San Francisco Giants
Opening Day: The sun was shining, the ballpark pristine and packed, the beginning of the last year for one of baseball’s greatest hitters. Barry Zito, inked to a $126-million contract over the winter, took the mound as the Giants’ ace versus the Padres’ Jake Peavy in a potential pitching duel. Alas, Zito gave up three runs in a 5 inning stint, but the bullpen choked up another 4 runs, all the while Peavy and crew shut out the Giants. If nothing else, opening day was a sign of things to come.
1-hit loss: Matt Cain gives up one hit and one run on a questionable triple through 7 solid innings and then proceeds to lose the game. One of the many disasters in an unlucky season for Cain.
200-innings loss: Matt Cain goes another 7 strong innings, striking out 8 and earning the honor of a 200-inning season under his belt. He also ingratiates himself even more in Giants fans’ hearts, barking at Scott Hairston for a cocky bat-flip. The Giants led 4-2 through 8 innings, with Brian Wilson closing it out. Wilson gives up 4 runs, stemming from a single to Brady Clark, a walk to Oscar Robles, and then a home run to Brian Giles, which travels all the way up the wall in right field. The Giants go down harmlessly in the bottom of the ninth.
KKKKKKKKKKKK: Count ‘em. Twelve K’s by Tim Lincecum in a 7 inning shutout masterpiece against the Diamondbacks. Fortunately, his gem coincided with a rare offensive explosion by the Giants, winning 13-0 on the fine day of strikeouts by fastball, curve, and change.
It be Mando-time: Walk, balk, bunt, balk, home run, loss. Goodbye Benitez!
Golden State Warriors
The Trade: On January 14, the Warriors pulled off the impossible: shipping Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy and their bloated contracts to a sucker who fell for the hook, line, and sinker. In return, the Warriors received Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington, two misfits in Indiana who instantly found a home in Nelliball, in the ROARacle, and in thousands upon thousands of Warriors fans’ hearts.
Looks like the whole gang’s here: Mired in a 6 game losing streak and facing the Pistons on the road, the Warriors’ season looked bleak and lottery-bound, when
…Dris got a reverse lay-in, to the wonderment of all,
JRich, the much beloved, shot lights-out with the 3-ball;
Monta, Al, and S-Jax got the shots they took to fly and then drop in.
And Baron, the returning Warrior, willed his team to grab the win.
And from the Bay there rose a culminating yell,
It rumbled through dear Oaktown, it rattled in San Rafael;
It knocked upon The City and recoiled in San Jose,
For finally, yes finally, things were goin’ the Warriors’ way.
The Series: 6 games. 5 starters. 4 wins. 3 nights in the loudest building on the planet. 2 stars, one former and one current, humiliated. 1 drought snapped, much to the delight of the denizens of Northern California.
The Dunk: Put that in your flat top!
The 49ers and the Sharks’ most defining moments coming up tomorrow!
From here at the Front-Row, have a very Happy New Year!
No comments:
Post a Comment