Giants Look to Even Up Series Against Reds in Game 4 Behind Ryan Vogelsong

 VS

By Vince Cestone
@vintalkingiants

Pitching has dominated the first three games of the series, but it did not all come from the San Francisco Giants.

The slugging Cincinnati Reds added another dimension to their recipe for success in 2012. Their pitching has drastically improved, as they are fourth in the National League in ERA at 3.47.

Cincinnati's bullpen, anchored by the flame-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman, has become automatic. Reds' relievers have a 2.67 ERA this season, good for first in the National League.

This is why the Reds are in first place in the NL Central by one game over the Pittsburgh Pirates (Pirates are 42-35 if you can believe it).

The Reds are also second in the league in fewest errors, committing just 40. Strong pitching and defense has been a 2012 theme in Cincinnati.

Pitching, defense, and just enough hitting (Reds are eighth in the league in runs scored) is a great recipe for success, especially in the National League.

In this series, the Reds have beaten the Giants at their own game.

Game 1 featured a masterful pitching performance by Madison Bumgarner. In his effort, Bumgarner threw his first career complete-game shutout against the Reds, a team he has struggled against throughout his career (0-2, 8.56 versus Reds coming into the game).

In Game 2, the Reds showed why they were a first-place team. Mike Leake threw a complete-game of his own, but not a shutout thanks to Pablo Sandoval's ninth-inning solo homerun.

Leake beat Matt Cain, who has seemed more hittable after his perfect game. In his 18 and 2/3 innings pitched after the perfect game, Cain has given up 9 earned runs.

Giants' nemesis Mat Latos shut down San Francisco in Game 3 of the series. In his nine-inning effort, Latos struck out seven Giants and allowed just one earned run on two hits.

In three consecutive games, a Giants or Reds pitcher threw a complete game. Also, for the second straight game, the Giants scored a lone ninth-inning run to break up a complete-game shutout (courtesy of a Brandon Belt triple, followed by a run-scoring groundout).

Barry Zito pitched well in Game 3 but suffered the loss. Zito's only earned run in six innings pitched came on a bases-loaded walk to catcher Ryan Hanigan.

Zito's walk proved costly as the Reds edged the Giants 2-1.

The Giants figure to like their chances in Game 4 of the series. Ryan Vogelsong, who has been their best pitcher, is 7-3 with a 2.23 ERA.

Vogelsong will be opposed by the struggling Bronson Arroyo who is just 3-5 with a 4.13 ERA. The Giants look to have the upper hand but only if they score runs.

The Giants' bats have gone suddenly cold after Game 1. The Giants scored just two ninth-inning runs in the last two games, but have not taken advantage of the few chances they had.

In Game 2, Cain's inability to get a sacrifice bunt down dashed any hopes of the Giants getting back into the game. With the Giants trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Cain struck out on a foul bunt with Brandon Crawford at second base.

The next two batters grounded out, and the Giants did not score. The Giants lost the game 5-0, but if they had gotten that run in the fifth inning, the Giants would have been down only 3-1, giving the Giants some momentum throughout the game.

Who knows what could have happened then? Good teams make good use of the few chances they have, even if the opposing pitcher is dominating.

The Giants are a scratch-and-claw offense, so they must produce a run on almost every runner at second base and nobody out situation if they hope to make the playoffs--or beyond.

Here are some interesting stats and notes heading into the series finale.

• Bronson Arroyo, today's Reds' starter, has never won a game at AT&T Park. He is 0-4 in San Francisco, with a 4.34 ERA.
• Ryan Vogelsong has pitched 11 straight quality starts and holds a 1.28 ERA in eight home starts this season.
• Reds' slugger Joey Votto may not play in the series finale due to inflammation in his left knee. Votto is hitting .350, with 33 doubles, 14 home runs, and 47 RBIs.
• The Giants are currently in a 13-game stretch against teams in either first or second place. They are 4-2 in those games.
• The Giants have not lost three in a row since early May.

