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The San Francisco Giants have reloaded for another playoff run and seem to be the biggest threat to the Dodgers for National League West supremacy. They will aim to get off to a good start this season when they open up with a four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The D-Backs struggled throughout 2016 but if their pitching improves this could be a team that surprises. They start with seven games at home so need to start the season on a high note so they can feel better about their chances of a turnaround.
San Francisco is the more talented team but since it is on the road it wouldn’t be a surprise to see these teams split the series.
This series will be contested from Sunday, April 2, 2017 through Thursday, April 6, 2017 at Chase Field in Phoenix. Sunday’s clash is being shown live on ESPN2.
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Pitching Matchups
Both teams will send their aces to the hill to open the season. The Giants’ Madison Bumgarner went 15-9 with a 2.74 ERA last season and at age 26 is in the prime of his career. He will face off against Zack Greinke, who had a 1.66 ERA two seasons ago with the Dodgers but watched it vault all the way up to 4.37 in his first season with the Diamondbacks.
There are velocity concerns that have crept up for Greinke in his Spring Training outings, but it’s unknown if it will affect him in the regular season. It is reason for pause, and while Greinke is an elite pitcher when going right, Bumgarner figures to have the advantage.
The second game of the series features Johnny Cueto for the Giants against a yet-to-be-determined pitcher. San Francisco will send left-hander Matt Moore to the mound on Wednesday and Jeff Samardzija on Thursday. The Diamondbacks are still working through their rotation, but it should be a combination of Robbie Ray, Taijuan Walker, Shelby Miller and Patrick Corbin. All of them have had their ups and downs throughout their careers, so while the Giants have the advantage, the quartet is also capable of whipping up some gems.
Park Factor
These two clubs have extremely different home parks. The Giants play in cavernous AT&T Park, which is a delight to the pitchers but tough on the hitters. However, this one will be at Chase Field, which is a hitter’s haven.
The pitching could rule in the opener since Bumgarner and Greinke are the best the two teams have to offer. However, there should be some good offense as the series moves along.
Paul Goldschmidt will once again lead the Diamondbacks, and Arizona will be buoyed by the return of star center field A.J. Pollock, who missed the majority of last season due to injury. The offense should be pretty good but can be elite if Goldschmidt and Pollock have big years.
The Giants are led by star catcher Buster Posey, who gives the team a fantastic bat at a position which is usually known for defense. Brandon Belt is back to also man the middle of the order. The Giants always seem to have a penchant for getting hits in key situations, and will aim to pick up some late wins if these games are close.
Lovullo’s Debut
The Diamondbacks have a new manager in Torey Luvollo, and after getting his feet wet in Spring Training, will now get thrown into the fire against the Giants. Lovullo is the former bench coach of the Boston Red Sox who now gets his chance to lead a team. The Diamondbacks had a rough season in 2016, which cost manager Chip Hale and GM Dave Stewart their jobs.
There is still some talent around, but the stars need to play well and the pitching has to hold up. The D-Backs have a lot of wild cards in their starting rotation. If those arms throw well, they could surprise in this series.
The Giants are more established, and while they would be fine with a four-game split on the road, they would love to get greedy and pick up three victories at Chase Field to start the season off on a high note.
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