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You are asking yourself – why should I go to a ballgame when the Giants are so far out of it?
The Anwer is simple – because its summer, the weather is gorgeous and Oracle is calling out with the sounds of summer, occasional fog (but mostly sunshine), the crack of a baseball bat, the taste of a crab sandwich and Ghirardelli sundae and the late inning arrival of the famous San Francisco seagulls (and, occasionally, the melodic sound of Tony Bennett and “I left my heart in San Francisco” when the G-Men win). It’s that time of year!
Where We Stand: A Lost Season Looks for a Silver Lining Against the Reds and D-backs
The G-Men close out August the way they've played most of 2026: fighting uphill. After being swept in three games at Fenway Park over the weekend — outscored 14-10 in a series where they led at some point in every game — we sit at 52-78, dead last in the National League West and a long way out of playoff position. We now turn back to Oracle Park for a stretch that won't change the October outlook but could shape how the front office thinks about 2027: three games against the Cincinnati Reds starting tonight, followed by four against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The State of the Team
There's no dressing up the record. We are nearly 25 games back of the division-leading (and perhaps soon to be sold to pay gambling debts by the owners – more about that later) Dodgers and well outside the Wild Card picture, with the games remaining mattering more for player evaluation than for the standings. The bullpen has been a particular sore spot — blown saves and ninth-inning collapses have turned winnable games into losses repeatedly down the stretch, including in all three defeats at Boston, where the Giants held the lead at some point in every contest and still walked away with nothing. Is there such as thing as the “Devers curse”?
Manager Tony Vitello has been candid about what this year has become: a chance to find out which young players belong. Rookie outfielder Jonah Cox has been a bright spot, homering against Boston and giving the lineup a jolt since his May callup. Right-hander Blade Tidwell has graduated off the prospect rankings and turned in a strong (if unrewarded) start at Fenway, and left-hander Matt "Tugboat" Wilkinson made his major-league debut this month and has looked like a keeper. On the health side, the news has been rougher — Matt Chapman played through an abdominal strain for much of the year, Casey Schmitt is on the injured list with a meniscus tear that could end his season, and the Giants are still waiting on Marcelo Mayer, acquired from Boston at the trade deadline, to work his way back through a rehab assignment at Triple-A Sacramento.
Despite the record, ownership appears committed to Vitello beyond this season — Buster Posey has indicated the manager will return in 2027 — which puts extra weight on evaluation games like this homestand. That presupposes Buster is still around, which should be a given at least until his number joins Jeff Kent’s number on the outfield fence as Hall of Famers from the by-gone era of 2010, 2012 and 2014.
Up Next: Reds and Diamondbacks at Oracle Park
vs. Cincinnati Reds — Mon, Aug 24 (TODAY – 4 TICKETS AVAILABLE!) through Wed, Aug 26
The Reds come in at 62-69, themselves out of postseason contention and near the bottom of the NL Central. This series is about as even a matchup as the Giants will find down the stretch — two teams playing out the string, both looking to get a read on younger pieces. For San Francisco, it's a reasonable spot to snap a rough patch and get some of those young bats and arms a confidence-building series. It should be a beautiful evening tonight at the ballpark.
vs. Arizona Diamondbacks — Thu, Aug 27 through Sat, Aug 29 (four games, including a Saturday doubleheader). Arizona is a different animal entirely. At 69-62, the Diamondbacks are firmly alive in the NL Wild Card race and will play with real urgency, which makes this a tougher measuring-stick series. San Francisco has had the Diamondbacks' number at times this season, but a road team fighting for its playoff life at Oracle Park is a different challenge than the Reds series that precedes it — expect Arizona's bullpen and lineup to be pushed hard in every close game.
The Bottom Line
Nothing on this homestand moves the needle on the Giants' 2026 season — that story was largely written by the trade deadline. What it can do is offer a clearer picture of the roster heading into next year: whether the bullpen issues that have plagued San Francisco all season are personnel problems or simply bad luck bunching up, whether Cox, Tidwell, and Wilkinson keep building on their early flashes, and how much of a boost the return of players like Mayer and Schmitt (health permitting) could provide in 2027. Seven home games against two teams with very different levels of urgency should tell Giants fans a lot about what they're actually watching for the rest of September.
Here are the games available:
MON: 8/24: 6:45 Reds [4]
TUES: 8/25: 6:45 Reds [3 – I’m going and need company]
WED: 8/26: 12:45 Reds [4]
THUR: 8/27: 6:45 Snakes [4]
FRI: 8/28: 7:15 Snakes [3 – I’m going and looking for Company]
SAT: 8/29: 1:05 Snakes [4 – Jung Hoo Lee Bobblehead] DOUBLE HEADER GAME
SUN: 8/30: 7:05 Snakes [4 – Jeff Kent Number Retirement]
Let the torture commence.
Ciao, and GO GIANTS!
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THE PROTOCOL: The firm has four seats in Section 118 (Premium Lower Boxes), Rows 25 and 26. These are awesome seats directly below the press box and 25 rows behind the home plate on the left side behind the screen. It is foul ball territory for left-handed batters, so bring your glove – I have collected 22 foul balls myself over 23 years and am looking for more. If we don’t use all the tickets ourselves (or clients and friends of the firm don't claim them by calling me and reserving a game), then my next step is to give the tickets TO THE FIRST PERSON WHO GETS BACK TO ME PROVIDED THAT THEY ARE SERIOUS. If you ask for the tickets and don't use them, you will be taken off the list unless there is a seriously good reason. There will be a waitlist.
When there are four seats available (we split up a lot of games) we will allocate the tickets two and two if the first people back just want two tickets. You can also go for four and might get them. I'm the Czar, my call.
Oh, and BTW, The Czar found the original Hinman & Carmichael brick from 2000 (after looking for it every year since 2000) and found H&C’s Gotham Club Founders Bat! If you are on the patio or in the Club, look for the symbols of baseball!