 The Reds are 4-2 against the Giants this season and have already clinched the season series.
 

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Information from ESPN.com contributed to this article.

Check out my NBCBayArea.com article on the San Jose Giants' Joe Panik.

Giants, Dodgers Going in Opposite Directions, Giants Take Opener Behind Zito 8-0

Barry Zito's seven-inning, shutout performance against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers seemed to come out of nowhere.

The Dodgers had to feel confident coming into Monday night's game. Barry Zito was touched up for eight earned runs against the Los Angeles Angels in his last start and had given up 17 earned runs in his last three starts.

Zito turned it around Monday.

Zito, who lost to the Dodgers in Los Angeles on May 7, dominated last night. In seven innings pitched, Zito yielded just three hits, while amassing four strikeouts.

The key to Zito's success?

Zito simply pounded the strike zone, mixing and matching his devastating curveball with his mid-80s fastball. An 85-mph pitcher can be effective as long as he mixes location, speeds, and constantly gets ahead of the count.

Zito did just that against Los Angeles. He threw soft stuff away, and then, he came inside with his fastball.

The result?

Hitters were fooled. When a pitcher throws a 75 mph curveball and backs it up with an 85 mph fastball, the latter pitch looks so much faster.

Overall, Zito has pitched well. The $126 million pitcher is now a fifth starter for the Giants, but he has pitched well.

Zito is 6-5, with a 4.00 ERA, including a complete-game shutout on April 10 against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Zito may not be a Cy-Young pitcher anymore, but he is serviceable and can keep the Giants competitive on the games he starts.

Zito's stellar performance may have been helped by the current Dodger woes. Los Angeles has lost six of their last seven games, including getting swept by the Oakland Athletics.

In those seven games, the Dodgers have scored just 13 runs.

Could this Dodger slump be attributed to Matt Kemp's injury?

I think so. Many of the Dodger hits were bloop hits, line drives that made it through, or ground balls that found holes.

A team can have success this way for a short time, but ultimately, it will fall short without at least some power. Sooner or later, those balls will find gloves.

The Dodgers are second-to-last in the National League in home runs with 45. They are also 13th in the league in doubles, but are in the middle of the pack in RBIs and hits.

Prolonged slumps are bound to happen when your best player is on the disabled list, especially one with power and speed. It is just part of the game.

Through it all, the Dodgers are still in first place in the National League West by two games over the Giants. They have done a great job working with what they have but with little power.

A team that relies on pitching and defense and not much offense can work, but it puts lots of pressure on your defense and pitching. The Dodgers, however, are far from perfect on defense, as they are ninth in the NL in errors with 48.

The Giants do not have much extra-base power either, which is why they are still behind the Dodgers in the NL West and have been up-and-down all year.

The Giants struggled in the more hitter-friendly American League, going 4-5 on their three-city interleague road trip.

Both teams figure to address this issue at the trade deadline. MLBTradeRumors.com reported the Dodgers had some interest in former Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkolis, but he was traded to the Chicago White Sox instead.

The Giants' offense seems to be clicking these last few games. The Giants scored eight runs last night and 24 runs in their last four games.

Hector Sanchez has been a potent offensive force for San Francisco. He usually catches on days Buster Posey rests.

Sanchez is hitting .282, with two home runs and 21 RBIs in 103 at-bats. In 2011, Giants' catchers combined to hit .224, with 11 home runs and 48 RBIs.

The combined on-base percentage for Giants' catchers last year was .298. Regular catcher Posey was injured for almost all 2011.

Sanchez, who played in place of Posey Monday night, went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. The Giants are 7-2 when Posey has a day off.

Other notable offensive contributions Monday:

• Gregor Blanco sparked the Giants' offense, going 2-for-4 with a walk.
• Melky Cabrera continued his great season with a 2-for-5 night, increasing his batting average for the year to a major-league best .351 average.
• Pablo Sandoval is stinging the ball again, almost hitting one out off the left field wall. He went 3-for-3, including a 2-RBI double. He had three RBIs for the game.
• The Giants were 7-for-14 with runners in scoring position. The Dodgers were 0-for-8.

