Giants hope to carry the success in the season into the postseason

The term “torture” has become synonymous with the San Francisco Giants. Coined in the historic 2010 championship run that won the Giants their first national title since moving to San Francisco in 1954, “torture” originated from the gritty and low scoring manner in which the Giants played: essentially, a win was never a win until the very last out.

Fortunately for Giants’ fans this year, the quest for the postseason ended early in a positive way. The Giants clinched a postseason berth and the National League West pennant on Sept. 22. 

Giants fans are relieved of a few would-be stressful weeks had the Giants been in a pennant race. While the Giants possess the same pitchers, Lincecum, Cain and Bumgarner, who carried them to a world championship two years ago, most of the team has drastically changed.

In 2010, the Giants’ lineup was something that was never seen before. Of its eight position starters, only one was a rookie: catcher Posey. The rest of the Giants’ infield was anchored by seasoned veterans, including second baseman Freddy Sanchez and shortstop Edgar Renteria. Experienced players like Aubrey Huff and Juan Uribe anchored the corners. The outfield had breakout players such as Andres Torres, Cody Ross and Pat Burrell, who carried the Giants offensively through the two-week stretch before the postseason. 

The maturity meant to derail the Giants was actually the main contributing factor to winning the World Series. Multiple times, experienced veterans came up clutch with key at-bats against opposing pitchers; for example, Ross hit three home runs off Philadelphia ace and two-time Cy Young winner Roy Halladay in the National League Division Series. 

Since the 2010 run, the offense has changed drastically. Of the eight hitters in the lineup, all except for then-Rookie of the Year Posey have changed. Third base is now inhabited by a “Panda,” also known as Pablo Sandoval. After a disappointing 2010 season in which he was benched for the playoffs, he lost 50 pounds and for the 2012 season is hitting .282 with 12 homeruns so far. At shortstop, Renteria has been replaced by defensive maestro Brandon Crawford. Sanchez, out for the year with a shoulder injury, has been replaced by Marco Scutaro, who fits the Giants’ offense perfectly. Scutaro, a table setter, is hitting .361 for the team and 34 runs scored. At first base, Huff has been replaced by young gun Brandon Belt.

The outfield has been completely revamped with the addition of slugger Xavier Nady (.310 BA with the Giants), speedster Angel Pagan (15 triples), and, most notably, rookie Gregor Blanco, an invitee to spring training and who won a roster spot.

Even Posey has exponentially developed since his amazing run in 2010. This season, Posey played like a man hell-bent on asserting his dominance as the most prolific catcher in the league. Since his 2010 campaign in which he hit .305, Posey is hitting .335 and is an MVP frontrunner. The Giants are looking stronger than ever, and the postseason looks bright.

Unlike the 2010 playoffs, the Giants do not have the element of surprise entering the postseason. In 2010, the Giants were serious underdogs, not earning a playoff berth until the last game of the season. This year, the Giants not only have a younger roster, but also a huge target on their back. 

In June, Cain threw a perfect game, collecting 27 outs in a row against the Astros. Cain’s dominating game summed up the Giants’ play style rather well: dominating pitching with clutch hitting.

This combo is deadly, especially in the postseason when teams play best-of-five series. While other teams have one or two perennial aces, the Giants have three. Their strong pitching makes them as a strong contender to win it all this year.

With the combination of dominant pitching and improved offense, the Giants’ playoff hopes radiate brightly. The playoffs are bound to create some long-awaited torture that Giants fans will crave day in and day out. After all is said and done, the Giants hope to bring home a second World Series trophy in three years.