Reds 2, Giants 1 (10 innings)

Is there any other team in baseball that can score only 2 runs after banging out 21 hits? I didn't think it was possible, but for the second straight game, the Giants managed only 1 run despite getting double-digit hits. Who else does that?! Sure, the Giants took two out of three from the Reds, but they absolutely should have won today's game and they wasted yet another superb outing from Matt Cain, who lowered his ERA to 2.43. The Giants had runners in scoring position in the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th innings today and couldn't bring one of those runners home. Their lone run scored on a strikeout/wild pitch while Ryan Garko was batting.

The Giants should have won this game in the 8th inning, when they had runners at 1st and 3rd with only one out. Travis Ishikawa was due up to hit, but Bruce Bochy took him out in favor of the right-handed Edgar Renteria to face the left-handed Arthur Rhodes. On the surface, this move makes sense, but in this case, Bochy should have stuck with Ishikawa. Ishikawa has a .333 average against left-handed pitching, significantly higher than his .255 average against righties. Ishikawa also has power to drive the ball to the outfield, which is what this sacrifice-fly scenario called for. On the other hand, Renteria, with his sore elbow, hasn't shown any ability this year to drive the ball. He has only 19 extra-base hits all year. Surely enough, Rhodes induced an inning-ending double play ball off Renteria's bat.

I've never thought that Eugenio Velez could be a reliable everyday player, and he confirmed my thinking today. It's true that he can hit a little bit and show some flashes of power, but simply put, he has terrible baseball instincts. In the 7th inning today, he had a chance to give the Giants the lead with Eli Whiteside at 3rd base with one out. However, he flailed at a first-pitch fastball that was way inside and up and popped out to shortstop. He has to know that in a fly-ball situation, it's impossible to drive that pitch to the outfield to score a run. He's also demonstrated a few times in his run the past few weeks that he's a major defensive liability. He takes horrible routes to catch fly-balls and popups and he can't play a clean 2nd base (remember that game against the Dodgers last week?). He's blessed with great speed, yet he never uses it in the batter's box or on the basepaths. When has he attempted to bunt for a hit? When has he stolen 2nd base with two outs to get in scoring position? Velez might have some value as a fourth outfielder, but his inability to grasp so many nuances of the game will keep him from nailing down a starting job.

Another walk-off homerun given up by Bob Howry. The Giants signed him this past offseason to be the 8th-inning guy in front of Brian Wilson, but instead, he's turned into Tyler Walker 2009. Sure, he can throw a mid-90s fastball, but it has no movement and as demonstrated this season, major-league hitters are feasting on it.

The Giants begin a crucial four-game set in Colorado tomorrow and real contenders don't squander victories like the Giants did today. They're going to consistently get good outings from their starters, but they have to buckle down and grind-out their at-bats if they're going to have any shot at October baseball.