Giants 3, Brewers 2

Cain vs. Gallardo Part I in Milwaukee didn't go well for the Giants. Cain gave up 5 runs in 7 innings in route to his 2nd loss of the season, and Gallardo shut down the Giants, allowing only 1 run in 7.2 innings on 4 hits with 9 strikeouts. Milwaukee hasn't been a kind place to the Giants as of late, and Cain had been stuck on 12 wins in his last seven starts. As Duane Kuiper aptly put it after the final out, "It doesn't come easy in Milwaukee." Yet, looking like a team that's gunning for a postseason berth, the Giants have ground out 3-2 victories in the first two games of this series.

I, like many Giants fans, are running out of superlatives to describe Matt Cain. Thankfully those Cain to the Brewers rumors didn't come to fruition because he's finally become the ace that we were all hearing about. It's hard to remember that Cain is actually younger than Tim Lincecum. Cain is getting more run support than the previous two seasons, but the real key to Cain's breakout year is the improvements that Cain has made himself, and you have to give Cain tons of credit for that. His walks are significantly down from the previous two years, and he's not falling behind hitters as frequently as he used to. He's pitching more intelligently because he's not attempting to strike everyone out, but instead pitching to contact to go deeper into games.

I haven't hidden my reservations about Eugenio Velez as an everyday player, but he saved the Giants today with his bat, speed, and defense. The play he made in the 8th inning to prevent the Brewers from tying the game was the play of the year. Freddy Sanchez's return to the lineup on Monday will be a welcome addition, but Velez has filled in admirably, especially since he's been told to play the infield and outfield.

Juan Uribe proved his worth to this team yet again today. Bruce Bochy has said that when Freddy Sanchez returns, he intends on leaving Uribe in the lineup at 3rd base, shifting Pablo Sandoval to 1st. I wholeheartedly agree with Bochy. The Garko/Ishikawa platoon hasn't been successful, and with every game hugely important, the Giants cannot mess around with a failing experiment any longer.

The Giants have gone all season without completing a sweep on the road. Jonathan Sanchez has been on fire lately, and a 4-2 road trip is much better than 3-3.