S.F. might be witness to Dodgers’ NL West clincher
LOS ANGELES — Thanks to the Dodgers’ ineptitude over a 5-21 stretch, they still have not clinched their fifth straight National League West title.
The Dodgers were supposed to cruise into the postseason. Instead, they are wheezing, and the illness will affect the Giants. The Dodgers almost certainly will secure the division title against the Giants for the third time in the past four seasons during a series at Chavez Ravine that begins Friday night.
The Dodgers could have a storybook night. Before Friday’s game, they will celebrate Tommy Lasorda’s 90th birthday. There will be cake. Postgame fireworks already are planned. What a perfect night to pop Champagne corks, no?
It could happen even if the Giants extend their three-game win streak and beat L.A., if the second-place Diamondbacks lose at home to the Marlins in a game that will start half an hour earlier.
The Giants have played a quality brand of baseball during their only three-game win streak of the second half. Their pitching has been excellent and they have been fundamentally sound at the plate and afield.
Moreover, in each game, they scored at least four runs, a magic number. Even in this lost season, the Giants are 47-21 when they reach four runs, 13-72 when they miss.
“I’m proud of how we’ve played the last couple of days.” Bruce Bochy, Giants manager
The raw numbers no longer mean anything for manager Bruce Bochy, who simply wants to see the Giants maintain the competence they displayed in their two-game series sweep against the Rockies.
“It’s just good baseball,” he said. “That’s what I feel good about.”
Wednesday’s 4-0 win was a desirable prototype. The Giants got six-plus shutout innings from starter Matt Moore, three excellent innings of relief from Steven Okert, Cory Gearrin, Hunter Strickland and Sam Dyson, and enough clutch hitting to score four.
They got a homer from Brandon Crawford. They also hit two sacrifice flies, which are a good-news, bad-news proposition. Getting that run home is great, but doing so with a hit is better because it extends the rally.
The Giants lead the National League with 50 sacrifice flies, which have produced about one of every 12 runs they have scored. The league average is roughly one in 20, which reflects more robust offenses and a lot more home runs.
A better offense in 2018 should allow the Giants to narrow that gap. The Giants have a more immediate goal: to win as many of their nine remaining games as possible. They need to take all three in Los Angeles to win the season series against the Dodgers, who lead 9-7.
Nobody in the Giants’ clubhouse wants to hear about tanking to get the No. 1 draft pick next year (which they would get if the season ended now), and Bochy said he has not had to inspire anyone to hunt for victories because the players are doing it on their own.
“We have a job to do,” he said. “It’s our responsibility to come out for each other, for baseball and for the fans. I’m proud of how we’ve played the last couple of days against a (Colorado) club that has been very tough on us.”