Giants Can’t Hit, Situationally Or Otherwise

In this blog post, Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News points out what most everyone in the Bay Area has come to know this season; the Giants can pitch really, really well, but they can’t hit:

The Giants just held the Phillies and Brewers to an average of 1.5 runs over their six-game road trip while playing in two noted hitter’s yards.

That’s an accomplishment. Some teams wouldn’t have held Ryan Howard and Prince Fielder to an average of 1.5 runs.

Bring out the brooms, right?

Well, no. They also went 4-for-42 with runners in scoring position. That explains how they actually lost two games to the Colorado Rockies in the wild card standings while splitting this Cheesesteak/Cheesehead trip.

The problem doesn’t stop with the ineptitude with runners in scoring position. The Giants lack fundamentals, which was exemplified by Juan Uribe popping up a bunt in a key situation yesterday:

The Giants do not bunt because A) Bruce Bochy doesnt like to give away outs and B) outside of Andres Torres, they don’t have anyone who can be trusted to do it.

Tim Flannery had early bunting practice every day in spring training. The voluntary attendees were Torres, Emmanuel Burriss, Kevin Frandsen and Eugenio Velez.

But simply put, aside from Pablo Sandoval, the Giants dont have a single hitter who is good enough to not be able to get a bunt down.

Prince Fielder? Ryan Howard? Albert Pujols? OK, fine. Never get a sac hit in your career, boys. You’re not paid to do that.

Aaron Rowand, who has no sac hits as a Giant, is not in that class. Neither is anyone else on the Giants roster.

Outside of Sandoval, the Giants don’t have hitters that scare much of anyone. Unless the Giants plan on riding 1-0 wins to a postseason berth, they better get back to the basics.