THE GIANTS RECALLED their good-luck charm, Eugenio Velez, and placed Mark DeRosa on the 15-day disabled list, prior to their 3-1 loss to the Padres on Monday in San Diego. Somehow they're still winless (0-7) against the NL West leaders this season.
The Giants entered Monday's game 0-6 against San Diego, but were a respectable 0-3 with Velez on the 25-man roster, so, move made profound sense to the stat-crazy lunatic fringe.
But even that brainiac group of Saber-cats can't figure out Matt Cain's plight.
The Giants right-hander once again pitched good enough to win but lost, and his bad-luck continues to be very Padre-centric. Cain fell to 2-3 on the year (0-2 vs. the Padres), and is 1-8 against San Diego despite 3.68 ERA in 16 starts since 2007. Even when Cain pitches his best, historically it hasn't been good enough to solve the Pad's. In 11 "quality starts" he is 1-4 against the Friars.
In an effort to quell your concern, here's a nifty feel-good stat: The Giants are 21-9 against all other major-league teams that don't have a religious figure for its mascot. So, as long as they don't face the Angels or the don't-call-us-Devil Rays the title is all theirs.
Though the meager showing against a division rival is problematic, it doesn't mean the Giants are doomed.
As SF Chronicle Giants beat writer Henry Schulman pointed out after the loss, the Giants could go 0-18 against San Diego, but if they continue to play .700-ball against everyone else, they'll finish with a pathetic 100-62 record.
Still, the Giants offense continues to make young hurlers look like the reincarnation of Sand Koufax, Juan Marichal and even Zeus throwing lightning bolts through their slumbering lumber.
Monday's starter Clayton Richard is now 2-0 in three starts against the Giants this season. In 20.1 innings, Richard has allowed just four runs and 17 hits – no home runs.
Tuesday they face Mat Latos, 22, who has been even tougher on San Francisco and was an Eli Whiteside come-backer away from pitching a perfect game last Thursday in China Basin. In 16 scoreless innings, Latos has allowed just five hits to Giants batters and allowed only one walk.
Other 20-somethings to have dominated the Giants include 22-year-olds, the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw (0-0, 1.79 ERA, 4 H in 7 IP vs. SF), and the Rockies' Jhoulys Chacin (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 H in 7 IP). The Astros Wandy Rodriguez, the Dodgers' Vicente Padilla, the Padres' Jon Garland, Florida's Anibal Sanchez, and the Mets Mike Pelfery may not have been drafted in your fantasy league, but they've been aces against the Giants.
The G-men are excused for struggling against the likes of Johan Santana and Brad Penny, and they deserve praise for beating Adam Wainwright and Roy Oswalt. Well, at least Barry Zito and Tim Lincecum do.
But that leaves the 2010 Giants right where the 2009 Giants left off: not very hitterish.
DeRosa is on the DL, Freddy Sanchez is still rehabbing, and Pablo Sandoval is hitting a pedestrian .283 with just three homers and 12 RBIs. He's also struggled in RBI situations. With runners on the Panda is batting .242 (15-for-62), with RISP just .167 (6-for-36), and his next hit with RISP and two outs, or with the bases loaded will be his first of the season.
Bengie Molina is hitting .330, but has just 10 RBIs, and most of the run production has come from Aubrey Huff (18) and Juan Uribe (23).
Tuesday Jonathan Sanchez (2-3, 2.66 ERA) takes on Latos (3-3, 3.32 ERA) for the third time this season. In the previous two outings, Sanchez allowed four hits total, but was tagged with the loss in each start — both 1-0 San Diego wins.
Comments
Aghhh! What IS it with the Padres? We have got to turn this around. Let's go GIANTS!!!
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!