hmmmm................ Dodgers with the most hits- 24 - in any game played in the 15 year history of the park. That's gotta hurt.

bonsallbear;842358919 said:

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hmmmm................ Dodgers with the most hits- 24 - in any game played in the 15 year history of the park. That's gotta hurt.

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No worse than a 1-0 game would have. Obviously losing 9-0 last night didn't seem to ruin the dodgers day. This is baseball, if you can't shake off a bad loss you don't have what it takes to succeed in the playoffs and this Giants team has shown what it can do when it counts.

Unit2Sucks;842358944 said:

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this Giants team has shown what it can do when it counts.

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So last night "didn't count" when they had the opportunity to finally tie its bitter rival for the lead in the NL West with just a handful of games remaining? I see...

TheSouseFamily;842359060 said:

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So last night "didn't count" when they had the opportunity to finally tie its bitter rival for the lead in the NL West with just a handful of games remaining? I see...

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It's baseball, you don't have to win every game. Doesn't hurt when you sweep the world series I guess but there's nothing wrong with winning in 6 or 7. Kershaw doesn't seem to have been damaged by his debacle of a performance that ended the dodgers playoff run last year and I don't think getting smoked last night signals the end of the season for the giants.

Unit2Sucks;842359087 said:

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It's baseball, you don't have to win every game. Doesn't hurt when you sweep the world series I guess but there's nothing wrong with winning in 6 or 7. Kershaw doesn't seem to have been damaged by his debacle of a performance that ended the dodgers playoff run last year and I don't think getting smoked last night signals the end of the season for the giants.

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I know and you're right. Just giving you a hard time. As much as Dodgers and Giants fans like to get at each other, these kinds of races are great for the rivalry and great for baseball. Ultimately, we need each other to be good to make the rivalry actually worth something. And that makes this an exciting time of year.

TheSouseFamily;842359090 said:

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I know and you're right. Just giving you a hard time. As much as Dodgers and Giants fans like to get at each other, these kinds of races are great for the rivalry and great for baseball. Ultimately, we need each other to be good to make the rivalry actually worth something. And that makes this an exciting time of year.

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The drama for the division only builds. It is exciting. My god, I love this rivalry and love it when both these teams are relevant.

Agreed guys, baseball is a better place when the dodgers and giants are fighting for the division (nee pennant). Should be an exciting next month of baseball.

True baseball fans....all of us. And, one of the better parts of this thread or should I say missing parts is the lack of political commentary. Maybe Kershaw gets beat tonight.

Now, on to Fantasy Football.

bonsallbear;842359105 said:

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Maybe Kershaw gets beat tonight..

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Hahahahaha!! Lololololol!!! That's a good one, BonsallBear!!

You're welcome

Unit2Sucks;842359098 said:

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Agreed guys, baseball is a better place when the dodgers and giants are fighting for the division (nee pennant). Should be an exciting next month of baseball.

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Come on, Unit, drop the kumbaya stuff. You're better than that.

GB54;842359181 said:

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Come on, Unit, drop the kumbaya stuff. You're better than that.

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Lol. GB54 keeping it real. Beat LA!

NYCGOBEARS;842359185 said:

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Lol. GB54 keeping it real. Beat LA!

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You spent a 17-0 all time game (worst since 1906) with an obnoxious Dodger fan? You may have scored big points on the Dodger-Giant rivalry humility scale. I don't like that you did that.

GB54;842359181 said:

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Come on, Unit, drop the kumbaya stuff. You're better than that.

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It's undoubtedly false humility trying to trick the so called woofing gods. They cannot be tricked. They know how arrogant Giant fans are in their hearts.

KoreAmBear;842359188 said:

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You spent at 17-0 all time game (worst since 1906) with an obnoxious Dodger fan? You may have scored big points on the Dodger-Giant rivalry humility scale. I don't like that you did that.

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Two words: Clayton Kershaw.

And now he has two runs. Three game lead today at 4:30.

1979bear;842359227 said:

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Two words: Clayton Kershaw.

And now he has two runs. Three game lead today at 4:30.

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Please, go on. Tell me more.

NYCGOBEARS;842359241 said:

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Please, go on. Tell me more.

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Sure. Game over.

Kershaw first to 19. MVP as well?

NYCGOBEARS;842359241 said:

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Please, go on. Tell me more.

