Category: San Francisco Giants

Giants stay pat at the trade deadline, zero in on the Rockies

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photo: San Francisco Giants general manager Farhan Zaidi was dealing on Monday as the Giants acquired left hand pitcher Anthony Banda from the Tampa Bay Rays 

By Morris Phillips

The Giants won a road series for the first time in 2020, no small feat when you consider the physical and mental challenges involved with travel during the pandemic, along with trying to turn around 93 mph splitters.

The team picked to finish last in the last in the NL West is now a game behind third-place Colorado, and has won nine of 12 games. Baseball-Reference is feeling the Giants as well, saying they’re the (slight) favorite to overtake the Rockies for the last playoff spot in the National League’s expanded field of eight teams.

So the August 31 trade deadline must have been eventful for a club looking for reinforcements for the stretch run. Right?

The answer: not really.

The Giants acquired pitcher Anthony Banda, who had been placed on irrevocable waivers by the Rays. Dereck Rodriguez, who was designated for assignment by the Giants, got picked up by the Tigers. Two transactions, no trades for the Giants.

The message undoubtedly is that the front office likes this group, despite its flaws and bullpen deficiencies. But the greater point is–and this goes for all 30 teams–the 2020 deadline is no place for significant, and costly, player movement given the uncertainty for the rest of the season, and beyond with no framework for a new collective bargaining agreement in place for 2021 and beyond.

But for now, this point rings true: the Giants like this group, and more so, they like the significant improvement in their farm system and were reluctant to part with any prized assets.

“You can tell there’s a lot of belief within the group about what we can accomplish here down the stretch,” president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said on Monday after the 1pm deadline passed.

The Giants are offensively competent for the first time in years. From Mike Yastrzemski and Donovan Solano, who have appeared at the top of the NL’s offensive categories throughout the first half of the season, to Brandon Belt, Evan Longoria and Alex Dickerson, the Giants have capable hitters throughout their lineup. At home, the group has averaged six runs per game, making Oracle Park seem hitter friendly maybe for the first time ever.

The pitching and defense have improved as the season has progressed, despite injuries to Jeff Samardzija and Drew Smyly, and the failure of Trevor Gott to seize the closer’s role.

Johnny Cueto has anchored the staff with a string of quality starts, including Sunday at Arizona where he allowed a run in 6 2/3 innings of work. Moving Cueto at the trade deadline never came to pass as teams passed on the hefty remainder of his contract.

The Giants biggest advantage however, maybe their remaining schedule. They remain one of the few teams that hasn’t experienced any disruptions to its schedule–excepting last week’s postponement in protest of Jacob Blake’s shooting. Their next two road contests loom as their biggest as the Giants visit Colorado for games on Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon. Their last 10 contests all take place in the Bay Area: three at Oakland, followed by the final seven at Oracle Park.

The eight qualifiers for the playoffs will be the top two finishers in each division, plus the next two best records. Because no one is playing league games outside their division, and the interleague schedule hasn’t seen any teams compile a difference-making record, finishing third in the West is the goal for the Giants. The Dodgers and Padres appear to be too far in front, and the third place finisher in the West should qualify, while the fourth place finisher probably won’t qualify.

The Rockies upgraded at the trade deadline, ironically by acquiring Kevin Pillar from the Red Sox to give them greater flexibility in the outfield. Pillar revived his career with the Giants in 2019, only to not be offered a deal by the club for this season.

The Giants send Kevin Gausman to the mound on Tuesday to face Jon Gray. Logan Webb will pitch Wednesday versus Kyle Freeland.

 

Giants take 2 of 3 from Snakes in weekend set; SF gets 4-1 win from D-Backs

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San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford (right) gets the relay to second baseman Donavan Solano (left) for the force out the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Sunday, August 30, 2020

San Francisco claimed the rubber match of its three-game weekend series in Phoenix Sunday, defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-1 earning its first road series win of the season. It was also the Giants’ ninth win in their last 12 games.

The Giants got a quality start from Johnny Cueto, who surrendered one run on three hits in 6 2/3 innings. Alex Dickerson hit a solo home run in the first inning and delivered an RBI single in the eighth inning off D-Backs reliever Archie Bradley after Arizona’s Stefan Crichton (2-2) allowed a pair of baserunners.

Evan Longoria, who has swung a hot bat all weekend, added a two-run base hit. Tyler Rogers (2-3) worked a perfect bottom of the eighth to earn the win.

Sam Coonrod turned in a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his first career save.

