Candlestick Park

1996 was highlighted by Bonds' joining the 40–40 club as only the second member (after the A's José Canseco in 1988), with 42 HR & 40 SB along with 129 RBI, 151 BB & a .308 BA). Rookie Bill Mueller also provided hope for the future of the club with a .330 average (66 hits in 200 AB over 55 games). Matt Williams and "G. Hill" provided offensive support. The pitching, was scarcely better than in 1995. Only Mark Gardner had more than 10 wins (12–7, 4.42 ERA), and Rod Beck had 35 saves and a 3.34 ERA but nine losses and the rest of the bullpen was woeful.[16] The low point came in late June when the Giants, after surging to .500 for a brief moment, lost 10 straight games en route to a 68–94 record, starting with a game in Atlanta they first tied with several runs in the ninth but then lost in extra innings. Their long-time radio voice, Hank Greenwald, retired after the season.

1997–99: Rebuilding
1997
Main article: 1997 San Francisco Giants season
After three consecutive losing seasons, the Giants named Brian Sabean as their new general manager for 1997, replacing Bob Quinn. (Sabean may have been acting as GM even before the announcement, rumored as he was to have engineered the deal to get southpaw starter Kirk Rueter from the Montreal Expos.) His tenure began with great controversy. In his first official trade as GM, he shocked Giant fans by trading Matt Williams to Cleveland for what newspapers referred to as a 'bunch of spare parts', with a negative reaction great enough for him to explain publicly, "I didn't get to this point by being an idiot... I'm sitting here telling you there is a plan."
Sabean was proven right: the Indians acquired for Williams — slugging second baseman Jeff Kent, shortstop José Vizcaíno and bullpen setup man Julián Tavárez, along with Joe Roa and the $1 million in cash that enabled them to sign center fielder and leadoff hitter Darryl Hamilton) — and a subsequent trade with Anaheim for clutch-hitting, slick-fielding first baseman J. T. Snow - turned out to be major contributors, leading the Giants to their first NL West Division title of the decade in 1997. Snow, Kent and Bonds each had over 100 RBI, and pitcher Shawn Estes' 19 wins (against only 5 losses) led the team. Rod Beck had his usual fine season with 37 saves.[17] 1997 also saw the introduction of interleague play to major league baseball, with the division-winning Giants going 10-6 against the four American League West teams: Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Anaheim Angels and Oakland A's.[18] On June 12 the Giants beat the Rangers 4-3 in the first regular season interleague game. But the wild-card Florida Marlins ended the Giants' season with a 3–0 sweep in the first round of the playoffs (the first two being one-run walkoff wins in Florida) on their way to the first Marlinworld championship in only their fifth year.

1998
Main article: 1998 San Francisco Giants season
In 1998, the Giants were fueled by good seasons from sluggers Jeff Kent and Barry Bonds, both with 30+ HR and 100+ RBI, and from starters Kirk Rueter (16–9 W-L record, 4.36 ERA), Mark Gardner (13–6, 4.33) and newly acquired Orel Hershiser(11–10, 4.41).[19] New closer Robb Nen had 40 saves. A hot September stretch tied them for the NL wild card, but they lost a one-game playoff at Chicago's Wrigley Field.

1999: Final season at Candlestick Park
Main article: 1999 San Francisco Giants season
1999 saw the Giants finish second in the NL West with an 86–76 record. Barry Bonds's production dropped as he hit .262, his lowest average in a decade. He did, however, hit 34 home runs even though missing more than a third of the season due to injury, and other team regulars put up very good supporting numbers including Snow, Kent, shortstop Rich Aurilia and outfielder Ellis Burks, all with 20+ HR and 80+ RBI. Marvin Benard also had a career year in center field with 16 home runs, 64 RBIs and a career- and team-high 27 stolen bases. The pitching staff was paced by Russ Ortiz (18–9, 3.81) and Kirk Rueter (15–10, 5.41).[20]
With the knowledge that their days in Candlestick Park were numbered, the 1999 season ended with a series of promotions and tributes. After the final game of the season, a loss to the Dodgers, home plate was ceremoniously removed and taken by CHP helicopter to the new grounds where the downtown stadium was being built.

2000–present: AT&T Park
In 2000, after forty years, the Giants bade farewell to Candlestick Park and, as long advocated, moved into a privately financed downtown stadium (AT&T Park, originally Pacific or "Pac" Bell Park and later renamed SBC Park) on that part of the shoreline of China Basin known to Giant fans as McCovey Cove, at the corner of 3rd and King Streets (with an official address of 24 Willie Mays Plaza in honor of the longtime Giant superstar), ushering in a new era for the Giants and their fans. While Candlestick resembled the multi-purpose concrete-dominated "cookie-cutter" parks built by so many teams during the 1960s & 1970s, their new home is regarded as one of the most beautiful venues in all of professional sports. Even so, as part of the intense rivalry with the Los Angeles Dodgers, some Dodger fans derisively and jealously refer to AT&T Park as "The Phone Booth" from its current and former names (Pac Bell Park, SBC Park), as could be expected.
 

