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GameDay: Giants' Postseason Hopes Take Hit Without Angel Pagan

Do the Giants still have a prayer with no Angel in the outfield?

Bruce Bochy made it fairly clear that following surgery on Thursday, Angel Pagan will be rising in three months, not three days.

Pagan will undergo a discectomy to shave the herniated disc that has been pinching a nerve, rendering him unable to swing the bat or play the outfield. Pagan said he risked permanent damage had he continued to play with the damaged disc.

So where does that leave the Giants? Moses isn't walking through that door to part the Orange and Black Sea. With Pagan in the line-up the Giants were 56-35. Without him they were 29-37.

My suggestion? Hunter Pence in center, Madison Bumgarner in right. Ok, I'm kidding. But the guy has 4 home runs and 15 RBI, for crying out loud. Four home runs by a Giants pitcher are the most since Franklin D. Roosevelt was in the oval office. (Great documentary, by the way.) And Bumgarner's arm in right would rival that of Hunter Pence.

The truth is that Pagan is irreplaceable in the Giants line-up. How many votes would he get for Giants MVP? Think the 49ers minus Aldon Smith. The lead-off hitter sets the plate and without Pagan everybody else goes hungry.

Apparently, the wings go to Hunter Pence at the lead-off spot with Joe Panik batting second. Pence isn't the ideal leadoff guy because he's got 20 home runs. But he's the best option because he's batting .282, has 13 stolen bases and 105 runs scored. Then again, his .077 average over the last 10 games would get him crucified in Philadelphia.

Gregor Blanco remains the second option. His batting average isn't going to instill the fear of God, but he has 16 steals. Like Pence, he's not tearing the cover off the ball, hitting just .205 over the last 10 games.

Gary Brown? Sorry, he's 0-for-2 in his big league career. Gotta earn your wings, you know, which is why I can't quite figure out why Juan Perez is still in the line-up. Pssst. I heard Peter is a distant relative. You didn't hear it from me.

No Angel, no prayer? I wouldn't put it like that. But if I'm Brian Sabean, I'm building an ark, because there's a storm coming.

See you on TV.

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