May Recap: San Francisco Giants

May was a busy month for the San Francisco Giants, playing 29 out of the 31 days. The Giants entered May 12-11 and exited the month 27-24 gradually climbing the ladder of the National League West with surprising line driving hitter Gregor Blanco, and the astonishing “Melk Man.” The Giants have shown in the past month they are a contender in the National League and a possible team for the newly added fifth playoff spot this year.

The Good:

The Giants entered May with a great lose when Pablo Sandoval their power hitting third baseman went on the DL with a broken wrist. Sandoval who lead the team in offense left a huge void. Luckily Melky Cabrera who was acquired from the Kansas City Royals in the off-season displayed why he is now a vital key to San Francisco’s offense on and off the field. Melky, also known as the “Melk Man”, led the entire league in batting average and hits for the month of May. Cabrera ended the month with 51 hits, the most ever by a Giants player, beating Willie Mays’ record of 49 set in 1958. The “Melk Man” will continue to hit third, while Pablo will be in the five spot with his return in June. 


The Bad:

“The City”, despite having the best hitter in the show, has had trouble at the plate during the month of May. The Giants are in the bottom five teams of walks, and lead the league for swinging at the first pitch. For whatever reason, these basic fundamental tools have been lacking from the Giants offense. In spite of that they have been able to still get on base through out the month helping them stay just above .500 being 15-14 for the month.

The Ugly:

Tim Lincecum is a 4x All Star, 2x NL Cy Young Award Winner, and World Series Champion Pitcher, but during the month of May he was 0-4 with a disgraceful 5.88 ERA. For some reason his velocity has dropped substantially, along with his control and stamina, pitching on average only less than six innings. As the month ended he started pitching better and lost games due to errors late in the game, not himself. But by no means is the "freak" San Francisco is used to seeing game in and game out.

What Comes Next:

The month of June looks great for the San Francisco Giants. They will be playing in California for the next 19 of 22 games and have the capability to win 20 of the games they will play in June. The Giants ended May only 4 games behind the Dodgers and have the potential to lead the NL West with Matt Kemp returning to the DL again. For the Giants to continue winning they need to have consistency within the lineup. Bruce Bochy continually switched up players in different positions through out May, but it did not work well in the end. Buster Posey is best at catcher, along with Hector Sanchez playing behind him, and Brandon Belt is the most dependable first baseman, even though he cannot hit the long ball like Brett Pill. If the players can become comfortable in their position, and get consistent playing time, it will create a better atmosphere within the clubhouse and on the field. If the management remains stanch on the lineup and the Bullpen can close at home, the Giants will be more than just a .500 team, but a top competitor regardless of the problems they face. 


- Taylor Corzine