Giants 8, Brewers 4, March 11th

Matt Cain had a very good outing yesterday. He allowed the first 2 batters he faced to score, but after that he shut the Brewers down on 4 hits, 2 walks and a hit batsman while striking out 4. Matt got in trouble when he hit the first batter of the game on a 0-2 pitch that got away from him. I think he was still fuming at himself when he threw a fat fastball right down the middle to the next batter who tripled. After a SAC fly by the next batter, the Brewer's scoring off of Cain ended.

Matt was a little wild and got his pitch count up so he only lasted 4 innings. Unlike in his last start where he was wild high, Matt kept the ball down and that was the big difference between this start and last.

At the plate Matt was 1 for 2 and executed a perfect "butcher boy" play and bounced a single up the middle. He ultimately came around to score. Unfortunately, as he was heading toward the dugout after scoring, Bruce Bochy told him he had missed a sign and that he was supposed to have attempted a sacrifice not try the butcher boy play. Whoops.

I am sure the plan had Cain going 5 innings as he was followed to the mound by Kevin Gryboski who was brought over from the Minor League camp for the purpose of throwing any "non-planned" innings. Kevin walked 1, but had a scoreless, hitless inning. Billy Sadler followed with another scoreless inning allowing just 1 hit and striking out 1. Steve Kline pitched a much needed (for him) 1-2-3 7th inning. The 8th belonged to Bartolome Fortunato who gave up 2 unearned runs on 2 hits and a strikeout. The 2 unearned runs were the result of a throwing error by Emmanuel Burriss at 2B. The game was finished off by Jack Taschner who had yet another good 1-2-3 inning. Jack has been one of the Giants most reliable relievers so far this spring and lowered his ERA to 1.50.