San Francisco Giants vs. Dodgers : The Rivalry Returns Despite a Huge Gap Between the Two

This will be an awkward weekend when the San Francisco Giants go to Dodgers stadium on Friday.

How awkward you ask?

Well, the Giants are 31.5 games behind their archival, the Los Angels Dodgers. The biggest gap since the “miserable” 1985 season when the Giants were at 100 game lost and 30 games behind the Dodgers. This happened at the end of a long summer season for the franchise that year.

Fast forward to 2017, the Dodgers surged their way to first place and are on the verge to have the best record in MLB, while the San Francisco Giants dipped into a deep hole and are trying to avoid another “miserable” 100-game loss season.

Just remember, there’s only two months left of the regular baseball season. So, the team has a lot of work to do.

Once the series start Friday night, fans from both sides will begin their squabbling over their teams. Dodger fans will have the upper hand  and brag about their team being best in the MLB and on its way to clinch their fifth straight National League Western Division Title.  While the Giants fans will remind them that the last time the Dodgers won a World Series was in 1988, compared to the Giants who won World Series titles in 2010, 2012, and 2014.

Both sides will back-and-forth on whose team is better. But what do you expect at a Giants/Dodgers game?

However, it seems like awhile ago since these two teams have met. Both teams have played 10 games in the first seven weeks and surprisingly, the Giants have a 6-4 lead when it comes to head-to-head matchups against the Dodgers this season.

But … and there is a one.

The last time both these rivals played each other was on May 17. At the time the Giants didn’t face Cody Bellinger, the rookie phenom, who was playing in Triple-A, and Justin Turner, National League batting leader, was on the disabled list.

Now, the Giants will have to face a dominate Dodger team with nine players who have an OPS of better than .800.  While for the Giants, Buster Posey and Brandon Belt are the only two players who have better than an .800 OPS. Yes, you read it correctly … two players for the Giants compare to the Dodgers. Sorry, but those are the facts, Giants fans.

On the other hand, Giants will not face Clayton Kershaw in the series. Kershaw is on the disabled list for the next four-to-six weeks for a back injury.

But let’s not get ahead, Giants fans. Even though Kershaw is healing his back, it hasn’t slowed the Dodgers down. As of now, the Dodgers are sitting at 71-31.

Right now, all the Giants can do is play their best game against the best team in baseball. Sounds bland, but it’s true. It’s obvious, we won’t see the Giants in the postseason, but it doesn’t mean they can’t be spoilers against their rivals.

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All the Giants can do is end the season on a high note by playing good baseball until the end of the season.