Somehow, the Giants have all the hopes and dreams that they will repeat as World Series champions.
It’s not because their pitching is carrying them through a second consecutive dreadful August. It’s also in part because the National League West is oh so very bad.
Whatever the reason, the Giants will be lucky to win the NL West, in which they trail the division-leading Arizona Diamondbacks by two games. In fact, it might be best that the Giants don’t win the West because it would mask the problems that have plagued them since Barry Bonds went unsigned almost four years ago.
It’s amazing that the Giants are still in the NL West race. They have gone from four games up in the division July 28 to two games back. In that time they have an 8-17 record. And the pitching has once again led the way, allowing three runs or less 12 times in that stretch.
But all of that wonderful pitching doesn’t hide the fact that the Giants are having their worst hitting season since 1985 — the franchise’s only 100-loss season in its 129 years. They are hitting .240, which ranks 29th in the majors ahead of only Seattle. That comes after two consecutive years of hitting .257 as a team. The hitting has been so bad that they have been shut out six times since the All-Star break.
Even if the Giants do win the West, they would be overmatched by probable first-round opponent Philadelphia, which went 4-3 against the Giants this season. Should they get past the Phillies, they would be overwhelmed by Milwaukee (3-3) or over their heads against Atlanta (1-6).
To win the West would make it too easy for General Manager Brian Sabean to blame this season on the injuries, which have decimated the team. After all, losing Buster Posey and Freddy Sanchez was a huge blow to the offense. However, Posey and Sanchez were not on pace with last year’s stellar performances.
Yes, injuries have been a big factor. According to USA Today, 11 players — seven of them hitters — are either playing hurt or on the disabled list. But Brandon Crawford was playing regularly earlier this season because Miguel Tejada was playing so badly.
Trying to plug the offensive holes with Orlando Cabrera, Jeff Keppinger and Carlos Beltran has not had the same effect as last season, when the addition of Cody Ross and Pat Burrell put the team over the top. Pablo Sandoval’s resurgence at the plate has not been enough to make up for the lack of offense from Aubrey Huff and the bust known as Tejada.
All of this means Sabean has to find a better way to upgrade the batting order next season rather than hoping he finds magic midway through the season. The signs of declining offense have been there for years.
Nobody is saying the Giants should tank the rest of the season. If they make the playoffs, there’s no question it would be fun for the Bay Area to dream about another title. However, making the postseason will merely distract from addressing what is necessary for them to be more competitive for years to come.
Lincecum-Beltran winning formula for Giants [CSNBA]
