NL West

One of the greatest moments in Yankee history occurred on October 8, 1956.  In fact, it is the only such accomplishment of its kind.  Don Larsen threw the only postseason no-hitter and perfect game in Major League Baseball history.  It was done in Game 5 of the World Series.

May 6. 

That is the last day the Giants were in 1st place. Four months later, the Giants stand atop the NL West, tied with the San Diego Padres.

Where were we?

Oh, right, nothing about yesterday's game matters once today's game starts.

The Giants belted the Padres 7-3 to win the opener of the important four-game NL West series Thursday in San Diego. Giants fans were roaring that everything had fallen into place.

Then on Friday night, the Giants squeaked out a gut-wrenching and fascinating 1-0 win over the Padres to move into a tie for the NL West lead.

It doesn't matter who is on the mound when an offense puts up 13 runs.

It's time to make the cuts. Spring training is over, the contracts have been signed. Now it's time to play some ball.

But who should actually play? There have been a lot of great players in San Francisco Giants history.

Bonds, Mays, McCovey, Cepeda.

The list goes on endlessly. But let's cut it down to the best 25. How would you put a roster together?

How many pitchers do you carry? How many lefties?

I need a backup catcher, don't I?

No matter how you build a team, you need to have a solid base and a pitching staff that will carry you the distance.

With the playoffs around the corner, potential matchups are being examined. The regular season is winding down and the hunt is heating up. For the Padres and Phillies, two playoff hopefuls, there is a chance the two will face each other in the postseason.

Whether the Phillies and Padres win the wild card or their divisions, there is a good chance they'll face each other, making for an intriguing matchup.

You know that phrase, “It was over before it started?”

Well, that is how I felt when the San Francisco Giants faced off against the San Diego Padres in Game 1 of their crucial four-game series last night in San Diego.

The Giants ripped the Padres 7-3 last night to come within one game of the NL West lead. They took the field as if they owned Petco Park and were the 1927 New York Yankees. They had confidence. They had an extra bounce in their step. They acted as if they were a playoff team.

Both Aubrey Huff and Pat Burrell had 2009s worth forgetting. 

Huff had the worst year of his career, batting .241, hitting only 15 home runs and racking up 85 RBI between Baltimore and Detroit. 

The Giants' offensive outburst in the first game of the four-game series in San Diego gives them momentum in the NL West showdown.

San Francisco will assuredly keep the momentum gained in a 7-3 win over the Padres if starting pitchers Matt Cain and John Garland can miraculously return to the mound tonight with exactly the same stuff they possessed on Thursday.

Chris Nelson has been known as the shortstop that the Rockies drafted the year before Troy Tulowitzki. He had been a career minor-leaguer, battling injuries most of the way through his journey.