Giants Taking Baby Steps Towards First-Half Form

Photo: Tony Avelar

As the San Francisco Giants spiraled further and further since the beginning of the second half, losing their title as the best team in baseball and lead the National League West, it was clear that the rise back to an elite level would not be an overnight process.

The Giants played so well in the first half that there was a feeling that they would just snap out of it instantaneously, just as they did after they struggled in the early weeks of the season, but the team never snapped out of their second-half funk.

Despite their overall poor play in the second half, the Giants are finally taking baby steps towards playing baseball at a first-half level.

San Francisco was not able to gain ground in their three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, dropping two of three, but the team got a jolt as Matt Moore flirted with a no-hitter before losing it with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

For a team desperate to encapsulate any momentum thrown their way, Moore's no-hit bid got the ball rolling. He may not have been able to etch his name in the history books, but his performance sent a message that the team still had a few punches left to throw.

The Giants followed up Moore's no-hit bid by winning their first series at AT&T Park in the second-half against the Atlanta Braves, capped off in the finale by dropping 13 runs while hitting four home runs and four triples.

The biggest takeaway from this series victory is that the Giants beat a team they were expected to beat, which has been a problem in the second half, losing series to teams such as the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia Phillies.

San Francisco's schedule will get a tad easier during the rest of August and the duration of September, as the team is set up to play two series each against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Colorado Rockies, and the San Diego Padres.

These upcoming games against weaker divisional rivals are the perfect opportunity get some of their swagger back and reclaim the lead in the National League West from the Dodgers.

San Francisco's schedule isn't without its bumps in the road, as they'll have to play the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals once, as well as the Dodgers twice, including the last three games of the season which can make or break either team's playoff hopes.

Although it is a small sample size, the Giants winning three of their last four games is a step in the right direction, and with this little bit of energy going for them, there's reason to believe they can do the same against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the upcoming series.

But, on the other end of the spectrum, if San Francisco cannot play at or above .500 baseball against their divisional rivals, there's no sugar-coating the fact that the Even Year Shenanigans may finally come to a bitter end.

With 32 more games to go in the regular season, there's ample time for these baby steps to materialize into first half Giants baseball.