Video: Jonathan Sanchez No-Hitter (all 27 outs in 3:49)

Did We Miss Anything?

I've been at a loss for words for the last several hours. Jonathan Sanchez's no-hitter tonight has joined the ranks of Brian Johnson's walkoff against the Dodgers in 1997, Kenny Lofton's NLCS-winning hit in 2002, and Barry Bonds's 756th home run in 2007 in my list of favorite all-time Giants' memories. I'm not usually one for sentimentality, but the stories in this case are impossible to ignore. Some observations:

- Jonathan Sanchez lost his spot in the rotation, primarily because he couldn't throw strikes. He stepped back into the rotation for an injured Randy Johnson, having never even thrown a complete game at any professional level. He struck out a career-high eleven and perhaps most impressively, did not walk a batter. He became the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter with no walks since...Randy Johnson. Sanchez's father flew in from Puerto Rico to watch his son start for the first time, which made for a beautiful moment in the dugout after the game.

- Give Juan Uribe a break. His error doesn't diminish Sanchez's start in any way. In fact, when you think about it, it makes his feat more impressive. Sanchez had to face 28 hitters, and he was in a position to get all of them out.

- Don't forget Eli Whiteside. Like Sanchez, he wasn't supposed to be here either. Bengie Molina, a countryman of Sanchez's, legitimately had somewhere better to be, as his wife is scheduled to give birth very soon.

- If not for other developments, we may well have been talking about Pablo Sandoval's monstrous home run. Duane Kuiper said in the post-game wrap that even Bonds didn't go there very often. Let's hope he hits a few more like that when the Phillies come to town.

- Jonathan Sanchez's no-hitter has already been described as "unlikely," and it was, partly because of the circumstances and partly because no-hitters always are. But to lump Sanchez in with the likes of Bud Smith, Jose Jimenez, and Eric Milton would be wrong. Anyone who's seen the guy at his best should have known that he had a start like this in him. But regardless of what happens the rest of this season, and the rest of his career, Jonathan Sanchez, and all of us, will always have this night. So let's savor it for now.

Giants Lose 2-1 In Re-Run Game

Still need to change that banner. Sorry, Barry.

Games like last night's 2-1 loss to San Diego are painful to watch as a Giants fan. However, I see that they make my job as a Giants blogger much easier. For instance, last night was very much a rerun of the night before, and a repeat of the same problems that have plagued the Giants all season. Subsequently, I can just cut and paste what I've written from previous games and change a couple player names. For instance, here is what I wrote yesterday:

The Giants lost yesterday 2-1, basically because they went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Chris Young is a pretty smart pitcher and I think he has figured out the ultimate kryptonite for the Giants lineup - put runners in scoring position and then get three easy outs.

But, rather than dwelling on the bad offense which is obviously apparent and clearly needs to be solved (more on that later), let's talk about Barry Zito.... Against San Diego, Zito gave up a pair of early runs and often found himself in stressful situations, managing to pitch around them and keeping his team in the game.

And here's what I have to say about yesterday: The Giants lost yesterday 2-1, basically because they went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Chad Gaudin is a pretty smart pitcher and I think he has figured out the ultimate kryptonite for the Giants lineup - put runners in scoring position and then get three easy outs.

But, rather than dwelling on the bad offense which is obviously apparent and clearly needs to be solved (more on that later), let's talk about Jonathan Sanchez. Against San Diego, Sanchez gave up a pair of early runs and often found himself in stressful situations, managing to pitch around them and keeping his team in the game.

Funny exercise, but it doesn't really make me feel any better.

Some Positives Despite Sloppy Loss

I know I should be really frustrated about last night's 5-3 loss to the Dodgers. The Giants committed two costly errors, threw three wild pitches, walked nine hitters, made mistakes on the bases, and struggled to get clutch hits despite numerous opportunities. However, I will admit that I thoroughly enjoyed last night's game before the Dodgers finally pulled away with two runs off Bob Howry in the ninth. Perhaps that's because I wasn't really expecting to win this game, with Dodger ace and Giant-killer Chad Billingsley on the mound. I feel like the fact that the Giants were able to at least get Billingsley, as well as Jonathan Broxton, on the ropes several times is a positive. Here are some other observations:

- Jonathan Sanchez worked harder than he needed to because of a dropped fly ball by Fred Lewis and a throwing error by Juan Uribe, which led to two Dodger runs. As a result, Sanchez was close to 100 pitches after five innings.
- Lewis strikes out a lot. He leads the National League with 26, and it seems like they have all come in the last week.
- For all the talk about what a clutch hitter Bengie Molina is, it seems like he's popped up a lot of first pitches in big situations.
- Pablo Sandoval is hitting the ball with authority, and Travis Ishikawa is taking better at-bats as well.

Giants Win! My Joe Martinez Theory

I have this theory. Before Joe Martinez took a line drive to the face, the Giants were riding high, en route to a 2-1 start. The event shook the Giants up pretty good - it was evident from their reactions after the fact. I think the orange and black took that with them on the road, and it showed in their play. Mental mistakes were made in the field, baserunning gaffes cost the team runs, and the pitching was not anywhere near as sharp as we expected.With the Giants returning home on Friday night, Martinez was in the building looking significantly better and I think his presence really loosened everyone up a bit. I expect better play from this team in the coming weeks. It wasn't a strong night on the offensive front - save Andres Torres' insurance homer in the eighth when he could not get around the bases fast enough. This evening was really about the pitching.

We had concerns about Jonathan Sanchez when he mentally broke down in his first start, however his line was strong against the Diamondbacks - nearly seven shutout innings of 2-hit ball. Then the trio of pitchers who blew the lead against the Dodgers last Wednesday sealed the deal this time - 1 out from Jeremy Affeldt, 2 from Bob Howry, and then 4 from Brian Wilson in his first save of the season. With strong pitching, a decent bullpen, and an un-threatening lineup, these are the kinds of games the Giants need to be winning to stay competitive.

Sanchez ... !

There's been a lot of negativity spewed about one Giants' lefty - so let's take a moment to appreciate another who is showing some serious promise in the back of the rotation. Get ready to add Jonathan Sanchez's name to the list of exciting young arms in the Giants rotation. Sanchez was light's out in last Friday's start against the Reds, taking a shutout into the ninth, before allowing a homer and a single. Sanchez comes into today's game boasting a 2-1 record with a 3.54 ERA. His 26 strikeouts are good for fifth in the National League. With Sanchez pitching like this, the Giants now have three really good reasons to follow this team. While this team will still make mistakes, with the young talent of Sanchez, Cain and Lincecum, I feel as though the Giants have a shot at winning every game. Let's hope today is one of those games.