On Thursday (9:37 pm ET, TBS), the NL West-champion San Francisco Giants host the wild card-winning Atlanta Braves in the opener of their best-of-five National League Division Series at AT&T Park.
For just being happy to be in the MLB Playoffs, both teams could be accused, and forgiven. To secure their postseason positions, both the Giants and Braves needed the final day of a 162-game schedule.
With the San Diego Padres and the Colorado Rockies over the final few weeks of the regular season, San Francisco was in a wild, three-team race for top spot on the NL West division. With the Giants winning a pivotal series with the Padres on the last weekend of the regular season, in the last week, it came down to the Giants and Padres.
In franchise history and first postseason berth since 2003, this is the Giants’ seventh division title.
For the first time since 2005, the for the first time since 2005, and battled through the entire schedule to get there, exchanging NL East leads with the division-champion Philadelphia Phillies throughout the season.
This season, Atlanta won four of seven matchups with San Francisco. in April, the Giants took two of three at home from the Braves.
Right-hander Derek Lowe, who is 16-12 with a 4.00 ERA will start for Atlanta. With right-hander Tim Lincecum, who is 16-10 with a 3.43 ERA, San Francisco will counter.