(By e.Chang)
The Week That Was:
Won 2, lost 1 against the Diamondbacks.
45-52 for the season; 4th place in the NL West, 5.5 games out.
The Week That Will Be:
Mon: We were crushed.
Tue: home against the Reds (first game of doubleheader, Reds will be the home team).
Tue: home against the Reds.
Wed: home against the Reds.
Thu: home against the Cubs.
Fri: home against the Cubs.
Sat: home against the Cubs.
Sun: home against the Cubs.
Ah, the second half. Back in high school or college, the second half of the semester or school year was our chance to raise that 82% up to a respectable 88%. Or, if you pulled enough all-nighters, turned in every assignment, killed on the final exam and nailed that perfect 100%, you could finish the year with an A! Did it ever happen? No. But COULD it? You betcha.
The Giants started the second half of the season in 4th place with a 43-51 record, 6.5 games out of 1st place. They just completed a 3-game series against the 1st place Diamondbacks. They won 2 of those games, winning the series. That's good, right? Ummm
Remember having to score 100% in the second half of the semester to get that A? That's what the Giants have to do. Had the Giants won all three games, they would have gained three full games in the division. By winning two and losing one, they only gained one game. When you're playing from behind and when you have three teams on top of you, every single game counts. That would have been hyperbole in May. It's black-letter now.
After Sunday's loss, a buddy texted me saying "There goes the season." Hyperbole in May, possibly prophetic now. The Giants aren't really playing for the second half of the season -- they're playing for the second half of the month. July 31st is the trade deadline and the Giants' brass has to determine if this Giants team can make a run for it this year or if they'll throw in the towel, trade away key pieces of last year's World Series team, and try for it next year. Unless the Giants run our Midwest guests out of town this week, for all intents and purposes, this season may have only nine days left.
Assignment for the week: Recover from Cincinnati's brutality on Monday. Sweep Chicago. End the week within 2 games of 1st place. Scratch that -- end the week IN 1st place.