Offensive struggles continue to plague the Diamondbacks. Eduardo Escobar hit a solo home run that tied the game at 1-1 in the seventh, and starter Taylor Clarke allowed one hit in five innings, but Arizona mustered only three hits and has lost 10 of its last 11 games.

Checking the injured list, The Giants said that an MRI on Trevor Cahill’s left hip disclosed joint inflammation. Cahill will start anti-inflammatory medicine and be evaluated later this week. Meanwhile, left-hander Drew Smyly (finger), right-hander Jeff Samardzija (shoulder) and outfielder Austin Slater (groin) will reportedly check in at the Giants’ alternate training site to start rehab.

Former Giants ace Madison Bumgarner, who has been on the shelf since Aug. 9 with back spasms, threw a simulated game on Saturday.

The Giants have Monday off, then start a series in Denver against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday.

Giants pound Snakes pitching in 5-2 victory

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San Francisco Giant outfielder Mike Yastrzemski watches the flight of his RBI double in the second inning of Saturday night’s game at Chase Field against the Arizona Diamondbacks (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Saturday, August 29, 2020

San Francisco jumped to a four-run lead Saturday against Arizona, and the Giants rolled to a 5-2 win over the Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

Evan Longoria, Brandon Crawford, Mauricio Dubòn, Brandon Belt and Alex Dickerson each had two hits, as the Giants outhit Arizona 13-3. Longoria doubled twice, and Mike Yastrzemski, Belt and Crawford each had a two-bagger.

Giants starter Trevor Cahill worked 3 1/3 innings before being pulled in favor of Jarlin Garcia (2-1). Sam Coonrod, Trevor Gott and Tony Watson each threw a scoreless inning, and Tyler Rogers did the same to earn his second save.

San Francisco did most of its offensive damage against D-Backs starter Luke Weaver (1-5), who surrendered four earned runs on eight hits in three innings.

Longoria put the Giants ahead in the first inning with an RBI double that drove in Alex Dickerson. Belt followed with a run-scoring double, plating Longoria, giving San Francisco a 2-0 lead.

In the Giants’ second, Yastrzemski’s double to right center drove in Dubòn. One inning later, Pablo Sandoval’s RBI single drove in Longoria.

Arizona’s Christian Walker belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth, but Wilmer Flores provided the Giants with an insurance run in the top of the ninth with a solo home run, his eighth of the season.

San Francisco improved to 16-19, and the Diamondbacks slipped to 14-20. The rubber match is scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Johnny Cueto (2-0, 5.40) starts for the Giants against the D-Backs’ Taylor Clarke (1-0, 2.33).

San Francisco Giants game wrap: Gallen holds Giants in 7 innings D-Backs score four in fifth in 7-4 win

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The Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen went seven innings against the San Francisco Giants giving up five hits and one earned run at Chase Field in Phoenix in game one of the three game series Fri Aug 28, 2020 (AP photo)

By Daniel Dullum

Sports Radio Service

Friday, August 28, 2020

Zac Gallen threw seven strong innings, and Arizona forged a four-run rally in the fifth inning to pull away from San Francisco and defeat the Giants 7-4 Friday night at Chase Field in Phoenix for the Giants third straight loss.

The win snapped an eight-game Diamondbacks losing streak.

Gallen (1-0) struck out five, walked one and scattered five hits. He was working on a shutout until Evan Longoria hit a two-out solo home run in the top of the sixth.

Tyler Anderson (1-2) was roughed up early by the D-Backs, giving up seven earned runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings. Anderson struck out three and walked three.

Arizona took a 1-0 lead in the first on Starling Marte’s RBI single, and extended its lead to 3-0 in the third on a Christian Walker sacrifice fly and an RBI single by David Peralta.

In the Diamondbacks’ four-run fifth, Marte and Walker each had a run-scoring single, Marte scored on an Anderson throwing error, and Nick Ahmed drove in Walker with a ground rule double.

Longoria’s solo shot to left put the Giants on the board in the sixth. Then, in the top of the ninth, Wilmer Flores drove in Brandon Belt with a double, and Brandon Crawford hit his third home run of the season.

Crawford’s two-run shot pulled the Giants to within 7-4, but Diamondbacks reliever Taylor Widener struck out Joey Bart and Steven Duggar grounded out to end the game.

The second game of the weekend series starts at 5:10 Saturday afternoon.

 

 

Dodgers drub Giants with doubleheader sweep, win 2-0 in the nightcap

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants’ impressive seven-game win streak ran into the Dodgers’ once-in-a-century streak of seven, consecutive division titles on Thursday and it wasn’t much of a battle.

