Hey, you'll never guess who showed up

Two pitches in, Matt Cain was in trouble. After six pitches he'd surrendered the lead. The Giants had a chance to answer; and couldn't. Yep, it's been that kind of start.

A lead-off  triple and a sacrifice fly put the home team in a hole before the first cha-cha bowl was digested. Then something weird happened: the old Matt Cain showed up. He and an assortment of relievers held the opposition in check in a 6-2 home win over Arizona.

Ponce de Leon makes a house call. (AP)

AJ Pollack's three-bagger and the early deficit had fans dreading a third straight series loss. Instead it was Cain, a strong-ish effort from the bullpen and the bat of a back-up catcher that helped the Giants to their first series win of 2017.

Nick Hundley, spelling the injured Buster Posey, is hitting well enough to make this blogger wonder if maybe it's time Posey saw more time at first base. Hey, it's gotta happen sometime so why not make the transition incremental and save some wear and tear on The Franchise? Brandon Belt has played left, and despite Jarrett Parker's two-hit night it's not like an all-star is holding down that spot.

Down 1-0, the Giants got even in the home half of the fifth, and the rally was set up by Cain's one-out double. Denard Span followed with a base hit up the middle and Cain came home with the equalizer. Kudos to new third base coach Phil Nevin, who never hesitated sending Cain; a move proven wise when Pollock hesitated before throwing home.

Belt walked before Hunter Pence provided the go-ahead, slapping a single to right that allowed Span to come around and put runners at the corners. The Good Guys needed to add but the odds were bleak after Brandon Crawford struck out. Connor Gillespie lightened the mood, coming up with the elusive two-out hit to up the Giants lead to 3-1.

It was good while it lasted. A Mike Lamb ground-rule double followed by a walk to Yasmany Thomas opened the Arizona sixth. Cain's night was over.

Cain pitches and hits. Congrats are deserved. (AP)

San Francisco has been desperate for someone to provide actual relief out of the bullpen. Cory Gearrin provided it. Seriously. Three batters, three strikeouts. So that's how that feels.

Miller had his own Waterloo in the home half of the sixth. Joe Panik and Parker opened with singles (a left fielder got a hit?) but Miller was left in to face Aaron Hill, who hit for Gearrin. Hill whiffed and Miller exited in favor of Andrew Chafin.

Now remember, these are the Giants and add-on runs are as common as rainy days in the Sahara. Span launched an absolute bomb to triples alley but the wind knocked it down. Belt grounded out, threat over. Yeah, we're very familiar with how that feels.

The latter stages of the game were played in a monsoon but that didn't keep the Giants from the rarest of commodities; the insurance run. Hundley laced an RBI double off the bricks and Parker added two-run triple to deep center to build a 6-1 lead after seven. Derek Law gave up a run in the eighth because Derek Law gives up runs in the eighth, but the Giants finally had a victory that showcased very little drama.

The story of the night was Cain, who recaptured his former glory long enough to get the win, striking out six and walking three while scattering five hits.

San Francisco climbs to 4-6, having faced Arizona seven times in their first 10 games. They'll be equally sick of nemesis Colorado, who they'll see seven times in their next nine games (who did Larry Baer honk off to get that?) beginning Thursday at the Big Phone.