AT&T Park

The Giants routinely sell out their new nearly 43,000-seat state-of-the-art stadium built for the 21st century, whereas paltry paid attendances of less than 10,000 were not uncommon in Candlestick despite its nearly 60,000 seating capacity, although by the 1999 season the Giants did manage to draw about 25,000 fans per game. The team in its striking new location annually vies for highest MLB season attendance in contrast to often having lowest attendance in the NL (or close to it) before. Still quite breezy in summer compared to other MLB parks, AT&T Park has been a consensus success despite its reputation as a "pitcher's park" stingy for power hitters. Its state-of-the-art design minimizes wind-chill, it is well served by mass transit and has spectacular views of the bay and the city skyline, traits all lacking at Candlestick especially after it was redesigned in the early 1970s to accommodate the NFL 49ers. AT&T Park is the centerpiece of a renaissance in San Francisco's South Beach andMission Bay neighborhoods, known for what has been called sustainable design.[21]
Despite inaugural game festivities at the new ballpark, the Dodgers spoiled the 2000 season opener with an unexpected three-HR outburst by little-known, light-hitting shortstop Kevin Elster. But the Giants rebounded after losing their first six games in their new home with a solid effort all season long, culminating with not only the NL West Division title but the best record in the major leagues. Kent paced the attack with clutch hits (33 HR, 125 RBI) en route to being elected MVP over runner-up Bonds with 49 HR & 106 RBI. The pitching staff was not great but certainly decent, five starters earning at least ten wins: Liván Hernández (17–11, 3.75), Russ Ortíz (14–12, 5.01), Kirk Rueter (11–9, 3.96), Shawn Estes (15–6, 4.26) and Mark Gardner (11–7, 4.05). Closer Robb Nen was nearly perfect, with 41 saves and a minute 1.50 ERA.[22]
The Giants lost the 2000 division series to the New York Mets three games to one after a solid win in Game 1 on the postseason clutch pitching of Liván Hernández. But the Mets won the next three games despite decent starts by Estes, Ortíz and Mark Gardner. Game 2 in particular ended tumultuously but disappointingly. Down 4–1 in the ninth, Snow smacked a three-run home run to tie the game; but the Mets won in the tenth with a run off Félix Rodríguez, Bonds making the last out with two men on on a controversial called third strike.[23]
In 2001, the Giants were eliminated from playoff contention on the next-to-last day of the season. Slugging shortstop Rich Aurilia put up stellar numbers (37 HR, 97 RBI, .324 BA) in support of Bonds, who once again gave fans something to cheer about with his single-season record 73 home runs, surpassing Mark McGwire's 70 in 1998. The pitching staff was good but not great, with Russ Ortíz (17–9, 3.29) leading a staff that also had Liván Hernández (13–15, 5.24) and Kirk Rueter (14–12, 4.42). Shawn Estes and Mark Gardner had subpar years, but a notable late-season acquisition from the Pirates was superstar starter Jason Schmidt (7–1, 3.39). Robb Nen continued as a dominant closer (45 saves, 3.01 ERA).[24]

