SF Giants: NLDS Game 2 preview against the Dodgers

The SF Giants pulled off an exciting 4-0 victory in Game 1 of the NLDS on Friday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Logan Webb completed 7.2 scoreless frames in an electric outing. Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, and Kris Bryant each blasted a home run to power the offense. The Giants hold a 1-0 lead in the series and are gearing up for Game 2 tonight.

What Time is the SF Giants Game Today?

Game 2 of the NLDS between the SF Giants and the Dodgers is scheduled for Saturday, October 9 at 6:07 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

Kevin Gausman will take the mound for the Giants against left-handed hurler Julio Urías for the Dodgers. Gausman was the ace of the rotation, registering a 2.81 ERA, 3.00 FIP, 1.04 WHIP, 10.6 K/9, and a strong 4.64 SO/W ratio across 192 innings. On the other hand, Urías had a strong year as he posted a 2.96 ERA, 3.13 FIP, 1.01 WHIP, 9.5 K/9, and a 5.13 SO/W ratio in 185.2 innings.

The southpaw had one of the worst starts of his career against the Giants earlier in the year where he allowed seven runs (six earned runs) in only five innings while taking the loss. The loss is notable as it was only one of three losses recorded by Urías in 2021.

Gausman had a rough second half (4.42 ERA) but he allowed just two earned runs in his final two starts of the season. The righty believes that he corrected a mechanical issue in his penultimate game against the Colorado Rockies that allowed his splitter to be a weapon once again.

NLDS Game 2: Giants vs. Dodgers prediction

The lineup for tonight’s game has already been released and, to no one’s surprise, Giants manager Gabe Kapler is going heavily in favor of platoon matchups. Urías will face a lineup that includes Darin Ruf, Austin Slater, Buster Posey, Evan Longoria, and Kris Bryant. All of them do damage against lefties.

On a different note, Gausman posted a 3.21 ERA in three starts against the Dodgers in 2021, so the Giants would seem to have the edge on paper. Where there is a concern is in the outfield. An outfield alignment of Ruf (LF), Bryant (CF), and Slater (RF) is not the strongest outfield defensively. That said, they are in the lineup to hit so it is a bit of a compromise.

I give the advantage to the Giants again. I would not expect a high-scoring effort as both pitchers have had strong seasons. The Giants have the momentum in their favor and they could really put distance between the Dodgers with a win at home tonight.