Series Preview: SF Giants vs. Brewers - will the series streak continue?

There's a theory in storytelling called the 'Inverse Ninja Principle,' where the more shadowy bad guys stand against the hero, the weaker they become. It's not until the protagonist faces the enemy one-on-one that the true threat is revealed.

The Giants, then, exemplify something that might be called the 'Converse Inverse Ninja Principle.' That is to say, the weaker the apparent opposition, the more likely it is that they get absolutely jobbed, getting stuffed in a trash can while the other team rifles through their pockets for loose change. But on the other other (other?) hand, San Francisco absolutely steps up when the real threat steps up to bat, valiantly winning the day and turning their whole outlook around.

Which is to say that the Giants have lost, painfully, to the Diamondbacks, Padres, Tigers, Royals, Nationals, and White Sox. They've done so despite being very arguably the better team against the Phillies, Twins, Marlins, Brewers, and defending champion Astros. Part of that is a very real reversal of fortune due to better health, prescient minor-league call-ups, and notable slumps coming to an end. Part of that is because baseball is an extremely unpredictable game, and that means the Giants' recent success doesn't have to continue.

That makes this series against the Brewers a relatively important inflection point as the team tries to make up for a sluggish April. A four-game series in Milwaukee means the Giants need to at least tread water through the rest of this road trip. A 2-2 split keeps them just a game below .500, which puts them in position to make some real progress in June. Any worse than that, and it could be several weeks before San Francisco can claw its way back to even, if it can do so at all.

The bright side is that the Giants have shown very real upside, which makes them a far cry from the easy pickings they became in the first few weeks. Michael Conforto has hit 6 home runs in the last 15 games, Casey Schmitt is hitting .328 even after a 1-for-5 finale in Minnesota, and Thairo Estrada is working on a 9-game hit streak, the second longest of his career. On the pitching side, the bullpen is settling into a rhythm - San Francisco's relievers have the second-lowest ERA in baseball over the last 10 games, and Camilo Doval leads the National League in saves - plus Sean Manaea secured his first scoreless outing of the year on Monday.

Will it all be enough to split or even take a series from the NL Central leaders? We'll have to wait and see. But we've got you covered with series details and how to watch below. And, of course, some good vibes ahead of this end-of-the-week series:

"This is the Michael Conforto everybody expects to see..."

Literally one second later: pic.twitter.com/x9jJyM0rhE
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) May 22, 2023

Series details:

Who: SF Giants at Milwaukee Brewers
Where: American Family Field, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
When: May 25-28, All times Pacific.

Giants' current streak: L1, 7-3 in last 10, 24-25 overall

Brewers' current streak: W2, 5-5 in last 10, 27-22 overall

Projected starters:

Thursday: Scott Alexander* (4-0, 4.42 ERA) vs. TBD

Friday: Alex Wood* (0-0, 4.05 ERA) vs. Freddy Peralta (5-3, 4.15 ERA)

Saturday: Logan Webb (3-5, 2.91 ERA) vs. Corbin Burnes (3-3, 3.97 ERA)

Sunday: Alex Cobb (4-1, 2.17 ERA) vs. Colin Rea (1-3, 4.71 ERA)

*Indicates LHP

How to watch, listen:

SF Giants broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area, KNBR 680/1510 AM
Brewers broadcast: Bally Sports WI, WOTJ 620/Brewers Radio Network
National broadcasts: None