SF Giants: NLDS Game 1 preview against the Dodgers

The SF Giants (107-55) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (106-56) kick off an NLDS series that begins tonight. The Giants narrowly edged the Dodgers with 10 wins in 19 games including a key series victory in September. The rivalry is one that spans decades with plenty of heated moments and tense exchanges.

What Time is the SF Giants Game Today?

Game 1 of the NLDS between the SF Giants and the Dodgers is scheduled for Friday, October 8 at 6.37 P.M. local time. The matchup will take place at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California.

What Channel is the SF Giants Game on Today?

This game will be nationally broadcast on TBS. The radio broadcast will be on KNBR 680 as well as ESPN radio.

The pitching matchup

Logan Webb will take the mound for the Giants against NL Cy Young candidate Walker Buehler for the Dodgers. The 2021 season was a major step forward for Webb as he finished the season with a 3.03 ERA across 148.1 innings. The young righty registered a 2.25 ERA with 17 strikeouts in three starts (16 innings) against the division rivals.

It will be a tough matchup for the Giants as Buehler takes the mound for Los Angeles. The 27-year-old posted a 2.47 ERA across 207.2 innings. He pitched very well against the Giants in 2021, recording a 2.19 ERA with 33 strikeouts in six starts (37 innings).

However, Buehler yielded six earned runs on seven hits and one walk across three innings in his last start against the Giants.

NLDS Game 1: Giants vs. Dodgers prediction

The Giants will carry home-field advantage for the entire postseason. This is an important detail as they had the second-best record at home at 54-27. Unfortunately, the Dodgers had an even better record at home at 58-23 but they will only play two of the five games at Dodger Stadium.

Buehler has pitched effectively against the Giants throughout his career. On the other hand, Webb has pitched nearly as well against the division rivals lately. Both teams boast great rotations, strong bullpens, and robust offenses.

In a series like this, it will come down to in-game management. I expect that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts will try to get length out of his starters. That said, he pulled Max Scherzer after just 4.1 innings in the Wild Card game on Wednesday. Gabe Kapler will likely need to have a quick hook as well.

Both bullpens thrived in 2021, but the Giants (2.99 ERA) relievers were slightly better than the Dodgers (3.16 ERA) bullpen. If the Giants can shorten the game by limiting Webb’s exposure to two turns through the lineup and then handing it off to the bullpen, I like their chances.

I would not expect this to be a high-scoring effort. More than likely, it will be about which team capitalizes on the mistakes in the field and at the plate.