Lowell Cohn: Not even Madison Bumgarner can prevent Giants' 3-1 loss to Padres

SAN FRANCISCO - On the positive side, the bullpen didn't lose the third game of the Padres series for the Giants, the game that completed the sweep for San Diego, the game that ended up a 3-1 Giants loss.

The fact that the Giants don't really have a closer didn't matter. They lost the game on their starting pitching. Call it a change of pace from what's been going on, although not a refreshing change of pace. It was interesting because the great Madison Bumgarner was the starting pitcher and he got outpitched by some guy.

The some guy is named Luis Perdomo and he had lost five of his previous seven decisions. That hardly mattered. Just about every pitcher who faces the Giants turns into Cy Young or Bob Gibson or Juan Marichal - insert the name of the great pitcher of your choice right here. The Giants can't hit and they won't hit, and on Wednesday they got four hits against some guy and assorted other some guys.

Not to say the lack of a closer is good. It just didn't factor in. So you'll know why the Giants don't have - and desperately need – a closer, eyeball these numbers. The Giants have 27 blown saves, second-most in the majors before Wednesday's game. The Giants blew six save chances this month, and it's not even a complete month.

Before the game, manager Bruce Bochy admitted he doesn't have a closer, as in one specific guy. As in, say, Mariano Rivera. One of those. “We're still going to stick with Strick,” Bochy said. Meaning he will stick with Hunter Strickland who looked positively stricken as he lost his composure and lost the game on Tuesday night. Bochy admitted, “But if a lefty comes up, you're probably going to see a left hander.”

Meaning Bochy doesn't trust Strickland. Doesn't trust anyone. Doesn't have a closer.

Bad place to be this time of year.

After the game, Bochy came to the interview room looking blank. Not defeated. Or even worried. Blank. I asked if he's been losing sleep, his team going so bad.

“I think every manager does take it hard,” he said. “You take responsibility if things aren't going well. You want to do anything to help these guys. Yeah, it's always on your mind. I think that's fair to say. Every game, I look at myself, at what I could have done to win that ballgame. It's human nature. Every head coach or manager would tell you that. Sure, we wear it pretty hard.”

Bochy stressed the Giants have four games coming up with St. Louis. The Cardinals along with the Mets are the Giants' chief competition for the consolation prize - the booby prize? - one of the two wild-card spots.

“Now, we're playing a team we're battling with,” Bochy said. “We've got to come out and play well.”

Bumgarner said much the same thing: “We need to win (Thursday) and not worry about what happened in the past,” he said. He didn't mention the Giants, with 17 games remaining, could be running out of tomorrows.

And Joe Panik, bless his heart, also said the same thing. “We have a big one coming up. That's how we have to look at it, have a short memory. We've got four very important ones, got to let it go. Be ready for tomorrow. The Cardinals are coming in. We know how to play with them, so it will be interesting.”

You get the theme. Forget everything that has happened. Live in the moment. OK, we get that.

In the spirit of living in the moment, I want to make a list. A list of the moment. Which important Giants players have lived up to or exceeded expectations up to this moment, and which haven't?

Not many exceeded or lived up to expectations. This short list would include Brandon Crawford, great shortstop, team leader in RBIs. Can you think of others? Anyone? Anyone?

Javier Lopez is having an excellent season. He doesn't pitch a lot, but is brilliant at his job.

OK, that's one. Anyone else meet or exceed expectations? Anyone? Anyone? I'm trying here. Believe me.

How about pitcher – fifth starter - Albert Suarez? OK, let's go with Suarez. And then let's do the other list: Giants players who did not meet expectations. Get a load of this.

The list has to start with Buster Posey. Sorry. I feel like I'm trashing a saint, or maybe trashing Stephen Curry. Posey is batting a modest .285. Has 12 home runs, 64 RBIs. Ordinary. Not what we expected from the alleged next face of baseball after Derek Jeter retired. Not what a superstar does.

Posey may be hurt, may have a bad back. But he owns his numbers. Did not meet expectations.

Neither did Brandon Belt. The Giants recently signed him to a big-money contract. He has 15 homers, respectable but no big deal from a first baseman. He ranks high in the National League among guys who strike out a lot. Struck out twice on Wednesday. Seems to have a hole in his swing. Came into the game batting .219 since the All Star break. Did not meet expectations.

Neither did Panik. Got beaned. Maybe that's an excuse.

Eduardo Nunez. Did not meet expectations, although it's hard to say what his expectations are.

Angel Pagan. Has a dead bat. The only way he met or exceeded expectations is if there were no expectations at all. Came into Wednesday batting .149 his past 12 games, and went hitless.

Denard Span? Please.

Hunter Pence. Well, he was hurt. And he plays so hard. And means so much to the team. He hasn't met expectations but we'll grant him an exemption.

What about pitchers? Johnny Cueto murdered expectations. The highest achiever on the team. Bumgarner met expectations, maybe. Did not exceed them. He has 14 wins, nine losses, gave up three runs Wednesday and lost to the miserable Padres. If he met expectations, he did it at the tail end of his expectation level.

Other pitchers have not come within miles of expectations: Santiago Casilla, Jeff Samardzija, Matt Cain, Jake Peavy.

And that means the Giants - especially after their fabulous start – have failed to meet expectations. But they can redeem themselves even now. The Cardinals are coming to town.

Time to meet expectations, Giants. Just a little bit.

For more on the world of sports in general and the Bay Area in particular, go to the Cohn Zohn at cohn.blogs.pressdemocrat.com. You can reach Staff Columnist Lowell Cohn at lowell.cohn@pressdamocrat.com.