This Week In Orange: Bring on the Cubbies

Happy Friday, Orange & Black Nation!

Following a long Memorial Day weekend away — and winning 4 out of 7, which ain’t too shabby — our Giants (27-24) are back in the Bay and gearing up to face the Chicago Cubs for the first time this season.

Fresh off a series against those pesky Arizona Diamondbacks in which we took two out of three, our boys are looking to keep their defense edgy and their offense hot.

And by “hot,” we are talking mega caliente! (Let’s be real: I might be morphing my signature tutu into a “Melk Maid” costume.)

Now, if you’re one of those lucky SOBs that gets to go to the park on Saturday and see those awesome throwback 1912 NY Giants jerseys in person, then I’m not going to lie, I’m a bit jealous.

But for any of you looking to just kick back this series with a couple Deschoots and talk a little shop, pull up a stool and we’ll rap about some Gigantes-Cubbies baseball:

Bad Times Bears: So, the Cubs (18-32) just won three games in a row when they swept the Padres.

That three-game win streak, though, is their longest of the season. Prior to San Diego, the Cubs had dropped 12 straight.

Now don’t get too cocky, sports fans. Chicago had a 5-4 record against us last season, so this series isn’t exactly a “gimme.”

On the up side: Tonight’s pitcher for the Cubs, Paul Maholm, is 0-1 in four starts at AT&T. “Big Country” Madison Bumgarner, also taking the mound tonight, is 2-1 with a 2.03 ERA in four starts against Chicago. Saturday’s Giants hurler, “The Horse” Matt Cain, has thrown three one-hitters in his career against the Cubs.

Plus, MLB.com tells us that the Cubs are 2-19 when outhit by their opponents.

And while we’re on the subject of hitting…

Comparing the Big Bats: For any of you that have been in another country or living under a rock the past week, we have this kid named Melky Cabrera that got 51 hits in the month of May, tying Randy Winn’s 2005 record for the most hits in a single month by a Giant.

And Melky’s outfield cohorts are putting up numbers themselves: Right fielder Gregor Blanco has a .401 on-base percentage, while center fielder — and former Cub — Angel Pagan is on a 24-game home hitting streak with one homer and three RBIs in his career against Maholm.

On the other side, the Cubs have Alfonso Soriano, who has banged out two HRs in his last three games, and seven in his last 14 games.

Let’s clear some of this morning fog so our boys can have some gorgeous weather this Orange Friday. It’s way more fun to watch our team crush homers into the cove when the skies are clear.

Enjoy your weekend of baseball! Peace, love and VOTE FOR MELKY, Chelena.