(By e.Chang)

The Week That Was:
Won 0, lost 3 against the Reds. One game postponed.
Won 1, lost 2 against the Dodgers.

40-47 for the season, 4th place in the NL West.

The Week That Will Be:
Mon: home against the Mets.
Tue: home against the Mets.
Wed: home against the Mets.
Thu: San Diego against the Padres.
Fri: San Diego against the Padres.
Sat: San Diego against the Padres.
Sun: San Diego against the Padres.

It's sunny and it's July and it's too early in the day and week to be negative, so let's focus on the pluses: At least the Giants were in last place for only a couple days. At least the Giants didn't get swept for the second time in two weeks by the Dodgers. At least the Giants won a game this week. At least the Padres are the Dyson to the Giants' Hoover in terms of suckage.

When this season ends in late October with the Giants hoisting the World Series trophy over their heads for the 3rd time in four years, we will all look back at July 2 as the day that the season hit its antapex--the day the Giants got no-hit against the Reds, the day the Giants took the Dodgers' place in the NL West's cellar. The story of this season will be about the second half, how the Giants regrouped after hitting the lowest of lows and hitched a ride on a rocketship to 1st place in the NL West, to the World Series, and another parade down Market Street.

Or, when this season mercifully ends in late September, with the Giants languishing in last place, giving our last standing ovation to Timmy in a Giants uniform, we won't remember July 2 at all, because even when you think you've hit rock-bottom, the bottom can still drop out.

Remember kids: it can get worse.

But it's sunny and it's July and it's too early in the day and week to be negative, so let's re-focus on the pluses: the New York Mets are in town and they are one of the five National League teams who wish they were as good as the Giants. After a sweep of the Mets, the Giants will head to San Diego to sweep a four-game series against the Padres, another illustrious member of the aforementioned Group of 5. So if things go according to plan, the Giants will head into next week's All-Star break with a record of 47-47, which, if everything goes just so, will be enough to put them in 1st place in the NL West. What? It can happen!

Et cetera: Citizen, have you voted? You have? Then put on a fake mustache and vote again! As you know, the All-Star Game is approaching and as today, the Giants will be sending three representatives: Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner, and Marco Scutaro. Although none were voted in by fans, Buster was voted in by fellow players. Respect. Madison and Marco, however, were selected by the NL All-Star team manager: Bruce Bochy. Yep, Boch hand-picked guys from his own team. Don't like it? Win a World Series, bub. And he ain't done, either--Boch is actively trying to sneak Sergio Romo into his suitcase to bring with him to New York. As for voting, fans have one last chance to vote in one player from a pre-selected group of five players, one of which is your very own Hunter Pence. There are also two Dodgers in that group. You know what to do and you know how to do it: activate the voting bots and stuff that ballot box. Do it for the Giants; do it for democracy.