Dodgers' rookie starter Nathan Eovaldi got roughed up by the Giants.

His line: 5.0 IP, 10 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO.

Eovaldi's ERA went up to 4.04 from 2.35. Despite pitching well in 2012, the Doders' rookie is 0-4.

This is good to see if you're a Giants fan. The Giants usually are overaggressive against pitchers they have not seen, but the 2012 Giants' offense is more patient.

San Francisco's team OBP is .320 in 2012. Their 2011 OBP was just .303, worst in the National League.

What's ahead:

Ryan Vogelsong (6-3, 2.41 ERA) will take on Clayton Kershaw (5-3, 2.73 ERA). Although name recognition would lead you to believe Kershaw has an advantage over Vogelsong, the Giants' right-hander has more wins and a lower ERA than Kershaw.

Vogelsong also beat Kershaw back in early May.

RHP Brad Penny, who the Giants signed to a minor league contract May 18, is almost ready to help the big club. Giants' manager Bruce Bochy said he intends to use Penny as either a spot starter or in long relief soon.

No definite timetable has been set for his call-up.

Penny has a 7.11 ERA with the AAA Fresno Grizzlies in 6.1 innings pitched. However, he pitched two scoreless innings, giving up just one hit, in a relief stint on June 24.


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Information from ESPN.com contributed to this article. 


Image attribution: By WeeHaggis (Flickr: [1]) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0) or CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Giants, Cabrera End Homestand on Positive Note, Head to Los Angeles for NL West Showdown

By Vince Cestone
Twitter @vintalkingiants

The San Francisco Giants salvaged their homestand with a 4-5 record, capping it off with a series victory against the Milwaukee Brewers.

San Francisco's series victory was far from easy. The Giants held a 3-2 lead into the the top of the ninth inning, which was lost after the Brewers scored an unearned run in the inning.

Third baseman Connor Gillespie opened the ninth with an error that allowed Corey Hart to reach first base. Hart later scored on a two-out double by former Giant Travis Ishikawa, tying the game at three.

Unfortunately, Matt Cain was not rewarded for his gem. In seven innings pitched, Cain surrendered two runs on six hits, while striking out 10.

Cain received a no-decision after the Brewers tied the game in the ninth.

However, the Giants would go on to win the game on a bases-loaded, walk-off single by Hector Sanchez.

Although the Giants committed yet another error Sunday, left-fielder Melky Cabrera flashed the leather in the top of the 11th inning. With Hart at first base and nobody out, Catcher Jonathan Lucroy lined a laser beam to Cabrera in left field, who made a running, snow-cone catch.

Hart was doubled up on the play, and the Giants retired the next batter Tyler Green on a comebacker to the pitcher.

Giants' center fielder Angel Pagan went 2-for-4 with a double Sunday and extended his hitting streak to 20 games.
...

                      VS



The Giants begin a big series with their rivals the Los Angeles Dodgers. They will look to carry on their good vibes from the Milwaukee series into Chavez Ravine.

The Giants' Barry Zito (1-0, 1.76) will take on the Dodgers' Ted Lilly (3-0, 1.38). Both pitchers have been effective so far in 2012, so this game should figure to be a pitcher's duel.

However, the Giants have roughed up Lilly throughout his career. Lilly has a 5.81 ERA in nine career starts against San Francisco.

The Giants seem to have the momentum going into the series. San Francisco just took two out of three against Milwaukee, while the Dodgers lost two out of three against the struggling Chicago Cubs.

The Dodgers, however, are 18-10 and four games ahead of the Giants in the National League West.

Here are a few players to watch.

From MLB.com:

• Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp is a career .426 (20-for-47) hitter against Zito, while right fielder Andre Ethier is hitting only .161 (5-for-31) against the lefty.

• Juan Uribe, who injured his left wrist sliding into home April 15, will have his wrist examined Monday, Mattingly said. Uribe hasn't started the last five games after reaggravating the injury last week in Denver.

