King of the World: Barry Bonds Chases Sadaharu Oh

[Garrett Garlits]

It's Sunday, April 20, 1997, and the Giants are hosting the Chicago Cubs in the second game of a three-game series at 3Com Park. Frank Castillo is pitching for the Cubs, while Kirk Rueter gets the ball for the Giants. Bonds in in left field and will bat second, as his replacement Stan Javier did in real life. The Giants won the actual game, 4-2. As we begin, Bonds is batting .291 (155-532) with forty home runs and 101 runs batted in. If the Giants win, they'll clinch at least a tie for the National League West.

Let's begin by examining Bonds' at-bats:

In the first, center fielder Darryl Hamilton drew a leadoff walk. Bonds' base hit to right moved Hamilton to third, and right fielder Glenallen Hill lined a double into the left center power alley, which scored both Hamilton and Bonds to give the Giants a 2-0 lead. Second baseman Jeff Kent struck out swinging for out number two, but first baseman J..T. Snow walked to keep the inning alive. Third baseman Mark Lewis's bloop fell in shallow right for a base hit that cashed in Hill to give the Giants a 3-0 lead. Next was catcher Rick Wilkins, who stroked a base hit to right center. Snow scored, Lewis moved to third, and the Giants were in front 4-0,

Shortstop Jose Vizcaino was called out on strikes, and Rueter's fly to the Cubs' Sammy Sosa in shallow right retired the side.

In the second, Hamilton beat out a grounder to third for a leadoff infield single but was thrown out trying to steal second. Bonds grounded to short for the second out, and Hill struck out swinging to end the inning.

In the fourth, Bonds drew a leadoff walk. Hill's popup was caught by Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg for out number one, Kent forced Bonds for the second out, then stole second, but Snow struck out swinging to end the inning.

In the sixth with one out and the Giants leading 6-2, Hamilton hit a ball off the top of the wall in right for a triple. Bonds struck out swinging for out number two, but Hill's base hit to center brought Hamilton home to give the Giants a 7-2 lead. Hill then stole second, but Kent's fly to center ended the inning. There was no further scoring.

In the eighth with one out, Hamilton lined a base hit to left. Bonds' fly to deep right was caught by Sosa on the warning track for the second out, and Hamilton was again thrown out while trying to steal second, which ended the inning.

Now let's look at the rest of the game action:

The Giants added to their 4-0 lead with two runs in the bottom of the third. Kent led off by hitting Castillo's 0-1 slider over the right field wall for his thirtieth home run of the year to extend the Frisco lead to 5-0. Snow followed with a lined double to left. Lewis was hit on the back of the leg by a pitch to put two men on, but Wilkins flew to the Cubs' Brian McRae in left for out number one, and shortstop Jose Vizcaino flew to shallow right for out number two. Rueter was next, and he helped his own cause with a single to right center. Snow scored to make it 6-0 Frisco, while Lewis moved to third. The runners were stranded when Hamilton forced Rueter to end the inning.

Rueter no-hit the Cubs through the first four innings. but shortstop Shawon Dunston led off the fifth with a base hit to right. Sandberg's shallow fly to right was caught by his former teammate Hill for out number one, but third baseman Jose Hernandez whacked a double off the wall in left to score Dunston and put the Cubs on the board. He moved to third on catcher Mike Hubbard's bouncer to second, but reliever Ramon Tatis grounded to short to end the inning.

The visitors added another run in the sixth. McRae lined a leadoff double to center. Center fielder Doug Glanville popped to Vizcaino at short for out number one, but first baseman Mark Grace singled to left to bring McRae home and cut the Giants' lead to 6-2. Sosa's bloop single to right center put two men on, but Dunston forced Sosa for out number two. Grace moved to third on the out. but Rueter made a spectacular lunging play on Sandberg's comebacker, then threw to first to retire the side.

Final totals: Giants 7-11-0, Cubs 2-6-1

L- Castillo (6-10)

HR- SF: Kent (30)

DL- Telemaco (0-2)

Rueter was named Player of the Game. He pitched a complete game. giving up two runs on six hits while walking one and striking out seven, He threw 113 pitches. At the plate, he was one for four with an RBI. Honorable mention goes to Hill, who was two for four with a run scored and three runs batted in,

Bonds was one for four plus a walk with a run scored. He's currently batting ,291 (156-536) with forty home runs and 101 runs batted in,

He leads the majors with 146 walks.

He's scored 124 runs, which is good for third in the National League, nineteen behind the Rockies' Larry Walker.

His on-base percentage is still .446. which is good for second place in the National League, six points behind the Rockies' Larry Walker.

His slugging percentage has fallen to .582, which drops him out of a tie for fifth in the National League with the Cardinals' Ray Lankford and the Rockies' Andres Galarraga, He's now in sixth place by himself.

His OPS is 1.028, which is good for third place in the National League, forty-two points behind the Dodgers' Mike Piazza.

He has eighty-five singles. The National League top ten starts at 120.

Next: The Giants visit the Marlins at Pro Player Stadium on Tuesday, June 3. Shawn Estes will start for the Giants, while Alex Fernandez goes to the mound for the Marlins.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

It's Tuesday, June 3, 1997, and the Giants are battling the Florida Marlins in the second game of a three-game series at Pro Player Stadium in Miami. Shawn Estes will start for the Giants, while Alex Fernandez goes to the mound for the Marlins, Bonds is in left field and will bat third, as his replacement Stan Javier did in real life. The Giants won the actual game, 9-1.

Note: The actual game was called with one out in the top of the seventh because of rain. This simulated game will also end with one out in top of the seventh unless it's tied at that point, in which case I'll play it out until the next run scores and end it at that point, even if it's in the middle of an inning.

Let's begin by examining Bonds' at-bats:

In the first with one out, third baseman Bill Mueller singled to left. Bonds struck out swinging for out number two, but Jeff Kent smacked Fernandez's 1-1 slider down the right field line and over the wall for a two-run homer, his thirty-first of the year, to give the Giants a 2-0 lead.

In the second with one out, shortstop Rich Aurilia stroked a base hit to right center. Estes hit a weak grounder that stopped just in front of the plate. Marlins catcher Charles Johnson threw to second for the force on Aurilia, and there were two out. Center fielder Darryl Hamilton's base hit to right center moved Estes to third, and Mueller walked to load the bases for Bonds. who grounded to the Marlins' Luis Castillo to end the inning.

In the fifth, Mueller led off with a double to center. Bonds walked to put two men on, and Kent hit a deep fly ball to right center. Marlins center fielder Moises Alou made the catch, hut Mueller moved to third. J.T. Snow was next, and he hit a grounder to first. Jeff Conine came up with the ball and threw to second to start a potential double play. but the ball went over Castillo's head. Mueller scored to make it 3-0 Giants, and Snow ended up at second, with Bonds moving to third.

Fernandez pitched his way out of trouble, as right fielder Glenallen Hill grounded to Alex Arias at short for the second out and catcher Rick Wilkins' fly to deep left center was caught by Alou to end the inning. There was no further scoring.

Final totals: Giants 3-7-0, Marlins 0-1-2.

Pitchers' records remain the same.

HR- SF: Kent (31)

LHR- SF: Snow (27), Mueller (6), Estes

Estes was named Player of the Game. He pitched a one-hit shutout, walking six and striking out three while throwing eighty-seven pitches. Castillo had the only hit; he led off the bottom of the first with an infield single.

Bonds was hitless in two at-bats plus a walk. He's currently batting .290 (156-538) with forty home runs and 101 runs batted in.

He leads the majors with 147 walks, twenty more than the Astros' Jeff Bagwell.

His current on-base percentage remains at .446, which is second in the National League, six points behind the Rockies' Larry Walker.

His slugging percentage has dipped to .580. He's still sixth in the National League, five points behind a tie for fifth between the Cardinals' Ray Lankford and the Rockies' Andres Galarraga.

His current OPS is 1.026, He's still third in the National League, forty-four points behind the Dodgers' Mike Piazza,

Next: Our final game of the 1997 season, as the Giants host the Reds on Monday, August 11. Kent Mercker will start for the Reds, while Mark Gardner will go to the mound for the Giants.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

It's Monday, August 11, 1997, and the Giants are hosting the Cincinnati Reds in the first game of a two-game series at 3Com Park. Kent Mercker is pitching for the Reds, while Mark Gardner gets the ball for the Giants. Bonds is in left field and will bat third, as his replacement Stan Javier did in real life. The Reds won the actual game, 7-4.

