Bum-mer

The silver linings from yesterday are beginning to lose their luster.

Two-run homers from Pablo Sandoval and Brett Pill once again brought the Giants painfully close to their first victory of the season, spoiled by the Dbacks hitting some of their own.

Madison Bumgarner has been a hot pick as the breakout player of 2012, someone to take the next step into stardom. This always gets me worried as a fan, because life (and especially sports) never works out the way the majority thinks it will. That said, 7 hits and 1 walk in 4 innings for Bumgarner isn’t alarming. He was a slow starter last year, not pitching a quality start (6+ innings, 3 or fewer earned runs) until April 27th, his fifth start of the season. His season ERA didn’t drop below 4.00 until May 19th, and only floated above that mark once for a brief moment before cruising to a 3.21 season ERA. Not to mention that start on the 19th was the first time the Giants offense secured a victory that season. It was tough times for the kind in 2011 from a run support standpoint. Tough start to this season, too.

The run support for Bumgarner was better today, but there are still some glaring holes in the Giants offense. Angel Pagan is now 1-9, and Aubrey Huff is a poorly played ball turned double into achieving the same mark. Brandon Watch 2012 is increasingly gut-wrenching, with Belt’s single and walk the only time either one of them has seen first base in 16 plate appearances.

Brett Pill is a right-handed hitter. Phew.

The bullpen is fantastic. That is all.

Stats of the game:

4- The number of home runs in this game, 2 by each team

3- Times Aubrey Huff go the ball to the outfield, something to hang our hats on

2- JJ Putz split-finger fastballs that baffled Giants hitters in the 9th

1- Number of games I will hear Eric Byrnes as the color guy in my life (Mute button FTW!)

Bonus stat:

1- One more consecutive loss before I enter full-on panik mode, complete with self-immolation procedures and Aubrey Huff voodoo dolls