San Francisco Giants Move On, Chicago Cubs Up Next

In the even year, the San Francisco Giants once again use pitching and timely hitting to defeat the New York Mets. With Wednesday’s NL Wild Card win, a showdown awaits Friday against the Chicago Cubs.

As per custom with the San Francisco Giants, when the even year rolls around the club finds a way to make a postseason trip. And it’s usually done the only way the Giants know – torture – Giants’ Baseball at its finest. After a strong start to the season, the Giants found themselves sitting on top of the NL West before the All-Star break. Fortunes took a turn for the worse in the second half as the rival Los Angeles Dodgers took over the division. Despite the struggles, San Francisco buckled down with a three-game sweep of their rivals during the final weekend of the season to secure a wild card spot.

Circle back to 2010, where game 162 determined the fate of the NL West. Behind Jonathan Sanchez, San Francisco defeated the San Diego Padres to win the division. Nobody knew what to expect for the Giants in the postseason. The end result was a World Series title, the first since the Giants moved to San Francisco. A band of misfits came together through timely hitting and clutch pitching to secure a championship.

In 2012, the torture took place when the postseason began. San Francisco found themselves facing elimination against the Cincinnati Reds in the NLDS. Emerged from the dugout was Hunter Pence, whose sermon sparked a rally. Behind a Buster Posey grand slam, the Giants took a decisive game five in Cincinnati.

Three times in the NLCS, San Francisco faced elimination against the St. Louis Cardinals. This time, Barry Zito provided a solid performance in game five to force the series back to San Francisco. A return to AT&T was all the Giants needed as the comeback was completed to reach the World Series. Business was swift as San Francisco swept Detroit to claim another championship.

Bruce Bochy said back in 2014 he just wanted to give his club a shot at securing a wild card spot. The team successfully did that towards the end of the season. The 2014 postseason would become known as the legend of Madison Bumgarner. He was dialed in from the start and would produce outings unseen before in the postseason. From the 2014 postseason, San Francisco reverted back to 2010 with timely hitting and solid pitching. Travis Ishikawa provided the biggest hit, a walk-off home run to send the Giants to the World Series.

The legend of Bumgarner was cemented in game seven when he came in from the bullpen to shut down the Kansas City Royals. A dynasty was established as the Giants went on to win their third championship in five years.

On Wednesday night in New York, Bumgarner was once again called to set the tone for the Giants postseason. San Francisco’s ace rose to the occasion in a four-hit complete game win over the Mets. He had six strikeouts and walked two, shutting down a Mets offense that can manufacture runs.

Bumgarner was effective early, only using 21 pitches the first three innings. His early command of pitches and location of the strike zone were important to his success. Though he labored at times in the middle frames, Bumgarner refused to give in, going the distance.

Timely hitting for the Giants in the postseason has come from the least likely of sources. Like Ishikawa, Conor Gillaspie was the unsung hero, unleashing a three-run home run to right field in the ninth to stake a 3-0 lead. Those three runs were all Bumgarner needed to seal the deal. The game was Gillaspie’s first postseason game and his fist pump after rounding first summed up his excitement for the opportunity.

Credit Mets’ stalwart Noah Syndergaard, who turned in a stellar performance for his club. Citi Field was rocking as Syndergaard set the tone early by sending the Giants down in order. He went seven innings with 10 strikeouts, but was pulled due to a high pitch count. Perhaps a decision the Mets would want to redo as he and Bumgarner provided a classic pitcher’s duel.

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Now the Windy City awaits San Francisco Friday where a strong Chicago Cubs team looks to end the even year magic. The Cubs came up short last season in the NLCS to the Mets almost causing nostalgia for fans of the Back to the Future series. This season, the Cubs appear to be the real deal and look to be World Series favorites.

A renaissance occurred last season when Joe Maddon was hired as manager. Many assumed time would be needed for the Cubs to be relevant, but they quickly emerged as contenders. The success trickled down to their minor league affiliates. This season the Eugene Emeralds and Myrtle Beach Pelicans won their respected league championships. Although those players are years off from possibly reaching the big leagues, the Cubs’ organization is looking to remain competitive for years to come.

Jon Lester was named the starter to open the series for Chicago. Kyle Hendricks and Jake Arrieta are starting for games two and game three, respectively. This will allow Bochy to choose the players for his roster and pencil lineups for each game. A likely choice to get the starting nod for the Giants in Friday’s opener is Johnny Cueto.

Chicago took the regular season series from San Francisco 4-3. Five of the seven games were decided by one run. Unfortunately for the Giants, second-half struggles from the bullpen proved costly in the four-game series at Wrigley Field. Towards the end of the season, the starting pitching for the Giants delivered strong performances. Starters will have to go deep into the game to allow the team a chance to win.

Next: Gillaspie's Home Run, and Dominoes Falling

Make no mistake, San Francisco and Chicago is must-see television. Chances are the winner could represent the National League in the World Series. Chicago is looking to end a drought by winning a World Series. However, the Giants are proven winners looking to add another ring to their dynasty. In the end, one team will emerge from the NLDS. Hopefully, the even year magic continues.

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