Amazing!

Baseball can be wonderful come playoff time.

Today I watched the San Francisco Giant's explode offensively to beat the Cincinnati Reds at their house, 8-4 after a Barry Zito start that lasted but 2.2 innings!

The Giants' bullpen performed masterfully and the Giants' hitters ripped the Reds pitching. Tim Lincecum, who had  a pretty raw September, came out of the bullpen in the 4th with two outs and runners on 1st and 2nd, and struck out Reds' left fielder, Ryan Ludwick swinging in five pitches.

Lincecum took the win, throwing 55 pitches (42 strikes) in 4.1 innings, gave up 2 hits, 1 run, struck out 6 and issued zero walks. He looked like the two-time Cy Young Award Winner we all remember. It was an electric performance. All his pitches were working...snappy late-breaking stuff and his dialed-in fastball helped with the swing and a miss strikeouts.

The Giants lead off with a home run! Center fielder Angel Pagan went long with the second pitch of the game. Left fielder Gregor Blanco hit a 2 run homer in the 2nd, and Pablo Sandoval went long in the 7th for another 2 run shot.

Somewhere during the game the ballpark became as quiet as a church on a mid-week morning.

During the evening game in Oakland it only got quiet for an inning as the rowdy crowd  watched the A's trail 3-1 in the 9th. The noise picked back up when the A's took to the batter's box.

Leadoff batter right fielder, Josh Reddick got a single, next up, 3rd baseman, Josh Donaldson doubles, putting men on 2nd and 3rd. DH Seth Smith doubles in Reddick and Donaldson, game tied!

Everybody is on their feet, the noise level deafening. I wondered how many blocks away you could hear the crowd. I'm sure you could hear it from the San Francisco shoreline across the Bay provided there wasn't a lot of wind.

After pinch hitter, George Kottaras pops out, and 2nd baseman, Cliff Pennington strikes out looking, Coco Crisp gets the walk-off base hit that scores Seth Smith and we're going to game 5 Thursday!

I don't think there's a better baseball name than Coco Crisp today. If the A's go all the way...and Coco Crisp becomes the latest Mr. October and World Series MVP...how's that gonna work out when it's time to put his picture on millions of General Mills' Wheaties™ boxes. Coco Crisp sounds a lot like Kellogg's Cocoa Krispies...and thay say advertizing is boring...

Jeez! It's 2AM and I'm still amped...I gotta get to bed...Giants vs Reds starts at 10AM PDT

You know, since the All-Star Break, the Giants have been slugging like World beaters on the road...at AT&T Park...not so much...I like our chances Thursday morning. Go Giants!