That old familiar feeling

This feels weird. Don't you think?

It feels right, but it feels weird.

How the hell did we get here? This wasn't supposed to happen, but it has. It's feels familiar, but it's just plain crazy. I don't know how to describe it, but the way I'm feeling is almost like I'm jetlagged or stoned off of prescription pills like after one of my knee surgeries.

Truthfully, I can't believe we're here, and it seems like the Giants have somehow managed to capture lightning in a bottle twice in three years. It's a phenomenon like fog or sourdough bread-- something virtually unique to this place and this team. It's something truly that lacks logic; of course logic and the lack thereof being the ongoing theme of this team in this postseason.

The Game 7 show we all witnessed was completely unexpected, but embraced by all, as if that 9th inning downpour was made of nothing but condensed water vapor and destiny itself.

Perhaps rather than logic or non-logic, the theme of this postseason should be to expect the unexpected.

The previous two opponents the Giants faced were capable and talented. One outperformed us all season, and the other was the reigning champs-- seemingly peaking in the same manner in which they did last year. I knew (and predicted) that each series would go the distance. Of course I had no idea why or how they'd go to 5 and 7 games respectively, but I just had that feeling.

To me, this upcoming series with the Tigers has a different feel. They are certainly more offensively talented. They have two guys in Fielder and Cabrera that scare the living hell out of me. They have an ace (with a capital 'A') in Justin Verlander, that could potentially pitch 3 games.

Justin Verlander is capable of shutting us out 3 times and then leaving the clubhouse with Kate Upton on his arm. That's how good he is.

Right now, we have 3 reliable starting pitchers and one of them is Game 1 starter Barry Zito.

The Tigers have a spontaneously combusted Jose Valverde removed from the closer's role and defensive liabilities.

You can break down this matchup however you want, but all you'll get is right back to where you started.

I can't put my finger on it, but I feel like the stars are aligning for us once again. Naturally I could be wrong, but just like 2010, there's just an 'it'  factor about this team that cannot be ignored.

Just like 2010, the Rangers were better than us on paper-- laden with sluggers and Cliff Lee. I see almost a mirror image of Texas in the 2012 Detroit Tigers.

I'm no expert, and I watched less than 10 Tiger games all season, but that's basically what I've gathered.

All I'm saying is it's happened once under similar circumstances, with a similar hodgepodge of players-- a veritable David/Goliath story. Why couldn't it happen again?

Prediction: Giants in 6

Forget logic, this is Game 7

From the moment we discover sports as children, we dream of this kind of situation. I remember the night before little league games, not being able to sleep as I fantasized about hitting game winning HRs and being mobbed by teammates. I remember shooting hoops in the driveway before dinner, narrating a farcical playoff moment out loud as a attempted a turnaround jumper. 

I usually missed the shot, lol.

At some point, we've probably all imagined a Game 7 winner take all contest-- either as a player or as a fan. There is nothing like it. The urgency is off the charts and the emotions are immeasurable. The rollercoaster effect of depression and elation is incomparable for those of us invested in our team, like we are.

For both the Giants and Cardinals, there were times this season when it was hard to imagine them managing to get to this point. Just 4 days ago, as the Giants lost another demoralizing game to go down 3-1 with one left to play on the road, I couldn't envision them doing what they've managed to do (AGAIN). I wanted it to happen of course, but the logical part of my brain prepared me for the ultimate disappointment of not making a comeback. 

I HATE that logical part of my brain. It sucks.

It mostly sucks because we had just seen our boys make a valiant comeback against the Reds on the road-- winning 3 tough games against a good team to advance. 

And of course, back from the dead, they do it AGAIN. 

This team has taken that little logical part of brain matter that we all have, surgically extracted it, and thrown it into a giant slurry grinder that makes wet cat food in cans. 

"You won't be needing that anymore, will YOU??"

I guess not.

The logical thing to think was that Tim Lincecum, relegated to the bullpen and seemingly thriving, would go all "vintage freak" on their asses and save us all. Unfortunately, he failed to pitch well in a game that was beyond important for both his career and the team. He wasn't good, and we've seen him be well... not good... most of the year. At the time, it seemed logical. Timmy was a big game pitcher, he'd build on his bullpen success and whip us all into a frenzy and make us think twice about supporting the expiration of his contract in 2013! Not so.

With our backs against the wall and a seemingly impossible scenario staring us in the face, we all turned to Barry Zito.

As I sprawled in my bed after that Game 4 loss, depressed and half-heartedly listening to the KNBR postgame show, I began to see my Twitter timeline filled with funny pictures of Zeets. A #RallyZito movement was underway. What had started as a funny and good-natured way to keep each other off the ledge, transformed into something bigger than the game itself.

That #RallyZito movement was something that I'll forever remember, because of the baggage attached to that Game 5 start. We all know the Zito story, and we even know how lame he was in his start against the Reds the series before. What transpired on that chilly St. Louis night by the most maligned Giant since Armando Benitez, was nothing short of heroic... and illogical.

