What makes for a rivalry? The Dodgers and Giants have always been rivals. Probably because it was because of the close proximity while in NY. I was not aware of any rivalry when both teams were in NY, but I understand they were very bitter rivals.
There have been some knock down drag out melees, and flat out poor sportsmanship from the team by the bay. The oldest one I can remember is Juan Marichal hitting John Roseboro over the head with a bat because Rosey hit Marichal in the ear on the throwback to Koufax. SF grounds keepers watering down the base paths to slow down Maury Wills. From the early 60s to the mid 60’s, both teams put together some of the best teams in MLB history, and the Dodgers got to the WS three times and the Giants once.
Barry Bonds was more of a great player that always seemed to hit critical HR against the Dodgers. But I never sensed any animosity. At least I had none, but then the way he treated my son at the SF airport gave me reason to think highly of him.
Then of course there was MadBum. From Puig to Muncy, Bumgarner was always looking for a conflict.
The Dodgers and Giants have always been colorful and at times bitter. I live in Northern California and had to suffer with 2010, 2012, and 2014. Since then it has been all LAD until 2021. The Giants may have got the Division title, but it was the Dodgers that beat the Giants in the NLCS. I will make that trade all day long.
This year there was not much of a rivalry until Jarlin Garcia decided that a relative nobody should disrespect and mock Mookie Betts. I doubt that the Dodgers will let Garcia forget his taunt.
If the Giants somehow get Aaron Judge to sign with them, that ought stoke the embers quite a bit.
Here are some memorable moments of the LAD and SFG rivalry.
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2889887-most-memorable-moments-of-the-giants-vs-dodgers-rivalry
I grew up with the Giants as the Dodgers rivals, but for me, the Padres are now the more hated ones. Whether it is Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., or Trent Grisham, another relative nobody with a big mouth. Add Joe Musgrove who now believes that the Padres are on an even playing field with the Dodgers.
“With the Dodgers, sometimes you look at that and go, ‘Gosh, this is going to be tough, we’re going to have to play our best baseball every single night, no room for error.’ I feel like with a couple additions we’ve made it’s a very even playing field now.”
As we now know, the Padres have decimated their farm system to try to beat the Dodgers in the playoffs this year. They acquired Juan Soto, Josh Bell, Josh Hader, and Brandon Drury to try to elevate one of the statistically poor offensive teams.
On Friday, it was Tony Gonsolin trying to get back on track. He had a rough start with Jurickson Profar and a 10 pitch start Then a scorcher up the middle by Soto on a center center 4-seamer. Josh Bell single to left on a pitch up and away. Bell hit it exactly where it was pitched. Jake Cronenworth pulls it hard down the line that Freddie makes a solid play on to get the out. 30 pitches in the first inning and 22 pitches in the 2nd inning that was saved by a very bad strike call on Ha-Seong Kim.
His 6 pitch 3rd inning saved Gonsolin on this night. It took 40 pitches to get thru the next two innings. He needed that 3rd.
Gonsolin battled all game and completed 5.0 scoreless innings, but on 98 pitches. As Doc said, Tony competed. The biggest problem for Gonsolin is he is not getting the chases he used to get. He did not get his first chase until the 4th inning and Brandon Drury. He did get one more in the 5th inning off Jorge Alfaro. Overall, on 98 pitches, Gonsolin got 7 swings and misses.
I know many wanted Brandon Drury, but on this night Hanser Alberto was better both offensively and defensively.
The Dodgers showed San Diego what an MLB team with WS aspirations looks like as they send the Padres out with an 8-1 thrashing. Once again they showed teams they are not afraid of LHP. The Dodgers are now 13.5 games better than the Padres and 22.0 games better than the Giants. The Giants are now 7.0 games out of the WC race.
We learned tonight that for 61 of 106 games, the starters have given up 0 or 1 run. I do not think you can ask more from a rotation. Do they go deep? Not as much, which is why many thought that a couple of quality high leverage relievers would have been a great addition. The team is going to have to work with what they have in the pen until Blake Treinen, Brusdar Graterol, and Victor Gonzalez get back. And if Tommy Kahnle somehow some way makes it back, that will be a tough bullpen to crack. Good news is that Kahnle threw on Friday and felt very good. Treinen and Graterol get sim games on Saturday. It is rumored that Treinen will be going out on a rehab probably next week. Because there is no need to stretch out, he does not figure he should be on a rehab very long. He is going to need to show that he can go back to back at least once.
