San Francisco Giants 3 Up, 3 Down: Opening Week
3 DOWN
1 – The Pitching Staff Still Struggles to Hold Leads
The Giants had leads in all four games of the series, but squandered them all, even when the won on Tuesday. After watching this happen time and time again in 2016, it’s disconcerting to see it again in 2017. And it wasn’t just the bullpen this time, either. The starting pitchers also had a tough time keeping any advantages.
The Diamondbacks have a really strong lineup, and pitching in Arizona is nearly as difficult as doing it in Colorado (Chase Field is just about the Coors Field of the desert). But it was hard to watch as the staff failed, time after time, to hold a lead. Hopefully going to a more pitcher-friendly park in San Diego, and facing a lineup not nearly as dangerous as Arizona’s, is just what the doctor ordered for the pitching staff to get some confidence in the early going of the season.
2 – The Lineup Isn’t Cashing In
Those good at-bats where the team is making a pitcher work hard are nice, but the ones where they cash in with runners on are even better. The Giants had plenty of opportunities to score runs, which includes opportunities to extend leads, but didn’t get it done the way they needed to.
They weren’t necessarily awful with runners in scoring position with a .263 average in those situations, but it seems like the outs happened at the worst possible time. They left 34 runners on base through the series, which includes 18 in scoring position and the bases loaded twice.
Some of it can chalked up to bad luck, because the Giants hit into a lot of hard outs in the entire series, but not all of it. There were plenty of at-bats where the guys just didn’t take advantage of a hittable pitch or a hitter’s count and got themselves out. There is work to be done there.
3 – The Left Field Platoon…Yikes
Two guys that had impressive spring to earn jobs are looking for that magic to come back. The left field platoon, consisting of lefty Jarrett Parker and righty Chris Marrero, has combined for zero hits in 16 at-bats with nine strikeouts. The only production from that duo is a sacrifice fly from Marrero in the team’s only win on Tuesday.
It’s gotten so bad that Aaron Hill has made two appearances in left field, the first time he’s played the outfield in his 13 years as a big leaguer, and it’s not impossible to think that Hill should get a start or two out there fairly soon. His five plate appearances so far this season have been far better than anything Parker and Marrero have thrown together. Hill has hit a home run, drawn two walks, and smoked a line drive so far, so maybe his bat will work out there.
Next: Bullpen Bounces Back, Hernandez Steps Up
There aren’t many more options now besides the players that are already on the big league roster. The two guys who are probably next in line, Mac Williamson and Michael Morse, are both injured and not ready to return just yet. It’s way too early to pull the plug on the guys there already, but they have to step up and start contributing. The leash was already fairly short, and the injured players returning could be the end of that leash if they don’t turn it around soon.