Padres 6, Giants 2

The die is cast. The Braves clinched the east, whereas the Phillies got blasted by the Astros. This means we play the Mets in New York. Now we'll see just what our 89 (and possibly 90) regular season wins are worth. We'll have to win on the road, and yet, I don't think people are necessarily quick in giving the Padres the underdog label. 

The Mets, on the other hand, have won 100 games. That's a remarkable season for any team, no matter what your expectations or your payroll happens to be. Jacob DeGrom, obviously, is the one player I fear the most. He can be electrifying, especially at home, and I don't think he'll disappoint. The Mets rise and fall with their ace. Over the last three seasons, he's pitched 12, 15, and 11 games respectively, so his health his questionable. He was only 5-4 this season, but don't let that fool you. 102 strikeouts (versus eight walks, a 12.75 SO to BB rate!) in 64 innings tell me the man is still packing some serious heat. By DeGrom's standards, his numbers are down. The ERA is at 3.08, for example, and his WHIP is slightly up. His lifetime stats against the Padres are deceptive: 6-3, but with a 1.28 ERA over 10 games. DeGrom hasn't pitched in the postseason since 2015, and I'm sure he'll be ready. Here the over/under should be three runs. In playoff baseball, there will be more one-run games, the margin for error is razor thin. We'll see what happens.

In yesterday's game, Sean Manaea pitched six shutout innings, allowing one walk and one hit. The stats ignore the fact that the Giants missed quite a few pitches high and over the plate. Too late, Manaea. Everybody can come through in games that don't count. Wil Myers padded his horrible stats with a homer, Nola had two hits, Profar had another two. Bell batted cleanup and drew two walks. This is when we offer rest to whoever needs it. Soto rested today, Manny did yesterday. Our guys now know that the focus is on the playoffs. Take a day off, but then be ready. 

Meanwhile, Aaron Judge broke the AL record with his 62nd dinger against the Rangers. Good for him. To me, this should be the real record. McGwire, Bonds, and Sosa, also known as the doo-wop trio the Asterisks, should never be in the record books. I will never forgive Bud Selig for allowing the roiders to flourish the way he did in the 90s. Call me a snob, but that's also why I don't care about 1998 pennant winning team. I can't think of a team that was more roided than them.