San Francisco Giants: 5 Keys to Beating the Philadelphia Phillies

Cliff Lee pitched like he wished he had last October and November against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday night.  The Giants bats were completely stymied by his command and precision.

Madison Bumgarner pitched a very good game but struggled a bit early.  That didn't make a difference because of Cliff Lee.  If the Giants are going to win this four-game series, they will have to focus on these five things.

The Leadoff Spot Has To Set the Table

Whoever is batting first, whether it's Andres Torres, Cody Ross, Nate Shierholtz or Jeff Keppinger, has to take pitches, work counts and get on base.  The leadoff spot has been a black hole all year, and it was a true strength last year.

Andres Torres yo-yo's back and forth between good, long at-bats and wasted, one-pitch outs.  If he can regain any semblance of his 2010 consistency over the next three games, the Giants have the opportunity to win the series.

Pablo Sandoval and Carlos Beltran Stay Hot

Carlos Beltran started out slow as a Giant but seems to have found his comfort zone.  He is driving the ball to all parts of the field with authority, and I suspect that will continue to be the case. 

Pablo Sandoval had a brief discussion with Carlos Beltran upon Beltran's arrival on the team.  Beltran told him to take the ball the opposite way more, and he has.  Sandoval has been white hot since Beltran donned a Giants uniform.

For the next three games, these two middle-of-the-order hitters have to stay hot for the Giants to have a shot at beating the Phillies.

Giants Pitchers Have To Avoid the Phillies Hot Hitters

Hunter Pence, Ryan Howard and others are frighteningly scorching the ball for the Phillies right now.  The Giants pitchers will have to have a solid game plan that will keep these guys off balance.  If the Giants pitchers can successfully execute the game plan, they have a chance at winning the next three games.

Better At-Bats with Runners in Scoring Position

It may not be fair to deride the Giants offense for its inability to take advantage of the few early scoring chances they had against Cliff Lee in the series opener.  The Giants' offense makes a habit out of stranding runners in scoring position, however.  So, overall, this is an area in serious need of improvement.  The Giants are going to have to have better at-bats when there is a runner at second or third, especially when there are less than two outs.

I realize that this is absolutely a lot to ask of this team, but they are capable of it. If they dig deep and make the proper adjustments, they can be more successful.

Bruce Bochy Has To Work His Magic

In the 2010 postseason, Bruce Bochy made all the right moves.  People saw what baseball people had known for years: Bruce Bochy is a solid, strategic manager.

If the Giants are going to win the series from Philadelphia, Bruce Bochy is going to have to play his hunches right and catch lightning in a bottle with some of his matchups.