San Francisco baseball fans are panicking right now; they”ve seen their beloved Giants turn a multi-game lead in the National League West into a several-game deficit.
The Giants have struggled since the All-Star break (more specifically since making a few big-name trades) while the rival Arizona Diamondbacks have had a scorching second half.
Arizona seems to be dominating opponents with overpowering offense and improved pitching. On the other hand, Giants hitters haven”t produced at the plate and the pitching staff appears to have lost its edge in recent weeks.
Though the results haven”t been there lately, Giants fans need to calm down. Their team will soon come out of the current slump and find itself well-positioned to win the NL West.
The Giants and Diamondbacks have very easy schedules for the remainder of the season, but San Francisco”s is clearly easier.
Other than two head-to-head matchups with Arizona, San Francisco has no series left against teams currently holding a .500-or-better record. The Diamondbacks still have one other such series left, an upcoming road set against the playoff-bound Atlanta Braves.
Both teams finish up mainly against NL West opponents, which shouldn”t be a problem for either, though the Giants” 26-17 record against NL West teams is better than the Diamondbacks” 23-21 record.
Give the Giants an additional edge because they”ve beaten up on the Diamondbacks so far this season, going 8-4 in four series.
The problem some Bay Area fans see their team facing is that Arizona has played incredibly well in August while San Francisco has struggled. But history shows experience can be a bigger advantage than steady August play once September hits, and the Giants clearly have the experience edge.
The Diamondbacks have a good, but unproven pitching staff and a core of talented, but young hitters. On the other hand, a majority of the Giants” pitchers and hitters have been to and performed well in the playoffs; they know how to win in September.
The main statistical differences between the two NL West leaders should also play into the Giants” favor come September.
Arizona is clearly a better offensive club, scoring 100-plus more runs than San Francisco this season, but the Diamondbacks have also given up around 100 runs more than the Giants.
As a result, Arizona is in the top third in team offensive categories but in the bottom half in team pitching statistics. Conversely, San Francisco is positioned among the top three pitching staffs in the league but the bottom four hitting teams.
But as the Giants proved last year, dominant pitching generally tops good hitting come September and October (plus, who”s to say the Giants” hitters, including the underachieving acquisitions, won”t start producing a little more).
So, Giants fans need to relax right now. Their team will soon have control of its playoff destiny: dominate the sub-.500 teams the rest of the year, win both remaining series against the Diamondbacks and put the pressure on an inexperienced Arizona club. Do those three things and a disappointing August will become a distant memory.
However, if San Francisco”s offense continues to have a disastrous second half and the pitching staff keeps its inconsistent stretch going, then by this time next month, the worrying can really begin.
Jeremy Walsh is a staff reporter for Lake County Publishing. He can be reached at 263-5636 ext. 37 or jwalsh@record-bee.com.