Let's begin by examining Bonds' at-bats:

In the bottom of the first with one out, Rich Aurilia doubled to right center. He held at second while Bonds grounded to Willie Greene at third for out number two, but first baseman Jeff Kent lined a base hit to left center that scored Aurilia and gave the Giants a 1-0 lead. Kent subsequently stole second, but second baseman Mark Lewis flew to Chris Stynes in left to retire the side.

In the third with two out, Bonds hit Mercker's 0-2 curveball over the center field wall for his forty-first home run of the year to increase the Giants' lead to 2-0. It was undisputed career homer Number 851. Bonds is now seventeen homers behind all-time leader Sadaharu Oh.

In the fifth with one out and the Giants leading 2-1, Gardner took a pitch off the side of his leg. He was forced by Hamilton, who then stole second. Aurilia followed with a double over the head of Reds right fielder Reggie Sanders. Hamilton scored easily, and the Giants led 3-1. Bonds struck out swinging to end the inning.

In the seventh with one out and the Giants leading 4-1, Hamilton singled to left. Aurilia followed with another double to right which scored Hamilton and extended the Frisco lead to 5-1. Bonds struck out swinging for out number two, and Kent's fly to left was caught by Stynes to end the inning.

Now let's take a look at the rest of the game action:

The Giants led 2-0 after three, but the Reds scored their first run in the top of the fourth. Stynes led off with a lined single to right, stole second, and scored on a lined single to right by first baseman Eduardo Perez.

It was 3-1 Giants in the bottom of the sixth when Kent led off by smacking Mercker's first-pitch fastball down the left field line and over the wall for a home run, his thirty-first of the year, to extend the home squad's lead to 4-1.

The Reds were down 5-1 going into the top of the ninth, but they staged a spirited rally. Shortstop Pokey Reese led off by beating out a bouncer to third for an infield single. Stynes stroked a base hit to left center to put runners at the corners. and Perez brought Reese home with a fly to deep left center that was caught by Hamilton on the warning track. Sanders followed with a double to right that scored Stynes to cut the Giants' lead to 5-3.

Gardner was exhausted, and he departed in favor of closer Rod Beck, who struck Greene out swinging for the second out. 444 Next was catcher Joe Oliver, whose base hit to center scored Sanders to make it a 5-4 game. Second baseman Bret Boone followed with a fly ball to center that looked like trouble off the bat, but Hamilton made the catch two steps from the wall to end the game. Our final: Giants 5, Reds 4.

Final totals: Giants 5-8-1, Reds 4-8-0.

W- Gardner (13-9)
S- Beck (38)
L- Mercker (7-12)

HR- SF: Bonds (41), Kent (31)

Note: Kent also hit a home run in the actual game.

DL- Rapp (5-7)

LHR- CIN: Oliver (13), Stynes (5), D. Sanders (4)

Gardner was named Player of the Game. He pitched eight and a third innings, giving up four runs on seven hits while walking one and striking out ten. He threw 105 pitches.

Bonds was one for four with a home run. His final batting average was .290 (157-542) with forty-one home runs and 102 runs batted in.

He finished tied for third in the National League home run race with the Rockies' Andres Galarraga.

He finished with 125 runs scored, which is third in the National League, eighteen behind the Rockies Larry Walker for second.

His final on-base percentage was .444, which was second in the National League, eight points behind Walker.

His final slugging percentage was .583, which was sixth in the National League, two points behind a tie for fifth between the Cardinals' Ray Lankford and the Rockies' Andres Galarraga.

His final OPS was 1.027, which was third in the National League, forty-three points behind the Dodgers' Mike Piazza.

Here are the final standings in the National League West:

Giants: 91-71
Los Angeles Dodgers: 88-74- 3 GB
Colorado Rockies: 83-79- 8 GB
San Diego Padres: 76-86- 15 GB

In the National League Central:

Houston Astros: 84-78
Pittsburgh Pirates: 79-83- 5 GB
Cincinnati Reds: 75-87- 9 GB
St. Louis Cardinals: 73-89- 11 GB
Chicago Cubs: 68-94- 16 GB

Next: We go back to the 1993 season. Our first game comes on Tuesday, April 13, as the Giants host the expansion Florida Marlins at Candlestick Park. Luis Aquino will start for the Marlins, while Dave Burba heads to the mound for the Giants.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

I've decided to change years for the moment and look at 1996.

First up: the Giants host the Montreal Expos in the final game of a three-game series on Sunday, August 25, Rheal Cormier starts for the Expos, while Osvaldo Fernandez gets the ball for the Giants, Bonds is in center field and will lead off, as his replacement Dax Jones did in real life. The Giants won the actual game, 7-2. As we begin. Bonds is batting .308 (159-517) with forty-two home runs and 129 runs batted in.

Let's examine Bonds' at-bats first:

In the first. he grounded to second. Left fielder Jacob Cruz followed with a base hit to right, and right fielder Glenallen Hill lined a double into the left center power alley to score Cruz and give the Giants a 1-0 lead. Hill moved to third on first baseman Dave McCarty's fly to deep left center, which was caught on the warning track by Expos center fielder Rondell White. Catcher Tom Lampkin was next, and with the count two balls and no strikes, Expos catcher Darrin Fletcher tried to pick Hill off. His throw went into left field, and Hill trotted home to make it 2-0 Giants. Lampkin flew to left center on the next pitch, and the inning was over.

In the third, Bonds struck out swinging,

In the fifth, Mueller led off with a lined single to right center. Second baseman Jay Canizaro flew to the Expos' Henry Rodriguez in shallow left for out number one, but home plate umpire Charlie Reliford called a balk on Cormier, and Mueller was awarded second. Shortstop Rich Aurilia's base hit to left center put runners at the corners. and pinch hitter Matt Williams (batting for Fernandez) walked to load the bases. Bonds bounced into a force play for the second out; Williams was eliminated, but Mueller scored to tie the game at three and Aurilia moved to third. Cruz was called out on strikes to end the inning.

In the eighth with the Expos leading 5-3, Bonds hit a 1-0 curveball from Expos reliever Mike Dyer into the second row of seats in left field for a leadoff solo home run. It was his forty-third home run of the year and undisputed career homer Number 852. The Giants now trailed 5-4. and Bonds is sixteen homers behind all-time leader Sadaharu Oh. The ball traveled an estimated 358 feet; left field at 3Com Park is 335 feet from home plate.

Cruz was next, and he hit Dyer's 1-2 fastball over the right field wall for another home run to tie the game at five. It was Cruz's fourth home run of the year.

In the tenth, Bonds grounded to first.

Now let's check out the rest of the game action:

It was 2-0 Giants after one, but the Expos tied the game with two runs in the top of the second. With one out, Fernandez hit third baseman Shane Andrews just above the kneecap with a pitch. Right fielder F.P. Santangelo lined a single to right to put two men on, and shortstop Mark Grudzielanek's single to right center loaded the bases. Andrews grounded to his counterpart Mueller at third, and Bill got the second out by throwing to the plate for the force on Andrews.

Cormier was next, and he smacked the first pitch he saw into right center for a base hit. Santangelo and Grudzielanek scored to tie the game at two, while Andrews moved to third. White walked on five pitches to reload the bases, but Lansing's grounder to Aurilia at short ended the inning.

In the top of the third with one out, first baseman David Segui blasted Fernandez's 1-1 curveball into the upper deck in left field for a home run to put the Expos in front 3-2. It was Segui's twelfth home run of the year. and it traveled an estimated distance of 363 feet. As I mentioned earlier, left field is 335 feet from home plate at 3Com Park.

The game was tied at three after six, and the Spos took the lead with two runs in the top of the seventh. With one out, Cliff Floyd batted for reliever Dave Veres and singled to right. He was forced by White for out number two, but second baseman Mike Lansing's single to right put runners at the corners. Rodriguez was next, and his base hit to left scored White to give the visitors a 4-3 lead, while Lansing went to third.

That was all for reliever Mark Dewey; Rich DeLucia came out of the Frisco pen to face Segui, who grounded the first pitch he saw into left center field for a base hit. Lansing scored to make it 5-3 Montreal, and Rodriguez moved to third on the hit. Fletcher's foul pop was caught by Mueller to end the inning.

