2025 NL Division Series – SF vs. WAS
Apr 8, 2021 0:27:47 GMT -5
Commissioner Erick, sfdave, and 1 more like this
Post by Grubs - Philly on Apr 8, 2021 0:27:47 GMT -5
San Francisco Giants (97-65) vs. Washington Nationals (100-62)
Both teams scratched and clawed their way to titles in arguably the PBA’s two most bruising divisions. They’ll have little time to rest, though, as the NLDS awaits in its difficult best-of-seven format. Using a September rally to notch 100 wins, the Nationals will play host to the Giants, who stumbled into the playoffs after a white-hot start to the month.
Washington pitching vs. San Francisco offense
Eric Peña. Little needs to be said about the all-world hurler and Game One starter, but there’s so much to say. The 26 year old set season marks for strikeouts (429), for WHIP (0.67) and for opponents’ average and OBP. A power pitcher for the ages, he features a lights out 4-seamer and slider, with a plus sinker and a change that flashes plus-plus potential but has become a mostly effective tool to keep opponents off balance. He allowed only 104 hits in 217 innings, but 42 of them were home runs. That means hitters can pounce when the changeup isn’t working to stop them guessing.
What the Giants don’t have, however, is power. Calvin Mitchell’s 25 round trippers led the team. Blake Rutherford and Kelyn Klattenburger were the only other two to top 20. In 210 regular season plate appearances against Washington, the Giants knocked out just four home runs. San Francisco’s offense is merely pedestrian, posting league average numbers for OPS and in most other categories. They’ll have to get hot to give Washington trouble, whether it’s the rotation or the bullpen. The Nats’ defense is bad, and the Giants baserunning is top notch, so heady play on the basepaths might help poke a hole where power cannot. Jonathan Arauz will have to continue his dynamite play atop the order to disrupt the flow of the Nats top arms.
Beyond Peña, Jake Pennel’s squad is serviceable, if not brilliant. Franklin Perez and Joe Ross are stalwarts, with swingman Luis Guzman and Felix Jorge rounding out the front five. Any one of them can be dominant, but they haven’t been the knockout two to Peña’s one. Out with a sore elbow, Peter Solomon won’t be a factor until the LCS (or until next year). Closer Omar Lara has been almost automatic this year, blowing just two save opportunities while closing the book 36 times. Mike Morin, Jon Carter and Kyle Hurt make things tough in the late innings.
San Francisco pitching vs. Washington offense
The Giants win because, better than any other NL team, they can pitch. Justin Marsden, Mekhi Lias and Shane Baz are the best 1-2-3 in the league, and lefty Miguel Diaz clocked almost 200 innings of 3.63 ball to show off the team’s depth. Baz hasn’t been as good as years past, but some of that is luck, as his 3.11 FIP (to a 4.75 ERA) will attest. The Giants sport a frustratingly effective bullpen-by-committee that can and does throw everything at opponents. On the off chance one of the starters isn’t on, any one of a half-dozen or so arms can come into the middle innings and lock it down while the Giants’ offense chips away.
Dave Twibell’s team will have its hands full, though, as the likes of Bryce Harper, Mike Trout and Victor Robles are hard to keep quiet. Both Trout and Harper can hammer the ball, but are discerning at the plate, walking better than once every six at bats. A key to the Nationals success this year has been the play of young catcher Daniel Flores and veteran Kyle Seager. With both performing well in the five and six slots, walking the two big guys has proven costly. Juan Soto won’t be around to help out, falling victim to the Dominican justice system, an aardvark accident and alien abduction. If Flores and Seager perform, a better-than-expected series from former Giants star Shane Benes or shortstop Luis Victoriano Garcia could help salt things away for Washington.
The Nats are banged up and have fallen prey to some bad luck. Bryce Harper is battling a bum shoulder that promises to annoy him all series. Ace table setter Victor Robles is suspended for the first four games after brawling with the Phillies in the final regular season game. And Soto is being probed or filling out sudoku puzzles in a jury box in Santo Domingo.
