The night the Giants’ record sellout streak began

They first packed AT&T Park on Oct. 1, 2010, hoping to celebrate the Giants’ clinching their first National League West title in years.

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Giants watch Wildcard standings flip in an instant: ‘We have to play better than that’ Giants fans didn’t party that night, but they stuck around for nearly seven years, filling AT&T to watch youngsters like Buster Posey and Tim Lincecum blossom into megastars and bring three World Series championship teams to San Francisco.

Along the way, those fans helped the Giants set a National League record for most consecutive sellouts, which reached 530 before it ended on Monday night during an otherwise meaningless 5-3 loss to the Indians.

“It’s just been amazing,” Giants president and CEO Larry Baer said on the NBC Sports Bay Area broadcast “I wanted to thank the fans.”

While the Giants currently sit in the NL West cellar, looking as if they may join their ’85 counterparts as the franchise’s only 100-loss team, let’s take a quick look back at more joyous times.

Like that “Orange Friday” in 2010 when the sellout streak began.

Needing just one more win to hold off the Padres and clinch the division, the Giants sent Matt Cain to the mound. The raucous crowd’s mood was seemingly set early as popular center fielder Andres Torres received the Willie Mac Award before the game. Unfortunately for the Giants, the electric crowd energized the Padres, who hit three home runs off Cain.

Not even Aaron Rowand’s jolting, pinch-hit 3-run home run could prevent the Giants from falling 6-4 that night.

They packed AT&T again on Saturday only to watch the Padres win again, setting up the last game of the season with San Diego hoping to sweep and set up a one-game playoff for the crown.

Fortunately, pitcher Jonathan Sanchez’s six shutout innings and a home run from a rookie catcher named Posey led the Giants to a division-clinching 4-0 win on Oct. 3, 2010.

A few weeks later, the Giants’ even-year magic began with a World Series title. Two more titles followed. Some not-so-great years were sprinkled in, but the one constant was the support of Giants fans who kept packing the place.

In some respects, the ride ended with Monday’s announced crowd of 39,538, a couple thousand short of a sellout. But, man, what a ride it was! For complete Giants coverage follow us on Flipboard.

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