S.F. Giants: Shocking win over Nationals, Strasburg seems very familiar

An unlikely group of ballplayers — some All-Stars, some misfits — band together to make an unlikely postseason push against all odds. We’ve seen this movie. I think Bruce Bochy got an Oscar nomination last time around. (Or maybe that was Cody Ross, for best supporting outfielder.) Jesting aside, the San Francisco Giants continued an improbable postseason run by squeaking by the Washington Nationals in Game 1 of the National League Divisional Series, 3-2. Giants starter Jake Peavy outdueled the Nats’ superstar ace Stephen Strasburg, getting by on guts and gumption and some high-energy fist bumps over 6 2/3 innings. The Giants were led by the team’s lastest cadre of no-name rookies, with second baseman Joe Panik delivering key hits at the plate and flame-throwing reliever Hunter Strickland coming in to get a HUGE, bases-loaded strikeout in the 6th inning, utilizing a 100-mph fastball no less.

This being the Giants, there was plenty of drama down the stretch. Strickland gave up a tape-measure home run to the Nationals’ Bryce Harper in the 7th. A second home run, from Asdrubal Cabrera, made it 3-2. And Sergio Romo made things interesting in the eigth, giving up a couple of hits before shutting things down.

The most surprising development of the night was Strasburg’s performance. He came out throwing 98-mph darts. But the Giants hung in there and started to make simple contact, dribbling a few seeing-eye-grounders through the infield. Before long, it was 2-0. And Strasburg was gone by the 6th inning, having given up 8 hits.

At that time in the game, Peavy still had a no-hitter going. Go figure. The fiery, former Cy Young winner proved he still had the guts to pitch the big games, no matter the opponent. With Giants’ ace Madison Bumgarner going well right now, this bodes well for the Orange and Black. In the end, it all felt very familiar to Giants’ followers. Manager Bruce Bochy is pulling the right levers. Unlikely heroes are emerging every night. A new generation of Giants are learning how to handle postseason pressure from their battle-tested teammates. Could this be another command performance from Bochy and the boys? Way to early to tell. But the trailers, so far, are pretty interesting.