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Giants follow familiar formula to finish first half strong as best team in baseball

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Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports


How have the Giants done it? is a difficult question to answer. Sure, there is a core that has reawakened, but there are branches that stretch out in every direction for support.

For a shorter, compressed answer, Sunday’s game served as a nice snapshot.

Dominant starting pitching; resurgent performances from veterans; depth passing every test thrown at it; and a defense and bullpen that quietly do the job.

It all was on display in a 3-1 win over the Nationals on Sunday to conclude a first half that is stunning to everyone in baseball who is not in the home clubhouse at Oracle Park. 26,639 witnessed San Francisco sweep the Nationals and take four straight before the pause in play.

The Giants (57-32) are the best team in baseball and 25 games over .500 at the All-Star break, 2.5 games above the Dodgers, 5.5 in front of the Padres before the NL West foes had finished play Sunday.

They have done it every which way, but you can start with the starting pitching. Entering play, Andrew Bailey’s rotation had compiled the third best ERA in baseball at 3.20, and Kevin Gausman lowered it.

The All-Star and perhaps second best pitcher on the planet shaved his own mark to 1.73 with six excellent innings in which he struck out nine. He was not quite as sharp this time, walking three and allowing four hits and a run, but the fact this qualifies as an off-his-game Gausman is telling. Washington hitters swung 19 times at his splitter and missed 10.

He got into trouble in the seventh, when walks to Juan Soto and Josh Bell preceded a single to Starlin Castro to load the bases without an out, and Gabe Kapler turned to Dominic Leone.

The righty got the double-play ball he sought from Josh Harrison, but LaMonte Wade Jr. dropped the low throw at first. Not to worry, Leone got a shallow flyout and strike out to escape allowing just the one inherited run.

Leone’s ERA is at 0.98 through 18 games, and the righty has been a legitimate find since coming up from Triple-A for a bullpen that has rounded into shape. Entering play, the unit’s 2.60 ERA since June 1 was the second best in the majors (behind Milwaukee’s 2.55).

Tyler Rogers (1.47 ERA) and Jake McGee (19 saves) finished it up, after the Giants’ offense — the new and old guys — did enough yet again.

No Buster Posey, who’s on the IL with a thumb contusion? Then Curt Casali steps up to hit a three-run home run in the second. It was the Giants’ 132nd dinger of the first half, the most in the majors.

Casali, who struggled offensively in the first few months as he sought a good grip following offseason hamate surgery, reached base in three of his four plate appearances and is 17-for-39 (.436) with four home runs in his past 15 games since coming off the injured list. If he looks more healthy, there is good reason for that.

The Giants didn’t generate any offense otherwise, but Brandon Crawford punched in another nice day at work. The 34-year-old shortstop, who is supposed to be participating in a farewell season with the Giants but clearly has other plans, went 3-for-4 to close the first half with a nine-game hitting streak in which he has gone a sizzling 20-for-36 (.555) with a home run, three doubles and a triple. Add in the spectacular defense he played this series and this season, and it’s no wonder he is heading to his third All-Star Game.

If he wants to tell others in Colorado how the Giants have done it, he can point to Sunday’s game.