• Buster Posey is 3-for-8 lifetime against Ted Lilly, including a double and two home runs. He has three RBIs against the Dodgers' left hander.

ESPN predicts that the Dodgers are 62 percent favorites for tonight's game. The game will start at 7:10 p.m. and will air on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area.

...

***Flash***

According to MLB.com, Giants' reliever Guillermo Mota has been suspended for 100 games after testing positive for clenbuterol, a performance-enhancing substance. This is a violation of Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

The Giants have not yet announced who will replace Mota. The Giants' bullpen has already been in flux with the injuries to closer Brian Wilson and reliever Jeremy Affeldt.

...

How do you all think Mota's absence will affect the Giants' bullpen? Do you agree with ESPN's prediction, which only gave the Giants a 38 percent chance of winning tonight's game.



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Information from ESPN.com and MLB.com contributed to this article.

Images from:
By Jeffjeff08 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By Ron Reiring on Flickr (Original version) User UCinternational (Crop) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By User eürodäna (Original version) User StormXor (Crop) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Giants Pummeled by Colorado Rockies 17-8

By Vince Cestone

Last night felt lots like vintage Coors Field.

The San Francisco Giants looked terrible defensively and on the mound last night against the Colorado Rockies. They committed three more errors and gave up 17 more runs.

What figured to be a strength for San Francisco has turned into an Achilles heel in the early going. The Giants are dead last in the National League in ERA with a 6.37 clip and are second in the league in errors with seven, just behind the San Diego Padres.

Pitching and defense were supposed to be the MO for the Giants, with just enough offense. It has been a 180.

The Giants have had great offense, averaging 5.8 runs per game, but very weak starting and relief pitching. San Francisco has scored at least four runs in each of their first five games but are 1-4.

Last year, the Giants dominated their opponents when scoring four or more runs.

Who would have thought this would happen?

Tim Lincecum gets knocked around and goes 2 1/3 last night (12.91 ERA), and Barry Zito throws a shutout in Colorado.

Go figure...

Barry Zito Shocks Baseball World With Complete Game Shutout Versus Colorado Rockies; Giants Turn a 180 From Arizona to Colorado

By WeeHaggis (Flickr: [1]) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0) or CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

San Francisco Giants' left-hander Barry Zito silenced the naysayers by pitching a complete-game shutout in the Colorado Rockies' home opener at Coors Field.

Out of Lincecum, Cain, Bumgarner, and Zito, who knew Zito would be the first to put the Giants in the win column in 2012.

Few probably would have anticipated Zito's dominant start based on how he looked in spring training. This preseason, Zito went 2-1, with a 7.91 ERA.

Zito's strikeout-to-walk ration was abysmal. In 19.1 innings pitched, he struck out 13 batters and walked 12.

Not to mention, his curveball looked flat and his fastball was barely topping 83 mph.

Today all that was tossed aside. For at least one day, Zito could be the subject or praise rather than the object of hate.

After the Giants roared with two runs in the top of the first inning on a long Pablo Sandoval home run to deep right field, preceded by a swinging bunt hit by Melky Cabrera, Zito followed with an eight-pitch shut down inning.

Zito came out of the gate looking impressive with his 84 mph fastball, combined with a devastating curveball and changeup. He got Marco Scutaro to groundout, retired Dexter Fowler on a flyout, and struck out Carlos Gonzales swinging on a devastating curveball.

Gonzales went 0-for-4 against Zito.

Zito was perfect for 2 2/3 innings, until opposing pitcher J Chacin singled on a swinging bunt with two outs. Chacin was left stranded after Dexter Fowler struck out swinging.

The Giants' offense was busy today, scoring seven runs.

After Sandoval's home run, the Giants tacked on two more runs in the third inning on a Hector Sanchez single and an Angel Pagan groundout. Chacin struggled with his control all game, walking four in the third inning alone.

The Giants added three more runs in the fifth inning on a Brandon Crawford bases-clearing, three-run double. San Francisco took a 7-0 lead, and has scored at least four runs in the first four games of the season.

