Giants Go Into All-Star Break Winning 6 Of 7

Although it’s only eleven days in, guess who leads the major leagues in runs scored and is second in homers. If you said Buster Posey Travis Ishikawa the San Francisco Giants, you’d be correct. The Giants enter the break leading the major’s in runs scored (67) and second in dingers with 18 for the month of July, something I wasn’t prepared to say this season, all be it only in an eleven game stretch.

The Giants ended the first half today winning two of three from the Washington Nationals, putting the finishing touches on a very solid first half to the season. Although the “official” first half of the season was a week or so back, the Giants will go into the break six games over .500, sitting on a 47-41 record – a pretty impressive number when you think about how things could have gone.

After thumping’s from the Red Sox and Dodgers at AT&T Park, the Giants embarked on the longest road trip of the year – an eleven game trip that would send them through Colorado, Milwaukee, and Washington D.C. Things didn’t get any better when the Giants dropped the first two games of the Colorado series and were faced with the dilemma of facing Rockies ace and potential 2010 Cy Young winner Ubaldo Jimenez. But then it all changed.

Bengie Molina was shipped to Texas. Buster Posey was the new starting catcher (more or less….*glares* at Bochy)…and Travis Ishikawa was anointed (be it as more of a test) the new first baseman. After beating Ubaldo in a wild game, the Giants lost a heart-breaker to Colorado but then proceeded to take out their frustrations on the Brewers, sweeping the Brew Crew in a four game series before taking two of three from the Nats in D.C. The results? A 7-4 road trip that started off 0-2 after some disastrous losses at home.

The Giants were in prime position to really make or break their season after the rough homestand versus the Red Sox and Dodgers. And when things started to go bad in Colorado, while I’m in no sense saying it was time to be in full on panic mode – the season was certainly in serious balance. A rough road trip (which considering the Giants poor play and lack of winning ways on the road wasn’t that far fetched) really could have turned the Giants from potential buyers at the deadline to sellers. But after winning 6 of 7, the Giants have certainly kept themselves well in contention for the National League West and the Wild Card.

The Giants will open the second half with a four game series at home versus the Mets before heading onto the road again for a four game tussle with the D’Backs and then up to Los Angeles to face the motherfuckers Dodgers – a stretch of games that will really define the Giants forecast on the second half.

One last note – Buster Posey and Travis Iskikawa were absolute MONEY on this road trip. Pure glue. They more or less carried the Giants for these past eleven games – each delivering more big hits than a Ray Lewis and Patrick Willis love child. Buster Posey had more RBI’s, HR’s, and hits in a six game stretch than ANY other rookie in major league history.

Impressive.

Enjoy the break!