This time of year is pretty dreary for non-contenders. The Rockies can't even play the role of spoilers because the bulk of their remaining games will be played within a division that isn't good enough to spoil. They meet up with the Giants this week, a team like the Rockies already setting their sights on 2006. The first game of the series will be an early indicator for San Francisco, who will pitch 20-year-old Matt Cain. The guides are wild about Cain (BP: "One of the five best best pitching prospects in baseball") but then again they have been wrong about many young Giants arms before (Foppert, Ainsworth, Williams, et cetera). Anyway it could be a highlight in a rather sad Giants season that's been highlighted by pining for Barry, intense debate over a bigoted radio blowhard, and being amused by Jeff Kent's malfeasance elsewhere.

The Rockies will throw good old dependable Byung-Hyun out there tonight, then follow with Aaron Cook and Jeff Francis, who will face fellow youngsters Brad Hennessey and Kevin Correia. Finally Colorado can say "we have our three best starters going" and have it mean something. Mix defense-friendly conditions at lovely SBC Park with the Giants' lame hitting attack (15th in the NL in OPS) and it could be continued success for the Rockies. Why stop at four road series wins? Why not a sweep? Indeed, why not?