On the positive side, Sandoval will return Tuesday to help boost the offense. Zito just made a good rehab start in Class A, so when he's ready the team will have six quality starters, opening up trade possibilities. The Giants are 10-8 since Posey was injured. The bullpen is so deep they can't even find enough innings for Sergio Romo and his 0.71 WHIP.
But it's that rotation that still makes them the team to beat. Despite the team's offensive struggles, I wouldn't bet against Lincecum, Matt Cain and company just yet.
What's funny is he spends most of the article discussing everything that's gone wrong for the Giants:
- Injuries to Andres Torres, Freddy Sanchez, Buster Posey, Barry Zito, Brandon Belt, and Pablo Sandoval, among others
- Tim Lincecum's struggles this month (or, at least, the last two games he's pitched)
- The struggles of Aubrey Huff and Miguel Tejada
He also notes some significant luck they've had --
Can they keep it up? Their record in one-run games is probably unsustainable, so they'll have to score more runs. Ryan Vogelsong is unlikely to keep pitching like this: In his past seven starts, he's allowed six runs. Their run differential indicates they should be .500, not eight games over, so while they haven't been hitting, they have been getting timely hits, something else that might be unsustainable.
Yet, he comes to the conclusion that they're still the team to beat in the National League West. And he is absolutely right.
Take a look at this --
It's becoming increasingly evident that San Diego and Los Angeles are no longer in the picture, and the Diamondbacks, who have been getting by with a rather weak rotaton, look to fall from contention gradually; Josh Collmenter's been pretty decent (though he's due for some serious regression), but Zach Duke and Joe Saunders are pretty mediocre.
Perhaps I'm writing off the Diamondbacks too quickly, but with such an uninspiring rotation (though Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson have been pretty great thus far), I see the Giants' main competition as the Colorado Rockies. Who are six games back in the NL West.
If the Rockies and Giants were tied for first, the Rockies would be the team to beat. They combine good pitching (3.91 FIP) with okay hitting (wRC+ of 90, ranks 7th in the National League). But is that good enough to outweigh the six-game lead the Giants have on them?
Nope.
The Giants still have a fantastic pitching staff, rotation and bullpen. In fact, it's perhaps as good as it's ever been.
In 2010, the world champion Giants had a team FIP- of 93 (7% better than league average). This year, it's all the way down to 83 (17% better than league average).
As long as that staff's intact (in addition to the Giants' comfortable six-game lead over their main competitors), the Giants are the team to beat in the NL West. All it takes for them to win games on a frequent basis is some semblance of offense, and with the return of Pablo Sandoval, and Aubrey Huff's bat hopefully showing some life some time soon, the Giants will probably be able to piece that together.
It won't be pretty. But as it stands -- even with such a wretched offense -- their playoff hopes appear alive and well.
