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On July 31, 2007, the Giants beat the Dodgers, 3-1, dropping Brad Penny's record to 13-2 on the season. The game wasn't very important unless you're a Brad Hennessey-save completionist, but it was notable because it was a win against the Dodgers on a national broadcast. They won on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball.
They didn't lose again on Sunday Night Baseball until 2011.
It's true! There was once an expected result with the Giants and Sunday nights, and it was a happy expected result. In 2009, the Giants got Angel Pagan to ground into a double play, ruining a Mets rally. In 2010, the Giants played two Sunday night games against the Dodgers and didn't allow a run in either of them. Oh, times were good, then.
Here's the Giants completing a sweep of the Dodgers in 2013:
For the last couple years, though, you're not imagining things. The Giants have been awful on Sunday Night Baseball. They've lost their last eight Sunday night games. In those games, they've been outscored 41 to 12. They haven't scored more than three runs in any of them. That win against the Dodgers up there from May, 2013? It was the last one.
The Curse of Bristol is real.
Here are the last 10-plus years of the Giants on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. They're 11-14 over the last decade, with the oppressive eight-game losing streak ruining what was a very nice run at one point.
2006
April 16, 2006 - Giants 2, Dodgers 0
May 7, 2006 - Phillies 9, Giants 5
August 13, 2006 - Dodgers 1, Giants 0 (10)
September 10, 2006 - Padres 10, Giants 2
2007
May 6, 2007 - Phillies 8, Giants 5
July 31, 2007 - Giants 3, Dodgers 1
2008
If you didn't want to watch the 2008 Giants, I'm not sure why you would think anyone else in North America would want to watch them.
2009
May 17, 2009 - Giants 2, Mets 0
June 7, 2009 - Giants 3, Marlins 2
2010
April 11, 2010 - Giants 6, Braves 3
August 1, 2010 - Giants 2, Dodgers 0
September 5, 2010 - Giants 3, Dodgers 0
2011
April 3, 2011 - Dodgers 7, Giants 5
June 12, 2011 - Giants 4, Reds 2
June 26, 2011 - Giants 3, Indians 1
2012
August 26, 2012 - Braves 7, Giants 1
September 9, 2012 - Giants 4, Dodgers 0
2013
May 5, 2013 - Giants 4, Dodgers 3
June 16, 2013 - Braves 3, Giants 0
2014
April 6, 2014 - Dodgers 6, Giants 2
July 27, 2014 - Dodgers 4, Giants 3
September 7, 2014 - Tigers 6, Giants 1
2015
June 21, 2015 - Dodgers 10, Giants 2
July 5, 2015 - Nationals 3, Giants 1
August 23, 2015 - Pirates 5, Giants 2
2016
April 17, 2016 - Dodgers 3, Giants 1
What have we learned? That the Giants have a very long losing streak when the whole world is watching. What does it mean? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. It's possible that somehow the Giants are disproportionately filled with hitters who have more trouble with shadows and 5:00 start times, but that's a crackpot theory with no science behind it.
No, it's just one of those things. One of those completely annoying things that makes your eyes get stuck in the back of your head because you're rolling them so danged hard.
The Giants play the Cubs on Sunday, May 22. Bryan will be recapping that game. See you suckers the day after.