The last time the Giants displayed this much offense in their first four games was in 2003, where they scored 25 runs. This year, they scored 21.

Today felt a little more like Giants baseball, but from an unlikely source. Zito figured to be the wild card in San Francisco's rotation, and with more performances like that, the Giants have one less worry to attend to.

...

Errors dogged the Giants in their sweep at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Today, Angel Pagan committed the only gaffe, but the infield played error-free and looked fluid in doing so.

Brandon Crawford made a couple of nice stops on the infield and Pablo Sandoval made a great diving play in the first inning to rob Scutaro of a base hit.

Simply put, if the Giants play good defense, and hit a little bit, they should reach the playoffs with little problem. The Giants' offense is doing their part, but nobody predicted the starting pitching would do this bad in Arizona.

In recent years, the Giants have struggled to put up runs, even in offensive parks like Colorado and Arizona. Even their outs have been loud recently, which is sometimes a better sign than a bloop hit.

All a baseball player can do is hit the ball hard. The rest is out of his control.

Although Pablo Sandoval looks a bit bigger, his bat sure has not slowed down. Maybe it is just muscle weight or whatever, but his .375 average, with two home runs and six RBI in four games, tells me that he just needs to keep doing what he is doing.

On another note, nobody could have predicted Barry Zito would do this good against the Colorado Rockies. You got a warm, day game at Coors Field, and a recipe for offense at Coors Field.

The fact that Barry Zito shutout the Rockies, where curveballs go flat and the ball travels about 8 percent further, is truly remarkable. People forget that number 75 was once a Cy Young Award Winner and is not one to be underestimated.

Zito proved today that he has it in him to be an ace. He has it in him to get people out in the big leagues, even with his current fastball topping at 84 mph.

He proved his worth by doing what he did in the ultimate pitcher's hell. Coors Field may not have a name that brings up connotations of hell, but many a pitcher perhaps would describe the mile-high stadium as such.

Props to Zito. Just look at this line: 9.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO, 0 HR

The question remains...

Can he back it up?

...

What do you all think? Was Zito's start a fluke or a sign of better things to come?

What do you think of the Giants' offense? A fluke or are they just good?

Do you think the pitching mishaps in Arizona were a fluke as well? Zito a CG shutout? Come on!

I am curious to hear your thoughts below.




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San Francisco Giants Weekend Wrap-Up: Giants Continue Cactus League Dominance

The San Francisco Giants' biggest concern coming into the 2012 season has been anything but worrisome, at least during the start of the 2012 Cactus League.

The Giants have swung the bats so far in their first 10 games this spring. They stand at 7-3-1 for the spring and have slugged a .326 team batting average.

San Francisco's power numbers have been the best in the Cactus League so far. In 11 games, the Giants lead the league with 18 home runs and 70 RBIs.

The Giants are also second in the league in runs scored with 73. The only team better in that statistic is the Seattle Mariners with 74 runs scored.

Their ability to get on-base has also been encouraging this spring. The Giants lead all of baseball (Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues) in OPS with a .919 clip, and they have a team on-base percentage of .376, good for third in the Cactus League.

Is this foreshadowing the team's 2012 season, or is it a mirage?

It is difficult to say since the ball flies in Arizona, but a couple of players stand out as in-shape and ready to go (I would like to hear your thoughts by commenting below).

Keith Allison/Flickr, Creative Commons

Melky Cabrera continues to have a torrid spring training. Over the weekend, he went 3-for-7 against Milwaukee Brewers Saturday and the Seattle Mariners Sunday, with another double and three RBI.

Cabrera's spring average is now at .542, with three home runs, four doubles, and nine RBI in seven games. He leads the Cactus League in both home runs and RBI.

Here is a quick wrap-up of the Giants' three weekend spring training games:

Saturday (SS):

• Brewers 3    Giants 13  (Tommy Joseph, 2-for-3, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB)
• Barry Zito: 3 IP, 0 ER, 0 R, 1 H, 1 K
• Giants 5     Angels 9 (Aubrey Huff, 2-for-3, HR, RBI)
• Huff hitting .316 this spring.

