What else can you say at this point? The Giants needed to go 7-3 (or better) on this second-half opening homestand… They went 3-7. They needed to pick it up with the bats… They scored three runs in three games against the Cubs. In April and May, the Giants were hitting but not pitching. Then there were the injuries. Then, they weren’t pitching or hitting. Now they’re pitching but not still not hitting. Cain, Bumgarner and Lincecum were amazing against Chicago this weekend. They allowed a combined 3 ER, and the Giants were swept.
The trade deadline is rapidly approaching, and the Giants are now rapidly deflating. I really don’t know what will happen next. At this point, does Brian Sabean even know? I honestly don’t see a flurry of trades coming before Wednesday’s deadline. Maybe they deal Javier Lopez for a marginal prospect. Maybe, just maybe the Rangers beat down the door for Hunter Pence. I don’t quite see it happening, but you never know.
I do know this: Our defending champs have severely wet themselves this season, through injuries and poor play alike. At this point, the front office has a responsibility to put a competitive product on the field. I can think of a few guys in Fresno who deserve a shot on the big stage. Brett Pill is one of them, but there are others. Maybe it’s time for them to get it.
But honestly Giants, ouch.
Cove Chatter 
Love the tweet from Tyler LaTorre re. Edwin Escobar who seems to be coming on really fast.
Escobar with another great start! Who knows DrB, maybe he finishes the season with very good numbers in Richmond and gets the bump to Fresno next year. He seems to have his foot on the accelerator these days.
The season is clearly done. Sabes needs to be looking to the offseason and next year. What are his chances of re-signing Pence and Timmy? Does he want to re-sign them? If he is not going to re-sign them, what would he need to get in a trade now, that would be better than a supplemental pick that he would get after making a Qualifying Offer? Do you trade Sandoval now or try to get one great season out of him in his walk year? Is the return you can get from trading some relievers worth breaking up the bullpen? Do you still believe Brandon Belt is the firstbaseman of the future and how much more rope do you give him?
I have long predicted that the day would come when Sabes would have to make some very tough decisions as his young core became expensive. The challenge is how to leverage it to obtain the talent that will maintain a playoff caliber team into the future. Well, that day has arrived and with a vengeance!
Sabes has a tough job. That’s why they pay him to big bucks to do it.
I’m glad those he’s making those decisions and not me. I feel like this team can be viewed through two lenses right now.
One side says 2013 was doomed from the start. Injuries and early inconsistencies, plus the pressure to defend a title. The Giants got in a hole they couldn’t climb out of. But this team has big game experience, and these players have proven their ability to be the best team in baseball. Come Wednesday, this group leaves the team intact, brings back Pence and Lincecum next year, and fills in the holes, hoping this team can regain its confidence in 2014.
The other side says this team’s ship has sailed, that guys like Sandoval, Belt and Pence no longer fit into the equation. This side feels that the time has come to gut this team and look to 2015, when some of our top talent may be ready for a promotion. If this group is one of the worst teams in baseball in 2013, what’s stopping them from being just as bad in 2014? Gathering prospects for players like Pence and Sandoval make more sense than bringing them back next season.
Obviously, Sabean could view this situation entirely different, but I feel that most fans are either on one side or the other. There’s really not a lot of middle ground here, in my opinion. You either take this team into next year with some minor additions, or you blow it up and bring some fresh faces in. If I had to guess, Sabean probably will go with option #1. I don’t think he will trade Pence, or any other regular player for that matter. My bet is he re-signs Pence, and tries to bring Lincecum back too. But I just can’t see him risking another losing season next year by rebuilding, as I don’t think he’d get a lot of value back in any trades at this point.