The game was tied at five as we moved to the bottom of the eleventh. McCarty led off against reliever Barry Manuel and was hit on the forearm by a pitch. Rick Wilkins batted for Lampkin and was called out strikes for out number one, but Mueller lined the first pitch he saw off the wall in right center field. McCarty was waved around third by Giants third base coach Wendell Kim, and Lansing's relay throw to the plate actually beat McCarty, but Dave twisted out of the way of Fletcher's tag, and his hand brushed the plate in the process. After a moment of indecision, Reliford called McCarty safe, and the Giants had a 6-5 walkoff win.

Final totals: Giants 6-8-0, Expos 5-9-2.

W- Estes (4-5)
L- B. Manuel (4-2)

HR- MTL: Segui (12)
SF: Bonds (43), Cruz (4)

DW- Fernandez (6-13)
DL- Cormier (7-9)

LHR- SF: Hubbard (1)

Mueller's game-winning hit earned him Player of the Game honors. He finished three for five with a run scored and an RBI.

Bonds was one for five with a home run and two runs batted in. He's currently batting .307 (160-522) with forty-three home runs and 131 runs batted in.

He's moved into second place by himself in the National League home run race, breaking a tie with the Marlins' Gary Sheffield. The Rockies' Andres Galarraga is first with forty-seven.

He's moved up to third in the RBI race, ten behind the Rockies' Dante Bichette for second.

He's third in the National League runs scored standings. three behind the Padres' Steve Finley for second.

His current slugging percentage is .617. That's good for fourth in the National League, four points behind the Padres' Ken Caminiti for third.

His current on-base percentage is .459. That's good for second place in the National League, six points behind Sheffield.

His current OPS is 1.076. That's good for second in the National League, fourteen points behind Sheffield.

Next: The Giants battle the Rockies on Saturday, September 28 at Coors Field. William VanLandingham will start for the Giants, while Mark Thompson goes to the mound for the Rockies.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

It's Saturday, September 28, 1996, and the Giants are facing the Colorado Rockies in the second game of a three-game series at Coors Field in Denver. William VanLandingham will pitch for the Giants, while Mark Thompson gets the ball for the Rockies. Bonds is in left field and will bat third, as his replacement Jacob Cruz did in real life. The Giants won the actual game, 8-5.

Let's begin by examining Bonds' at-bats:

In the first with one out, second baseman Bill Mueller blooped a single to right. He was forced by Bonds, who moved to second when Rockies catcher Jayhawk Owens threw a pickoff attempt down the right field line. Right fielder Glenallen Hill walked to put two men on, but first baseman Desi Wilson struck out swinging to end the inning.

In the third with one out and the Rockies leading 2-0, Mueller walked on five pitches.

Bonds was next, and he smacked Thompson's 1-1 fastball over the right field wall for a two-run homer to tie the game. It was Bonds' forty-fourth home run of the year and undisputed career homer Number 853. He's now fifteen homers behind all-time leader Sadaharu Oh.

In the fifth with two out and the Rockies leading 6-2, Bonds hit Thompson's first-pitch fastball over the wall in left center field for his second home run of the game and forty-fifth of the year. It was also undisputed career homer Number 854; he's now fourteen home runs behind Oh. The Giants trailed 6-3 after four and a half.

In the seventh with two out and the Rockies leading 9-3, Bonds hit a 1-2 curveball from Rockies reliever Steve Reed into the third row of seats in left center field for his third home run of the game and forty-sixth of the year. It was also undisputed career homer Number 855; he's now thirteen home runs behind Oh. As we stretched at Coors Field, it was Rockies 9, Giants 4.

In the ninth with the Rockies leading 12-4, Matt Williams batted for reliever Steve Bourgeois (who started the actual game) and stroked a leadoff base hit to right center. Center fielder Dax Jones struck out swinging for out number one, but Rockies reliever Curt Leskanic's wild pitch moved Williams to second. Mueller's lined single to center put runners at the corners, and Bonds followed by lining a base hit to left center that scored Williams to make it 12-5.

That was it for Leskanic; Rockies manager Don Baylor brought Darren Holmes in to face Hill, who slashed a base hit up the middle. McCracken got to the ball quickly and had a chance to throw Mueller out at the plate, but his throw took off up the first base line, and Bill scored the Giants' sixth run easily. Bonds moved to third on the play, and Mark Carreon came up to bat for Wilson. He lined the first pitch he saw into right field for a base hit, which brought Barry home to cut the Colorado lead to 12-7.

Third baseman Kim Batiste lined a base hit to left that loaded the bases, and Baylor called on closer Bruce Ruffin to get the final two outs. He did, on five pitches; catcher Rick Wilkins looked at a called third strike, and shortstop Rich Aurilia flew to future teammate Ellis Burks in right center field to end the game with the bases still loaded. Our final: Rockies 12, Giants 7.

Now let's see how the Rockies scored their runs:

They scored first in the bottom of the second. Right fielder Dante Bichette led off with a double off the right field wall, and third baseman Vinny Castilla followed by golfing VanLandingham's first-pitch fastball over the right field wall for his forty-first home run of the year. The Rockies led 2-0 after one.

The Giants tied the game in top of the third on Bonds' first homer of the night, but the Rox reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the third. McCracken led off with a fly ball to left center that dropped on the warning track and hopped over the wall for a book-rule double. Burks took a called third strike for the first out, and first baseman Andres Galarraga flew to Jones in left center for out number two, with McCracken moving to third. Bichette was next, and he whacked a 2-2 curveball from VanLandingham over the wall in left for a two-run homer to give the Rox a 4-2 lead. It was Bichette's thirty-second home run of the year.

The home squad added another pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth. With two out, Thompson singled to center. He moved to third on second baseman Eric Young's bloop single to right, and McCracken brought them both home when he tripled into the left center power alley. The hit ended VanLandingham's evening, Shawn Estes relieved and retired Burks on a comebacker to end the inning. After four, it was Colorado 6, San Francisco 2.

Bonds hit his second home run of the game in the top of the fifth, but the Rox got that run back in the bottom of the fifth. Galarraga drew a leadoff walk, but Bichette flew to Jones in center for the first out, and Castilla forced Galarraga for out number two. Owens walked to put two men on, and shortstop Walt Weiss lined a base hit to right center. Castilla scored to extend the Colorado lead to 7-3. Owens moved to third on the hit, but Estes struck Thompson out swinging to end the inning.

The Rox scored twice more in the bottom of the sixth. Young was hit in the knee by a pitch. McCracken's single to left put runners at the corners, and Yoong came home on Burks' roller to first to make it 8-3. Galarraga struck out swinging for out number two, but Bichette smacked a double into the left center power alley to bring The Big Cat home and extend the Colorado lead to 9-3.

Bonds hit his third home run of the game in the top of the seventh, but the Rox countered with two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Weiss walked with one out, and Larry Walker came out of the dugout to bat for Reed. He electrified the Coors Field crowd by hitting Bourgeois's first pitch over the wall in left center for a two-run homer that extended the Colorado lead to 11-4. It was his nineteenth home run of the year.

The Rox added one last run in the bottom of the eighth, With one out, Bichette lined a double into the left center power alley. A wild pitch from Bourgeois allowed Dante to go to third, and he scored on Castilla's base hit to left center. The Rockies led 12-4 after eight.

Final totals: Rockies 12-16-1, Giants 7-13-0,

W- Thompson (10-11)
S- Ruffin (25)
L- VanLandingham (9-15)

HR- SF: Bonds 3 (46)
COL: Castilla (41), Bichette (32), Walker (19)

DW- Carlson
DS- Beck (34)
DL- Burke (2-0)

LHR- SF: Batiste (2)
COL: Burks (39)

Bonds was named Player of the Game. He was four for five with three home runs, four runs scored, and five RBIs. He's currently batting .311 (164-527) with forty-six home runs and 136 runs batted in.

He's moved into second place in the National League run standings. Burks was first with 142, but he lost the two runs he scored in the actual game and didn't score at all in the sim. He now has 140 runs, while Bonds has 127. Bichette scored three runs in the sim, which puts him in a three-way tie for sixth at 117 with Barry Larkin of the Reds and Howard Johnson of the Mets.

