The San Francisco Giants did not even have to take the field Thursday in order to garner the final National League playoff spot. They were the benefactors of a loss by the Milwaukee Brewers to take the position. The Brew Crew dropped a 5-3 decision in Cincinnati to the Reds, thus ending their season on a major tailspin.
More on that in a bit…
House That Hank Built
Well, has to feel good after dropping a decision to their hated rivals which delivered the Los Angeles Dodgers a division title. And now, all five NL postseasons spots have been filled.
For San Francisco, there are two things in play here. Who will be the Giants opponent and where will the Giants play the NL Wild Card game? As of right now, they would play the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park, but the Buccos still have a shot to win the NL Central title. If Pittsburgh can take the NLC, then the St. Louis Cardinals would be the Giants’ opponent in the “winner take all” Wild Card matchup.
How should we all feel about the demise of the Brewers and, to an extent, the Giants? Maybe this tweet from Ahmed Fareed of CSN tells the story.
Fans who don't know how to feel about Giants making a wild card after having a 9.5 game lead - Brewers spent 150 days in 1st. #nosoupforyou
— Ahmed Fareed (@ahmedNBC) September 25, 2014
Yep, the Giants once held a significant lead in the NL West. According to Baseball Reference, the largest lead they held was 10 games on June 8th. The Brewers once held a 6.5 game lead with the latest occurring on July 1st. Both teams had plenty of time to fold. One did more than the other.
So is this more about the Brewers collapse and the Giants being able to hang on? Well, maybe a little of both. Prior to the Giants taking the field today, they are owners of a 85-73 record. Meanwhile, after today’s loss, Milwaukee’s record now stands at 81-78. Both held a 53-43 record at the All-Star break.
My math skills tell me the Giants are 32-30 since then with the Brewers posting a 28-35 record over the same period.