The SF Giants are losing the kind of games that playoff teams win

The SF Giants are coming off two bitter and frustrating extra-innings losses to the Atlanta Braves. The Giants at their best are clearly good enough to make the postseason, but they are losing the kind of games that playoff teams win.

The SF Giants are losing the close games that they need to win

Coming into this week's 4-game series against the Braves, it was clear that winning the series would be a huge boon for the Giants in their efforts to make the postseason. After having lost the first 2 games, the Giants now have their back against the wall as they try to salvage a split series in the final two games to remain within reach in the NL Wild Card race.

The last two games were both heartbreakers for the Giants. Both went to extra innings, and in both the Braves scored their automatic baserunner in the top of the 10th while the Giants failed to score theirs in the bottom of the 10th. These consecutive failures are emblematic of the team's inability to hit with runners in scoring position as of late. On the season the Giants rank 24th in batting average with runners in scoring position.

The Giants had a general formula for their success in 2010, 2012, and 2014. The key pillars were great pitching, sound defense, and timely hitting. This year, the Giants have a very solid pitching staff, have played fairly solid defense, but they are not getting those clutch hits often enough.

The kind of game the Giants have lost the last two nights is the kind of game that playoff teams win more often than not. Those winning teams are just able to find that key hit or two or take advantage of a key mistake to eke out a victory even if they aren't firing on all cylinders as a team that night.

That just does not describe the Giants right now. Last night's loss dropped them back to .500 on the year and also brought their record in 1-run games to 18-18. It is fitting, really. The Giants have been a .500 team the last two seasons and they are trending towards that stench of mediocrity again in 2024.

There is still plenty of season left, but if the Giants are going to prove that they are a playoff team they absolutely must win those tight contests that come down to the very end and are often decided by one key, clutch hit towards the end of the game. That is what those championship teams did so well, but thus far it does not seem like the 2024 team is capable of the same.