Schmile! You're Unbeatable

Coors Field. In a slugfest more akin to a video game than a Major League contest, the Giants and the Rockies combined for eight home runs, and nineteen runs on Friday night.

It is, therefore, somewhat surprising therefore that the most spectacular abuse of the evening was reserved for the Colorado batters who, over the course of six sumptuous courses of Jason Schimdt, struck out nine times and failed to log an extra base hit in a game that saw eleven of them. The Giants used three relievers, who combined to give up four home runs. Schmidt's performance, by contrast, was all the more impressive on the back of a first inning that took him 36 pitches to complete.

Attributing his Rocky start to "Trying to be too pin-point", Schmidt proceeded to mow down the next eight Colorado batters, striking out five. In doing so, he demonstrated-and not for the first time-those battle instincts that only Cy Young candidates are capable of mustering. His WHIP(walks+hits/innings pitched) is the third lowest among starting pitchers in the Major Leagues, at 0.98--less than one baserunner per inning.

If only Schmidt's exploits were backed up by his team-mates. Yet the Giant's pitching staff are safe in knowledge that there is usually someone worse: Sure enough, the Rockie's pitching staff is borderline diabolical. But the Giants have done their best thus far to match them, appearing among the league leaders in almost every significant category, including hits allowed, fewest strikeouts, bullpen apprearances and ERA. Giant's fans might be used to seeing Barry Bonds humiliate opponents-and teammates-with his swing, but on this day, Schmidt stood out like a sore thumb on a broken hand.

With seven wins in his last eight starts, 69 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.86 in those games, Schmidt-and Schmidt alone-has kept this sodden ship from sinking. If that seems unbelievable, take a look across the Bay: There's a difference between winning ballgames, and not losing them.