The Giants are getting hot at the right time, and have hit a home run in 17 consecutive games.
At 71 – 69, the Giants are third in the NL West, seven and a half back of the Bums with seven to play against them.
There are 22 games left. The Giants schedule is advantageous other than the seven games against LA. We have two series against St. Louis and one against the Diamondbacks, and face the Rockies at home in the last series of the season.
These teams are beatable. It would define an epic run to a postseason berth.
Tonight’s win – Giants 10, Rockies 8 – was critical. Before the game and all those other team’s losses, ESPN had the Giants with a 3% chance of making the postseason. After the win, that increased to 4.3%
Matt Chapman, who was suspended for this game for his role in the kerfuffle the night before, was allowed to play because he appealed. The suspension was suspended until they have an appeals process.
After having last night off from being tossed, well-rested and fit at altitude against the weak ass Rox, Chappy went off for two home runs, a double and a walk. He had four RBIs.
Chappy is the barometer of this team. He’s played in 107 of 140 games this season, and wins are statistically correlated to his homers and hits.
We crashed in the standings when he first hit the injured reserve list in June. The Giants tanked immediately, swept by the Marlins and losing a series to the White Sox. They went 4 – 9 for the 13 games he was gone. When he was returned to the IL for ten days in August the Giants went 2 – 9.
Last night, Chapman bailed out Robbie Ray, who imploded in the fifth and lost his chance at a win. Ray looked good, until he didn’t. He fell apart in the 5th. The Rockies are not good. But getting a sweep in the majors isn’t easy.
The offense kept us ahead and the ‘pen held. The bullpen remains a strong suit statistically, even after the trade deadline changed its make-up. Unfortunately Ryan Walker was again shaky trying to close.
We have all the same problems we had when I was writing about us in June.
But no Intranquilo Camilo – Doval’s blowing saves (and getting them) for the Yankees now.
And no submariner, as Tyler Rogers is also playing in New York, for the Mets. We could end up facing Tyler in a wildcard in New York.
Can we get a wildcard?
Well …
If they all get hot.
Willy Adames, who has improved steadily and has hit 26 homers, Rafa Devers and Chappy have to lead from the front.
Heliot Ramos and Jung Hoo Lee have to keep rolling. Wilmer is healthy. Dom Smith and Luis Matos look good. Clutch hits and better base running are a necessity now.
Webb, Ray, and Verlander would be the starters for postseason. The bullpen, which was changed radically at the trade deadline, has stayed among the best.
They’d have to get CRAZY hot and get help. But this is doable.
There’s 22 games left. I think the first team to 86 wins will get the WC position.
The Giants need 16 wins from the last 22 games.
Let’s Go Giants!
Giants Baseball Corner 