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Ishikawa’s Walk-off Homer, Giants Back In The World Series

Published

12 years ago

October 16, 2014

San Francisco, CA – Another story book ending for a team that will return to the World Series for the third time in five years. Their unconventional ways of winning is something that’s not available on DVD or by script. It’s good old fashion baseball, simply unpredictable. The Giants have continued their quest in the even years with a different cast of characters each time.

Every year has been completely different, this year injuries harbored the teams chances of maintaining a full roster so they went to the minors to fill some crucial positions and to no avail, San Francisco proved their naysayers wrong by beating the Cardinals 6-3. Once again they hold the title of the National League Champions.

“They have been battle-tested and they know how to handle themselves on this type of stage,” said Giants manager Bruce Bochy. “And then add the kids we brought up, then [Travis] Ishikawa, I mean what a great story. He gets released and then we sign him, he goes to Fresno, comes up, he’s our everyday left fielder and ends up getting the home run to get us to the World Series.”

“It’s gratifying,” Ishikawa said. “If there’s an organization I’d want to do it for, it would be this one. You know obviously, drafting me and sticking with me for so many years and giving me the opportunity to be apart of the 2010 World Series, and obviously having left for a couple of years.”

Michael Morse tied the game 3-3 in the eighth with a solo home run off Pat Neshek. Morse belted the fifth postseason, pinch-hit home run in the history of the franchise and the first since J.T. Snow went deep as a pinch-hitter on October 5, 2000 in game 2 of the National League Division Series against the New York Mets. Heading into the ninth San Francisco rallied a comeback when Pablo Sandoval leadoff the inning with a single.

Pinch-runner Joaquin Arias replaced Sandoval. Closer Michael Wacha walked Brandon Belt putting two on with one out. Ishikawa went yard with a three-run homer to break the tie. The win gave San Francisco the 4-1 victory in the NLCS and a trip to face the Kansas City Royals in the best of seven series. St. Louis put up a good fight but it wasn’t enough as they feel victim to this team twice, back in 2012 and tonight.

“It doesn’t get any better,” Bochy said. “What a group. No one has any will stronger than us.”

The Giants provided great defense to back Madison Bumgarner’s rocky start in the first. He surrendered back-to-back singles to both Jon Jay and Matt Holiday. Jhonny Peralta hit a line drive to third baseman Pablo Sandoval who rallied a double play throwing to shortstop Brandon Crawford who picked off Jay at second to end the inning stranding two.

“I felt like I made some decent pitches,” said Bumgarner. “They got some good swings on them and hit them hard. They could’ve been some better pitches but I certainly had to try to lock it in a little better after that.”

Bumgarner found himself in another jam in the third when he walked both Tony Cruz and Matt Carpenter. Jay knocked a bloop double to left field driving in Cruz making it a 1-0 game. But Joe Panik took Adam Wainwright deep to right field for a two-run shot giving San Francisco a 2-1 lead bottom of the inning.

Panik hit his first career home run and was the first since Buster Posey did it during game 4 of the World Series in 2010. Unfortunately for the NLCS MVP, Bumgarner didn’t recover anytime soon. He yielded two solo home runs to both Adams and Cruz putting the Cardinals back on top 3-2. Bumgarner came into the series having allowed just four home runs in 10 postseason games and nine starts.

Sandoval leadoff the fourth with a double, Wainwright walked Hunter Pence and Brandon Belt hit a line drive to second baseman Kolten Wong who tagged Sandoval off second resulting in a double play. Sandoval tied Lance Berman for the 6th longest streak in MLB history for reaching base safely in 23 straight postseason games.

“This means a lot,” Sandoval said. “This crowd, they’ve meant a lot. We tried to do everything we could all the way back to the offseason and Spring Training.”

St. Louis battled until the end. They had an opportunity to take the game away but the brilliant mind of Bochy ended that. Closer Santiago Casilla walked Adams, gave up a single to Randal Grichuk and a fielder’s choice advanced pinch-runner Daniel Descalso to third. Grichuk stole second and Casilla walked Cruz to load the bases. Jeremy Affeldt came in to replace Casilla and forced pinch-hitter Oscar Taveras to line out to end the inning, stranding three.

“We have an awesome group,” said Bumgarner. “It’s fun to battle.”

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Four Candidates, Including Incumbent Barbara Lee, Qualify for Oakland Mayor’s Race

POST NEWS GROUP — Four candidates, including incumbent Mayor Barbara Lee, filed their papers to run for office by last Friday’s deadline, and the City Clerk issued a list this week of those who are qualified to run.

