Two down, one to go: Giants almost all the way back

I should have known better than to write the 2009 Giants eulogy last Saturday.

After all I took great pride in writing the "Back from the Brink" post after they won the first two games of a home series with the Rockies August 28-30 finding themselves just one game behind Colorado in the NL wild card after falling four games out just five days earlier.

But after celebrating their sweep over the Rockies when Renteria's improbable grand slam propelled the G-Men into a tie as the calendar made the turn for September, things quickly deteriorated.

Jim Tracy's bunch wouldn't lose while Bruce Bochy's squad couldn't muster enough runs to back their outstanding pitching.

Heading back to AT&T for Labor Day offered a glimmer of hope and a 9-4 trouncing of the Padres that Monday seemed to be a big step in the right of direction.

But the wheels came off for the NL's best home team, especially against the Dodgers on Friday and Saturday, as the Giants fell a whopping five-and-a-half back.

Once again, all seemed lost.

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If the Giants were teetering on the edge of a quiet October late Saturday night, they stand once again at the precipice of a playoff crossroads.

They blew out the Dodgers on Sunday and San Diego upended Colorado.

Desperately needing a sweep of the Rockies - albeit this time to pull within one-and-a-half games with just 16 to play - have thumped the Rox 9-1 and 10-2 in consecutive nights and truly are back from the brink once again.

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Fittingly, Matt Cain goes again for the Giants the man who started, but didn't finish, that seminal victory highlighted by Renteria's heroics.

The key for Cain and the Giants will definitely be the location of the flamethrower's fastball.

There is no doubt Cain has a tremendous weapon when he can run it up there at 95 or 96 but what we have seen lately, even at the spacious confines of AT&T Park is if he leaves that heater up in the zone it can get hit a long way.

In that August 30th start the Rockies laced two doubles, a triple and two homers off the big right-hander in just six innings.

Despite exploding for 26 runs in the last three games the Giants cant afford to fall behind early in such a pivotal game.

Only two-and-a-half hours to first pitch. I hope you'll be watching.