12 Memorable Giants Pennant Races
1998: NEIFI PEREZ AND GARY GAETTI SQUASH PLAYOFF HOPES
September 1: Division title aspirations were dead, with San Diego having built a 15-game lead, but the Giants were very much alive in the wild card race. San Francisco trailed the Cubs and Mets by two games and had a favorable September schedule.
The Stretch Run: No team in the wild card hunt played particularly well over the final few weeks of the regular season, but the Giants pulled into a tie for the lead with four games to play. After the Cubs lost in extra innings on the final day of the regular season, San Francisco had a chance to win the wild card outright. Instead, they managed to blow a 7-0 lead at Colorado, as Neifi Perez’s solo home run in the ninth inning off closer Robb Nen set up a one-game playoff at Wrigley Field the following day.
The Difference: Would you believe Gary Gaetti? The 39-year-old Cubs third baseman hit .320 and clubbed eight home runs after being acquired from the Cardinals at the trade deadline. His home run off of Mark Gardner in the one-game playoff trumped the game-winner he hit off of Trevor Hoffman in an extra-inning win over the Padres earlier in the month as his most clutch hit of the season. Barry Bonds went 0-for-4, grounding out with the bases loaded in the seventh inning and hitting a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the ninth inning.
Postscript: The Cubs lost to the Braves in the NL Division Series.
They Said It: “I’ve gone 0-for-4 before. It’s not going to be the last time. If you want to trash me, just write whatever you want. You don’t need me for that. We win as a team and lose as a team. But if you have to make this a trash Barry Bonds story, go right ahead.” – Barry Bonds after the one-game playoff loss to the Cubs
They Wrote It: “Two suggestions as the club looks ahead to ’99: Leave that infield intact and at least explore the idea of trading Barry Bonds.” – Bruce Jenkins
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By Scott on Tuesday, September 1st, 2009 at 10:00 am.
Tags: San Francisco Giants
September 1st, 2009 at 12:34 pm
You left out ‘71?! Marichal had to win the final game of the season to win the division and avoid yet another playoff-for-the-playoff game against the Dodgers.
September 13th, 2009 at 8:04 pm
[...] They’re In This Thing: OK, for real this time, this is the biggest series of the year. Colorado is in town for a 3-game set, the final meeting between the teams’ this season. With 19 games to go, the Giants trail the Rockies by 4.5 games in the wild card race. Stranger things have happened. [...]