Now we'll see what the Giants are made of. This road trip was the first reality check in their new guise as improbable contenders. All good teams go through rough ten-game streaks, but how they bounce back is the real test. Do they look over their shoulders and say "If only we had a big hitter to help us out," or do they ignore the trade-deadline chatter and go out and play the kind of baseball that brought them into the mix?
It won't be easy. For the first time all year, they're banged up. Aaron Rowand, Edgar Renteria, and Nate Schierholtz are all nursing injuries and Randy Johnson might not return at all. Sergio Romo is suddenly lost in the woods, and Jonathan Sanchez hasn't built upon the momentum of his revamped mechanics and no-hitter.
This is where Barry Zito can earn his paycheck for the first time as a Giant and pitch like he's in a pennant race. This is where Sanchez can settle down and just give the team six good innings every start. This is where Travis Ishikawa can put together more than a few at-bats in a row. And yes, this is where Brian Sabean and his lieutenants can improve the team while sticking to the game plan: Make the best deal possible without gouging the farm system.
It's a tall order, but no one expected the Giants to be in the picture this late in the season. This won't be a fundamentally different team come August 1, so let's get to it now.
Players of the week: Not much to choose from among the hitters, so I'll go with Nate Schierholtz for hitting the only home run of the road trip and making a spectacular throw from right field. Among the pitchers, both Zito and Cain threw crucial games, but Matt Cain gets the nod for doing it at Coors Field.
