L - F. Alou

It was a close game yesterday, and sure, they may not have won anyway, but without a doubt today’s 6-2 loss to the Phillies was well earned by the Giants’ manager.

The wife beater and the kid hooked up in a pitchers’ duel at Telephone Park punctuated by some long balls. Matt Cain went out after 6 innings of 1 hit, 1 run ball. OK, the box score says 2 hits, but that first hit was a bungled routine ground ball to Peter Happy at third base. The boys on KNBR were laughing at scoring that a hit on the post-game wrap. (The official scorer changed it to an error after the game according to the Chron today. Duh.) Unfortunately, Cain was a little wild, throwing 105 pitches through the six innings. He was throwing hard though, consistently in the mid-nineties, and he struck out Ryan Howard twice with high heat. He left the game with a 2-1 lead, the Giants’ two coming on solo shots by Ray Ray (what is with that ridiculous nickname?) and Barry.

Accardo took over in the seventh and promptly gave up the tying run on a blast to left field by old friend David Bell. Bell was the hitting star of the game with his homer and a triple, reminding us how we liked him during the 2002 World Series run. It was Bell, by the way, who was bearing down on little Darren Baker in game 5 when JT Snow saved his life.

Inning 8 was a Felipe masterpiece. Steve Kline came in for Accardo and promptly gave up a leadoff triple to Chase Utley. Without a doubt, Chase Utley can play this game. I’ve been watching him through the whole series, and he always comes up with the big play. He’s already the best second baseman in baseball. I dare you, name another.

Kline then struck out Abreu. Burrell was now up, Howard on deck. It was here that Felipe ordered Burrell to be walked. Ordered Burrell to be walked. Now I understand that Ryan Howard has some problems against lefties, but how can anyone want to pitch to him with the game on the line? He’s already one of the 5 scariest batters in baseball, and didn’t he win that silly homerun contest on Monday night? Ordered Burrell to be walked.

Duh. Howard ripped a single between the first and second basemen, and Utley scored to make it 3-2. Now Felipe sent Kline to the showers and brought in Jonathan Sanchez, another lefty, to face the right handed hitting Aaron Rowand. Huh? Nobody in our section could figure out what the hell was going on. Sanchez immediately served up a wild pitch, making it 4-2, runner on second.

Rowand, who can join the “Unbelievably Ugly Batting Stance Club” which includes our own Moises Alou and whose President is Jeff Bagwell, then laced a run scoring double to make it 5-2. David Bell then blasted that triple down the left field foul line to finish the scoring.

What the hell was Felipe thinking? Or was he thinking? I’m sorry, but this thing unraveled when he ordered Burrell walked so Steve Kline could face Howard. So Steve Kline could face Howard. I just can’t believe I’m typing these words. Hey, I get it, the Phillies were likely to score that one run anyway, but Kline or a right hander has to pitch to Burrell. Then, if you survive, you walk Howard and pitch to Rowand. Anyway, that’s how Manager PEFACommish would have played it.

Meanwhile Barry almost hit 3 homers today, putting one to the wall in left center in the second, and later crushing a towering shot way into the water just foul down the right field line.

Somewhere around the fourth inning I went inside with Little Danny to get some peanuts and a drink and struck up a conversation with a couple of guys in line. I mentioned that I didn’t trust Ray Durham’s hot streak. They had nothing but praise. I wonder how they felt when he left the game after hurting his shoulder while striking out.

One other great moment: the first ever appearance of Chad Santos. Who is he? Don’t know. He’s so obscure that when you click on his name in the Yahoo box score, nothing comes up. Apparently they brought him up from Fresno when they sent Niekro down. Little Danny, who lives in Fresno, said he saw him play there on July 4. Santos came in with Sanchez for Sweeney and got a hit in his first at bat. Unfortunately, that was the only high point, along with Bonds’ foul water shot, for the Giants and their fans in the last part of the game.

Maybe they do have to make a deal for some middle relief. They all stunk this weekend. Stunk. All of them. Unfortunately, Reds’ GM Wayne Krivsky has set the price for middle relievers.