Last season, the Braves, the Pirates, and the Bums were three of the four National League post-season teams. The Giants just spent the last 10 days visiting each of them, reminding them that this is an even-numbered year. And in the 2010s, that can only mean one thing: a November parade down Market Street.

Hey, until the pattern proves false, we're gonna hang our hat on it. 2014 is our year! No, really, though, it kinda is. Atlanta has been one of the most ridiculously successful baseball teams of the past two decades; Pittsburgh has been one of the worst, but is now at the start of something that can become very special; and L.A. is just a pox. One does not expect a road trip through those towns to end well--but this one did. The Giants went 7-3 over the last 10 games, remain in 1st Place in NL West, and are now tied for the best record in baseball.

The L.A. Bums, though, made sure the Giants didn't go back to the Bay without something to remember them by — a broken Brandon Belt thumb courtesy of a Dodger fastball. The Baby Giraffe, in what looked to be a breakout year, will be out for about six weeks. Peculiar. The Giants have seen two other May injuries of note in recent years: Buster Posey's season-ending injury in May, 2011 and Angel Pagan's in May of last year. Both of those injuries had clear causal affects on those failed seasons. Thankfully, Brandon's injury is not season-ending, nor will it take a severe toll on the Giants's season. It's 2014, remember?

*****

The San Francisco Giants went to Los Angeles, and beat Clayton Kershaw. No, the loss doesn't appear under his name, but check the box score--the Giants beat him. That was fun.

*****

Currently: 24-14 (.632), 1st Place in the NL West

Last Week:
Mon: WON at Pittsburgh
Tue: lost at Pittsburgh
Wed: lost at Pittsburgh
Thu: WON at L.A.
Fri: WON at L.A.
Sat: lost at L.A.
Sun: WON at L.A.

This Week:
Mon: home against the Braves (Filipino Heritage Night)
Tue: home against the Braves (Hotel Heroes Night, Food Drive)
Wed: home against the Braves
Thu: home against the Marlins (Japanese Heritage Night, Singles Night)
Fri: home against the Marlins (Metallica Night, Tim Lincecum T-shirt giveaway)
Sat: home against the Marlins (Brewfest, Strike Out Cancer Day, Giants Fedora giveaway)
Sun: home against the Marlins (Junior Giants Glove Drive, Buster Posey T-shirt giveaway)