Giants’ sweep of Rockies rekindles confidence that playoffs are attainable originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO The Giants entered the weekend wondering what the near-future looked like. With San Francisco sitting six games under .500, the team had some discussions about being potential sellers with the 2024 MLB trade deadline coming up.
How quickly things change.
Following a four-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies, the conversations in the Giants clubhouse seem more focused about the day-to-day challenges they face rather than complaining about what happened in the past or what hurdles they may face in the near future.
And yes, the talks still include the possibilities of making it to the 2024 MLB playoffs.
I know that everyone in this room, being in this room, we believe in each other and we believe that our best baseball is ahead of us, Matt Chapman said after becoming the first Giants infielder to have 15 home runs and 12 steals in the same season since Jeff Kent in 2000. Our pitching is getting healthier and obviously offensively it seems like were starting to kind of put together good at-bats.
Weve got a lot of good things happening. We all believe in each other and we hope to be able to continue to push for that playoff spot.
“We hope to continue to push for that playoff spot.”Matt Chapman believes the Giants’ best baseball lies ahead pic.twitter.com/SPepwMB489
SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) July 28, 2024
While no one believes that sweeping the Rockies was some huge accomplishment Colorado (38-69) owns the worst record in the National League and second-worst in the majors it was the perfect remedy for the Giants, who were 2-5 on their first road trip coming out of the All-Star break.
Combined with everything else that the Orange and Black have had to deal with this season, many fans already had begun looking forward to the 2025 MLB season.
Some people may still feel that way, but inside the Giants clubhouse the thinking is focused on the here and now.
I think were just playing cleaner baseball all the way around, manager Bob Melvin said. If were going to move forward we have to get to .500. But it was nice to be able to string a few wins together. When we took the field today we felt like we were going to win the game. And its important you get on rolls like that. Thats the type of feeling you have to have if youre going to get on rolls.
Bob Melvin hopes the Giants’ hot streak continues with .500 in sight pic.twitter.com/2q4yo5acP3
SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) July 28, 2024
At 53-55, the Giants are the closest to .500 that theyve been since beating Toronto on July 9 to get to 45-47. And while theyre still 3 ½ games behind the New York Mets for the third and final wild card spot in the NL, they could easily make some of that ground up in the coming weeks.
San Francisco hosts the suddenly resurgent Oakland Athletics in Oracle Parks final version of the Bay Bridge Series before heading out on the road for seven winnable games against the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals, two teams that have also been struggling to get to .500.
After that the Giants return home to play the Detroit Tigers and Atlanta Braves before another two-game series against the As, this time in Oakland.
I think its just a credit to not only the guys in the clubhouse but the coaches, Chapman said. BoMel and all the coaches have done a great job of navigating the injuries and all the stuff weve dealt with this year. Its been a collective effort. It just shows that theres fight in this year, and it doesnt matter if its some of the young guys coming up, everybodys contributed. Whoevers over here and wearing this uniform, we believe in them.
We needed that for sure. Its not easy to four-game sweep somebody, so for us to find a way to get that done is good.
Maintaining a positive outlook throughout the season surely hasnt been easy but its been one of the key factors in San Francisco staying afloat and trying to get things back on track.
We knew we have to play well to continue to be in this fight, Melvin said. Just tried to narrow it down to each and every game and not worry about whats happened in the past and not worry about whats going forward.
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