An unlikely hero

Baseball's a funny game and fans can be just as funny.  24 hours ago every Giants fan was ready to call the season off.  The season was over and let's get ready for football season.  Look at any Giants fan blog, the comments section of any Giants message board, or listen to KNBR and everyone was saying the Giants are done.  Season ticket invoices had just went out and the idea of purchasing playoff tickets was the last thing Giants fans were thinking about.  

The Giants had just lost two straight from Philadelphia on the road and 2 out of 3 from the NL West leading Padres in San Francisco.  They were doomed.  To say the starting rotation was floundering would have been an understatement.

The last time a starting pitcher had got a win was Jonathan Sanchez on August 3rd.  That was 15 days and 14 games without a win for the starter.  The most unlikely stopper of the 14-game winless starter skid was set to pitch today.

Not to say that he would likely get blown up by the Phillies but he has been known to get a lead and then give it all back.  It wouldn't be out of the realm for him to leave the game in the 5th inning with the game tied.

But today was different.  Jonathan Sanchez had the no-hitter stuff.  At one point, he had retired 15 straight Phillies.  Sanchez made it all the way into the 8th inning when he was removed by Bochy throwing two straight balls to Placido Polanco.  Sanchez final line was 8 innings, 2 hits, 1 earned run, and 7 strikeouts.

He was focused, he was the Jonathan Sanchez that he promised to be when he guaranteed a sweep of the Padres.