The San Francisco Giants upset the New York Mets to earn a trip to Chicago and an NLDS showdown with the Cubs.
It seems that the San Francisco Giants have a perfectly figured out pattern for success. Every two years, for the last six years, they’ve made a run at a World Series. In 2010, 2012 and 2014 they won it all, and if history has shown us anything it’s that they’re a lock for the 2016 World Series.
The only thing standing in their way is — well, history. The Chicago Cubs await the Giants in the NLDS, and only one historical storyline will live to see the Championship Series.
Chicago hasn’t been to the World Series in well over half a century. They haven’t won it in over a century. That’s the storyline that everyone is watching as the postseason ramps up, but the Giants are quietly trying to make history on their own.
If the Giants win the World Series this year, it’s impossible to not say they’re a dynasty. Madison Bumgarner is a Hall of Fame ace, and Bruce Bochy has put together a team that festers for two-years before exploding in the postseason.
Will that trend end this year?
Here’s a look at the updated playoff picture, now that everything in the LDS round is set:
The Cubs were hoping for the Giants, if stats are worth anything. They won the season series against San Francisco, where they lost the season series to the Mets. Not to mention the Cubs couldn’t get the best of the Mets last year in the NLCS, so there were demons to exorcise there.
It’s not the only interesting LDS matchup that we’re going to be watching for. The Cleveland Indians are cursed as well, hoping to get past the Red Sox in the ALDS. Lest we forget the rematch of last year’s ALDS between the Rangers and Blue Jays — a quiet rivalry that has become so loud at so many times.
October is here, which means baseball is about to get really fun.