Prediction: Normally, this would be Washington’s series to lose, but a series of bizarre injuries or suspensions has them on their back foot. It won’t take much imagination to see someone step up for the Nats, but at least to start the first four games of the series, the team will be missing two of their top four hitters. That’s a big hill to climb. Giants in seven.
Both teams scratched and clawed their way to titles in arguably the PBA’s two most bruising divisions. They’ll have little time to rest, though, as the NLDS awaits in its difficult best-of-seven format. Using a September rally to notch 100 wins, the Nationals will play host to the Giants, who stumbled into the playoffs after a white-hot start to the month.
Washington pitching vs. San Francisco offense
Eric Peña. Little needs to be said about the all-world hurler and Game One starter, but there’s so much to say. The 26 year old set season marks for strikeouts (429), for WHIP (0.67) and for opponents’ average and OBP. A power pitcher for the ages, he features a lights out 4-seamer and slider, with a plus sinker and a change that flashes plus-plus potential but has become a mostly effective tool to keep opponents off balance. He allowed only 104 hits in 217 innings, but 42 of them were home runs. That means hitters can pounce when the changeup isn’t working to stop them guessing.
What the Giants don’t have, however, is power. Calvin Mitchell’s 25 round trippers led the team. Blake Rutherford and Kelyn Klattenburger were the only other two to top 20. In 210 regular season plate appearances against Washington, the Giants knocked out just four home runs. San Francisco’s offense is merely pedestrian, posting league average numbers for OPS and in most other categories. They’ll have to get hot to give Washington trouble, whether it’s the rotation or the bullpen. The Nats’ defense is bad, and the Giants baserunning is top notch, so heady play on the basepaths might help poke a hole where power cannot. Jonathan Arauz will have to continue his dynamite play atop the order to disrupt the flow of the Nats top arms.
Beyond Peña, Jake Pennel’s squad is serviceable, if not brilliant. Franklin Perez and Joe Ross are stalwarts, with swingman Luis Guzman and Felix Jorge rounding out the front five. Any one of them can be dominant, but they haven’t been the knockout two to Peña’s one. Out with a sore elbow, Peter Solomon won’t be a factor until the LCS (or until next year). Closer Omar Lara has been almost automatic this year, blowing just two save opportunities while closing the book 36 times. Mike Morin, Jon Carter and Kyle Hurt make things tough in the late innings.
San Francisco pitching vs. Washington offense
The Giants win because, better than any other NL team, they can pitch. Justin Marsden, Mekhi Lias and Shane Baz are the best 1-2-3 in the league, and lefty Miguel Diaz clocked almost 200 innings of 3.63 ball to show off the team’s depth. Baz hasn’t been as good as years past, but some of that is luck, as his 3.11 FIP (to a 4.75 ERA) will attest. The Giants sport a frustratingly effective bullpen-by-committee that can and does throw everything at opponents. On the off chance one of the starters isn’t on, any one of a half-dozen or so arms can come into the middle innings and lock it down while the Giants’ offense chips away.
Dave Twibell’s team will have its hands full, though, as the likes of Bryce Harper, Mike Trout and Victor Robles are hard to keep quiet. Both Trout and Harper can hammer the ball, but are discerning at the plate, walking better than once every six at bats. A key to the Nationals success this year has been the play of young catcher Daniel Flores and veteran Kyle Seager. With both performing well in the five and six slots, walking the two big guys has proven costly. Juan Soto won’t be around to help out, falling victim to the Dominican justice system, an aardvark accident and alien abduction. If Flores and Seager perform, a better-than-expected series from former Giants star Shane Benes or shortstop Luis Victoriano Garcia could help salt things away for Washington.
The Nats are banged up and have fallen prey to some bad luck. Bryce Harper is battling a bum shoulder that promises to annoy him all series. Ace table setter Victor Robles is suspended for the first four games after brawling with the Phillies in the final regular season game. And Soto is being probed or filling out sudoku puzzles in a jury box in Santo Domingo.
Prediction: Normally, this would be Washington’s series to lose, but a series of bizarre injuries or suspensions has them on their back foot. It won’t take much imagination to see someone step up for the Nats, but at least to start the first four games of the series, the team will be missing two of their top four hitters. That’s a big hill to climb. Giants in seven.