Series Preview: SF Giants @ Athletics - the final Battle of the Bay?
The SF Giants roll into the weekend with a matchup that has little to be said about it that hasn't already. The A's are a machine that turns baseball games into sadness for their fans and revenue for their owners, while the Giants are a team that's actually expected to do stuff. Just how much stuff the Giants are going to do in a year where they made exactly one trade deadline move is questionable, but they're a solid team going up against a 30-80 dourhouse. The Bay Area came together to make their voices heard in the last meeting, and both fanbases are likely to continue their message of solidarity this weekend, but it's a series the Giants just need to sweep and build some momentum with.
That's because the Giants, despite a lackluster July, have kept afloat by eking out close win after close win. Part of that comes down the team's surprising effectiveness in bullpen games; San Francisco is 15-5 in games opened by Ryan Walker, John Brebbia, or Scott Alexander. These results are all the more surprising - and necessary - given that the team has committed to what amounts to a two-man rotation with Logan Webb and Alex Cobb, now that Anthony DeSclafani is on the Injured List. Jakob Junis, Tristan Beck, Sean Manaea, Ross Stripling, and Alex Wood are now de-facto "bulk innings" guys, collectively mopping up the rest of the innings needed based on matchups and rest.
The effectiveness of San Francisco's bullpen strategy can't be questioned, though, and they've needed it to support a dismal offensive month. With July in the books, the Giants recorded a team batting average of .209 and a team OPS of .632 in the month, tying the league for the second and third-worst marks (respectively) of any team in any month this year. They at least ticked up slightly against Arizona, hitting .233 with a .674 OPS over their three wins. But they haven't scored five runs once in their last seven games, and they've only reached that mark six times since the start of July. Until Thairo Estrada, Mike Yastrzemski, and Luis Gonzalez return this month, the Giants may need to expect to limit their opponents to 2-3 runs in regulation if they want to win.
Despite the underlying concerns, taking the series from Arizona has pushed the Diamondbacks to 7.5 games back of first in the NL West, giving the Giants breathing room and a 3-0 start to the month despite finishing July just 12-13. That puts the Giants at 3 games in front of Cincinnati, hosts of the third and final wild card spot, and 3 games back of the Dodgers for the division lead. August will be a critical month, as recent rule changes mean that teams can no longer trade players who clear waivers from this point on. The squad the Giants have - minus any late-season call-ups - is the one they'll be running with from this point on. Whether they sink or swim in the standings is entirely up to them.
Series Details
Who: SF Giants at Oakland Athletics
Where: Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, California
When: August 5-6, Saturday (4:07 PM) and Sunday (1:07 PM). All times Pacific.
Giants' current streak: W3, 7-3 in last 10. 61-49 overall, 2nd place in NL West (3.0 GB)
A's current streak: L4, 3-7 in last 10. 30-80 overall, last place in AL West (34.0 GB)
Projected starters
Saturday: Ross Stripling (0-4, 5.52 ERA) vs. Paul Blackburn (2-2, 4.83 ERA)
Sunday: Alex Cobb (6-3, 3.05 ERA) vs. Luis Medina (3-8, 5.35 ERA)
*Indicates LHP
**Indicates opener
How to watch, listen
- SF Giants broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area, KNBR 680/1510 AM
- Opposing broadcast: NBC Sports California, KIQI 1010/960 AM, 103.7 HD2, A's Cast
- National broadcasts: MLB Network (Sunday, out-of-network only)
- Live stream: fuboTV (start your free trial)
