Game of the Week: October 3: LAD @ SF

[Commissioner Erick]

Los Angeles Dodgers (84-71) @ San Francisco Giants (82-73)


LAD: Corey Kluber (14-9, 3.13)
SF: Matt Ruppenthal (5-5, 3.53)


It's been a wild season for the NL West, and it won't be decided until the final week. Four teams are separated by two games, including the division leading Los Angeles Dodgers and the fourth place San Francisco Giants. The Giants will look to bridge the gap today, while the Dodgers can take a commanding lead with a win. While the Dodgers have a two-game lead on the rest of the division in the loss column, they'll take their losing road-record into San Francisco. While the Dodgers struggle offensively and on the road, they'll bring perhaps the NL Cy Young winner, Corey Kluber, into the game. Kluber is a top three pitcher in ERA and strikeouts, while leading the league in WAR and walks-per-nine. His presence will be brutal for the Giants to handle, especially as they don't have a great home record. Most of the Giants hitters haven't seen Kluber too often, giving The Klubot a huge advantage. San Francisco will need its defense to play great and pitch well to edge out a close win.

Players to Watch:


Dodgers:


SS—Michael de Leon:

A defender first and only, de Leon is putting up his second straight season with negative WAR. He's hitting just .245, and since he's so impotent, pitchers are refusing to throw pitches outside the strike zone to him. He has just 19 walks to 113 strikeouts. He's also hitting just .188 against the Giants this year. Furthermore, his previously strong defense has eroded him this year. He has -7.5 ZR, third worst among major league shortstops. The Dodgers simply need more from him to make it to the finish line.


RP—Enny Romero:

After a rough season, Romero hasn't bounced back down the stretch. Homers have plagued him on the year, as he's allowed 11 in 49 innings. While he allowed only a single long ball in September, he only worked 5 innings. If the Dodgers starters can't provide length, Romero will be tasked with retiring Calvin Mitchell and Rafael Jimenez, but if the Dodgers starters can go 6 innings, Romero won't be needed.


3B—Jurickson Profar:

After a magical 2019, Profar's numbers have dropped across the board in nearly every category since then. He's hitting just .246, doesn't get on base a crazy amount, and doesn't have special power, leading to a pedestrian .689 OPS. He's hit for just a .545 OPS in September, as he's walked more than he's struck out, but with a .210 slugging mark. He has just three walks to 17 strikeouts against the Giants, with one extra base hit in 63 plate appearances. The Dodgers are counting on him to set the table, something he's done a poor job of this whole year.


Giants:


RF—Dan Cabrera:

A former first round pick of the Rays, Cabrera has gotten extensive time for the Giants in the second half, but hasn't really delivered. He's hit .234 on the year with a single homer and a single stolen base. He's gotten on base at a respectable clip at the top of the lineup, and he's played serviceable defense, but has been wholly replacement level. With Yoenis Cespedes back and healthy again, Cabrera may be relegated to the bench, but he's hit right-handers just well enough where he may get a start against Kluber.


CF—Jeison Rosario:

A spare outfielder whose only role on the Giants right now is as a defensive replacement, Rosario had a nice year in Triple-A and has some future potential. He slaps line drives all over the field, is an aggressive baserunner, and has the tools to be a game-changing defender. The fact that he's not a huge home run hitter may be fine playing in AT&T Park. Rosario may not get into today's game unless the Giants have a close lead in the ninth, but it's likely he'll get into some games next season.


RP—Justin Dunn:

A starter in the minors, Dunn has been an excellent reliever for San Francisco this season. Dunn's worked to a 3.02 ERA, striking out 94 hitters in 92.1 innings with solid walk, home run, and opponent's averages against. Dunn's been particularly murderous against righties, which makes him an interesting play today. Virtually all of the Dodgers' best hitters are left-handed, so how Dunn fares against the Dodgers will be interesting to watch, should he play. Dodgers' lefties have hit .370 off of Dunn this year, and have made up 28 of the 36 batters he's faced.


TRIVIA: Of players who have played the most first base in a season for the Giants, who had the most home runs in a year?

[Commissioner Erick]

Giants 3 - Dodgers 2


WP: Trevor Rogers (9-3)
LP: A. Liberatore (4-5)
SV: G. Cedillo (4)


With their season in the balance, the San Francisco Giants came up with three runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Their bullpen worked 3 scoreless innings, and the Giants saved their season with a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. With two away in the seventh, Dan Cabrera drew a walk and Gavin Cecchini singled him to second. Shane Benes slashed a doubled down the left field line plating both runners. Rafael Jimenez singled home Benes for the lead, and the bullpen did the rest. Trevor Rogers got the win with three strikeouts in 1.1 innings of work out of the pen. He improve his record to 9-3.


