A collection o' links. Feel free to add your own.
POSTGAME NOTES: Extra Baggs
"'Everybody’s screaming, I’ve got a catcher running at me with a fist, all angles,' Wilson said."
I don't even know what that means. It reads like a snippet of postmodern fiction.
Bay City Ball
"Since 2000, there have been 36 games in which a Giants’ starter lasted 2 IP or less. The Giants record in those games is 10-26 which equates to a winning percentage of .270. Tonight the Giants clinched the NLCS in a game in which their starter only lasted 2 IP. Jonathan Sanchez appears twice on our list of 36 starters since 2000 that have only lasted 2 IP or less in a game started."
Had them all the way. Totally deserved to win that game. Outmatched and outclassed them. Ahem.
It's no fluke, SF Giants deserve to be in Series -- SF Gate
"'Utley wanted to get me out of the game,' said Sanchez, who was told later Utley was his final batter anyway. 'He's too close to the plate. He's a good hitter. I have to throw in. If I threw in, I hit him.'"
I didn't have a problem with Utley's ball flip. As one of the many who has never been drilled in the back with a Jonathan Sanchez fastball then had the ball roll right to me, I can't say what I'd do. Probably wing it at something.
Giants: Extent of Andres Torres' injury unclear -- SF Gate
"Manager Bruce Bochy said he believes the injury is in Torres' hip, but he was not sure. In the ninth-inning hubbub, Bochy did not even know Torres was coming out of the game. Head trainer Dave Groeschner made the call and told Bochy that Torres could not go."
Yuck. Just as he was starting to be Andres Torres again. Here's hoping some rest will do him good.
Phils go 5 for 5: Five past playoff heroes come up empty - CBSSports.com
"And then Howard sat in the clubhouse and stared needles through anyone who approached to talk to him. After a few minutes of that nonsense, Howard stopped pouting in public and disappeared to pout somewhere in private. Hey, I don't blame him. Pretty sure I'd be pouting too if I'd struck out 12 times in 22 at-bats in the NLCS."
I didn't realize Howard had struck out so much. I had the sense that he'd had some of the better at-bats in the series, but maybe that's because I wasn't paying attention.
HitTracker :: Juan Uribe
Via Cookyman
Here's how many home runs Juan Uribe hit to the right side this year. For additional giggles, check out 2009, 2008, 2007, and 2006. Last night's home run was a Thomas Pynchon guest-spot on "Glee."
Phillies' offense: Torture | Philadelphia Inquirer
"Giants batters prolonged at-bats by fouling off pitches, by throwning their bats at balls sometimes as Edgar Renteria did again last night."
I was trying to think of the right word for that swing. Throwning. A mix of throwing and drowning. Perfect. Thanks, Philly Inquirer wordsmith!
Phil Sheridan: PHILS FINISHED | Philadelphia Inquirer
"Then the third inning happened. Sanchez, the pitcher, led off with a single. Andres Torres followed with a shot to the deepest part of the ballpark. Center fielder Shane Victorino ran it down and made a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch like the one famously made by Giants Hall of Famer Willie Mays. Except no."
Almost certainly my favorite line from the playoffs so far. Victorino didn't murder the Giants for once. He tried. Except no. He tried to emulate the greatest Giant. Except no.
The Good Phight - For Philadelphia Phillies Fans
"First, congratulations to the San Francisco Giants and their fans, particularly the members of the McCovey Chronicles community on SB Nation. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to shoot the breeze and talk some good-natured smack over the last week or so. Your (collective) sense of humor and knowledge about the game are a credit to the network and the sport. Except for Grant, eff that guy."
The weird lovefest with The Good Phight isn't over -- we haven't even made it to second base yet, like Bengie Molina on a ball hit in the gap -- but the series is. The Phillies played hard. There's just too much weirdness in the playoffs to go to the World Series every year. I think people didn't realize how special and fortunate those late-'90s Yankees teams were. They weren't magic, except when they were.
Thanks to the good pholks at The Good Phight -- it was refreshing to have a blog that understood the mores and peculiarities of this one. For the most part, everyone on both sides interacted with humor and class. Also, vomit guy, taser guy, booing Santa Claus, and courthouse in Veteran's Stadium because PHILADELPHIA SUUUUUUCKS! WEST COAST FOREVER, EAST COAST NEVER!
Which is to say, good show, chaps.