Weekend BP: Hello July

Good morning, baseball fans!

It’s a new month, so let’s take a look back at the month that was and what’s in store for the San Francisco Giants in the next few weeks.

When looking at the schedule going into June, it seemed like it would likely be an easier month for the Giants, with them poised to face several below average teams. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to capitalize against them. Instead, they split the month 13-13 on the month. They split the series against the Miami Marlins, lost the series against the Rockies, swept the Los Angeles Dodgers, took two of three from both the Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates, before losing three of four against the Atlanta Braves, losing two of three against the Cincinnati Reds again, and splitting a short series against the Detroit Tigers.

Was it a proper June Swoon? I don’t think so. They showed signs of being a very good baseball team, especially during the series against the Dodgers, who are a very good baseball team. So it’s not like all hope is lost. But in terms of momentum, this should have been a good month for them, at least on paper.

Coming up in July, we’ll see a lot more divisional play, with three of eight series being played against the Arizona Diamondbacks, as well as a series each against the San Diego Padres and the Dodgers. To round out the month, we have one last interleague series this weekend, then two four-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs.

If the Giants want to see their odds of being playoff contenders solidify, they’ll need to take advantage of the nine games they’ll be playing against the Diamondbacks specifically, who are currently sitting at a 34-42 record, and who have lost seven of their last ten games.

They will, thankfully, mostly all get a rest during the All Star break mid-month, which will take place just before they head to Los Angeles for four games. So hopefully a little rest will help them replicate the success we saw last month.

What times do the Giants play this weekend?

The Giants complete their three-game series against the Chicago White Sox this weekend, with both games having a 1:05 p.m. PT start time.