Subtle nuances of misdirection

I just felt like making a post title that really made no sense, but sounded cool. Won't stop me from trying to make it make sense, however.

I don't think it's a stretch to say that most are blaming the Giants' 1-3 start on poor defense. While I don't necessarily disagree, what I'm seeing is that of the three losses, two were one-run losses, and the third was a winnable game.

Also, other things crop up:

• This was a road series against a team that stands a good chance of being a tough opponent. Were this 1-3 vs. say, the Astros, I might be a tad bit more worried.
• Defensive problems with things such as misplaying an almost-catchable ball and throwing errors I view as correctable.
• We panic extra because it's the Dodgers. If this were 1-3 vs. say, the Brewers, we would not be this worked up.

This isn't to suggest Giants fans should feel good about the opening series of the season, but it is to remember that these games represented about 2.5% of the season -- the bad things we're seeing are warning signs, sure, but proof of nothing.

I'm thinking by the end of the 16th game (or 10% of the season), we'll know something definitive about the 2011 Giants. At that point, there will have been two series against the Dodgers, along with games vs. the Diamondbacks, Rockies, and Padres, plus a series vs. the Cardinals.

I'll be ready and willing to panic at that time should things not improve. Well, at least about the Giants. I've got a rather full plate panicking about other things, like how so many Taco Bell employees seem to think I'm saying "hot sauce" when I say "fire sauce".

I mean, CLEARLY the fire sauce is more...redderer than the others, right? Plus "FI-YER" sounds nothing like "HAWT". Get it right, yo.