SF Giants’ dominant win was more than a win. It was a second-half blueprint

Maybe all this team needed was a break. Breakout hitter Casey Schmitt and Landen Roupp went to Santa Cruz, Bryce Eldridge went to Disneyland, and manager Tony Vitello went to Cabo. Well-rested after a much-needed mental and physical reset, the SF Giants put together one of their most dominant wins of the season in Seattle against the Mariners, a 7-0 victory, their seventh shutout of the season.

Expecting every game of the second half to go this well is unreasonable. But this game can be a blueprint, an ideal, and evidence of what this team is capable of at its best. Not only did they play almost flawless baseball from start to finish—with the pitching staff, the defense, and the offense all clicking at the same time—but they also started addressing several second-half goals.

The wins, no matter how good they may feel, won't be the focal point of that second portion of the season, not after how the first portion of it went. Developments and evaluations will.

The front office and coaching staff need to assess who can help and make a positive contribution to next year's roster at several levels. They need to hold auditions for the bullpen, rotation, catcher position, and even some position-player spots, given how quickly some players are developing in the lower levels.

On Friday night at T-Mobile Park, some showed why they belonged, and a couple of others proved they could belong in the near future.

The locks

With the trade deadline approaching, a lot of the talk surrounding the pitching staff has been about the bullpen, and rightfully so, to be honest. But the rotation will also need to be addressed, especially since Robbie Ray is widely expected to be traded before Aug. 3 and that Tyler Mahle and Adrian Houser haven't performed well enough to be considered locks for next year.

Roupp, despite his inconsistency, might have already earned his spot for 2027. There are no concerns about his stuff; the question is whether he can deliver it every five days.

In his first start after enjoying 11 days of rest, the 27-year-old threw seven shutout innings and allowed just two hits in his first career start against the Mariners, picking up his second consecutive win in the process—something he hadn't done since his hot start in April. Ever since the team lost its 11th straight game with him on the mound against the Diamondbacks on June 30, Roupp has allowed just one run and five hits in 15 total innings.

Even with Roupp as a mainstay of the rotation, three spots still have to be filled. The good news is that there are options. The solutions could come externally via trades or internally, which would be a welcome sign for an organization that has struggled over the last decade or so to produce rotation arms. Carson Whisenhunt, Trevor McDonald, Blade Tidwell, and others should get opportunities down the stretch. Houser signed a two-year deal last winter, so he will also be an option, and he has looked much better since coming out of the bullpen.

Even before the season started, and despite the fact that he began the year in West Sacramento, Eldridge's spot on the 2027 Opening Day roster has never been in question. Now 55 games into his rookie campaign, it's fair to wonder why he didn't make this year's Opening Day roster. Following his two-run shot in Seattle, Eldridge boasts a legitimate case for the National League Rookie of the Year award, an accolade only two Giants have won over the last 51 years—Buster Posey in 2010 and John Montefusco in 1975.

Since his long-awaited call-up on April 4, Eldridge has ranked among the best rookies in the National League in basically every offensive category. Among rookies with at least 150 plate appearances, the 21-year-old ranks first in wRC+ (132), first in walk rate (12.6%), second in OPS (.837), and fourth in batting average (.269).

Plus, his raw numbers aren't that far off those of his main rivals in the race, despite his having played roughly 40 fewer games than them. Only five players have hit more home runs than Eldridge has in his 55 games: Sal Stewart (19 homers in 96 games), JJ Wetherholt (14 homers in 91 games), Owen Caissie (12 homers in 80 games), TJ Rumfield (12 homers in 96 games), and Carson Benge (11 homers in 95 games).

Who knows? Eldridge might just finish the year with 30 homers. He's that talented. And yes, he would become the first Giants rookie to do so.

The hopefuls

As I mentioned earlier, the Giants also desperately need to sort out their bullpen and catching situation. It will take longer than a game to do so, I know. Some reinforcements could come via trades they're expected to make, but some answers could also already be here in the organization.

Jason Foley, whom the Giants signed as a free agent last winter, had to spend almost two months in the minors before finally getting another taste of major-league pitching. Those two months didn't go as smoothly as hoped for the 30-year-old, as he posted a 7.64 ERA in 19 rehab outings. But his stuff, especially his velocity, looked better over his last four appearances in Sacramento.

After not pitching in the majors since September 2024 due to a shoulder injury, the velocity on his sinker reached 97.4 mph in his first official outing back. And it came on his inning-ending pitch: a sinker above the zone that generated a whiff. Foley got through the eighth unscathed in 1-2-3 fashion and already raised some eyebrows about potentially getting a shot at the closer role. Reminder: Foley recorded 28 saves in last full season in the big leagues.

Being a closer simply isn't for everyone. A reliever can be excellent in every inning and look like a whole different guy when it comes to the ninth. Every reliever has a role, and sometimes it takes time to find it. Take Caleb Kilian, for instance: across his 19 total innings in the ninth, he's posted an 8.53 ERA; when not pitching in that dreaded final inning, he's posted a 0.90 ERA in 20 total innings. Two completely different players.

Foley might become that guy, or he might not. But as with the catcher position, they need to hold auditions to see who fits where.

Speaking of catchers, Drew Cavanaugh reached base four times—twice via hits and twice via walks—in his 13th career major-league game. After the Giants designated Eric Haase for assignment prior to the game, three catchers are currently on the roster: Cavanaugh, Daniel Susac, and Jesus Rodriguez. Susac just got off the injured list after missing close to three weeks due to a back strain, and the versatile Rodriguez was recalled on July 8 after spending about a month in Sacramento. Susac will be the one starting behind the plate on Saturday with Logan Webb on the mound.

At the end of the day, a win is a win. No matter how beautiful or polished this win was, the Giants are still 13 games under .500 and 9.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. But those kinds of wins also offer hope. Hope of a future in which this group of players all click simultaneously more often. Hope of a bullpen capable of providing a few solid innings every night. Hope of a rotation with the ability to put the team in a position to win more often than twice every five days.

The hope for now is that the Giants can finally win four consecutive games, something they haven't done all season. If they play like they did Friday night, they'll win a lot more than four straight. The issue is they haven't shown they can do it regularly.

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