2002: National League Championship Season and World Series
Main articles: 2002 National League Division Series, 2002 National League Championship Series, and 2002 World Series
In 2002, the Giants finished second in the NL West behind the Arizona Diamondbacks, bolstered by another MVP season for Bonds (46 HR, 110 RBI, .370 BA, a then-record 198 walks and a .582 OBP) and Kent (37 HR, 108 RBI and .313 BA).[25]Additional roster support was provided by decent seasons from veteran catcher Beníto Santiágo and Aurilia, aided by new acquisitions third baseman David Bell, slugging outfielder Reggie Sanders and fleet-footed outfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo, (generally known by last name only), who spent only one season with the Giants before returning to Japan. The pitching staff again proved solid, with five starters winning 12 or more including Jason Schmidt in his first full season in San Francisco. Closer Robb Nen had 43 saves and a 2.20 ERA, and setup men Felix Rodríguez and Tim Worrell were solid out of the bullpen.
The Giants made the playoffs as the NL wild card in the last weekend of the season. They began by defeating the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS three games to two, with Ortíz winning Games 1 and 5 in Atlanta and Snow ending the deciding game with a spectacular double play ending in a rundown between first and second.[26]
In the NLCS, they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals four games to one with wins by Rueter, Schmidt and two by Worrell in relief.[27] Santiago, particularly for his late clutch game-turning and -winning home run in Game 4, was elected MVP of the NLCS.
The Giants then faced the American League champion Anaheim Angels (now known as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) in the World Series, marking the first World Series between two wild-card teams. The Giants split the first two (one-run) games in Anaheim, but took Games 4 & 5 in Pac Bell Park after being beaten soundly by the visiting Angels in Game 3 for a three-games-to-two lead following their 16–4 blowout home win in Game 5 before the Series shifted back to Anaheim. With the Giants leading 5–0 with one out in the bottom of the 7th of Game 6, momentum changed decisively when manager Dusty Baker removed starter Russ Ortíz after he gave up two straight singles and handed him what Giant fans hoped would be the "game" ball as he walked off the mound. Moments later, however, Scott Spiezio hit a three-run home run for the Angels off reliever Felix Rodriguez on a 3-2 pitch just over the right field fence (with Sanders out of position, playing him too shallow) after fouling off numerous fastballs, and the Angels went on to win the game 6–5 on an eighth-inning two-run double by Series MVP third baseman Troy Glaus off the faltering Nenn, pitching "on fumes and guts" with an injured right shoulder. The following night, Anaheim won Game 7 4–1 behind an early 3-run double by Garret Anderson off Hernández to claim the Series.
After 2002, the Giants went through many personnel changes. Baker's managerial contract was not renewed after ten seasons. Closer Nenn's damaged shoulder ended his career, forcing him into early retirement; and Kent, moving on to theHouston Astros in his native Texas, was not re-signed. He had aroused front-office ire earlier in the season with an off-field injury when he fell off the roof of his vehicle while shining it, and by getting into a public scrap with Bonds in the dugout in the middle of a game. Position players David Bell, Reggie Sanders, Tsuyoshi Shinjo and Kenny Lofton, as well as pitchers Liván Hernández, Russ Ortíz and southpaw reliever Aaron Fultz (winner of 2002 World Series Game 4), all went to other teams in 2003 as well.

2003: Wire to wire
That season the Giants, under new manager Felipe Alou, won 100 games for the seventh time in franchise history and the third time in San Francisco, winning their division for the third time in seven seasons and spending every day of theseason in first place, the ninth team to accomplish that feat in baseball history. Their offense was paced by yet another MVP season from Bonds (45 HR, 90 RBI, .341 BA, 148 BB and an OBP of .529). Decent offensive support was provided by Rich Aurilia, Marquis Grissom, José Cruz Jr., Edgardo Alfonzo, Benito Santiago, Pedro Felíz and Andrés Galarrága. The pitching staff was led by Jason Schmidt (17–5, 2.34 ERA) and Kirk Rueter (10–5, 4.53), but dropped off after that, no other starter earning ten wins.[28]
Once again in the playoffs, and just like in 1997, the Giants faced the eventual-world-champion Florida Marlins in the NLDS. Schmidt won Game 1 in San Francisco with a low-scoring complete game outdueling Josh Beckett; but the Marlins won the next three games, and the series three games to one, as the Giants bullpen faltered after Game 2 starter Sidney Ponson imploded, blowing a big early Giant lead. As usually reliable outfielder Fred Snodgrass blew the deciding game of the 1912 World Series on the road with the Giants one run ahead going into the last of the tenth with a notorious "muff" of a fly ball by the leadoff hitter ending with the home team Boston Red Sox scoring two runs for a come-from-behind walkoff win, exactly the same scenario happened in the last of the tenth in Florida in Game 3 of the 2003 NLDS with a muff of another easy leadoff fly ball by otherwise slick-fielding José Cruz Jr, ending with Ivan Rodríguez's two-out, two-run, come-from-behind bases-loaded walkoff win for the Marlins off closer Tim Worrell.ref>"2003 League Division Series - Florida Marlins over San Francisco Giants (3-1)". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2012-07-19.</ref>

