For the Dreamers: The Win-Loss Record the #SFGiants Must Put Up to Make Playoffs

This is an article for those that are holding out hope for a 2013 San Francisco Giants playoff run and Postseason appearance. I know you’re out there, and I applaud your ability to hold that hope in your soul despite the long odds the Giants face. The Giants are twelve games under .500 and fourteen games behind the division leading Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers have been playing so well that now the Giants are closer to the second Wild Card spot than they are first place in the West. Let’s talk about the schedule the Giants have left, the top five teams in the NL, then what the Giants must do. Here’s what the defending Champs have left:

vs. Orioles (1 game)

@ Nationals

@ Marlins

vs. Red Sox

vs. Pirates (4 games)

@ Rockies

@ Diamondbacks

@ Padres

vs. Diamondbacks (4 games)

vs. Rockies

@ Dodgers (4 games)

@ Mets

@ Yankees

vs. Dodgers

vs. Padres

Aug 10, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants right fielder Hunter Pence (8) high fives first baseman Brandon Belt (9) as the Giants celebrate after the win against the Baltimore Orioles at AT

The next two stretches of games after Monday’s day off see the Giants playing sixteen straight, then seventeen straight games, which could get a little tiring as many teams will be duking it out for their respective playoff spots. As for the top five teams in the National League, here they are:

#1 Pittsburgh Pirates (70-45), Last 30 before Saturday’s game: 17-13

#2 Atlanta Braves (71-46), Last 30 before Saturday’s game: 22-8

#3 Los Angeles Dodgers (66-50), Last 30 before Saturday’s game: 24-6

#4 St. Louis Cardinals (66-50), Last 30 before Saturday’s game: 15-15

#5 Cincinnati Reds (64-52), Last 30 before Saturday’s game: 15-15

As you can see, not everybody’s playing like the Braves or Dodgers, which is promising for those Giants fans. As for where the Giants place and all their stuff:

#13 San Francisco Giants (52-64), Last 30 before Saturday’s game: 12-18

Safe to say that a sub-.500 record in 30 games in July-August isn’t going to help in the hope department. This means that in order for the Giants to not just catch up to, but pass the Reds at the very least, they would need to make up thirteen games on them. But the Reds, Cardinals, and every team close to them are not going to lose every game they have left just to help the Giants out, as nice as that would be. Let’s say that at the worst, these teams all play .500 baseball for the rest of their remaining games. This is what the Giants would have to do to pass each team. The Giants have forty-six games remaining.

#5 Reds (46 Games Remaining, 23-23 record for .500 ball): Giants would need to go 36-10 to pass them.

#4 Cardinals (46 GR, 23-23): Giants would need to go 38-8.

#3 Dodgers: same as Cardinals.

#2 Braves (45 GR, 23-22 since they lost Saturday): Giants would need to go 43-3.

#1 Pirates (47 GR, 24-23 since they lost on Friday): same as Braves.

I’m not going to stop you from believing that the Giants can do something miraculous, and I will be there to congratulate you on your dedication to the dream. To have a chance at the trophy, all you have to do is get into the Postseason, it doesn’t matter who the pundits pick. Right now though, the Giants have the odds against them. Perfect time to put down a big bet on the Giants to make the playoffs, am I right?