PEN-NY!!! PEN-NY!!! PEN-NY!!! Giants 4, Phillies 0

There have been many indications that 2009 is a special season for the Giants: Randy Johnson's 300th victory, Jonathan Sanchez's no-hitter, Edgar Renteria's Grand Slam. Add Brad Penny's unexpectedly superb outing to that list. I think all Giants fans would have been content with 5 or 6 innings and 3 or 4 runs allowed. But 8 shutout innings against arguably the best lineup in the National League in a bandbox that is Citizens Bank Park, is above and beyond the call of duty. It's like the Seinfeld episode where Elaine is dating a guy that goes to absurd lengths to show Jerry's parents a good time in New York. Brad Penny doesn't have the most glowing reputation, but he's motivated now going into free agency, and he's pitching with a chip on his shoulder. Who knows; the playoff chances for the Giants could depend on the quality of Penny's outings, considering that the Giants know that they're going to get fantastic starting pitching from the rest of their rotation.

The Giants won again tonight with the long ball, as they did on their most recent homestand. It must have felt good for Aaron Rowand to hit one out against his old team, and he's matched his homerun total from last year. How great has Juan Uribe been this year! Sure, he's not an every-day player, but he's a tremendously valuable reserve not only because of his ability to play anywhere in the infield, but also because of his ability to occasionally yank one out of the ballpark, as he did tonight. He's come up with so many huge hits this year, and his experience on the 2005 World Champion White Sox make him a very key piece for the Giants. The Giants, as has been reiterated many times, do not have to pile runs on all the time to win. They just need spurts of offense like this in a couple of innings to complement their stellar pitching. What a great win tonight after a tough 1-0 loss yesterday.

The Giants go for a series win on the road tomorrow, with our Timmy on the mound. I'll be at the ballpark tomorrow, and it should be lots of fun.