A's and Giants Midseason Report

This season, the Bay Area baseball teams have been surprisingly good. The A's are 48-48, and the Giants are in the lead for the Wild Card race. Now, let's recap what both teams have done.

A's
This year, the A's have improved. Their young players have stepped up, and the extra year of experience has helped them improve. Andrew Bailey has been great with 20 saves, All-Star Trevor Cahill has been fantastic, going 8-2 in his last 10 decisions.

However, the offense has been quiet, with the RBI leader Kevin Kouzmanoff (49) and the home run leader Kurt Suzuki (10). A pitcher only throws about once every 5 games, so even a 35-0 pitcher or something can't change a team.

The A's pitching has been good, with Trevor Cahill, Gio Gonzalez, and Vin Mazzaro combining for a 23-12 record, and Dallas Braden threw a perfect game. But the batting has been a problem. The A's have to pick up runs at the plate if they want to win their games and come back in their division.

Prediction: 3rd place in the AL West

Giants
The Giants have been a very surprising team this year. The Giants have a team that can make plays, and hit homers any time. To start, Aubrey Huff has blasted 19 homers, knocked in 57 RBI's, and scored 60 runs for San Fran. He has been a huge pickup to the Giants.

Pablo Sandoval has blasted 6 homers and knocked in 41 RBI's in his sophomore season, while Juan Uribe has had a 12/51 season. The Giants bats have been very reliable and helpful.

The pitching staff has also been great. Tim Lincecum and Brian Wilson made the All-Star team, Matt Cain has a 3.10 ERA, and Barry Zito has had a breakout year. The 2 time Cy Young award winner has 138 strikeouts, and he has 10 wins.

Brian Wilson has been a fantastic closer. Wilson has 28 saves in 30 appearances, and he is tied for the league lead in saves. He has played in 41 games.

The Giants have a lot of talent, and it has showed, but they will need a little more production at the plate, and by Matt Cain and Jonathan Sanchez to become a real contender.

Prediction: 2nd in NL West, Wild Card spot in playoffs (1st round lost)

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