FanHouse Sf Giants

Pablo Sandoval is one of the five remaining candidates for the All-Star Game in the NL, part of a fan vote to see which players get the final roster spot in each league. Giants fans have started a particularly awesome campaign to get Sandoval voted on to the National squad, playing off the popular film Napoleon Dynamite with a "Vote for Pablo" slogan ("Vote for Pedro" was the original in the movie) along with hip and somewhat retro dance music. Well done, Giants fans. You got my vote.

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That every once in a blue moon, a pitcher doesn't even have to throw a single pitch to get a win. How? Rockies reliever Alan Embree demonstrated Tuesday night against the Nationals. He entered the game with two outs in the top of the eighth and the score tied at 4-all and Washington outfielder Austin Kearns standing at first base.

Embree caught Kearns leaning off the base a little early and ensnared him in a rundown -- a rundown in which the southpaw hurler ended up making the putout.

The Rockies scored in the bottom of the inning and the journeyman gave way to closer Huston Street, who locked up what became easily the least work-intensive victory of Embree's career.

"Then I end up with the ball [in the rundown] somehow, and I'm going, 'What just happened?'" Embree said. "And then I came in and they went, 'You're done. Do you think you can go tomorrow?'

---

---

SAN FRANCISCO -- Ryan Sadowski's mere presence in the major leagues is a testament to his persistence.

As the 26-year-old Giants right-hander prepared to try to extend the 13-inning scoreless streak to start his career, he said he wasn't even sure he'd be here.

"You have doubts every day," he said, "especially when you have overcome a few things."

A few things?

SAN FRANCISCO -- Pablo Sandoval and Shane Victorino are taking this campaigning thing seriously.

A day after Sandoval and Victorino found themselves among five players competing for fan votes to sneak into the final spot on the NL All-Star team, Sandoval hit a grand slam and Victorino had four hits, four RBI and four runs in the Phillies' dismantling of the Reds.

"I don't think you could ask for a better game than that," Giants starter Matt Cain said of Sandoval, who drove in four of the runs in a 5-4 victory on Monday night. "I think everybody in the United States ought to know who is he is now."

SAN FRANCISCO -- An MRI of Randy Johnson's left shoulder on Monday revealed only a strain, but that will be enough to put the Big Unit on the shelf for at least two or three weeks.

A day after Johnson strained his shoulder swinging a bat, he was placed on the disabled list. Jonathan Sanchez, who had lost his spot in the starting rotation, will take Johnson's next start on Friday.

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the Phillies calmed a lot of nerves this weekend. The reigning world champs haven't looked quite like themselves for most of the season, but they had plenty of reason to be optimistic after completing a three-game sweep of the Mets Sunday.

Philadelphia entered the series with a 13-22 record at Citizens Bank Park, but won three straight at home against a hated rival. That wasn't the only positive sign. Jimmy Rollins, who has been slumping all season, belted a leadoff homer against New York ace Johan Santana in the 2-0 sweep-clinching win and Brad Lidge, who has blown six saves this year, struck out the side to lock up the victory.

---

---

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That reigning NL Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum is actually better this year, which makes it seem like a long time ago that we wondered how he'd top his 2008 season. Lincecum has erased all memory of that slow start by stringing together 23 consecutive scoreless innings, including seven against the Astros on Saturday.

Lincecum is now 9-2 with a 2.23 ERA, lower than last year's 2.64 ERA. He's looking like a strong candidate to start the All-Star Game in St. Louis, which would be a nice way of making up for last year. Lincecum was picked to go to the game in New York, but he was too sick to attend.

"It would mean a lot -- the hard work paid off," said Lincecum. "If I do happen to start, it will make up for the fact I didn't even make it to the field last year."

As a team, the Giants have now pitched two shutouts in a row for the second time in a week. Previously, they hadn't done it since 2002.

---

---

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the milestones keep coming for Albert Pujols. He went into the record book in grand fashion Friday night, belting his 31st home run of the season. The drive was his fourth grand slam of the season and 10th of his career, both Cardinals' franchise records. The latter mark nudges him past Stan Musial on the club list.

"He broke Stan Musial's career record?" manager Tony La Russa asked. "I'll go bow to his feet here in a second. That's a serious point to make."

Pujols is on pace to finish 2009 with 61 home runs. And just in case that's not enough for you, it came in the eighth inning with the Cardinals down 3-0 to the Reds. St. Louis went on to beat Cincinnati 7-4.

---

---

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the Braves have their longest winning streak of the year.

OK, it's only four games. But before Thursday night, Atlanta was the only team that had not won four straight at some point this season.

And where has it gotten the Braves? Not out of fourth place in the NL East – yet within two games of the first-place Phillies, their victims the past three games.

---

---

SAN FRANCISCO -- Rich Aurilia and Dave Roberts turned their first passion (baseball) into a career, and now they're trying to do it again with their newest passion.

Aurilia, a veteran Giants infielder, and Roberts, a recently-retired outfielder, are soon going to be bottling the first vintage of their own wine.

No, Aurilia and Roberts aren't stepping on the grapes themselves, but neither are they simply slapping their name on someone else's company.