The Stakes Are High For This Bay Bridge Series
Aug 20, 2021, 12:00 PM | Updated: 12:00 pm
(Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images)
Twice a year the Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants get together in the Battle of the Bay.
A three-game series in August usually doesn’t make or break a season. This one shouldn’t either but it could have a large impact on both teams, and here’s why.
San Francisco has been the most amazing team story all season long. Not projected to do much based on their roster and division the Giants have had the lead in the National League West for a majority of the season.
The Giants are currently still playing very well having won 8 of their last 10 games.
They own baseball’s best record at 78-43, but can feel the heat from the Los Angeles Dodgers. The defending champions have won seven games in a row and enter the night just 2.5 games behind the orange and black.
The Giants are almost certainly guaranteed a post-season spot with a massive stranglehold on a wild card position but when you have done this well and come this far, a wild card spot would be a disappointment. The Giants will do their best to stave off LA as tonight begins a 9 game road trip.
Three in Oakland, three in New York against the Mets and then three in Atlanta.
When they come home they will have a series with the Brewers and then their last matchup against the Dodgers for the season. What will their lead be then? Will they still have the lead? The difference between winning the division and getting in with a wild card spot is night and day.
One bad day in a win-or-go-home wild card game and this dream season could be gone in a flash.
The Oakland A’s are looking at three options for the remainder of their season. They can win the division; they can make a wild card spot or miss the playoffs completely. After the A’s went through a stretch of winning 11 out of 13, they have lost 5 of their last 7.
With that being said, the A’s begin the day 2.5 behind the first place Houston Astros. They were in the top wild card spot but have been leapfrogged by the New York Yankees. They are in spot two and own just a ½ game lead on Boston.
Their race is tight and much like the Giants it will do them a great boost if they can catch the Astros and win the division.
The A’s close the season with six of their last 9 games against Houston. That is at the end of September and first few days of October. Right now the A’s are looking at a 9 game homestand with these three games against the best team in baseball in the Giants, then two with division rival Seattle, and then four games with the wild card leading New York Yankees.
This too is a very important stretch of baseball for the Oakland A’s.
The pitching matchups look as such with tonight featuring Alex Wood (10-3) vs. James Kaprielian (6-4). Saturday will be Kevin Gausman (12-5) against Sean Manaea (8-8). Sunday’s final game will be Logan Webb (7-3) vs. Frankie Montas (9-9).
This three game series is very important for both teams. This will make the stakes higher, the bragging rights a little louder, and the team that takes the series in much better position than when it started.
Enjoy some good baseball this weekend.