It was probably the most incredible and gutty performance I've seen because of the demons he exorcised on the mound and the context that he accomplished it within. You could almost see pale spirits exiting Zito's body on the mound, as the weight began subsiding from his shoulders.

It was a moment that made me proud to be a Giants fan and it really made me happy for Zito himself. For all the work he puts in and all the hell that he's been through trying to live up to an impossible contract, that HAD to feel amazing for him. Sometimes confidence cures what ills you.

After a beastly, strikeout filled romp by a suddenly impenetrable VogelStrong in Game 6, he we are. 

We have our horse, Matt Cain on the mound. We have our crowd with its orange rally rags, and there is seemingly nothing that we would change about the scenario.

Of course, I wish that we were facing an emergency starter or something, but we aren't.

Kyle Lohse has had an inconsistent career, but he has had an incredible season, and has only given up 4 ER in 18 innings this postseason. He's from Chico, and the story would be just as great for the Cards, if they manage to win.

It's a matchup for the ages, and both teams will be up to the task. If we happen to lose, obviously I will be crushed. 

The way in which this team has rallied and banded together however, has made me proud regardless of the outcome. The ultimate goal is always to win the World Series, but win or lose, this team has had a successful season. 

I don't think that'll happen though. 

I feel like once again, this is some sort of crazy team of destiny that extends beyond the NLCS. All I know, is that tonight, throw logic out the window, because you aren't going to need it.

Go Giants!.

A little too much leash

Loyalty and trust are two of the greatest things in the world. You trust your gut, you're behind your guys and you believe in them. I get it.

It's a long series and Sunday's loss in Game 1 doesn't kill us. Far from it.

I have to say though, this first loss against the Cardinals lies squarely on Bruce Bochy's shoulders. Obviously Bumgarner gave up the six earnies and two back-breaking home runs, but he shouldn't have been in the position to let Carlos Beltran go yard.

Am I an armchair quarterback? Yes. Absolutely. I'm not on the team. I'm just like you. This is what I was saying during Bumgarner's disastrous inning chronologically (bottom to top):

Not trying to toot my own horn, but you know, I'm just saying. I couldn't have possibly been the only one thinking these things? Right?

So many times we second guess our managers and coaches during games. We don't have anywhere near the experience or knowledge as these leaders, but it's still easy to see when a guy just doesn't have it that night.

I think of all of Bochy's flaws as a manager-- as minor as many of them are in the grand scheme of things-- his loyalty to his starting pitchers is simultaneously the most positive and detrimental.

Hell, he's an old catcher and he fights for his starters the same way he did back when his knees allowed him to squat and catch nine innings. I think it's admirable, I really do. All season, he allowed Lincecum to hang himself with the extra leash-- same with Vogelsong and Bumgarner in the second half.

As admirable as that quality is in a manager, it seems like probably 6 or 7 times out of 10 letting a guy work out his problems on the mound ends in failure. There of course are times when a guy will have a lousy couple innings and then right his ship, but this is the playoffs. Time is of the essence.

That's all I'll say about Boch. I don't want to rag on the guy, because he's gotten it done before and he's gotten us to this point. He's a great manager, he really is. He doesn't trust youngsters and he likes his pitchers and catchers, and that goes hand in hand with being an old-school backstop.

Random thoughts

• Daniel Descalso and Pete Kozma are not going away. They were clutch against the Nats, they contributed down the stretch, and they are going to be pesky little weirdos the rest of this series
• I found out that the Peninsula's own Descalso grew up an A's fan. Not cool bro...
• I know a guy named Danny Descalso. No relation. 
• Lance Lynn is probably better suited coming out of the 'pen and the Giants took advantage of him. No Jaime Garcia will do that to you. Too bad a certain someone was left in the game too long and gave up six runs.
• Chris Carpenter won't give up more than 3 runs. Bank it.
• If there's one weak spot in the Cards' pitching staff, it is poor situational pitching and mismanagement by Mike Matheny. At some point this series, Mike will put the wrong guy in at the wrong time and we will benefit.
• Is Jason Motte the best closer ever to only have one pitch at one speed? He's obviously better than Jose Valverde.
• Seriously, he has a 98 mph fastball, and that's IT.
• Beltran has now taken Zack Wheeler AND Game 1 of the NLCS from us. Time to give something back dude. How about a costly error?
• Tony Bennett is a beast.
• Can you remember a more disappointing sports day? Niners getting embarrassed by a new arch-enemy during the afternoon and the Giants losing a playoff game at night? BRUTAL.
• I blame Joe Buck, who called the 49ers debacle at Candlestick, then proceeded to ruin our day further by taking a "trolley" to AT&T and imposing his lousy announcing, stupid face, and Cardinals cheerleading on us.

• It was pretty obvious that a lot of people were coming from the Niner game based on the early inning empty seats. Lucky bastards.
• Bumgarner didn't get any better after his awful outing against Cincy. He now has a postseason ERA of 11.25. That is the ERA of a guy who just doesn't have it. AT ALL. He belongs in the bullpen until further notice. I love you Madison, I do, but we both know you're lost.

Let's get Game 2!