Reinvention and regression

Estrada's best stretch of the season came during a string of three consecutive starts he made from Aug. 13 to Aug. 23. Estrada beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 1-0, on Aug. 13, allowing no runs on just one hit over five innings, then lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-1, on Aug. 18 after allowing just one run in five innings in a duel with eventual National League Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw. Estrada then bounced back to beat the Pirates again on Aug. 23, 11-4, with a strong seven-inning, two-run, two-hit performance that tied for his longest outing of the season.

SANCHEZ', GIANTS'

DEFENSE FALTERS

With a near identical lineup to the one that captured the franchise's first World Series title in 56 years last season, the Giants looked to recapture the magic of the 2010 season of destiny.

With one of the most meager run-scoring offense in the majors (29th out of 30 teams), the pitching-strong Giants' title defense never made it into the postseason, as the Arizona Diamondbacks won the National League West by eight games and second-place San Francisco (86-76) was never more than a distant contender for the wild card down the stretch.

Sanchez' season was over much earlier, however, as the former Burbank High and Glendale college standout dislocated his right shoulder in a 3-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on June 10 in an injury that proved to be season-ending. The loss of their starting second baseman was one of several serious injuries that hampered the Giants' title defense, as star catcher Buster Posey had already been lost for the year in a collision at the plate.

Sanchez, who had surgery on the shoulder on Aug. 1, is expected to be healthy in time for 2012 Spring Training, according to a report on the Giants' official website on Thursday.

In 60 games of the 2011 season, Sanchez, a former National League batting titlist, batted .289 with three home runs, 24 runs batted in, 21 runs scored and 15 doubles.

MCCARTHY MAKES

GRADE WITH A's

In his first season in an Oakland Athletics uniform, right-handed starting pitcher Brandon McCarthy quietly put together the finest season of his six-year Major League career, although his exploits occurred mostly out of the spotlight with the small market A's (74-88), who were out of the American League West race early in the season en route to finishing a distant third.