Bonds is one home run behind Galarraga for the National League lead. Castilla is now tied for fourth with Todd Hundley of the Mets with forty-one, while Burks' lost homer leaves him in eighth place by himself with thirty-nine.

Turning to the RBI race, Bonds had five in this game to give him 136. Bichette, who was second with 141 entering this game, picked up three more to increase his total to 144. Galarraga entered this game in the lead with 150, but lost one from the actual game and had none in the sim. The standings now read Galarraga first at 149, Bichette second at 144, and Bonds third at 136.

Bonds' on-base percentage is now .461, which is second in the National League, four points behind the Marlins' Gary Sheffield.

Bonds' slugging percentage has risen all the way to .636. Because Burks lost a home run in tonight's game, his slugging percentage has dropped to .636, which means that he and Bonds are tied for the National League lead. They're currently tied for fourth in the majors, one point behind the Orioles' Brady Anderson for third.

Bonds' OPS is 1.097. He's taken the lead in the National League by seven points over the Marlins' Gary Sheffield. He's second in the majors, 101 points behind the Athletics' Mark McGwire.

As a bonus, let's calculate Burks' batting average. He came into the game with a .344 average (211-613), which was second in the National League. He lost a hit in two additional at-bats, which dropped him to .341 (210-615). That's still good for second in the National League, twelve points behind the Padres' Tony Gwynn.

Here are the updated standings in the National League West:

San Diego Padres: 91-71
Los Angeles Dodgers: 90-72- 1 GB
Rockies: 84-78- 7 GB
Giants: 67-95- 24 GB

Next: Game 3 between the Giants and the Rockies at Coors Field on Sunday, September 29, Allen Watson will pitch for the Giants, while Kevin Ritz goes to the mound for the Rockies.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

It's Sunday, September 29, 1996, and the Giants are taking on the Rockies in the third and final game of a three-game series at Coors Field. Allen Watson will pitch for the Giants, while Kevin Ritz gets the ball for the Rockies. Bonds is in left field and will bat third, as his replacement Jacob Cruz did in real life. The Rockies won the actual game, 12-3.

Let's begin by examining Bonds' at-bats:

In the first, his line drive was gloved by Rockies first baseman Andres Galarraga.

In the second with the Rockies leading 1-0, right fielder Glenallen Hill led off with a single to right. First baseman David McCarty beat out a bouncer to third for an infield single, and there were two men on. Second baseman Jay Canizaro took a called third strike for out number one, but shortstop Shawn Dunston whacked a 1-2 fastball from Rockies starter Kevin Ritz over the left center field wall for a three-run homer, his sixth of the year, to give the Giants a 3-1 lead. Catcher Rick Wilkins was next, and he launched Ritz's 1-1 hanging curve over the left field for a home run of his own and a 4-1 Giants lead. It was Wilkins' ninth home run of the year.

That was all for Ritz; Bryan Rekar came out of the Colorado pen to face Watson and retired his new mound opponent on a fly to Quinton McCracken in shallow right center. But he muffed center fielder Marvin Benard's comebacker and was charged with an error, which allowed Benard to reach. Third baseman Bill Mueller singled to right center to put two men on, but Bonds' fly to right center ended the inning.

In the fourth with the Giants leading 8-2, Bonds lined a 1-1 slider from Rockies reliever Roger Bailey over the left center field wall for a leadoff home run, his forty-seventh home run of the year to give the Giants a 9-2 lead. It was also undisputed career homer Number 856. He's now twelve home runs behind all-time leader Sadaharu Oh.

Hill was next, and he drilled Bailey's 2-1 fastball over the right center field wall to make it 10-2. It was Hill's twentieth home run of the year.

In the sixth, Bonds drew a leadoff walk, Hill's single to right center put runners at the corners, but McCarty's liner was caught by Weiss for out number one. Canizaro walked to load the bases, but Dunston's fly to shallow right was caught by the Rockies' Dante Bichette for out number two. and Wilkins struck out swinging to end the inning.

In the seventh with one out, Benard beat out a grounder to third for an infield single. He was forced by Mueller for the first out, but Bonds walked to put two men on, but Hill struck out swinging to retire the side.

In the eighth with one out, Canizaro was hit in the forearm by a pitch. Walks to Dunston and Wilkins loaded the bases. Next up was Watson, who hit a grounder to third. Vinny Castilla made the stop but dropped the ball when he tried to throw to first. Canizaro scored the Giants' eleventh run, Watson was safe at first, and the bases were loaded. Benard was next, and his single to right scored Benard to make it 12-2.

Former Giant Bill Swift was next out of the Rockies' pen, and Matt Williams was called on to bat for Mueller. He grounded the first pitch he saw into right center for a single, which scored Wilkins and Watson to put the Boys from the Bay up 14-2. Benard moved to third on the hit, but Bonds' liner was caught by Weiss for out number two, and Hill's popup was caught by Castilla to end the inning. Final score: Giants 14, Rockies 2.

Now let's take a look at the rest of the game action:

The Rockies began the scoring in the bottom of the first. Second baseman Eric Young beat out a bouncer to third for an infield single, then stole second, He stayed put while McCracken grounded to Dunston at short for the first out, and left fielder Ellis Burks' liner was caught by Dunston for the second out. That brought up first baseman Andres Galarraga, whose base hit to left center scored Young to give the Rox a 1-0 lead. Bichette lined a single up the middle to put two on, but Castilla's popup was caught by McCarty to end the inning.

The Giants added to their 4-1 lead with four more runs in the third. Hill led off with a double over Burks' head in left, and McCarty walked to put two men on, Canizaro was next, and he doubled off the wall in center. Hill and McCarty scored, and the Giants led 6-1. Dunston followed with a bloop single to left center that cashed in Canizaro to make it 7-1.

After Wilkins walked to put two men on, Watson helped his own cause with a base hit to right center. Dunston scored, Wilkins moved to third, and the Giants led 8-1. Wilkins moved to third on the hit, but Benard took a called third strike for the first out, and Mueller grounded into a 6-4-3 inning-ending double play.

The Rockies scored their only other run in the bottom of the third with two out when Burks hit a 1-2 fastball from Watson over the wall in center for a home run to cut the Frisco lead to 8-2. It was Burks' fortieth home run of the year.

Final totals: Giants: 14-17-0, Rockies 2-6-2.

W- Watson (9-11)
L- Ritz (16-12)

HR- SF: Bonds (47), Hill (20), Wilkins (9), Dunston (6)
COL: Burks (40)

LHR- COL: Galarraga (46), Castilla (39), Decker (1)

Dunston was named Player of the Game. He was two for five plus a walk with a home run, three runs scored and four RBIs. Honorable mention goes to Hill, who was four for six with a home run and scored three times.

A tip of the cap also goes to Watson, who pitched seven innings and held the Rockies to two runs on five hits while walking one and striking out five. He threw ninety-nine pitches. At the plate, he was two for five with a run scored and an RBI.

Bonds was one for four plus two walks with a home run. He's currently batting .311 (165-531) with forty-seven home runs and 137 runs batted in.

With the home run he hit in this game, plus the one that Galarraga lost, Bonds now has the National League home run lead. He's tied for fifth in the major league race with the Rangers' Juan Gonzalez. Albert Belle of the Indians is fourth with forty-eight.

In the runs scored race, Bonds now has 128. Burks scored two runs in the actual game, but just one in the sim, which leaves him with 139. Burks now leads by eleven runs over Bonds in second. As for Bichette, he scored twice in the actual game, but didn't score at all in the sim. He's currently seventh in the National League with 115.

In the RBI race, Galarraga had three in the actual game but just one in the sim. He now has 147. Bichette had two RBIs in the actual game but was shutout in the sim. He now has 142. Bonds in third with 137,

He's now walked 153 times, which leads the majors by eleven over the Marlins' Gary Sheffield.

Bonds' current on-base percentage is .462. He's second in the National League, three points behind Sheffield,

Burks' slugging percentage has fallen to .630; he hit a hone run in the sim while losing a single and a double. Bonds' has risen to .638, which means he has the National League lead by himself. He's currently third in the majors, five points behind Gonzalez.

Bonds' current OPS is 1.100. He leads the National League by ten points over Sheffield. He's second in the major leagues, ninety-eight points behind the Athletics' Mark McGwire.

