[Mick]

I'm going to take small solace in the fact that the Giants struck out only five times.  They struck out 1,467 times last year, a team record and an average of 9.05 strikeouts per game.  That isn't saying much, however, MLB teams struck out an average of 8.48 times per game last year.  The problem is that other teams enjoyed a power surge (Yankees hit 267 HRs, Dodgers hit 235, Giants hit 133 -- second worst in majors.

Everyone knows Oracle Park is a pitcher's dream.  The Giants only scored 3.72 runs per game, 14th of 15 NL teams; but their pitching only gave up 699 runs, or 4.31 runs per game, which was middle of the pack -- 15th among 30 MLB teams.  If the Giants' pitching staff can improve by .6 runs per game, that would put them at 3rd among MLB teams.

The Giants won the World Series scoring 665 runs in 2012 and 697 runs in 2014.  They scored 606 last year.  At least two outfielders would have to emerge, Belt would have to keep in form, Panik would have to return to his first two All-Star years -- and based on spring training, he might.  Crawford and Posey looked terrible in spring training, just terrible.  They both got old very quickly.  Hopefully the Giants bring up Burt, who hit very well in spring training.  Bumgarner looked very good, I thought, with nine strikeouts.  Longoria was 2 for 4, that was promising.

That outfield is a mess, though.  P...U...

Hope springs eternal.  Game tonight at Petco, 7:10.  Giants outfielders are batting 6, 7, 8.  Wonder when the last time that happened?  Derek Holland starts.

[Mick]

I'm going to take small solace in the fact that the Giants struck out only five times.  They struck out 1,467 times last year, a team record and an average of 9.05 strikeouts per game.  That isn't saying much, however, MLB teams struck out an average of 8.48 times per game last year.  The problem is that other teams enjoyed a power surge (Yankees hit 267 HRs, Dodgers hit 235, Giants hit 133 -- second worst in majors.

Everyone knows Oracle Park is a pitcher's dream.  The Giants only scored 3.72 runs per game, 14th of 15 NL teams; but their pitching only gave up 699 runs, or 4.31 runs per game, which was middle of the pack -- 15th among 30 MLB teams.  If the Giants' pitching staff can improve by .6 runs per game, that would put them at 3rd among MLB teams.

The Giants won the World Series scoring 665 runs in 2012 and 697 runs in 2014.  They scored 606 last year.  At least two outfielders would have to emerge, Belt would have to keep in form, Panik would have to return to his first two All-Star years -- and based on spring training, he might.  Crawford and Posey looked terrible in spring training, just terrible.  They both got old very quickly.  Hopefully the Giants bring up Burt, who hit very well in spring training.  Bumgarner looked very good, I thought, with nine strikeouts.  Longoria was 2 for 4, that was promising.

That outfield is a mess, though.  P...U...

Hope springs eternal.  Game tonight at Petco, 7:10.  Giants outfielders are batting 6, 7, 8.  Wonder when the last time that happened?  Derek Holland starts.