by Michael Duca

SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants have had much success from the last series winning three out of the last four games on this homestand over the Colorado Rockies. The Giants opened up a three game series with the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night. The Brewers are in second in the National League Central and likewise the Giants another second place team in the N.L. West behind the league leading Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Brewers remind me of the 2010 Giants they could have that kind of come back potential and the Brewers have a lot of pitching that nobody seems to believe in and a lot of pitching that nobody thought they had. Commissioner Bud Selig and the Brewers former owner wanted to install a team when he owned the Brewers that gave hope to the fan in Milwaukee in July and August and low and behold the Brewers have a shot at this.

The Brewers have a good of a shot at winning this as anyone, the St.Louis Cardinals who are right behind the Brew Crew and don’t ever count them out they have a potent line up and experience in the post season. The Cardinals have some big boppers starting with Matt Adams hitting .303 leading the club in hitting, Jhonny Peralta leading the Cards with 18 homers and Matt Holliday 68 RBIs.

Giants starter Yusmiero Petit is a phenom he’s 4-3 with an ERA of 3.44, he set the Major League record retiring the first eight batters he faced against the Rockies and extended his streak to 46 consecutive batters an MLB record. I said this week in this space that Petit is a throwing machine with 96 strikeouts he’s walked only 17 batters and he’s on track to taking pitcher Tim Lincecum’s spot in the rotation at the rate he’s going.

Oakland A’s update: The A’s who lost the first game of the four game series in Anaheim 4-3 to the Angels and are two games back but one game does not make a four game series. You can’t put too much stock right now into this race as the A’s seem to be doing more with pitching than they are with hitting. The A’s aren’t manufacturing a lot of runs and the team offensively seemed to hit a funk since the Yoenis Cespedes trade to Boston.

I don’t know what to tell you, you have guys who pitched for the A’s who got sent down to the minor leagues who probably would be number three or number four pitchers in the Angels rotation and the Angels would love to have a pitcher like a Drew Pomeranz who had his emotions get the best of him back in June when he lost a ball game against the Texas Rangers and punched a chair breaking his hand. Pomeranz is a talent the Angels would like to have.

The Angels have had injuries, they have had poor performances and once they get the injury bug like the Angels you feel it up and down the line up. Angels pitcher Garrett Richards just rejoined the team on crutches as he’s out with a season ending knee injury. The loss of Richards has put the hurt on the Angels rotation, the Angels demoted pitcher Wade LaBlanc, he was designated for assignment and replaced with Trevor Cahill.

The Angels Mike Trout is a guy who’s tearing it up and the only way you can pitch a guy like that is you pitch him inside, he’s hitting .291 with 30 homers, and 94 RBIs. There is not much you could do with a guy like Trout because the Angels are going to make you adjust when he’s at the plate. Trout can do it all he’s now got two 30 home run seasons.

Michael Duca does Giants and A’s commentary weekly for http://www.sportsradioservice.com