Cueto, gloves shine in complete-game win

Funny how a guy who doesn't give hitters anything consistent to look at is the most consistent of the Giants' starters.

Like art? This was a masterpiece. (SF Giants via Twitter)

Johnny Cueto ran his season record to 4-1 with a thrilling 1-0 win on Tuesday, and it counted even though it was against San Diego. 

It's easy to understand why Cueto is fast becoming a fan favorite. There's a looseness to his effort. He's trying, he's trying hard, but there's a joy in the way he pitches. He wasted his time in other uniforms; he's made for San Francisco.

This was one of use matchups you see on paper and start to drool. Okay, we drool a lot anyway but garlic fries will make you do stuff like that. It was Cueto, this year's prize free-agent hurler, versus James Shields, the free agent who spurned the Giants a year ago.

It's also a matchup where the guys on the hill throw you more literal twists and turns than you'd find on Lombard Street. Jeez, watching their windups had us looking for the motion sickness meds.

And it was serious pitching on display. Cueto dodged a couple of bullets with some timely pitches and timelier (?) defense. Shields had San Francisco bottled up; the first Giants hit came when Brandon Crawford's 37-hopper up the middle opened the home fifth.

Span with the big, heck, only blow. (SF Giants via Twitter)

The Padres threatened first. A double, walk and bunt loaded the bags with one out in the fifth, bringing John Jay to the plate. That's significant because historically he owns Cueto.

It's also significant because Cueto won the battle. It took a replay review (shudder) but Jay grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to keep it scoreless.

Cueto had flinched. Shields blinked.

Back to that Crawford single. It mattered. It mattered because the Giants' second hit was Denard Span's double off the bricks in right that put the good guys up 1-0.

And it stayed that way.

The Giants' bullpen woes have meant longer outings, when possible, for starters, Cueto was into triple-digit pitches when Brett Wallace led off the Friars eighth with a bullet inside first that took a fortunate hop, allowing Hunter Pence to hold Wallace to a single. It was a vital 90 feet.

Thou shalt not steal on Buster. (SF Giants via Twitter)

Cueto's 10th strikeout of the night retired one, and a strike-em-out, throw-em-out twin killing silenced the threat.

The Giants were outhit 7-4 (Pence and Brandon Belt had doubles) but this was won on defense and Cueto's arm. He struck out 11, nine swinging, completing the effort on 119 pitches.

The win drew the Giants back to ,500 at 11-11. Combined with LA's 6-3 loss to Miami, the Giants find themselves 1 1/2 games back of The Hated Dodgers in the NL West derby.

It's a quick turnaround as the series and homestand close on Wednesday with some day baseball. Jeff Samardzija (2-1, 3.00 ERA) takes the ball against Andrew Cashner (1-1, 4.29). 

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