Cain is far from able and Kickham kicks it to Fresno

Going from bad to worse at a stunning rate of speed - your 2013 Giants. When your ace cannot throw strikes, nor can he get out of the first inning -- versus the Mutts BTW -- how much worse can it get?

Quote To Note:

"I wasn't throwing strikes. We needed a chance to win and I wasn't giving us an opportunity."

—RHP Matt Cain, after getting yanked in the first inning of an eventual 7-2 loss to the New York Mets on Wednesday.

Kickham continues to struggle. He'll work it out at Fresno for the near term.  He seems to be a different pitcher ( effective vs. ineffective ) with nobody on base versus with runners on. Throwing from the stretch decreases his effectiveness. So therefore making him a relief pitcher, where throwing from the stretch and with runners on base is at a premium, does not seem like a long-term option.

The second time through the lineup issue is a bit more of a head scratcher since he does seem to have a decent enough mix of pitches to work his way through a lineup 2-3 times. I still like him better as a starting pitcher versus a reliever but some of the kinks in his game that should have been ironed out in the minors were exposed a bit at the major league level.

from Yahoo Sports:
San Francisco Giants - Team Report - MLB - Yahoo! Sports:

LHP Mike Kickham demonstrated in his first three appearances for the Giants an ability to get batters out the first time he faced them. Unfortunately, he didn't do nearly as well in subsequent matchups. The left-hander continued that trend in Wednesday's 7-2 loss to the New York Mets. After relieving RHP Matt Cain in the first inning, Kickham shut out the Mets on no hits through the fourth inning, facing three batters twice and the other six once. But the Mets solved Kickham in the fifth and sixth innings, belting three doubles and a home run among five hits while adding four runs to their 3-0 advantage. Kickham did strike out six in a season-best 5 1/3 innings. But, once again the conclusion was he's not ready for the multiple-inning task of being a starting pitcher. He will remain in relief for the foreseeable future.

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