The intensifying rivalry between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Francisco Giants resumed this weekend with the Giants taking 2 of 3 from the snakes at AT&T Park on the shores of McCovey Cove in San Francsico.
San Francisco's Jonathan Sanchez helped end the Giant's six-game losing streak by pitching 6 2/3 two-hit shutout ball against Arizona and formidable starter Dan Haren on Friday. Haren allowed one run on five hits while striking out six and walking none. Sanchez, in addition to two hits, gave up four walks and four punch outs.
Saturday was reigning Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum's day as he recorded a no-decision with a career-high-tying 13 strikeouts and no walks. Lincecum surrendered only five hits and no runs. However, Giant's relievers Jeremy Affeldt and Brian Wilson gave up one run apiece in the ninth, and the Giants lost 2-0. Arizona's Doug Davis gave up no runs on eight hits with a walk and six strikeouts.
Finally, in series closer, Giant's starter Randy Johnson pitched a one-hit shutout against Arizona's young Max Scherzer as the Big Unit recorded his 296th career win of 2-0 over the D'backs. Johnson gave up one hit, one walk and seven strikeouts. Scherzer allowed one run on three hits with four walks and six strikeouts.
These statistics illustrate the blossoming rivalry between the two National League West ball clubs that flourishes in the pitching staves, not the offense. Last season, the Diamondbacks and the Giants played each other in five different series. Arizona swept three of the series, and the Giants swept the other two. That set the stage for the war to continue between the two pitching dominated teams.
Now, in the first series of the season in which the two play eachother, that pitching-heavy dominance is ever more apparent. Arizona boasts Cy Young winner Brandon Webb, Dan Haren, Doug Davis and a strong bull pen that held the Giants to a mere four runs in three games. San Francisco has three Cy Young winners in Randy Johnson, Barry Zito and Tim Lincecum, as well as their two other hurlers Matt Cain and Jonathan Sanchez, both of whom have had excellent starts so far this year. The main shortfall of the Giants in 2008 was the team's weak bullpen, which has been bolstered in 2009 by the additions of Jeremy Affeldt and Bob Howry.
For many, pitching is the most exciting part of baseball. For Arizona and Giants fans where the two teams have more pitching than power hitting, pitching ends up determining almost all of the decisions against each other. This series was decided in three consecutive pitchers' duels that resulted in only six runs being scored in three games by both teams combined. This is surely a beautiful continuation of a rivalry that is both riveting and, unlike the Giants-Dodgers or Giants-As rivalries which are vicious and malicious, good-natured.
Giants and Diamondbacks play each other again this Friday in Arizona in a three game series before the Giants head home again to play the hated Los Angeles Dodgers
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