The San Francisco Giants will begin their 10-game road stretch against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday in a period that will test if they truly can be contenders when they face two teams with winning records.

It’s still early, but there have been some warning signs that suggest this year could be a struggle.

Manager Bob Melvin addressed that after the Giants didn’t quite get off to the start they were hoping for after signing some high-profile players this offseason.

But, despite sitting one game under .500 after 29 contests, one of their former legends is confident they will be able to turn things around.

“I’m excited about this team. I know they’re sitting right around .500 right now, but honestly feel like they haven’t come close to playing their best baseball as a group,” Buster Posey told Tim Kawakami of The Athletic.

The strength of San Francisco right now is their starting pitching staff, who is ranked 10th entering their contest on Tuesday with an ERA of 3.67.

The hope is that the Giants’ offense will eventually come around, while their starters continue to give them good innings, so they can finally string together enough wins to truly put them into the playoff picture.

Posey was asked if he thinks this team will be able to make the postseason for the first time since 2021 during his final year with the franchise before he retired.

“It goes back to your first question about the excitement around the staff. I think if you get into the playoffs and you’ve got two, three studs at the top, it can carry you a long ways … You think about the playoffs, what is that? It’s about pitching, good defense and getting hot offensively at the right time,” he said.

As far as the offensive issues go, Posey actually thinks it could work out in San Francisco’s favor down the line when they eventually do start hitting.

“The offense to this point hasn’t really done much. To my eyes, that’s encouraging, right?” he said.

It’s certainly a positive way to look at what has taken place on the field, but it’s also hard to argue with Posey who has won World Series titles with the Giants because of the strength of their starting pitching and the lineup getting timely hits.

Maybe that can happen for this team.

Posey certainly thinks they’ll be contending for a shot to at least have an opportunity to make a deep run.

A man was shot dead Monday evening in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood, police said Tuesday.

According to preliminary information, officers from the Bayview station responded around 9:30 p.m. Monday to Quesada Avenue between Newhall and Third streets for a report of a possible shooting.

When officers arrived, they found a man lying on the ground with gunshot wounds to his face and chest.

Paramedics transported the victim to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:05 p.m.

His identity was not immediately available, pending next-of-kin notification from the city’s Office of the Medical Examiner.

The San Francisco Police Department Homicide Detail is leading the open investigation. Police did not say if any arrests have been made.

Sometimes, it can be easy to forget all the history in our streets and cities. Kelly Steinhardt finds magic in her city walks by tapping into this history.

Recently, I found a map of major retail closures in downtown San Francisco. On it were dots, representing stores that have left or soon will be leaving — peppered around Market Street and the Financial District. I have fond memories of walking through those areas on my way home from work in my mid-twenties.

I’d hike from the Embarcadero over to Nob Hill and further, detouring through Union Square, especially during the holidays. I took it upon myself to learn more about the history of downtown, which made my 45 minute walk so much more meaningful. For instance, near the corner of Bush and Market Street, you can see where the shoreline used to reach in 1848. If you look up in Union Square, you’ll see Nike, the goddess of victory, towering confidently over the city.

My favorite landmark is easy to miss, if you’re in a hurry. On Market Street, be sure to stop at Lotta’s Fountain. Try to imagine what it was like to be there on Christmas Eve in 1910. According to The Chronicle, the night was soft and clear. Thousands gathered there to see Luisa Tetrazzini, a famous opera singer. Story goes, she ended her show with the song “Auld Lang Syne” — and everyone joined in. “Should old acquaintance be forgot. And never brought to mind.” Think all of those strangers singing in unison, just four years after an earthquake and fire decimated the city.

There are many reasons for us to visit San Francisco’s downtown and experience its rich history. I wonder what it might take for us to come together and breathe more life into the area, once again.