It would be a shame if the San Francisco Giants did not get a chance to defend their World Series title.
The Giants feature a dynamic starting rotation, an entertaining closer and a passionate fan base, but unless they work out a way to improve their offence in the final seven weeks of the season, they may be home when the post-season begins.
Heading into the weekend, the Giants were only a game behind Arizona in the National League West. But since the All-Star break, the Giants were just 12-14, opening the door for the plucky Diamondbacks to pass them in the standings.
In all of baseball, only the Seattle Mariners had scored fewer runs this season.
The Giants were ranked 27th of 30 teams in batting average, 28th in slugging percentage and 29th in on-base percentage.
Only two Giants had double-figures in homers: Pablo Sandoval (14) and Aubrey Huff (11) and just two regulars - Sandoval and Nate Schierholtz - were hitting above .250.
In 48 of their first 118 games, they managed to score two runs or less. And not even their top-flight starting rotation can overcome that every night. Approximately one in every 10 losses this season have been by shutouts.
The Giants thought they had addressed their biggest need when they obtained Carlos Beltran from the New York Mets in late July.
Beltran, a switch-hitter with power, was the best available hitter on the trade market and the Giants moved aggressively to land him.
Brian Sabean, the general manager, said he thought the team's ardent fan base - every game this season has been a sell-out at the magnificent AT&T Park - deserved the team's best effort to try to repeat as champions.
It seemed like a good idea at the time. But Beltran has been a disappointment, knocking in just two runs in his first 11 games with the Giants.
The idea that he would provide some protection in the middle of the line-up and benefit some of the other hitters has not panned out.
Beltran seems to be pressing at the plate and it has not helped that he suffered a wrist injury and has missed time.
The real problem, of course, has been the absence of Buster Posey, who was lost for the season back in May when he broke a leg in an ugly collision at home plate.
Although he was only a rookie last season, Posey quickly established himself as a true middle-of-the-order presence, with the ability to hit quality pitching. There is still time for the Giants to generate some offence and hold off Arizona.
Once in the post-season, their superb pitching may give them a chance to return to the World Series. But getting there may be the hard part.
sports@thenational.ae
Coal Black Mornings
Brett Anderson
Little Brown Book Group
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
Company profile
Name: Oulo.com
Founder: Kamal Nazha
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2020
Number of employees: 5
Sector: Technology
Funding: $450,000
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
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The specs: 2018 Dodge Durango SRT
Price, base / as tested: Dh259,000
Engine: 6.4-litre V8
Power: 475hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 640Nm @ 4,300rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.7L / 100km
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SE%20(second%20generation)
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Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
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Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
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Tour de France 2017: Stage 5
Vittel - La Planche de Belles Filles, 160.5km
It is a shorter stage, but one that will lead to a brutal uphill finish. This is the third visit in six editions since it was introduced to the race in 2012. Reigning champion Chris Froome won that race.
The flights: South African Airways flies from Dubai International Airport with a stop in Johannesburg, with prices starting from around Dh4,000 return. Emirates can get you there with a stop in Lusaka from around Dh4,600 return.
The details: Visas are available for 247 Zambian kwacha or US$20 (Dh73) per person on arrival at Livingstone Airport. Single entry into Victoria Falls for international visitors costs 371 kwacha or $30 (Dh110). Microlight flights are available through Batoka Sky, with 15-minute flights costing 2,265 kwacha (Dh680).
Accommodation: The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Hotel by Anantara is an ideal place to stay, within walking distance of the falls and right on the Zambezi River. Rooms here start from 6,635 kwacha (Dh2,398) per night, including breakfast, taxes and Wi-Fi. Water arrivals cost from 587 kwacha (Dh212) per person.