World Series Diary: Rooting for the Dodgers as an SF Giants Fan

Lifelong SF Giants fan Marc Delucchi has a confession to make: he’s been rooting for the Dodgers all World Series. He diaries his experience during their Game 5 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

I know SF Giants fans’ wrath will fall on me for this. When you grow up a Giants fan, the only way to salvage a season without a Giants championship is to root against the Dodgers. But I’m not doing that this year.

Yes, fellow Giants fans, I am rooting for the Dodgers to win the World Series.

I understand if you’re pulling for their opponent, the Tampa Bay Rays. It’s impossible to blame anyway who cheers for the Orange-and-Black for refusing to support their heated rival. However, for me, I don’t really have many antagonistic sentiments towards the Dodgers. The fact is, in my lifetime, the Dodgers and Giants have rarely been antagonists.

There haven’t been any tight divisional races between either squad, and they’ve still never faced off in the postseason. The Steve Finley walk-off grand slam in 2004 still stings, but while the Dodgers have dominated the NL West in the regular season, the Giants have those three recent championships.

In 2010, it wasn’t the Dodgers but the Padres that were the Giants biggest competition for the division. In 2014 and 2016, the Dodgers won the division easily, and the Giants were happy to settle for a wild-card spot and a world championship.

Sure, there have been plenty of contentious back and forths, but it’s not like Madison Bumgarner or Hunter Strickland were on the right side of things. In fact, the Giants were often the ones policing celebrations and instituting “old-school” limitations. Honestly, “Go get it out of the ocean” remains one of the best on-field baseball lines I’ve heard.

Besides, I…

I like Clayton Kershaw. He’s always seemed like a solid guy, hasn’t thrown at anyone, and was just so incredibly good in his prime. Perhaps it was growing up in the era of LeBron James, where he was dogged for years because of bad luck and roster management, that made me come to root for good players to get championships when they aren’t obviously bad people.

I’m rooting for the Dodgers, but more importantly, I’m rooting for Kershaw’s redemption. He had a solid start in Game 1 and I’m hoping he can build off it tonight.

World Series Diaries: Rooting for the Dodgers as an SF Giants fan
Part 2

Alright, Clayton, I’m pretty much here for you. You’ve never let me down before when I’ve been an SF Giants fan. Hopefully, you can keep doing that.

*Paints the bottom of the zone for strike two against Yandy Diaz*

That curveball is beautiful.

*Diaz singles up the middle on the next pitch*

Uh oh.

I forgot I have to root against Arozarena now ?

*Arozarena fouls a ball down the left-field line that’s a few feet foul and a few feet from going over the wall*

Holy crap, that made me nervous. I don’t know how to project this small-sample absurdity into a full season, but Arozarena is really good.

*6-4-3 double-play*

I know it’s early, but that feels like the kind of turning point that could be the last “rally” for awhile. They had a baserunner and their best hitter of the postseason up. He fights off Kershaw’s best pitches and nearly pulls an extra-base hit inside the foul pole. Then hits into a double play. It just seems like a lot of tension just got released. (As I typed that, Lowe popped out on the first pitch)

*Joc Pederson blasts a solo home run to the center field*

I’m not overly excited or cheering. It obviously helps, but this game is still early, and I don’t know how the Dodgers get the last nine outs if Kershaw doesn’t do it. Pederson yells, “They don’t want this smoke!” as he returns to the dugout and I nod contently and ponder whether I could see him in a Giants uniform next year.

This has nothing to do with the game, but it says something about the league’s viewership that someone said an AutoZone/DieHard crossover commercial was the play.

*Margot gets a bunt single to lead-off the inning*

Welp. So much for Kershaw shutting it down from here.

*Joey Wendle is called out on a curveball plenty of inches above the strike zone*

LOL If they’re going to call those, keep throwing ’em there.

Every time Muncy hammers a ball I imagine him yelling at the pitcher, “Go get that out of *wherever he hit the ball.*”

Wait

I terribly miscalculated.

Joe Kelly is a Dodger.

*long extended sigh*

Kershaw looks really good. He’s getting to two-strike counts quickly and isn’t allowing any hard contact. But that makes me nervous. Feels like he’ll get dinked and then give up his first hard contact on a multi-run homer.

*Joe Buck reminds me what Kershaw’s reputation could be if the Dodgers had won the infamous 2017 World Series against the Astros*

I’m not a Dodgers fan, but it still infuriates me. It’s easy for a lot of Giants fans to scoff at it. Our team is 3-0 in the World Series in recent years. But imagine in 2005 finding out that Steve Finley knew what pitch was coming from Matt Herges in 2004? Or that the Angels knew the Giants signals in the 2002 World Series?

There are enough “what-ifs” every season, but at least there is the reality of the result. Without that, it’s just an endless spiral.

World Series Diaries: Rooting for the Dodgers as an SF Giants fan
Part 3

*Yandy Diaz hits an RBI-triple*

So much for not allowing any hard contact. I still love Mookie Betts, but a better angle in right field could have easily held Diaz to second.

Arozarena is really good.

*Dodgers lead down to a run*

The Dodgers were squaring up Glasnow quite a bit, but I feel terrible about only getting three runs off of him. They easily could have put a five-spot up and forced Cash to go to his bullpen sooner. Kershaw’s pitch count is too high to foresee a complete game and he’s not as dominant as I was hoping. Three runs will not win this game.

