Melky Cabrera: Giants Will Make Postseason Without Suspended Outfielder

The San Francisco Giants will make the playoffs this fall without suspended outfielder Melky Cabrera in the lineup.

Cabrera was suspended for 50 games by the MLB last week after testing positive for testosterone. 

Sure, Cabrera was the MVP of last July's All-Star Game and was batting .346 (second best in the NL) at the time of his suspension, but his presence in left field won't make or break the 2012 San Francisco Giants.

San Francisco is 4-2 since Cabrera's suspension last Wednesday and has remained ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West thanks to the team's superb pitching rotation. 

It's no surprise that quality pitching is what wins World Series titles in today's game. For the Giants, the trio of Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner and Tim Lincecum is where their championship hopes lay.

San Francisco has only allowed 493 runs this season, good enough for second best in the division. 

In addition to their excellent pitching, the Giants are an above-average hitting team and still boast two notable bats in Buster Posey and Angel Pagan.

Posey leads the team with 79 RBI and 19 home runs in 2012, while Pagan has 453 at-bats coming into Wednesday, only six fewer than Cabrera this season.

Even if the Giants were to suffer a slip-up and surrender the NL West to the Dodgers, they would still be in line for a Wild Card berth this fall.

After watching what the St. Louis Cardinals did last season as a Wild Card, it would be very difficult to count out the Giants pitching staff in October—it's just one year removed from a World Series title in 2010 and has the experience and confidence to return to the Fall Classic in 2012. 

Considering they are playing 21 of their last 39 games at home, the San Francisco Giants will be just fine the rest of this season. They will continue to get production from their aces and key bats.

The Giants will make the playoffs this fall, despite Cabrera's foolishness.

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