The Giants are going to have a hard time topping that one.
Seriously, how often do you see a game in any sport where a player bodyslams a fan on the field. But it was the Giants’ body-slamming of the Dodgers, specifically in a seven run, sixth inning, that made Friday night’s game more than just an exercise in great entertainment, but an immense victory that brings the Giants one step closer to a postseason berth.
The Giants could take an even bigger step with another win today over the Dodgers, guaranteeing themselves at the very least a Wild Card play-in game or games starting Monday, and at best securing a berth in the NL Wild Card game next Wednesday. The Giants are one game ahead of the Cardinals and a game behind the Mets in the Wild Card standings with two remaining. Every scenario, except for the Mets being completely eliminated is still possible, but all that matters for the Giants is that a win today means the season won’t end on Sunday afternoon.
“This is why you play,” Bruce Bochy said after the game. “Realize there’s years where you don’t have this. Hopefully the guys savor it and are having fun with this.”
“This is why you put the work in the offseason, spring training and the long six month season to have an opportunity to play in these games.” Buster Posey said.
“Yeah, they’re definitely fun.”
Last night was as much fun as the Giants have had in a long time. It was the release that the Giants needed and have been waiting for. You could see it in the emotion springing from Madison Bumgarner at second base, after his two-run double put the Giants ahead 6-3 in the sixth inning.
“If you’re in that dugout you feel it,” Bochy said. “The excitement, the energy. It’s that time of year.”
It’s the time of year that the Giants have so often played their best baseball during Bochy’s tenure. True, they’ve waited until the last four games of the season to start doing so, and tried their damnedest to knock themselves out of the race over the last two months. But that didn’t seem to matter at all last night, and if the Giants win in similar fashion today, it’ll matter even less.
Today will be a tougher test. For starters, the Giants aren’t trotting out Madison Bumgarner, he of 100 wins and 250 plus strikeouts, but rather Ty Blach, he of 0 wins and four Ks. What’s more, taking the hill for the Dodgers is Clayton Kershaw, who will want to impress in his last outing before the postseason, a time where he has historically struggled. Kershaw has been dominant in his first four starts since coming off the DL, allowing three runs in 21 innings with 23 strikeouts and one walk. He also isn’t scheduled to pitch again until the Division Series next Friday, so while manager Dave Roberts probably won’t let him go the distance, the hook may not be as quick as Rich Hill’s was last night.
Blach was lights out earlier this month as a reliever, but got knocked around in his first career start last week, lasting just three innings in a 1-3 loss against San Diego. Buster Posey did not catch Blach that day, and hasn’t since spring training, but said yesterday that he’s confident that the youngster will be good to go.
Posey has come through in too many high stakes moments not to be confident.
“In baseball we’ve all seen it. You can get hot. Especially with our starting staff, they’ve got the ability to pitch deep in the game. You get hot, you never know.”
Yes it’s two games, but considering how they’ve played since the All-Star break, the Giants are hot. If they can stay that way for just one more day, Sunday will not be the last time they take the field in 2016.
“It’s up to us,” Bochy said. “Can’t be concerned with what’s happening in St. Louis. We gotta win ballgames, and that’s the way you want it. You wouldn’t want it any different. Go out there and try to take care of business yourself. We got our hands full we know that, tomorrow, we know that. But it’s much better being in this situation, than another situation where you’re looking for help.”
“It’s up to us.”