Hollywood Showdown: Dodgers and Giants Battle for NL West Crown
Sep 13, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants center fielder Angel Pagan (16) is tagged out at home plate by Los Angeles Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis the first inning of their MLB baseball game at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports
Series like the one that starts tonight in Los Angeles as the Dodgers and Giants begin play are what baseball fans dream of. The final week of the season, two bitter, historical rivals square off as the fate of their division hangs in the balance. It’s baseball drama at it’s highest, at least until October gets under way.
As Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports noted in his morning piece, this series marks ten years since Steve Finley launched the Dodgers into the postseason with a walk off grand slam against these very Giants during the final weekend of the season. The Dodgers do hope to see history repeat itself.
If the Dodgers can take two of three in this series, they’re division champs, with their magic number to clinch resting at 3, the Giants can stay alive, if only by a thread, by taking two of three themselves. What needs to happen if you’re the Giants, is a sweep. They need to accomplish what they were unable to a decade ago. A sweep by the Giants would put them just 1.5 games back as they head home to host the San Diego Padres in a four game set to conclude their schedule, with a fighting chance at stealing the division from their hated rivals.
The opening matchup will feature Jake Peavy (6-4, 2.16 ERA) and Dan Haren (13-11, 4.14 ERA) in what would appear to be an advantage for the Giants. Peavy has been a revelation for the Giants since being acquired in July, filling much of the void left by ace Matt Cain, who underwent season ending elbow surgery last month (not THAT surgery). Haren has been inconsistent this season, but has pitched reasonably well over his last few starts, save for his last outing in Colorado.
Tuesday night features perhaps the best pitching matchup of the three, pitting Madison Bumgarner (18-9, 2.91 ERA) against Zack Greinke (15-8, 2.76 ERA). Bumgarner baffled the Dodgers for seven shutout innings in the lone victory for the Giants when they last met, he’ll look to continue his strong 2014 campaign. Greinke was the beneficiary of 17 runs of support in his start against the Giants, he cruised to six shutout innings en route to the victory.
The first six runs for the Dodgers in that beatdown came courtesy of the Giants starter in the finale, Tim Hudson (9-12, 3.52 ERA) goes toe to toe with the modern day Sandy Koufax, he of the 20-3 record and a mind-boggling 1.80 ERA, Clayton Kershaw. Should the Giants begin to make some noise, this should be where it is silenced. Kershaw was shaky in his last outing, lasting just five innings against the Chicago Cubs, so there is a strong chance he’ll have laser focus on exorcising the mediocrity from his left arm on Wednesday night.
It’s entirely possible the Dodgers have the division wrapped up by Wednesday, which could push Kershaw back in order to position him to start game 1 of the NLDS, but if there is still anything to be decided come Wednesday, he’ll be the man to decide it.
All eyes will be on Chavez Ravine for the next three days, Vin Scully will be at his best, Yasiel Puig will flip his bat, the quiet confidence of Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner will keep the Giants’ hopes alive, Matt Kemp will continue his renaissance, and these two rivals will remind us why we wait for moments like this.