It's Thursday, June 8, 2006, and the Giants are hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first game of a four-game series at AT&T Park. Zach Duke will start for the Pirates, while Matt Cain gets the ball for the Giants. Bonds is in left field and will bat fourth, as his replacement Moises Alou did in real life. The Giants won the actual game, 5-4.
Let's begin by looking at Bonds' at-bats:
In the first with the Pirates leading 1-0, center fielder Randy Winn led off with a base hit to left. He moved to second on Omar Vizquel's grounder to third, but Lance Niekro struck out swinging for out number two. Bonds was next, and his single to right scored Winn to give the Giants a 1-0 lead. Ray Durham's single to right put two men on, but third baseman Pedro Feliz struck out swinging to retire the side.
In the third with the Bucs leading 2-1. Winn led off with a single to left center. Vizquel's single to right center put two men on, and Niekro whacked a double down the left field line that scored both runners and put the Giants in front 3-2. Bonds struck out swinging for the first out, but Durham beat out a bouncer to third for an infield single to put runners at the corners. Feliz lined a base hit to left that drove in Niekro to make it 4-2, with Durham moving to third.
Right fielder Jason Ellison walked to load the bases, and catcher Eliezer Alfonzo grounded Duke''s first pitch into left center for a single. Durham scored easily, and the Giants led 5-2. Cain grounded into a 4-6-3 inning-ending double play, but the home squad had scored four runs on six hits to take a 5-2 lead after two.
In the fourth, Winn drew a leadoff walk. Vizquel's single to left center moved him to third. Pirates reliever Tom Gorzelanny struck Niekro and Bonds out swinging, but Durham's single to left center scored Winn to extend the Frisco lead to 6-2. Vizquel moved to third on the hit, but Feliz's grounder to his counterpart Freddy Sanchez ended the inning with runners still at the corners. After four, it was Giants 6, Pirates 2.
In the sixth with two out, Niekro lined a double into the left center power alley. Bonds brought the crowd to its feet with a higb fly to right center, but McLouth made the catch a step in front of the wall to retire the side.
In the ninth, Bonds grounded to third.
Now let's see how the Pirates scored their runs:
In the top of the first with one out, shortstop Jack Wilson dumped a double down the left field line. He moved to third when first baseman Sean Casey grounded to his counterpart Niekro for the second out. Cain gave up back-to-back walks to left fielder Jason Bay and right fielder Jeromy Burnitz, and the bases were loaded. Sanchez followed with a base hit to left that brought Wilson home, and the Bucs led 1-0. The bases were still loaded for second baseman Jose Castillo, but he was called out on strikes to end the inning.
The Giants tied the game in the bottom of the first, but the Pirates reclaimed the lead in the top of the second. Catcher Ronny Paulino led off with a single to right, and Duke also singled to right to put two men on. Cain got the next two outs, as center fielder Nate McLouth flew to Ellison in shallow right and Wilson's popup behind second was caught by Durham. Casey walked to keep the inning alive, and Bay's lined single to left scored Paulino to put the Pirates in front 2-1. The bases were still loaded for Burnitz, but his fly to center was caught by Winn to end the inning.
After the Giants had taken a 6-2 lead, the Bucs' long road back began in the fifth. Burnitz drew a one-out walk, and Sanchez lined a double off the wall in left. Pirates third base coach Jeff Cox meant to hold Burnitz at third, but Jeromy never saw the stop sign. Even a decent throw home would have nailed him at the plate with ease, but Bonds' throw was badly offline, and Burnitz was able to score the third Pittsburgh run.
The Bucs scored twice more in the seventh against Giants reliever Kevin Correia. Bay and Burnitz once again drew back-to-back walks, but Correia recovered to strike out both Sanchez and Castillo swinging. Paulino was next, and his lined single to left center scored Bay to cut the Giants' lead to 6-4. Jose Bautista batted for Gorzelanny and grounded one past a diving Correia and into center for a base hit. Burnitz scored, and we had a 6-5 game. Paulino went to third on the hit, but McLouth forced Bautista to end the inning.
The Buccos tied the game with two out in the top of the eighth when Bay hit Correia's 1-1 curveball down the left field line and over the wall for his thirty-seventh home run of the year to tie the game at six.
The visitors completed their comeback by taking the lead with two runs in the top of the tenth. Casey greeted Giants reliever Brian Wilson with a single up the middle. Bay lined a base hit to left center that put two men on, but Burnitz grounded into a 3-6-3 double play, with Casey moving to third. After Sanchez walked, Castillo lined a base hit to left center. Casey scored, and the Pirates led 7-6.
