Giants outslugged in Philadelphia
05/05/2006 11:42 PM ET
Giants outslugged in Philadelphia
Winn, Vizquel go yard, but Cain gives up four long balls
By Rich Draper / MLB.com
Matt Cain adjusts his cap as Ryan Howard rounds the bases after a homer.
(Rusty Kennedy/AP)
PHILADELPHIA -- The Giants' season is beginning to sour -- they've lost five
of their last six games and lost outfielder Moises Alou for more than two
weeks in a homer-riddled, 8-3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday at
Citizens Bank Park.
Yet manager Felipe Alou isn't souring on rookie pitcher Matt Cain. Yet.
Only 21, the right-hander is finding life in the fast lane quite different
from his shockingly good partial 2005, when his fastball blazed by the
veterans and he seemed destined to be a star sooner rather than later.
But now the reality of poorly located fastballs -- although perfectly located
in hitters' minds, as in right down the middle -- is costing him dearly, and
his struggles were on display against the Phillies this night.
Two homers by Chase Utley. Two more by Ryan Howard. Nine hits, six runs and
three walks over four innings in an 83-pitch debacle.
So is Cain -- now 1-4 with a 6.27 ERA -- walking a thin line? Is he doomed to
be sent down to Triple-A Fresno to regain his rhythm, his pitching touch and
maybe his confidence?
"No," said Alou. "He's got to address a couple of things -- he could do it
here or there. He's so gifted stuff-wise, I'd like to see him do it here. Like
, for example, it looked like every time we scored, he'd go back and give up
runs.
"That needs to be taken care of. He still has to get better command of his
fastball, which is his best pitch, always going to be and has to be."
For Cain, this ballpark seemed like a miniature version of a real one --
remember, J.T. Snow once pumped out three homers here in one game -- and the
Phillies pounded him unmercifully.
Remarkably, Cain says his psyche remains fully intact, still bristling with
resoluteness.
"I'm always going to be confident -- I just know I have to make better pitches
to better hitters," said the youngster, who chastized himself for throwing
softball pitches vs. the Phillies. "Tonight, I got behind guys and gave them
pitches that were real easy to hit, pitches down the middle, and against these
guys, they're going to go a long ways."
Cain said he desperately tried to adjust, find the corners again, but never
did.
"I never found it, never found the location of the fastball," said Cain. "The
times I threw it for strikes, they were right down the middle. It's tough to
believe [things will turn], because you think of the stuff that didn't go well
for you. Then again, you have to think about the stuff that went right."
There is no recourse for Cain. It's a learn-as-you-go game, lessons on the fly
. It's merely part of a young hurler's life, and he accepts his fate.
"They say that you're never a big leaguer until you start failing," said Cain
with a slight chuckle. "And it's that way right now. These guys are showing me
what they're able to do, and I have to do something different."
It was, at least at first, a good night for the Giants, as Omar Vizquel
homered in the first innings, then Randy Winn slugged a solo shot in the
second and Moises Alou knocked in Vizquel with a single in the third.
But a five-homer barrage by the Phillies surged them to their sixth straight
victory, while the Giants lost their fifth game in the last six.
The worst moment came in the bottom of the third when Alou sprinted toward the
right-field line on a David Bell foul ball, which landed deep in the corner.
Alou suffered a sprained right ankle on the warning-track dirt, stumbled
against the wall and fell.
The 39-year-old outfielder has been the real heart of the offense this season
with a .378 average, seven homers and 25 RBIs.
"I feel pretty bad," said Vizquel. "He's been the engine -- moving things
around and bringing guys home. We feel pretty bad we're going to lose him for
a while."
Rich Draper is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the
approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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問我為何住西子灣頭
只因滄海是我的鄰居
余光中 作
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