Game of the Week: September 10: SF @ LAD

[Commissioner Erick]

San Francisco Giants (83-52) @ Los Angeles Dodgers (83-53)


SF: Daniel Norris (13-3, 3.52)
LAD: Clayton Kershaw (12-4, 2.77)


The Giants have started rattling off series wins over winning teams, knocking off the Cubs, Rockies, and Mets in recent weeks. The Dodgers spent last week dropping series to the Padres and Diamondbacks.

That's why the San Francisco Giants come into tonight's Game of the Week against the Los Angeles Dodgers as the leaders in the NL West.

While both teams are near-locks to earn a playoff berth, both teams understand the ramifications of winning the division. Last year the Dodgers were forced into a wild card game with the Pirates and an aberrational offensive drought combined with an aberrational Jung-Ho Kang home run led to the Dodgers getting eliminated before the ALDS. The Giants also suffered an aberrational loss to the Pirates in the postseason—but were able to win four other games as division winners are guaranteed to play a best-of-seven series.

These are the stakes behind tonight's pivotal contest.

The Dodgers, losers of five of seven, will need to get their pitching shored up against an offense as resourceful as the Giants. After a stretch of excellence, Clayton Kershaw allowed six runs, four earned, in 3 innings against the Padres his last outing. Kershaw has faced the Giants six times over his career and has never lost, though he also hasn't been as dominant as he has against other teams. Los Angeles could use a dominant outing from him tonight.

It would also help if their stars could get back on track. Cody Bellinger's power has remained consistent throughout the season, but his average has waned in the summer, going from .295 in June, to .253 in July, to .226 in August, and now .176 in September. Meanwhile, after 15 home runs and an average well over .300 through May, injuries have robbed Joc Pederson of the special year he was on pace to have, with only nine home runs since mid-May. Getting those two players on track would help the Dodgers overcome the Giants and win the West.

The Giants haven't needed their stars to over-perform as they've been getting strong performances from everyone this month. Four of Buster Posey's 11 home runs on the year have come during the past three weeks, along with 10 of his 62 walks. Joe Panik has 12 RBIs over his last 14 games. Cleanup hitter Hunter Pence hasn't hit a home run since August 12th and the team hasn't missed a beat, still producing the third most runs in the league.

The pitching has continued to excel though. The bullpen is the best in the league, anchored by Mark Melancon. He allowed 19 runs over the first two months, and has given up just three since, leading to a 0.66 ERA since June 1st. The starters will get reinforced by an arm coming off the DL.

Daniel Norris was out with a sore shoulder most Giants personnel believe originated when he fired a Complete Game against Milwaukee. He wasn't effective his next start against Toronto, before leaving early in a contest against the Mets. If he's healthy, Norris provides decent walk, strikeout, and home-run rates, and thanks to the Giants defense, deflated BABIPS. Lefties can't touch him as he's given up a .166 average and two home runs in 211 at bats this year. Righties OPS at an .815 clip, so it will be interesting to see how the Dodgers deploy their best left-handers.


Questions for the GMs:


For Samuel Rutledge, how important is it for you to win the division if you have a wild card spot sewn up? With a 12-game lead over Pittsburgh for the second wild card, you can begin to rest guys, or go full throttle for the division.

Clayton Kershaw has never lost to your team. What's the game plan for trying to beat him today?

Mark Melancon has a reputation for disaster. He also has been nearly untouchable for four months. How confident do you feel in Melancon taking the hill against a top team like the Dodgers?

For Troy Allenbaugh, same question as what was posited to Samuel. How much do you focus on resting players versus going for the division with thr wild card shored up?

Your most dangerous hitters are lefties, but Norris really dominates them and struggled with righties. Will that affect your lineup choice at all?

With some time to evaluate, how do you look back on the Nomar Mazara trade? How has it changed your team for better or worse?

[Commissioner Erick]

Dodgers 5 - Giants 3


WP: C. Kershaw (13-4)
LP: D. Norris (13-4)
S: K. Jansen (22)


The Dodgers have been on the losing end of several aces' breathtaking pitching performances against them on the Game of the Week this year.

The problem for the Giants was that Daniel Norris is not an ace.

The Los Angeles Dodgers battered Daniel Norris for three home runs in five inning and nipped the San Francisco Giants 5-3.

