Three takeaways from the SF Giants series sweep over the Los Angeles Dodgers
The SF Giants were red-hot coming into their first season matchup against the fierce rival Los Angeles Dodgers, and after four straight series wins on the road, they managed to one up themselves with a dominant three game series sweep.
Three takeaways from the SF Giants series sweep over the Los Angeles Dodgers
While it wasn't pretty at times, the Giants did what they needed to do to come away with three victories, and now find themselves ahead of LA in the division standings, now just four games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West.
San Francisco still have plenty of work to do if they want to become a genuine contender, but with 29 runs scored in their three game series against LA, they are well on the way, and the following are three takeaways from arguably the Giants best series of the year.
3. The SF Giants need to make a move in their rotation
Despite the success of the past few weeks for the SF Giants, the rotation appears to be shaky, with Alex Wood, Anthony DeSclafani, and Logan Webb the only proven commodities in the current rotation as Alex Cobb and John Brebbia both went on the Injured List in recent days.
Whether that's moving newly-recalled Keaton Winn into the starting rotation, shifting veteran Sean Manea back into the rotation or calling up top prospect Kyle Harrison, the Giants need to make a move if they want to save this bullpen and remain hot.
The Giants currently don't have anyone listed to start their three games against the San Diego Padres, and coming home after a 6-0 road trip, it may be the perfect time to make a neccessary move.
2. The NL West race is heating up due to the SF Giants
Heading into 2023, many people expected the LA Dodgers to run away with the National League West, but almost three months into the season, it's clear that's not the case, as the Giants have now moved their way up to second place, with just 8.5 games separating first and fourth in the division.
The Giants now find themselves just 4 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks, and with one of the best records in baseball since late May, this division race is seemingly going to go down to the wire in 2023, with so much talent in the division.
The Giants still have some moves to make in order to continue this run going forward, but right now, they've solidified themselves as a very real threat in the NL West, and are now gearing up for a tight race over the next three months.
1. The SF Giants offense is deep and legit
The SF Giants offense has been their driving force for the majority of the season, and after impressing against St. Louis, they turned it up another notch against the Dodgers, scoring 7, 15 and 7 runs in the series, showing that they can win in many different ways.
It wasn't just one or two players however, as Luis Matos, Lamonte Wade Jr., J.D. Davis, Brandon Crawford and many others contributed to their success, and even without Mitch Haniger, this is a team that has power, contact and speed from 1-9, making them a threat to anyone they come across.
In three games, the team were near perfect offensively, with home run power, plate discipline and momentum all built perfectly, and in the clutch, the team were just as good, giving them plenty of confidence as they head into another critical division showdown against San Diego.