Giant Surprise
By Kevin Rogers
We're sitting a week away from the Midsummer Classic, and many teams are right in the thick of the playoff race in each league. Interestingly, the San Francisco Giants will likely not win their own division, but Bruce Bochy's club owns the second-best record in the National League. The Giants are using a simple formula - timely hitting and fantastic pitching.
San Francisco ranks 23rd in the league in runs scored, but sits 12th in batting average at .263. For the common fan who may not be able to name more than three or four everyday players in the Giants lineup, this team is ranked ahead of division leaders Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Detroit, and Texas in batting average.
The Giants are tied for the second-fewest home runs in the league with 55, led by third baseman Pablo Sandoval's 12 homers. Five of San Francisco's regulars are hitting above .260, which includes Sandoval, center fielder Aaron Rowand, right fielder Randy Winn, shortstop Edgar Renteria, and catcher Bengie Molina.
Despite the lack of power numbers, the Giants have recorded four more 'overs' than 'unders' entering Monday's matchup with the Marlins. San Francisco does own the best pitching numbers in all of baseball (3.53 ERA), as well as the top bullpen ERA (3.28).
It does help that reigning Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum hasn't missed a beat this season, compiling a 9-2 record to go along with an ERA of 2.23. Lincecum struggled to begin the season, allowing seven earned runs in 8.1 innings of work, but the Giants managed to split his first two starts. Since then, the Giants have won 10 of his 15 starts, with 14 being quality outings. It's tough to get a read on Lincecum's totals, as San Francisco has gone 'over' the total in nine of 17 starts.
Matt Cain has been impressive this season, after flying under the radar for years due to a lack of run support. Cain has maintained an ERA of below 4.00 for his career, but is finally breaking out this season, winning nine of 11 decisions. At home, Cain has been most dominant, allowing 15 earned runs in 55.1 innings of work. The Giants are 7-1 in Cain's home starts, but his road numbers dip a bit down to 4-4. The best spot to back Cain in is when the right-hander is favored, as San Francisco is 7-1 when Cain is listed as 'chalk.'
Rookie right-hander Ryan Sadowski has been a nice addition to this strong pitching staff, winning his first two starts. In fact, the former Florida Gator hasn't allowed a run in his first two outings, beating the Brewers and Astros. Sadowski will make one more start before the All-Star Break, slated to take the mound Wednesday night against his hometown Florida Marlins.
The Giants wrap up the first-half of the season with three games against the Marlins and four versus the Padres, all at home. San Francisco will see six straight right-handed pitchers after facing lefty Sean West Monday night. The Giants are a solid 20-11 this season when the opponent sends out a right-handed pitcher at AT&T Park.
As the season wears on, a good stat to keep on eye with the Giants is their propensity to finish 'under' the total following a one-run game. San Francisco has drilled the 'under' in 14 of 16 games after a one-run contest, including all six games following a victory by a run.
The Giants will be tested following the break, embarking on a nine-game road trip. San Francisco starts off with three games in Pittsburgh, then three in Atlanta. The Giants will end their trip with a crucial series against the Rockies at Coors Field, sitting two games ahead of Colorado to begin the week. San Francisco and Colorado have 13 matchups remaining, as the two NL West squads will have plenty of say on who clinches the Wild Card spot in the National League.
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