The San Francisco Giants' series against the Arizona Diamondbacks was full of ups and downs, much like the Giants' 2024 season to date. There was good and there was bad. Ultimately, the SF Giants need to start winning home series and to crawl above the .500 mark if they want to be truly competitive, which should come with time.

Logan Webb dominated in the first game of the series, and the Giants played a clean game in Game 3. In between, there was an ugly 17-1 loss and a loss in the finale that could've been won.

The Giants traded for pitcher Mitch White and placed Alex Cobb on the 60-day IL after he experienced another setback. White was once quite good for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and he is expected to join the active roster, which will require a corresponding move (perhaps optioning Sean Hjelle).

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The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

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#SFGiants #FirstListen

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Defense has been a problem for the San Francisco Giants the past couple of seasons, and it was addressed in several ways this offseason. With that in mind, what do the early numbers say about the 2024 SF Giants' defense?

Among the other questions asked and answered on today's edition of the Locked On Giants podcast are:

When is the Yaz/Slater experiment ending?

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This was a series that the San Francisco Giants really needed to win. Not necessarily in terms of making or breaking whether they'd make the playoffs, but for early-season morale. Nearly 20 games into the season, the Giants were still searching for their first series win.

The Marlins, meanwhile, have been a team in free fall. And the SF Giants made sure that they kept them in their place. Kyle Harrison and Keaton Winn, two young Giants starters of the future, put the Giants in position to win the series.

The SF Giants' bats remain relatively cold, but sooner or later they will wake up. In the meantime, every night the Giants have a chance to win with their starting pitching. And that's before the likes of Alex Cobb and Robbie Ray return from injuries. Meanwhile, a big series against the division rival D-backs looms.

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The San Francisco Giants won the rubber match against the Miami Marlins 3-1 on their final day of the Florida road trip. Keaton Winn has been sharp on the mound in this early season for the San Francisco Giants, and today was no different. Winn gave up only one run on four hits over six innings of work. The bullpen did their job and didn't allow a single runner from the Miami Marlins to cross home plate after Keaton Winn's exit. Thairo Estrada stayed hot at the plate, as he picked up two more hits, including an RBI double. Giants return home after this game for a ten-game homestand.

The San Francisco Giants would've probably been okay had they not won last night's game, but it sure felt like a big momentum swing type of win because of he way they came back.

The Giants' offense has largely struggled in the early season, and after falling behind 3-0, it seemed like the SF Giants were destined for another loss and an ugly 6-11 record. But Thairo Estrada, Jung Hoo Lee, Wilmer Flores, and others came up huge for the Giants when it mattered most.

Meanwhile, starting pitching Kyle Harrison kept the Giants in the game despite giving up a few runs, and the bullpen shut it down. There was confusion with Bob Melvin summoning Camilo Doval—who wasn't warming up—and that led to the Marlins manager's ejection. But Doval got loose in a hurry and recorded a much-needed four-out save for the Giants.

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The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On X: https://x.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

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The San Francisco Giants are not the third-worst team in the National League. Their 6-10 record may be, but the talent on the team would seem to make the SF Giants fairly easily one of the top half of teams in the NL, or at the very least middle of the pack. No, the Giants aren't off to the start they hoped for, but no, it doesn't mean these 16 games define them whatsoever.

Hitters like Matt Chapman, Wilmer Flores, Mike Yastrzemski, and Austin Slater are producing at far below their career averages. Jung Hoo Lee and Chapman have been particularly unlucky (their expected numbers are way better than their actual results). Quite simply, 16 games is not nearly enough to judge a baseball team. The same goes for certain SF Giants pitchers.

Blake Snell was lit up in his return to Tampa, and after two Giants starts, his ERA sits near 13.00. Obviously, that's not who Blake Snell is. When all is said and done, his season ERA might end up about 10 points lower. It's worth pointing out that last season Snell had a 5.40 ERA through his first nine starts/45 innings of the season, then he went on to have a 1.25 ERA over his final 23 starts en route to a near unanimous NL Cy Young Award.

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The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On X: https://x.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

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The San Francisco Giants have generally struggled out of the gates, although they've had their moments. Several veteran players have yet to hit their stride at the plate, and multiple pitchers, including staff ace Logan Webb, haven't found their normal performance yet.

Mike Yastrzemski and Austin Slater are often brought up as candidates to come off the team in order to make room for younger players like Luis Matos and/or Heliot Ramos. How long is the leash for a struggling Yaz/Slater? And what about Nick Ahmed vs. Marco Luciano?

Speaking of players not playing to their full potential, what's going on with Giants catcher Patrick Bailey? His throws have been wildly inaccurate in the early season. Is he still and elite defender?

Finally, with SF Giants pitcher Jordan Hicks successfully transitioning to the rotation thus far, what will the Giants' pitching staff look like once/if everyone is fully healthy?

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

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🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On X: https://x.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

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