SF Giants hit rough patch ahead of trade deadline, tough schedule

Remember when the SF Giants came out of the All-Star break winning five straight games? Those were good times. Well, since then, they have lost five in a row. They are still in the midst of a soft spot in the schedule, but losing three straight games against the Washington Nationals this weekend will be one of those stretches that stick out at the end of the season.

SF Giants hit rough patch ahead of trade deadline, tough schedule

The games leading up to the trade deadline tend to get magnified. If a team is walking the line between buying and selling, wins and losses in the week before the trade deadline can tip a team one way or the other.

That is not exactly where the Giants are at the moment. They are still eight games above .500 with a 54-46 record, which ties them with the Arizona Diamondbacks for second place in the Wild Card standings. They remain in a buying position.

The Cincinnati Reds hold a 0.5-game lead against both teams in the Wild Card standings. Though, the Philadelphia Phillies and Miami Marlins are in the playoff hunt as well. These will likely be the five teams in the Wild Card hunt at the end of the year.

The Giants really could have helped themselves by winning at least one game against the Nationals. However, for one reason or another, the Nationals just seem to be a bad matchup for the Giants as they went 5-1 against San Francisco in 2023.

Now, the Giants have three games coming up, including one against the Detroit Tigers and two against the Oakland A's. After that is when it gets tough as the Boston Red Sox come into town starting on Friday.

The August schedule is a brutal one. The Giants are slated to face off against the Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, and Philadelphia Phillies. As things currently stand, they will play 27 games next month with 24 of those games coming against teams with a .500 record or better. Oddly enough, the Giants have played some of their best baseball against the more competitive teams.

One way or the other, the Giants will need reinforcements before the trade deadline. They could use a pitcher or two as well as someone who can bolster the lineup. These next few games against the Tigers and A's will be crucial given the tough road ahead.

Plus, the team on the field will need to reaffirm to the front office that they should be buyers. This goes back to the concept that games before the trade deadline tend to be magnified. Unfortunately, a five-game losing streak does create some doubt.

That said, the Giants have been a solid team for much of this season, so the overall performance should prevail in the front office's assessment. Still, it would have been nice if they could have scratched or win or two across the board during the losing streak. It came at an inopportune time, especially when they are slated to face so many strong teams next month.