No 100 Losses for Giants
Give the Giants credit for this: They’re not actively tanking.
Actually, depending on your view, you might not give them credit for that. The No. 1 overall pick is a nice prize in June, but the Giants took a step toward No. 2 on Friday night. They hammered the Padres 8-0 to kick off the final series of the year. Combine that with Detroit’s loss to the Twins and you have a tie for last place in the majors. The Tigers own the tiebreaker for the top pick.
The players don’t care about any of this, of course. They were happy to get the offense in gear and ride another strong Chris Stratton performance. They also were surely happy to clinch a season with fewer than 100 losses. Here are some more things you need to know ...
Stratton sets the tone
Stratton was a revelation in the second half, and he finished on a high note. He scattered seven hits and departed to a standing ovation in the seventh, with a runner on. Stratton wasn’t charged with a run in his 6 2/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked two.
Bright spot in bleak season
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Stratton’s numbers this season: 4-4, 3.68 ERA, 1.48 WHIP. In five home starts, Stratton had a 1.50 ERA. He was one of the few bright spots this season.
Panik just keeps hitting
Speaking of finishing on a high note, Joe Panik had hits in his first three at-bats and a single in the eighth. Panik has 33 hits in September, which is the third-most in the National League.
Posey orders triple-double
Buster Posey tied a career-high with three doubles and drove in three runs. His previous three-double game was May 5, 2016. Posey and Hunter Pence are the only Giants with three-double games this season.
The year they lost the fans
The final night game of the season was not a sellout. The Giants announced a crowd of 39,863 human beings. This will be remembered in part as the year they officially lost their sellout streak, although they’re expecting a big crowd on Saturday for Matt Cain’s final start.
