San Francisco Giants Have One Last Goal for Final Series
The San Francisco Giants come into the final series of the year with one simple goal: don’t let the Dodgers jump back into first place.
The final weekend of the regular season has arrived. The San Francisco Giants are three games from wrapping up another disappointing season, and heading into what should be an eventful offseason. However, their last three games of the season have a little bit more meaning than any series over the past few weeks.
Entering the last series, the Colorado Rockies own a one-game lead in the NL West, riding a huge hot streak to jump past the Dodgers and into first place. The Giants can help the Rockies during their three-game finale with Los Angeles.
Asking the Giants for help is a risky proposition, given the way they’ve played especially over the past month or so, but the Giants have actually fared pretty well within the division. Entering this final series, the Giants are 38-34 against NL West opponents, and lead or have clinched the season series with three of their four division mates. They took the season series from the DIamondbacks and the Padres, and with three games left, they lead the Dodgers with nine wins to seven losses.
The Rockies have spent the better part of the last couple seasons running through the Giants in their matchups, winning 12 of 19 games in each of the last two seasons. Now, they could use a helping hand from their rivals in San Francisco.
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Colorado controls their own fate after finishing off a four-game sweep of the Phillies on Thursday, and enter the last three days of the regular season with a one-game lead over the Dodgers. They’ll take a seven-game winning streak into their final series against the Nationals, and their formula is simple: win. If they win the last three games, they will win the division.
If they can’t win all three against the Nats, then what the Giants do this weekend becomes much more important. And Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy realizes that. San Francisco ace Madison Bumgarner was supposed to pitch his final game of the year on Wednesday, but was pushed back for this final series. He’s been stellar at AT&T Park this year, with a 1.34 ERA and 1.011 WHIP in nine home starts.
When Clayton Kershaw takes the mound on Saturday, he will face off with the rookie who burst onto the scene in 2018, Dereck Rodriguez. The converted outfielder has a 2.50 ERA, but has given up three or more runs three times in his last five starts. If that happens again, the Giants’ meager offense won’t have a chance against Kershaw.
Fellow rookie Andrew Suarez will get the ball on the last day, also looking to end his debut season on a high note. He’s been pitching well lately as well, and would certainly earn some more favor among the coaching staff and fanbase if he’s the one to knock out the Dodgers.
Hunter Pence’s career in San Francisco is nearing its end, and he’s going to give these last three games everything he has, like he always does. He’s finishing the season off well, and will probably need to be a leader if the Giants want to make life difficult for the Dodgers this weekend.
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This isn’t what the Giants were hoping to be playing for in the final weekend. They hoped to be back in the postseason, and using this last few games as tuneups, but it didn’t work out that way. But they can still make this last series meaningful, and put out some positive vibes ahead of what will probably be a difficult, turbulent offseason. This final weekend decides if the Dodgers win their sixth straight NL West crown, and the Giants will have their say.