I knew we weren’t going to win it down there. I mean of course I would have taken it, but these Dodgers, with this salary and their backs against the wall, putting Walker Buehler on the mound on short rest, weren’t going to lose at home. My concern is that we used a lot of relievers, just to lose one I figured we would.

PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	HR	PC-ST	ERA
DeSclafani (L, 0-1)	1.2	5	2	2	0	2	0	28-20	10.80
J. Alvarez	0.1	0	0	0	0	0	0	3-2	0.00
K. Castro	0.1	0	0	0	2	0	0	12-4	0.00
J. Garcia	1.0	1	2	1	1	0	1	27-16	6.75
D. Leone	1.0	2	1	1	1	1	0	22-13	16.20
T. Rogers	0.2	0	0	0	1	0	0	7-3	0.00
Z. Littell	2.0	2	0	0	0	4	0	35-23	10.13
J. McGee	1.0	2	2	2	0	0	1	9-8	6.75
TEAM	8.0	12	7	6	5	7	2	143-89

Anthony DeSclafani has been inconsistent all season. He was rocked early in several games, but then he’d turn around and have a commanding start against a strong team. Just not against the Dodgers, who have totally had his number.

Giants beat writer Maria Guardado points out, “DeSclafani faced 10 batters and gave up five hits in his first start since Oct. 1, departing with the Giants trailing, 2-0, in the bottom of the second inning. He fell to 0-4 with a 7.53 ERA over seven starts against Los Angeles this year, compared to 13-4 with a 2.37 ERA against everyone else.”

I noticed earlier in the season he was particularly effective when paired with his former catcher, Curt Casali. They played together for the Reds. We got away from that as we eased Buster into his role as full time catcher. Last night, with Buster Posey behind the plate, DeSclafani wasn’t good. The Bums were amped. It was a tough start, but not unexpected.

The fact that we are playing Game Five at home to decide the NLDS was the result of superhuman effort as the Dodgers were lock-step with us all season long. Both teams at this point have 109 wins. This, I think, is the only way this could have ended – a deciding game five for all the marbles.

More from Guardado, whose piece is first and best this morning:

“Thursday will mark only the third winner-take-all game in the history of the Giants-Dodgers rivalry. Before relocating to the West Coast, the storied franchises met in a three-game tiebreaker in 1951, when the New York Giants defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers on Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard ’Round the World” to clinch the NL pennant in the decisive Game 3 at the Polo Grounds.

The Giants also prevailed in their three-game tiebreaker against the Dodgers in 1962, scoring four runs in the ninth inning of the decisive Game 3 at Dodger Stadium to punch their ticket to the World Series. Given the circumstances, the looming confrontation feels ripe for more October theater.”

whew.

Us (109 – 58) vs. Them (109 – 58)

epic.

Beat L.A.

#BeatLA

beat LA.