The National League West division race is heating up as the San Diego Padres close in on the Los Angeles Dodgers, setting up the tightest battle between these two rivals in 15 years. The Padres beat the Giants. The Dodgers have now lost two straight games, while the Padres have rattled off three consecutive wins, bringing San Diego one game behind the division leaders.

Giants fans suffered the latest gutpunch this week of a lengthy second-half dry spell when the San Diego Padres completed a three-game sweep at Oracle Park with an 11-1 victory. The thrashing on Wednesday – San Francisco's 13th loss in its past 14 home games – appeared to be the final knell of a Giants season that looked promising just a couple of months ago. On June 15, while trailing the division-leading Dodgers by just two games in the NL West standings, the Giants acquired Dominican slugger Rafael Devers from Boston in a stunning move that seemed to put them well in position to scrap for the division title, and maybe even contend for the World Series. Instead, in the ensuing weeks, the team fell apart.

The Tampa Bay Rays are headlining the wrong kind of list. Heading into Friday's slate of games and Tampa Bay's series opener against the San Francisco Giants, the Rays hold the worst MLB record (based on a team's winning percentage) since July 4 at 10-25 (.286), according to StatsCentre. (These records are complete through Wednesday games. Worst MLB records since July 4 (based on a team's winning percentage): .286- Rays (10-25) .303- Nationals (10-23) .353- #Dodgers (12-21 via Wednesday's 6-5 loss vs LAA after leading 3-0 and 5-2) .353- Rockies (12-21) .353- Giants (12-21) .382- Pirates (13-21) .382- Braves (13-21) — StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) August 14, 2025 The Rays' struggles are a dramatic

The 38-year-old designated hitter is hitless over his last five games, as he hasn't notched an actual base hit since Aug. 6 against the San Francisco Giants. According to Underdog Fantasy's Justin Havens, McCutchen is the only player in MLB this season and the first Pirates player in nearly 24 years to record zero hits and at least seven walks over a five-game stretch within a single season. The last time somebody accomplished the bizarre feat in Pittsburgh was when Brian Giles did so from Oct. 2 to 7 in 2001.

It couldn’t have been scripted any better. The Dodgers, a team that had the most exorbitant offseason of any team in baseball history, began the season 8-0 and came into Independence Day weekend with a nine game lead over the San Diego Padres. Since then, the Dodgers not only whiffed at the deadline (unlike San […]

Typically, the local broadcast team for a professional sports team is an extension of the franchise itself. Because of that, they tend to try and put a silver lining on any of the team's failures, and they usually look for as many positives as possible, but in a season where the San Francisco Giants have been massive underachievers, even their announcers aren't cutting them any slack. In what turned out to be an 11-1 loss and a sweep at Oracle Park, courtesy of the San Diego Padres, even the Bay Area commentators sounded almost disgusted by the team's play. Both the team's radio and television teams were at a loss for words amid San Diego's offensive onslaught.

Alex Pavlovic lists five ways the San Francisco Giants can make the most of their current situation during the final stretch of the 2025 MLB season.

The Tampa Bay Rays are calling up 26-year-old Bob Seymour from Triple-A Durham, adding power to a lineup that has lacked slug in August.

Despite having a glimmer of hope of making a run for a playoff spot, a poor recent stretch has once again resulted in their chances of making the postseason being slim. After losing a disappointing series at home to the Washington Nationals, the Giants were then swept by the San Diego Padres. Since the Giants were sellers at the trade deadline, it was pretty clear that they weren't going to be seeking to contend for the rest of this year. San Francisco moved a few notable players and essentially waved the white flag on the year.

Mets' starter was relegated to a different role after poor start

The San Francisco Giants were considered playoff contenders heading into the 2025 MLB season, likely vying for a wild card spot behind the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Diego Padres. In the highly competitive NL West, they've always managed to hold their own, even when they've been outgunned or outspent by their division rivals. In the course of their recent sweep courtesy of the Padres, the Giants have now lost 11 of 12 home games for the first time since Aug. 23 - Sept.15, 1993. The Giants are currently stranding 3.29 runners in scoring position per game, which ranks as the tenth best in MLB.

Drew Gilbert took a mighty step in his baseball journey this week while collecting the first hit of his Major League Baseball career for the San Francisco Giants in a game against the San Diego Padres on Monday, Aug. 11 at Oracle Park. The 2019 Stillwater Area High School graduate received a standing ovation from the home crowd of more 31,000 fans, including several from the St. Croix Valley, after dropping in a single off pitcher Yu Darvish in the bottom of the third inning. Reaching for the first time after 10 previous plate appearances, Gilbert also quickly notched his first stolen base before getting thrown out at third while trying to gain another base after the throw from the catcher sailed into center field.

Arguably no position has been as settled in the Giants' recent history as right field. While the organization has run out different left fielders on Opening Day dating back to Barry Bonds' final season, the opposite outfield corner has featured the same mainstay for the past six years. It is unlikely to be Mike Yastrzemski manning right field next April, though, which then begs the question. With six weeks left and the Giants' postseason hopes fading fast, they're hoping to find some answers.

The San Francisco Giants are searching for answers in every facet of the game right now, leaving manager Bob Melvin considering every option as his team struggles mightily on the field. Injuries and ineffectiveness have decimated their depth behind Logan Webb and Robbie Ray, who continue to anchor the staff. With Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks traded to the Boston Red Sox as part of the Rafael Devers blockbuster, finding help on the mound has been difficult. Making that task even harder is Landen Roupp being injured, Hayden Birdsong's struggles leading to a demotion and the team becoming sellers at the MLB trade deadline.

The San Diego Padres' sweep of the San Francisco Giants cemented a losing streak for the Giants not seen since 1940.

Do the Braves have what it takes to finish the job after a hot offensive performance last night?

When fans think of the San Francisco Giants' minor league system, there are a few names that immediately come to mind. Bryce Eldridge, who looks like a future All-Star despite being just 20 years old, is on the minds of every Bay Area backer due to the amazing upside he possesses. Both Gavin Kilen (currently ranked as the Giants no. 3 prospect) and his San Jose Giants teammate, Walker Martin, are making their way through the system playing both shortstop and second base. Once they figure out who's going to play where, the two have an opportunity to form the defensive nucleus of future Giants teams for years to come.

The San Francisco Giants were one of the most pleasant surprises early in the 2025 MLB regular season but they have fallen on some incredibly tough times over the last few months, slowly fading out of the National League playoff picture. When they acquired Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox, optimism was on the rise. Devers made his debut with the Giants on June 17 and the team has gone into a tailspin since.

Friars have a chance to overtake the Dodgers atop NL West.

The San Diego Padres had previously not accomplished their most recent impressive feat since the 2010 MLB season.