You know your bullpen is working when David Price gets Soto, Machado, and Bell on a soft ground ball and two strikeouts. He got two outs in the 7th before walking Grisham. Reyes Moronta came on to pitch and he get Alfaro to chase an 0-2 pitch. Overall all four of his outs were via the strikeout.
Editorial moment – Hunter Wendelstedt is no Harry Wendelstedt. Well I guess he is technically Harry Wendelstedt, but he is not on par with his father as an umpire.
Fernando Tatis Jr. will begin his rehab in AA this weekend. So the next series the Dodgers face the Padres, the Padres will be fully loaded in the lineup. These two teams will have 3 more 3 game series (1 in LA and 2 in SD), all in September. With six against the Giants, that should be a great rival month.
As we all know, James Outman was optioned to OKC on Friday. My wife wants to start a write in campaign to get him back with the LAD. He showed why he thinks he belongs back in LA with this HR.
James Outman hit one an estimated 583 feet pic.twitter.com/0DIzdbxoJ6
— Blake Harris (@BlakeHHarris) August 6, 2022
I dare anyone to say they did not shed a tear when they saw this tribute to the GOAT
We'll miss our time together, Vin. You will never be forgotten. 💙 pic.twitter.com/6ouMrox9R8
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 6, 2022
And then Doc Roberts.
Rios, Outman, Gallo, Thompson. If they could master the strike zone and increase barrel % that’s about 1800’ of home run distance.
Gonsolin. What an effort. Took 98 pitches to go 5, but he did it. I know I sound like a broken record, but I still think he’s going to need some time off. I say get Pepiot/Jackson up here and engage the 6 man while we can. We’ve got a 13.5 game lead. We’re pounding the ball. Time to see what we have in the closet.
Alberto can hit lefties. I am beginning to like seeing him in the lineup. I’m late to liking him but I am there now.
It seemed to me that SF fans wanted to make a rivalry between the two teams more than did LA fans. Didn’t Reggie Smith go into the stands after a fan in SF? I think the Giants had more success than the Dodgers when the two teams were in NY and the reverse is true for them in CA however special the 53, 54, 55,56 Dodgers were.
I don’t have big dislikes for teams other than Notre Dame. I always wish the Angels, Giants, and Padres well when they are in the playoffs and the Dodgers are not.
I do not consider the Padres a rival. Over 100 years of disliking each other and having some confrontations that blossomed into near riots is much more of a rivalry than some loudmouth showboats can be. I remember seeing photos of a Giant fan and a Dodger fan rolling on the street fighting each other. The Carl Furillo-Ruben Gomez confrontation about 11 years before Marichal-Roseboro. Bill Terry, the Giants manager, once asked if Brooklyn was still in the league. Later that year, they swept a 3-game series against the Giants that cost the Giants the pennant. In their entire existence, the Padres have rarely been competitive. And even with the team that they have had the last couple of years, the Dodgers own them. Do they have a great offensive lineup? Yep, they got better. But I still think LA is the better team simply because of the veteran leadership they have in the clubhouse. The Padres traded Hosmer, but he was not a leader. Machado is the driving force in that clubhouse. And he is nothing more than a loudmouth. Melvin has his hands full trying to get those guys to play team baseball. Badger, I do not remember if Reggie went into the crowd after a fan, but Chad Krueger, who was in the bullpen did. Some fan swiped his cap and he went after him.
Seattle CF, Julio Rodriguez, looks to be the next young superstar from the DR (or anywhere for that matter). He is odds on favorite to be AL Rookie of the Year. When asked who was the toughest MiLB pitcher he faced, this is what he said.
“The best pitcher I faced in the minor league is probably Ryan Pepiot. I really give props to that guy. Really good competitor. I got a few off of him, but I also got a few strikeouts too, so… he was a tough guy.”
Pepiot should get a start this week, and it appears that he is bringing a wider pitch mix by throwing more breaking balls and less reliance on his change.
3 unearned. You gotta take the outs they give you.