*Kershaw walks Margot to leadoff the inning*

I’ve begun running my hand through my hair quite intensely.

*Margot steals second and advances to third when Taylor drops the ball*

For the first time in the series, I look off into space and contemplate why I’ve become invested in a game that doesn’t have my favorite team? Why did I invite more frustration into my life?

*Kershaw gets a Wendle popout and strikes out Adames*

I pump my fist for the first time and quietly grunt in celebration. No one else in the house knows the treason I am committing. I think I’m doing a decent job keeping a low profile.

*Margot tries to steal home*

HOLY CRAP WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!?!?!?! If Margot scored on that play I have no idea how and that’s the greatest baserunning play of the replay era.

The replay shows it probably won’t get overturned. Man, this series has had a lot of bad/questionable baserunning. That would have been really cool though and I respect cool things. To be honest, Kershaw and Barnes also were flawless on that play. A lot could’ve gone wrong. Not a bad risk to take.

I remember everyone asking Farhan Zaidi to find the SF Giants a Muncy of their own. Mike Yastrzemski has been that and more. Yaz didn’t have the exceptional minor-league numbers that Muncy did, but they both have really great plate appearances.

*Muncy clobbers a home run to deep right field*

GO GET IT OUT OF THE BLEACHERS!!!

Dodgers lead 4-2 through half of the game.

World Series Diaries: Rooting for the Dodgers as an SF Giants fan
Part 4

*Pederson works a two-out walk*

He’s from the Bay Area and went to Stanford. Pederson has a lot of overlap with SF Giants outfielder Alex Dickerson, but he would be a great insurance policy given Dick’s injury history. I doubt they can convince him to sign though. Someone will probably give him a chance to play every day. Honestly, feels like a fit for the A’s.

*The Rays make two outs on two pitches to start the 6th inning and Dave Roberts visits the mound*

I swear if they pull him.

*Roberts sends him to the dugout*

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I understand the history of Roberts leaving in Kershaw too long, but it doesn’t make me any less sad about it.

*Dustin May enters*

May doesn’t make me feel as nervous as it should, he is nasty. I know he gets hit hard, but I like watching cool pitchers. It’s who pitches after him that worries me.

Update: Today he is not getting hit hard.

*Kevin Kiermeier singles and the Dodgers visit the mound*

May looks locked in. Stick with him, don’t get fancy.

*They leave him in*

Good, hopefully, Roberts isn’t going to overmanage this.

*Tsutsogo flies out and he’s pulled for a lefty*

Welp.

LOL Cash tricks Roberts into pulling May for a lefty and now two righties (Mike Brosseau and Arozarena) get to face Victor Gonzalez. Honestly, my Dodgers fandom is fading with every pitch. It’s like a potion that can only overpower my true self for so long. I wanted Kershaw to get redemption, but he got pulled and now Roberts is doing some classic managerial frustration.

*Gonzalez throws the ball to the backstop and Kiermeier advances to second. The count is full*

“Great decision Roberts,” I scoff. My father is laughing at Roberts cost the Dodgers another World Series overmanaging (as he would put it).

*Gonzalez walks Brosseau and Arozarena comes to the plate*

Just hit a home run. Put me out of my misery. I’m a Giants fan rooting for the Dodgers, this is what I deserve.

*Arozarena does not do that*
*Gonzalez finally gets to face a lefty and gets out of the inning*

I’m not really relieved. I’m frustrated. I’ve always enjoyed Roberts’ managerial tendencies as a Giants fan, but now I’m experiencing them with my hopes on the line. Personally, not a fan.

I now remember that Gabe Kapler is more like Roberts than Bruce Bochy and that makes me sad.

Kiké Hernandez came in as a defensive replacement and bats. I’m supposed to root against him, but the Giants no longer have Bumgarner and he’s not going to do anything against a righthanded pitcher anyway.

*He doesn’t*

*Broadcast shows Blake Treinen warming up*

They are really going to go to 2020 Ryan Madson with the series on the line.

*Barnes works a walk*

An extra few runs would be nice.

*Mookie Betts strikes out, ending the inning*

I really can’t believe they’re bringing in Treinen to close.

*Margot singles up the middle*

I don’t have a camera to look into with a face that says “What did I tell you?” but that’s what I did sans camera.

*Meadows fouls a couple of balls off*

He just missed them. He hasn’t been the same since he had COVID-19. I hope he rebounds next year. At his best, he’s such a fun player to watch.

*Treinen strikes Meadows out on the next pitch*

*Wendle flies out and Willy Adames will bat with two outs, representing the tying run*

Oh, what a story it would be.

*Adames strikes out*
*The Dodgers win 4-2 and lead the World Series 3-2*

I’m surprised the Rays didn’t give Brett Philips a pinch-hit at-bat there. He was the hero last night and had the platoon advantage on Treinen.

Honestly, I’m just happy I didn’t have to see Joe Kelly pitch. Kershaw has two wins in a playoff series for the first time in his career and I’m happy for him, but I wish he’d gotten a chance to work deeper into the game. Granted, if I had watched him blow leads in the past as a Dodgers fan, I might have been begging them to give the ball to May.

See SF Giants fans, you can root for the Dodgers and come out on the other side. Is it weird at first? Definitely. Will you wish they had a better bullpen? Absolutely. But the SF Giants/Dodgers rivalry hasn’t given me a reason to root against them in years. I like Clayton Kershaw and maybe he’ll have to save the day in Game 7.