An offensive explosion

I'll take what the Giants did yesterday.  Sure, they lost the game 5-4, but with the lone exception being Ray Durham at second, came closest yet to starting the young lineup we have been asking for all winter.  Not surprisingly, the result was not having to string together four straight singles to score a sad, lonely run.  Eugenio Velez tripled, Daniel Ortmeier stole two bags and Brian Bocock continued to get on base at a Bondsian clip - yet was picked off again - all resulting in the Giants most exciting loss of the season.  And really, that's what we are hoping for, right?  Losses that make us happy.  As we've said in the past, if this team is going to lose, let's at least see them lose in a way that excites us.  That is, without the Aurillias and Durhams* and Roberts and Castillos and...gasp...Vizquels in the way of players whose playing might help the team in a year.  Now we see that the kids' playing now helps the team now just like we hoped it would.  As I wrote in this post almost a week ago**, the Giants benefit absolutely nothing by starting the Aurillia, Durham, Roberts, Castillo lineup, and everything to gain starting the youngsters.    

*I'm aware of the irony involved in complaining about Durham's playing time after he hit a home run yesterday.

**Citing yourself in any circumstance in support of a theory is always a good idea.          

Giants score!!

But lose.  These, I'm afraid, are our San Francisco Giants.  10 singles.  2 runs.  Matt Cain was a stud, going 5 2/3, allowing 3 hits and 0 runs.  Jack Taschner looked like a good reason to let Steve Kline slip away, bailing Cain out in the sixth with a strikeout.  But Brad Hennessey and Keiichi Yabu contributed to yielding three runs in three innings.  Guh.  The bullpen letdown can't be the norm.  The offense Bochy's put on the field to start the season is, perfect for bizarro baseball, not built to score runs.  Ray Durham's defensive failings, which have been glaringly evident over the first two games, cannot be made up for with the offense he presents at this point; a low-average hitter with little power in his later baseball years.  Rich Aurillia killed the Giants lone rally in the seventh with a double play that was predicted by every single Giants fans watching or listening to the game.  Jose Castillo does something, probably.  The good news is Eugenio Velez has two hits in two pinch-hit AB's.  Brian Bocock has 3 BB in two games and got his first hit last night and looks Omaresque on defense.  What is the point of filling the lineup with players who were good at one time, but no longer appear to be capable every day major leaguers?  The benefits derived from Velez at second and Ortmeier at first cannot be less than what is to be gained now.  What the fuck is there to lose?  There is everything to be gained.  Are Bochy and Sabean worried Velez is going to hit under .200 and play shitty defense?  Or are they worried Ortmeier is going to hit under .150, grounding into double plays every time the opportunity presents itself?  Well hell.  Let's keep 'em on the bench so we can watch old guys on the downside of their careers do the same fucking thing.  It's insanity.  It's the definition of insanity.  

I know it's two games.  Aurillia will always be one of my favorite all-time Giants and could return to his 2006 self.  Durham could return to his pre-Giants self.  But this is what every single non-Bochaurilldurhsabean thought was going to happen when the Giants announced their starting lineup for Monday's game.  Dammit.  God dammit.