2004–06: Playoff drought
In 2004, Bonds broke his own records with 232 walks and a .609 OBP en route to his 7th and last NL MVP award (45 HR, 101 RBI, .362 BA). The team also had a solid but not stellar supporting cast including Marquís Grissom (22, 90, .279) and Pedro Felíz (22, 84, .276), along with decent hitting by Ray Durham, EdgárdoAlfónzo, Michael Tucker and AJ Pierzynski. Jason Schmidt was the star of the staff (18–7, 3.20 ERA, 251 SO), but the team was constantly looking for a new closer (Matt Herges and Dustin Hermanson sharing the role during the season).[29] After sitting out most of the first half of the season with an injury, Snow led the league in hitting after the All-Star Break.
The Giants' 2005 season was the least successful of the decade in their new stadium. Bonds missed almost the entire season with a knee injury, erratic closer Armando Benítez was injured for four months, and ace Jason Schmidt struggled after numerous injuries. But management took advantage of the off-year to give playing time to numerous young players, including pitchers Noah Lowry, Brad Hennessey, Kevin Correia, Scott Munter, Matt Cain and Jeremy Accardo, as well as first baseman Lance Niekro and outfielders Jason Ellison and Todd Linden. The acquisition of veteran outfield contact hitter Randy Winn from the Seattle Mariners was invaluable in the stretch run.
On September 28, the Giants were officially eliminated from the NL West race after losing to the division champion San Diego Padres, finishing a distant third at 75–87, their worst, and first losing, season since 1996. Despite the disappointing finish, the Giants extended manager Felípe Alou's contract for another year.
The Giants were expected to contend in 2006 with a strong starting staff. Despite a losing streak in May, and the worst batting performance by Barry Bonds in about fifteen years[30] the Giants did contend in the less-than-stellar Western Division and by July 23 were in first place. On that day, however, during the last game of a homestand and leading San Diego going into the ninth inning, closer Armándo Benítez blew a save with a tying home run and the Giants lost in extra innings. That was the first loss of a horrendous three-week stretch that saw San Francisco go 3–16, losing nine games by one run.[31]
On October 2, 2006, the day after the end of the regular season, the Giants announced that they would not renew manager Felípe Alou's contract but still offer him the opportunity to stay with them in an advisory role to the general manager and to baseball operations.

2007–2009: Losing ways and milestones
2007: End of the Bonds era
Main article: 2007 San Francisco Giants season
With eleven free agents (excluding Jason Schmidt) who signed with the Dodgers for roughly $15 million a year, a new manager on board (Bruce Bochy, division rival San Diego manager since the mid-1990s who left the Padres to manage the Giants), and the loss of veteran catcher Mike Matheny due to complications (cumulative trauma) resulting from concussions sustained during his career,[32] the Giants' prospects for the 2007 season were less than favorable as 2006 came to an end. They then made several deals, re-signing infielders Pedro Feliz, Ray Durham and longtime fan favorite Rich Aurilia, and picking up catcher Bengie Molina, slugger Ryan Klesko and outfielder Dave Roberts. They also signed free-agent pitcher Barry Zito to a lucrative seven-year contract worth $126 million with an $18 million option for an eighth year, the richest pitcher's contract in baseball history at the time. On January 9, 2007, they re-signed pitcher Russ Ortízto compete for the fifth starting position in spring training, which he won by late March due to his outstanding spring.
 

The 2007 team during spring training

They got off to a slow start in the regular season, with spurts of promise but more often stretches of mediocre play at best. Pitching was often inconsistent or the offense nonexistent (such as in a pair of 1–0 losses for young star starter Matt Cain, for whom lack of run support was a frequent problem).
The season was memorable in some regards, such as the Giants - Red Sox series in Fenway Park, their first appearance there since they lost the deciding game of the 1912 World Series with two errors in the last of the tenth after scoring a go-ahead run in the top of the tenth, and their hosting of the 2007 MLB All-Star Game. Much more notable, however, was Bonds' march toward Hank Aaron's 755 career home run record that brought heavy media attention to the San Francisco Giants.
Leading off in the top of the second before a sellout crowd at PETCO Park in San Diego in Game 2 of that series, Bonds hit a high fastball off the facing of the upper deck in left field for an off-field jack, tying the score at 1-1 and Aaron at 755, although they lost 3-2 in extra innings. In the bottom of the fifth at home against the Washington Nationals on the night of August 7, he smashed number 756 into the deep center field bleachers, causing a melee in the crowd scrambling for the ball, which would later earn the young man who came up with it six figures at auction. Aaron, appearing on the big screen, congratulated him personally, but the luckless Giants went on to lose the game 8-6.
On August 9, 2007, left-handed pinch-hitter deluxe Mark Sweeney was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for AA second baseman Travis Denker, marking the first trade between the Giants and the Dodgers since 1985.[33]
The 2007 season continued discouraging for the Giants, with solid pitching but often without run support. Rookie starter Tim Lincecum, for instance, held the Chicago Cubs to two hits through eight innings on August 21, but the team scored only one run in a 5-1 loss.
On September 22, 2007, the Giants officially announced they would not re-sign Barry Bonds for the 2008 season. After much speculation and debate, owner Peter Magowan announced Bonds' departure at a press conference, stressing the need for youth and offense throughout the lineup.[34]
Bonds played the last game of his brilliant career on September 26, 2007. He went 0 for 3, driving a ball that was caught at the warning track in left-center field in his final at-bat and then leaving on his own although he had another at-bat coming had he stayed in the game.

