Giants 4, Padres 3, 10 innings: We human beings jump to conclusions that reinforce our biases. Wow, lots of purple cars on the road these days, huh? Maybe it has something to do with the purple car you just bought, pal.
If the Giants go on to have a great homestand, a great month, even a great year, we'll look back to today's game as a turning point. That's the narrative we all crave. It's the kind of game that can really spark a team to greater heights, to believe in themselves, to never give up. Unless it doesn't. That's not cynicism. In fact, it's a nod to the hoary baseball cliche that momentum gets you as far as the next day's starting pitcher. Or that momentum could simply be the product of an aging closer's bad day at the office.
But let's not allow such existential musings to piss on our post-game campfire. Backs against the wall, in need of two runs pronto against the game's greatest closer, and the Giants scored three. And this after San Diego seemed to lock it up on a devastating two-run homer in the top of the 10th from Adrian Gonzalez, who was sitting on a first-pitch curveball from rookie Alex Hinshaw. It wasn't too bad a pitch, perhaps knee- or thigh-high, 95% of the time it would be a surprise-breaking-ball first-strike kind of pitch. Gonzalez crushed it. Welcome to the big leagues, Hinsh.
But the Giants countered, stoked by Fred Lewis's triple that would have been a 420-foot home run anywhere else. In fact, if Fred hadn't watched it and jogged for the first five seconds, he probably would have had an inside the park home run to win the game outright. Instead, he had to wait to score until Jose Castillo's infield single (due to bad infield positioning by the Padres). Game over.
More than mojo or gamerness or the will to win, the Giants could use a better fifth starter, and they'll soon get one in Kevin Correia. Pat Misch didn't get embarrassed -- a few better breaks, and he probably would have won a game or two and sport an ERA a run lower. But Correia should be an upgrade, as should Merkin Valdez, due back soon, instead of Billy Sadler, whose extra-inning meltdown Friday was painful to watch. Sadler might be useful later this year or next, but as I noted earlier this week, he simply allows too many baserunners. Could the Horwitz-for-Ortmeier swap (and congrats, Brian, on your first two major league hits) also be an upgrade? With everyone healthy, it's hard to say. Ortmeier (who has had a broken finger, it turns out) still has great speed and power potential. Horwitz is mainly a high-average guy with little power to show in his minor league career.
PLODAG: Horwitz. Not just his first two hits, but the second one came off Hoffman in the decisive 10th.
The Upside: FreddieLoo! Every time I think he's slowing down -- witness his 0-for-4 with 3 Ks Saturday -- he does something to impress.
