Giants Visit Progressive Field Searching for Answers Against Struggling Guardians

Two teams trending in the wrong direction meet Tuesday night at Progressive Field, where neither the Giants (51-73) nor the Guardians (60-65) can afford to sleepwalk through August. There's no model read to anchor this one, which means the on-field matchup has to do all the talking.

Carson Whisenhunt is expected to take the mound for San Francisco against a Cleveland lineup that has enough pop to punish a mistake. On the other side, Foster Griffin is set to start for the Guardians — a left-on-left dynamic worth watching given the Giants' offensive construction. Neither starter comes into this game with the kind of reputation that makes opposing lineups nervous, which means the offenses could have real say in how this one unfolds.

For San Francisco, the offensive identity runs through two players. Jung Hoo Lee is hitting .292 and gives the Giants a legitimate on-base threat at the top of the order. Rafael Devers is the power source — 25 home runs and 69 RBI on the season — and represents the most dangerous at-bat the Giants can put in front of Cleveland's pitching. If Devers gets into a Griffin fastball early, this game could look very different by the third inning. The Giants are a 51-73 ballclub, so they need those two to carry weight every single night.

Cleveland's offense isn't without its own weapons. Chase DeLauter is hitting .285 with 57 RBI, making him the Guardians' most consistent run-producer and a genuine threat with runners on base. Rhys Hoskins adds 13 home runs to the mix — not a massive total, but enough to keep opposing pitchers honest in the middle of the order. The Guardians at 60-65 are in a similar position to San Francisco: too far back to feel comfortable, too close to the bottom to feel safe. Home field at Progressive Field gives Cleveland a marginal edge in terms of familiarity, but on paper this is a matchup between two flawed rosters trying to salvage something from a difficult season. No model read means no lean — watch the starters' command early, and watch Devers.