2008: Without Bonds and golden anniversary
Main article: 2008 San Francisco Giants season
 

Tim Lincecum 2008 Cy Young Award Winner.

2008, the 51st season for the Giants in San Francisco, was their first without Barry Bonds since 1992. Their first big move was to sign gutsy Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Aaron Rowand to a 5-year, $60 million contract. Barry Zito, in his second year as a Giant, once again got off to a poor start, losing his first eight decisions; but the team found hope with Tim Lincecum in his second full season. After going 7–5 as a rookie in 2007, he exploded as a sophomore starter, winning four straight before his first loss on April 29, 2008, to the Colorado Rockies. Lincecum was selected to the 2008 MLB All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, but was hospitalized with flulike symptoms and couldn't pitch in the midsummer classic. He soon recovered, however, and even went on to win the 2008 NL Cy Young Award, finishing at 18–5 and becoming the first Giant to win that prestigious trophy since Mike McCormick won it in 1967.[35] The Giants finished the season in fourth place in the NL West with a record of 72–90.

2009: A mix of old & new and a no-hitter
During the 2008-09 off-season, the Giants strengthened their pitching staff with veteran starting pitcher Randy Johnson and relievers Bob Howry and Jeremy Affeldt. They also signed infielders Edgar Rentería and Juan Uribe. Despite lingering questions about their struggling offense, they were a surprising 49–39 by the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, good enough for second place in the NL West.
In addition to the Giants' overall performance as a team, the first half of 2009 was memorable for several individuals: Johnson became the 24th major league pitcher to win 300 games, and phenomally gifted but perpetually struggling young southpaw starter Jonathan Sánchez tossed a nearly perfect no-hitter against the San Diego Padres on July 10 (the only Padre baserunner reached on Juan Uribe's late infield error, following the distant footsteps of Giant immortal Christy Mathewson, whose 1905 no-no was blemished by only two errors), the first Giant no-hitter since 1976. Incredibly, Sánchez accomplished his feat spot-starting in place of injured Randy Johnson and returning to the rotation after a brief demotion to the bullpen, striking out a career-high eleven hitters to boot. It was his first major leaguecomplete game and shutout, on only 110 pitches for an 8-0 Giant romp, and the first no-hitter ever thrown at AT&T Park. In fact, 2009's starting rotation was one of the strongest in Giant history, two of whom went to the All-Star Game including successfully defending Cy Young champ Tim Lincecum, who started the game. He won his second straight NL Cy Young Award even though he won only 15 games in 2009, finishing at 15-7, becoming the only pitcher to capture the Cy Young Award in each of his first two full major league seasons.[36]
But tragically on July 19, Sue Burns, the team's senior general partner who was a virtual fixture in her seat adjacent to the Giants' dugout, died early that Sunday morning of cancer. She was the widow of Harmon Burns, a Bay area financier who was a key member of the investor group that had saved the team from moving to Tampa at the end of the 1992 season. The Giants honored her with a pregame ceremony with Barry Bonds in attendance.[37]
On July 20, the Giants traded one of their top prospects, AA pitcher Tim Alderson, for Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Freddy Sánchez. Alderson was the first round pick in the 2007 draft and was ranked prospect number four in the Giants' organization by Baseball America,[38] but Sánchez provided a much needed jump for their offense, batting .293 with 41 RBI and 22 walks for the season. On September 11, the Giants added another key player when they brought up their first-round draft pick, young catcher Buster Posey, from their AAA affiliate the Fresno Grizzlies.
Although the 2009 Giants finished only 14 games above .500, they won 16 more games than in 2008. With the emergence of star slugger Pablo Sandoval to provide solid offensive support for their dominant pitching staff, they looked forward to making the playoffs next year for the first time since 2003.[39]

