Actually I’m laughing

Clayton Kershaw shut the Giants down again, they lost 3-1, and it’s funny. I think it’s funny. I’m laughing.

Kershaw didn’t have his dominant stuff, and it seems weird to say that about a game in which he pitched 8 innings, gave up 1 run, struck out 6, and walked no one, but it’s true. He wasn’t missing bats like he usually does and he didn’t make the Giants look like a team that has just been called up en masse from AA like he usually does. He gave up 8 hits in 8 innings, which by Kershaw-Giants standards means he was basically getting hit around like Neil Ramirez (Remember him? That was actually this year!), but he gave up just the one run. Why? Funny story. Let’s take a look:

In the top of the second inning, Hunter Pence hit a leadoff single. After Nick Hundley struck out, Brandon Crawford grounded into a double play. Oh well!

In the top of the fifth inning, Mac Williamson hit a one out single. On the next pitch, Tim Federowicz grounded into a double play. Aw shucks!

In the top of the sixth inning, Gorkys Hernandez led off with a double into the gap in left-center field. The next batter, Kelby Tomlinson, hit a grounder to shortstop and Gorkys thought it would be a good idea to advance to third on that grounder. It was not a good idea. He was thrown out. Buster Posey, up next, grounded into a double play. Nuts!

In the top of the seventh, Hunter Pence again hit a leadoff single. This time, though, Nick Hundley thought, “I can’t leave this up to Crawford,” and hit into a double play. Well, darn! Get ‘em next time!

Those four double plays induced were a career high for Kershaw.

It’s funny. I’m actually laughing.

Pence and Williamson each went 3 for 3 against Kershaw, and that’s the positive to take away from the game. Williamson in particular hit a 410 foot homer to center in the top of the eighth inning for the only Giants run, and if he can’t get a start tomorrow after going 3 for 3 off Clayton Kershaw and throwing a runner out at third base with two outs, well, that’ll sure be funny! Ha ha, that’s the emotion I will feel when that happens. I will be laughing and not mad because I find it funny.

The Giants play six more games this year and need to win two of them to avoid 100 losses. September will also be their ninth consecutive month of losing baseball (minimum 3 regular season games played), going back to the last three months of 2016. Maybe you’re mad at the Giants’ endless parade of poor decisions and poorer baseball that has led them to this point. I’m not. Because I’m laughing. It’s funny to me.