Two teams occupying NL playoff spots will wrap up their first series of the season on Sunday afternoon. The San Francisco Giants (64-58; before playing Saturday) and Atlanta Braves (79-42) are meeting for the third time, before locking horns again next weekend. Atlanta opened the series with a 4-0 win. Will MLB's best team add another tally to the win column? At 1:35 p.m. EDT in Truist Park, the world will see if the Giants will play the role of giant killers.
May and June were strong months for the Giants, who combined for a 35-20 record in that time. July and August haven't been as kind, with the club 18-22 between the two months after Friday's loss. It's no coincidence that the Giants have also been scoring the fewest runs per game since July 1. A strikeout rate that is only better than three teams makes it difficult for San Francisco to consistently score. To that point, they're bottom 10 in batting average (24th), OBP (22nd), and slugging percentage (25th). Also beginning the weekend 29th in stolen bases, scoring has been a struggle for the Giants lately, and getting blanked on Friday didn't help.
San Francisco's recent results would be a lot worse if it weren't for the pitching staff. As a unit, the Giants have i ssued walks at the lowest rate and have given up the fourth-fewest homers. Their bullpen has emerged as a reliable weapon, ranking second in WAR, fourth in FIP, and eighth in ERA. Manager Gabe Kapler has routinely used bullpen games lately, and Sunday appears to be another. Considering how San Francisco's relief weapons have fared, it's a worthwhile attack.
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