What comes next? Giants postseason FAQ
SAN FRANCISCO -- Now that the Giants have clinched their first postseason berth since 2016, here’s our first attempt to answer some frequently asked questions about postseason rosters, scheduling and more:
What could the postseason roster look like?
Here’s one guess:
C: Buster Posey, Curt Casali
1B: LaMonte Wade Jr., Darin Ruf
2B: Tommy La Stella, Donovan Solano
SS: Brandon Crawford
3B: Evan Longoria
UTL: Kris Bryant, Wilmer Flores
OF: Mike Yastrzemski, Austin Slater, Steven Duggar, Alex Dickerson
SP: Kevin Gausman, Logan Webb, Anthony DeSclafani, Alex Wood
RP: Jake McGee, Tyler Rogers, Jarlín García, Dominic Leone, José Álvarez, Zack Littell, Camilo Doval, Kervin Castro
Who are they likely to face in the first round?
By winning their first National League West title since 2012, the Giants (107-55) finished with the best record in baseball and clinched the No. 1 seed, so they will now take on the division-rival Dodgers, who beat the Cardinals in the NL Wild Card Game.
The Giants won their season series against the Dodgers by the slimmest of margins, 10-9, and finished one game ahead of their archrivals in the division.
When do the playoffs start?
The NL Wild Card Game took place on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. The best-of-five NL Division Series follows, with Games 1-2 taking place on Friday and Saturday, Games 3-4 set for Oct. 11-12 and any potential Game 5s scheduled for Oct. 14.
What is the likely starting rotation?
Starters Kevin Gausman, Logan Webb, Alex Wood and Anthony DeSclafani each pitched well down the stretch, so the Giants feel good about how their starting rotation is shaping up heading into the postseason. The more intriguing question for the Giants is who they’ll tap to be their Game 1 starter. Gausman was the club’s first-half ace, but the 24-year-old Webb has emerged as the most dominant member of the rotation since the All-Star break.
Who’s hurt?
Brandon Belt went on the IL with a left thumb fracture on Sept. 28 (retroactive to Sept. 27), and it's unclear when/if he'll return. The Giants bullpen is also without veteran Tony Watson, who is likely to be unavailable for the beginning of the postseason after being diagnosed with a moderate left shoulder strain.