With Robbie Ray and Alex Cobb nearing returns, the Giants also possess the second-easiest remaining schedule in MLB.
DENVER — The Giants arrived at Coors Field early Friday afternoon for a formal post-All-Star Break workout before embarking on their second-half schedule.
Despite their record — three games below .500 — and position in the standings, three games back and behind five other teams, there is a case to be made that the Giants have wind at their sails as they began a three-game series at Coors Field.
The Giants will face the lowly Rockies seven times before the July 30 trade deadline. Nine of their next 13 games come against the Rockies and their fellow cellar dwellers, the Oakland A’s, only broken up by four games at Dodger Stadium.
By the time the stretch is over, their starting rotation should be more than just a little bit better. With the expected additions of Robbie Ray and Alex Cobb, the Giants should go from scrapping together starting pitchers to possessing one of the majors’ most intimidating rotations.
“We’ve been waiting for a while to get some of these guys back,” manager Bob Melvin said. “You’re talking about some pretty good names on the backs of their uniforms. Guys that take the mound that give you a lot of confidence when they take the mound. So we’ve been looking forward to this for a while.”
While the Giants were in Denver, Ray was in Sacramento, where he was scheduled Friday to make his 10th rehab appearance on his way back from Tommy John and flexor tendon surgeries, and he could require one more before joining the Giants’ rotation, Melvin said. Cobb, who had hip surgery, is just behind him.
In search of optimism, the club focused more on those reinforcements than its light upcoming schedule.
According to the website Tankathon, only one team has an easier remaining schedule than the Giants, whose opponents down the stretch have won only 47.9% of their games. But right-hander Jordan Hicks said, “I haven’t looked at the schedule.” And Melvin added, “Everybody’s a major-league team.”
Logan Webb remembered the standings at last year’s break, with the Giants in playoff position, and hopes for the inverse of that second half. They held a three-game lead for a wild card spot as late as the second week of August but missed the playoffs, leading to then-manager Gabe Kapler’s ouster.
“It’s a sprint to the finish. We know that. It’s honestly been a sprint for a month now for us. I think we’ve actually played pretty good baseball recently,” Webb said. “We’ve played some good teams and now we’ve got a chance, especially before the deadline, to show that we’re in it.
“If you can sneak in, anything’s possible.”
Fresh off his first All-Star appearance, Webb will follow Kyle Harrison and start the Giants’ second game out of the break on Saturday. He’ll be followed by Jordan Hicks on Sunday, and Blake Snell will kick off their series in Los Angeles, Melvin said, laying out the Giants’ pitching plans.
The Giants’ rotation out of the break, Melvin said, “kind of revolved around when (Webb) would pitch, and he wanted to get out there sooner than later.”
Hicks, who has surpassed his previous career-high in innings, will have made two starts in 19 days.
“Even he said he was feeling it a little bit. I think the break came at the right time,” Melvin said. “We were able to space out the one before, as well, and then this one. Hopefully he gets a little rejuvenated because of that. It’s been a lot for him.”
While Hicks may be unaware of the schedule, he has looked at the calendar.
“I like August and September. It’s so fun. Everybody’s paying attention. Wild card and all that,” he said. “These games feel like they mean more, but they all equal the same.”
Importantly, the Giants’ schedule eases up leading into the July 30 trade deadline. Their play could determine whether they buy, sell, or stand pat.
“That’s something that’s out of our control, other than just playing well,” Melvin said. “I don’t think as players or staff we really think too much about the deadline. That’s really for the front office. But it would certainly make things a lot better for us if we got off to a good start.”