2010–present: Champions at last
2010: Torture and triumph
Main article: 2010 San Francisco Giants season
In 2010, in a season described as "Giants Baseball: Torture" by Duane Kuiper, their veteran announcer and former big-league second baseman,[40] the Giants won the National League Western Division for the first time since 2003 after trailing the San Diego Padres for most of the season, in fact from May to mid-to-late September. (The "torture" slogan was coined on the April 21 edition of the five-minute pregame KNBR radio feature Kruk and Kuip on Baseball after the Giants lost 1–0 to the Padres even though Jonathan Sánchez had held the Pads to one lone hit.) On July 4, after the Giants lost a four-game road series in Colorado, their halfway season mark was a mere 41-40. But riding a 21-game hitting streak byBuster Posey, called up in May from AAA Fresno, the Giants then won 19 of the remaining 24 games in July. In August, however, they had a losing record of 13–15, including four series losses against the Braves, Padres, Phillies and Cardinals. On August 25, despite overcoming a 10–1 deficit in the 5th inning, they lost to the Reds in extra innings at home to drop 6.5 games behind San Diego. Three days later, following an 11–3 debacle at home against the Diamondbacks,Brian Sabean, Bruce Bochy and Drew Northfield met privately with the starting pitchers, who had gone 5–13 with a 5.56 ERA in August, including 14 straight starts without a win.
But the Padres finally faltered as well, losing ten in a row going into September. On the 5th, the Giants moved to within a game of first place with a 3-0 win against the Dodgers. Despite being shut out four times in ten games, they went 18–8 in September to take over first place by three games on the strength of their pitching with a microscopic team ERA of 1.78, the lowest in the National League in a September stretch run since the 1965 Dodgers (when they surged ahead of the Giants to stay in the wake of Sandy Koufax's perfect game in Chicago). During that September run, Giants' pitchers allowed no more than three runs in 18 straight games, the longest single-season streak since 1920. The division title came down to the final three games of the year in October at home against San Diego. The Giants needed only one win to clinch the division, lost the first two but won the last regular-season game on a bright Sunday afternoon, 3–0.Jonathan Sánchez, who had been ridiculed in August when he failed to make good a boast that the Giants would sweep the Padres in that last series, led the September charge with a 3–1 record (culminating with that 3-0 clincher against the Pads on the final day) and a 1.17 ERA. Closer Brian Wilson finished up for a franchise record-tying, major-league-leading, 48th save. Giants went 51–30 in the second half of the season, 29-14 against division opponents after a dismal 9–20 first half start.
 

Pat Burrell in the Giants' 2010 World Series victory parade.

Main articles: 2010 National League Division Series, 2010 National League Championship Series, and 2010 World Series
At the start of the 2010 season only one (Jim Caple of ESPN.com, although he later recanted his pick before the NLCS, saying the Philadelphia Phillies would beat the Giants and advance to the World Series) of the many baseball writers and pundits picked the Giants to reach the World Series, most of them not expecting San Francisco even to make the playoffs.[41][42][43]
In the 2010 National League Division Series, the Giants defeated the Atlanta Braves three games to one. Tim Lincecum won Game 1 with a memorable and record-setting 14-strikeout, 2-hit 1-0 home shutout performance, Cody Ross with a two-out single driving in the lone run of the game. After blowing a commanding eight-inning lead, they lost Game 2 in extra innings on Rick Ankiel's mammoth home run. They rebounded to win Game 3 in Atlanta, coming from behind down to their last strike with two outs and a runner on first in the top of the ninth, on singles by Freddy Sánchez and Aubrey Huff followed by one of second baseman Brooks Conrad's multiple errors which brought in the eventual winning run, Wilson saving it as he did a similar thriller in Game 4, with the Giants again coming from behind but this time in the middle innings. In the ensuing NLCS, the Giants took a 3–1 advantage over the Philadelphia Phillies, winning Games 3 & 4 at home after splitting the first two at Philadelphia. Starting pitcher for the Giants Tim Lincecum was rematched against the Phillies' Roy Halladay in Game 5, who beat them 4-2 coming from behind early on Aubrey Huff's infield error, forcing a return trip to Philadelphia, where the Giants won a heart-stopping 3-2 Game 6 on stellar relief pitching including yet another Wilson save, ending with a perfectly thrown called third strike slider on the outside corner against sluggerRyan Howard with the would-be tying and winning runs on, after Juan Uríbe's two-out solo tiebreaking homer in the top of the eighth, to win the NLCS 4–2 and advance to face the Texas Rangers in the 2010 World Series.
Game 1 of the 2010 World Series in San Francisco was a highly anticipated matchup between two-time (2008–09) National League Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum against 2008 American League Cy Young winner (and heretofore undefeated in postseason play) Texas Ranger southpaw Cliff Lee.[44] But the anticipated pitchers' duel turned into a slugfest as the Giants beat the Rangers 11–7 on the strength of Freddy Sanchez's three doubles, setting a World Series record as the first to hit three consecutive doubles in his first three at-bats; Juan Uríbe's three-run blast, his second homer in two straight postseason games; and Vladimir Guerréro's woeful failure to cover AT&T Park's spacious right field after DH'ing most of the regular season for Texas (with no DH in NL parks). The Giants also scored the most runs (6) in a single half-inning in a World Series since 1933 (when they also won the World Series, against the Washington Senators).[45]The next day, the Giants won Game 2, breaking open a 2-0 pitching duel between Matt Cain (7 2/3 scoreless innings) and C.J. Wilson after Ranger pitchers walked 4 in a row and gave up 7 runs to the Giants in the bottom of the eighth for a 9-0 Giant lead and win.[46] The Giants lost Game 3 in Arlington, Texas, 4–2 on Ranger rookie slugging first baseman Mitch Moreland's second inning three-run homer off Jonathan Sánchez, superstar Josh Hamilton's solo blast in the fifth. But Game 4 belonged to the Giants, as rookie left-handed starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner shut out the Rangers for eight innings on a hot Halloween Sunday night with home runs by Aubrey Huff and Buster Posey propelling the team to a 4-0 victory, Wilson again finishing up in the ninth.[47] The Giants, behind Tim Lincecum, wrapped up the Series with a 3-1 Game 5 win for their first world championship in San Francisco and the first for the franchise since 1954. Lincecumoutdueled Cliff Lee in an every-pitch-matters scenario that was scoreless until Edgar Rentería hit a stunning three-run homer off a flat Lee slider with two outs in the seventh inning. Nelson Cruz homered in the bottom half, but Lincecum immediately went back to his wicked ways and preserved the lead for Brian Wilson's scoreless ninth-inning save, striking out Cruz swinging on a high inside fastball to end it.[48] Edgar Rentería was named World Series Most Valuable Player.[49][50] Interestingly, the patterns of Giant wins and losses was identical to their 1933 Series triumph over the first Washington Senators (the future Minnesota Twins starting in 1961), losing only Game 3 on the road (1933 in Washington, 2010 in Texas).

