09-21-2025, 07:44 PM
Giants beat the Dodgers, 3-1. Good game. 24-year-old pitcher Trevor McDonald -- who has been on the 40 man roster all season -- became the 14th Giant pitcher to start a game when he threw six innings against the Dodgers, gave up six hits, just one earned run. He didn't get a start earlier because he had a 5.31 ERA in Sacramento.
And now for the Sunday night hallucination...the Giants can still make the playoffs. All the relevant teams have six games left to play. Here's how in can play out:
1. Giants have to run the table, winning all six of their remaining games. All six are at home. Three are against the Rockies, three are against the Cardinals. They're 1-2 vs. the Cardinals in St. Louis, and have gone 8-2 vs. Colorado.
2. The Diamondbacks are two ahead of the Giants and own the season tiebreaker vs. the Giants. Happily, their six remaining games are against the Dodgers (at home) and in San Diego. They need to lose at least three of them. They are 5-5 against both the Dodgers and the Padres this season.
3. The Mets are three games ahead of the Giants. They have three games against the Cubs (88-68) at Wrigley and three games in Miami against the Marlins. The Mets are 4-11 in their last 15 games. They need to lose four, five or all six games. They went 2-1 vs. the Cubs at Shea and are 5-5 against the Marlins.
4. The Reds are three games ahead of the Giants. They have three home games against the Pirates and three road games against the Brewers. Reds are 3-7 vs. the Brewers, and 6-4 vs. the Pirates. They need to lose four of the six.
If the Giants win all six, they'll be 83-79. Only three teams with 83 or fewer wins have made the playoffs:
- 2005 Padres (82-80, won NL West, lost 3-0 in NLDS)
- 2006 Cardinals (83-78, won NL Central, won World Series 4-1 vs. Tigers)
- 1973 Mets (82-79, won NL East, beat the 99-63 Reds for the NL pennant and lost to the A's in seven in the World Series)
Current FanGraphs odds of Giants making the playoffs are 0.2%, so about 500:1, and 0.0% to in the World Series. Sounds about right.
And now for the Sunday night hallucination...the Giants can still make the playoffs. All the relevant teams have six games left to play. Here's how in can play out:
1. Giants have to run the table, winning all six of their remaining games. All six are at home. Three are against the Rockies, three are against the Cardinals. They're 1-2 vs. the Cardinals in St. Louis, and have gone 8-2 vs. Colorado.
2. The Diamondbacks are two ahead of the Giants and own the season tiebreaker vs. the Giants. Happily, their six remaining games are against the Dodgers (at home) and in San Diego. They need to lose at least three of them. They are 5-5 against both the Dodgers and the Padres this season.
3. The Mets are three games ahead of the Giants. They have three games against the Cubs (88-68) at Wrigley and three games in Miami against the Marlins. The Mets are 4-11 in their last 15 games. They need to lose four, five or all six games. They went 2-1 vs. the Cubs at Shea and are 5-5 against the Marlins.
4. The Reds are three games ahead of the Giants. They have three home games against the Pirates and three road games against the Brewers. Reds are 3-7 vs. the Brewers, and 6-4 vs. the Pirates. They need to lose four of the six.
If the Giants win all six, they'll be 83-79. Only three teams with 83 or fewer wins have made the playoffs:
- 2005 Padres (82-80, won NL West, lost 3-0 in NLDS)
- 2006 Cardinals (83-78, won NL Central, won World Series 4-1 vs. Tigers)
- 1973 Mets (82-79, won NL East, beat the 99-63 Reds for the NL pennant and lost to the A's in seven in the World Series)
Current FanGraphs odds of Giants making the playoffs are 0.2%, so about 500:1, and 0.0% to in the World Series. Sounds about right.
Audaces fortuna iuvat