SFGate/San Francisco Chronicle
The little things. They're what the 2009 Giants were supposed to be all about. Advancing a runner. Putting down a bunt. Making the right play. Throwing to the right bag. All the things that encompass small ball.
With a shortage of power, it was the only reasonable option.
On Wednesday, the Giants didn't do enough of the little things, especially in an eighth inning that decided their 4-3 loss to the Angels, who completed a three-game sweep and left the Giants bummed heading into today's off day.
"Obviously, I'm not in the greatest mood right now," said Tim Lincecum, who led 3-1 entering the eighth but was denied his seventh straight victory.
Asked to elaborate, he said, "because of the series. We lost three games in a row to these guys. A big game is won right before an off day like we have. I felt like we had as good a chance as any going out in the eighth inning. We had a lead, and things fell where they did."
Pablo Sandoval, 22, is a .330 hitter and possible All-Star candidate. But playing third base for the first time since May 22, he made an unwise decision permitting Chone Figgins to score the go-ahead run. With one out and the infield in, Sandoval gloved Juan Rivera's chopper and, instead of throwing home (Figgins was barely past the midway point), he conceded the run and threw to first.
"I talked to him," catcher Bengie Molina said. "I told him, 'Hey, the game's 3-3. You've got to go home. It doesn't matter if he's safe or not. You have to take a shot. You've got to go for it.' "
Lincecum: "On that play, I figured (the plate) is just kind of where you have to go with the ball. You've got to minimize mental mistakes. In his defense, I just don't think he had a good grip on the ball."
Sandoval said he had no problem with the grip and made no excuse, also saying his elbow problem (the reason he recently had been playing first) wasn't a factor. After the play, he heard from Molina and infield coach Ron Wotus and said, "It's going to be a close play, but I have to throw to home plate. That was a mistake on my part. Next time, I'll throw home."
The Sandoval play wasn't the Giants' only issue in the inning.
After pinch singles by Torii Hunter and Vladimir Guerrero - what a bench! - Figgins hit a liner off the glove of a diving Matt Downs, the second baseman appearing in his second big-league game. It turned into an RBI double and 3-2 game.
"It hit off the end of my glove," said Downs, adding he'd think more about the missed liner than his first two big-league hits. "If I caught that ball, I could've doubled someone off, and we win the game."
Erick Aybar followed with an infield single that tied the game, and Figgins advanced to third on Molina's passed ball. After the first four batters reached on hits, Lincecum struck out Maicer Izturis. At that point, Rivera hit his grounder to Sandoval.
"A hit's a hit whether it's a line drive or not," Lincecum said. "I'm still pissed I gave up as many as I did. I don't feel I should have. I can't do anything about it."
Lincecum retired his first nine batters and threw only four pitches in the seventh, but his wild pitch in the fourth led to a run. Andres Torres and Randy Winn had RBI singles in the third off ex-Giants right-hander Matt Palmer, and Travis Ishikawa homered in the seventh.
Downs, who scored in the third, was nailed at the plate in the seventh when trying to score on Renteria's single. Robb Quinlan made an excellent throw from left field.
From: MLB.com
 LA Angels (35-29) Won 6 | LA Angels 4, San Francisco 3 |  San Francisco (34-31) Lost 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Standings thru 6/17/09 | Recap: LAA | SF | Wrap | Gameday |
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