Published

16 hours ago

August 15, 2026

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View of downtown Oakland, California and City Hall. iStock photo.

By Post Staff

The four mayoral candidates who will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot are:

Brenda Grisham. A business owner in East Oakland and public safety advocate, Grisham led the successful recall campaign against Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. As part of her platform, she pledges to work with local, state, and federal partners to secure stricter gun control measures and investments in community violence intervention programs.

Barbara Lee. A former congressional representative and state Assembly member, Lee was elected by voters in a special election last year for a two-year term. Now running for a four-year term, she points out that her administration achieved major successes in addressing some of the city’s major challenges, including balancing the city budget, dramatically reducing crime, and making significant inroads into homelessness and illegal dumping.

Mindy Pechenuk. An educator and activist, Pechenuk is a registered Republican and supporter of Lyndon LaRouche, who has been described by observers as a conspiracy theorist and cult leader. She ran unsuccessfully for mayor in last year’s special election and for the at-large council seat in 2024. She seeks to end Oakland’s police commission and MACRO and invest in more police while launching a new local war on drugs.

Julius Robinson. While little information is available so far about Robinson, he was quoted in a KTVU story about Thao’s recall, stating that people in Oakland want to come together as a community but lack infrastructure and leadership.

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Black History

Oakland Observes Black August with Block Parties, Film Showings, Workshops

POST NEWS GROUP — Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

Published

18 hours ago

August 15, 2026

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George Jackson wrote two books: “Soledad Brother,” and “Blood in My Eye” before her was killed in an attempt to escape prison on Aug. 21, 1971.

By Jana Lang, Propel Youth Reporter

Study. Train. Fast. Fight.

These are the four tenets of Black August, a month dedicated to commemorating the sacrifices of political prisoners and Black revolutionaries in the struggle for Black liberation.

Observers are urged to study the history of the Black struggle for freedom, train their bodies for health and self-defense, fast to cleanse the mind, body, and spirit, and fight ongoing oppression alongside their communities and local political organizations.

Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

While in prison, George befriended fellow prisoner W.L. Nolen, who introduced him to the works of Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong, and Frantz Fanon. This radicalization coupled with his experiences of violence while imprisoned led to him writing and publishing two books, “Soledad Brother” (1970), and “Blood in my Eye” (1972). In January of 1970, George and two other prisoners were charged with murdering a corrections officer at Soledad State Prison in Monterey County.

On Aug. 7, 1970, Jonathan Jackson burst into a Marin County courtroom armed with a shotgun to demand the freedom of the Soledad Brothers. He, along with the inmates he freed, was shot and killed while driving away. This involved one of the Black Panther Party’s most notable associates, Angela Davis, because the shotgun was registered in her name. She was later acquitted of charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder in 1972.

On Aug. 21, 1971, George Jackson was assassinated by a corrections officer after attempting to escape and free other inmates. As a result, there were uprisings and protests within prisons all over the country that year, calling forth resistance against racial oppression and mass incarceration.

Since its outset, Black August has evolved across the country, taking many forms to honor this history and embody the four tenets.

In Oakland, the upcoming Black August Experience, hosted by Youth Alive! and the East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA), is a free, family-friendly event celebrating the legacy of Black August. Activities include free food and drinks, a kids’ activity zone, interactive workshops, live cooking and boxing demonstrations, and more.

Happening on Aug. 21 from 4-8 p.m. at the EOBA Patio, Carolyn Flynn, director of administration at EOBA, said the event, in its second year, will be an opportunity to engage with people in person through food, shared space, and education.

“We do regular classes in education, and those are ongoing programs that we offer, but we wanted to have [an opportunity] for our neighbors to utilize this space.” Combined with Youth Alive’s work in community violence prevention and youth leadership, this event surely aims to bring the Oakland community together to capture what Black August means today.

Here are additional Black August events happening in Oakland:

Forum and Community Discussion hosted by the Oakland Liberation Center, 1499 Fruitvale Ave., Aug. 14, 7 p.m.

“George Jackson/San Quentin” Screening hosted by Nostalgic for Nothing Cinema at Moments Co-Op, 410 13th St., Aug. 16, doors at 6 p.m., show at 6:30 p.m. (Masks required and scent-free)

Commemorating the Struggle, Building the Altar for Liberation: Black August at Bandung Books, 2269 International Blvd., Aug. 23rd, 1-5 p.m.

Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.