Which team is superior: the San Francisco Giants, or the Los Angeles Dodgers. You've probably seen the MLB Power Rankings flip back and forth all season between the No. You can see the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in baseball flipping back and forth, almost every season. 2 spots in all of Baseball
Why should you choose the Dodgers? They are the World Series champions, and they have star power!
The Giants? They defeated L.A. to win the division!
We don't care which side you are on. The National League West powerhouses will meet in the NL Division Series. This is after the Dodgers defeated the Cardinals in a walkoff on Wednesday night. The series will decide who wins the pennant. ESPN baseball experts Alden Gonzales and Tim Keown explain what the matchup means, what each team must win, and offer their predictions for who will win.
This is the greatest NLDS matchup: A 107-winning team vs. a 106 win team.
Gonzalez: Let's put it this way: It is impossible to imagine a better rival. This is a historic rivalry in baseball history. It features two teams that have never met in the postseason. Next, think about the end -- the Dodgers rushing down the stretch to win their ninth consecutive division title and the Giants refusing. The Dodgers were 43-13 at the end of August, but they lost only two games to the Giants. Wild.
Keown: Your question is too narrow. This would be the most thrilling World Series matchup in 162-game history, purely from a record perspective. The fact that two teams have never surpassed 105 wins in a single season is testament to both the talent of these teams and the futility displayed by many others, is proof of their superiority. The divisional rivalry, the close matchups this season (10-9 Giants), and we have the problem that this series doesn't last seven games.
Is this the greatest rivalry in baseball?
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Keown: What do you mean, Keown? (Ah, memories. There is nothing like it right now. While there are historical and geographical aspects to the rivalry, there is something more fundamental at work. The Giants were created, at least partially, by Farhan Zaidi, the president of baseball operations, and Gabe Kapler, the manager. This philosophy has been instrumental in the recent dominance of the Dodgers. They have done it in San Francisco quickly, very similarly, with an emphasis of depth and versatility. This season has been so evenly balanced, and there have been so many great games, we deserve a seven game series. This reminds me of this: Is there still a mark in the ground near the Dodgers' dugout, where Dave Roberts spiked his cap following Darin Ruf's (non-)check swing?
Gonzalez: Yes, that's the check swing. It's amazing how that call could have decided the division. Or Sheldon Neuse not making a play at second base. Or Mike Tauchman robbed Albert Pujols off a walk-off homerun. The Dodgers and Giants had split 16 of their previous regular-season games against each other, but the combined score was 68 to 68. Although the Giants won two of three games, we should have more. This rivalry was not the greatest, but it did become a slow burn. It was expected that the NL West would be decided by Dodgers-Padres. However, it seemed that most Americans didn't accept that the Giants would reach that level until the regular season ended.
If...?, the Giants will win this series.
Gonzalez: Kris Bryant is hot again. Of course, the Giants offense doesn't depend on any one player. It's far from the truth. However, Brandon Belt's absence creates a significant power gap in this lineup. Bryant is particularly capable of filling that gap. He's only hitting.245/.353/.347 since September. He can still turn it on very quickly. He'll have to do it against a Dodgers pitching team with plenty of power right-handed arms.
Keown: While I am tempted to write something simple like "If they continue to play one game better than their Dodgers counterparts", a five-game series does not equal a 162-game season. The Giants must have their starting pitchers go at least five to six innings in each of the five remaining games to win the series. The bullpen has been amazing, and Camilo Doval, the 22-year-old closer, gives them an additional inning of depth. However, it will limit the early- and middle-inning variables if Logan Webb, Kevin Gausman and Anthony DeSclafani can (presumably) work their way through the Dodgers lineup three times each. This will indicate a Dodgers' ability to prevent them from putting up four- or five-run innings. That is their particular specialty. This prediction is not accurate, however. The Giants have won so many games in so many ways and with so many contributions (and contributors), it seems pointless to be too specific about any of this.
If ...? is used, the Dodgers will win this series.
Gonzalez: Kenley Jansen closes it. It might be as simple as that, considering how closely these teams are matched. Clayton Kershaw's injury may have the biggest impact on Julio Urias's postseason. He'll continue to be a traditional starting pitcher and will take the ball in Game 2. Roberts won’t be able to use Urias in the hybrid bullpen role that he was so successful in. If you recall, Urias was the one who recorded the final out of the World Series last season, and not Jansen. Jansen will now be the ninth inning. Although he has had a great year with a 2.22 ERA and 1.04 WHIP, 30.9 percent of strikeouts, two of his five blown saves were against the Giants.
Keown: While it's not easy to be reductionist on this side of the equation, Max Muncy's elbow injury shines a brighter light on Cody Bellinger. He is one of the most offensive players in baseball and seems to be particularly vulnerable to confidence swings. Corey Seager is now the Dodgers' sole left-handed starter against the Giants' three righties (presumably Gausman Webb, Webb, and DeSclafani). Although the Dodgers offense is strong enough at the top and deep enough down at the bottom, they can still withstand a major injury. Bellinger's subterranean 45 OPS+ could end up at first base. This would also degrade L.A. outfield defense and add another pitcher-level bat to the order. Pujols is another option for first base, whose reach is approximately his wingspan. He has a chance to become the first player in an NLDS game to hit into a 7-4-3 double play.
Is this the LDS winner going to the World Series or not?
Gonzalez: I picked the Brewers to win the World Series. But Devin Williams, one their most important relievers broke his hand while punching a wall. One reliever is not usually enough to make a big difference. But it should, considering how great the Dodgers are and the Giants. The winner of this series will go to the World Series. This is assuming that the team doesn’t exhaust its pitching to survive what should have been a close LDS.
Playoff Baseball Classic Play free and you could win $9K in prizes during the MLB postseason
Take Your Picks
Keown: It's a no-brainer. The most remarkable thing about these teams is the fact that they have been forced to play playoff baseball almost half of a season. How can you win 106 and still finish second? How can you win 107 games and get to the final day? You can do this by treating every game as Game 7, or in our case, Game 5, and learning what works and doesn't. These two teams seem to have the right formula for this season.
It's time to predict! Who are you and why?
Gonzalez: I predict the series will be decided by Game 5's 15th inning. Given the way this matchup played out, I believe that any prediction made will prove to be foolish in hindsight.
Keown: Giants in five. This is mainly because betting against them this year, while popular, has proven to be foolish and unfulfilling. They will win in any way they can and laugh at your predictions.
