Sep 8, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey (14) celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the eighth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

The Giants Have Become 'the Prizefighters' of Major League Baseball

Originally posted on San Francisco Giants on SI
By Ryan Boman | Last updated Sep 9, 2025 12:02 PM ET

What more can you say about the San Francisco Giants in 2025, other than to say they might be the most resilient team in Major League Baseball right now? After seemingly being out of contention, the club has risen and fired back, climbing to within just three games out of the National League playoffs. Not too shabby for a team that had been seemingly knocked out of the postseason.

Turns out? It wasn't a knockout blow, just a series of knockdowns. Besieged by inconsistency and injuries, the Giants keep forging on, against all odds. In many ways, the team is sort of like Rocky Balboa; you can beat them, but you won't break them.

Following a strong outing from starter Logan Webb and some formidable fireworks flying from the 'Frisco bats, the team got a decisive victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, 11-5. Webb picked up his 200th strikeout of the year, and five Giants homered in the contest. That helped move San Francisco up another game on the New York Mets --- the only squad standing in their way to the Wild Card.

Just listen to @OracleParkSF erupt pic.twitter.com/EEYuzGuRb9
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) September 9, 2025

Now sitting at 72-71, the Giants are looking to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2021. To get there, they will need the same strong pitching and hitting that they displayed in the opening game of the Arizona series.

Bob Melvin and the Giants Have Their Eyes on the Prize

D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Following the series with Arizona, the Giants will battle the heavyweights of the NL West, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have only gone 3-7 in their last 10 games. San Francisco will host LA on Sept 12-14. But it's probably the final round of the seasonal showdown that will test the Giants' mettle. They will play a four-game series at Chavez Ravine, starting on Sept 18.

Giants manager Bob Melvin noted after Monday night's win that the team has only one mission. No matter who their opponent is, his club has to come out swinging.

“We just try to win every game no matter what — it’s the big leagues,” Melvin said. “It’s been pretty much the same all year because we’ve been back-and-forth. Even when we’ve been on the verge of being out of it, you know you’re not. You know that all it takes is a run to get back into it.”