Harry Schulman - San Francisco Chronicle
Throughout the years they contended for the playoffs, the Giants carefully introduced whatever young players they had into opportunities best suited for their success. In this rebuilding and evaluation year, they are doing the opposite, letting their prospects loose in situations that could bring failure.
Thus, Brian Bocock is playing every day at shortstop, even though he seems overmatched against major-league pitching, because the Giants need his defense.
Similarly, in Friday night's 11-1 loss to the Cardinals, John Bowker started at first base even though he has not played the position regularly since high school. The Giants need Bowker's left-handed bat in the lineup, but not at the expense of switch-hitting right fielder Randy Winn.
"The young guys are getting a chance to go out there and play," Bowker said. "I think it's definitely a good thing."
Bowker went hitless for the first time in five big-league games and the Giants were held to one run for the second game in a row, but it hardly mattered amid one of Matt Cain's worst career starts.
Cain could not locate his fastball and allowed a career-worst nine runs, all earned, in 32/3 innings. He was chased in a six-run fourth that featured a 424-foot, three-run homer by Albert Pujols into what the Cardinals still call Big Mac Land in the second deck. All six runs scored with two outs.
Pujols had his second four-RBI game against the Giants in eight days, while Cain remained winless and saw his ERA soar to 6.64 on a night he best soon forget.
"It's one start," he said, "and you can't let this one kill you for the rest of the year."
Manager Bruce Bochy admitted he was a little shocked to see Cain pitch so badly, saying, "When he's on the mound you have tons of confidence he's going to keep us in the game and give us a chance to win. He's going to have off days, and tonight was one. Anytime someone scores that many runs off him, sure, you're surprised."
Bochy said he asked Bowker if he would be comfortable playing first base before throwing him out there, and the rookie said he was.
The Giants will need Bowker there, rather than the outfield, because otherwise they are too right-handed. If Bowker can play first, the Giants also can have the switch-hitter Winn in right field and left-handed Fred Lewis in left.
Bowker played first base toward the end of spring training and got an inning there Wednesday. Sure enough, in his 10 big-league innings at first base he has not had one ball hit to him. He was hoping to get the first one out of the way Friday.
"I had a couple of throws over there and a scoop play," he said. "I'm sure I'm going to get some groundballs."
Today they will come in batting practice, because Bochy plans to start Rich Aurilia at first base.
Friday's game, played on a cold, wet night, was a pitching rematch of Saturday's game in San Francisco, in which Cain faced Todd Wellemeyer and took a no-hitter and a 5-0 lead into the seventh inning. The Giants eventually lost 8-7 in 10 innings.
This time, the Cardinals were all over Cain. They turned a leadoff walk to Skip Schumaker into a first-inning run. Chris Duncan concluded a nine-pitch at-bat in the third inning with a two-run homer after Schumaker singled.
An inning later, Schumaker hit a two-run single, which was merely the overture for the show to come - Pujols' fourth homer of the season.
Notice how many times the name Schumaker appeared in that synopsis? The Giants have not found a way to stop St. Louis' leadoff hitter, who is 10-for-18 with eight runs scored in five games against San Francisco this season.
When Cain was knocked out in the fourth, Bochy double-switched to get Aaron Rowand out of the game. General manager Brian Sabean revealed on his weekly radio show Thursday that Rowand has been playing with a cracked rib, information the team previously withheld.
Rowand hit a double to the center-field wall Friday, a sign that he is improving. When asked if the cracked rib was affecting his hitting, he said, "Not now."
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