SAN FRANCISCO - If the Giants are going to make a serious run at winning a third World Series title in five years, theyll have to do it starting on the road.
Swingman Clyde Drexler Jersey .Thats perfectly fine with manager Bruce Bochy, whose ballclub has played some of its best games away from the comforts of AT&T Park.It is encouraging, the fact that we have done a good job on the road, Bochy said following San Franciscos 4-1 loss to the San Diego Padres on Friday night. We wanted (a home game) for our fans but hey it didnt happen. We look forward to going on the road, just having a chance.San Francisco is two games behind Pittsburgh with two to go. The Pirates hold the tiebreaker, giving them home-field advantage. The Giants could also end up in St. Louis if the Cardinals fail to hold onto their one-game lead in the NL Central.Hunter Pence doesnt care where the wild card game is. He just wants the post-season to begin.Theres a driving force to earn a playoff game at home (by winning), Pence said. Its just a little extra motivation.Ian Kennedy pitched seven innings for his third consecutive win while Seth Smith hit a tiebreaking double in the sixth inning to pace the Padres.Rene Rivera singled in a pair of runs and had two hits, and Yasmani Grandal also drove in a run to help the Padres clinch the season series against their division rivals for the first time since 2010.Kennedy (13-13) gave up one unearned run and four hits while going over 200 innings pitched for the third time in his career. Hes the first San Diego right-hander to do that since current Giants pitcher Jake Peavy in 2007.Its a testament to Ian, Padres manager Bud Black said. He knew what was in front of him. He knew he was six innings from 200. He knew that he was one win away from 13-13. Theres some motivation there, no doubt.The Giants managed just five hits and repeatedly came up empty with runners in scoring position. They got four runners to second base with one out and failed to score each time.San Diego, which rallied from a 6-0 deficit to lead the Giants late before losing 9-8 on Friday, led from the beginning this time.The Padres jumped on San Francisco starter Ryan Vogelsong (8-13) for a run in the first then broke the game open with a three-run sixth.Vogelsong had retired 14 of 16 before Jedd Gyorkos leadoff double in the sixth. The Giants right-hander struck out five and allowed four runs and six hits over 5 1/3 innings.Kennedy pitched out of two-on, one-out jams three times, striking out Travis Ishikawa and Andrew Susac to end the sixth. He retired the final five batters he faced.Kevin Quackenbush worked the eighth and Joaquin Benoit pitched the ninth for his 11th save.RUNS ON EMPTYVogelsong has inherited Matt Cains role as the Giants pitcher getting the least run support. In Vogelsongs career-high 32 starts this season, San Francisco was limited to one run or fewer 17 times. Vogelsongs 13 losses also matched his career high set in 2004.TRAINERS ROOMGiants: All-Star catcher Buster Posey was held out of the lineup as a precaution after undergoing an MRI on his back. Posey has been bothered by some nagging soreness. Since Aug. 21, Posey leads the majors with a .413 average.UP NEXTPadres: LHP Eric Stults (8-17) is seeking his third win in four starts. A ninth victory would be the second-most of Stults career.Giants: Resurgent RHP Peavy (6-4) will make his first career start against the Padres. Peavy broke into the majors with San Diego in 2002 and spent nearly eight seasons there.
Tracy McGrady Rockets Jersey . Chris Johnson singled with two outs off left-hander Jerry Blevins (1-1), and Schafer pinch ran. With a 2-2 count, Schafer ran on the pitch and Upton dropped a single in front of Bryce Harper. Schafer already was rounding third when Schafer bobbled the ball.
Steve Francis Rockets Jersey . Cellino was ordered by a judge to pay a 600,000 euro ($800,000) fine for evading import taxes on a yacht he purchased in the United States and brought to Italy, the ANSA news agency reported.EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Josh Freemans career keeps spiraling. The New York Giants released the quarterback Freeman on Friday, five weeks after signing him. Freemans stock has plummeted since the beginning of last season, when he was Tampa Bays starting quarterback. He was benched and then cut by the Buccaneers, signed with Minnesota and started one game. That was in a lopsided loss to the Giants when he appeared unprepared for the assignment, going 20 of 53 for 190 yards with an interception. New York signed him as its 15th veteran free agent in the off-season, adding Freeman to the roster in part because starting quarterback Eli Manning and backup Curtis Painter had undergone surgery. But Manning was back at practice this week, Painter is expected back before training camp, and second-year QB Ryan Nassib will get a long look for the second-string job behind Manning. So Freeman was expendable, and his work in recent organizeed team activities was not impressive enough for the Giants to keep him.
Swingman Steve Francis Jersey. Freemans quarterbacks coach in Minnesota was Craig Johnson, now the Giants running backs coach. Freeman went 0-3 as a starter in 2013 with the Buccaneers before being cut on Oct. 3. He signed with the Vikings five days later, but other than his start against the Giants, he was a nonfactor in Minnesota. He was the Buccaneers first-round draft pick in 2009 out of Kansas State. He became a starter in November of that year and started 60 games for Tampa Bay. The Giants also were awarded offensive lineman Rogers Gaines off waivers from the Bears. Gaines, 6-foot-6 and 334 pounds, entered the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in May 2013. He played in all four preseason games for Baltimore last summer but was waived on Aug. 30. Gaines signed on with Chicagos practice squad on Sept. 24 and spent the rest of the season there.
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