Can San Francisco Giants Avoid Brutal Sweep by Braves on Thursday Afternoon?

The San Francisco Giants have had a rough go of it against the Atlanta Braves in a season-defining series.

Aug 10, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Logan Webb (62) throws a pitch against the Detroit Tigers during the first inning at Oracle Park. / Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco Giants had a golden opportunity this week to truly cement their standing as a playoff contender in the National League. They were set for a four-game series, at home, against the struggling Atlanta Braves.

The Giants had gone 12-4 entering the series, while the Braves were losers in seven out of their last eight games. Unfortunately for San Francisco, their positive momentum has been stalled by Atlanta.

Their playoff hopes are now extremely thin. The Giants are 4.5 games behind the Braves for the final wild card spot in the NL and under .500 with a 61-62 record. It has been a tough-luck four-game losing streak, which encapsulates the 2024 campaign for San Francisco.

The bats have gone ice cold, scoring five runs in three games. That includes a 1-0, extra-inning loss in Game 1 during a pitcher’s duel between Blake Snell and Chris Sale. Game 2 was another extra-inning game that the Giants were on the wrong side of.

In Game 3, the wheels were off before they could even get to the plate. A 13-2 shellacking, Robbie Ray walked more people than he got out. He was lifted after 0.2 innings, surrendering one hit and three walks for five earned runs.

All six players who took the mound for San Francisco gave up runs. With the four-game series already a loss, what kind of effort will we see from the Giants in Game 4?

It would be refreshing to see the team show some fight and try to salvage the last game of the series. A victory would go a long way toward keeping them in the playoff hunt, as another loss could drop them behind two more teams in the standings.

All-Star Logan Webb, who is 10-8 with a 3.32 ERA on the season, will be taking the mound in a pivotal game. He will be opposed by Max Fried, who is 7-6 with a 3.56 ERA on the season.

Webb has been stellar in his last three starts, leading the team to three victories. He has pitched 21.2 innings, giving up only 13 hits and five walks, resulting in two runs over that span. 18 strikeouts were recorded as well.

While this series has been disappointing, San Francisco has a chance to quickly build some positive momentum. They are facing the Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox for five games following Atlanta, presenting a golden opportunity to stack up some wins and claw their way back into the playoff picture.