As of this writing, it’s Saturday evening and The NLCS has yet to begin. However, I still can’t get over what the San Francisco Giants, and Los Angeles Dodgers just gave us. How great was it? Well in the words of the greatest baseball announcer of all time Vince Scully said it was the most important time for the Dodgers-Giants storied and ancient rivalry. What we got was 196 days here in 2021 of these two teams pushing each other to the limit even when they weren’t on the same ball-field. They both had historic seasons, with the Giants going from a below-average bunch, to a 107 win group that outlasted a 106 win Dodgers team for the division that came down to the season's final day, and ended when the Giants blew out the Padres, sending the Dodgers to the Wild Card game. But Los Angeles wouldn’t be denied, crushing the Cardinals 3-1 on a pinch-hit Chris Taylor walk off home run, setting up the first ever playoff meeting between the Dodgers, and Giants. This was only the third time in their history, both teams were in the postseason together, with the other two in 2014, and 2016, but never crossed paths. However, what we got here was the two best teams in baseball sapping all the drive of each other proving they were too good to match up in the National League division series. Ultimately, it came down to both teams having 109 total wins, and tied in the winner-take-all game five before the reigning champs punched their ticket to an NLCS rematch with the resurgent Atlanta Braves. But before that tilt begins, we must reflect on what just happened out on the West Coast.
In game one, Logan Webb went 7.2 scoreless against the offense, twirling up a 10 strikeout masterpiece while bombs by Buster Posey, Kris Bryant, and Brandon Crawford ignited an already electrified Oracle park in a convincing 4-0 San Francisco win.
But game two saw LA punch back early, and often in a 9-2 route. Against Giants ace Kevin Gausman, Julio Urias helped himself out with an RBI single, before an RBI single by Mookie Betts in the second inning put the Dodgers in front 2-0. The Giants would get a run back on a Donovan Solano sac fly, but absolute zilch thereafter, as Juliet Urias would go 5 innings of one run ball. In the sixth, back-back two run doubles by Cody Bellinger, and AJ Pollock stretched the Dodgers lead to 6-1, before a Mookie Betts seed right to Justin Turner in the bottom half nailed Wilmer Flores at third to keep it a 6-2 ballgame, after Brandon Crawford had singled home a run on that same play. In the eighth inning, Will Smith put a capper on things with a solo shot to left, before RBI knocks by Matt Beaty and Corey Seager put the contest in blowout territory at 9-2.
Back at Dodger Stadium, Max Scherzer did all he could to keep his team in it, by going seven innings of one run baseball with 10 strikeouts, but the lone Evan Longoria fifth inning HR stood up, as Giants pitching led former member of the home team Alex Wood kicked it off, endure the conga line of relievers shutdown the Los Angeles offense for the second time thus series in a 1-0 victory, pushing the reigning champs to the brink.
However, game four brought out what the Dodgers are made of, as they pummeled Anthony Desclafani for four runs in four innings, and the knockout blow coming from Mookie Betts, who’s two-run HR stretched the LA lead to 4-0.
On the flip side, Walker Buhler was starting on three days rest for the first time in his career, and went 4.1 innings, before handing it over to the practically automatic bullpen, where Joe Kelly limited the damage to a run stranding two Giants runners. After trading runs once more, Will Smith put the game on ice, going deep for two and sealing a 7-2 Dodgers victory to force the winner-take all game five.
Logan Webb started this classic for the Giants, and was splendid, going seven innings of one run ball, only allowing an RBI single to Chris Taylor in the sixth, after Mookie Betts third hit of the night, and a stolen base. Up 1-0, the Dodgers felt comfortable mainly because their plan of starting an opener in Corey Knebel worked to perfection. After turning to Brusador Gaterol for the second inning, 20 game-winner Julio Urias took the hill, and once more silenced the San Francisco bats, as LA found themselves leading 1-0 with just nine outs remaining in their rivals season. However, Darin Ruff had other plans, as the Giants slugger took Urias’s first pitch deep into the night in the seventh enkindling the revved up Oracle Park crowd, who only heightened their cry of “BEAT LA”, after the game-tying tally.
By the time the ninth inning rolled around, the teams were as even as you could be. They each had 109 wins, were even in the series at two games apiece, and through eight innings, had one run on six hits, and both left five men on base. It was truly a shame that one team would need to head home after the unforgettable ride, but that’s the beauty of the postseason. As great as they are, only one can face the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship series.
