The Giants are sitting right at .500 with 6 wins and 6 losses. Unfortunately, they were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the opening series, but they recovered quickly by winning 2 out of 3 games in the each of the next two series against the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Philadelphia Phillies. After a rough start against the Diamondbacks, the pitching has recovered in exceptional fashion with the exception of Tim Lincecum, the No. 1 pitcher. Matt Cain bounced back from blowing a 6-run lead in his first start, and over the next two starts has held a streak of 18-straight scoreless innings. Barry Zito has been arguably the most impressive Giants starter, in two starts he has an ERA of 1.13 with 16 innings pitched, which includes a 1-hit shutout against the Rockies. Vogelsong had a good first start against the Pirates after returning from injury, giving up 2 runs in 6 and 1/3 innings. Madison Bumgardener has also been impressive, posting solid outings along with a great one in Colorado. The one blip on the radar has been the Giants so-called "ace" Tim Lincecum. Lincecum has a 10.54 ERA through 3 starts and his velocity is down to high 80s and the knee-high location and movement doesn't seem to be the same it used to be. Although Brian Wilson has gone down with a likely season-ending elbow injury, the bullpen seems to have recovered quickly and has done an exceptional job the last few games.
The offense also seems to have improved from an absolutely miserable one last year. The team is averaging 4 runs a game as of right now, and if 4 runs are scored on a regular basis with this outstanding pitching staff, the Giants have a very good chance to win every night. Although the average and the on-base percentage isn't thrilling at .252 and .312 respectively, it's enough to get the job done. The one area they absolutely need to improve is hitting with runners in scoring position and having the ability to bring a knock in a man on third with less than two outs. A runner on third can be scored with merely a somewhat deep flyball to the outfield or a groundball to right side. Therefore, there is no excuse not to drive the runner on third in with with regularity. Also, it suffices to say that the Giants aren't necessarily a clutch team. Night after night Giants have a very low average with runners in scoring position, an average that is necessary for scoring runs. As Jeff Kent once said, "the money lies in the RBIs" and the Giants are not producing on that avenue.
As for the offense, Buster Posey seems to have returned to his formal self after a little bit of a rough start, now batting .361 and Pablo seems to be his normal self, batting at a .333 clip. Fans are falling in love with Melky Cabrera, who had a torrid start but recently cooled off. Last night's game against the Phillies he was 3 for 4 so hopefully that's a sign of things to come. Angel Pagan is starting to come alive after a miserable start to the season after a subpar Spring performance. Pagan is one of the keys to the Giants success because if he can set the table for Melky Cabrera, Pablo Sandoval, and Buster Posey, scoring runs will come much easier. Brandon Belt and Aubrey Huff are having the same struggles that they had in 2011, and seem destined for the bench. Brandon Belt has not been playing nearly as much lately, being replaced in the lineup by the .310 hitting Nate Schierholtz. This lineup move is a move for the better because it seems as if Belt is doomed to have another mediocre season in the bigs. Nate is coming into his prime at the age of 28 while Brandon Belt still has yet to realize his potential. I would like to see Bochy also bench Huff in favor of Brett Pill, the power hitting first baseman. Huff is struggling mightily, batting .207, and if he doesn't turn it around, then something has to be done. Likewise, I would like to see Bochy get Gregor Blanco, the 28-year old outfield speedster some more playing time as well.
Giants fans have a reason to be optimistic, the pitching is coming into its own, and the offense looks to be much improved over last year's. With a few smart lineup moves by Bochy, the Giants offense might well become one of the better ones in the league. Look for them to improve on the 6-6 record and start moving away from the .500 mark. GO GIANTS!
The Giants are sitting right at .500 with 6 wins and 6 losses. Unfortunately, they were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the opening series, but they recovered quickly by winning 2 out of 3 games in the each of the next two series against the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Philadelphia Phillies. After a rough start against the Diamondbacks, the pitching has recovered in exceptional fashion with the exception of Tim Lincecum, the No. 1 pitcher. Matt Cain bounced back from blowing a 6-run lead in his first start, and over the next two starts has held a streak of 18-straight scoreless innings. Barry Zito has been arguably the most impressive Giants starter, in two starts he has an ERA of 1.13 with 16 innings pitched, which includes a 1-hit shutout against the Rockies. Vogelsong had a good first start against the Pirates after returning from injury, giving up 2 runs in 6 and 1/3 innings. Madison Bumgardener has also been impressive, posting solid outings along with a great one in Colorado. The one blip on the radar has been the Giants so-called "ace" Tim Lincecum. Lincecum has a 10.54 ERA through 3 starts and his velocity is down to high 80s and the knee-high location and movement doesn't seem to be the same it used to be. Although Brian Wilson has gone down with a likely season-ending elbow injury, the bullpen seems to have recovered quickly and has done an exceptional job the last few games. 
The offense also seems to have improved from an absolutely miserable one last year. The team is averaging 4 runs a game as of right now, and if 4 runs are scored on a regular basis with this outstanding pitching staff, the Giants have a very good chance to win every night. Although the average and the on-base percentage isn't thrilling at .252 and .312 respectively, it's enough to get the job done. The one area they absolutely need to improve is hitting with runners in scoring position and having the ability to bring a knock in a man on third with less than two outs. A runner on third can be scored with merely a somewhat deep flyball to the outfield or a groundball to right side. Therefore, there is no excuse not to drive the runner on third in with with regularity. Also, it suffices to say that the Giants aren't necessarily a clutch team. Night after night Giants have a very low average with runners in scoring position, an average that is necessary for scoring runs. As Jeff Kent once said, "the money lies in the RBIs" and the Giants are not producing on that avenue. 
Great post Nathan! I'm also excited about the Giants this season if they can continue their solid run production and if Timmy can get back on track. Zito has been a nice boost also and if he can actually be worth even half of what they are paying him they are looking at a good season.
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