Big Names On Mound Could Still Lead To Big Totals

Giants vs. Braves, 12:15 ET

My friend and I were having a phone call this morning and just catching up a bit. One of the topics that came up was baseball and how long the season is. Most sports talk about how the season is too long, but with the longest season of every major sport, baseball doesn't seem to get that treatment until we deal with 30 degree weather in the playoffs. This season has been a bit of a drag, and we are now in the dog days of summer. I'm personally looking for some moments where we can make up units, and I hope there is one here as the Giants take on the Braves. 

The Giants are in third place of the National League West, coming into the day with a record four games above .500. The Giants being in third place in the division is a slight accomplishment, but they really need to find a way to get on a great winning streak if they want to try and find a way to get into the last Wild Card spot. If the season ended today, it would be the Brewers, Mets, and Padres winning the spots. There is plenty of time to make a run, but the issue is there are still three other teams that are within three games of the Giants. Today, Justin Verlander looks to get the Giants in a position to win this one. Verlander hasn't recorded a win this season which is a bit crazy considering his pedigree. Verlander is 0-8 for the season with a 4.99 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP. He has been worse on the road than he has been at home this season, and the Giants have lost six straight Verlander starts. In fact they've only won four games that he has started, going 4-12 for the year in Verlander outings. He has just six quality starts for the year, but he has allowed three or fewer runs in 12 of the starts. The bottom line: he is pitching better than his stats are indicating. Overall, the Braves are 16-for-77 against Verlander.

Jun 20, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants designated hitter Rafael Devers (16) prepares to bat against the Boston Red Sox in the second inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

The Braves are in fourth place of the National League East, which is a significant surprise considering the fact that this team is a few years removed from a World Series victory. They have been competing for the divisional crown each of the past few years, no matter what was happening with their roster. Consider that they've had a number of brutal injuries for the team, to key players, and the Braves have been resilient. This year has been a challenge from the beginning. The team is now 12 games under .500, and is extremely unlikely to make the playoffs. This afternoon, Spencer Strider takes the mound. He is 5-7 for the season with a 3.59 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. He's been better at home than on the road, and looking to improve on those marks here. He has produced a quality start in seven of his last eight outings, and his one non-quality start, he allowed three earned in five innings. He did face the Giants earlier in the year and allowed three earned runs in six innings, walking three and giving up three hits. 

Neither of these teams seem to be in a groove at the moment. The Giants won for the first time in five games yesterday, and the Braves are just 2-3 over their past five. Offenses have actually looked pretty good lately for at least one team in each game. The Giants scored nine yesterday, and the Braves scored nine in the series opener. I think we get more runs here today and am backing the full game over as both starters have been good, but have consistently allowed runs. Back the over 7.5. 
 

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