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1979bear;842359257 said:

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Sure. Game over.

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KoreAmBear;842359188 said:

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You spent a 17-0 all time game (worst since 1906) with an obnoxious Dodger fan? You may have scored big points on the Dodger-Giant rivalry humility scale. I don't like that you did that.

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And another game today here in the Big Apple. I was gracious enough to offer to fly him out to West Coast for next week's games as we had such perfect fun, but he declined.

Unit2Sucks;842358501 said:

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Be honest Dodger fans, you don't love the makeup of this team and you are waiting for them to meltdown. You know it's coming you just don't know when. You probably will leave this series in first place and you will probably win the division but which team do you think has a better chance of winning the world series? Our team is hot and has a knack for outperforming its talent level when it counts.

All us Giants fans are looking forward to the end of the season, can you all say the same?

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Honest question. Did you not know we were sending out Greinke and Kershaw to the mound the next two games? Or did you know and just want to get your shots in while you could?

YuSeeBerkeley;842359477 said:

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Honest question. Did you not know we were sending out Greinke and Kershaw to the mound the next two games? Or did you know and just want to get your shots in while you could?

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Congrats for taking the series, but how does this change anything? I never said we'd win this series. I think the dodgers have some great players but aren't a great team. Obviously Kershaw is the best thing going and he may be the GOAT before it's all said and done. That's what made this such an epic thread to begin with. Kershaw is amazing, other than the whole getting blown out to end your playoff run in 2013. Even with that, I'd still pick him over every other pitcher out there to give the ball to for a must win game.

The division sucks and the giants have been pretty awful for 2 months and still have a puncher's chance at winning the division. I think the giants have a better chance winning the WS from the wildcard than the dodgers do by winning the division. I say that because I believe in Bochy and because a lot of the guys on this team have done it before. And because I think there's trouble in dodger land.

If I had to handicap it, I'd say the Giants have a 10% chance of winning the world series and the Dodgers have about a 5% chance.

This isn't bullshit posturing, both teams are good but not great. I'm not going to pretend like the Giants are an unstoppable force. Far from it although I do think with their experience they are a formidable postseason opponent. I think the dodgers have chemistry issues and a braindead manager. Put those together and it's just a question of when the meltdown happens. It didn't happen this weekend.

Unit2Sucks;842359516 said:

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Congrats for taking the series, but how does this change anything? I never said we'd win this series. I think the dodgers have some great players but aren't a great team. Obviously Kershaw is the best thing going and he may be the GOAT before it's all said and done. That's what made this such an epic thread to begin with. Kershaw is amazing, other than the whole getting blown out to end your playoff run in 2013. Even with that, I'd still pick him over every other pitcher out there to give the ball to for a must win game.

The division sucks and the giants have been pretty awful for 2 months and still have a puncher's chance at winning the division. I think the giants have a better chance winning the WS from the wildcard than the dodgers do by winning the division. I say that because I believe in Bochy and because a lot of the guys on this team have done it before. And because I think there's trouble in dodger land.

If I had to handicap it, I'd say the Giants have a 10% chance of winning the world series and the Dodgers have about a 5% chance.

This isn't bullshit posturing, both teams are good but not great. I'm not going to pretend like the Giants are an unstoppable force. Far from it although I do think with their experience they are a formidable postseason opponent. I think the dodgers have chemistry issues and a braindead manager. Put those together and it's just a question of when the meltdown happens. It didn't happen this weekend.

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You didn't answer the question.

YuSeeBerkeley;842359589 said:

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You didn't answer the question.

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I knew who was pitching.

Unit2Sucks;842359516 said:

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If I had to handicap it, I'd say the Giants have a 10% chance of winning the world series and the Dodgers have about a 5% chance.

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I'd love to believe that you're right about this, but IMO you significantly understate the Dodgers' chances. With Kershaw and Greinke pitching well, they'll be a tough out for any team in the post-season. If Ryu can't come back that hurts, but then again Haren has been pitching well lately. NL playoffs will be interesting...St.L seems to have come around and the Nats are good, although I'm still not sold on Washington.

86Oski;842359596 said:

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I'd love to believe that you're right about this, but IMO you significantly understate the Dodgers' chances. With Kershaw and Greinke pitching well, they'll be a tough out for any team in the post-season. If Ryu can't come back that hurts, but then again Haren has been pitching well lately. NL playoffs will be interesting...St.L seems to have come around and the Nats are good, although I'm still not sold on Washington.

