The Giants pulled out another one-run win yesterday by registering two runs in the bottom of the 9th to trip the Miami Marlins 3-2. The win gave them a 2-1 series victory gave them a break-even 2-2 series and brought their record to an even .500 (16-16). [Thanks to Michael Payan for pointing out my mistake.]
But the continuing low power being turned in by the offense has to be a source of great concern to Bruce Bochy and the Giants’ front office.
It’s not like the Giants can’t hit at all. Their team average of .257 is seventh in the NL and they rank fourth in hits with 281. But their hitting in the clutch is…well, let’s face it…missing in action. They rank:
- 13th in the NL in homers with 20
- 15th in the NL in runs with 101 (Just over 3 per game!)
- 12th with runners in scoring position (.223), 7th with runners in scoring position with two out (.250) and next-to-last with the bases loaded (.160).
Pretty abysmal picture of not getting hits when they count.
Contrast these figures with the 2014 stats, when the Giants finished their championship season at:
- 4th in BA (.255)
- 4th in hits (1,407)
- 7th in homers (132)
- 5th in scoring (650)
And situationally, the difference is like night and day. Their 2014 RiSP? .267, thirfd best in the NL. With two outs, they hit a league-leading .257. Apparently the Giant don’t like to load the bases because even in 2014 they ranked 10th of the 16 NL teams with a .238 average in that situation.
Meanwhile, the pitching, despite some real shabbiness in the back end of the starting rotation, is above-average in the two most important stats, ERA (3.63, sixth best in the league) and WHIP (1.27, fifth). Partially as a result, the Giants have already played 12 one-run,nine-inning games (in which they are a remarkable 9-3) and four extra-innings affairs (3-1).
So the 2015 season so far can be summed up quite easily. The Giants are not getting the hits when they count.
The Giants had the day off today for travel to Houston where they open up a rare 2-game stand against the AL West-leading Atros. Then it’s on to Cincinnati for four with the Reds before coming home to square off with the Dodgers in a one-series home stand.
Dan Shafer on Sports 