With 15 games to go in a largely punchless season, the Giants
suddenly have transformed into the Big Orange Machine.
By Carl Steward – The Oakland Tribune
SAN FRANCISCO
With 15 games to go in a largely punchless season, the Giants suddenly have transformed into the Big Orange Machine.
After scoring eight runs Sunday against Los Angeles, they backed it up with another robust offensive show Monday night in an 8-3 victory over the San Diego Padres at AT&T Park.
The Giants slammed three home runs in a nine-hit attack against the faltering Padres, punctuated by Pablo Sandoval’s three-run shot in a four-run seventh inning that helped rookie starter Eric Surkamp improve to 2-0 in three major league starts.
The 16 runs in consecutive home games, which also included a two-run homer by Carlos Beltran and a solo shot by Cody Ross, easily eclipsed the Giants’ previous high of 10, accomplished on two occasions.
But does this late-season eruption of offense mean anything? After all, the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Dodgers to keep their National League West lead at 8{ games and reduce their magic number to 7. Then again, with the Atlanta Braves’ extra-inning loss to Florida, San Francisco moved to within 6{ games of the wild-card lead.
The Giants are hoping they can become the Tampa Bay of the National League and at least make things interesting. After looking dead in the A.L. postseason hunt, the Rays pulled within three games of wild-card leader Boston on Monday.
At the very least, San Francisco hopes to make some hay in this next-to-last home series against the Padres, who have lost 15 of 18. The Padres put up a decent fight for six innings in the series opener, but the Giants broke it open against relievers Josh Spence and Andrew Carpenter in the bottom of the seventh.
Late-inning defensive replacement Andres Torres opened with a single against Spence. Carpenter entered and uncorked a wild pitch that moved Torres to second, and Ross’ third hit of the game, a single to right, scored Torres.
Jeff Keppinger followed with a single, and Emmanuel Burriss pinch ran for him. After a Beltran fly out, Sandoval unloaded opposite field on a 1-0 Carpenter pitch and drilled his 19th homer over the left-field fence.
The Giants jumped in front 2-0 in the first inning when Ross walked and Beltran ripped his 18th homer _ third with San Francisco _ over the right field pavilion against Padres starter Aaron Harang (13-6).
In the bottom of the third, Ross led off with his 13th homer of the season, a solo shot down the left field line. Keppinger walked and Beltran followed with a single, and after Sandoval’s force out moved Keppinger to third, Aubrey Huff lined a single to right for the Giants’ fourth run.
It appeared that might be plenty for Surkamp, who gave up just a scratch run over the first five innings, on Chris Denorfia’s one-out single in the fourth.
But the Giants’ Double-A call-up ran into trouble after two quick outs in the sixth. Nick Hundley and Denorfia hit back-to-back singles, and manager Bruce Bochy decided it was time for a change.
But right-handed reliever Steve Edlefsen struggled out of the bullpen, giving up run-scoring hits to Kyle Blanks and Orlando Hudson (who snapped an 0-for-34 streak with his single) and then walking James Darnell to load the bases.
Left-hander Dan Runzler replaced Edlefsen, however, and got out of the inning on one pitch as pinch hitter Aaron Cunningham hit a lazy fly to right for the third out.
Surkamp wound up throwing 52/3 innings in earning the victory, allowing seven hits, two earned runs and walking one. He didn’t strike out a batter.