Here are the up-to-date standings in the National League West:

Padres: 91-71
Dodgers: 90-72- 1 GB
Rockies: 83-79- 8 GB
Giants: 68-94- 23 GB

Now it's bonus time. Burks entered this game with a batting average of .341 (210-615). He was two for two in the actual game but was only one for four in the sim. He loses a hit over two additional at-bats, which gives him an average of .339 (209-617). He's still second in the National League, fourteen points behind the Padres' Tony Gwynn.

Next: Our final game of the 1996 season, as the Giants head to Cincinnati to battle the Reds in the second game of a doubleheader on Friday, September 6 at Riverfront Stadium. Mark Gardner will start for the Giants, while Kevin Jarvis goes to the mound for the Reds.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

It's Friday, September 6, 1996, and the Giants are taking on the Cincinnati Reds in the second game of a doubleheader at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Mark Gardner will pitch for the Giants. while Kevin Jarvis gets the ball for the Reds. Bonds is in center field and will lead off, as his replacement Marvin Benard did in real life. The Reds won the actual game, 14-1.

Let's begin by examining Bonds' at-bats:

In the first, he grounded to the Reds' Hal Morris at first.

In the third, shortstop Rich Aurilia drew a leadoff walk. Catcher Rick Wilkins singled to right to put two men on. After Gardner struck out swinging for out number one, Bonds walked to load the bases. They remained loaded, as third baseman Bill Mueller flew to Kevin Mitchell in left for the second out and left fielder Jacob Cruz's foul pop was caught by Reds catcher Eddie Taubensee to end the inning.

In the fifth with the scored tied at three, Bonds hit Jarvis's first-pitch curveball down the right field line and over the wall for a solo home run, his forty-eighth of the year, to give the Giants a 4-3 lead. It was undisputed career homer Number 857; he's now eleven home runs behind all-time leader Sadaharu Oh. He's hit seven home runs in his last five simulated games.

In the sixth, Aurilia drew another leadoff walk. Wilkins' line drive was caught by Reds shortstop Barry Larkin for the first out, and reliever Shawn Estes bunted Aurilia over to second. Bonds walked to put two on with two out, but Mueller struck out swinging to retire the side.

In the eighth, Bonds popped to Larkin at short.

Now let's look at the rest of the game action:

The Giants broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth. With two out, second baseman Steve Scarsone walked. Aurilia's lined single to left put two men on, and Wilkins followed by hitting Jarvis's 1-1 curveball down the left field line and over the wall for his tenth home run of the year to give the Giants a 3-0 lead.

The Reds tied the game in the bottom of the fourth. With two out, third baseman Willie Greene walked. Morris singled to right to put two men on, and second baseman Bret Boone smacked Gardner's first pitch over the left field wall for a three-run homer that tied the game. It was Boone's thirteenth homer of the year.

Bonds' homer gave the Giants a 4-3 lead that they held until the bottom of the sixth. Larkin led off with a base hit to left and moved to third on Mitchell's single to right. Greene took a called third strike for out number one, but Morris walked on five pitches to load the bases. Boone popped to Mueller in foul territory for the second out, but Taubensee whacked the first pitch he saw into left field for a base hit. Larkin and Mitchell scored, and the Reds led 5-4 after six,

The Giants tied the game again in the top of the seventh. With two out, first baseman Desi Wilson singled to left center. Scarsone took a pitch off of his elbow pad to put two men on, and Aurilia grounded a base hit to center that scored Wilson to tie the game at five. Scarsone moved to third on the hit, and future Hall of Famer Lee Smith came out of the Cincy pen to face Wilkins, whom he struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Reds took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Center fielder Curtis Goodwin drew a leadoff walk against Giants reliever Mark Dewey. He moved to second on right fielder Lenny Harris's grounder to short and scored on Larkin's single up the middle to give the Reds a 6-5 lead. Tim Scott was next out of the Frisco pen, and he retired Mitchell on a popup to McCarty at first for out number two. But Larkin stole second, and Greene's lined single to right cashed him in to make it 7-5 Cincy. Scott picked Greene off of first to retire the side,

The Giants retook the lead in the top of the ninth against Reds closer Jeff Brantley. Hill and pinch hitter Mark Carreon (batting for Wilson) drew back-to-back walks to start the inning. Scarsone was next, and Brantley threw him a 3-1 fastball right down the middle, which he blasted into the seats in right center field for a three-run homer, his sixth of the year, to give the visitors an 8-7 lead.

The Reds retaliated with a walkoff homer of their own against Giants closer Rod Beck. With one out. Larkin hit a line drive that bounced into and out of the glove of Giants left fielder Jacob Cruz, then rolled away from him. By the time he retrieved it, Larkin was at second, and he (Cruz) had been charged with a two-base error. Mitchell was next, and he hit another line drive; this one disappeared over the wall in right center for a two-run game winning homer, his seventh of the year. Final score: Reds 9, Giants 8.

Final totals: Reds 9-11-0, Giants 8-10-1.

W- Ruffin (2-3)
L- Beck (0-10)

HR- SF: Bonds (48), Wilkins (10), Scarsone (6)
CIN: Boone (12), Kevin Mitchell (6)

Note: Boone also hit a home run in the actual game.

DW- Morgan (5-11)
DL- Bourgeois (1-2)

LHR- CIN: Morris (15), Keith Mitchell

Kevin Mitchell's walkoff homer earned him Player of the Game honors.

Bonds was one for three plus two walks with a home run. His final batting average was .311 (166-534) with forty-eight home runs and 138 runs batted in.

He walked 155 times, which led the majors by thirteen over the Marlins' Gary Sheffield.

He scored 129 runs, which was second behind the Rockies' Ellis Burks with 139.

He led the National League with forty-eight home runs. He finished tied for fourth in the major league home race with the Indians' Albert Belle.

He finished third in the National League RBI race, four behind the Rockies' Dante Bichette.

His final on-base percentage was .463. He finished second in the National League, two points behind the Marlins' Gary Sheffield.

His final slugging percentage was .642, which was the highest in the National League by twelve points over the Rockies' Ellis Burks. He finished third in the majors, one point behind the Rangers' Juan Gonzalez.

His final OPS is 1.105. He led the National League by fifteen points over Sheffield, and he finished second in the majors, ninety-three points behind the Athletics' Mark McGwire.

Next: We move to the 1993 season, beginning with the Marlins' visit to Candlestick Park on Tuesday, April 13, Charlie Hough will pitch for the Marlins, while John Burkett heads to the mound for the Giants.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

It's Tuesday, April 13, 1993, and the Giants are taking on the expansion Florida Marlins in the second game of a three-game series at Candlestick Park, Jack Armstrong will start for the Marlins, while John Burkett goes to the mound for the Giants. Bonds is in left field and will bat fifth, as his replacement Todd Benzinger did in real life. The Giants won the actual game, 3-1. As we begin, Bonds is batting .336 (181-539) with forty-six home runs and 123 runs batted in.

Let's begin by examining Bonds' at-bats:

In the first with one out, center fielder Dave Martinez walked, then stole second, He held there while first baseman Will Clark grounded to the Marlins' Dave Magadan at third for the second out, but Giants third baseman Matt Williams smacked a base hit to right center that brought him home to give the Giants a 1-0 lead. Bonds followed with a fly ball to deep right that was caught by Junior Felix at the edge of the warning track to retire the side.

In the third with two out and the Marlins leading 3-1, Williams clubbed Armstrong's 1-2 curveball over the center field wall and into the third row of sears in center field for a home run, his thirty-ninth of the year, to cut the Florida lead to 3-2. The ball traveled an estimated 443 feet; center field is 410 feet from home plate at Candlestick Park.

Bonds followed with a walk, then stole second. Shortstop Royce Clayton was next, and his single to right center scored Bonds to tie the game at three.

In the fifth, Williams drew a leadoff walk,

Bonds was next, and he swatted Armstrong's first-pitch curveball over the right field wall for a two-run homer to put the Giants in front 5-3. It was his forty-seventh home run of the year and official career homer Number 849. He's now nineteen home runs behind all-time leader Sadaharu Oh. He has hit eight home runs in his last six simulated games.

