“I do think the rotation’s in good hands,” said Verlander, who plans to accompany the team on the road for its nine-game journey through Washington, Detroit, and Miami.
The Giants finished their homestand 5-4 despite a three-game sweep of the A’s. They lost two of three to both the Diamondbacks and Royals, who knocked Webb around for six runs (three earned) on 10 hits in a season-low four innings, a rare clunker for the right-hander.
Through 50 games, the Giants are 29-21 and rubbing elbows with the powerhouse Dodgers and Padres in the National League West, but they’re playing .500 ball (17-17) in their last 34 games.
“It’s not a horrible place to be,” manager Bob Melvin said. “You’re never really happy with where you are. You always feel like there’s a little bit more in there. Offensively, we feel there’s more in there, too.”
The Giants have scored 12 runs in their last five games and continue to have issues against left-handed starters. They slipped to 4-12 in games in which the opposing team starts a lefty. To be fair, the lefty who started Wednesday, Daniel Lynch, was an opener and worked just 1 ⅔ innings.
On the flip side, the Giants are a majors-best 25-9 against right-handed starters. Nevertheless, the lefty obstacle is something the Giants need to overcome. As Melvin said, “We have to be better against lefties, we really do, or every team is going to look to throw a lefty at us.”
Help could be on the way. Jerar Encarnación, who’s eligible to be activated from the 60-day injured list Monday, likely won’t join the Giants until their series in Miami May 30-June 1. First, the 6-foot-4 slugger will take some swings at the team’s Arizona facility then get time at Sacramento.