In fact, it was a wipeout as the Dodgers swept, winning 7-0 in the opener and 2-0 in the nightcap. The Dodgers hadn’t posted shutouts in both games of a twin bill since 1971 against the Braves.

So consider the feat–49 years removed from its last occurrence–the halfway point between the two, aforementioned streaks and call it a day.

Manager Dave Roberts felt one shutout set up the other, referencing Clayton Kershaw’s dominant six innings in the opener.

“For Clayton to set the tone in Game 1 obviously gave us a lot of flexibility in Game 2,” Roberts said. “To regroup today, focus on baseball and win two baseball games against a division rival was good.”

The intensity for both clubs at the outset of the afternoon was obvious. Not only was the season series at stake with the rivals tied at four games a piece, the Giants were playing meaningful games late in a season for the first time since 2016. Then Clay Bellinger came up with a pair of highlight catches and Kershaw settled in.

During the second game, that obvious intensity disappeared as the Dodgers seamlessly replaced injured, scheduled starter Walker Buehler with opener Chris Ferguson and six, other relievers in a two-hit gem. Highlighting the Dodgers depth and overall talent, six of the seven pitchers entered the game with earned run averages 1.74 or better, and all six lowered their number as Brusdar Graterol and closer Kenley Jansen were the only two to allow hits, both singles to Belt.

The Dodgers only managed three hits, but one was Joc Pederson’s solo shot in the second, and another Will Smith’s RBI double that scored Pederson in the fourth.

Kevin Gausman enhanced his perceived trade deadline value by pitching into the fifth, allowing three hits, two walks and both Dodgers’ runs.

Mike Yastrzemski and Donovan Solano went hitless after collecting a hit a piece in the opener. The Giants’ MLB second-best runs per game average at home took a hit during the scoreless afternoon. The Giants were averaging 6 1/2 runs per game at Oracle Park coming in.

The Dodgers improved to 24-9 on the season, and increased their lead in the NL West over the Padres to five games. The Giants fell to fourth place at 15-18.

Dodgers, Kershaw bring Giants’ seven-game streak to a halt, win 7-0 in doubleheader opener

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Bookmark the Clayton Kershaw-Brandon Belt matchup as today’s barometer for success… or failure.

After the Dodgers and Giants took Tuesday night off in a historic and emotional occasion of social activism, pitching and hitting returned in a big way with the Giants trying to extend their seven-game, offense-fueled win streak against Kershaw, the most successful starting pitcher of the last decade, and by far, the guy the Giants and Belt least like to see on the mound.

Now the numbers available to both managers prior to the first game of the unique, seven-inning doubleheader.

Belt, in one of the finest, offensive showings in his career (9 plus seasons) had four hits, including two homers, a double in the Giants’ epic 10-8 win over the Dodgers in 11 innings on Tuesday.

Kershaw has owned Belt, allowing the slugger four hits and four walks, no home runs in 60 career at-bats, 29 of which concluded in a strikeout.

Manager Gabe Kapler didn’t flinch. He penciled Belt into the sixth spot in his lineup, a nod to Belt’s 16 hits and .571 batting average over his last nine games. Wilmer Flores, Kapler’s less edgy option to start at first base, found his way to lineup as well, playing second base and batting second.

Against Kershaw–rounding into form after a rough start against the Giants at Dodgers Stadium earlier in the month–none of Kapler’s lineup mechanics worked.

Kershaw gave up hard hit balls to both Belt and Flores in their initial at-bats only to see centerfielder Clay Bellinger come up with spectacular catches both times. From there, Kershaw cruised, pitching six, scoreless innings in a 7-0 shutout that left the assembled cutouts speechless.

Kershaw owns the Giants, winning for the 24th time in 49 starts, while his ERA against the Giants dropped to 1.76. Needing seven strikeouts to reach 2,500 in his career, Kershaw registered just four, evidence that as his velocity has decreased, his craftiness has expanded.

Belt finished 0 for 3 with a strikeout, and Flores was 1 for 3 as no Giants hitter was afforded more than three opportunities in a seven-inning game. Joey Bart was hitless as well, striking out all three times, the first time swinging on top of Kershaw’s slider, the second time frozen as the pitcher’s curve dropped in.

The Dodgers kept the fireworks to a minimum with their bats, pushing across a run in the first, and four more in the fourth. Austin Barnes came up with the biggest hit, a double chasing home Chris Taylor and Joc Pederson.

