Starting this weekend, when Bruce Bochy’s Texas Rangers come to town, the San Francisco Giants won’t face an opponent with a losing record for the next three weeks.
On the bright side, they also don’t leave California, except for a six-day stretch, until September. After a grueling first-half travel schedule — more air miles than any other club — they have only two trips left east of the Rockies.
So, is the toughest part of the schedule behind them, or ahead?
“They’re both challenging in different ways,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “We’ve played good baseball against teams with winning records. All of the challenges, they’re significant but also ones that we can and have overcome.”
Perhaps the tick up in competition is a good thing.
After dropping both games against the A’s over the weekend, Giants players were left just as dumbfounded as anyone about their inexplicable struggles against bad teams. They are 34-27 against clubs with winning records, second-best in the NL, but just 27-24 against those below .500.
“To get where you want to be, you’ve got to beat the teams you’re supposed to beat,” starter Alex Cobb said. “It seems like this year we’re playing really good baseball against good teams but letting two games go like that, hopefully it’s not going to cost us at the end of the year.”
The week ahead
It would have been 21 straight games against opponents above .500, but it appears the Giants have caught the Angels at the time of their annual self-immolation. After going all-in around Shohei Ohtani at the trade deadline — what other choice did they have? — the Angels have dropped six in a row to drop below .500.
Seems like an opportune time to make San Francisco seem like an appealing destination. (Ahem, Alex Cobb.)
The Rangers, on the other hand, own the best run differential in the majors (plus-170) and woke up Monday with a six-game winning streak. Their dangerous lineup did suffer a blow, with All-Star third baseman Josh Jung fracturing his thumb over the weekend.
Probable pitchers
Monday, 6:38 p.m. PT – RHP Logan Webb (9-9, 3.45) vs. LHP Patrick Sandoval (6-8, 4.11)
- TV: NBC Sports Bay Area; Radio: KNBR (680 AM, 104.5 FM)
Tuesday, 6:38 p.m. PT – TBA vs. RHP Lucas Giolito (6-8, 4.36)
- TV: NBC Sports Bay Area; Radio: KNBR (680 AM, 104.5 FM)
Wednesday, 6:38 p.m. PT – TBA vs. RHP Shohei Ohtani (9-5, 3.32)
- TV: NBC Sports Bay Area; Radio: KNBR (680 AM, 104.5 FM)
Friday, 7:15 p.m. PT – RHP Alex Cobb (6-3, 3.30)* vs. LHP Andrew Heaney (9-6, 4.14)*
- TV: Apple TV+; Radio: KNBR (680 AM, 104.5 FM)
Saturday: 6:05 p.m. PT – TBA vs. RHP Dane Dunning (9-4, 3.14)*
- TV: NBC Sports Bay Area; Radio: KNBR (680 AM, 104.5 FM)
Sunday, 1:05 p.m. PT – TBA vs. RHP Max Scherzer (10-4, 4.04)*
- TV: NBC Sports Bay Area; Radio: KNBR (680 AM, 104.5 FM)
*=unofficial
Three storylines to watch
1. Sho-time: For years, the Giants boasted baseball’s most-feared hitter, one man opponents planned their entire attack around. They are on the other side of the coin this week, facing Shohei Ohtani, who is right up there with the most dangerous offensive players the league has seen since Barry Bonds. And, oh, did you hear he can pitch? Tune in Wednesday.
2. Bochy’s back: It will hardly be Bruce Bochy’s first time back at Oracle Park since managing his last game in a Giants uniform, but this weekend will be the first time he’s worn road grays at Third and King since 2006, before leading the franchise to three World Series titles. Few, if any, received louder and longer applause during the various on-field ceremonies Bochy attended over the past few years, and another warm reception is expected Friday. Just make sure you have your Apple TV subscription set up if you can’t make it to the ballpark.
[ READ MORE: Re-energized with Rangers, former SF Giants manager Bruce Bochy faces old team for first time ]
3. Need a spark: At the moment, you could make a case that Bochy isn’t the coach on the Rangers’ staff that the Giants miss the most. That might be Donnie Ecker, who worked wonders as San Francisco’s hitting coach in 2021 and is now Bochy’s bench coach and hitting coordinator. The Rangers have scored the most runs in the majors this season, while the Giants have ranked at the very bottom for the past month. Even in their apparent breakout Sunday, scoring six runs in a loss to the A’s, they didn’t produce one extra-base hit or ball in play hit at more than 100 mph.
Who’s hot
Last 15 days
IF/DH Wilmer Flores: 14-for-41, .341/.386/.561 (.947 OPS), 2 HR, 3 2B, 3 BB, 8 K
RHP Ross Stripling: 15⅔ IP, 2.87 ERA, 13 K, 0 BB (active 31-inning streak without a walk)
Who’s not
Last 15 days
The entire team (except Flores): 75-for-377, .199/.281/.308 (.589 OPS), 8 HR, 39 BB, 113 K
On the farm
Left-hander Kyle Harrison worked two innings Saturday in his first start back with Triple-A Sacramento since a hamstring injury.
Harrison walked the first four batters he faced and only 18 of his 42 pitches found the strike zone. He will need to continue to improve his ability to find the strike zone before he earns a promotion to the majors, which Farhan Zaidi said they are monitoring on a “start-to-start” basis.
“The walks continue to be something we want to monitor and work on,” Kapler said Sunday. “Both Kyle’s command and his control. But that’s why he is where he is, so he can work on those things.”
Injury report
OF Mike Yastrzemski (left hamstring strain): Expected to resume running this week after beginning hitting and throwing over the weekend. Status: 10-day IL, eligible: Thursday.
RHP Anthony DeSclafani (right flexor strain): A candidate to be transferred to the 60-day IL when the Giants need a 40-man roster spot, DeSclafani isn’t likely to pitch again this season. He received a PRP injection Sunday and won’t throw for the next 6-8 weeks. Status: 15-day IL, eligible: Friday.
OF Mitch Haniger (right forearm fracture): Has resumed light baseball activities but has not progressed to facing live pitching yet. Status: 60-day IL, eligible: Sunday.
OF Luis González (back surgery): Batting .156 (5-for-32) on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento, which must come to an end by Aug. 14. At that time, González must either be added to the 40-man roster or designated for assignment. Status: 60-day IL (rehab), eligible: now.
RHP John Brebbia (right lat strain): Set to begin throwing off a mound this week. Status: 60-day IL, eligible: Aug. 16.