Whenever Matt Cain is on the mound the Giants score about as often as a lunar eclipse. With the next total eclipse not expected for another three years, fans who attended Saturday’s game against the Cardinals probably weren’t shocked to see a zero in the run column through the first five and a half innings.
It was the same old story. The San Francisco ace was breezing through the St. Louis lineup with relative ease, not allowing a hit through six innings, and the offense was asleep at the wheel yet again.
Since the offense seemed content to sleep the afternoon away, Cain, no doubt frustrated by the lack of run support, decided to take matters into his own hands. Leading off the bottom of the sixth inning, Cain muscled up in Bondsesque fashion and deposited the first pitch he saw from Cards pitcher Todd Wellmeyer into the left field bleachers. As the old saying goes, “if you want something done, you’ve got to do it yourself.” And so Cain did, but a strange thing happened after he finished rounding the bases. The offense woke up. It figures that the starting eight wouldn’t stand for being shown up by the pitcher, a guy who gets 400 fewer at bats a season than they do. A few more hits and a John Bowker three run homer later and it was 5-0 good guys.
Surely that would be enough to get Cain his first win of the year right? WRONG. Tyler Walker, who has been outstanding out of the pen so far this season, entered the game in the eighth, and unfortunately he looked like the awful pitcher of a few years ago that Giants fans would just as soon forget. Walker served up homeruns to Chris Duncan and Rick Ankiel, and just like that San Francisco’s lead was trimmed to 5-3.
The wheels continued to fall off in the ninth, when Brad Hennesey took over and did what he has done far too often this season; cough up a lead. Hennessey only faced three batters, but that was long enough to serve a batting practice fastball to Ryan Ludwick, who promptly deposited it into the seats for a two run homer. Poof. Just like that the game was tied, and Cain once again was left with nothing to show for his stellar effort except a good workout.
After the game, when asked how he felt after the bullpen blew the chance at a win for him for the sixth time in two years, Cain did what he always does. He put the blame on his shoulders, telling reporters that he should have shut the Cards down in the seventh after the offense provided him with the big cushion. When he was asked by San Francisco Chronicle reporter John Shea whether anybody attempted to try and lift his spirits after the latest meltdown, Cain simply said, “"Nobody's going to say anything. I understand. We've all got a pretty good idea what we feel." If gut wrenching losses like this one continue to pile up, San Francisco fans can only hope that Cain doesn’t let the frustration he must feel eat at him to the point where he buys a one way ticket out of town when his contract is up. Which coincidentally is right around the time the next total lunar eclipse is scheduled to occur.
Random Musings:
• According to mlb.com, Saturday was the fourth time in 75 career starts that Cain has carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning or later.
• Upon hearing that Dave Roberts would be out as long as three months, Bochy proclaimed that Fred Lewis would take over as the primary left fielder. The sad part is that it took an injury before the team committed to giving Lewis a legit shot to play everyday. Wasn’t Roberts .118 average reason enough to put Lewis in the lineup on a regular basis? Roberts is a good guy, but on this team he is nothing more than a road block standing in the way of younger players like Lewis. In echoing the sentiments of Giants fans everywhere, don’t hurry back Dave.
• Since being inserted into the leadoff spot, Lewis has 9 hits in 18 at-bats, (Dave who?) providing the Giants lineup with the shot in the arm that was desperately needed. Time will tell if he can keep it up, but it is a refreshing change to him in the lineup everyday.
• Speaking of sizzling young hitters, how about John Bowker? Two homers and seven RBI in two games, already puts him second on the team in both categories. Obviously he won’t continue at this torrid pace all year, but let’s hope Bochy keeps running this kid out there on a daily basis. He definitely has some potential Last year at Double-A Connecticut, a hitter’s graveyard, Bowker slugged 22 home runs and drove in 90 runs.
• Following Cain’s rough home opener the starting pitchers have righted the ship. In the last six games, the starters have been dominant, allowing six runs in the last 38 1/3 innings.
• When people talk about the Giants young studs in the starting rotation most of the attention goes to Cain and Tim Lincecum, but don’t forget Jonathan Sanchez. He may not be as consistent of Cain or Lincecum, but the kid has a great arm. Last week the left hander dominated the Padres, striking out 10 in six shutout innings, while giving up three hits. Entering his start on Monday night against the D’backs Sanchez has 18 strikeouts in 10 innings.
• In the fourth inning of the game against the Cardinals Friday night, Rich Aurilia and Steve Holm were both thrown out at home plate. It wasn’t even close either. The ball arrived well before the runners in both instances. I’ve heard a lot of blame pointed in third base coach Tim Flannery’s direction. He deserves some criticism to be sure, but what about the runners? Instead of bulldozing Cards catcher Yadier Molina and attempting to knock the ball free from his grasp, both Aurilia and Holm slid into home plate trying to avoid the tag. I am not advocating taking a catcher out if the guy isn’t in the runner’s direct path, but Molina had the ball in his hands waiting for the runners. In this instance Molina is fair game. Aurilia and Holm should have done whatever was necessary to score, and if that meant knocking the catcher into the first row of seats so be it.
• Aurilia has struggled at the plate so far this season, so after he got a base hit on Thursday night and they flashed the number 1,093 on television, I thought they were talking about the number of at-bats he had gone without a hit. Turns out he had just passed Matt Williams for ninth on the all-time San Francisco Giants hit list. Congrats Richie on the great accomplishment. Thanks for the great memories you have provided Giant fans over the years, but it is time for you to bow out gracefully. Please do so before Bochy wastes 300 more at bats trying to figure out what the rest of us already know, that you aren’t good enough to play everyday anymore.
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