A.J. Pollock’s two-run shot in the seventh concluded the scoring.

Logan Webb suffered the loss as he was unable to replicate his strong start against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Webb pitched into the fourth inning, allowing four hits, two walks and five earned runs.

Behind the Dodgers and Giants joint decision to cancel Wednesday’s game

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–The momentum moving through the sports world Wednesday was swift and wide-ranging. In Lake Buena Vista, Florida, the Milwaukee Bucks decided not to take the floor for Game 5 of their NBA Playoff versus Orlando. The other four NBA teams on the schedule soon followed suit. Then the WNBA, MLS, tennis champion Naomi Osaka, the Milwaukee Brewers and three other MLB teams cancelled their scheduled games and events.

At Oracle Park, the conversations started with Mookie Betts texting family members who informed Betts that several teams and players were not playing in protest of the shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The Dodgers superstar was preparing to play in Wednesday night’s Dodgers-Giants game. After the texting, he changed his mind, informing his teammates and manager that he would be sitting out.

“I can’t play,” Betts said.

Clayton Kershaw, the team’s senior member and a vocal critic of inequality and police brutality, questioned whether the rest of the team should play without Betts. Kershaw, the scheduled starting pitcher Wednesday was soon in agreement with manager Dave Roberts, reliever Kenley Jansen and Betts: the Dodgers were not going to play.

“We made a collective group decision to not play tonight, to let our voices be heard for standing up for what we believe is right,” Kershaw said. “That’s what it comes down to.”

The Dodgers never took the field for batting practice. The Giants did, but the conversations were taking place, most importantly between team president Farhan Zaidi and manager Gabe Kapler. Last month, Kapler made headlines by being the first MLB manager to kneel during the playing of the national anthem.

Soon those talks included GM Scott Harris and team player rep Tony Watson. Other Giants warming up spoke in small groups. Batting practice was cut short and the team retreated to their clubhouse.

Shortly after 6pm an announcement was made: the Giants were in agreement. They also would not play Wednesday night.

“Some things I think are just bigger than sports, and I don’t think it should require athletes needing to boycott playoff games to remind us Black lives matter and that police brutality is unacceptable and that systemic racism needs to be eliminated,” Kapler said. “What I believe in most is speaking out and taking strong action based on your beliefs. I’m aware that the Bucks and now some other NBA teams are doing that, and I have the utmost respect for the players who are refusing to be silent about issues that are bigger than sports.”

Shortly before the scheduled first pitch at 6:45pm, the teams released a joint statement:

“Throughout our country’s history, sport has been a powerful vehicle towards change. The Dodgers and Giants proudly join our players in the shared goal for a more equitable and just society.”

Roberts, the first African-American manager in the history of the Dodgers also spoke about the postponement.

“Black athletes right now to make a stand and choose not to play tonight is one thing,” Roberts said. “But Black people been fighting this fight for centuries. And for the white brothers to come in and support the Black men in this game, it’s much more powerful.”

Betts is the only African-American player currently on either teams’ rosters, reinforcing the universal condemnation of the events in Wisconsin, and police brutality in its total scope, including the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor.

In all, only the NHL completed its full schedule on Wednesday. Several MLB games went off as scheduled, but games involving the Reds and Brewers, and the Mariners and Padres were called off. Also several black players pulled out of games that were played. That list included the Cubs’ Jason Heyward, the Cardinals’ Dexter Fowler and the Rockies’ Matt Kemp.

The teams have announced they will make up the game on Thursday, as part of a doubleheader that starts at 1:05pm. Both games of the twin bill are scheduled for seven innings.

 

Solano with walk-off gives Giants their seventh win a row 10-8 in 11th

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The San Francisco Giants Brandon Belt heads on home after a three run home run in the first inning off of Los Angeles Dodger starter Julio Urias on Tuesday night at Oracle Park in San Francisco. The game wound up going 11 innnings when Donavon Solano hit a two run homer for the gamer. (photo from ap news)

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-Donovan Solano ended the game with one swing of the bat and gave the San Francisco Giants a huge victory.

Solano hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the 11th inning, giving the Giants an incomparable 10-8 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers, their seventh win in a row. This was the first career walk-off home run of Solanos career.

Mike Yastrzemski, who was 0-for-6 at the plate scored the tying run, as Evan Longoria singled to right field and then Solano ended it, when he launched a Dennis Santana pitch into the left field bleachers to give them the victory.

