The Braves are playing better than about anyone in baseball. The Giants haven’t been as exciting, but they aren’t too far behind.
San Francisco has won its past four series, with victories over the Angels, Nationals, Dodgers and Padres. The recent run moved them over .500 at 16-15.
The Giants, who tied for the worst record in baseball in 2017, bucked the trend of “blow it up” rebuilds and doubled down on their veteran-laden roster, adding Andrew McCutchen and Evan Longoria via trade and signing Austin Jackson.
Here are five things to know about the Giants, who visit the Braves for a three-game series at SunTrust Park this weekend:
1. The Braves won the season series against the Giants a year ago, 4-3, for the first time since 2011. They dropped two of three in San Francisco before winning three of four in Atlanta.
2. Despite coming on late, the Giants are third place in the National League West. They sit 5-1/2 games behind first-place Arizona, and a half-game behind the Rockies. Their arch-rival Dodgers, decimated by injuries and under-performances, are 2.5 games behind them in fourth.
3. San Francisco's offense is among the league's worst. It's scored 117 runs, ranking 25th in the majors. The Giants' 31 homers ranks 20th, while their .689 OPS is 25th. They've been better lately, scoring six or more runs in five of their last seven games.
4. The Giants could play without offseason acquisition Andrew McCutchen for at least part of the series. He was hit by a pitch on his left elbow Wednesday and is considered day-to-day. McCutchen is hitting .221 with three homers and 13 RBIs.
Evan Longoria, the Giants’ other major addition, is finding his form after a dreadful start. He’s hitting .243 with six home runs and 16 RBIs. He had six RBIs in the three-game span from April 28-30.
5. Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto are absent from the rotation, yet the team is piecing together quality starts. Ty Blach and Chris Stratton have been what the backend of the rotation needed. The bullpen, a team weakness for the past few seasons, did enough to hold fort in April.
The San Francisco Chronicle explained how the Giants are discovering an identity.
