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The Giants completed their first sweep of the year yesterday, and boy, that took a long time, didn't it? I know what you're thinking: "I hope that someone on the Internet does the research to find out just how long it's taken every other Giants team in San Francisco to finish their first sweeps of 3 games or more, so I have something to which I can compare this long wait." Well, good news! I did that. It was kinda by accident, since I was only planning on going back far enough to see the last time it took the Giants this long, but ha ha, funny story, it's actually never taken them this many games since they moved out west in 1958.
This is a pretty cursory analysis, of course, and doesn't account for factors like there having been a lot more two game series several decades ago or the first few teams playing 154 games instead of 162, which would mean that those teams are at a disadvantage when it comes to opportunities to complete 3 game sweeps. Turns out that doesn't matter. Let's take a look:
| Year | Opponent | Dates | Game number |
| 2017 | Rockies | 6/26-28 | 81 |
| 2016 | Padres | 4/25-27 | 23 |
| 2015 | Angels | 5/1-3 | 25 |
| 2014 | Indians | 4/25-27 | 25 |
| 2013 | Rockies | 4/8-10 | 9 |
| 2012 | Cubs | 6/1-4 | 55 |
| 2011 | Rockies | 5/6-8 | 34 |
| 2010 | Astros | 4/5-7 | 3 |
| 2009 | A’s | 6/12-14 | 62 |
| 2008 | Diamondbacks | 5/27-29 | 54 |
| 2007 | Diamondbacks | 4/20-22 | 17 |
| 2006 | Astros | 5/15-17 | 41 |
| 2005 | Rockies | 4/8-10 | 6 |
| 2004 | Diamondbacks | 5/25-27 | 46 |
| 2003 | Padres | 3/31-4/2 | 3 |
| 2002 | Dodgers | 4/2-4 | 3 |
| 2001 | Padres | 4/2-5 | 3 |
| 2000 | Diamondbacks | 4/21-23 | 18 |
| 1999 | Reds | 4/5-7 | 3 |
| 1998 | Marlins | 5/4-6 | 33 |
| 1997 | Mets | 4/13-14 | 11 |
| 1996 | Pirates | 5/10-12 | 36 |
| 1995 | Padres | 5/4-7 | 12 |
| 1994 | Pirates | 4/4-6 | 3 |
| 1993 | Expos | 4/30-5/2 | 26 |
| 1992 | Reds | 4/17-19 | 12 |
| 1991 | Astros | 4/19-21 | 12 |
| 1990 | Mets | 5/14-16 | 34 |
| 1989 | Phillies | 5/26-28 | 48 |
| 1988 | Mets | 5/13-15 | 37 |
| 1987 | Padres | 4/6-8 | 3 |
| 1986 | Padres | 4/17-20 | 12 |
| 1985 | Phillies | 5/31-6/2 | 47 |
| 1984 | Cardinals | 5/4-6 | 28 |
| 1983 | Pirates | 5/6-8 | 27 |
| 1982 | Cubs | 6/4-6 | 55 |
| 1981 | Pirates | 8/27-30 | 79 |
| 1980 | Cardinals | 5/16-18 | 36 |
| 1979 | Astros | 5/15-17 | 37 |
| 1978 | Cardinals | 5/12-14 | 32 |
| 1977 | Pirates | 6/6-8 | 56 |
| 1976 | Astros | 5/24-26 | 43 |
| 1975 | Pirates | 5/19-21 | 38 |
| 1974 | Astros | 4/5-7 | 3 |
| 1973 | Braves | 4/17-18 | 14 |
| 1972 | Dodgers | 6/30-7/1 | 76 |
| 1971 | Cubs | 4/16-18 | 13 |
| 1970 | Braves | 6/26-28 | 73 |
| 1969 | Padres | 4/11-13 | 6 |
| 1968 | Astros | 5/6-9 | 32 |
| 1967 | Dodgers | 4/28-30 | 16 |
| 1966 | Astros | 4/15-17 | 6 |
| 1965 | Astros | 5/14-16 | 31 |
| 1964 | Phillies | 6/5-7 | 49 |
| 1963 | Astros | 4/9-11 | 3 |
| 1962 | Braves | 4/10-12 | 3 |
| 1961 | Cubs | 5/15-17 | 29 |
| 1960 | Pirates | 5/6-8 | 21 |
| 1959 | Cardinals | 4/10-12 | 3 |
| 1958 | Dodgers | 5/9-13 | 26 |
That Dodgers series in 1958 was actually two in San Francisco and two in Los Angeles, like the Giants now do with the A’s every year, but if you don’t want to count that as one series, then it actually did take them longer. Their next sweep was from July 15 through 17 against the Phillies, ending on game 86 of the season.
But other than that, the only time it's taken the Giants longer in a calendar year to complete a 3 or 4 game sweep was 1981, and that was because labor issues meant that two months of games were cancelled. Otherwise, this Giants team, who you'll note is very bad despite the good, fun series that they just played, is the worst in San Francisco history.