Giants need one more bat to be true threat
Don’t look now, but it might be time to take the San Francisco Giants, despite all their hitting problems, for real.
Oddsmakers at Bodog still aren’t too convinced, as they list the Giants at 15/1 to win the National League pennant. But with Tim Lincecum now pitching lights out, the Giants would seem to have a legit chance to win the NL wild-card – the NL West is probably out of reach considering the Dodgers still lead the West by seven games and are about to get Manny Ramirez left. San Francisco enters play on Tuesday leading the wild card by 1.5 games over Colorado and St. Louis, two fairly flawed teams.
When the Giants get five runs they are 25-5 this year. And those bats seem to be coming somewhat alive as the team has homered in five consecutive games and in 24 this month, compared to 12 in April and 14 in May, both National League-low totals. San Francisco also has exceeded 10 hits four times in the past five games.
The Giants also have pitched back-to-back shutouts first the first time in seven seasons, and they lead the majors with nine shutouts. Lincecum has been sick of late, going 3-1 in his past four starts with a 1.03 ERA, a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 37:3 and holding opponents to a batting average of 1.97 with just 24 hits in 35 innings.
OK, but we all knew how good Lincecum, the 2008 NL Cy Young Award winner, was. But teammate Matt Cain is tied with Lincecum for the NL lead in complete games. Cain is 9-2 overall with a 2.57 ERA and had the best ERA in the National League in interleague play. And even the ageless Randy Johnson is getting in on the act. The Big Unit is 4-1 with a 2.57 ERA and a .217 opponents' batting average in his last seven starts, lowering his ERA from 6.86 to 4.68.
The weak link in the rotation had been Jonathan Sanchez, but he has been moved to the bullpen. Ryan Sadowski, who won his major-league debut with six shutout innings in Milwaukee on Sunday, has earned an indefinite starting spot in Sanchez’s place.
"That's where we're at right now," manager Bruce Bochy said to reporters. “Right now, the plan is to give him another start. I don't want to leave it as a start at a time. Right now, he's in the rotation."
Still, I would argue this club still doesn’t have enough offense to be a playoff team. Bochy has been trying desperately to find the right mix, using 59 unique lineups in 75 games. But the answer could come soon in a trade. The Giants are currently scouting White Sox outfielder Jermaine Dye and also might have their eyes on Cleveland first baseman/catcher Victor Martinez.
San Francisco has a much-improved farm system, so it should be able to land the hitter it is lacking, and the team has the ability to add payroll, which is somewhat rare in these economic days. And if the Giants can get a Dye, Martinez or even Oakland’s Matt Holliday, that would make them the NL wild-card favorites with that deep pitching staff.
