Widely considered to be a step behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and San Diego Padres in a stacked National League West, the San Francisco Giants have thrust themselves into the middle of the division race.
The club currently boasts a solid 24-18 record, ahead of the Diamondbacks and within striking distance of both the Padres and Dodgers. The pitching staff ranks sixth in baseball with a 3.39 ERA, thanks to strong performances from starters Logan Webb and Robbie Ray and a bullpen that features five different pitchers with an ERA below 2.03.
Yet as good as the pitching staff has been, there are still reasons to be skeptical of this hot start, with most of the red flags centered around the offense. After a strong start, many of the Giants' hottest bats have cooled off, including Jung Hoo Lee (.221/.253/.291 since April 19), Wilmer Flores (.200/.259/.240 since April 26) and Mike Yastrzemski (.241/.318/.348 since April 17). Without those three carrying the offense like they did in April, the spotlight has turned to the struggles of longtime first baseman Lamonte Wade Jr. (.491 OPS) and free-agent acquisition Willy Adames (.635 OPS), the latter of whom was recently moved down in the order.
The Giants' offensive struggles have hit a low point during their current four-game losing streak, as they have scored just a single run in three of the contests. With the Diamondbacks, Padres and Dodgers all featuring potent offenses, it’s hard to see how the Giants can keep pace with so few reliable hitters, which is why Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly labeled them as overachievers thus far this season.
“Outside of Lee, there's not a ton to be excited about in the lineup,” Kelly wrote. “When you factor in that there are three other teams in this division capable of competing for the World Series, it just seems like the Giants are destined to have trouble keeping up with the pack.”
While the Giants will look to snap their four-game losing streak tonight against the Diamondbacks, the true sink-or-swim moment may come in the beginning of June with a four-game set at home against the Padres and a three-game trip to Los Angeles to take on the Dodgers.
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