Friday, October 08, 2021

2021 NLDS Game 1: Oct 8 @ Giants

Buehler vs. Webb, 6.30p

The Dodgers may have felt a lot of momentum with their dramatic 2021 Wild Card Game victory over St. Louis. However the rested Giants, who played a poker tournament on Wednesday night while eating bon bons, did not even watch the Wild Card Game. They're confident. They're rested. They've suffered fewer injuries to their staff, and, of course, they earned the right to host this best-of-five series by wininng 107 regular-season games in 2021, not to mention beating the Dodgers head-to-head 10-9 this year.

The odds are definitely stacked against the Dodgers as we go against what is commonly referred to as baseball's "evil empire." That's the Giants today, under Farhan Zaidi's reign. Not only are the Giants the team with baseball's best record, who have built this team using their unbridled $164M payroll (well above the major league average) to fortify their arsenal, including trade deadline steals like Kris Bryant, undoubtedly the most publicized July move this year.

The Giants also got playoff-tested and championship winners on their squad like Brandon Crawford and another guy whose name anagrams to Oyster Pubes. They play in a gleaming new ballpark while their tech mogul fanbase sips chardonnay in the stands, that is when they're not navigating their yachts in the secluded waterways beyond right field, probably simultaneously devising new ways to make money while invading digital privacy or marketing to kids.

And let's not forget, the Giants know no depths to which they will sink in order to win. This includes sign stealing to cheat their way to a pennant. Or rampant and unrepentant steroid usage in the clubhouse, in order to inflate both the illegitimate home run numbers, as well as the bloated cranium size, of its players. We don't stand much of a chance against a team who has a history of not playing by the rules.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers are battling their way out of an offensive slump. Let's not forget that in that Wild Card Game, besides Mookie Betts and Trea Turner going 2-for-4, Justin Turner with a solo shot, and Chris Taylor with an improbable GWHR, the Dodgers weren't exactly offensive powerhouses against the Cardinals. Corey Seager, Will Smith, and AJ Pollock all went 0-for-3 (with four Ks among them). The Giants have an excellent bullpen, so even if we can get past Logan Webb (who not only pitched the Giants to victory last Sunday, he hit a home run as well), it will still be a struggle from the plate.

And Max Muncy is still out. God, we miss that guy.

So let's see. This narrative can swing from pillar to post here. Dodgers win, and it's a steamroller to the World Series (probably not a fair prediction). Dodgers lose, and we're in deep trouble, and on the road to a sweep (probably a fair prediction).

58 comments:

QuadSevens said...

Leading HR hitter out. Team leader Kershaw out. We've faced Webb three times this year. In those three games we got a total of 7 hits off of him, and we lost each game. We are going to need to take advantage of every chance we get at the plate because there might not be many.

QuadSevens said...

GAME 1

Mookie Betts RF
Corey Seager SS
Trea Turner 2B
Justin Turner 3B
Will Smith C
Matt Beaty 1B
Cody Bellinger CF
AJ Pollock LF
Walker Buehler P

QuadSevens said...

BTW...Joc is still killing it in October. Pinch hit HR to cut the Brew Crew's lead to one.

Steve Sax said...

Brewers win 2-1

QuadSevens said...

Home team has won every playoff game so far. Let’s break that streak tonight!

karen said...

Last nights game left me speechless. That doesn't happen often.

Steve Sax said...

Those Webb stats from Quad are freaking me out.

Sorry is my dinner engagement this evening 😬

Steve Sax said...

^So is

Steve Sax said...

58 degrees tonight in SF. That’s cold

🐄🔑 lead off single!

Steve Sax said...

Corey almost GIDPs but gets a FC

Can Trea Turner please get some more solid bats?

Steve Sax said...

JT up with Seager on third and two out

QuadSevens said...

Dumb luck by Webb saves a run. Leadoff single wasted.

Steve Sax said...

JT grounds back to the pitcher. Three out.

karen said...

Why do the fans up there always boo JT? They're such morons, do they see the beard and think he's Max Muncy?

Steve Sax said...

Quad, you’re gonna have to hold this down in a second. I unfortunately have a dinner tonight with a bud in town from Miami. Oh well

Steve Sax said...

The Giants’ lineup batting average is a hell of a lot better than ours.

Steve Sax said...

Leadoff walk from Buehler.

Steve Sax said...

Wow that wind statcast looks like COVID will be spreading all over this ballpark tonight

karen said...

Oyster Pubes. Shit

Steve Sax said...

Oh shit. 2-0 and Buehler looks bad

QuadSevens said...

Time to wake up the bats. We’re playing from behind. 2-0.

Steve Sax said...

Ok Dodgers. Time to sack up.

Steve Sax said...

We played from behind back the Cardinals as well.

QuadSevens said...

Hope your dinner goes better than the first inning Sax.

Steve Sax said...

^against the Cardinals

Steve Sax said...

@Auad: the place is vegan so 🤷‍♂️

Steve Sax said...

^quad

Steve Sax said...

Webb is getting a very wide strike zone here

MR.F said...

Hello

QuadSevens said...

@Sax If you’re heading to Cafe Gratitude, “I am Sorry.” Hit up In N Out in the way home.

Steve Sax said...

This is not a good start.

QuadSevens said...

Hi Mr F!

karen said...

Hi Mr. F!!!!

Walker is not looking good.

QuadSevens said...

Big K for Buehler!

QuadSevens said...

Double play to end the inning! Needed that!

QuadSevens said...

Seager leads off the 4th with an infield dribbler that causes an error.

QuadSevens said...

Cody got it off the end of the bat to flyout to center. Still down by two going to the bottom of the fifth.

MR.F said...

I'm just checking gamecast and here

QuadSevens said...

2 out double for Seager! Let’s go!

QuadSevens said...

We get nothing.

QuadSevens said...

Buehler with a 1-2-3 inning in the sixth. Get some f@#&$% hits!

QuadSevens said...

Smith doubles down the left field line. Beaty up with one out.

QuadSevens said...

Beaty strikes out. He’s now 0 for 9 against Webb. Cody up.

QuadSevens said...

Bellinger down swinging. All change ups out of the zone.

QuadSevens said...

Bryant goes deep for the Gnats. 3-0. Not looking good.

karen said...

Well, shit.

MR.F said...

Oy vey

QuadSevens said...

Buehler is done after 6.1.

karen said...

This feels like so many other games in Frisco. We just can't get our asses up and going.






QuadSevens said...

Four groundouts to the pitcher. Offense didn’t make the trip up north.

QuadSevens said...

Mookie with his second hit of the night. Webb exits after 7.2. 5 hits and 10 Ks. I hate when my research is right.

QuadSevens said...

Going to the bottom of the 8th.

QuadSevens said...

Crawford goes deep. 4-0.

karen said...

Now they're just pouring salt in our wounds.

QuadSevens said...

Heading to the ninth. Last chance.

QuadSevens said...

Shutout. Terrible game by the offense.

karen said...

They made us look real bad in this one.

Steve Sax said...

Tomorrow we tie this up. Let’s go