It's been an ugly stretch for the San Francisco Giants both on and off the field. They've lost four straight, falling to five games back in the NL West. They've been decimated by injures all season, and in particular in the last few days. Through it all, however, they have a multi-game lead on the NL's final playoff spot as we are about to cross the 1/4 mark of the season.

LaMonte Wade Jr., Brandon Belt, Curt Casali, and Austin Slater have all gone on the injured list since Friday. Also since Friday, the SF Giants got spanked around in a three-game sweep by the Padres in San Francisco. And things don't get any easier with the New York Mets coming into town tonight. Even though things have been ugly lately, the Giants are still 22-18 and have a 2.5-game lead over the NL's final playoff spot. Making the playoffs via winning the division was always the less likely route, so it's not terribly unexpected that they're not in first place.

Their starters have allowed the majors' highest average on balls in play (BABIP). The team's ERA is much, much higher than its FIP. This suggests that they've deserved better results, and it also suggests that better results should lie ahead. We will find out, but it is an encouraging sign that they've managed to play overall above-.500 baseball despite a lot of things going wrong so far in 2022.

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The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenKaspick

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