SAN FRANCISCO — Matt Cain punched the pocket of his glove after his curveball struck out Kosuke Fukudome to end the eighth inning — a moment that seemed to spill over with emotion.

For all practical purposes, the Giants aren’t playing for the postseason. But Cain reminded them that there’s still a lot at stake in these final days.
That’s what Willie Mac Award winners do.
On the final Sunday afternoon at AT&T Park, Cain shut out the Chicago Cubs over eight innings to prevent a four-game sweep. Catcher Eli Whiteside hit two run-scoring doubles as the Giants won 5-1 on Fan Appreciation Day.
Cain (14-7) set a career high for victories, lowered his ERA to 2.88 and won at home for the first time since July 6. He had been 0-3 in his previous seven starts at China Basin.
And that fist to the glove?
“It just came out,” Cain said. “It was excitement, adrenaline — everything. There was a good feeling that whole game.”
It was the antithesis of the previous three, when the Giants appeared emotionally swamped after Thursday night’s shocking loss to the Cubs on Jeff Baker’s home run with two outs in the ninth inning.
In addition to the chance at $1,000 gas cards and Vespa scooters, the Giants needed to give their fans a reason to come to the ballpark — and to think about coming next season, too.
“We wanted to do that at the end of last year, turn a corner, and I think we’ve opened a lot of eyes,” Cain said. “If we can finish strong, we’ll get things going for next spring.”
Voted the Giants’ most inspirational player, Cain was 12-2 in his first 20 starts but entered Sunday with a 1-5 record in his previous 11 outings. He pitched well enough to win several of those games, but he conceded that he fell into a trap down the stretch.
“I was definitely trying to put too much pressure on myself, do something different,” Cain said. “I got away from being relaxed and pitching like I pitched the first three-quarters of the season. We worked on some mechanical stuff, but it came down to being relaxed and confident again.
“I just wanted to go out there and have fun.”
Cain allowed just three hits, struck out eight and didn’t walk a batter until the eighth inning. He had lost his three previous starts while trying to win No. 14 for the first time in his career. Now he is tied with Tim Lincecum for the club lead.
“It’s frustrating to get stuck on a number, but he looked determined,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “We had the right guy out there, and he was on a mission. He did it all.”
Including three sacrifice bunts, something a Giants pitcher hadn’t done since Brett Tomko in 2005. Cain hit a ball to the warning track, too.
The Giants worked better at-bats against Randy Wells and three relievers. Travis Ishikawa singled twice and scored from first base on both of Whiteside’s doubles.
“Yeah,” said Whiteside, grinning. “But he got a head start on that second one.”
The Giants’ 18 shutouts are the most by a major league club since the A’s in 2002. They would have had No. 19, but Sergio Romo allowed a run in the ninth.
No team has recorded at least 18 shutouts and missed the postseason since the 1989 California Angels.
The Giants remained faintly alive entering the season’s final week, five games behind the Colorado Rockies with six to play.
While they hope for a miracle, players will be chasing milestones, looking to make last impressions, or, like Cain, hoping to finish a good season on a strong note.