As the MLB wraps up the regular season on Sunday, September 28, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants went up to bat from Friday, September 12, to Sunday, September 14 at Oracle Park. Both teams also played against each other on Thursday through Sunday. On Friday, September 12, the Giants won 5 to 1, then on Saturday, September 13 the Dodgers won 13 to 7, and on Sunday, September 14 the Dodgers won 10 to 2. On Thursday, the Dodgers won 2 to 1, then on Friday, the Dodgers won 6 to 3. On Saturday, the Dodgers won 7 to 5, and lastly, on Sunday, the Giants won 3 to 1.
On Friday, September 12, Rafael Devers scored a point in the bottom first inning. Later in the top 10th inning, Micheal Conforto landed a home run. Then, Giants player Patrick Bailey hit a walk-off grand slam, which allowed his teammates Christian Koss, Jung Hoo Lee, and Casey Schmitt to score in the bottom tenth inning. This led to the Giants winning, which concluded Friday’s game.
In the article by Maria Guardado on mlb.com, Justin Verlander, a pitcher for the SF Giants, was quoted on Friday, September 12’s game.
“That was a special game,” Verlander said. “That was one of the more fun games in a regular season I’ve been a part of. Obviously, we know where we’re at, playing the Dodgers at home. It was one of those games that had a bit of playoff atmosphere to it from the beginning, and one of those games that you just never know who’s going to step up and make a great play and take a great at-bat.”
The next day on Saturday, September 13, the Dodgers won, a comeback from Friday’s game. In the top first inning, Dodger player Shohei Ohtani scored a run with Freddie Freeman’s single hit. When the Giants went to bat in the bottom first, they scored 4 runs. Heliot Ramos scored the first run with Willy Adames’ single, then Devers scored another run with Matt Chapman’s single. Jerar Encarnacion grounded into a force out, which led to Adames scoring. Lastly, Luis Matos singled and Chapman scored. Later in the top third, Ohtani landed a home run for his team. Teoscar Hernandez doubled, which helped Mookie Betts score. Then in the top fifth, Hernandez doubled, which allowed Betts and Freeman to both get a run. Conforto got out on a sacrifice fly, which helped Max Muncy score. Ben Rortvedt doubled, getting Hernandez and Miguel Rojas to score. Lastly, Betts singled, and Rortvedt scored a run. Entering the bottom fifth, Encarnacion doubled and Chapman was able to get a run. Then, Bailey doubled and both Encarnacion and Matos scored. Moving into the top sixth, a wild pitch was thrown by Matt Gage, which allowed Hernandez to score. Then, Rojas doubled and Conforto and Andy Pages scored. Lastly, in the top ninth, Freeman doubled and Ohtani got a run. The game ended with the Dodgers winning 13 to 7.
The following day on Sunday, September 14, the first run was in the top second with Enrique Hernandez getting out on a sacrifice fly, which allowed Tommy Edman to score. In the bottom second, Schmitt got out on a sacrifice fly and Lee scored. In the top third, Edman grounded out and Betts scored. Later in the top fifth, Freeman doubled, which got Betts and Teoscar Hernandez to score. Conforto singled and Teoscar Hernandez and Freeman scored. A disengagement violation occurred, and Edman scored. Then in the top sixth, Rojas singled and Betts and Teoscar Hernandez scored. In the top eighth, Conforto singled and Freeman scored. Wilmer Flores singled and Devers scored in the bottom eighth. Finally, in the top ninth, Edman singled out and Ohtani scored. The game ended after the bottom ninth, and the Dodgers won 10 to 2.
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On Thursday, the Dodgers and Giants played at Dodger stadium. In the bottom sixth, Betts reached on a fielder’s choice, which was fielded by Adames, and Rortvedt scored. Then, Freeman singled out and Ohtani scored a run. Lastly in the top seventh, Devers walked and Lee scored a run. No runs were scored for neither of the teams after the seventh inning, which meant the Dodgers won 2 to 1.
On Friday, the first run was in the top first when Ramos hit a home run. Then in the bottom second, Rojas hit a home run. Flores singled and Chapman scored in the top third. Later in the bottom fifth, Ohtani hit a home run and Pages and Enrique Hernandez scored. Betts also hit a home run in the same inning. In the bottom sixth, Pages doubled and Rojas scored. Finally in the top seventh, Chapman singled and Adames scored. No other runs were scored, and the Dodgers won 6 to 3.
On Saturday, multiple runs were scored in the top first, with Bryce Eldridge hitting a double, and Ramos, Adames and Chapman scored. Drew Gilbert walked, and Eldridge scored. In the bottom first, Muncy hit a home run and Freeman scored. Later in the bottom fourth, Conforto hit a home run, and Freeman also hit a single and Ohtani scored. In the bottom fifth, Edman hit a home run. Then in the bottom sixth, Ohtani hit a home run, and Teoscar Hernandez also singled and Betts scored. Lastly in the top seventh, Devers hit a home run. No other runs were scored, so the Dodgers won 7 to 5.
On Sunday, the Dodgers and Giants played their last game for the regular season. In the bottom seventh, Conforto singled and Muncy scored. Later in the top eighth, Bailey doubled and Koss scored, and Adames walked, which helped Gilbert score. In the same inning, Chapman hit a ground out and Bailey Scored. No other points were scored after that inning, and the Giants won 3 to 1.
Lance Hernandez, a thirty-three year old Dodger fan, shared his opinion on the recent Dodgers versus Giants games and how the Dodgers are doing so far.
“I feel okay so far, some of them [the Dodgers’ players] are good because they are getting hits and scoring in the innings, but the bullpen is a weakness right now,” Hernandez said. “The bullpen players need to be better in order to be successful in the playoff season.”
Hernandez also says that he believes Betts is currently the best player in the Dodgers.
“He was shy in the beginning of the season, but now he’s stepping it up,” Hernandez said. “That’s what’s needed during the playoffs.”
The Dodgers have 88 wins and 68 losses which puts them in first place in the NL West. The Giants have 77 wins and 80 losses which puts them in fourth place in the NL West. The playoffs will begin shortly after the regular season ends, which the first game of the playoffs is scheduled to be on Tuesday, September 30.
