The Giants are heading into enemy territory this week, and for once, the loudest boos might not come from Dodger Stadium. After a brutal weekend at Oracle Park, where even their famously loyal home crowd turned on them, San Francisco finds itself at a crossroads. The four-game series in Los Angeles kicks off a grueling 10-game road trip that could define—or dismantle—their season.

“I had never heard that, ever,” outfielder Heliot Ramos said of the boos, a rare sound in a ballpark known for its patient, supportive fans. The frustration boiled over during Saturday’s ugly loss, the latest in a string of performances that have left the Giants flirting with the worst record in baseball. Manager Tony Vitello didn’t mince words: “What would you do? I think it got to the point where it wasn’t an acceptable effort.”

At the quarter mark of the season, the Giants are already fighting an uphill battle. A walk-off extra-innings win on Sunday kept them out of the NL West cellar, but their run differential sits at a league-worst minus-48. That’s not just bad—it’s historically problematic. Since MLB adopted the wild-card format in 1995, only a handful of teams have dug themselves out of such a deep hole.

This road trip is a make-or-break moment. After four games in L.A., the Giants face three against the AL West-leading Athletics and another series against the division-rival Diamondbacks. By the time they return home for Memorial Day weekend—a traditional turning point in the season—we’ll know if they’re contenders or pretenders. Right now, they’re squarely in the latter camp.

But Ramos remains optimistic: “I think this is going to be a good road trip.” The Giants will need more than hope, though. They’ll need grit, consistency, and a whole lot of fight to silence the critics—both in the stands and across the diamond.