The key question today is “what the F*** should the Giants do with this Team.”  The Czar has attended at least one home game in every series and is as puzzled as everyone else about why a team with this much promise is underperforming to the tune of being 36 and 50, 9.5 games back in the NL West (behind the team from LA for Pete’s sake) and 14 games under .500. The explanation may lie in the players, the managers and coaches or the front office. Regardless of the underlying reasons (and there are many) circumstances dictate that ownership take a hard and long look at the roster and make the hard decisions now. This blog explores the pieces available, and The Czar would appreciate all thoughts about how to help the team improve (I have Larry Baer’s email address).

The G-Men showcase an elite ability to put the ball in play alongside glaring failures from our high-priced stars. This statistical strange season features a high team batting average (.258) but a dismal 31-46 record, leaving Buster Posey's front office open to massive roster changes. Sometimes we wonder who should be fired first: Buster, Tony V, or Lou Seal.

The G-Men have navigated a "feast or famine" stretch over the last seven days, finishing with a 3-4 record that culminated in a very cool 12-9 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday. However, the week exposed deep inconsistencies in both pitching and hitting, but back-to-back wins to close out the series in Milwaukee provided something of a momentum spark for a team (and a coaching staff) trying to figure out how to dig out of the hole of being 15 games back of the team from LA and (at 25 and 38) barely hanging in there in 4th place in the NL West (especially after losing 2 out of 3 to the Rockies in Colorado). Today, we face the Cubs in Chicago to start a week where we will see the 30 and 33 Cubs 6 times over the next ten days. As of this blog going out today, the G-Men have hit 6 dingers (including another grand slam, this one by Chapman) and lead 18-3.

The positives are Luis Arraez's hot bat (.333 BA), a feeling that Devers is finding his swing, and strong defense. The negatives: a lackluster offense beyond Arraez and a lower team batting average.

The pitching staff has some bright spots, but the team ERA sits around 4.10, with a WHIP of about 1.32, with Logan Webb on the DL and Robbie Ray being uncharacteristically wild. On Tuesday night in AZ, Kilian gave up a 3-run 9th inning HR to lose a game the G-Men were winning. Ouch.

Getting swept by the Phillies, after winning two series at home against the Dodgers and the Marlins, was difficult to watch. The next series (tomorrow and over the weekend) is against the Tampa Bay Rays, who are 18 and 12 and fighting it out with the Yankees for the lead in the AL East.  In contrast, the G-Men are 13 and 18 and in last place in the NL West.