E.K. NATION

The remote didn't break.

It did hit the wall, and the batteries came out, but it didn't break. It wasn't a throw with a windup, with anger.

It was a casual flip. It just happened to hit the wall. And the batteries came out.

But it didn't break.

We get riled up when the Giants blow late leads, especially leads that have fewer than three outs to go before they become W's. Most people don't get agitated when their team loses a game like last night's in April, but we do. Because we realize that games in April mean just as much as games in October to teams that will be in the thick of the race.

Some quick notes:

• Barry is definitely pressing now. He did have that one home run ball that became just a loud out when Jay Payton robbed it, but we can see it. Barry's pressing.

• Matt Herges had the stuff of a closer who will not be of much help to us in our endeavor to find backup for Robb Nen. He couldn't have hit Yorvit Torrealba if he had been right next to him. Yorvit sets up inside, and Herges throws away, which means it's right over the plate. He gets lucky a few times when Sean Burroughs fouls off those pitches, but then Burroughs manages a single up the middle to tie the game with one out in the ninth. And on the rare occasion when Yorvit set up outside, Herges threw inside. In the dirt, but inside. Sheeee-ite.

• And then why the hell didn't Felipe have David Aardsma walk Burroughs when he came up with two out and men on second and third in the bottom of the tenth? Burroughs already had one clutch hit on the night, just an inning before, and Aardsma had already come in just in time to give up a game-tying automatic double to the gap. You walk Burroughs to set up the force at any base. First base is open, might as well use it, said the announcers in the ninth. They didn't say that in the tenth. Are we here at E.K. Nation the only ones paying attention? This is basic baseball. The Giants didn't play it right, and the Padres got to christen their new ballpark with a victory. And, the batteries came out of the remote.

• When you're just about to go to bed at night, few things could happen that are worse than seeing the Giants blow a late lead to lose the game. It's not a good way to head into a night's sleep.

• Wade Miller is still E.K. Nation's Next Pitcher To Throw A No-Hitter. He goes tonight for the 'Stros against Milwaukee.