Separated by nine games in the National League West standings, there still will be plenty on the line when the San Francisco Giants visit the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night for the start of a four-game series.
The Giants (76-76) are just two games out of the final NL wild-card spot but still need to leapfrog three teams. The Dodgers (85-67) are clinging to a two-game lead in the division over the second-place San Diego Padres.
After losing the first two contests of a three-game series against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies, the Dodgers earned a 5-0 victory in the finale Wednesday behind 12 strikeouts from Blake Snell and a home run from both Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts called Snell’s performance “great” and “a huge boost” but said he was just as pleased with the offense.
“Our offense, just the way they’re playing, it’s really, really fun to watch,” Roberts said. “The situational hitting, the hitting behind runners, the two-strike at-bats for me, it’s a dream. I’m really impressed and proud of the way these guys are playing baseball.”
Los Angeles hopes to pick up where it left off at San Francisco last week after winning the final two contests of a three-game series. The Dodgers have won six of the nine games in the season series.
During Saturday’s game in the Bay Area, Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy was hit in the back of the helmet by a 94-mph pitch from Giants left-hander Matt Gage.
Muncy has started just one of the four games since.
“I used him (as a pinch hitter Tuesday) … but he was still a little fuzzy,” Roberts said. “But (Wednesday) he felt better. He made a joke about it, but he just wasn’t as with it as he normally is.”
The Dodgers are set to send their top pitcher to the mound in right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto (11-8, 2.66 ERA), who has given up just one run in each of his last three starts. The Dodgers have won just one of those games, however.
Yamamoto gave up one run through seven innings on Friday at San Francisco before the Dodgers lost 5-1 in 10 innings after Tanner Scott gave up a game-ending grand slam to Patrick Bailey. Yamamoto is 0-1 with a 3.70 ERA in four career starts against the Giants.
The Giants were on a four-game losing streak before pulling off a 5-1 victory in 11 innings Wednesday at Arizona, aided by a two-run double from Christian Koss.
San Francisco won despite having just one hit through 10 innings.
“Our destiny is not in our hands. It’s not anything that we can control,” said Giants veteran right-hander Justin Verlander, who was huge Wednesday with seven scoreless innings. “What we can control is trying to win as many games as possible and then see what’s what. We’ve been a streaky team all year, and when we find a way to get on a hot streak, we can go through anybody.”
Right-hander Logan Webb (14-10, 3.34 ERA) is set to take the mound for the Giants on Thursday. Webb gave up 10 hits and matched a season high with six earned runs while taking a 13-7 loss at home against the Dodgers on Saturday.
Webb is 6-7 with a 4.69 ERA in 19 career starts against Los Angeles.