San Francisco Giants Are Facing A Critical Road Stretch

After Wednesday’s outcome, the San Francisco Giants find themselves two games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers — and facing a critical road stretch that could determine the direction of the NL West .

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An opportunity to head out on the road with some momentum took a hit Tuesday night after Johnny Cueto faltered in a 4-3 San Francisco Giants loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Cueto was cruising until the fifth inning when he got into trouble and gave up four runs. The Giants got a run back in the ninth but the offense could not find the timely hits.

A 4-2 win Wednesday gave the team a confidence boost with another strong performance by starting pitcher Matt Moore. However, if the offense cannot produce on the upcoming road trip, the even year magic could possibly be at the end of its run.

Jeff Samardzija is building off his solid outings all season. And that has given him all the motivation he needs to perform well when the team opens a four game series at Wrigley Field with the Chicago Cubs. Samardzija was originally drafted by the Cubs out of Notre Dame, but couldn’t stymie the powerful Cubs’ offense..

Mike Montgomery got the call in game one for the Cubs, who boast a solid pitching rotation. Kyle Hendricks has a league best 2.09 ERA and Jake Arrieta leads the National League with 16 wins. The NL Central is sure to be locked up soon as Chicago has a 14-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals and have the best record in MLB at 84-47.

Joe Maddon, skipper for the Cubs, has been the renaissance man of the organization’s revival. His success with the Tampa Bay Rays made him a hot commodity during his tenure. Nobody predicted the Cubs would accomplish the type of run the team has put together in Maddon’s first year at the helm.

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Last season ended with a near trip to the World Series, but it fell short after a loss to the New York Mets in the NLCS. The historic run would have been a story for the ages — and one people familiar with the Back to the Future movies could have a laugh at.

The Cubs have the firepower to score runs by the bushel. Something the Giants have struggled with since the All Star break. There has been no sophomore slump for Kris Bryant, who currently shares the NL home run lead with Colorado’s Nolan Arenado with 36.

Bryant’s 90 RBI’s put him second behind teammate Anthony Rizzo, who has 93. San Francisco’s pitching cannot afford location mistakes or the ball will fly high into the Windy City sky — and straight out of the ballpark.

Thanks to their playoff run last season, the Cubs organization is seeing a jolt in their farm system. One team is the Single-A short season Eugene Emeralds, who set a Northwest League record 15 straight wins — a record previously set by the team in 2011.

Related Story: Potential Mid-September Call Ups

The Emeralds also currently have a 12-game win streak on the road. Although a short season with prospects still developing the Cubs organization is looking to remain competitors for seasons to come.

Even with the Cubs’ organization reaping the rewards of having motivated prospects, the Giants still have three championships in the past six years to hang their collective hats on. Entering this series, San Francisco owned a 2-1 series advantage over the Cubs.

After an 8-1 thumping by the Cubs to open the series at AT&T Park in May, the Giants would go on to take the next two games. Starters Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner got the wins. Should both teams make the postseason, a potential series will certainly be must see TV.

After a visit to Chicago, the Colorado Rockies still wait at Coors field for a three game series. The Giants have played solid baseball against the Rockies, but Arenado has stepped up in the clutch offensively and defensively.

Given their second half struggles, the Giants road record now stands at 34-31. And with the division and wild card standings tight, winning on the road will be critical in the final month of the regular season.

A trip to Arizona to face the Diamondbacks for three games will conclude the upcoming road trip. The Giants have a respectable 33-21 record in the NL West. They will need to build on their success to keep pace with the rival Dodgers who only have a 28-24 record against division opponents.

Despite where the Giants currently stand, history suggests the team is good position to make the postseason. As of now, the current team seems to be lacking bite and the start of the second half of the season has been disastrous. From pitchers getting lit up or the offense failing to provide run support, San Francisco has been struggling. No matter the issue, the Giants need to find some rhythm down the stretch or the postseason may not happen.

Next: San Francisco Giants: So Are They A Playoff Team?

September baseball is a sprint to the finish. Expectations have been high since the start of the season for the Giants. Though, A few trades before the deadline have given the team the pieces to make a run for another championship. No matter the odds the even year magic is in full effect.