OK, everyone take a deep breath. The Giants have the day off in New York, and if any of them are so inclined I highly recommend a stroll around this place to give the mind a chance to wander.
To get our minds off the warps and woofs and gnashing o’ the teeth of our current playoff chase, let’s have fun with the top games of the year. I’ll start with five. Feel free to add.
April 22 Giants 1, Padres 0 (10 innings). It was Barry Zito’s first strong start of the year — 7 shutout innings, no walks, five Ks — and the first real hint that the hitting-thin Giants could lean on its starting pitching even on days without Lincecum or Cain.
May 10 Giants 7, Dodgers 5 (13 innings): The infamous Casey Blake Game. Blake homered off Brian Wilson in the 12th to tie it and in the dugout mocked Wilson’s crossed-arm gesture. Randy Winn then mocked the concept of a huge urban region covered in concrete and plastic surgery by knocking home the winning run in the 13th.
July 10 Giants 8, Padres 0: Jonathan Sanchez throws the world’s most improbable no-hitter in his return from the bullpen doghouse.
August 1 Giants 2, Phils 0: Lincecum shuts down the powerful Phillies in a game the Giants last year would have found a way to lose. They go on to win three of four in their best series of the year.
August 12 Giants 4, Dodgers 2 (10 innings): With everything stacked against them — the momentum, the umpires, their own lineup, their own mistakes — the Giants pulled out a crucial win.
Honorable Mention: Ryan Sadowski’s big-league debut against the Brewers — six shutout innings and the win. Whatever happens in his career, he’ll always have Milwaukee.
