Our 100th post, and Cueto makes it memorable

This is our 100th post, and we'd hoped beyond hope that the corresponding game wouldn't be a dog. That Johnny Cueto, he aims to please, doesn't he?

He's fast becoming a cult hero in a city that embraces the unique. San Diego, however, can be forgiven if it never wants to see Cueto again. For the third time this season, the dreadlocked marvel threw a complete-game shutout against the Pads, this time beating them 1-0 in a pitchers' duel Monday at AT&T Park.

This man is San Diego's wort nightmare. (Getty Images)

Just a guess, but the Padres had to think this kind of stuff was over when Tim Lincecum departed. Instead, it was another improbable night for a Giants team that can't seem to score but has still found ways to win 11 of its last 12. 

It was also a continuation of the bizarre week in which San Diego finds itself trappe; like Bill Murray in "Groundhog Day". The Padres lost in walk off fashion, the fourth straight game in which their fate was decided on the final swing.

In a month off oddities, here's another. Coupled with Madison Bumgarner's gem on Sunday, the Giants won back-to-back 1-0 decisions for the first time since 1980 when Vida Blue and Ed Whitson pulled it off.

And the capper? The lone run of the game was driven in, okay it was air-dropped, by a guy who hadn't played since last week.

The arms were the story. Cueto hadn't allowed squat against San Diego this year and was magnificent again. The Padres' Drew Pomeranz needed to, and did, go deep after San Diego's pen had eaten one out short of 12 innings a day earlier. 

For all their recent success, runs for the Giants have been as hard to find as a clean inning from Santiago Casilla. There were precious few opportunities for either squad, and the Giants short circuited a pair of their own to make the task a bit harder. Matt Duffy was picked off first with runners at the corners in the first, and Kelby Tomlinson popped up an inexplicable bunt attempt in the same situation two frames later.

As the game rolled on scoreless, it became more and more evident it would likely turn on one pitch. It nearly did in the eighth. 

Cueto got two quick outs but hit Alexei Ramirez with a fastball to extend the innings. Alexi Amarista's single followed, putting runners at the corners and validating the Padres attempt to corner the market on Russian-sounding forenames. Cueto escaped, getting Yangervis Solarte looking to add another in the line of zeroes.

Pomeranz departed after seven having given up only two hits, the one-out singles by Tomlinson and Duffy in the first. He did walk four while striking out the same number, but this one would belong to the very-taxed Padre relief corps.

Down in San Diego it probably feels a bit like this.

Duffy broke the offensive draught in the eighth with a double to the gap in right, and Brandon Maurer issued four wide ones to Buster Posey to make it really interesting, but Angel Pagan couldn't cash it it, grounding out. Pagan labored heading down the line and didn't answer the defensive bell when the Giants returned to the field. Brandon Belt shifted to left with Conor Gillaspie taking over at first.

There had been no scoring in the eighth, but compared to the first seven innings it was the baseball equivalent of a Kiss concert. Still, the pitching battle raged on. Cueto retired the side in order, completing nine scoreless against the Friars for the third time this season -- but he'd need help to turn it into a win.

He got some, but it required a bit of good fortune. 

Belt opened the home ninth with a bloop single off Brian Hand but was still at first two outs later when the Giants pressed Hunter Pence into an early return from a hamstring issue. They caught lightning in a bottle. Pence skied a fly ball to short right. Matt Kemp was deep and just couldn't get there. His dive came up short and kicked the ball away, allowing Belt to score the game-winner.

Cueto surrendered just two hits and did not walk a batter, striking out six. His record improved to 7-1 as he continues to look like THE free agent signee of the past off-season. The Giants didn't exactly tear it up against Pomeranz and Company either. Pence's winning dunker was just the fifth hit off the evening for San Francisco.

Now sporting a 28-19 mark, the Giants' lead over 23-23 Los Angeles by 4 1/2 games. 

The march continues on Wednesday with Jeff Samardzija (6-2, 2.66 ERA) going against San Diego's Andrew Cashner (2-3, 4.93).

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