April
12^th and we had a birthday party hangover this Monday morning,
AT&T Park and I. But life is short so I got right back on that horse called
the Golden Gate Ferry and rode it across the bay to San Francisco and a
sumptuous lunch out on the South Beach Pier watching the fluffy clouds march
across the newly rain-scrubbed spring blue skies.

       

I
always liked the Pirates. They’re much like the Giants and I’m not just talking
about their color scheme of black and gold. They are a storied franchise that
has always had the underdog tag on them. They have traditionally developed
great players, both outfield sluggers (like Roberto Clemente, Willie
Stargell, Dave Parker, and Barry Bonds) and pitchers (like Bob
Friend, Elroy Face, Dock Ellis, and John Candelaria).
We also have shared significant player trades (e.g. Bill Madlock, Jason
Schmidt, and [hopefully] Freddy Sanchez).

       

Tonight’s
game matched the former Giants draft pick from Oregon, Brian Burres,
against the crafty Cy Young lefty Barry Zito. Barry began the game
predictably by pitching out of trouble leaving two Pirates on bases but the
Giants jumped on Brian early scoring three runs in the first inning powered by
the RBI singles of leftfielder Mark DeRosa and catcher Benji Molina.
Barry gave a run back in the second inning by giving up a one out walk to third
baseman Adam LaRoche and driven in with a single by shortstop Ronny
Cedeno.

       

Barry
Zito
admirably got through the next two innings in order until he gave up a pinch
hit single to John Raynor in the fifth inning who was brought in by
second baseman Akinori Iwamura on a double. But by then the game was all
but decided by two more runs in the third inning by first baseman Aubrey
Huff and Benji Molina thanks to the clutch two out double by second
baseman Juan Uribe. Third baseman Pablo Sandoval scored the
Giants’ sixth run in the fourth inning on a triple by Aubrey Huff into
Triples Alley (of course).

       

This
game happened over a week ago so the exact details of the game are somewhat fuzzy
to me now. I remember that my sister came out to the bleachers in the seventh
inning to talk to me about family matters and brought me back to her seats just
a dozen or so rows directly behind home plate. It is indeed rarified atmosphere
there because you can see the actual features of the players’ faces as they
stride past you towards home plate. Me, I prefer the anonymity of the distant
bleachers where you can shout as many crazy things as you want to the players
without a care. Here, in the box seats, one must watch one’s p’s and q’s lest
one receives reproachful stares from one’s disapproving seasonal neighbors
(heavens forbid).

 

But
I do remember Benji Molina capping the evening in the eighth inning with
a two run homer down the leftfield line. All in all, it was a nice and easy win
in this early 2010 season. We could only hope that all the Giants games would
be as efficiently played (especially down in Los Angeles and San Diego as of
late). The Giants will need to revert back to this form for their next home
stand against the formidable Cardinals and Phillies. Go Giants!