While many managers have been playing Checkers, Bruce Bochy has been playing chess.
A leader of three championships, Bochy has been around the block more than a couple of times. He was there in 2007 during the dark times, and he has been there for the glory days. Simply put, the man and every ounce of brain in his size-eight cap skull know the game of baseball.
So when this chess master makes a decision, Giants fans have learned to trust it.
However, there are instances when, even with all the faith in world, the amateur may distrust a decision made by the grand master. So has been the case with Bochy's decision to keep former 2007 Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy in the regular rotation.
It has been no secret that the former Cy Young Award winner has been struggling out of the gate, putting up a horrid 8.47 ERA in seven starts while averaging a little under five innings, which has ballooned the San Francisco's rotation starting ERA as a whole.
Despite his struggles, Peavy leaves everything he has in his body out on the field, start in, start out. Bochy has given the veteran his personal vote of confidence, and Peavy's performance tonight proved why Bochy still has faith in the once-dominant starter.
The 34-year-old carried the momentum of a modest outing against the Toronto Blue Jays into his start against Arizona Diamondbacks, turning back the clock, going six quality innings while striking out five and only allowing one run and two walks.
Similar to his start against the Miami Marlins when he allowed two runs over the course of seven innings, Peavy was comfortable on the mound. Of his five strikeouts, four of them were swinging, a testament to the movement he had on his breaking pitches. He neutralized the core of the Arizona offense, holding Jean Segura, Jake Lamb, and All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt hitless during his outing.
Even with the great start by Peavy, his teammates were equally impressive in every facet.
The San Francisco offense, in particular, had more than a couple of stars. Denard Span and his white-hot bat made it on base safely in five plate appearances via a four-hit day and a hit by pitch, and Hunter Pence golfed a two-run shot over the left field fence for his 200th career home run.
Arguably the most important offensive cog of the day was Buster Posey, who racked up two hits, including a go-ahead two-run double in the ninth to break a 3-3 tie. After struggling with runners in scoring position for the first month and a half of the season, seeing the All-Star line a shot into the right-center field gap is huge going forward.
Derek Law and Josh Osich held the Diamondbacks scoreless in the seventh inning to pick up a pair of saves, and Cory Gearrin, filling a worked Santiago Casilla, closed out the game in the ninth and recorded his second career save.
Tonight's win is San Francisco's fourth straight win going back to the Toronto series, and the third straight win against the Diamondbacks.
Tomorrow afternoon, Matt Cain looks to carry the momentum of his masterful start against Toronto into Arizona just like Peavy and help the Giants complete the sweep of the Diamondbacks.
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