Giants 8, Reds 5 (10 innings): Biggest comeback of the year, four runs down in the sixth, and of course the two guys over whom I cast aspersions earlier today on the Twitters led the way. (What? You don't follow?) Call it the old reverse Ojo Malo, though my criticism of Bochy's ridiculous use of Nate Schierholtz doesn't get any reprieve just because Randy Winn is whacking the ball this way and that.
Not that Nate's butt on the bench is going to dampen my enjoyment of this win. It seemed a hopeless loss after Lincecum, off his game the entire time, gave up five runs through six (and got lucky the Reds didn't get more in the sixth).
I think Ryan Garko might have figured something out. Or the National League figured something out: Don't throw him a fastball around the letters. Homer Bailey and Francisco Cordero (F-Cord?) bring serious heat, and Garko turned each of them around for his key hits. Garko only worked his magic because of Bengie Molina. With two on and two out in the 6th and the Giants still down 5-1, Molina worked a walk -- a walk, I tell you, a walk! -- from Bailey in a spot that, oh, 999 times out of 1000, he would swing at a low-and-away 3-and-1 slider. It loaded the bases, Winn spanked a double, and Garko followed with the game-tying single. Fun to watch.
And how many times do I have to tell you? Re-sign Juan Uribe this winter. He keeps having big at-bats. His solo home run was barely a blip at the time, 4-1 Reds, but it served notice the Giants wouldn't go meekly once behind big. Then he drew a walk in the 9th to start a rally that fizzled. Then he knocked home the final run in the 10th with a sac fly. He doesn't have numbers a stathead would love, but he's a huge contributor to this team.
