Giants Withdraw Torture, Anguish by Winning a Gorgeous Treat

An entire city gathered collectively by the beautiful bay in celebration of its first ever baseball championship, waving pom-poms, wearing the fake beards and popping corks in the gorgeous streets of San Francisco.

It’s clearly a myth to refer to the San Francisco Giants as misfits or castoffs, two words that seem irrelevant after the ballclub stunned the world and awakened the Bay Area in the midst of an improbable journey, now rejoicing a memorable moment in a magnificent sporting town. In the twilight of a bona fide team, the Giants rehabilitated in the second decade of the 21st century with excellent talent, from the pitching staff to the brilliancy of Giants shortstop Edgar Renteria.

Are the Giants still misfits? Are they still castoffs? All of that is trivial.

An elated franchise that has more victories than the New York Yankees won their first World Series since 1954 and first since departing New York with a 3-1 win over the Texas Rangers in Game 5 Monday night.

As all great stories eventually come to an end, the Giants redefined their identity and erased the horrid memories of Series droughts, engraving an incredible tale in baseball with a core of humbled and crafty big leaguers.

The turning point in the Giants rebirth happened at this moment. Earlier in the postseason, just as during the regular season, there was a dubious notion that the Giants weren’t mandated as the ideal pick to win the pennant for their oddity and uncertainty in the past.

With the breathless warmth in a city that cherishes its baseball team and shares similar trends, the healing process cemented adoration in a town that ignited parties and rowed their watercrafts in the McCovey Cove, a waterway alongside the gorgeous ballpark near the bay.

The renewal gimmick launched, when Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Buster Posey, all centerpieces in the Giants rebuilding plots, delivered on the biggest platform of their flourishing careers in the big leagues. In reality, as good as the new generation of players has elevated a sense of pride and aspiration for an avid sports community, the Giants can release the agony and torture.

The irony of the ballclub that no one ever imagined is that Lincecum was invincible and unhittable in the championship-clincher and will go down in history for leading the Giants to their first ever World Series title in a beloved town.


The long shaggy-haired ace uplifted his legacy on the mound, once the Giants were crowned champs following a nifty finish to conclude an exhilarating San Francisco Treat. At age 26, he has accomplished more than the ordinary pitcher, winning nine of his final 11 starts and now owns a World Series trophy with two Cy Young awards.

“You know what it is? It’s called being a gamer,” Lincecum’s catcher, Posey said. “Walking into the clubhouse today, the guy’s as loose as can be, joking around. Same old Timmy. You’d have no idea he had the opportunity to go out and win Game 5 of the World Series and win us a World Series championship. You saw it from the get-go. He had swing-and-miss stuff all night. Cruz hit a pretty decent pitch out. And he bounced back and got us out there.”

A startling performance from Lincecum had Willie Mays and Barry Bonds smiling. The Giants had to play for a playoff spot on the last day of the regular-season, but now celebrates a shred of unparalleled history and compelled the wildest fans, roaring from the streets.

Every night, the Giants were well-balanced and featured a different star. From here on out, as long as San Francisco keeps Cain, a resemblance of Larry from the Three Stooges, and Lincecum, the Freak in baseball, then the Giants could be a viable frontrunner in the National League for many years to come.

By the end of the night, Renteria was named the Most Valuable Player of the series, he caressed the ball in his hands, he shed tears of joy and he celebrated with his teammates inside the clubhouse. It took five games, to dispatch the powerless Texas Rangers, a team with the inability of hitting in the World Series. It was telling that the Giants pitching staff was far more superior.

“This is for everybody who has ever worn a Giants uniform,” club president Larry Baer said, “for every fan who ever froze at Candlestick, for every person who ever voted for a new ballpark, for every person who listened to our games on the radio.

“It’s on behalf of 53 years of waiting.”


