Matt Cain fails to throw a shutout.

Matt Cain.

There's really nothing more to say about this game beyond Matt Cain. He retired 20 in a row after a shaky second inning (thanks, defense!) and 42 total pitches thrown. He and Quiroz worked well together. I noted that Cain threw a lot more sliders and change ups away to left-handers than usual. I don't recall many curveballs being thrown or fastballs up and in to left-handers (though Cain's final strikeout in the 8th of Corey Dickerson was on that exact pitch) which I typically associate with Cain's game plan. Don't know if it was because of his catcher today or the fact that he was pitching at Coors Field, but it really worked.

The rest of the Giants? Who cares. I mean, sure, Buster Posey and Andres Torres were the main cogs of the offense. They should certainly get *some* mention here. But then there was Pablo Sandoval, who seemingly saw 4 total pitches in 4 plate appearances (though, in reality, he saw 4 in his second PA, so, really 7 total), and Hunter Pence, who swung through straight fastballs, and Marco Scutaro, whose swing was extra mallety today to basically cancel out any positive contributions by Giants' hitters. They outhit their opponent (that's not news) but, again, came up short in the runs column.

So again I say, Matt Cain. I don't know if his arm slot situation has resolved itself (and I'm not going to look because it's hardly worth analyzing a team 4 games under .500 in such a manner), but his stuff looks to be sharp. Has been for several starts now. A steady Matt Cain is our equilibrium. You can compare the 2013 Giants to 2007 or 2008 or 1991 or the Sacramento Kings, it doesn't really matter. Matt Cain is Matt Cain... right down to his team not scoring runs for him.

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Some of you may not remember that before the Giants started winning World Series (and even in 2010!) Jorge De La Rosa was a pitching nemesis. 89 innings, 72 strikeouts, 3.74 ERA, and an 8-4 record (yes, yes, LOL pitcher wins) coming in to today's game. He's still coming back from Tommy John surgery, but he basically looked like the guy who usually dominates the Giants today until leaving with an undisclosed injury. I bring this up because, unless he's out for a prolonged period of time, it means that most of the division is well-stocked in "Giants killers", making the likelihood of a comeback, run, or division win all the more unlikely.

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4 games under .500, the All-Star break still two weeks (15 games) away, an abysmal road record, 60% of a solid starting rotation, a Bynesian bullpen, that lineup... it does not look good, folks. I know my persona is one of a negative nelly or Downer Dave or Pantspooping Paul, and I accept that a "true fan" thinks their team is the bestest ever and will win 1,000 games in a 162 game season and nobody is better, but come on true fans, come on sensible readers, come on people paid by the Giants and their associates to maintain a positive spin so that the turnstiles keep on turning, let's all just accept it: 2013 ain't happenin'.

For sanity's sake, let's just all accept that it's over so that if it turns around and we're (okay, I'm) proven wrong, then it's a great big surprise! "Believing in our team" is irrelevant. Belief doesn't make streaky hitters become consistently solid hitters. It doesn't un-mallet old men's fingers or dislodge old managerial styles from massive craniums. It doesn't send Hector Sanchez down to the minors to work on becoming a good major leaguer. Belief doesn't de-suck the bullpen or change a swing-first approach to plate appearances. And all these things that are killing the Giants right now are the very things that, improbably, led to two World Series in three years. I get that. It's just not likely to bring about a sustained run this year, not with the enormous hole they're digging for themselves.

And I'm urging this detachment for *your* benefit. Grant's busy amassing great wealth and fame beyond The Wall, so it's doubtful the quality of Giants' play will steal his sunshine. But you, you the one who is still reading this for some reason, who participates in every lunch chat, GoT review, and long thread about when and when not to use the spoiler tag SB Nation has provided, the Giants have nothing for you except pain.

Then again, maybe you like pain! Maybe we all like pain! And baseball is mostly pain, except when it's not! The Giants have brought us immeasurable joy lately and maybe the bigger point is that they've done their bit for king and country so maybe it's time we let these guys just do their thing without us caring much about the outcome.

Because, wow, the outcome will certainly not be a win.