he problem has become one of the clearest weaknesses in a season that has left San Francisco near the bottom of the National League.
The Giants have committed 102 errors this season, the most in Major League Baseball, according to an analysis by McCovey Chronicles. The same report placed San Francisco 24th in the majors with minus-16.4 Defensive Runs Above Average.
The defensive problems have not been limited to one position. Shortstop Willy Adames has had a difficult season in the field despite continuing to provide power at the plate. MLB reported in August that Adames committed his 18th error of the season during a loss in Cleveland. He also made another defensive mistake in the same game.
The pitching staff has also contributed to the error total. McCovey Chronicles reported that Giants pitchers rank near the top of the majors in errors. Outfielder Jung Hoo Lee has also graded poorly in some defensive measurements this season. At the same time, players including Matt Chapman and Drew Gilbert have provided stronger defense.
The problems showed up again this week against the St. Louis Cardinals. San Francisco committed errors that helped the Cardinals score two runs in the seventh inning without recording a hit. The Giants still recovered and won the game 6-5 in 10 innings.
The team now prepares for a three-game series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. The opener is scheduled for Friday night at Dodger Stadium. Left-hander Cesar Perdomo is scheduled to start for San Francisco against Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow.
The matchup comes with the two teams in very different positions. The Giants are 64-89 and have been eliminated from postseason contention. The Dodgers are 93-60 and have already secured another National League West championship. Los Angeles clinched the division with an 8-2 win over Cincinnati on Thursday.
Los Angeles has dominated the division for more than a decade. The 2026 title is the Dodgers' 13th NL West championship in 14 seasons and their fifth straight. The club is also competing for one of the top seeds in the National League postseason.
San Francisco has still had success against the Dodgers this year. The Giants won four of the first seven meetings between the clubs. They took two of three games at Oracle Park in April before splitting a four-game series at Dodger Stadium in May.
The Giants enter the weekend on a two-game winning streak after taking two of three games from St. Louis. Their season record remains one of the worst in the National League, but the final games against Los Angeles give younger players a chance to compete against a postseason team.
Defense will remain one of the main issues for the Giants during the final stretch of the season. The club has improved its athleticism in some areas, but its high error total has repeatedly made games more difficult for the pitching staff. Those problems are likely to be an important part of the team's offseason evaluation as San Francisco looks toward 2027.
The Dodgers meanwhile enter the series with one of the strongest records in baseball. Friday's game is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Pacific time. The clubs will meet six more times before the end of the regular season, including another three-game series in San Francisco from September 25 through September 27.