Power Outage

How is it that one team can collect 11 hits and only score one run, while another team can scrape together six hits yet score four runs?

Extra base hits.

Of the Phillies six hits in their 4-1 win over the Giants, they had three doubles and one home run. Of the Giants 11 hits, they're only extra base-hit was a double.

The Giants offense has one huge problem with power -- they ain't got none. Compounding the problem is the fact that they don't have a lot of team speed, so they aren't able to make up for their lack of power much by stealing bases or stretching singles into doubles or doubles into triples.

If we look solely at power, there are only four teams worse than the Giants in the NL in SLG %: the Dodgers, Pirates, Cubs and Padres.

If we look solely at steals, there are only two teams worse than the Giants: the Pirates and the Astros (be proud, fellas, you definitely got it all over Pittsburgh).

I would seriously doubt that increasing their steal attempts would help the Giants in any way, so what's left? In team batting average and on-base percentage, the Giants are currently in the middle of the pack (9th and 10th, respectively).

So. Only a month into the season, and quite honestly, it's already time for Brian Sabean to leap...nay, spring! into action. Were the Giants to stay around .500, I don't think the division will get away from them, but that's a silly thing to count on -- not to mention there's no guarantee the team can stay close to .500 with its current makeup.

The rotation is competitive, and the bullpen has stabilized to some extent (although it bears watching). But the offense? While there are a few players hitting below expectations, I don't see some kind of huge turnaround in the making. Their entire infield can't hit for power (and for those that want to counter with Pedro Feliz, I say to you...heh, sure), and only Omar Vizquel has made any sort of significant offensive contribution thus far this season...oh, and he's finally cooling off.

But am I worried? Nah, 'course not.