With the game tight in the ninth, San Fran manager Gabe Kapler went to 22 year-old closer Camilo Doval, who had pitched flawlessly all series, struggled to amount to the pressure of the moment, hitting Justin Turner with one out, before allowing a one-out single Gavin Lux moving Turner to third. That set the stage for 2020 postseason hero Cody Bellinger, who entered these playoffs with an abysmal.163 batting average. However, manager Dave Roberts had inserted the first-baseman into this moment for a reason, and he delivered by slicing a go-ahead RBI single into right field, putting the Dodgers back in front at 2-1. Entering the bottom of the ninth, there was a dilemma as to who Los Angeles should go to for the series-clincher.
On one hand, you had closer Kenly Jansen who had rectified his career this regular season, or risk everything and put ace Max Scherzer on two days' rest for the biggest inning of his life, and more if it goes to extras. But like he had done all evening, Robert’s rolled the dice, and called on #31 to finish off their rivals for good. This wasn’t just any ordinary end to an NLDS, it was the most important game in the 130 year rivalry of Dodgers-Giants, and the first time they would knock one another out in the playoffs. It was 196 days of blood, sweat, and tears right down to a half an inning, which is something we as baseball fans craved for all season long.
Mad Max got Brandon Crawford to line out, before an error by Justin Turner on a Kris Bryant ground ball gave San Francisco life. That brought up Lamonte Wade, who had earned the nickname “Late Night Lamonte '', for his heroics throughout the regular season, but against Scherzer in this moment, he was no match for his 2-2 backdoor changeup that moved the Dodgers within one out of triumph. But of course because this is baseball, an all-time clash can’t end without some controversy, which is what took place on the 1-2 pitch to Wilmer Flores, who appeared to evidently check his swing, but on the appeal to first base umpire Gabe Morales, ruled he went around, thus ending the game, and setting off a jubilant Dodgers celebration on the mound, led by a charged up Max Scherzer, who bellowed all the way to the clubhouse where the champagne awaited the victors.
While the non-check swing will be talked about all offseason in the bay, you can’t take anything away from the Dodgers who just simply outlasted the Giants, with the two teams finishing 12-12 in 2021 head-head, while scoring 173 runs apiece. But even the officiating was even, as back in the regular season, Darin Ruff clearly had gone around, but it was called that he had held up, allowing the run from third to score with the count full, and two outs in the ninth keeping the Giants alive, before they would go onto win it the very next batter and remain in first place.
While this loss most definitely hurts and runs deep in this organization's perception, it shouldn’t go unnoticed that this team was expected to have 75 wins entering the campaign, and won 109. They’re a group of veterans that once again proved age is just a number, and will only look to get stronger in come offseason time.
Meanwhile, despite giving us a win to remember, the Dodgers still need to win eight more games to repeat as champions, and now travel to face the 88-win Atlanta Braves for game one of the NLCS, as the “Wild Card” despite winning 18 more games.
Atlanta got here by besting the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers. Here’s a quick rundown of the series:
Game 1: Braves 1 Brewers 2:
Charlie Morton and Corbin Burnes both went six scoreless, but a Rowdy Tellez two run bomb in the 7th was the difference in the Brew Crew win. Joc Pederson also went deep late in this one, but it wasn’t enough, only counting for one run.
Game 2: Braves 3 Brewers 0
Austin Riley provided the big blow in this one, while Max Fried went six scoreless for Atlanta, who then saw their pen lock it down to tie the series.
Game 3: Brewers 0 Braves 3
Joc Pederson socked his third pinch-hit HR of the series, which proved to be the difference in Atlanta’s game three victory, shutting out the Brew Crew for the second straight contest, backed by six scoreless frames out of Ian Andreson, and three more by the bullpen.
Game 4: Brewers 4 Braves 5
Rowdy Tellez’s two run bomb in the fifth put the Brewers ahead 4-2, but Atlanta rallied back to even the game, before a go-ahead bomb by Freddie Freeman in the eighth sent the Braves on their way to their second straight NLCS.
PREDICTION: Dodgers in 6.
The Braves have arrived here due in large part to there resilience, and their response at the trade deadline by filling in the voids left by season-ending incidents to Ronald Acuna JR, Jorge Soler, Mike Saroka, and Marcel Ozuna with the acquisitions of Eddie Rosario, Adam Duvall, Joc Pederson, and reliever Richard Rodriguez. But I believe the Dodgers have too much rolling for them to be stopped now. I believe they will once again eliminate the Braves, and won’t need to rally from 3-1 this time in the series.
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