(Author's note: When I set up Part 2 of this scenario, I forgot to subtract the nine home runs Bonds hit between April 8, 1986 and his real-life major league debut on May 30. I decided to do it now rather than have Bonds try to break the record a third time.)

Clayton and catcher Kirt Manwaring worked back-to-back walks to continue the inning, but second baseman Mike Benjamin's liner was caught by Armstrong for out number one, and Burkett popped to Walt Weiss at short for the second out. That brought up right fielder Willie McGee, who doubled over the head of the Marlins' Chuck Carr in center. Clayton and Manwaring scored, and the Giants led 7-3. Martinez grounded to third to end the inning.

The Giants scored their final run in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Williams doubled off the wall in right, Bonds walked to put two men on, and both runners held when Clayton's liner was speared by Marlins second baseman Bret Barberie for the second out. Manwaring was next, and his base hit to left scored Williams to put the Giants ahead 8-3.

Bonds went to third on the hit, and future Marlins and Giants closer Robbie Nen was brought in from the Florida pen to face Benjamin. Nen needed only one pitch to record the final out, as Benjamin's popup was caught by Magadan. There was no further scoring.

Here's how the Marlins scored their runs:

The Giants led 1-0 after one, but the Marlins tied the game in the top of the second. Magadan led off by beating out a bouncer to short for an infield single. Catcher Benito Santiago lined a base hit to left center to put two men on but was forced by right fielder Junior Felix. Magadan went to third on the play and scored when Weiss beat out a bouncer to third for another infield single. Armstrong and Carr each looked at called third strikes to end the inning with runners still at first and second.

The Marlins took a brief lead in the top of the third. Barberie lined a leadoff single to right center. After left fielder Jeff Conine took a called third strike for the first out, first baseman Orestes Destrade lined Burkett's 2-1 fastball over the wall in center for a two-run homer to give the Fish a 3-1 lead. It was his twenty-first home run of the year.

Final totals: Giants 8-13-0, Marlins 3-8-0.

W- Burkett (23-7)
L- Armstrong (9-18)

HR- FLA: Destrade (21)
SF: Bonds (47), Williams (39)

DW- Burba (9-3)
DS- Beck (47)
DL- Aquino (6-7)

LHR- SF: Manwaring (4)

Williams was named Player of the Game. He was four for four plus a walk with a home run, a double, and two RBIs.

Bonds was one for two with a two-run homer, two runs scored, and three walks. He's currently batting .336 (182-541) with forty-seven home runs and 125 runs batted in.

He's fourth in the National League batting race, six points behind the Cardinals' Gregg Jefferies for third.

He's now tied for sixth in the National League hits standings with Jeff Blauser of the Braves. Jefferies is fifth with 186.

He's taken over sole possession of the major league home run lead, breaking a tie with the Rangers' Juan Gonzalez.

He leads the National League in RBIs by five over the Braves' David Justice. He's third in the major league race. three behind the White Sox' Frank Thomas.

He's second in the National League in runs scored with 131, twelve behind the Phillies' Lenny Dykstra.

He's tied with Dykstra for the National League lead in walks with 129. They're tied for second in the majors, three behind the Tigers' Tony Phillips.

His current on-base percentage is .461. He leads the National League by thirty-one points over John Kruk of the Phillies. He's second in the major league standings, twelve points behind the Blue Jays' John Olerud.

His current slugging percentage is .682. He leads the major leagues by fifty points over Gonzalez.

His current OPS is 1.143. He leads the major leagues by seventy-one points over Olerud.

Most importantly, the Giants remain a game back of the Braves in the National League West with two games to play. Here are the standings:

Braves: 104-58
Giants: 103-59- 1 GB

Next: The Giants entertain the National League's other expansion team, the Colorado Rockies, on Saturday, June 26. Armando Reynoso will start for the Rockies, while Trevor Wilson goes to the hill for the Giants.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

It's Saturday, June 26. 1993, and the Giants are hosting the expansion Colorado Rockies in the third game of a four-game series at Candlestick Park, Armando Reynoso will start for the Rockies, while Trevor Wilson gets the ball for the Giants. Bonds is in left field and will bat fourth, as his replacement Todd Benzinger did in real life, The Rockies won the actual game, 5-1.

Let's examine Bonds' at-bats first:

In the second, he beat out a bouncer to short for an infield single but was thrown out trying to steal second.

In the fifth with the Rockies leading 2-0, he led off by belting a triple off the wall in right. Right fielder Dave Martinez's line drive was caught by Rockies second baseman Freddie Benavides for out number one, but shortstop Royce Clayton's single to right center brought Bonds home and cut the Colorado lead to 2-1.

Catcher Kirt Manwaring's single to right put two men on. Third baseman Mike Benjamin's bouncer to the Rockies' Vinny Castilla at short figured to be the start of an inning-ending double play, but the ball squirted through Castilla's legs. Benjamin reached on the error, and the bases were loaded. But Wilson struck out swinging for out number two, and center fielder Darren Lewis grounded to Benavides at second to retire the side.

In the sixth, second baseman Robby Thompson drew a leadoff walk. First baseman Will Clark's single to right put two men on, but Reynoso retired the next three batters in order: Bonds weakly flew to right, Martinez's popup was caught by Benavides behind second base, and Clayton grounded to future Giant Charlie Hayes at third.

In the eighth, Bonds' fly to right was caught on the warning track by the Rockies' Dante Bichette.

Here's how the Rockies scored their runs:

They took the lead with two runs in the top of the first. With one out, center fielder Chris Jones banged a triple off the wall in center. Bichettte followed with a double over Bonds' head in left to score Jones and give the visitors a 1-0 lead. Next up was first baseman Andres Galarraga, who stroked a single to right center. Bichette scored, and it was 2-0 Colorado after a half.

The Giants scored their run in the bottom of the fifth, but the Rox got that run back in the top of the sixth. With one out , Galarraga doubled to left. Hayes followed with a base hit to right, which brought The Big Cat home and gave the visitors a 3-1 lead. Left fielder Jerald Clark made it three straight hits with a single to right center, which moved Hayes to third, but Castilla's fly was caught by Lewis in shallow center for the second out, and catcher Danny Sheaffer grounded to second to end the inning.

With two out in the top of the seventh, the Rockies added to their lead when Jones hit a 2-0 fastball from Giants reliever Mike Jackson over the left field wall for his seventh home run of the year to extend the Colorado lead to 4-1.

The Rockies finished the scoring with a run in the top of the eighth. Clark was hit in the leg by a pitch from Giants reliever Dave Burba to lead things off. After Castilla' popup was caught by Thompson for out number one, Sheaffer's roller down the first base line stayed fair for an infield single to put two men on. Reynoso hit an easy double play ball to short, but the ball took a bad hop and eluded Clayton's glove. Royce was charged with an error, and the bases were loaded. Benavides bounced into a force play, which eliminated Reynoso but allowed Clark to score and give the Rox a 5-1 lead. Sheaffer went to third on the play, but Jones struck out swinging to end the inning.

Final totals: Rockies 5-13-1, Giants 1-7-1.

Pitchers' records remain the same.

HR- COL: Jones (7)

LHR- SF: Clayton (5)

Reynoso was named Player of the Game. He pitched a complete game, holding the Giants to one run on seven hits while walking one and striking out five, He threw 114 pitches.

Bonds was two for four with a run scored. He's currently batting .338 (184-545) with forty-seven home runs and 125 runs batted in.

He's still fourth in the National League batting race, four points behind the Cardinals' Gregg Jefferies.

His on-base percentage remains at .461. He's still second in the major leagues, twelve points behind the Blue Jays' John Olerud.

His slugging percentage has risen to .684. He leads the major leagues by fifty-two points over the Rangers' Juan Gonzalez.

His current OPS is 1.145. He leads the major leagues by seventy-three points over Olerud.

He's moved into sixth place in the National League hit standings by himself. He's two behind Jefferies for fifth.

He's now scored 132 runs, which is second in the National League, eleven behind the Phillies' Lenny Dykstra.

The Giants have one more simulated game against the Reds on Wednesday, August 11 at Candlestick Park. Since they won the actual game, their best possible finish is their current record of 103-59, one game behind the Braves. Therefore, the Braves have clinched the National League West.

