What we learned from the Giants’ series split vs. the Dodgers
The San Francisco Giants are supposed to return to Oracle Park Tuesday to open a six-game homestand following a stunning series split in Los Angeles.
If Major League Baseball has the players’ best interests in mind, the Giants probably shouldn’t play on Tuesday, or anytime this week.
With a widespread COVID-19 outbreak decimating the Miami Marlins roster (at least 10 players have reportedly tested positive) and other prominent stars across the league dealing with lingering effects of positive tests, it’s increasingly clear the league’s health and safety protocols aren’t enough to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.
MLB postponed two games Monday, calling off the MarlinsOrioles game and the PhilliesYankees matchup to “conduct additional COVID-19 testing.” If the Phillies, who hosted the Marlins on Sunday, have an outbreak on their roster, the season could be over before a full week of games is even complete.
The Giants will hold out hope veteran right-hander Jeff Samardzija can start Tuesday’s home opener, in part because blissfully ignorant hope is all MLB can cling to at this point. The reality is no one knows how damaging a decision to play might be, but there’s a growing consensus that too much harm has already been done.
If the season does continue, these lessons we learned about the Giants in Los Angeles will be worth considering. Then again, perhaps none of this matters at all.
1. The protocols aren’t enough — When television cameras panned into the visiting dugout at Dodger Stadium this weekend, they caught glimpses of Giants manager Gabe Kapler and his coaching staff, who set a strong example for the rest of baseball by wearing masks throughout all four games this weekend.
Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow commented that he hadn’t seen Kapler without a mask on since the pandemic began and that’s not far from the truth. Kapler knows the rest of the Giants will follow his lead, so it’s not a stretch to say that wearing a mask whenever he’s around players, coaches and staffers has been one of the most important functions of his job.
Outside of seeing coaches wearing masks, television broadcasts didn’t give off the best indication MLB’s health and safety protocols will be effective. Players are eagerly high fiving and fist bumping one another and in a game on Friday at the Coliseum, the Oakland A’s enjoyed a walkoff grand slam with a home plate celebration that wasn’t too far off from what you’d see in pre-pandemic times.
As test results around the league continue to lag and players continue to come within six feet of one another for extended periods of time in the dugout, there’s no question MLB needs to take stricter measures to give itself a chance of completing the season.
The Giants may not be the most exciting club in the league, but Thursday’s Opening Night matchup on ESPN was the highest-rated regular season game in the San Francisco market since 2013. Everyone wants to watch baseball. Everyone also realizes the health and safety of players and coaches takes priority over actual games.
MLB needs to quickly reevaluate what’s going on.
2. It’s already the postseason
for the Giants — If no one knows how many games will actually be played, it’s worth treating every game like it’s your last.
That’s exactly what Kapler did in Los Angeles, scrapping together his pitching staff on an inningby-inning basis against the Dodgers and trying to find every possible schematic advantage. The result was a Giants team that was obviously overmatched on paper pulled off a series split against their rivals, which is all the more impressive considering the team suffered through a pair of noncompetitive losses on the first two days of the season.
Kapler never let a pitcher record more than 10 outs, had Drew Smyly pitch twice in the series and used a wide array of relievers so Dodgers hitters never got too comfortable at the plate. The Giants’ bullpen was particularly effective on Sunday as it recorded 5 2/3 scoreless innings while only allowing three hits (all singles) against a lineup loaded with power-hitters.
The approach Kapler took was met with criticism — including from some of his own veteran starters — but they’ll likely soften their stances after seeing positive results. Winning has a way of curing issues, and after examining different fits for his personnel this weekend, the Giants will head into their series against the Padres with a better grasp of which players are best equipped to help them continue down this path.
3. The left-handed lineup needs pop — The Giants were overmatched at the plate in the first two games of the series, but put forth much more consistent plate appearances over the next two games.
It wasn’t only a matter of players finally settling in, but also the fact Kapler wrote completely different lineups for the first and second halves of the series.
The Giants’ lineup against left-handed starters Alex Wood and Julio Urías featured Darin Ruf and Donovan Solano, who both contributed with RBIs in pivotal moments late in the series. Austin Slater, who is also an asset against lefties, missed Sunday’s game with a hip contusion, but he drew three walks Saturday and sets the tone with professional plate appearances from the leadoff spot.
The Giants’ lineup against righties Dustin May and Ross Stripling was lacking firepower, particularly because shortstop Brandon Crawford got off to a slow start at the plate and left fielder Alex Dickerson didn’t slug the ball like he’s capable of doing.