Sunday:

• Mariners 5   Giants 7 (Hector Sanchez, 2-for-2, HR, 3 RBI)
• Eric Surkamp (3 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 3K)
• Sunday's box score can be found here. 

That is 25 runs in 3 games. It is safe to say that the Giants had a swinging weekend.

On the injury front, Buster Posey and Brian Wilson each played in the game Sunday against the Mariners. Both looked encouraging and appear to be back to form.

Buster Posey went 0-for-2 on Sunday, but caught four innings. With Brian Wilson on the mound and a runner at first base in the second inning, Posey fired a strike to second base to gun down the Mariners' Carlos Peguero in an inning-ending strike-em-out, throw-em-out double play.

Rob Shenk (Flickr) [Creative Commons]

 

In that same game, Wilson pitched a scoreless fourth inning. He gave up a one-out single to Peguero and struck out one.

Wilson's velocity was in the low 90s, but he still effectively and efficiently completed a scoreless inning. Most importantly, Wilson pitched nine pain-free pitches.

I am sure Wilson will crank up the velocity once the games count.

As I write this, I see Aaron Rowand, now with the Miami Marlins, on ESPN strike out on a low and away slider. Classic Aaron Rowand. I smile.



Materials from MLB.com.

San Francisco Giants: 5 Biggest Threats to Title Repeat

By Vinnie Cestone

Note: This article was created on June 8. The stats in this article are not current.

The Giants line up behind the Commisioner's Trophy during their home opener.
Pool/Getty Images

The San Francisco Giants may be the 2010 World Series champions, but they will have to overcome many obstacles to reach baseball immortality again in 2011.

The Giants have continued their torturous ways so far this season. Their 2011 campaign has been a roller coaster ride from the start, with thrilling wins one night and devastating losses the next.

This season's Giants have essentially the same championship pitching staff and band of misfits as last season—minus Edgar Renteria and Juan Uribe—but will it be enough?

The 2010 Giants climbed many hurdles to win the World Series.

They overcame an anemic offense early in the season and a pitching hiccup in August. They bounced back from a 7.5-game deficit and a 6-12 season record against the San Diego Padres, the team they were competing against for the National League West title.

The challenges did not stop there. The Padres even forced the Giants to clinch the division on Game 162 after San Diego won the first two games of their season-ending three-game series.

Can the Giants be the team of destiny yet again in 2011 despite all the obstacles?

Here are five possible threats to a Giants World Series title repeat.

1. The Injuries

 

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

The Giants have taken many trips to the infirmary during the heat of battle this season.

San Francisco currently has six players on the disabled list—including Barry Zito, Mark DeRosa, Pablo Sandoval, Mike Fontenot and Darren Ford. Unfortunately for the Giants, many of their injuries came in an area where they had the least depth—the infield.

The biggest solider to go down is young, catching sensation Buster Posey, who broke his left fibula and tore ligaments in his ankle area during a collision at the plate. According to the Giants, his bat will likely be void from the Giants lineup for the remainder of the season, and his absence could have a detrimental impact on the Giants offense.

According to Fangraphs, before his injury, Posey's WAR was 1.7—which means he could have been on pace for a season WAR between four and five. To limit the damage of losing Posey, the Giants will have to scratch, claw and execute the fundamentals for runs.

In the 14 games since Posey's season-ending injury, the Giants have bounced back with an 8-6 record. So far, they have shown the resiliency needed to win without Posey, but they will have to continue doing so through 162 games.

Even with the injuries that plagued much of the infield, including their slugging third baseman Pablo Sandoval, the Giants sit atop the NL West at 35-27, 1.5 games over the Arizona Diamondbacks. With help from young players such as shortstop Brandon Crawford and infielder Emmanuel Burriss, Bruce Bochy is doing the best with what he has, and he will have to continue to do so if the Giants want to win the World Series again.

