SAN FRANCISCO_The window is quickly shutting for the 2018 San Francisco Giants, but after losing five of their last six games, Friday's starting nine attempted to prevent it from closing altogether.
Manager Bruce Bochy and members of the Giants' front office met for nearly an hour before Friday's 13-10 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates to discuss the direction of a club that began the day two games under .500 with just 46 left to play.
"We just talked about some things which we do three-to-four times a year," Bochy said. "We talked about the club and ways we can get better."
Although Giants players weren't involved in the meeting, they appeared to feel a sense of urgency at the plate as San Francisco tied a season-high with 13 runs and scored 10 in the first four innings.
With their backs up against the wall, the Giants leaned on their backstop to lead the charge against the Pirates. Although every starter had a hit by the fifth inning, catcher Buster Posey was the primary offensive catalyst as he recorded his second four-hit game of the season and extended an early lead with a two-run single in a four-run third inning.
The Giants carried an eight-run edge into the seventh, but the final innings were tense for both sides as Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli launched a grand slam off reliever Pierce Johnson to cut Pittsburgh's deficit in half. In the bottom of the inning, former Giants reliever Kyle Crick hit Evan Longoria in the back with a fastball before brushing back Joe Panik with another four-seamer.
Longoria stayed in the game and scored, but exited in the top of the eighth and was replaced by Chase d'Arnaud. The Giants third baseman was visibly upset after taking a pitch to his back and several members of the roster voiced their displeasure with Crick from the dugout.
As Crick's Pirates hang around in the wildcard race, the player he was traded for attempted to propel the Giants back into it Friday. Right fielder Andrew McCutchen set the tone for the evening with an opposite field home run to lead off the bottom of the first and drew a bases loaded walk to bring home the first third inning run.
McCutchen's name was certainly discussed in the Giants' Friday meeting, as he's a trade candidate who is destined to garner interest from contending teams if the Giants elect to place him on waivers. Moving McCutchen would provide the franchise with enough financial relief to steer completely clear of the $197 million luxury tax threshold, but the Giants will hang onto him if they can string together more performances like Friday's.
Placing veterans like McCutchen and reliever Sam Dyson on waivers will remain an option for the Giants unless they begin to gain significant ground in the division or wildcard races over the next few weeks, but it will be difficult for the team to part with free agent-to-be, starter Derek Holland.
Although Holland could slot in nicely with a team looking to boost its playoff rotation, the Giants' starting staff is already short-handed and the organization lacks high-end pitching prospects deserving of late-season big league showcases.
Holland has been one of the Giants' most consistent players all season and he logged six innings of three-run ball before his ERA took a hit when Johnson allowed two baserunners who reached against Holland to score.
The left-handed starter and switch-hitter also helped himself out at the plate Friday, beating out a two-out infield single to extend the third inning for McCutchen and Posey.
Although Friday's early output proved what the Giants are capable of when they're at their best, they entered the day having lost five of six to fall 7 games out of first place. Their recent struggles likely forced top executives to hold Friday's meeting, which allowed them to evaluate the team's recent play and chart a course for the weeks ahead.
If the Giants do choose to begin evaluating their prospects soon, Triple-A outfielder Chris Shaw, starting pitcher Shaun Anderson and catcher Aramis Garcia could all find themselves on the big league roster before the end of the season. A trade of McCutchen would free up a 40-man roster spot for Shaw, a 2015 first round draft choice who will need to be protected from the Rule-5 draft this offseason anyway.
The Giants can also take another look at Mac Williamson, who hit three home runs in a span of five games in April before suffering a concussion that altered the course of a once-promising season.
