Perfect Reward for Giants" Tough Luck Pitcher Matt Cain Eventually, in baseball, luck evens out. Take the ball every five days, pitch as well as you can, keep quiet, and you will be rewarded. It may take awhile, but it will happen. Ask Matt Cain. In his first seven years, Cain might have been the unluckiest pitcher in baseball. Yes, he helped the San Francisco Giants win a World Series, in 2010, and he has never appeared on the disabled list. But steady and dependable got him a career record of 69-73. From his debut in 2005 through last season, he had the lowest run support in the majors. Then, last Wednesday, Cain threw a perfect game. As common as those have been lately - five in the last four seasons, and another that was lost on an umpire's call - it was still the first in the history of a 130-year-old franchise. Defensive gems helped preserve it, and the hitters cooperated with 10 runs. "It's almost divine intervention in the way it works out like that, like it's almost meant to be," Tim Lincecum, the Giants" two-time Cy Young Award winner, said. And for a guy that's gone through what he's gone through in his career - I mean, I think his career record is almost .500 - for him to pitch as well as he has and not get back what he should have, it came back in a big way. It's turning around for him, and that's the way it should be. So it was again here Monday. Cain did not throw a perfect inning against the Los Angeles Angels, slogging his way through five. Yet the Giants" relievers retired every batter they faced, and Cain won the game, 5-3. It was his shortest start of the season, yet by the end of the night Cain's 100 innings led the National League. His earned run average, 2.34, is a run better than it was before this season. His record is 9-2, and his fame is rising. On Monday afternoon Cain taped a Top 10 list for David Letterman. He also accepted a samurai sword from Mizuno, his equipment sponsor, commemorating the perfect game. "I don't think it's a bad thing at all to get recognized for things that you've done on the field," Cain said. That's what you want to do, is get recognized for accomplishments you've had on the field, not off the field. That's always my goal, to find ways to do that. His teammates have the wacky personalities. Lincecum has the long hair and contortionist's delivery. Brian Wilson, the injured closer, is a one-man circus act. Third baseman Pablo Sandoval is round and jolly and nicknamed Kung Fu Panda. Cain is the quiet one. At age 5, he was perceptive enough to turn three unassisted triple plays in T-ball. Now, he is reliable enough to be the Giants" representative to the players union. He has no Cy Young Awards, and his heroics in the 2010 postseason - 211/3 innings, no earned runs - were overshadowed by Lincecum, Wilson and Aubrey Huff's lucky thong. But before this season, the Giants gave Cain the richest deal ever for a right-handed pitcher, extending his contract by five years and $112.5 million. The perfect game has given him a singular achievement. "It was great to see something like that happen for him, not only because of his tough luck, but how he handled it," Manager Bruce Bochy said. "He never complained, he never pointed fingers, never gave "poor me" answers. He's relentless in going out there and giving his best effort. He's lost some tough ones, where he only gave up a hit or two, and that's not easy. But he's never showed frustration to his teammates. Cain has pitched well enough to possibly start the All-Star Game in Kansas City next month. Bochy said Cain should be a candidate, but he also mused about the Mets" R. A. Dickey. Has a knuckleballer ever started an All-Star Game? Bochy said. Yes, in fact - Bob Purkey of Cincinnati, in 1961. Dickey, who has thrown consecutive one-hitters, was the lead story on the highlight show playing on the TV in the Giants" clubhouse Monday night. Cain's performance, by comparison, was rather ordinary: five innings, six hits, three earned runs, four walks, four strikeouts and a hit batter. Yet in its workmanlike way, it was its own thing of wonder. Cain stranded seven runners and mixed his fastball, curveball, slider and changeup, using each at least a dozen times. Mark Trumbo homered in the second, but popped out meekly on a 94-mile-an-hour fastball his next time up, then struck out on a curveball. Albert Pujols bounced out to end the fourth, an inning that included a heady play by Cain. He took a comebacker off his left wrist, gathered the ball and noticed that the runner off third had broken for home. Cain fired to catcher Buster Posey, who applied the tag and soon gasped at a mark on Cain's wrist. "Buster was like, "Geez!" " Cain said. "I was like, "No, that was a waffle burn, about a week and a half ago." I was reaching for something else and found out real quick that the waffle iron was on. Cain was not perfect that day. He was far from perfect Monday, and chances are he will never be perfect again. But his luck has turned in his favor, at a time when Lincecum's has abandoned him. Lincecum is 2-8 with a 6.19 E.R.A., losing again Sunday in Seattle, his hometown. He is still striking out more than a batter per inning, but his walks and hits are up, and he knows he should be better. "It's easy to point fingers at things and say it's just unlucky," Lincecum said. But the way I can word it best without alleviating any responsibility off myself - which is what it is, it is me, when it comes back to it - is everything that can go wrong is going wrong. So, you know, it's the game talking to me. I've got to respond. Cain has never struggled as acutely as Lincecum is struggling now. But his attitude seems to have spread, and that can only be good for the Giants. Lincecum should improve, sooner or later. Things tend to even out in baseball.