Next: The Giants finish their season against the Reds. John Smiley will start for the Reds, while John Burkett goes to the mound for the Giants.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

It's Wednesday, August 11, 1993, and the Giants are hosting the Cincinnati Reds in the third and final game of a three-game series at Candlestick Park, John Smiley will pitch for the Reds, while John Burkett goes to the mound for the Giants. Bonds is in left field and will bat sixth, as his replacement Todd Benzinger did in real life. The Giants won the actual game, 6-0.

In the first with two out, first baseman Will Clark walked. Third baseman Matt Williams' bloop single to center put runners at the corners, and right fielder Willie McGee lined a single to right center that scored Clark to give the Giants a 1-0 lead. Williams moved to third on the hit, but Bonds grounded to Reds first baseman Hal Morris to retire the side.

In the third with one out and the Giants leading 2-1, McGee hit a fly ball to left that was juggled and dropped by the Reds' Kevin Mitchell. McGee reached on the error, and Bonds brought him home to give the home squad a 3-1 lead by lining a triple into the right field corner. Shortstop Royce Clayton walked to put two men on, then stole second. Catcher Kirt Manwaring cracked a double into the left field corner that scored both Bonds and Clayton to extend the Frisco lead to 5-1.

Burkett flew to Reggie Sanders in shallow right for the second out, but center fielder Darren Lewis tripled off the top of the left field wall, the Giants' second three-bagger of the inning, to score Manwaring and make it 6-1. Second baseman Robby Thompson grounded to Willie Greene at short to end the inning.

In the fourth with one out and the Giants leading 6-2, Clark greeted new Reds pitcher Larry Luebbers by hitting his first-pitch fastball over the center field wall, his fifteenth of the year, to give the Giants a 7-2 lead. Williams followed with a fly ball to deep left center that was caught by the Reds' Jacob Brumfield on the warning track for the second out. McGee kept the inning alive with a lined single to right center, and Bonds walked to put two men on. Clayton grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

In the seventh with the Giants leading 7-3, Bonds drew a leadoff walk, Clayton was next, and his double off the wall in right brought Bonds home to extend the Giants' lead to 8-3. Reds manager Davey Johnson brought Steve Foster out of the Cincy pen to face Manwaring, whose bloop single to left scored Clayton to make it 9-3 Frisco.

Mark Carreon batted for Burkett and lined a single to left to put two men on, but was forced by Lewis for the first out, with Manwaring moving to third, Lewis stole second to put two runners in scoring position, and Thompson cashed in Manwaring with a bouncer to Jeff Branson at second for out number two. Clark's grounder to short ended the inning, but the Giants led 10-3 after seven.

In the eighth, Bonds struck out swinging.

Now let's check out the rest of the game action:

The Giants added to their 1-0 lead with a run in the bottom of the second. With one out, Manwaring singled to right center. Burkett's single to right put two men on. After Lewis's shallow fly down the left field line was caught by Mitchell for the second out, Thompson's base hit to center scored Manwaring to give the Boys from the Bay a 2-0 lead. Burkett moved to third on the hit, but Clark struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Reds scored their first run of the game in the top of the third. Branson led off with a single to right, After catcher Brian Dorsett took a called third strike for out number one, Smiley bunted Branson over to second. Center fielder Jacob Brumfield was next, and he lined a single to left center that scored Branson and cut the Giants' lead to 2-1. Greene bounced to short to end the inning.

The visitors trailed 6-1 when they scored again in the top of the fourth. Morris led off with a lined single to left, and Mitchell's base hit to right put two men on, Morris moved to third when third baseman Chris Sabo' fly to center chased Lewis back to the wall before he could make the catch for the first out, and Sanders chased Bonds back to the wall with his fly to left. Barry made the catch, but Morris was able to score the second Cincinnati run. Branson's single to left moved Mitchell to second, but Dorsett struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Reds showed some power while trailing 7-2 with one out in the top of the fifth, as Brumfield lined Burkett's first-pitch changeup down the left field line and over the wall for his seventh home run of the year. Halfway through, it was San Francisco 7, Cincinnati 3.

The Reds closed out the scoring in the top of the ninth, by which time they were trailing 10-3. With one out, Brumfield walked. Greene struck out swinging for out number two, but Morris walked to put two men on. Mitchell was next, and he smacked reliever Mike Jackson's 1-2 curveball over the center field wall for a three-run homer to cut the Giants' lead. to 10-6. It was Mitchell's twentieth home run of the year, and it traveled an estimated 441 feet, Center field is 410 feet from home plate at Candlestick Park. Sabo's grounder to short ended the inning.

Final totals: Giants 10-14-1, Reds 6-12-1.

L- Smiley (3-10)

HR- CIN: Mitchell (20), Brumfield (7)
SF: Clark (15)

DL- Ayala (7-9)

Manwaring was named Player of the Game. He was three for four with three runs scored and three RBIs. Brumfield was four for four in a losing cause with a home run, two runs scored, and two RBIs.

Bonds was one for three plus two walks with two runs scored and an RBI. His final batting average was .338 (185-548) with forty-seven home runs and 126 runs batted in.

He finished fourth in the National League batting race, four points behind the Cardinals' Gregg Jefferies for third.

He finished third in the major league RBI race, two behind the White Sox' Frank Thomas for second.

He led the National League in walks with 131. That was good for second in the majors, one behind the Tigers' Tony Phillips.

He finished second in the National League in runs scored with 133, ten behind the Phillies' Lenny Dykstra.

He finished sixth in the National League in hits with 185, one behind Jefferies for fifth.

His final on-base percentage was .462. He finished second in the majors, eleven points behind the Blue Jays' John Olerud,

He finished with ninety-four singles. The National League top ten begins at 131.

He finished with six triples. The National League top ten begins at seven.

His final slugging percentage was .686. He led the majors by fifty-four points over the Rangers' Juan Gonzalez.

His final OPS was 1.148. He led the majors by seventy-six points over Olerud.

Next: We move ahead to the 1998 season, where the Giants are tied with the Cubs in the National League wild card race with seven simulated games to play. Our first game is on Monday. June 15, when the Giants entertain the Rockies at 3Com Park. John Thomson will start for the Rockies, while Shawn Estes goes to the hill for the Giants.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

It's Monday, June 15, 1998, and the Giants are hosting the Colorado Rockies in the first game of a three-game series at 3Com Park, John Thomson will start for the Rockies, while Shawn Estes gets the ball for the Giants. Bonds is in left field and will bat third, as his replacement Marvin Benard did in real life. The Rockies won the actual game 4-3 in twelve innings.

As we begin, Bonds is batting .305 (167-548) with thirty-seven home runs and 121 runs batted in. (Note: The Wild Card playoff against the Cubs hasn't happened yet in this universe, so I've taken it out of Bonds' statistics for the moment.)

Let's begin by examining Bonds' at-bats:

In the first, his fly ball to deep center was caught at the wall by Rockies center fielder Ellis Burks.

In the third, he grounded to short.

In the fifth with the Giants leading 4-2, catcher Brian Johnson led off with a single to left. Estes' base hit to right center put runners at the corners. Center fielder Darryl Hamilton's foul pop was caught by Rockies first baseman Greg Colbrunn for out number one, but second baseman Rey Sanchez walked to load the bases. Bonds bounced into a fielder's choice, which eliminated Sanchez but allowed Johnson to score and extend the Giants' lead to 5-2. Estes went to third on the play. but Snow's fly to shallow left center was caught by Burks to end the inning.

In the seventh, Johnson led off with a base hit to left. He was bunted over to second by reliever John Johnstone, but Hamilton's popup was caught by Colbrunn for out number two, Sanchez walked to put two men on, but Bonds' popup was also caught by Colbrunn to retire the side.

Now let's look at the rest of the game action:

The Giants grabbed a quick lead with one swing in the bottom of the second. First baseman J.T. Snow led off with a base hit to left. Right fielder Stan Javier singled to right to put two men on, and Bill Mueller followed with a bouncer to short. The Rockies' Neifi Perez was set to make the stop, but the ball took a bad hop and ticked off of Perez's glove. Neifi was charged with an error, and the bases were loaded. Johnson was next, and he lined Thomson's 1-1 hanging curveball over the left center field wall for a grand slam to give the Giants a 4-0 lead. It was Johnson's fourteenth home run of the year.

