San Francisco Giants: Changes That Need to Happen Now

Tonight Matt Cain reminded his Giants teammates how to play the game of baseball. 

Unfortunately, unless Bruce Bochy plans to bat him cleanup starting with tomorrow's series finale in Arizona, the Giants are still in trouble. 

Cain not only had two hits, including a two-run double (with two outs by the way), but he exhibited something I haven't seen the Giants do in a long time—take out the second baseman on a potential double-play ground ball. 

The sad thing is that a pitcher has to lead the way on this team. This is the kind of stuff his teammates should be exhibiting nightly. 

I hate to rain on the Giants parade after a win, but some things need to change. 

In the first inning the Giants had runners at second and third with two out after scoring a run against Arizona Diamondbacks starter Trevor Cahill. Joaquin Arias, one of the few Giants who has been hitting in the clutch, grounded out weakly to end the inning. 

So once again, the Giants had an opposing starter on the ropes early in the game and let him off the hook. The same happened last night against rookie starter Patrick Corbin. 

Then in the seventh inning the Giants loaded the bases with one out and managed not to score. Arias (who had another tremendous night in the field at third base) took the first two pitches for strikes and then grounded out.  

Then Emmanuel Burriss took three strikes in a row and the inning was over. 

This isn't what I had in mind when I said the Giants need to be more patient at the plate. 

And the way plate umpire Brian O'Nora was calling the game, these were pitches pretty much right down the middle. Sad. 

Later Brandon Crawford made still another error on a routine play. 

I've been a big supporter of Crawford, but that was based on his reputation as a great defender. If he can't hit and he can't field either, changes need to be made.

When Freddy Sanchez and Pablo Sandoval are back, Arias is the likely choice to replace Crawford in the lineup, unless Crawford can turn it around.

There is no help on the horizon, either via a trade or in the Giants' minor league system, unless Fresno second baseman Brock Bond can play short. Bond is hitting .387 with an OPS of .981 in the PCL. 

Another thought is to play Gregor Blanco every day, leading off in center field and move Angel Pagan to a corner outfield spot. 

Blanco is a natural leadoff hitter, despite his .234 average and .351 OBP. Tonight he went hitless, but reached base twice and scored two runs. His speed also caused Cahill to make an error on a pickoff attempt, allowing Blanco to go to third, where he eventually scored the Giants' first run. 

The name of the game is scoring runs. And with more at-bats Blanco is likely to hit better. His career average in the bigs is .256 with an OBP of .357. He has scored 96 runs in only 278 big league at-bats.

Plus Pagan looks a lot more comfortable batting lower in the order. Pagan likes to hack. Batting leadoff he's expected to see more pitches, and that's not his game. Granted, like all the Giants, he needs to see more pitches than he has been.

But tonight batting sixth he had three hits and two walks. I think his ideal spot is batting sixth in this lineup when Sandoval is back, but for now he looks good in the 5-hole.

Mix in Nate Schierholtz and you have a winning combination.

Tonight's Giants lineup was a step in the right direction, but Bochy needs to stick with it.