Thirteen-years ago, Renteria was on decline in the twilight stages of his career, but delivered the game-winning hit in the 1997 World Series for the Florida Marlins. As he continues to thrive in the later point of his proud livelihood in the majors, he smashed a three-run home run into the stands in the seventh-inning Monday night that gave the Giants a 3-0 lead.

By the time Giants closer Brian Wilson retired the ninth on a strikeout of Nelson Cruz, the Giants poured onto the mound from the dugout, filled with tremendous felicity. By the time it ended, Posey hurled his mask and rushed towards Wilson and embraced a touching moment.

“You know, it’s a euphoric feeling that’s so hard to describe,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said after the euphoric moment. “For us to win for our fans, it’s never been done there, and with all those great teams…

“And what was neat through all this is Willie McCovey and Willie Mays, Will Clark, J.T. Snow, Shawon Dunston, all those guys that played on World Series teams, they were in the clubhouse, they were pulling for those guys.”

Well, they weren’t exactly in the clubhouse. In other words, they were rooting for the Giants.

Finally, the Giants erased the horrid, formidable memories of World Series droughts including losses in 1962, 1989 and 2002. This time, it was more empathetic and emotional and the Giants perfectly prevailed in the heaviest turnaround among a storied franchise, coming on a night when the team faced Cliff Lee, a pitcher who had been unhittable until this series.

He succumbed to Renteria in an elimination game, when he drove a cut fastball 397 feet into the left-center field stands and silenced a sellout crowd. Since then, the night turned somber. Since then, the Giants grasped a sense of aspiration.

In the history of the game, he’s the most clutch shortstop, if not the most clutch slugger.


In the past, the Giants were bothered by many imperfections for putting together a bizarre roster after a few erroneous decisions in which they endured mediocrity for keeping Bonds too long and lavishing Barry Zito with a $126 million contract. As a new era emerges, the Giants cast are flawless and have lifted into the spotlight for their surge in the postseason.

From the sensational hitting by Cody Ross, the rodeo clown, to Aubrey Huff, to Andres Torres, to Freddy Sanchez, to Juan Uribe the Giants were built as a championship-caliber team and drove through the postseason as darlings before being labeled champs.

Is it worth noting that Cain had a 0.00 ERA in three postseason starts?

Because of the dominance in the pitching staff, the Giants shut out Texas twice in five games. And much of it happened because of the invincibility of Lincecum and Cain. In the event that you weren’t paying attention, the rookie sensation Madison Bumgarner pitched eight shutout innings in Game 4.

The eight-inning, three-hit, 10 strikeout showpiece defined a breathtaking moment, but more telling, was that Cain proved dominant in the postseason. This team has done something special that McCovey and Mays and Juan Marichal has never, ever accomplished in the pinnacle of their careers.

“A lot of guys have been praying for this day who came up short in the early 2000s,” Lincecum said.

After years of failures, the Giants finally capitalized and transformed into champs. And seemingly, after a team endured futility and failed to win championships with Mays and McCovey or even with Bonds in 2002, which left the town mourning in despair, now they can jubilate and put the misery behind them.

On Election Day, San Francisco is dancing in joy.

Giants' Matt Cain Treats San Francisco to Party Near Bay

In a town that really knows how to party, Giants fans are throwing an after-party by the bay, thrilled by the San Francisco Giants' captivating turnaround. In every sense, the city has been a lively, festive place with Halloween looming ever closer and die-hard fans wearing costumes or rowing into McCovey Cove, the waterway near the gorgeous ballpark at the bay.

Every night has felt like a party in the Bay Area, and it has been fun to watch the World Series generate action-packed drama and a beautiful tale. On another pleasant night, the Giants ignited yet another party and continued their World Series awakening with nearly every swing. It’s no coincidence that the Giants are the best ballclub to return to the Fall Classic, hitting the Texas Rangers, a ballclub that shed the misery and gruesome memories of postseason failures, harder than ever when much is at stake.