2. The Offense


Greg Fiume/Getty Images

The Giants have a world-class pitching staff but not a championship offense to match.

Although they are in first place in the NL West, the Giants are 15th in the National League in runs scored (218) and 13th in batting average (.240). San Francisco also has an unimpressive on-base percentage of .306, which is 14th in the league.

With Posey's injury, a key to the Giants offense is Aubrey Huff. Huff is hitting just .222, with eight home runs and 30 RBI, along with a .278 on-base percentage.

Despite Huff's slow start, he has heated up lately. In his last seven games, Huff has nine RBI and four home runs.

If the Giants want to win constantly, they will have to overcome their offensive struggles and put up runs on the board. Despite their 35-27 record, the Giants' torturous, low-scoring ways may not be so thrilling if those games start to go the other way—in the loss column.

3. The Arizona Diamondbacks


Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The Giants have gotten heat from an unlikely divisional rival—the Arizona Diamondbacks.

This is not the first time the two teams have battled for first place, but in fact, it was a constant back in the early part of the decade. Between 1999 and 2003, the Giants and the Diamondbacks finished one-two in the division in three out of five of those years.

So far in 2011, the division rivalry has been renewed, but for how long?

The Diamondbacks are currently playing like a team that could threaten the Giants' defending World Series title—and their NL West title. At 33-28, Arizona is just 1.5 games behind San Francisco for first place.

Unlike the Giants, the Diamondbacks' main problem coming into the season was their pitching. In 2010, Arizona was 15th in the league in team ERA at 4.81, but so far in 2011, they are 12th in the league with a 3.94 ERA.

The Diamondbacks will have to keep their pitching up if they want to stay competitive in the National League West. Arizona was 19-10 in May, mainly because of their 3.03 team ERA for that month.

Fortunately for the Giants, they are 5-1 against the Diamondbacks this season—and seem to have their number in recent years. Still, if the Diamondbacks keep pitching like this and can prove they are for real, the Giants could find themselves snakebitten very soon.

4. The Target on Their Backs


 Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

Winning a world championship may come with the glory, the celebration and a rejuvenated fanbase, but it may come with another consequence—the best effort from the opposing team.

The Giants cannot take any team lightly in 2011. Even the under-.500 teams could give the Giants a run for their money, and they need to be prepared.

The Giants saw this reality during their season-opening series when they lost three out of four to the now third-place Dodgers. San Francisco began 2011 2-4 and did not play good defensive or offensive baseball.

Since then, however, the Giants have bounced back and currently have a 35-27 record.

In addition to their stellar pitching, the Giants have since cut down on their errors and are getting timely hits again—the formula for their success in 2010. If the Giants play their game and pitch like they know how to, they should be able to overcome the target on their backs.

5. The Defense


Jeff Gross/Getty Images

The Giants may not have had the best defense range-wise in 2010, but they were able to make the plays on everything they got to.

The Giants defense is subpar in 2011, but most of their errors came early on. The Giants are currently 13th-worst in the National League in errors with 40 and 12th in the league in fielding percentage at .983.

According to Baseball-Reference, as a team, San Francisco's Rtot (the number of runs above or below average the player was worth based on the number of plays made) is minus-three, so their defense has slightly cost them a few runs.

One glaring defensive question mark is Miguel Tejada. As a shortstop this season, Tejada has made six errors and has a .942 fielding percentage in 27 games—with an Rtot of minus-three.

The Giants have made the most of Tejada by placing him at third base while Pablo Sandoval is recovering from his injury. Tejada has responded nicely by making just one error in 27 games, with an Rtot of four and a .988 fielding percentage.

If the Giants want to repeat as champions in 2011, they will have to continue doing something they excelled at last season—catching the ball.




Vinnie Cestone is a blogger/reporter for The Talking Giants Baseball Blog. Unless otherwise noted, all information was obtained first-hand or from official materials from ESPN or the Major League Baseball website.

This article was featured on The Bleacher Report.

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