100 losses averted; Cain takes spotlight
Matt Cain will make his last big-league start Saturday and admitted to being a tad nervy.
“You have nerves for the last start as you do for the first one,” he said on the eve of his finale. “You do.”
The pressure’s off in one regard. Cain won’t be pitching with a 100-loss season on the line. The Giants walloped the Padres 8-0 Friday night, leaving them with 97 losses and two games to play.
Their great escape avoided a repeat of the brutal 1985 season, still the only one in franchise history ending with triple-digit losses. It’s no reason to hold a parade or spray Champagne, but it beats the alternative.
The Giants banged out 17 hits, and Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford and Joe Panik combined for 10 on the night Nick Hundley received the Willie Mac Award for his inspirational qualities. Much more pomp and circumstance is coming Saturday for Cain’s final moments as a Giant.
After 13 seasons, Cain is retiring, and the longest-tenured Giant is getting a tribute start as an honor for his contributions, especially during the championship era. The final start will be his 331st, and only Juan Marichal had more in the team’s San Francisco era.
Dave Righetti, the only bigleague pitching coach Cain has had, has seen many players retire. This one is different.
“This is more Marichal-like, more (Gaylord) Perry-like,” Righetti said. “I mean, this is a big deal for Giants fans and anybody who grew up a Giants fan. Having a guy starting and ending his career here, the length of it, the 2,000-plus innings and 300-plus starts.
“It’ll be emotional, no doubt about it. You can’t get away from that.”
Cain is trying not to get caught up too much in the emotions, but it’s near impossible. “After Saturday, I can step back,” he said. “I’ve got to try to stay together until then.”
He can exhale Sunday, his 33rd birthday, and watch Johnny Cueto pitch the season finale.
Friday’s starter, Chris Stratton, was solid over 62⁄3 innings in his final push for a job in next year’s rotation. He struck out seven, and his ERA in his final eight starts was 2.27.
“It’s nice to have a young man like this come up and make some noise to where he wants to be in this rotation next year,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but he certainly has done his part.”
Said Stratton: “It’s always nice to end on a good note. I hate that our season’s ended up the way that it has and we don’t have that playoff taste. I would love to get that in me. Hopefully, I can remember everything I’ve done this year and use it next year.”
All of Posey’s three hits were run-scoring doubles, and he pushed his average to .317. Panik had four hits and is hitting .290. Crawford had three hits and played his usual splendid brand of defense at shortstop.
The Giants scored all their runs with two outs, collected eight extra-base hits and went 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position. Where was that all summer? “It’s something we weren’t consistent at this year,” Bochy said. “I guess you get a taste of what we were or what we could be when you see these guys coming through with the way they did tonight. Some guys had some big nights, clutch hits.
“That’s what can happen. That’s what helped us win championships, that type of hitting.”
Now it’s Cain’s turn. He’ll make his first appearance since Aug. 31 when he threw 83 pitches over five innings. The inactivity would suggest the righthander goes limited innings. Bochy said 60, 70 pitches might be a bit much.
Either way, it’ll be a festive and emotional day at the yard. Most likely, Bochy will go the mound in the middle of an inning and give Cain one final walk off the field, one final chance to tip his cap, this time for good.