Team's that are not playoff contenders do not lose 20-8 to a not very good team. Or, if they do, it isn't in the midst of a three game losing streak. If anything, the past three games showed, once again, that the recent streak of good playing the Giants were on was a mirage. Nothing more, nothing less. This just isn't a very good team. In fact, it's pretty much what it is-- a .500 team. A team with not quite good enough offense, not quite good enough starting pitching, and not quite good enough bullpen.

But you know what? We're okay with it. We've given up on this team awhile ago. Several times. And yes, we started to maybe sort of think something good was possible, especially last week, but we weren't really fully committed. Our hearts were elsewhere and while it would have been great if they made it to the playoffs, it wouldn't be bone-crunchingly, heart-breakingly awful if they didn't. Not like '93. Not at all.

Besides, football is here, we've discovered the glories of TiVo'ing Premiere League games, and it's a new fall TV season with all the attendant "night before Christmas" excitement that comes with it. Who cares about the Giants right now when we're only three days away from a brand new episode of "The Office?"

Oh, and one more prediction before we go: the Giants will have one more run in them, one more tease before the end of the season. Why? Because that's what they do. Look for them to run off a three game winning streak at least (probably starting tonight) and due to the mediocrity of the rest of the NL, have Giants fans thinking for one more time that it just might be possible. Which, of course, it isn't. The Giants final record? Well, since the game against the Cardinals game won't be made up, thus ensuring the Giants will not have a .500 record, we'll say they finish either one game above or below .500. Because that's what this team is. .500