The wildest and most raucous fans in the majors waved orange pom-poms in the stands and were even more exhilarated to cheer on a 9-0 shutout over the Rangers that gave the Giants a 2-0 series lead. For once Thursday night, the Giants were taken seriously and capped one of the most lopsided wins in recent World Series history.

What we learned after this game is that Matt Cain is the latest version of Mr. October. His curly hairstyle reminds us of Larry from the Three Stooges, but his untouchable pitches remind us of a Most Valuable Player. For six-plus innings, he looked spectacular and too lethal to outduel with his usual fastball and incredible calmness on the mound. He could easily be named the next World Series MVP courtesy of his superb pitching in the postseason if the Giants win a title.

The Rangers were 0-7 with runners in scoring position against Cain, who made a vivid statement that he is the best pitcher this fall, clearly better than Roy Halladay or Tim Lincecum. As baseball’s next legend ripens before our very eyes, Cain is more than a talented pitcher, but a gifted pitcher within a franchise suddenly relishing a fascinating moment in recent memory.

As for Cain, of course, it was merely another flawless start, and he is still untouchable without allowing an earned run in the postseason. What should be memorable for the average Giants fan is that Cain has an astonishing 0.00 ERA. That is, of course, a rarity in the fall, but not when Cain is capable of throwing his fastballs on both sides of the plate, not when he wears an intimidating stare and shuts down the powerful lineup.

“We’ve put ourselves in a good situation,” said Cain. “We’ve just got to take that confidence and some of the good approaches that we’ve had into these last two games and take them down to Texas with us.”


When he left the game following 7 2/3 sterling innings, to be anointed with a standing ovation, he tipped his cap to the energized fan base, and one fan hoisted a sign that read, “Cain’t touch this.” There was even a sea of pom-poms wildly swinging to string together the craziest frenzy. Cain is barely 26, but is already close to winning his first World Series. He’s barely in his prime, but his legend is growing rapidly with a franchise that could eventually lavish him with an enormous deal.

With all the drama, he’s more valuable than Lincecum, the ace of the Giants who really isn’t the noteworthy ace but overshadowed by a more superior starter in the rotation. And finally this year, Cain, the longest-tenured Giant, is pitching a gem, not any longer relying on luck or talent. Last season, Cain was mentored by Randy Johnson, who taught him about being a starter. Cain must have listened; he is arguably the best pitcher on the Giants alongside Lincecum and the frightening closer Brian Wilson.

“He did a really good job of emphasizing to stay deep in the game…instead of trying to change the ball in different guys’ hands,” Cain said. “Not trying to say anything…but sometimes those guys might not be feeling good.”

This postseason, no one can match Cain’s resiliency and invincibility. He hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last 21.1 innings and owns a 2-0 record in his first three postseason starts. Thirty-five year old Edgar Renteria drove a fastball off C.J. Wilson over the left-field wall for a fifth-inning solo home run. But the real damage came in the eighth inning, the one inning that seemed to be a nightmare from Hell. As Wilson was removed from the sixth with a blister, Cain found his moment to shine.

“He’s probably been our most consistent pitcher,” said Giants manager Bruce Bochy. “He’s such a bulldog…He should be recognized.”

By now, he’s recognized.

Matt Cain Evolves Into Unhittable Surprise as Giants Seem Worthy

From the moment the orange towels swung wildly in a city that hasn’t tasted this much gratification in some time now, the San Francisco Giants terrified their opponents and survived in a scoreless display to convince the world.

On a Tuesday afternoon at AT&T Park where the clamorous crowd roared crazily and witnessed the improbable, the home run king Barry Bonds watched and cheered from a front-row seat, along with the obnoxious mascot Lou Seal bustling above the Giants' dugout. It was intensely a sensational duel between two of the most dominant pitchers in the postseason, but only one survived and outdueled his counterpart in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series.

