Giants Exhale With A Few Days Off, Wait On NLDS Opponent

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Fresh disconnected an NL West crown that took 107 wins for the Giants to 106 by the Dodgers, Brandon Crawford and Buster Posey couldn’t assistance but envision a perchance epic playoff matchup against rival Los Angeles.

Now, the Giants get to hold until aft Wednesday’s NL wild-card crippled betwixt the Cardinals and Dodgers to spot if that matchup volition materialize.

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“It’ll beryllium amusive nary substance what,” said Posey, who caught 5 of the last six games and 10 of 13 down the stretch. “When it comes down to the postseason, the intensity’s determination nary substance what, but there’s nary uncertainty that it would beryllium heightened if we play them.”

San Francisco is holding optional workouts Tuesday done Thursday successful mentation for hosting Game 1 of the NL Division Series connected Friday nighttime astatine Oracle Park, though manager Gabe Kapler expects the sessions to beryllium good attended.

The Giants yet got to drawback their enactment aft the part went down to the last time and they edged retired the reigning World Series victor and eight-time defending West champion.

“Well, that’s what it’s similar to beryllium successful the part against the Dodgers,” Crawford said. “They ever person a large team. To beryllium capable to clasp them disconnected for astir of the 2nd fractional is beauteous large for us.”

Kapler hadn’t decided connected a Game 1 starter, arsenic assured successful his 2 options: right-handers Kevin Gausman and Logan Webb .

Crawford, Posey and the club’s injured location tally person Brandon Belt are a large crushed the Giants are backmost connected the October postseason stage.

They delivered clip and again erstwhile galore counted them retired months ago. For Posey to instrumentality aft sitting retired the coronavirus-shortened 60-game play past twelvemonth meant truthful overmuch to the Giants some connected the tract and successful the clubhouse. Belt and Crawford produced vocation numbers.

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Belt’s betterment timeline remained unclear, though Kapler noted Tuesday, helium “talked astir the NLCS arsenic benignant of the imagination scenario.” And Belt was connected the tract instrumentality grounders astatine first, surely a affirmative sign.

The interruption this week particularly mattered for Posey and the taxed bullpen, which took connected a greater load past period arsenic starters Johnny Cueto and Alex Wood were out.

“It was a grind. You deliberation astir winning 107 games, you deliberation that you’re going to get to unbend a small spot the past 10 days oregon truthful astatine slightest of the season,” Posey said. “It makes it each the much peculiar coming down to the past time and to play arsenic good arsenic we did.”

Posey took a infinitesimal during the on-field solemnisation aft Sunday’s 11-4 triumph implicit San Diego to admit the country and importance.

“What stands retired to maine was aft the crippled looking up successful the stands and seeing everybody together,” Posey said. “That’s what I noticed much than anything, and it made maine truly happy. It made maine blessed to spot radical sharing moments unneurotic similar this. I deliberation that’s what’s evidently truthful large astir sports. It allows people, families, communities to travel together. What the full world’s endured the past 2 years having to truly conscionable isolate, it was a large feeling seeing everybody enjoying the moment.”

Retiring manager Ron Wotus loved it, too, and helium is arrogant of the trio of Belt, Crawford and Posey— Posey a cornerstone successful rubric runs successful 2010, ‘12 and ’14, portion Belt and Crawford contributed successful the past 2 championships — for each they did to pb the Giants this far.

“When you’ve been done battles and you’ve been done arsenic overmuch arsenic we’ve been together, you propulsion for them arsenic if they were your ain kids,” Wotus said. “I’m truthful happy. Coming into the twelvemonth determination were a batch of radical who possibly doubted them, didn’t deliberation this would happen. We would not beryllium present if it wasn’t for our seasoned leadership.”

Across the bay successful Oakland, Athletics enforcement Billy Beane and wide manager David Forst were cheering for the erstwhile pupil they helped groom: Giants president of shot operations Farhan Zaidi.

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“We couldn’t beryllium happier. We accidental that truly,” Beane said. “He’s an astonishing person, an astonishing executive. We couldn’t beryllium prouder to beryllium some friends with him and for him and what his organization’s accomplished. It’s fun. He’s specified an casual idiosyncratic to basal for.”