and that was no surprise at all. This was San Francisco's 16th loss in its last 21 games here. "You can't explain that," ..."

Long, slow arrival of Ryan Sadowski

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June 28

San Francisco Chronicle

"The Giants will be the final team in the majors this season to use a sixth starter today when they purchase the contract of long-time minor-leaguer Ryan Sadowski from Triple-A Fresno. He will make his major-league debut in place of Jonathan Sanchez, whose struggles have landed him in the bullpen. The Giants had many choices, but Sadowski had to be the guy in this ethnically rich city. As manager Bruce Bochy said, "Being Polish, this is a great place to make your debut." More seriously, Bochy said, the Fresno staff recommended Sadowski, who nonetheless is a surprising choice because he has not been a top prospect nor even invited to a major-league spring training since the Giants drafted ..."

Fielder 's bat seals a dramatic comeback

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June 28

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"This was no night to be a closer. After San Francisco was quite mean to Milwaukee's Trevor Hoffman in the top of the ninth, the Brewers returned the favor - and then some - against the Giants' Brian Wilson in the bottom of the inning Saturday night at Miller Park. "The game ain't over until the last out is made," said Brewers centerfielder Mike Cameron, who added to the evening's thrills and chills by stealing a home run in front of 42,065 witnesses. That lesson was imparted in dramatic fashion when Prince Fielder capped a three-run rally with a two-out, run-scoring double that gave the Brewers an electrifying 7-6 victory over the Giants. Fielder, whose three-run homer brought the Brewers ..."

Giants' Molina has much on his mind beyond baseball

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June 27

San Jose Mercury News

"The Giants quietly pulled their campaign to vote catcher Bengie Molina to the All-Star team, and the club's slumping cleanup hitter acknowledged that his confidence is nearing an all-time low. Molina also acknowledged he is having trouble focusing because of personal issues. A favorite aunt died one week ago. That loss, coupled with Father's Day, caused waves of grief to flood over him again from losing his dad in October. Also, his wife is expecting to deliver her first child within a few days and Molina expects to leave the team to be there for the birth. There is one more distraction: Molina's status as an impending free agent. "Not knowing where you're going to be next year, it's a big ..."

Cain can't reach double digits as Giants fall to Brewers

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June 27

San Jose Mercury News

"Pablo Sandoval's day began at 3 a.m., when a ghost awoke the third baseman in his hotel room. It ended with the Giants losing another game in their personal chamber of horrors. The Milwaukee Brewers' aggressive lineup haunted Matt Cain, rattling his chains for four extra-base hits in the early innings, and the Giants' offense couldn't answer against Yovani Gallardo in a 5-1 loss Friday night. Cain (9-2) lost for the first time since May 2. He had been 7-0 over his previous nine starts and missed a chance to become the National League's first 10-game winner. Now the Giants have spent their biggest gun in this important series. Saturday's starter, Barry Zito, has a 10.05 ERA in three starts ..."

Taking the upper hand

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June 27

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"Maybe what they needed was the challenge of facing one of the game's best pitchers. The Milwaukee Brewers have been a team grinding its gears lately and struggling in several aspects, so seeing San Francisco Giants ace Matt Cain to start this three-game series didn't seem like a good thing. But the actuality turned out to be a very different thing. The Brewers got to Cain early and never let up, beating up the Giants, 5-1, behind Yovani Gallardo's dominant 118-pitch performance Friday night at Miller Park. The victory moved the Brewers back into first place in the National League Central, percentage points ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals, who lost to Minnesota, 3-1. After the Brewers lost ..."

Online balloting to decide '09 All-Stars

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June 26

MLB.com

"We, the people, are deciding who goes to the 80th All-Star Game July 14 in St. Louis.We are ready for the mad rush.We are entering that Validation Key over and over, submitting our 25 allotted votes in the 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Online Ballot at MLB.com.We punched those Walt Disney Pictures G-Force All-Star Game paper ballots and left those little chads all over ballparks, and now those last paper ballots are being collected tonight at Pittsburgh and Houston as it goes online-only for the homestretch.We know it's the final week to decide starters. Our deadline as empowered fans is 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, and we know that only because we have been staring at this javascript voting app ..."