The Rockies got on the board with two runs in the top of the fifth. Third baseman Vinny Castilla led off with a double into the right center power alley, which was the first hit of the game for the Rox. Colbrunn was hit in the forearm by an Estes fastball to put two men on, and catcher Kirt Manwaring, a former Giant, doubled down the left field line to score Castilla and put the Rox on the board while Colbrunn moved to third.

Thomson walked on a 3-2 pitch to load the bases. Perez grounded into a 5-2-3 double play; Colbrunn was out at the plate, but Manwaring moved to third and Thomson went to second. Second baseman Mike Lansing hit a two-hopper to the Giants' Rich Aurilia at short; Aurilia made the stop, but his throw to first pulled Snow off the bag. Lansing reached on the error, while Manwaring scored to cut the Frisco lead to 4-2 and Thomson moved to third. Right fielder Larry Walker flew to Hamilton in right center field to end the inning.

The Giants led 5-2 when the Rox came to the plate in the top of the sixth. Left fielder Dante Bichette led off with a base hit to center. Burks also singled to center to put two men on, and Castilla made it three straight hits up the middle to load the bases. Colbrunn's fly to left was caught by Bonds for out number one, but Barry's throw to the plate went up the first base line, and Bichette scored to cut the Giants' lead to 5-3.

Burks and Castilla each moved up a base, and Burks came home on Manwaring's fly to Hamilton in left center, which made it a 5-4 game. Castilla moved to third on the out, and John Vander Wal (batting for Thomson) walked to put runners at the corners. Perez's grounder to third ended the inning.

The Giants turned their one-run lead over to closer Robbie Nen in the top of the ninth, but he ran into trouble immediately. Todd Helton, who had replaced Colbrunn at first base in the seventh as part of a double switch, led off with a single to right. Perez stroked a base hit to right center to put two men on, and Lansing lined a base hit to left center to load the bases. Walker was next, and Nen threw his first pitch right over the middle of the plate. Walker turned on it and belted a soaring line drive that ended up in the right center field bleachers for what turned out to be a game-winning grand slam. It was Larry's twenty-fourth home run of the year, and it gave the Rockies an 8-5 lead.

Rox closer Jerry DiPoto gave up a two-out walk to Hamilton in the bottom of the ninth, but Sanchez's easy grounder to Helton at first ended the game. Our final: Rockies 8, Giants 5. The Giants are still tied with the Cubs in the National League wild card race, and they have six simulated games to play.

Final totals: Rockies 8-9-1, Giants 5-7-1.

L- Nen (7-8)

HR- COL: Walker (24)
SF: Johnson (14)

DL- Johnstone (6-4)

LHR- COL: Burks (20)
SF: Snow 2 (13)

Walker's game-winning grand slam earned him Player of the Game honors.

Bonds was hitless in four at-bats with an RBI. He's currently batting .303 (167-552) with thirty-seven home runs and 122 runs batted in.

He's moved into seventh place in the National League RBI race, two behind the Astros' Moises Alou for sixth.

His current on-base percentage is .438. He's fourth in the National League. As of this sentence, he's seven points behind Walker for third. We'll get to Walker's stats in a moment.

His current slugging percentage is .609. He's fourth in the National League. As of this sentence, he's twenty-one points behind Walker for third.

His current OPS is 1.047. He's third in the National League. As of this sentence, he's twenty-eight points behind Walker for second.


Now let's look at Walker. His slugging percentage has risen to .633, which gives him a twenty-four-point lead over Bonds. He's fourteen points behind Sammy Sosa of the Cubs for second.

His on-base percentage has dropped to .444. which gives him a six-point lead over Bonds. He's three points behind John Olerud of the Mets for second.

His OPS is 1.077. He has a thirty-point lead over Bonds. He's 145 points behind Mark McGwire of the Cardinals for the league lead

As a bonus, let's calculate Walker's batting average. He came into the game batting .363 (165-454), which led the National League by nine points over Olerud. He was one for three in the actual game and one for four in the sim, which means that we add one hitless at-bat to his total. His batting average remains at .363 (165-455) and he keeps his nine-point lead over Olerud.

Next: Game 2 between the Rockies and the Giants on Tuesday, June 16. Bobby Jones will start for the Rockies, while Orel Hershiser goes to the mound for the Giants.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

It's Tuesday, June 16, and the Giants are hosting the Rockies in the second game of a three-game series at 3Com Park. Bobby Jones will start for the Rockies, while Orel Hershiser gets the ball for the Giants. Bonds is in left field and will bat seventh, as his replacement Chris Jones did in real life. The Giants won the actual game, 5-3. A win in this simulation keeps them tied with the Cubs in the National League wild card race.

The Rockies scored the game's first run i n the top of the second. With one out, center fielder Ellis Burks singled to left. Third baseman Vinny Castilla did the same to put runners at the corners, and Burks scored when first baseman Todd Helton's fly to deep right was caught at the wall by the Giants' Stan Javier. Catcher Jeff Reed's single to right center moved Castilla to third, but Jones' grounder to the Giants' Charlie Hayes at third ended the inning.

The only other run of the game was scored in the top of the sixth with two out, when Burks clouted a 1-1 fastball from Hershiser into the third row of seats in right field for a home run to give the Rox a 2-0 lead. It was Burks' twenty-first home run of the year, and it traveled an estimated distance of 366 feet, Right field is 335 feet away from home plate at 3Com Park.

Now let's examine Bonds' at-bats:

In the second, he took a called third strike.

In the fifth, his fly down the left field line was caught by the Rockies' Dante Bichette.

In the seventh, he struck out swinging.

In the ninth, he grounded to short.

Final totals: Rockies 2-8-0, Giants 0-3-0.

W- Jones (8-7)
S- DiPoto (20)
L- Hershiser (11-11)

HR- COL: Burks (21)

DW- Tavarez (4-3)
DS- Nen (39)

LHR- COL: Lansing (11)

Burks was named Player of the Game. He was two for three plus a walk with a home run and two runs scores. Honorable mention goes to the Rockies pitching staff; Jones, Curt Leskanic, and Jerry DiPoto combined on a three-hit shutout.

Bonds was hitless in four at-bats. He's currently batting .300 (167-556) with thirty-seven home runs and 122 runs batted in.

His on-base percentage has dipped to .436. As of this sentence, he's in fourth place in the National League, eight points behind the Rockies' Larry Walker for third. We'll get to Walker's stats in a few moments.

His slugging percentage has dropped to .604. As of this sentence, he's fourth in the National League, twenty-nine points behind Walker for third.A

His OPS has dropped to 1.040. As of this sentence, he's third in the National League, thirty-seven points behind Walker


Now let's look at Walker. His current slugging percentage is .632. He's in third place in the National League, fifteen points behind the Cubs' Sammy Sosa. His lead over Bonds is twenty-eight points.

His on-base percentage is .442. He's in third place in the National League, five points behind the Mets' John Olerud, and his lead over Bonds is six points.

His OPS is 1.074. He's currently second in the National League; his lead over Bonds is thirty-four points, and he's 148 points behind the Cardinals' Mark McGwire for the National League lead.

Now it's bonus time. Walker came into the game batting .363 (165-455). He was one for two in the actual game and one for four in the sim. That means that we add two hitless at-bats to Walker's stats. His current batting average is .361 (165-457), and he leads the National League batting race by seven points over Olerud.

Here are the updated standings in the National League West:

Sam Diego Padres: 98-64
Giants: 88-74- 10 GB
Los Angeles Dodgers: 83-79- 15 GB
Rockies: 78-84- 20 GB
Arizona Diamondbacks: 65-97- 33 GB

Here are the updated National League wild card standings:

Chicago Cubs: 89-73
(tie) Giants: 88-74- 1 GB
(tie) New York Mets: 88-74- 1 GB

Next: The Giants open a three-game series against the Florida Marlins at 3Com Park on Friday, August 14. Andy Larkin will start for the Marlins, while Mark Gardner goes to the mound for the Giants. The Giants need a win to stay tied with the Mets, a game behind the Cubs for the National League wild card.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrett Garlits]

It's Friday, August 14, and the Giants are hosting the Florida Marlins in the first game of a three-game series at 3Com Park. Andy Larkin will pitch for the Marlins, while Mark Gardner gets the ball for the Giants. Bonds is in left field and will bat sixth, as his replacement Stan Javier did in real life. The Giants won the actual game, 10-0.