Wilson departed in favor of Jonathan Sanchez (no relation to Freddy), whose first pitch was lined up the middle by Paulino for a base hit. Freddy scored, and the Pirates led 8-6. Bautista, who had remained in the game as the center fielder on a double switch, struck out swinging to end the inning, but the Pirates led the game 8-6 as we headed to the bottom of the tenth. That turned out to be the final; the Giants put two men on in the bottom of the tenth and chased closer Mike Gonzalez. but fellow reliever John Grabow's 3-2 fastball caught the outside corner as Vizquel stared at it to end the game.
Final totals: Pirates 8-16-0, Giants 6-15-1.
W- Gonzalez (4-4)
S- Grabow (1)
L- B. Wilson (2-4)
HR- PIT: Bay (37)
DW- Benitez (3-2)
DL- Marte (1-6)
LHR- SF: Alou (19)
Bay was named Player of the Game. He was three for four plus two walks with a home run, two runs scored, and two RBIs. Honorable mention goes to Paulino; he was four for six with a run scored and two RBIs.
Bonds was one for five with an RBI. He's currently batting .266 (108-406) with thirty-two home runs and ninety-two runs batted in.
As a bonus. let's see if Sanchez maintains his lead in the National League batting race. He came into the game batting .344 (200-582). He was one for four in the original game and two for four in the sim, which gives him a current batting average of .345 (201-582). He has at least a six-point lead over the Marlins' Miguel Cabrera in the National League race, and he's two points behind the Twins' Joe Mauer for the highest average in the majors.
Here are the updated standings in the National League Central:
Cardinals: 83-78
Astros: 82-80- 1.5 GB
Reds: 80-82- 3 .5 GB
Brewers: 75-87- 8.5 GB
Pirates: 68-94- 15.5 GB
Cubs: 66-96- 17.5 GB
In the West:
(tie) Padres: 88-74
(tie) Dodgers: 88-74
Giants: 76-85- 11.5 GB
(tie) Rockies: 76-86- 12 GB
(tie) Diamondbacks: 76-86- 12 GB
Next: Game 2 between the Pirates and the Giants on Friday, June 9. Victor Santos will start for the Pirates, while Matt Morris heads to the mound for the Giants.
Thoughts?
Let's begin by looking at Bonds' at-bats:
In the first with the Pirates leading 1-0, center fielder Randy Winn led off with a base hit to left. He moved to second on Omar Vizquel's grounder to third, but Lance Niekro struck out swinging for out number two. Bonds was next, and his single to right scored Winn to give the Giants a 1-0 lead. Ray Durham's single to right put two men on, but third baseman Pedro Feliz struck out swinging to retire the side.
In the third with the Bucs leading 2-1. Winn led off with a single to left center. Vizquel's single to right center put two men on, and Niekro whacked a double down the left field line that scored both runners and put the Giants in front 3-2. Bonds struck out swinging for the first out, but Durham beat out a bouncer to third for an infield single to put runners at the corners. Feliz lined a base hit to left that drove in Niekro to make it 4-2, with Durham moving to third.
Right fielder Jason Ellison walked to load the bases, and catcher Eliezer Alfonzo grounded Duke''s first pitch into left center for a single. Durham scored easily, and the Giants led 5-2. Cain grounded into a 4-6-3 inning-ending double play, but the home squad had scored four runs on six hits to take a 5-2 lead after two.
In the fourth, Winn drew a leadoff walk. Vizquel's single to left center moved him to third. Pirates reliever Tom Gorzelanny struck Niekro and Bonds out swinging, but Durham's single to left center scored Winn to extend the Frisco lead to 6-2. Vizquel moved to third on the hit, but Feliz's grounder to his counterpart Freddy Sanchez ended the inning with runners still at the corners. After four, it was Giants 6, Pirates 2.
In the sixth with two out, Niekro lined a double into the left center power alley. Bonds brought the crowd to its feet with a higb fly to right center, but McLouth made the catch a step in front of the wall to retire the side.
In the ninth, Bonds grounded to third.
Now let's see how the Pirates scored their runs:
In the top of the first with one out, shortstop Jack Wilson dumped a double down the left field line. He moved to third when first baseman Sean Casey grounded to his counterpart Niekro for the second out. Cain gave up back-to-back walks to left fielder Jason Bay and right fielder Jeromy Burnitz, and the bases were loaded. Sanchez followed with a base hit to left that brought Wilson home, and the Bucs led 1-0. The bases were still loaded for second baseman Jose Castillo, but he was called out on strikes to end the inning.
