Giants pregame: Artichokes? In San Francisco? Plus podcast

About 4 ½ hours before first pitch, the AT&T Park grounds crew is doing something unusual on the left side of the infield (see photo). It looks like they are tilling rows to plant artichokes.

Let's assume they are not planting artichokes.

The skies are dry, but the two-hour start-time pushback to 3:05 p.m. will allow the crew to prepare the field better. Every additional hour cannot hurt.

While you're waiting, why not give a listen to the latest Giants Double Play podcast, which you can hear here (not yet available on iTunes and other such apps). Assistant sports editor Janny Hu and yours truly talk about the Giants' strange first week and look ahead.