There’s no such thing as an odd year jinx.
That’s what San Francisco Giants fans have tried to convince themselves of over the past few years, anyway. The Giants’ success in even years starting in 2010 has belied their struggles in the odd years that followed, either due to bad injuries, bad baseball, or both. For whatever reason, the Giants just couldn’t seem to get it together in the years following their World Series championships.
Early on, this year seemed to be no exception. The Giants were reeling from personnel losses suffered in both free agency (Pablo Sandoval, Michael Morse) and injury (Hunter Pence, Matt Cain, Jake Peavy). On April 20 they were 4-10, stuck in last place, and giving barely any indication that they would move up the standings any time soon.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – MAY 19: Hunter Pence #8 of the San Francisco Giants strikes out in his first at bat since breaking his arm at Spring Training in the bottom of the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at AT&T Park on May 19, 2015 in San Francisco, California. The Giants swept the NL West leaders during the last homestand in San Francisco. (Photo by Don Feria/Getty Images)
Then, seemingly out of the blue, the Giants flipped a switch. Their starting rotation took things up a notch, the lineup started hitting, and the Giants started winning. They managed to get to .500 by the time Pence came back, and they haven’t lost since. At the time of this writing they’re currently 22-18, 2.5 games out of first in the NL West and a half game out of a Wild Card spot. They’ve gone 18-8 since April 20, the best in baseball in that stretch. They’re second in the NL in batting average, fourth in OPS, fifth in team ERA, and first in shutouts. They’re firing on all cylinders and making their move up the standings.
So does all of that mean San Francisco fans shouldn’t plan an odd year October vacation just yet? Are the Giants for real?
It all starts with pitching – it always has – and the Giants’ starters seem to have put their early season struggles aside for now. Madison Bumgarner is carrying a 2.33 ERA this month, almost a run and a half lower than April, and looks to be rounding into his dominant form. Rookie Chris Heston has been a revelation, giving the Giants quality starts while filling in for the injured Peavy. Ryan Vogelsong has a 1.37 ERA in May after a nightmare April. And Tim Lincecum, who’s struggled to find any consistency over the past three years, is seventh in the league in ERA and looks like he’s finally turned a corner.
The offense has been doing its part, too. What looked like it could be a wasteland at the beginning of the year has instead turned into one of the most dangerous and versatile offenses in the league. It helps that Angel Pagan has been healthy, hitting .320/.342/.400 while helping to anchor the middle of the lineup. Buster Posey and Brandon Belt are both making a case to be all stars, while Brandon Crawford is having a breakout season at the plate and is the team leader in RBIs. From top to bottom (mostly), the Giants have solid hitters everywhere.
PHOENIX, AZ – APRIL 06: Infielder Casey McGehee #14 of the San Francisco Giants in action during the Opening Day MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on April 6, 2015 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Giants defeated the Diamondbacks 5-4. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
To answer the question from a few paragraphs ago, then: yes, the Giants are for real. Probably. They have their faults, notably Casey McGehee at third base, and there’s no guarantee that Lincecum or Vogelsong will continue their respective renaissances. Add in an aging roster, a number of players who have been injury-prone over the past few years, and a tough division, and the Giants have a number of obstacles in their way; still, it’s not hard to see them playing into October this year.
All of the old baseball adages apply: this is a veteran team, one that’s been through the grind of a championship season and knows not to get too high or too low. Starting the season 4-10 could have been crushing to other teams, but the Giants weathered the storm and have come out looking pretty good on the other side. They stand to get reinforcements in the form of Peavy and a healthy Matt Cain in the coming weeks. And when July roles around, they can be expected to scan the market for a lineup upgrade (*cough* third base *cough*) or even a pitching upgrade.
The Giants are a better team than many expected them to be this year, and they’re finally playing like defending champions. This could finally be the season where the phrase, “Oh well, it’s an odd year” is eliminated from Giants fans’ vocabularies.
