The good news, such as it is, is that you can’t get two losses for the same stupid game.

But if you can, man, it would be for this game. Nothing looked good from the seventh inning on, and very little before then. The Giants committed three errors, but deserved at least a couple more. Conor Gillaspie’s defensive flaws finally made their presence felt, and their debut was spectacular. Buster Posey looked uncomfortable at first, Theriot looked tree-like at second, and even the plays that the outfielders made looked pretty awkward.

Barry Zito and Joaquin Arias were the highlights of this game, which is a sentence we can file under “Things We Never Expected To Say, Volume 16.” Arias is making a case for regular starts, either platooning with Crawford or at third. I’m not ready to give up on Gillaspie after just one game – one awful, awful game – but today certainly didn’t help anything.

Also, enough of this crap. The strict platoon thing hasn’t failed every time, but if anything today’s game shows that it ain’t gospel. Pill, Sanchez and Theriot combined for an 0-for-12 today, and the defense was awful. I don’t mind Hector as a backup for Posey to rest him, and even as a regular battery-mate to Zito. But he is not a good enough hitter, especially against lefties, to keep Brandon Belt out of the lineup.

A simple proposal: let’s play our best players at their ideal positions. Sure, you might get some 0-fers, but you might get them anyway. You may as well throw the best players out on the field, and see what happens. I’ve been a Bochy apologist most of the time, but that’s over after this game. Today’s lineup was such crap, something’s gotta give. But it probably won’t.

Brandon Watch 2012:

Stats of the Day:

9.00: Travis Blackley’s ERA after today’s game

3.00: Travis Blackley’s ERA before today’s game

2: Starting position players who got hits today

0: Number of times Matt Kemp made an out today

Bonus Stat of the Day:

Sucked: This game