Post-game thread: Giants lose another heartb...wait, what?

Baseball. You freaky, freaky sport. With two outs in the top of the ninth inning, Freddy Sanchez took two of the wildest swings possible at two unhittable fastballs. The Giants, who had reached the postseason on the strength of their bullpen, were about to come close to elimination because of the collapse of their bullpen. Well, and a whole bunch of wretched hitting. But usually the bullpen stays away from that kind of bonfire.

Let’s revise that series preview:

If Tim Hudson has iffy command and leaves a bunch of sinkers up in the strike zone, he’ll be tough to hit. The Giants will probably be able to count on an extra-base hit from Mike Fontenot, but that’s about it.

The hope, then, is that Jonathan Sanchez has pinpoint control with his three pitches. In close games, he’s the pitcher the Giants want in there. You know he’s not just going to give baserunners away.

It’s ridiculous how evenly matched these two teams are. If the Giants can somehow take advantage of a 30-year-old utility infielder who was forced into action because of devastating injuries -- say by watching him implode defensively -- they’ll be able to overcome big Braves bats like Rick Ankiel and Eric Hinske.

Braves fans: we’ve been there. It’s of no consolation to you right now, but we know your pain. We’ve had our sternum pulled out through our nose too. Like, oh, Friday night. The Giants didn’t really deserve to win that game. But I’m pretty danged sure the Braves didn’t, either. They both probably should have just given that game to Doctors Without Borders and taken the tax write-off.

The Giants still have one more game to win. They’ll have two chances.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get a beer from the oven and take my pet orchid for a walk, as we’re obviously living in some weird alternate dimension in which the Giants are benefactors of late-inning misery. So until tomorrow, hello.