Sep 23, 2020
Before Giants left-hander Drew Smyly took the mound at Oracle Park on Tuesday night, the starter watched his old teammates in Philadelphia play a doubleheader against the Washington Nationals.
Smyly enjoyed his time with the Phillies, but not enough to root for them on Tuesday. A pair of Philadelphia victories would have hurt the Giants' playoff chances.
Fortunately for Smyly and Co., the Phillies lost both games against a Nationals team that won't make the postseason and fell to 27-29. After watching one wild card hopeful suffer a few tough losses, Smyly helped the Giants out in a big way as he tossed 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball in a 5-2 Giants win.
The victory moved the Giants to 27-27 with six games to play and it's possible the next time he takes the mound, San Francisco could still be jockeying for a postseason berth. Smyly isn't scheduled to pitch again until the final day of the regular season, but with the Reds at 28-28, the Brewers at 27-27 and the Phillies still within striking distance, anything can happen down the stretch.
Smyly said the Giants always have games from around the league on around the clubhouse, but it wouldn't be surprising if a few players are watching the early games on the east coast and in the midwest with a little more focus. If the Giants sneak into the playoffs, there's a strong chance they'll face the Dodgers in the first round, but it's also possible they could play the Cubs or Braves.
Games from around the league are providing good entertainment these days, but the Giants know their focus must remain on the task at hand at Oracle Park.