3. Defense
Oct 28, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; San Francisco Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval (48) and shortstop Brandon Crawford (35) and second baseman Marco Scutaro (19) and first baseman Brandon Belt (9) try to stay warm during the ninth inning of game four of the 2012 World Series against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports
The Giants have 80 errors so far this season, which ranks second-to-last in the NL. They have a .981 fielding percentage, which also ranks second-to-last in the NL.
Scutaro was very shaky defensively in the first half of the season, and he has 11 errors this season, when he only had four as a Giant last season. Brandon Crawford, who is known for his stellar defense, has 11 errors, and Pablo Sandoval has 14 errors and an awful .933 fielding percentage.
Gregor Blanco, Brandon Belt, Buster Posey, and Hunter Pence have been excellent defensively. In fact, Blanco hasn’t committed an error all season.
The Giants’ defense clearly depends on the starting pitching to be effective and for the offense to score, because if not, the defense feels more pressure to make the right plays to avoid giving up runs.
The Giants committed two costly errors on Tuesday night against the Milwaukee Brewers, one by Posey, surprisingly, and one by Joaquin Arias. These two errors led to the extra two runs that the Brewers scored, which ultimately led to them winning. Since the Giants have been struggling with clutch hitting and scoring runs, they have to play clean defense, which hasn’t been happening.
The 3rd Sister 