The San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Cain threw a complete game on Saturday, but a defensive lapse brought the Giants to their knees. The Giants fell 1-0 to their AL rival, the Oakland Athletics.
A third inning error by Aubrey Huff lead to the only run of the game, bringing the Giants to 22-20 on the season and bringing the Giants to their fourth straight defeat.
Cain allowed only five hits throughout the game, striking out four. Cain lowered his ERA to 2.88 on the season. Matt Cain, last year’s 14 game winner is now 2-4 on the season. With an ERA under three, Cain’s record should at least be .500, but the Giants offense is what’s lacking.
It was no secret coming into the season that the Giants offense would be there key to success. With key additions such as Aubrey Huff and Mark DeRosa, the Giants looked to cure their offensive struggles of 2009. So far this year Huff is batting .284 with 20 RBI. Mark DeRosa is on the DL. This wasn’t what the organization was hoping for.
The SF Giants offense in plain pitiful at the moment, and has plagued them at times throughout the 2010 season. The team only put five men on base Saturday, and earned only three hits. This is not big league material. The team is 4-6 in the last 10 games, and have scored only nine runs in their four game losing streak. The bad thing, seven of those runs came in one game, a game in which they lost on a wild pitch by Jeremy Affeldt.
SF manager Bruce Bochy better light a fire in the clubhouse before Bochy is fired himself. It seems that if the team gets stellar pitching, the offense forgets to run, hit, and score. Vice versa, if the offense brings the big bats to the ballpark, the pitching or defense falter. Whatever it is the Giants must fix this fast, or Bochy will get the boot. The team is now third in the NL West, 2.5 back from the San Diego Padres and the surging LA Dodgers. The Dodgers are 16-4 in the month of May and show no signs of slowing.
Jonathon Sanchez takes the hill this afternoon to try and break the four game slide for the Giants. Sanchez will duel with the A’s big off-season signee, Ben Sheets. Sanchez brings a 3.06 ERA into the game with a 2-3 record, similar stats to teammate Matt Cain. Look for Sanchez to lower his ERA to under three and pick up his third win of the season.
The bats must be heard.
Go Giants.
