Zito Explains It All

"We've got to do a better job, myself included," said Zito. "We've just got to give the team a better chance to win, hold them to two or less if we can, go seven strong."

So reported the San Jose Mercury News after the Giants spit the bit at Philly, blowing an early 2-0 lead (and the Wild Card advantage) in a disgustingly ugly 9-3 loss. While Zito was talking about the pitchers, that little comment says everything you need to know about the state of the Giants offense.

Zito basically said the pitchers have to post sub 2.5 ERAs then hope the bullpen doesn't implode to have a chance to win. Think the staff isn't feeling the pressure of poor run support just a touch? These guys know every time they go to the hill that they have to be nearly perfect. There's no time they go to the mound and think "just keep it close and my guys will back me up."

This isn't like it's some offensive drought. This has been the Giants for years now. I'm still convinced that Matt Cain's contract extension in the off-season was a demand: "If I gotta put up with this crap, you're gonna pay!"

Giants starters haven't won in the last 13 games, and they've got an ERA approaching six over that span. Yep, the dog days are here and the pitching is showing the wear and tear of having to carry the load. The only guy who really hasn't faltered is Jonathan Sanchez -- who has disappointed from Day One. Every game, every inning, every pitch has all the streess of underwater bomb disposal. It's hard to watch as a fan. Imagine being the guy trapped in the eye of that hurricane.

Philadelphia simply wore Zito down, and the bullpen always seems to have one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel. When you can't count on the offense and the bullpen is -- to be charitable, inconsistent -- the starters are eventually gonna crack. It's not that they stink, it's that three or four guys can't consistently carry 25.

I'm sure we all enjoyed that great July run, but even that stretch was an illisiion. The G-men scored 149 runs for the month but had a handfull of games that inflated the numbers. Three runs, or less, was the norm. The winning streak wasn't as much about HOW they were playing but WHO they were playing. The Giants fattened up on Arizona, Washington, Milwaukee and the Mets. Now they're playing contenders, and it shows.

Oh, the Padres had a rough schedule in July. Remember the teams the Giants beat up? Well, that's the Padres' dance card for August. The Giants cut a seven-game deficit to one and a half. Now it's five, and it's likely that once the cycle is completed they'll be right back where they started. It's kinda like taking the lead in a NASCAR race because you stayed on the track while everyone else headed for the pits. No one is very concerned with you because they know you've gotta come in sooner or later -- either that or run out of gas.

The Giants' engine is sputtering just short of Turn Four. The engine will kick and spit and occasionally roar, but they don't have enough to bring it to the line.

The honest truth is the Giants probably aren't as bad as they appear right now, but they aren't nearly as good as they looked in July. They're just on the up side of mediocre, posting a 43-18 record against teams with losing records. Versus teams that are .500 or better -- the teams you have to beat to be taken seriously -- the Giants are a rousing 24-35. Case closed.

So, they gave us a thrill but they're done, and sans a quality acquisition this is what we can expect for the near future.

God, that's a depressing thought. Where's the cyanide?