Several years before the San Francisco Giants won the World Series in 2010, I said that if they got enough hitting to compliment their dominant starting pitching that they would be champions. The Giants found the recipe for winning the World Series once again in 2012 with timely hitting that matched the pitching. Now that dominant starting pitching has gone array and the Giants find themselves 4.5 games behind the first place Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West, but they are also in last place within the division.
On May 12, the Giants were 23-15 and since then they are 16-30. For the month of June, the Giants were 10-17 and they haven’t gotten off to a good start in July as they lost three straight games to the Cincinnati Reds which included having Reds starting pitcher Home Bailey throw a no-hitter against them this past Tuesday night. The Giants have dropped their last four series and they haven’t scored more than five runs in a game since June 14. Overall San Francisco is 1-9 in their last 10 games.
The Giants team earned run average has been a regular in the top five of the NL, but that has changed drastically in 2013. The Giants currently find themselves with a 4.06 team earned run average which is 11th in the National League and it is up from 3.68 in 2012 when they finished fifth.
With the exception of starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner, no Giants starter currently has an earned run average lower than 4.00. Former two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum has become a shell of himself. Lincecum’s velocity is down and the movement on his pitches is off for the second consecutive season. Lincecum is 4-9 on the season with a 4.66 earned run average. Last season Giants starting pitcher Matt Cain pitched like an ace as he went 16-5 with a 2.79 earned run average as he helped the Giants win their second World Series in three seasons. Due to a lack of run support throughout his career, Cain has always been a .500 pitcher which is evident by his 90-82 career record, but this season his earned run average has jumped as it is at 4.29. Cain and Lincecum were two of the catalysts in the Giants winning the World Series and in order for the team to get back into it, both pitchers will have to step up.
The Giants offense relies on catcher Buster Posey to lead them. Posey’s absence in the lineup for most of 2011 was a big reason why the Giants failed to make the playoffs. Posey is back to his typical All-Star form as he leads the team in batting average (.312), home runs (13), runs batted in (48), on-base percentage (.390), and hits (91). The injury that is hurting the Giants this season is the one to center fielder Angel Pagan. During a rehab assignment last month, Pagan suffered a torn hamstring which could keep him out of action for nearly 12 weeks as he was the table setter at the top of the lineup.
For the sake of the Giants nobody is currently running away with the NL West which has allowed them to stay in the race. I can see Giants general manager Brian Sabean becoming busy between now and the trade deadline in order to upgrade this team. The last few seasons have seen Sabean make deals before the trade deadline which brought in players such as outfielder Hunter Pence who was acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies last year. This year could be a little different for Sabean and Giants manager Bruce Bochy as the pitching isn’t what it has been for San Francisco.
The Giants are preparing to wrap up the first half of the season and recharge their batteries. The Giants host the Los Angeles Dodgers for a three-game series this weekend, followed by a three-game home series against the New York Mets before they have four games on the road against the San Diego Padres. The Giants must discover that winning formula that begins with the starting pitching once again. If the Giants can finish the first half of the season at .500 or better it will be a huge boost heading into the second half of the season. If not the pressure will be on and the head scratching in San Francisco will begin.
Leave A Comment