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Yeah, with them throwing Kershaw out there, I'd say the Dodgers have a good chance to win. Then again, I'm not sure when the team that was supposed to have "the" dominant pitcher last actually won the W.S. The last couple of years it was Verlander, but the Tigers still came up short.

Mattingly and dysfunctional team chemistry cancels out Kershaw plus Greinke. What happened in Game 6 against the Cards last year?

86Oski;842359596 said:

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I'd love to believe that you're right about this, but IMO you significantly understate the Dodgers' chances. With Kershaw and Greinke pitching well, they'll be a tough out for any team in the post-season. If Ryu can't come back that hurts, but then again Haren has been pitching well lately. NL playoffs will be interesting...St.L seems to have come around and the Nats are good, although I'm still not sold on Washington.

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AL has home field advantage this year and I think the Angels should be the favorite. The tigers have been close before and lost (go Giants!) but would take them over the Dodgers as well. Probably give AL 65% odds of winning the WS this year.

GRRAAH;842359439 said:

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And another game today here in the Big Apple. I was gracious enough to offer to fly him out to West Coast for next week's games as we had such perfect fun, but he declined.

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Can you fly me out for the playoffs (if they make it - can't be arrogant)?

KoreAmBear;842359638 said:

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Can you fly me out for the playoffs (if they make it - can't be arrogant)?

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Baseball Prospectus has the Dodgers at 100% probability of making the playoffs (88.2% probability of winning the division, 11.8% chance of settling for the wild card). SFGs are at 98.6% chance of making postseason. The rest of the division, of course, is at Blutarsky-level (zero-point-zero).

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/standings/probability.jsp?ymd=20140915

Unit2Sucks;842359592 said:

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I knew who was pitching.

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Unit - I think this Dodger team is hard to figure. Midway through the season, I would have agreed with your general assessment. That was when Gonzales was hitting .250. Kemp had his head up his rear. Crawford was a mystery and so on. All of those guys are now dialed in with both Kemp and Crawford around .290 now and being productive. So on large part, things will depend based on which Dodger team goes into the playoffs. For better or worse, baseball is all about who's hot at the right time. The Dodgers (except for Puig) are hitting a lot better now than the first 2/3 of the season. If there's an Achilles heal to exploit, it's the bullpen. Outside of Jansen and Howell, there's no reliable arm down there. So the 8th inning is always a question. Losing Ryu would be huge in a short rotation for the playoffs.

I think either could team could make a serious run in October but it will be less about team dynamics and more about just being hot at the right time.

It's too bad the Dodgers didn't have Kershaw and Greinke last year against the powerhouse Cards.

Unit2Sucks;842359605 said:

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Mattingly and dysfunctional team chemistry cancels out Kershaw plus Greinke. What happened in Game 6 against the Cards last year?

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No Kemp, Ethier injured and playing, and Ramirez taken out by a Card pitcher. Even Kershaw and Greinke can't win with no hitting. If the Dodgers have hitting in the playoffs, would you bet against them making the Series?

I am probably overestimating the Giants chances. They are pretty beat up and I don't have enough confidence in Hudson or Vogey turning it on enough to lead them through the playoffs. I'd take giants back down to 5%. Dodgers might be 10%. If they click on all cylinders they can win it just like anyone else. Every playoff team is good enough to win the World Series if they are playing at their best.

Who has a better shot A's or dodgers? Answer is whichever team is playing well at the end.

Unit2Sucks;842360335 said:

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I am probably overestimating the Giants chances. They are pretty beat up and I don't have enough confidence in Hudson or Vogey turning it on enough to lead them through the playoffs. I'd take giants back down to 5%. Dodgers might be 10%. If they click on all cylinders they can win it just like anyone else. Every playoff team is good enough to win the World Series if they are playing at their best.

Who has a better shot A's or dodgers? Answer is whichever team is playing well at the end.

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Well if things stay as current, the A's would have to beat KC in a one game playoff, beat the Angels, then the winner of Baltimore and Detroit

The Dodgers would have to beat St Louis and the winner of Nationals/wild card winner. Now, that could change as the Dodgers could wind up with the wild card winner. But I certainly like the Dodgers chances better than Oakland's.