Bruce Bochy’s Giants have never been in this position before.
Yes, they were down 0-2 to the Cincinnati Reds in the 2012 NLDS, and yes they came back to win that series, but it doesn’t quite compare to their current situation against Chicago. That’s because these Cubs don’t compare to those Reds. During their three World Series campaigns, never once did the Giants find themselves in this deep a hole, against a team of this caliber.
To beat an opponent that is better than you, you must take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself. Thus far, the Giants have not done that in this series.
Nothing went right for San Francisco in their Game 2 loss to the Cubs on Saturday night, after Jeff Samardzija spotted his former team four runs in the first two innings. The Giants caught an unexpected break in the fourth inning, however, when Chicago starter Kyle Hendricks, who boasted the best ERA in the major leagues this season, was forced into an early exit after being drilled in his throwing arm by a line drive.
It seemed like the type of moment that in years past might swing a game for the Giants and their even-yeared mojo. Instead they were shutout in the five remaining innings by four different Chicago relievers. San Francisco didn’t take their chance in Game 1 either, when Johnny Cueto put together a near-perfect performance through eight innings, but wasn’t afforded a lone run of support in a 1-0 loss.
No one’s arguing that it’s easy to do damage against the Cubs’ seemingly endless supply of quality pitchers, but for the Giants at this point, that fact is irrelevant. To win, they not only must find a way to conjure whatever got into them during the last weekend of the season, but also make the most of every opportunity, no matter how minuscule, the Cubs give them from here on out. Time and again, the vague idea of finding a way to win is what has defined the Giants previous three World Series teams, and they must rediscover that quality to have a chance in the 2016 NLDS.
Now begins the climb out of the deep hole the Giants have put themselves in, and Monday is perfectly set up to take their first step towards that. On the hill is their 2014 playoff savior Madison Bumgarner, who is coming off a flawless performance in the NL Wild Card shutout, where he extended his postseason consecutive scoreless innings streak to 23. A similar performance will likely be required from Bumgarner in Game 3 , as he faces off against 2015 Cy Young award winner Jake Arrieta.
For those of us who have watched the Giants make fools out of those who’ve doubted them time and again, one can’t help but imagine a scenario where they somehow pull this off. A scenario where Bumgarner’s gem on Monday breathes life back into the team, carrying them through a Game 4 victory on Tuesday. Cueto returns to pitch another gem in Game 5, and the roles reverse in the eighth inning when Gorkys Hernandez’s solo home run completes the improbable comeback.
To imagine that, however, you also have to imagine the Cubs losing three games in a row to a team that’s inferior in every aspect. That’s why this situation is incomparable to anything the Giants have faced in the past. San Francisco must play their best baseball of the season from here on out and while also hoping that Chicago falters. Any thing less, and they’ve got no shot.
The good news is the pressure is off in Game 3. At this point the Giants are supposed to lose this series and the Cubs have a century’s worth of weight on their shoulders. With Bumgarner on the hill, San Francisco has to like their chances in Game 3 and maybe a win puts a scare into Chicago who begins to imagine the ramifications of blowing a 2-0 lead and losing the final game at Wrigley.
From what we’ve seen of the Giants over the last six years, nobody in their right mind would count them out. They closed the season with four consecutive wins to clinch a postseason berth, and have always a tendency to come alive at the very last moment. They’ve also never done so against a team as good as the 2016 Chicago Cubs, and if they are able to pull off the improbable once again, it may go down as their most impressive accomplishment.