San Francisco Giants bounce back after day of rest, racking up nine runs against the Padres

Jun 23, 2015; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy (15) looks on during the fourth inning of the game against the San Diego Padres at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco Giants took a big step in the right direction Friday night. What made it even better was the fact that the Dodgers took a giant step in the other direction. Does that mean we have a chance to make the post season? Too soon to tell, but it puts us closer. One down, eight to go. As long as the Dodgers lose when the Giants win.

Hey, I told you already. It can happen. We just have to do it one game at a time, like the game the Giants won Friday night. And what a game that was.

Jake Peavy was on the mound for the Giants and he pitched seven solid–make that fantastic–innings, allowing one run (a solo home run), two hits and he struck out two. He has never been able to notch a win against his former team…until Friday.

Peavy also got a couple of hits, and it’s not because of this new hitting bonanza the pitchers have going. Peavy has hit before, in fact he had two hits in his last start‒and like last time it came with an RBI‒a nice bonus. He also hit a sac bunt in the second, moving runners over, Kelby Tomlinson went to third. Angel Pagan was up next and he hit a single scoring Kelby. Ehire Adrianza attempted to score on Angel’s hit, but he was not in time. Peavy’s sac bunt literally put Kelby in a position to score on that single.

Kelby’s run tied the game.  After that the Giants started playing Giants-style baseball, base hit after base hit, moving the line along at every opportunity. In the third, Alejandro De Aza singled and Matt Duffy followed with another single. De Aza scored on Buster Posey’s single and Duffy scored when Marlon Byrd singled.

More of the same in the fifth: Brandon Belt drew a walk, Kelby singled, Ehire singled scoring Belt, Peavy singled scoring Kelby.

The seventh inning was the magic wandoo inning. The Giants batted through the entire lineup. Belt singled, Byrd singled, Kelby ground into a force out‒reaching on the fielder’s choice‒scoring Belt, Ehire singled moving Kelby to second.

Jarrett Parker, who was just called up because of all the injuries, pinch hit for Peavy. He hit the ball so high it looked like it was gone. But it bounced at the wall and went over the fence for a ground rule double. Kruk and Kuip swore it was the highest double they’ve ever seen. And because Kelby was on second, he scored and Jarrett Parker recorded his first big league RBI. It was also the first, and as it turned out, only extra-base hit by a Giant the entire game.

De Aza drew a walk and Duffy hit a single scoring Ehire and Parker. And the offense wasn’t the only thing going for the Giants in the seventh. In the top of the inning, one of the Padres sluggers hit a high fly ball to center field. Pagan kept going back at the wall, but that ball was headed for the kale. Pagan didn’t give up on it though‒he launched himself up the wall, reached out and snatched that baseball out of thin air. Instead of home run number two, it was out number two. The final score was Giants 9, Padres 1

I think my favorite moment of the game happened in the ninth. Brett Bochy, manager Bruce Bochy’s son, was given the ball and he took out the first two hitters with two quick outs. One of the Padres sluggers was up next. He hit a single. Next up: the guy that hit the home run off Peavy. Brett fired the first pitch to the plate‒just a bit inside‒and hit the guy in the back. Oops. With runners on first and second, big Bochy started the slow walk from the dugout.

The crowd was chanting Bochy! Bochy! Bochy! In the post-game interview, the manager admitted that he was swayed by the crowd and told Brett he was leaving him in, but this would be his last batter. He said he needed to get the other guys some work.

With the crowd in the background still chanting Bochy! Bochy! Bochy! The hitter fouled off the first pitch. The next pitch was a ball. The hitter fouled off the third, fourth and fifth pitches. When Brett tossed the sixth pitch, the hitter swung at it…and came up empty. A great big swing and a miss. Brett Bochy tossed the winning out. How cool is that?

Back to our play-off hopes. I may sound like a broken record‒with a little crazy stirred in, but I believe. You can’t watch a game like Friday night’s and not believe in the Giants chances. They played their hearts out. My BFF Vickie said that’s what it’s going to take to get to the post season‒heart.

Like it says in the song from the hit Broadway musical Damn Yankees:

“You’ve gotta have heart
All you really need is heart

When the odds are sayin’ you’ll never win
That’s when the grin should start”

Well, guess what? We’ve got plenty of heart and we believe.

We got this.