When it was over, Matt Cain had delivered a transcendent outing and retired opposing batters early with three scoreless innings to shut out the Phillies and capped a 3-0 win for a 2-1 lead in the series. If anything, it would be an understatement to discount the Giants, fortunate to have a resplendent pitching rotation with a trio of unhittable hurlers Tim Lincecum, Jonathan Sanchez and Cain.

But now, after controlling an inconceivable lead in an endearing series, after startling the Phillies with a fiery swagger to perpetuate the upper hand and after outpitching arguably the most successful rotation in baseball, the Giants veered into position to fulfill the unthinkable.

But easily, the Giants are the scariest ballclub in the majors anytime Cain takes the mound and throws heaters to cause misery. Suddenly, now is the time to worship the Giants for incredibly putting fear in the hearts of the Phillies. Twice in the postseason, the emphasis of the undaunted Cain has changed the framework and solidified the rotation, playing a critical role in the Giants quest to World Series.

And yet there is a shred of reality that San Francisco can prevail, as well as pull off the miracle in the World Series, Cain will likely be a favorable candidate to win the Most Valuable Player award. And such a feat is possible, of course, as long as the Giants win. If not for Cain, the team from the Bay Area probably wouldn’t own the lead in this series. The repertoire of solid pitching and enough oomph in the hitting department is all the needed ingredients to survive in a series as underdogs.

Coming into the series alone, the Giants were expected to lose, but with a glimpse of positive vibes and momentum, they won’t go down without a fight. Fueled by a rodeo clown’s otherworldly hitting, Cody Ross shifts the dynamics and enriched upon his incredible legacy in the postseason. Simply put, he’s a true baseball star more than a rodeo clown, a reliable and durable slugger who is keeping the Giants’ sluggish hitting alive each time he appears at bat.

Each time he deposits a fastball into the stands or drops a single into the field, he is credited for rescuing the Giants, considering that Cain saves the day pitching adequately. As it seems in each game, he has sizzled and drilled three homers in the first two games in Philadelphia, including an RBI single in Game 3 to break a scoreless tie. It never felt as if the fans were witnessing a circus, but instead it had an electric buzz as enthusiast chanted “Cody! “Cody!”

“He plays with no fear,” Giants manager Bruce Botchy said. “That’s what you like about the guy.”


But even greater, it was a signature win in a masterful game for the 26-year-old right hander. All of his pitches are nasty, vicious and unhittable, and as it turned out, he delivered in a critical game to vanquish the Phillies and outrival Hamels. What fun it is watching a ripening star in the Giants future arrangements, and fittingly a tandem alongside Lincecum. What fun it is for Giants faithful to cheer on the spectacular thrower.

“He went about his business because Game 3, as everyone talks about, is the most important game of a [seven-game] series,” Giants closer Brian Wilson said.

And he certainly was all business in a seven-inning, two-hit shutout. When he took the mound in the first inning, he furiously looked unbeatable and tough to hit. Clearly, he’s the hottest right-hander in these playoffs and won seven of his last eight starts, and 12 of his last 15.

That’s flawless.

Even more flawless is that he ranked sixth in the NL this year, holding opponents to a .221 batting average. His teammates gave him the nickname “Shotgun” a long time ago, and indeed he throws heaters on the mound and could be very intimidating. In the third inning, he allowed a one-out single to Carlos Ruiz and then accidently nailed Shane Victorino in the ribs with two outs, but controlled his command of pitches when he forced Chase Utley to ground out to shortstop.

The next inning, he yielded a one-out single to Ryan Howard, and walked Jayson Werth on the following play. But he still managed to avoid a disastrous inning and made Jimmy Rollins fly out to left, and then struck out Raul Ibanez on his breaking curveball. Finally, he snapped his horrid numbers lifetime against the Phillies, ridding a 0-3 record with a 6.23 ERA.

The Giants investing in a promising ace in the first-round of the 2002 draft, the year the Giants last appeared in the World Series, certainly paid off for a team on a mission.

Thanks in large part to the young right-hander.