Considering the Dodgers ripped five extra base hits off Norris in five innings and didn't strike out a single time against him, it's a mild surprise the game didn't turn out much worse. The Dodgers have a very good walk profile but aren't other-worldly at not striking out. Still, to not whiff a single time against a solid strikeout pitcher like Norris is a testament to how focused the Dodgers' bats were.

Their first extra base hit came in the first inning where Justin Turner doubled down the right field line but was gunned down by Hunter Pence trying to stretch the hit into a triple. In the second inning, the pleasantly surprising Michael de Leon homered to left to make it 1-0 Dodgers.

In the third inning Justin Turner singled in Nomar Mazara, who had doubled, to make it 2-0 Dodgers. Mazara followed that up in the fifth with a two-run home run that extended the lead to 4-0. Logan Forsythe homered to begin the sixth, sending Norris back to the dugout, and the van he crashes in. His final line was 5+ innings pitched with nary a walk or strikeout. He allowed 10 hits and five runs.

Meanwhile, Clayton Kershaw's back didn't act up in this game, allowing him to pitch out of some moderate stressful innings early. After plunking Brandon Crawford in the second, and walking Brandon Belt, he was able to blow up Che-Hsuan Lin with a strikeout to end a threat in the second. After Joe Panik doubled in the fourth, Kershaw turned around and this time struck out Crawford and Belt to strand Panik.

Buster Posey doubled in the sixth and San Francisco's excellent contact rates brought him home with some ground balls. At that point though, the Giants were down 5-0. The seventh was more promising for the Giants. Belt walked again, but this time Lin as able to slap a ground ball through the right side for a single. Christian Arroyo, who had an excellent game, followed with his third hit against Kershaw, a ground single through the right side to make it 5-2 Dodgers with runners on the corners.

At that point Kershaw reminded the world that he's Clayton Kershaw. He struck out Michael Brantley on a nine-pitch at bat, struck out Posey behind him, and struck out Hunter Pence to end the inning. Pumped up, Kershaw was seen shouting "let's go" walking off the mound.

The Giants wouldn't leave the Dodgers off the hook though. In the ninth, with two outs, Brantley homered off Kenley Jansen to pull to 5-3. Posey singled and Pence worked a walk, bringing the go-ahead run to the plate. Conor Gillaspie struck out on a rare slider, buried in the dirt, to preserve the win for Los Angeles. pulling them ahead of the Giants in the NL West.


Questions for the GMs:


For Samuel Ruledge, after the game Arroyo had with three hits off Kershaw, you must be confident that your team can make things happen against even the toughest left-handed pitchers?

Your team started a bunch of lefties against Kershaw and he's terrific at locking them up. Some worked out, with Panik having a double and Belt drawing two walks. Some didn't, like Crawford and Gillaspie combining to go 0-7 with a walk. Why did you put so many lefties in?

Norris has had great success against the Dodgers this year. How do you explain his weird performance?

For Troy Allenbaugh, your team appeared locked in against Norris. Is that a result of your guys understanding the stakes, or did they just not want to be humbled on National TV again?

Logan Forsythe has been a nice under-the-radar contributor for you. He had three hits including his 20th double and 21st home run. You've kept him in the lineup even after bringing in Ian Kinsler to play second. What does Forsythe mean to your team?

We've seen other, younger pitchers dominate the pitching scene this year, namely Carlos Martinez with his AL heroics, as well as Noah Syndergaard and Madison Bumgarner who showed their stuff on National TV. Was Kershaw's seventh inning performance, where he struck out the side after getting into a jam, a reminder to the world of his greatness?

[rutledge]

For Samuel Ruledge, after the game Arroyo had with three hits off Kershaw, you must be confident that your team can make things happen against even the toughest left-handed pitchers?

- I'm confident that Arroyo can hit off of anyone.. everyone else, not so much.

Your team started a bunch of lefties against Kershaw and he's terrific at locking them up. Some worked out, with Panik having a double and Belt drawing two walks. Some didn't, like Crawford and Gillaspie combining to go 0-7 with a walk. Why did you put so many lefties in?

- I don't have very many righties, and the ones I do have aren't very good hitters in general. I'll take the more talented hitter over a platoon versus someone like Kershaw.

Norris has had great success against the Dodgers this year. How do you explain his weird performance?

- This was his very first start back from injury. Not extremely surprising to me this happened.