Again, the championship firsts were:
• Giants:
• First world championship since 1954, while still in New York.[48]
• First world championship since the move to San Francisco in 1958.[48]
• City of San Francisco:
• First World Series championship.[48]
• Major sports championship since the 49ers won Super Bowl XXIX in January 1995.[48]
• San Francisco Bay Area:
• First World Series championship since the Oakland Athletics swept the Giants in 1989.[51]
• First major sports world championship since the 49ers won Super Bowl XXIX.[52]
With their victory in the 2010 World Series, the Giants also became the second Major League Baseball team (after the St. Louis Cardinals) to win a world championship in three different centuries: 1800s, 1900s, and 2000s.
On November 15, 2010, Giants' catcher Buster Posey was named NL Rookie of the Year.[53]

2011: Back to square one
2011 began on a dark note when Giants fan paramedic Bryan Stow suffered a life-threatening head injury with permanent disability in an attack by two Dodger fans in the Dodger Stadium parking lot on Opening Day after they had insulted and threatened him in the stands during the game.[54] Further tragedy ensued on May 25 in extra innings when overzealous Florida utility man Scott Cousins crashed into the Giants' plate-blocking Rookie of the Year catcher Buster Posey as he slid home with the eventual Marlin winning run, fracturing Posey's ankle and ending his season.[55] San Francisco finished the 2011 season with a 86–76 record, winding up in second place in the NL West eight games behind the division-winning Arizona Diamondbacks for lack of hitting and other key injuries (such as to second baseman Freddy Sánchez in late May shortly before Posey's injury, and to closer Brian Wilson in August).[56]

2012: Champions Again
The Giants started the season playing barely above .500, trailing the Dodgers in second place for most of the first half of the season and falling to 7.5 games back near the end of May. But a 17–10 June by the Giants (including a home sweep of the Dodgers) while the Dodgers slumped to 11–17 put the Giants ahead by one game at the end of the month. The Giants and Dodgers would continue to trade places at the top until August 20, at which point another sweep of the Dodgers gave the Giants the lead for good.
On June 13, Matt Cain pitched the first perfect game in the 130-year history of the franchise, against the Houston Astros, at AT&T Park.[57]
Melky Cabrera was named the Most Valuable Player of the All-Star Game. Matt Cain was the starting and winning pitcher. Pablo Sandoval became the first player in All-Star Game history to hit a bases loaded triple.[58] At the trade deadline, the Giants acquired right fielder Hunter Pence from the Philadelphia Phillies and second baseman Marco Scutaro from the Colorado Rockies. On August 15, Cabrera was suspended by Major League Baseball for 50 games for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. Despite the loss of their best hitter at the time of the suspension (.346) and the Dodgers making several blockbuster trades, the Giants still won the 2012 NL West Division, led by Scútaro's 20-game hit streak in the last twenty games of the regular season for a .306 average and NL MVP-to-be Buster Posey's league-leading .336.[59]
On October 11, the Giants became the first NL team to come back from a 2-0 deficit in the NLDS to beat the Cincinnati Reds in three straight games, and were also the first major league team to take a best-of-five postseason series by winning the last three on the road. In the final game, Buster Posey hit a grand slam to secure their victory.[60] The St. Louis Cardinals won the first three out of four games in the NLCS. Barry Zito, who had been left off of the 2010 postseason roster, led the Giants to a 5-0 win in game 5, pitching 7 2⁄3 scoreless innings. The Giants won Games 6 and 7, as Scútaro was chosen MVP of the NLCS with his .500 average. The Giants won the first game of the World Series against the Detroit Tigers, with Pablo Sandoval becoming the fourth player in MLB history to hit three home runs in a World Series game (on his first three at-bats), and proceeded to sweep Detroit in four straight games for their second world championship in three years after Sergio Romo retired the Tigers in order in their half of the tenth for his third consecutive save of the Series.[61] Sandoval received the World Series MVP award.[62][63]

