San Francisco Giants: 5 highs, 5 lows from the first half

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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – MAY 31: Starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz #37 of the San Francisco Giants works the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 31, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

No. 4 Lowlight: Farhan Zaidi’s roster swing-and-misses

We’ve talked about the good moves that Zaidi has made. It hasn’t all been good, though.

The biggest whiff of the season has been Drew Pomeranz, who came to the San Francisco Giants on a one-year deal in hopes of regaining the form he showed during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. Instead, he 6.42 ERA in 16 starts.

The idea to bring back Derek Holland hasn’t worked out either. And who could forget the Connor Joe and Michael Reed experiment on Opening Day?

Yangervis Solarte and Gerardo Parra both broke camp with roster spots after signing minor league deals but failed to hold onto jobs.

Zaidi has cast a wide net in his search for low-cost upgrades, and while he’s hit on a few, several others have flopped. That’s just how it goes when you’re bargain shopping.

No. 4 Highlight: The Giants play on the road

So far this season, the San Francisco Giants have enjoyed their time away from Oracle Park.

Take a look at their home/road splits:

Home: 20-26, -64 run differential
Road: 21-22, -6 run differential

They haven’t necessarily been good on the road, but they’ve clearly been a far better team when they’re flying out of San Francisco and staying in hotels.

The biggest difference on the road has been the offensive production. The Giants are averaging 3.39 runs per game at Oracle Park, compared to 4.95 runs per game elsewhere. That’s to be expected to a point given the pitcher-friendly environment in San Francisco, but this would seem to go beyond that.

The good news is, the Giants begin the second half with a seven-game road trip against the Milwaukee Brewers and Colorado Rockies.