The Giants’ (52-65) consistency and level of play is all over the map, and I just can’t comprehend it.
In my favorite scene from the movie “Big,” Tom Hanks interrupts a business meeting by proclaiming — in an incredibly earnest and innocent way:
“I don’t get it.”
It was a simple and effective question from a middle-aged middle-schooler trapped in a thirty-something’s body.
And it’s the exact quote that popped into my mind as Baltimore came back to rout the Giants 10-2 Sunday afternoon.
The Giants’ (52-65) consistency and level of play is all over the map, and I just can’t comprehend it.
After a come-from-behind win on Monday night, San Francisco dropped two games straight to the Brew Crew, seemingly finding new ways in each inning to prevent themselves from winning a game.
The Orange and Black bumbled in the field and left more men on base than could have been imagined. During his post game press conference, Bruce Bochy couldn’t do much more but sigh and say:
“I really don’t know what to tell you.”
Flash back to Thursday, when Tim Lincecum pitched eight strong innings, striking out eight and only walking one.
Brandon Belt — on fire — hit the team’s first homer in 12 home games. Marco Scutaro went 3-for-5 in the lead-off spot. The Giants appeared to suddenly be playing competitive baseball.
Two sloppy games followed by a near no-hitter? I don’t get it.
The bafflement continued into the weekend, as San Francisco played host to another orange-and-black clad team.
Saturday, the defense dusted itself off and backed Chad Gaudin’s performance on the hill by squeaking out a 3-2 victory.
But even with as promising as Sunday’s finale was behind Matt Cain, the game got out of the Giants’ hands again, sending them packing on the road after a 10-2 loss.
The Giants were already losing 7-2 when Barry Zito was inserted in mop-up relief and gave up a three-run homer to Adam Jones.
Zito in the bullpen: two appearances: two innings, six hits, five earned runs, and two home runs allowed. 22.50 ERA.
Two late-game losses? A bullpen that can’t get the job done? A team that’s getting hits but not scoring runs to back it? Wasn’t this team ahead in the division three months ago?
RISP: 1-for-6 on Sunday and 8-for-49 (.163) over their last six games and 37-for-177 (.209) since the All-Star Break.
The Giants’ last winning homestand WAS three months ago: May 20-26, when Angel Pagan got hurt.
I just don’t get it.
Giants have sunk from 27-22 — tied for first place on May 25 when Angel Pagan hit his walkoff inside the park HR and subsequently went on the DL — to 52-65 right now this very second.
Words fail to describe the state of the Giants 2013 campaign. And now, the team starts a road series against the Washington Nationals (56-70), another 2012 playoff team whose record has taken a serious dip this season.
The Nats also just swept the Phillies, so perhaps they have some momentum going. And the Giants, as we know, don’t typically play well on the Nationals’ home turf.
Then again, the Giants typically play well at home, and that hasn’t necessarily happened either.
Predicting how the start to this roadie will turn out seems so silly, with how unpredictable the Giants’ season has become. Who knows? Maybe they’ll take two-out-of-three in DC and blow Washington out of the water.
Heck I’d take the wins, even if I “don’t get” how they rustled up the victories to begin with.
The Giants’ 21-34 road record (.382) is the fourth-worst in the National League.
