© Kiel Maddox-USA TODAY Sports
The Giants are 42-40 and in third place in the National League West after a successful 7-3 homestand. They will visit the Arizona Diamondbacks, which are 5.5 games ahead of the Giants in the division standings, Friday night before visiting the Colorado Rockies to cap a six-game road trip.
With a constant stream of injuries, emerging on the right side of the .500 mark halfway through the season is a win, though the Giants have a -23 total run differential on the season. San Francisco’s 26-14 home record is the best in the National League.
Mike Krukow voiced his encouragement with the Giants’ 2018 season when he joined Murph and Mac Friday morning.
“The Giants, they are not in awe of anybody on the division,” Krukow said. “They have proven that. I just think as you go forward, it’s going to be a fun season to watch. It’s going to be a season that everybody I think in the Bay Area is going to enjoy. I think this is going to be a team that gets remembered.”
The Giants have won seven of their last nine games entering Friday. They blew a ninth inning 8-7 lead in Thursday’s 9-8 loss to the Rockies, erasing the possibility of a sweep.
“It became a painful day,” Krukow said. “It kind of masks what has become the obvious: they are playing good baseball. Instead of talking about that we are talking about the collapse in the ninth.”
Yet Krukow is encouraged with this year’s Giants, whose roster figures to strengthen in the coming weeks. Jeff Samardzija (shoulder stiffness) is scheduled for his final rehab start Friday. Johnny Cueto (sprained elbow) is scheduled for at least two more rehab starts before returning to the big league club.
Several Giants hitters have enjoyed resurgent seasons, and the starting pitching staff has recently been dominant, giving Krukow reason for optimism as the Giants enter the second half.
“I have always said if the organization is going to have a great year, you have to have three or four guys have career years,” Krukow said. “And it’s happening. It’s happening with (Brandon) Crawford, it’s happening with Gorkys Hernandez, it’s happening with (Alen) Hanson, and it’s certainly happening with (Brandon) Belt.”
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