Brian Sabean’s deft moves keep Giants in playoff hunt

Giant moves

If the San Francisco Giants reach the playoffs this season, it would be for the first time since 2003, ending the longest postseason drought in the National League West. But the credit probably won’t go to their vaunted starting rotation.

Instead the team MVP is likely to be General Manager Brian Sabean, who has made a series of deft moves this summer that have allowed the Giants to keep pace with the surprising San Diego Padres.

In May, he signed slugger Pat Burrell, who had been released by the Tampa Bay Rays. Burrell has responded by batting a career-high .299 with a home run every 15 at-bats. Needing a left-hander for the bullpen, Sabean acquired Javier Lopez at the nonwaiver trade deadline. Lopez has given up two hits in 4 1/3 innings in six appearances. And Friday, still uncomfortable with an offense that ranks in the bottom half of the league in runs and home runs, Sabean picked up slugger Jose Guillen from the Kansas City Royals.

“He keeps going out and putting pieces together,” second baseman Freddy Sanchez said.

But the biggest move for Sabean’s Giants, who are facing the division-leading Padres in a crucial three-game series this weekend, came July 1, when he dealt veteran catcher Bengie Molina to the Texas Rangers to make room for rookie Buster Posey. At first it looked like a desperate move — Molina was the team leader in home runs and runs batted in over the previous two years, while Posey had more strikeouts than hits in seven major league games coming into the season.

Since the trade, however, Posey has batted .359 and the Giants have won a league-high 26 games, moving from fourth in the division to first place in the wild-card race.

A Jones for a ring

The Atlanta Braves won the World Series in Chipper Jones’ first full big league season. And though no team has won more games than Atlanta over the ensuing 15 seasons, Jones hasn’t been fitted for a championship ring since 1995.

The NL East-leading Braves could return to the World Series this fall, but if they do it will be without the probable Hall of Famer, who was scheduled to have season-ending surgery Saturday on a torn ligament in his left knee.

“There’s really nothing else I can do individually that I haven’t already done. The one thing I can do in my career is punctuate it with another championship. That’s what drives me,” said the six-time All-Star and 2008 NL batting champion, who plans to come back next season in search of that elusive title.

“This team is in first place and we’ve got a chance to do something really special, and I feel deep down in my heart we’re going to do it. The fact that I’m not going to be a part of it is what really hurts.”

Seeking relief

Still think that closing games isn’t one of the most important — and difficult — jobs in baseball?

In the last week, All-Stars Jonathan Papelbon of the Boston Red Sox and Billy Wagner of the Braves were among the elite closers who blew save chances. And the Dodgers’ Jonathan Broxton lost his spot at the back of the Dodgers’ bullpen by going 1-4 with a 10.13 earned-run average and three blown saves since he preserved the NL’s win in this year’s All-Star game.

Going into Friday, only five major league bullpens had fewer than 10 blown saves.

— Kevin Baxter