The Giants are in Washington DC starting their first real road trip of the season. This is going to be a real test for this team with games against tough Washington and Pittsburgh teams as well as going to Toronto and then finishing the month at home vs. the Yankees and Dodgers. They will need to go 8-5 to finish April at .500.
While going 5-5 on their last home stand they could have just of easily gone 7-3 as well as 3-7. Although the pitching tanked in a game or two it was mostly stellar and just short of overly amazing. The hitting on this team has been an enigma for the last two seasons and it has carried on again this year, rarely cashing in on opportunity while at the same time, rarely creating opportunity. Too many good hitters and pro’s on this team for this to be happening on a consistent basis, yet it goes on. Underachieving is the only word I can come up with but I have never felt the Giants had overachieved in any of their recent World Series seasons so I refuse (at least to this point) to call this team underachieving.
On April 2 the Giants got an Outfielder who grew up a Dodgers fan.
After hearing the news he had been traded, full of emotion, he flies across the country to join his new team and halfway through the game arrives in the stadium where he always dreamed of playing, but in the visitors dugout of their arch rivals. I have wondered what was going through his mind as he peered out onto that field that night. It really must have been surreal. Welcome to the Giants Kevin Pillar.
Giants fans haven’t got a chance to see too much of Tyler Austin yet but we we have fallen for Kevin Pillar already. While not trying to make a comparison I think they have been missing a dynamic like this since Angel Pagan has been gone. I have also heard Pat Burrell’s name mentioned. Pat came in mid season while Angel was an off season signing. Regardless, Kevin has brought something to this team that was needed.