One for the "you gotta be kidding" file.

Angel Pagan probably set his glove on fire after Monday’s game in Pittsburgh, if Madison Bumgarner didn’t beat him to it. But it was a ball in, and out, of that single piece of leather than made all the difference as the Giants fell to Pittsburgh 1-0.

When streaks end, your hope is that they do so in epic fashion. The Giants came into the contest winners of eighth straight, the Pirates has lost five in a row, and San Francisco hadn’t lost a game started by Bumgarner since April 20. All but the most jaded Vegas insiders would have bet the house.

The decider: a heck of a play that almost was. (Getty Images)

The only run of the game came off the bat of Pirates catcher Erik Kratz; pressed into service only because Francisco Cervelli and Chris Stewart can’t answer the bell. Kratz launched a fifth-inning fastball just over the left field wall, and we do mean just over it, for his first homer of the year.

That, friends, is the entire scoring rundown. Of course, to paraphrase Paul Harvey, now comes the rest of the story. If you’re under 40, Paul Harvey was a six-foot invisible rabbit who, no….aw, heck. Look it up, Chumley.

Kratz lifted a fastball that caught way too much of the plate and sent it down the left field line. Pagan reached the wall on the run, leaped and caught the ball for an obvious SportsCenter moment. The leap, the timing the angle, all perfect. 

Then he dropped it. On the wrong side of the fence. Crap.

Pagan was pissed, and we know how he felt. It would have been a spectacular play to be sure. But when the ball hits the pocket of your glove, it needs to be caught. You know it. I know it. So does Pagan. Check the replay.

It’s not fair to pin the loss on the Giants left fielder. Bumgarner gave up his share of loud outs and was helped by some solid defense. And had Pagan caught the ball we night still be playing because the Giants’ showed no signs of life on offense.

There was token protest. They put runners on base in each of the first four innings against Pirates starter Jeff Locke, who allowed just five hits while pitching into the seventh (3K, 2BB).  Three releivers finished up with Brandon Belt’s lead-off single I the ninth providing a ray of hope, but even that fizzled.

We bid farewell to Pagan's glove.

Buster Posey followed with a drive down the right field line that held up long enough for Gregory Polanco to make a relatively easy catch. He gloved the ball, looked back toward the infield, and found Belt halfway to Altuna.  Polanco could have drop-kicked the ball to first with little chance Belt would return in time. He opted for the more mundane toss but the result was the same; double play. Brandon Crawford flied out to end it.

Bumgarner deserved better, striking out eight and walking two while lowering his ERA to 1.85 despite picking up his third loss. He’s seen enough non-support this year to earn honorary status as an NBA player’s mistress. Of the Giants’ six hits, only Jarrett Parker’s double was worth more than one base. Pagan, Belt, Crawford, Joe Panik and Ramiro Pena had one-baggers.

Pena? We almost forgot; the drum beat from the disabled list is nothing more than white noise now. He’s in the line-up because of the Achilles strain he aggravated against Tampa Bay. Color us surprised. Like that's gonna help the offense. Conor Gillaspie will likely get the bult of PT at third, while outfielder Mac Williamson was recalled from Sacramento to fill the roster spot.

So the streak ended on in an epic “Return of the Jedi” kind of way but more like the 19^th Alien reboot (Ellen Ripley battles rheumatoid arthritis). San Francisco hopes to avoid it becoming a losing streak on Tuesday when Johnny Cueto (10-1, 2.10 ERA) takes the hill.  Pittsburgh is expected to counter with Triple-A call-up Wilfredo Boscan (1-0, 2.92).

All of which takes place after the Viking funeral for Pagan’s glove.

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