Down for Keeps

Not sure how many of you had younger siblings, but I clearly remember getting an extra piece of candy and dangling over my baby brother's head, just high enough for to him reach if he jumped to get it.  Leap he did, hand outstretched clutching for this tiny piece of concentrated happiness.  As soon as he reached the apex of his jump, the fun-size bar was magically yanked out of the range of his grasp, and he descended back to Earth empty-handed and crestfallen.

No, kids.  That douchey big brother isn't Eric Roberts, it's the Giants bullpen stealing joy from the hands of Giants fans everywhere.  Each time the boys in blue hats (not the Cubs in this case) clawed their way back into the game, our illustrious relievers seemed to wag a Dikembe-sized finger in our collective face.

In the sixth inning, with the Giants trailing 3-0, John Bowker clobbered a 2-run shot that ended up swimming in the Bay to bring the Giants within one. [JUMP]

However, in the top of the seventh, Sergio Romo and a no-throw by starting catcher Eliezer Alfonzo conspired to allow two runs to score on a Soto single.  All of a sudden, it was once again a three-run deficit. [YOINK]

Then, in an exciting turn of events, the Giants got a little two-out magic when  Ray Durham (3-for-4, 3 RBI, 2 runs) snuck a shot over the right field wall to tie the game at five apiece. [JUMP]

Unfortunately for the guys in mismatched hats, Mike Fontenot, a lefty who weighs 160 lbs soaking wet, somehow managed to muscle a Tyler Walker fastball over the green tin roof in right to put the Cubs up by one going into the bottom of the eighth. [YOINK]

The rest, as they say, is history as the Giants four, five, and six hitters went up-n-down in the bottom of the inning, quieting the good half of the crowd.  Though a glimmer of hope did shine on a two-out, pinch-hit triple by Jose "Shrek" Castillo in the bottom of nine [JUMP], Freddie Lewis snuffed it when he struck out looking to end the game [YOINK].

This has to be one of the most frustrating losses of the season.  Just ask Kevin Correia, who looked good enough to win through 6.1 innings and still took the no-decision.  Just ask Ray-Ray who wants to win and look good doing it so he can get traded to a contender.  Just ask AaRow, who has shaved 52 points off his average in the last 26 games.  Hell, ask the whole team, as they've now lost 16 of their last 20 at home.

At least when I was growing up, I was the big brother and got to enjoy this sort of torture.  Now it seems all too painful.

Do the Roster Shuffle!

Billy Sadler down, Osiris Matos up as the roster juggling continues.  Sadler had pitched better in June before his debacle in the Monday game.

The 24 year old Matos was a candidate to replace Vinnie Chulk before Sergio Romo got the call.  After a superb 2007 season at Connecticut, Matos showed he had nothing left to prove this year to the tune of a 1.23 ERA in 36.2 innings of work, allowing only 25 hits and posting a 37 to 11 K:BB ratio.

Speaking of Chulk, despite indications that he wouldn't accept a demotion, he cleared waivers and has been it appears he will accept his assignment to Fresno.

The Freak

 

Thanks a bunch, David! 

Reports of Cain's Demise Premature

It strikes me that the potential years-long battle for the title of ace will be a fun sub-plot for this franchise. On a day where the wondrous Tim Lincecum was featured in Sports Illustrated and Jon Sanchez was named NL Player of the Week, Matt Cain reminded us why he was once the lone young stud in the Giants rotation.

In what was easily his best start of the year, Cain shut down the league-leading Cubs offense (albeit without Aramis Ramirez), hurling 8 innings of 2 hit ball while racking up 10 Ks.  And, in a shocking twist, he gets the win in a 2-1 triumph by the Giants.

Jose Castillo closed out Cain's night with perhaps the best defensive play of the year (after two ugly errors in two days).  Buy MLB.TV, watch Baseball Tonight, or find a time machine and go back in time to watch his snag of a Mark DeRosa grounder - a full extension pick to his left on a high bounce, an immediate pop up to the point of no balance, and a wing and a prayer one hopper to John Bowker.

Mere amateur blogger prose could not accurately describe the poetry of that play.  Cain was shaking his head in disbelief as he walked off the field.

Brian Wilson gives up a run in a terribly sloppy save.  The 100 MPH fastballs were fun, but I'll take 95 with location and a couple of less ulcers.