Justin Turner gave the Dodgers the lead for the second time in as many innings, as he beat out a dribbler back to the mound and no one was covering at first base. The Turner single scored Will Smith, who started the inning at second base and then went to third on a Corey Seager ground out.

Things got weird when the new rule of a runner on second base when extra innings begin bit both teams in the rear end.

Turner was on second base when the top of the 10th inning began, and then reached third on a passed ball by Joey Bart, and then scored on a Bart throwing error that gave the Dodgers a 7-6 lead.

Since Bart made the last out for the Giants in the bottom of the ninth inning, he went to second when the bottom of the 10th inning began.

Bart went to third on a Steven Duggar ground out, and then Brandon Crawford struck out for the second out of the inning, Mauricio Dubon hit a ground ball that Turner fielded at third base; however, he was unable to recover and get Dubon at first to end the game and Bart scored the tying run.

Brandon Belt tied up the game in the bottom of the ninth inning, as he hit his second home run of the game off of Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen.

Max Muncy gave the Dodgers an early 3-0 lead, as he slammed a three-run home run onto the right-center field arcade in the top of the first inning.

That lead did not last long, as Belt tied it up in the bottom of the first inning, as he hit the first pitch saw from Julio Urias and planted it into the center field bleachers.

It was a tough night for Giants starter Johnny Cueto, who lasted just four innings, allowing six runs on eight hits, walking just one and striking out six, as he did not fare in the decision

Urias also went four innings, allowing four runs on six hits, walking three and striking out six; however, he also did not fare in the decision.

Muncy, who got the Dodgers on the board in the top of the first inning, added another RBI in that third inning, as he walked against Cueto with the bases loaded to score Turner from third base. Turner singled after the Seager home run, then Cody Bellinger doubled Turner to third base and then scored on a wild pitch by Cueto.

Seager gave the Dodgers a 4-3 lead in the top of the third inning, as he homered off of Cueto for what looked like the game-winning run until Belts heroics in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Joc Pederson gave the Dodgers a three-run lead when he doubled to right field to score Bellinger.

Belt cut the Dodgers lead down to two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, as he doubled in Longoria, who led off the inning with a single.

It was a big night for Belt and Longoria, who went a combined 8-for-10 at the plate with two home runs with six runs batted in.

The Giants loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Longoria and Belt each singled and then Solano reached on a fielding error and then Bart grounded into a double play that scored Longoria from third base. Bart was originally called safe; however, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts challenged the call and it was reversed after a short review. Unfortunately, came the rally to a screeching halt, when pinch hitter Pablo Sandoval struck out to end the inning and the threat.

In the victory, the Giants bullpen, which has been under a lot of scrutiny after blowing late leads recently, seemed in tip top shape, as they pitched the final seven innings and the combination, of Andrew Suarez, Trevor Gott, Wandy Peralta, Sam Coonrod, Shawn Anderson Caleb Baragar Jarlin Garcia, Tyler Rogers and Sam Selman gave up two runs on four hits, walked four and struck out seven in relief of Cueto. Selman, who pitched the 11th inning, won his first game of the season.

NOTES: Brandon Belt’s 9th-inning game-tying HR off Kenley Jansen is the 1st game-tying HR by a Giants player vs the Dodgers in the 9th inning or later since Mark Lewis on July 12, 1997 in LA. 1st at HOME since Barry Bonds on June 20 that season. Both off Todd Worrell. Thank you Sarah Langs for that note.

Andrew McCutchen came up with the last Giants walk-off home run against the Dodgers on April 7, 2018 off of Wilmer Font. In that game, McCutchen went 6-for-7 against Dodgers pitching.

UP NEXT: Kevin Gausman will take the mound on Wednesday night for the Giants, while the Dodgers will counter with Clayton Kershaw.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: A’s play game 2 in Texas; Giants open up in LA tonight

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Oakland A’s pitcher Sean Manaea will try for his second quality start as he throws tonight against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field in Arlington in game two of the series (sfchronicle.com file photo)

On That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Amaury talk about the two pitches that plate umpire Jim Reynolds missed on Sunday calling for balls that was thrown by A’s pitcher Liam Hendriks on Angels hitter Juan Castro. The first pitch was right down the middle and the second was in the upper strike zone both taken for called balls by Reynolds.

#2 On the A’s scoreboard before the Angels-A’s game on Sunday at the Oakland Coliseum when the starting line ups were normally announced by A’s PA announcer Amelia Schimmel the A’s replaced her with videos of the players family members announcing their number, name and position, for Marcus Semien his two small sons Isaiah and Joshua, for Matt Chapman his parents introduced him, and for pitcher Chris Bassitt his wife Jessica, daughter Landry and dog Ashley.

