dpThe 2026 Giants are still tracking behind the 100-loss 1985 Giants, suggesting that they won’t reach 100 losses this season. I still think it’s in play now that the pitching staff is depleted and whoever’s left, outside of Logan Webb, is about to hit innings numbers rarely/ever seen, but I’m happy to be wrong. What’s harder to know is where the Giants will wind up relative to the Rockies by season’s end. Is it a sure thing that the Rockies will finish with a worse record?
Right now, the Rockies and Giants are 9th and 10th, respectively, on the list of toughest schedules remaining. But that ranking is based on the present win percentages of each team. The Rockies have “easy opponents” in the Mariners (x3), Orioles (x3), Guardians (x3) and Tigers (x3), but all of those teams are either within 3 games of the Wild Card or have a postseason slot already (Detroit leads the AL Central, currently); so, it’s a much more difficult schedule from that perspective.
Also, the Rockies have the third-worst lineup in the sport (91 wRC+) and the sixth-worst pitching staff (6.1 fWAR). They are 26-35 since June 1st, too, which is just a little worse than the Giants’ record of 27-35. They moved three players at the trade deadline, too, which could help accelerate their losing down the stretch.
Outfielder Brenton Doyle (.701 OPS vs. the Giants) went to the White Sox. Frequent foil starter-turned-reliever Antonio Senzatela (6-4, 4.93 career ERA vs. Giants) isnow with the Brewers; and reliever Victor Vodnik (14 K in 15 IP vs. Giants, 4.20 ERA, 2-0 record) is now a Marlin.
Connor Norby is the primary return from all these trades (received in the Marlins deal) and he’s just 0-for-5 with 2 strikeouts. In 52 career PA against the Giants, he’s slashing just .208/.250/.354, too with 17 strikeouts and just 3 walks. But! He does have 2 homers in 8 career games at Oracle Park, slashing .233/.294/.433 in 34 PA.
Since July 1st, their best hitters have been Hunter Goodman (128 wRC+), Kyle Karros (123 — currently on concussion IL), Jake McCarthy (122), and Cole Carrigg (121). Mickey Moniak (108) has 6 homers in his last 32 games (122 PA) but a 4.9 BB% to 26.2 K%. Still the Rockies just signed him to a 2-year extension worth $16.25 million.
Kyle Freeland has been a Rocky his entire career and the ace of the staff most of that time. There were rumblings that he was destined to be traded at the deadline, too. That didn’t happen, so, the 33-year old will get the chance to make his 30th career start against the Giants as a member of the Rockies. He’s 8-10 with a 4.41 ERA across 153 IP. He’s just 2-6 but a 3.84 ERA in 12 career starts at Oracle Park.
Meanwhile, Logan Webb will try to continue this hot August. Here is his monthly splits for the season:
March/April: 2-3, 4.30 ERA, 7 GS 44 IP, 2.53 K:BB
May: 0-1, 7.56 ERA, 2 GS 8.1 IP, 3.00 K:BB
June: 3-1, 0.71 ERA, 5 GS, 38 IP, 7.25 K:BB
July: 1-2, 6.59 ERA, 5 GS, 28.2 IP, 2.13 K:BB
August: 1-0, 0.64 ERA, 2 GS, 14 IP, 5.00 K:BB
Jonah Cox will return to the roster for this series and so it’ll be interesting to see how he and Victor Bericoto get playing time. The Giants haven’t had many great hitters since the start of August, with just three hitting at or better than the league average: Osleivis Basabe (112 wRC+), Rafael Devers (107), and Jung Hoo Lee (100).
Who: San Francisco Giants (50-71) vs. Colorado Rockies (48-73)
Where: Oracle Park | San Francisco, California
When: Friday at 7:15pm PT, Saturday at 1:05pm PT, Sunday at 1:05pm PT
National broadcasts: None
Projected starters
Friday: Landen Roupp (RHP 7-11, 4.22 ERA) vs. Kyle Freeland (LHP 3-10, 6.63 ERA)
Saturday: Logan Webb (RHP 7-7, 3.59 ERA) vs. Michael Lorenzen (RHP 3-10, 6.83 ERA)
Sunday: Blade Tidwell (RHP 0-0, 2.78 ERA) vs. Gabriel Hughes (RHP 0-4, 5.61 ERA)
The Giants… hmm… they will… lose 2 out of 3.