Alfonzo Back, Holm Down: Evidently, Eliezer Alfonzo's PED-ban did nothing to diminish his stature among the higher-ups, as he gets called up nine days after his reinstatement to replace Steve Holm.

Love the Holm, but his defense has left something to be desired, and it will be nice to have Alfonzo's ML experience, both in calling games and with the bat, behind Big Money.  Still, I'll miss the improbable winner of the Giants backup spot out of spring training.

Happy trails, Steve.

Comment-Starter: Who do you see having the most successful career as a Giant - Cain, Lincecum or Sanchez?

Lincecum on Next Issue Of SI

From the Merc: 

Tim Lincecum has proven immune to the sophomore slump. Now we'll see how he handles the Sports Illustrated jinx. Lincecum is expected to be on the cover of the issue that comes out on Monday.

UPDATE (11:06 AM):  The article is up on SI's website.  Verducci's piece is a great read on our budding superstar.  One of many interesting snippets:

Since his May 2007 call-up Lincecum has been only slightly more challenged by major league hitters. In 40 starts through Sunday, he was 16-6 with a 3.30 ERA and 264 strikeouts in 256 innings. Only one starting pitcher in baseball history, Dwight Gooden of the New York Mets in the mid-'80s, has won 70% of his decisions over his first two seasons while logging more strikeouts than innings.

Thanks to Admin for the heads-up.

Don't Mess With The Zito

Billy Sadler is a cross between Billy Madison and Adam Sandler - although you can't help but root for the goofy protagonist, his later performances have left you wanting for the simpler days when a fight between shampoo and conditioner actually seemed funny.

Though he's hardly the only one to blame for last night's shellacking, his nightmare 8th inning (3 walks and a Mark DeRosa grand slam) was the one that put me over the edge.  The offense (predictably) sucked in the home nightcap.  And I have to say, even if the gun was hot, Barry Zito consistently chucking the ball in the high 80s, touching 90 a couple of times, was a good sign, wildness be damned.

This piece concurs with that assessment, and although I can't be too enthusiastic about 4 earned in 5, I say let Zito be happy that his stuff, once thought to be lost forever, is back.

The Week That Belonged To Dirty:  Congrats to Jon Sanchez, your NL Player of the Week.  All he did was go 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA in 14.2 innings.  The guy's quickly becoming something special, folks.

Movin' On Up: A couple of days late, but Pablo Sandoval and Ben Snyder make like George and Wheezy up to AA Connecticut.  (Look out for a Travis Ishikawa update in there.)

In more minor league news, from this article in the Visalia Times-Delta (who says we only stroke major outlets here):

As far as San Jose's roster being replenished by some of San Francisco's top prospects, local Giant fans will have to wait.

For some reason or another, San Francisco decided not to move left-hander Madison Bumgarner (8-2, 1.77) from the South Atlantic League, and it still hasn't come to terms with first-round pick Buster Posey or first-round supplemental selection Conor Gillaspie. Posey and Gillaspie were considered to be two of the top pure college hitters in the Major League Baseball draft.

I am interested to know why Bumgarner continues to languish in the Sally League, but, at this point, I'm not too worried about Posey and Gillaspie, particularly because both were considered tough signability guys, which probably led to the Giants being able to select both.  Wake me up in August and we'll reassess.

Cainer (aka Sanchez pre-2008) faces Jason Marquis tonight.

Commentary Tributary: What's going on with Matt Cain?
 

I Figured Out Bullets Tildes

Admittedly, the post mired in incredulity is a cliche at best (and the product of hacks in truth), but give me some credit here:

~ Rich Aurilia, he of a .351 June batting average, goes all "legitimate ML hitter" on us and nets 5 RBIs.
~ The Dirtiest of Them All continues his impression of an ace on any other team in baseball - you know, the ones without Tiny McHowdhedothat.
~ The Giants beat the A's.
~ For the second game in a row.
~ By a lot.
~ At 36-46, the Giants are 5 games out of first at the season's halfway point.

With the win, the Giants finish a .500 June and enter July with as good a chance as anyone to win the NL Worst, where the first-place D'Bags now sit at .500.

So yes - I'm incredulous (in a good way).

Comment-Mill: So do we still want Sabean to sell at the deadline?  What if we could get a legitimate cleanup hitter for a Tim Alderson?

Heady times, indeed.