Mother's Day bats now up for auction

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June 26

MLB.com

"It has been a big first half of baseball for current American League All-Star first baseman vote front-runner Mark Teixeira, and that included that memorable Mother's Day game back in his hometown of Baltimore, where he crushed a two-run homer for the Yankees.He was swinging a pink bat."It's obviously huge -- I think that's the first home run I've hit with a pink bat, so I'm going to go bring that to Mom right now," Teixeira said on May 9, referring to Margy, a breast cancer survivor who had been diagnosed when he was a freshman at Baltimore's St. Joseph's High School. "As soon as I hit it, I thought about it. It's pretty special to me."Margy may have gotten that pink bat, but another one ..."

Giants' wild times

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June 26

San Francisco Chronicle

"Aaron Rowand was among several Giants sitting on couches watching TV when the National League wild-card standings popped up on the screen. The Giants were listed on top, though most players didn't seem to give a hoot. "Five years from now, they'll be talking about the wild card in April," Rowand said for all to hear, then recited an old Jim Carrey line: "So you're telling me there's a chance." The Giants beat the A's 6-3 Wednesday night in the teams' final clash of 2009 and now own the NL's second-best winning percentage. Randy Johnson earned his 302nd career victory, Nate Schierholtz hit his second homer of the year (first over a wall) and the Giants moved a season-high seven games above ..."

Giants finish off A's

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June 25

Contra Costa Times

"Nate Schierholtz is doing his best to make the Giants rethink their outfield platoon plan. With Randy Winn on the bench because of his struggles against left-handed pitchers, Schierholtz made a rare start against a lefty on Wednesday night and responded with two more hits, including a two-run home run, in the Giants' 6-3 victory over the A's. Randy Johnson did his part after working out of a potentially disastrous first-inning jam, allowing one run in seven solid innings to earn career victory No. 302. It was a big night for the Giants' East Bay products. Schierholtz, who grew up in Danville, gave Livermore product Johnson (7-5) a huge lift by blasting a two-run homer in the second inning, ..."

Sanchez may skip next start

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June 25

Contra Costa Times

"Jonathan Sanchez threw a normal between-start side session Wednesday, although the Giants still haven't decided if they'll skip the struggling left-hander's turn in the rotation Sunday. At issue is, not only if a few extra days might help return Sanchez to form, but how tinkering with the rotation would impact Tim Lincecum. Lincecum threw just 108 pitches in a complete-game victory against the A's on Tuesday, but his workload is among the heaviest in the majors. Lincecum has thrown the fifth-most pitches in the majors this season and has pitched complete games in two of his past three outings. The Giants are off today, so if Sanchez is skipped Lincecum would pitch Sunday on normal rest ..."

McClung set to pitch against Giants

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June 25

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"Before speaking with anyone about his good news, Seth McClung made sure to send his girlfriend, Stephanie, a text message. "Let's just say I'm getting to take BP," the text read. Being a baseball significant other, she probably was able to crack the code that the Milwaukee Brewers right-hander was told he was going to start Saturday's game against the San Francisco Giants. After calling up Mike Burns from Class AAA Nashville to take Thursday's start, the Brewers still had a hole in the rotation because of Dave Bush going on the disabled list and Manny Parra being sent down to Nashville. After mulling some options, it was clear that none was better than bringing McClung out of the bullpen ..."

Ex-pitcher Downs happy to flee mound

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June 24

San Jose Mercury News

"Ex-pitcher Downs happy to flee mound If you think Giants second baseman Matt Downs is a long shot because he was a 36th-round draft pick, you don't know the half of it. For two years at the University of Alabama, Downs wasn't even allowed to pick up a bat. As a sophomore, coaches noticed his strong throws from third base and stuck him in the bullpen. He was dutiful — and miserable. "When your heart's in something, you have a feeling," Downs said. "And I had that feeling." They use a designated hitter in the Southeastern Conference, so Downs couldn't even take batting practice as a pitcher. But the Crimson Tide graduated most of its infield before Downs' senior year, so he went to coaches ..."

A's squander plenty of chances

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June 24

San Francisco Chronicle

"On a night the A's honored their 1989 team, the one that beat San Francisco to win the World Series, the present-day Giants went out and squashed the A's hopes time and again at the Coliseum. The A's stranded men at third in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings in a 4-1 loss to the Giants, who claimed the season series even before tonight's finale. They've beaten Oakland four out of five times this year, and Tim Lincecum has thrown two complete games. Among today's A's, Jason Giambi has the closest ties to the great teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Giambi first came up with Oakland in 1995 and played with some members of the '89 team, including Rickey Henderson and Giambi's good ..."

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