How They Played:


Dodgers:


SS—Michael de Leon: 2-3

Offensively, de Leon did his part, a rare luxury for Los Angeles' offense. However, despite a pair of hits, de Leon didn't score. He grounded out with one out in the third inning off Matt Ruppenthal, but he singled to lead off the sixth. However, he was immediately replaced when Jurickson Profar hit into a force out to the pitcher. De Leon then grounded a single up the middle with one out in the eighth, advancing to third on an Alex Verdugo single. However, Nomar Mazara grounded out right to Shane Benes to strand de Leon. Defensively, de Leon took a throw from Tetsuo Yamada to complete a double play, but couldn't make a play on a liner or grounder in his vicinity to begin the fourth. Fortunately for de Leon, the Giants didn't score. In the sixth, Rafael Jimenez lined a single up the middle that he couldn't make a play on, and in the seventh, Jimenez lined a hit past him. Despite his reputation, de Leon didn't make a single play on a ball hit in his area.

De Leon hit .250 on the week, but for just a .542 OPS. He hit just one extra base hit, didn't walk, and struck out eight times. His defense after Monday was strong, as his zone rating went from -7.5 to -7.0, but his offensive impotence played a part in the Dodgers scoring just 20 runs in seven games.


RP—Enny Romero: DNP

Romero didn't play as the Dodgers used Adam Liberatore as the lefty out of the pen. Liberatore gave up three runs in an inning as the Dodgers didn't trust Romero to face San Francisco's lefties.

Romero did play Wednesday, stranding a runner at third by getting Calvin Mitchell to ground out with the infield in. He also pitched an inning on Friday, giving up a hit, but striking out Luis Torrens, getting Luis Urias to ground out, and helping catch Austin Beck stealing.


3B—Jurickson Profar: 0-4, 3 K

Profar had a disastrous game, striking out three times. Profar struck out against Ruppenthal to begin the game, and struck out again to end the third. He hit into a fielder's choice with nobody out in the sixth, and with one out and one on in the eighth, struck out for the third time. Defensively only one ball was hit in his area and he made a nice play moving to his left to throw out Christian Arroyo to begin the third.

Profar hit just .118 over the final week, with a .284 OPS. He completely unraveled late this year, and with it, the Dodgers' season unraveled with it.


Giants:


RF—Dan Cabrera: 0-2, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K

As a leadoff hitter Cabrera did his job by getting on base twice. He's not a dangerous hitter, but he can work a walk. He walked against Corey Kluber to begin the game, before being immediately erased on a double play. He struck out against Kluber to end a 10-pitch at bat in the third, again showing his patience and ability to work at bats. Even though he struck out, forcing Kluber to throw 10-pitches helped boot Kluber from the game after 5 innings. Kluber flew out with a man on first to end the fifth inning. Finally, Cabrera started the Giants' two-out rally in the seventh by walking with two outs against lefty Adam Liberatore. He eventually scored San Francisco's first run when Shane Benes doubled in two.

Cabrera walked every game of the week, leading to a .438 OBP. He scored five runs as a result, despite only hitting .261 with one extra base hit. His ability to get on base was critical for the Giants, as they went 5-2 on the week.


CF—Jeison Rosario: 0-0

As it was a close game late with the Giants leading, Rosario saw playing time. He came on as a defensive replacement in the eighth inning for Calvin Mitchell. He didn't have any baseballs hit his way.

The Giants had another one-run win on Thursday, so Rosario came on in the eighth inning and didn't make any plays. He's now played seven games without a single plate appearance.


RP—Justin Dunn: DNP

With Ruppenthal pitching so well, and the Dodgers biggest threats left-handed, Dunn was able to be left on the bench for this one.

Dunn worked on Wednesday, going 2 scoreless innings in middle relief. Impressively, he retired Alex Verdugo on a force out and struck out Nomar Mazara. He looked so good, he came on to pitch Thursday as well, striking out the left-handed Willie Calhoun, before allowing righty Rafael A. Gomez to face a pair of righties and a switch-hitter. Dunn's final outing was Saturday, when he was sensational. He worked 2.1 scoreless innings, going into the ninth, to help hold off the Rockies. He didn't allow a hit, issued only one walk, and struck out two. He really handled Colorado's left-handers, and had a dominant week against lefties overall. If Dunn can harness the ability to retire lefties, he'll be the perfect late-inning relief weapon for the Giants.


TRIVIA: Which two Giants share the all-time single season lead in doubles with 45?