Rivalries
The Giants' rivalry with the Los Angeles Dodgers dates back to when the two teams were based in New York, as does their rivalry with the New York Yankees for that matter. Their rivalry with the Oakland Athletics dates back to when the Giants were in New York and the A's were in Philadelphia and played each other in the 1905, 1911 & 1913 World Series, and was renewed in 1968 when the Athletics moved from Kansas City and the teams again played each other in the earthquake-interrupted 1989 Bay Bridge World Series. The 2010 NLCS inaugurated a Giant rivalry with the Philadelphia Phillies after confrontations between Jonathan Sánchez and Chase Utley, and between Ramón Ramírez and Shane Victorino. Victorino is widely hated by Giants fans, as was Sánchez by Philly fans before the Giants traded him to the Kansas City Royals after the 2011 season. The rivalry between the New York Giants and Chicago Cubs in the early twentieth century had been universally regarded as one of the most heated in baseball,[64] with Merkle's boner leading to a 1908 season-ending matchup in New York of particular note. That historical rivalry was revisited in their one-game playoff in Chicago at the end of the 1998 season, and on June 6, 2012 in a "Turn Back The Century" game in which both teams wore replica 1912 uniforms.[65]

Ford C. Frick Award recipients
Names in bold received the award based primarily on their work as Giants broadcasters.
• Ernie Harwell
• Russ Hodges
• Tim McCarver
• Jon Miller
• Lindsey Nelson
• Lon Simmons
* Played as Giants

Other
The following inducted members of the Hall of Fame played and/or managed for the Giants, but either played for the Giants and were inducted as a manager having never managed the Giants, or managed the Giants and were inducted as a player having never played for the Giants:
• Cap Anson – inducted as player, managed Giants in 1898.
• Hughie Jennings – inducted as player, managed Giants from 1924 to 1925.
• Bill McKechnie – inducted as manager, played for Giants in 1916.
• Frank Robinson – inducted as player, managed Giants from 1981 to 1984.
• Casey Stengel – inducted as manager, played for Giants from 1921 to 1923.
Broadcasters Russ Hodges, Lon Simmons, and Jon Miller are permanently honored in the Hall's "Scribes &Mikemen" exhibit as a result of winning the Ford C. Frick Award in 1980, 2004, and 2010 respectively. As with all Frick Award winners, none are officially recognized as an inducted member of the Hall of Fame.

San Francisco Giants Wall of Famers
Further information: AT&T Park#San Francisco Giants Wall of Fame

Minor league affiliations

Radio and television
The Giants' flagship radio station is KNBR, 680 AM, which refers to itself as "The Sports Leader". Jon Miller and Dave Flemming are the regular play-by-play announcers. When games are televised on KNTV, Duane Kuiper replaces Miller on the radio, and Miller goes to television. KNBR's owner, Cumulus Media, is a limited partner in San Francisco Baseball Associates LP, the owner of the team.[79]
Giants' telecasts are split between KNTV (over-the-air) and Comcast SportsNet Bay Area (cable). Miller regularly calls the action on KNTV, while the announcing team for CSN telecasts is Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper, affectionately known as "Kruk and Kuip" (pronounced "Kruke" and "Kype"). KNTV's broadcast contract with the Giants began in 2008, one year after the team and KTVU mutually ended a relationship that dated to 1958, the team's first year in the Bay Area. (As a FOX affiliate, KTVU continues to air Giants games that are part of the Major League Baseball on Fox package; several Giants games a year are also part of the ESPN and TBS packages.).[80]
During a July 23–25, 2010, road game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Fresno Grizzlies broadcaster Doug Greenwald filled in so that Jon Miller could travel to Cooperstown to be honored with the Ford C. Frick Award. Snow sat in so that Dave Flemming could also attend the award presentation. On September 4, 2010, Miller made his first appearance with CSN Bay Area.

Home Run Call Glitch
On May 28, 2006, Flemming called the 715th career home run of Barry Bonds, putting Bonds second on the all-time home run list. Unfortunately, the power from his microphone to the transmitter cut off while the ball was in flight, so the radio audience heard only crowd noise. Greg Papa took over the broadcast and apologized to listeners. Kuiper's TV call was submitted to the Baseball Hall of Fame as an artifact, instead of the usual radio call.