#3 The A’s before coming into Texas on Monday night have won four of their last five games going 4-1 for taking two games from Arizona and two out of three from the Angels they seem like their they’re getting timely hitting from Matt Chapman, Matt Olson and Stephen Piscotty.

#4 The San Francisco Giants are in the middle of a six game win streak with three in a row from the Angels and three in a row from the Diamondbacks and getting set to open a three game set with the Dodgers starting Tuesday night at Oracle Park.

#5 The starting pitchers for tonight for the Los Angeles Dodgers Julio Urias (2-0 ERA 2.74) and for the San Francisco Giants Johnny Cueto (2-0 ERA 4.35)

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Oakland A’s Spanish radio lead play by play talent on 1010 KIQI San Francisco and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Led by Yaz the MVP candidate, Giants are contending at compressed season’s midpoint

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By Morris Phillips

A week ago, the Giants were on life support, victims of too many ninth inning collapses in a short period of time. The prognosis? Take your medicine and get healthy for 2021.

A week later, and the Giants are sitting pretty, tied for seventh in an expanded, eight-team post-season pool that’s heated and refreshing.

How’s that? Well, in a 60-game season things happen fast. Fast like six-game winning streak fast.

Ok then, are the Giants any good, or is this smoke and mirrors?

That answer’s complicated, but let’s take a look.

Through 30 games–half the pandemic-truncated season–the Giants are 14-16, just six days after they were 8-16 and stuck in last place. Their schedule, unique given the uneven, 7/3 and 6/4 home/away splits for their four NL West opponents along with the sequence of the 60 games, has been especially harsh.

How harsh? The Giants have played 14 home games thus far, compared to a combined 11 games at Dodgers Stadium and Coors Field, both notoriously rough venues for visitors.

Given that, their schedule eases considerably in the second half starting with 19 of their remaining 30 games at Oracle Park or the Oakland Coliseum, which means just 11 more dates attached to hotel rooms, COVID restrictions, and the heightened, antsy atmosphere of being on the road in 2020.

The final 10 games? All locally, starting with three in Oakland, then the final seven at Oracle Park against the Padres and Rockies.

The expanded playoff field will take the top two finishers in each division plus the teams with the two best remaining records in the National League. While the Giants are competing for those final spots with the Cardinals (who have only played 17 games), Marlins and Mets, they don’t play any of those three teams, all of whom have horribly backloaded schedules due to COVID cancelations. Instead, the Giants will see either the Padres, Rockies or Diamondbacks in 20 of their remaining 30 games, allowing them to focus on climbing within the NL West and finishing second or third, both of which appear to be playoff spots at the moment.

The Giants boast one of the NL’s best offenses averaging nearly five runs per game, and nearly seven runs per game at home. So if you’re trying to envision how the Giants can win games down the stretch, start with the bats. In fact, in a recent development (in the last week, really) the Giants have an eye-popping 92 extra-base hits, 18 above the National League average. They’re third in doubles, second in triples and fourth in home runs with 38.

(If those numbers aren’t mind-numbing for Giants’ fans still stuck in the Bruce Bochy torture era, no numbers are.)

The pitching staffs the Giants will face aren’t imposing outside of the Dodgers and A’s, who are first and fifth respectively in terms of fewest runs allowed. The other four, remaining opponents have staffs with numbers at or well below the major league average, including the Mariners and D’Backs, who have been especially generous. Those four opponents with standard to substandard pitching account for 24 of the final 30 Giants’ game dates.

Offensively, the Giants have stars who not only reside among the league leaders statistically, but in many cases, lead the league. Austin Slater, currently on the injured list (and without enough at-bats to qualify) has an NL-best OBP of .458. Donovan Solano, despite cooling off recently, is hitting .363 with 33 hits.

And the Major League’s top offensive performer at the half way point, the unlikely MVP candidate who’s 30-years old with just 137 big league games under his belt?

Mike Yastrzemski.

The unassuming Yaz has a 309/.429/.645 slashline with 28 runs scored, 34 hits and 22 RBIs in 30 games. But there’s more: he’s second among all MLB performers in walks, triples, runs scored and tied for second in extra-base hits. In the complicated Wins Above Replacement (WAR) category, Yastrzemski has one peer: the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts.

Did we mention Joey Bart?

Giants fans, there’s only one requirement: stay tuned.