This Week In Orange: Swept swapt swopt

Happy Friday all you broom-carrying Giants faithful,

Not sure what tunes you’ve been blaring through your car speakers on your Friday morning commute. But I’m still so high from last night’s fourth straight shutout, I’ve been whipping up my breakfast to BTO’s “Taking Care of Business,” sipping my coffee to The Heavy’s “How You Like Me Now,” and dancing around my kitchen to “Start Me Up” by the Rolling Stones.

(None of that fluffy pop stuff that was Brandon Crawford’s up-to-bat music at the game last night, but we’ll get to that a bit later.)

The air up here atop the NL West is mighty fresh, and our boys in orange-and-black are on a roll to keep this winning streak going.  And tonight is an Orange Friday at the yard with The Horse on the bump.

It might be crazy foggy here in the City By The Bay, but we’ve got some serious baseball fever. So if you can manage to peel off that BEAT LA shirt that you’ve sported for the past week, feel free to come on by, pull up a bar stool, and order yourself a Shock Top. We have some baseball to discuss:

The historic stats: Matt Cain’s perfect game a couple week’s back was just the beginning of this 2012 team setting franchise records.

Our team is on a four-game shutout streak, keeping the opposition scoreless in 36 straight innings.

They also made franchise history this week when they swept those pesky Los Angeles Dodgers, who have never been shut out in a series of three or more games in their franchise history.

Plus, the Giants are the first ball club since the 1995 Baltimore Orioles to tally four straight shut-out games.

Gellin’ : Our bats are hot and we’re scoring runs. That gives our starting rotation a cushion when they’re out on the mound and boosts their confidence. And having a confident pitcher on the mound makes for a confident, well-oiled defense.

Last night for example: Buster Posey, Angel Pagan, Pablo Sandoval and Gregor Blanco were forces at the plate last night. Plus, Melky Cabrera continues to own the base paths, clocking the third-highest batting average in the league.

Having that offensive boost certainly came in handy when Madison Bumgarner kept hot-hitter Joey Votto from reaching first base.

And while we’re on the subject of pitchers…

TIMMAAAAYYYY: Something clicked with the Freaky Franchise. I don’t know what it was — fast food, rolling a jay before his start — but he looked comfortable and in control of those bad guys from LA. I’m sure his defensive play at home plate didn’t hurt his confidence either.

Question; Did Brandon Crawford lose a bet? I’m super into players’ coming-up-to-bat music. Always have been. There’s no better way to get the batter and the crowd collectively pumped up like good coming-up-to-bat music.

So, what was up with Brandon Crawford walking into the box to Katy Perry and then Kelly Clarkson? It sounded like a Forever 21 every time he went up to the plate.

Just sayin’.

The Horse of course: Cainer would’ve had a win last Sunday in Oakland had closer Santiago Castilla not given up a walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth to close out the Bay Bridge Series. (That game seems like ages ago now, doesn’t it?)

So Cain not only wants a win to scratch out that mess, but he’s surely wants to get in on the shutout action as well. He goes into Friday’s game with a 2.27 ERA with a team behind him that is 15-7 against teams in the NL Central.

We’ve got an bound-to-be-awesome game to prep for tonight, Giants fans! You all bring the snacks, I’ll supply the booze, and we’ll make a party out of this Orange Friday.

Peace, Love, and Did-I-Mention-We’re-Leading-The-NL-West?