Damage is Dunn

SBC Park -- A game that a contending team needs to win. A contest that separates the wheat from the chaff. Cue the Cincinnati Reds and starting pitcher Juan Acevedo, with his tumultuous ERA of 6.74. Yet the Giants fell, 8-7, despite overcoming a 4-0, and then 5-1, deficit. To boot, they failed to harness the momentum of Dustan Mohr's pinch-hit, inside-the-park home run -- the first at SBC. Courtesy of his own balloon-like 9.24 ERA, rookie Josh Hancock got the win, the second in his career, and his second in two appearances for Cincinnati. Very much in character with the evenings' proceedings.

Beleaguered starting pitcher Brett Tomko's best move of the night was into the dugout. The consolation for his gopher-balling madness is that without it, the gritsy Mohr would not have earned his place in Giants' history. Nor indeed could Adam Dunn have demonstrated so emphatically the virtues of power and plate patience. His 77 walks are just four fewer than the summation of A.J. Pierzynski (14), Marquis Grissom (21), Pedro Feliz (14), Neifi Perez (20) and Deivi Cruz (12). Dunn's 30th and 31st homer runs of the season were moon-shots: one over the 421 feet sign in right-center, the other a loping arch onto the gang-way in right. Scott Eyre was the ring-leader with a two-run, two out sixth and took the loss. Matt Herges, initially hoping to close out the seventh, continued instead to refine his customary single, obligatory triple, routine.

The Giants have now slipped in 61/2 games behind the Dodgers, after picking up a narrow 2-1 win over Pittsburgh. On the heels of Brad Penny's imposing debut yesterday (eclipsed by the feats of Noah Lowry), the Dodgers continue to ride on the strength of their rotation-- that is, NL relative strength -- and the engine that Adrian Beltre has added to the lineup. He has as many home runs (29) as Barry Bonds, 75 RBIs (7th in the NL), and is hitting at a .331 clip (4th in the NL). Despite losing Paul Lo Duca and Dave Roberts, the addition of Steve Finley means the Dodgers will continue to score runs. Penny gives this team a horse, with post-season success (2-0, 3.59 ERA). His potential could be described as Schmidt-like. The rest, be it 7th, 8th or 9th, will be up to Eric Gagne, who could suffer the loss of wing-man Guillermo Mota. Even should he falter, there are enough Dunns in the Giants' path, and indeed enough demons in their own midst, to curtail a trip to the post-season.

Nomar's coming to town. Again. Except this time he won't be back.