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NLDS: Ryan Vogelsong would start Game 4 for Giants

By Hayden Kane

Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports
Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports /
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Ryan Vogelsong would take the mound to start if the San Francisco Giants are forced to play Game 4 in the NLDS against the Washington Nationals.

The San Francisco Giants seem to be set up for the sweep on Monday night. They are returning home after delivering two tough blows to the Washington Nationals, including an 18-inning victory in Game 2 in which they were down to their final out. As if that weren’t enough, the Giants are sending ace Madison Bumgarner to the mound.

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As any team would, the Giants are still putting their plans in place in case the Nationals do extend the series. Stranger things have happened, of course, and the Giants know that as well as anybody.

If Washington forces a Game 4 at AT&T Park this week, the Giants will plan to start veteran right-hander Ryan Vogelsong. Per Andrew Baggarly:

Vogelsong enjoyed a something like a bounce-back season in 2014 relative to his disastrous results in 2013. In 32 starts Vogelsong went 8-13 with a 4.00 ERA and a 7.4 K/9 mark. Obviously the win-loss record leaves something to be desired, but Vogelsong would likely stay competitive and hand the game over to the bullpen with his team having a chance to win. Often that’s all it takes for the Giants.

That said, the fact that Vogelsong would start Game 4 only magnifies the significant advantage that the Nationals hold in the starting pitching department in this series. So far that hasn’t mattered, as the Giants have been able to grind and find ways to win anyway. But if this series gets extended to a fourth or possibly fifth game, things could circle back to that advantage for Washington.

In order to create that situation, however, the Nationals have to beat Bumgarner in San Francisco.

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