The Giants tied the game in the bottom of the first, but the Pirates reclaimed the lead in the top of the second. Catcher Ronny Paulino led off with a single to right, and Duke also singled to right to put two men on. Cain got the next two outs, as center fielder Nate McLouth flew to Ellison in shallow right and Wilson's popup behind second was caught by Durham. Casey walked to keep the inning alive, and Bay's lined single to left scored Paulino to put the Pirates in front 2-1. The bases were still loaded for Burnitz, but his fly to center was caught by Winn to end the inning.
After the Giants had taken a 6-2 lead, the Bucs' long road back began in the fifth. Burnitz drew a one-out walk, and Sanchez lined a double off the wall in left. Pirates third base coach Jeff Cox meant to hold Burnitz at third, but Jeromy never saw the stop sign. Even a decent throw home would have nailed him at the plate with ease, but Bonds' throw was badly offline, and Burnitz was able to score the third Pittsburgh run.
The Bucs scored twice more in the seventh against Giants reliever Kevin Correia. Bay and Burnitz once again drew back-to-back walks, but Correia recovered to strike out both Sanchez and Castillo swinging. Paulino was next, and his lined single to left center scored Bay to cut the Giants' lead to 6-4. Jose Bautista batted for Gorzelanny and grounded one past a diving Correia and into center for a base hit. Burnitz scored, and we had a 6-5 game. Paulino went to third on the hit, but McLouth forced Bautista to end the inning.
The Buccos tied the game with two out in the top of the eighth when Bay hit Correia's 1-1 curveball down the left field line and over the wall for his thirty-seventh home run of the year to tie the game at six.
The visitors completed their comeback by taking the lead with two runs in the top of the tenth. Casey greeted Giants reliever Brian Wilson with a single up the middle. Bay lined a base hit to left center that put two men on, but Burnitz grounded into a 3-6-3 double play, with Casey moving to third. After Sanchez walked, Castillo lined a base hit to left center. Casey scored, and the Pirates led 7-6.
Wilson departed in favor of Jonathan Sanchez (no relation to Freddy), whose first pitch was lined up the middle by Paulino for a base hit. Freddy scored, and the Pirates led 8-6. Bautista, who had remained in the game as the center fielder on a double switch, struck out swinging to end the inning, but the Pirates led the game 8-6 as we headed to the bottom of the tenth. That turned out to be the final; the Giants put two men on in the bottom of the tenth and chased closer Mike Gonzalez. but fellow reliever John Grabow's 3-2 fastball caught the outside corner as Vizquel stared at it to end the game.
Final totals: Pirates 8-16-0, Giants 6-15-1.
W- Gonzalez (4-4)
S- Grabow (1)
L- B. Wilson (2-4)
HR- PIT: Bay (37)
DW- Benitez (3-2)
DL- Marte (1-6)
LHR- SF: Alou (19)
Bay was named Player of the Game. He was three for four plus two walks with a home run, two runs scored, and two RBIs. Honorable mention goes to Paulino; he was four for six with a run scored and two RBIs.
Bonds was one for five with an RBI. He's currently batting .266 (108-406) with thirty-two home runs and ninety-two runs batted in.
As a bonus. let's see if Sanchez maintains his lead in the National League batting race. He came into the game batting .344 (200-582). He was one for four in the original game and two for four in the sim, which gives him a current batting average of .345 (201-582). He has at least a six-point lead over the Marlins' Miguel Cabrera in the National League race, and he's two points behind the Twins' Joe Mauer for the highest average in the majors.
Here are the updated standings in the National League Central:
Cardinals: 83-78
Astros: 82-80- 1.5 GB
Reds: 80-82- 3 .5 GB
Brewers: 75-87- 8.5 GB
Pirates: 68-94- 15.5 GB
Cubs: 66-96- 17.5 GB
In the West:
(tie) Padres: 88-74
(tie) Dodgers: 88-74
Giants: 76-85- 11.5 GB
(tie) Rockies: 76-86- 12 GB
(tie) Diamondbacks: 76-86- 12 GB
Next: Game 2 between the Pirates and the Giants on Friday, June 9. Victor Santos will start for the Pirates, while Matt Morris heads to the mound for the Giants.
Thoughts?
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