If you want to find some silver lining from today’s gut-douching blown save from Brian Wilson, at least there’s a new terrible loss to focus on.
The Giants have suffered many horrible losses this season: the 2-0 loss to Arizona after Tim Lincecum struck out 13 in 8 shutout innings; the 5-4 loss in Arizona in the 12th after B-Weezy gave up 3 runs in the ninth; four 1-run losses in five games at San Diego and Seattle.
Today’s may take the cake. Pablo Sandoval hit 2 prodigious homers to right center, but the lasting images from tonight may have been his two near-misses (a fly ball caught by Ryan Braun at the wall in his third AB, and a deep shot foul to right that just barely missed going over the foul pole). Same with Nate Schierholtz, who was robbed by an amazing Mike Cameron grab over the centerfield wall.
Bruce Bochy left Barry Zito in too long tonight, then brought in the wrong replacement in Brandon Medders. The strike zone was an absolute mess (millions unemployed in this country, yet Country Joe West still has a job), but the Giants still can’t be excused for walking 5 guys (3 of those walks coming from Zito). Bengie Molina has reached the point in his career where he’s given up on worrying about the strike zone when he’s at the plate. Sandoval scared the crap out of everyone after hurting his right hand sliding into second in the ninth (he came out and played third base in the bottom of the inning, so hopefully he’s fine long-term).
Yet in spite of it all, the Giants should have won. The ninja himself, Papa Dubs, looked to be breezing along as he has been wont to do lately. Then “Life of” allowed Craig Counsell to work the count from 0-2 to 3-2 (sound familiar?) and slap a grounder to Edgar Renteria’s right — which at this point has become an automatic base hit since Molina plays for the same team Renteria does. From there, the details are too gruesome to re-live. This loss is going to hurt for a while…until the next catastrophic loss comes, whenever that may be.
