SF Giants-Reds series preview: Weak offenses, key pitching battles and a chance to gain ground

Every athlete — or really, anyone who’s been around sports — knows that the best way to bounce back from a series loss is to win the next one. The SF Giants have done exactly that out of the gate, winning every other series through their first five. They open another one today in Cincinnati against a Reds team (9-7) that has gotten off to a mixed start, even though it has matched its best 16-game start since 2006.

The Reds' pitching has been shaky as of late and their offense has finally come alive after failing to put up more than five runs in 12 of their first 14 games. As for the Giants, the offense has also shown signs of life over the last two series, even if the scoreboards haven't fully reflected it. But on the other hand, the pitching has fallen off. The last two starters have struggled, and the bullpen looks more vulnerable than ever.

Let's go over the key storylines ahead of today's series opener.

Both teams enter the series searching for answers on the mound

Two of Cincinnati's probable starting pitchers — Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder — are unknown to the Giants hitters. And while both delivered strong outings in their first two appearances, they've both come back to earth in their most recent starts. Lowder gave up four runs and issued two walks in 5 1/3 innings against the Marlins last week, while Burns posted similar numbers against the Angels, allowing five runs, four walks and two home runs in 5 1/3 innings.

The Reds' rotation owns a 10.62 ERA over its last five games, and today's starter, Brady Singer, is a big reason why after his last outing. He picked up his first loss of the season last week in Miami, when he gave up 10 hits and six runs before being pulled after just 2 2/3 innings. Matt Chapman is very familiar with the 29-year-old right-hander, having gone 7-for-10 with three doubles and two home runs against him.

Despite a couple of rocky outings here and there, the Giants' bullpen has exceeded expectations. But against the Orioles last week, all the concerns that emerged during the offseason were laid bare. Five of the eight relievers who pitched in the series allowed at least one run. Three of them gave up three hits and two were taken deep.

As for the starters, Logan Webb has now allowed three or more runs in three of his four starts this season. And after a very convincing first outing, Adrian Houser has given up four runs in back-to-back games, raising his ERA to 5.06. What’s even more striking is that the new Giant has allowed all nine of his runs across just five of his 16 innings pitched this season.

Meanwhile, Landen Roupp has continued to establish himself as the Giants' most reliable member of the rotation so far. He earned his second win of the season in the series opener against Baltimore and boasts a 3.24 ERA despite a rough performance against the Padres in his second start. He's the only starter who's kept the ball in the yard through his first three appearances.

The bats have been a major talking point for both teams

Just like the Giants, the Reds have had one of the league's worst offenses so far this season. Amid that struggling group of hitters, two have emerged as their main run producers: shortstop Elly De La Cruz and rookie Sal Stewart.

The former — who's now appeared in 234 consecutive games — boasts a .924 OPS and is coming off a series in which he went 6-for-12 with two doubles, two home runs, four RBI and two stolen bases. The pair have combined for more home runs than the entire Giants roster, with De La Cruz hitting five and Stewart four, while San Francisco has hit a league-low eight. Despite those gaudy numbers, Cincinnati still ranks 29th in hits, 30th in doubles, 28th in runs with a .623 team OPS that ranks 29th in MLB.

Though the Giants have looked better offensively over the last two series — batting a league-best .298 over the last six games — they've had trouble converting with runners in scoring position. They went just 6-for-28 (.214) in those spots against the Orioles last week. An even more alarming number is the scant number of walks they drew in that same series: four. Their 33 walks this season are the fewest in baseball, the Rockies rank 29th with 43 of them. Cincinnati enters the series with 69, more than twice as many as the Giants.

If somebody had told me that Casey Schmitt would be the Giants' most reliable hitter 16 games into the season, I probably wouldn't have believed them. But that's the case, and he's doing it as the DH. After homering for the first time this season in the series finale against Baltimore, Schmitt is now slashing .368/.429/.579 with a 1.008 OPS on the young season. It's probably not sustainable over a 162-game campaign, but if it can inspire some of his teammates to follow suit, it would go a long way.

Coming back home to face the Los Angeles Dodgers next week with a .500 record would be ideal. To reach that mark, the Giants would need to go 5-1 against the Reds and Nationals. That's not insurmountable for this group, but based on how the season's gone so far, they could just as well end up going 1-5. We simply never know with them. We should know a little more after today's series opener at Great American Ballpark.

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