Villalona. Photo by Tony Medina, courtesy San Jose Giants

Villalona, a 2006 draft pick, turned himself in to police twelve hours after the killing of 25-year-old Mario Felix de Jesus Velete in a bar in the coastal city of La Romana. He could face up to twenty years in prison. Villalona, who had been ranked among the top 50 minor league prospects by MLB.com, had returned to the Dominican Republic to play winter-league baseball.

Meanwhile, the big club’s prospects for the postseason continued to fade as they dropped two out of three games in Los Angeles this weekend even as the team they’re chasing in the Wild Card standings, the Colorado Rockies, won two out of three. The Giants’ 6-2 loss to the Dodgers today (scoring summary) was painful for many reasons, but I think a new low for the season was reached when the Giants batted in the top of the fifth inning.

Trailing by a score of 4-1 on a hot day, 2008 Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum was clearly already exhausted. He had just suffered a long fourth inning in which the Dodgers had scored twice, and he badly needed a breather. As he was due up third in the inning, it was up to the usually ineffective hitters Ryan Garko and Aaron Rowand to, at the very least, extend their at-bats and give Timmy time to catch his breath. Instead, Lincecum hardly even had time to sit down before Garko popped out and Rowand struck out. Utterly gassed, Lincecum (14-6) grounded out quickly, then in the top of the inning walked the first two batters and was pulled from the game.

The Giants scored only one run the rest of the game, and were left to watch the scoreboard helplessly as the Rockies overcame a one-run deficit and overpowered the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Giants’ loss and the Rockies’ win puts the Giants four and a half games back with just 13 games remaining in the season.

I would say her blog needs more frequent updates — the most recent post is 5 days old — but I think anybody who loses a job they’ve had for more than 20 years is entitled to some time for readjustment. I love her writing, so here’s hoping for more of it.

Today, he is quickly becoming the team center. Fans are wearing panda masks (some frightening, some just plain stupid) around the ballpark, getting jerseys made with “PANDOVAL” on the back, and generally acting like grateful fools. It’s been a long time since we had someone we could really, truly love on the Giants — as opposed to someone we admired but who made us nervous (Bonds), someone we adored but whose godlike talents in the field set him on a pedestal (Vizquel), and someone before whom we simply stand in awe (Lincecum).

Sandoval’s Kung Fu Panda nickname was bestowed by Barry Zito after a play last year where he jumped over a Dodgers catcher to score a run, but it just as fittingly applies to Sandoval’s quickness at third base, where his acrobatics have been compared to Hall-of-Famer Brooks Robinson. He can and has done all of the following this year: play catcher, first base, and third base; hit 17 home runs and lead the team in RBIs; shown startling quickness and a terrific arm at the third base corner, fallen down on the base paths a couple of times; and yesterday sparked a benches-clearing tussle after being grazed by a James McDonald pitch and then angrily barking and gesturing at the pitcher.

Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum is called “the Franchise” for his potential long-term value to the team; fellow pitcher Matt Cain has matched him win for win this year. But it’s Sandoval, who plays the game with joy, who is the heart and soul of the team, and the hands-down fan favorite.

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Lincecum … just appeared at a news conference with the managers and the other starting pitcher, Roy Halladay. While Halladay was dressed as if were attending a business meeting, Lincecum showed up in torn blue jeans, an untucked shirt and a wool cap.

The picture is from the MLB.com coverage of the event.

The Giants’ Jonathan Sanchez, a 27-year-old left-hander who had recently been demoted to the bullpen, threw a no-hitter tonight in a 8-0 win over the visiting San Diego Padres.

Sanchez was perfect into the 8th inning before third baseman Juan Uribe booted a ground ball. Ignoring the anomaly, Sanchez pitched a perfect 9th, assisted by a stunning play against the center field fence by Aaron Rowand for the second out. (See video of the catch.) Sanchez tossed his 11th stikeout of the game for the third out of the 9th. Box score.

Catching was backup receiver Eli Whiteside, a 29-year-old rookie who was in the game because regular catcher Benjie Molina was at the side of his wife, who was giving birth.

The Giants’ offense was led by fan favorite Pablo Sandoval, whose three-run home run in the 5th was hit to the deepest part of the right-center field arcade.

Sanchez, who was demoted to the bullpen two weeks ago after a 2-8 start to the season, made the start only as a replacement for injured pitcher Randy Johnson.

Bonds’ trial was postponed indefinitely after his “friend” and former “trainer” Greg Anderson again refused to testify about what he knows about Bonds’ steroid use, which he allegedly facilitated. Anderson spent a year in jail on contempt charges already, and he might be headed for another spell if this keeps up. Yesterday on KNBR Ralph Barbieri and Tom Tolbert went on a hilarious riff about how the prisoners and guards at the Pleasanton federal lockup where Anderson vacations probably ask him for Bonds memorabilia and that the prison is likely festooned with Bonds signed balls, jerseys and posters.

What of the other members of last year’s Rookie B’s — middle infielder Emmanuel Burris, first baseman John Bowker, and second baseman Eugenio Velez? (Well, “V” is almost like “B.”) Bowker and Bocock are likely to start the year at Triple-A, and Burris and Velez have to compete with the likes of newly signed veteran infielder Edgar Renteria as well as newly healthy Kevin Frandsen, who missed all of last year. In fact, the Giants have almost too much talent — much of it somewhat inexperienced and little of it able to hit consistently above .285. That’s why they’re still looking for a bat.