Major League Baseball

Giants in control of their own fate

Published Sep. 26, 2010 1:00 a.m. ET

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The journey has been a challenge for the San Francisco Giants.

The end, however, is in sight.

And the Giants do, finally, have control of their own fate.

Ditto the San Diego Padres.

Having spent the bulk of the season chasing the Padres in the NL West, and battling a handful of teams in the wild card, the Giants head into the final week of the season without needing help from anybody in their bid for their first postseason berth in seven years.

They are a full game ahead of Atlanta in terms of the wild card .

They have a half-game edge on San Diego in the NL West.

The Padres could erase that deficit by winning their Monday series opener against the Chicago Cubs in San Diego while the Giants enjoy an off day, but have the final word on their season.

The Padres do, after all, travel to AT&T Park for a three-game, regular-season-ending series against the Giants, who host Arizona in a three-game series at AT&T Park as a warmup for the potential winner-take-all matchup at McCovey Cove.

But then if the Padres were to sweep the Cubs they would head into San Francisco this weekend no worse than tied for the NL West lead.

And if the Padres and Giants were to end the 162-game schedule in a tie for the division title — with Atlanta claiming the NL wild card — the edge does go to San Diego in the tiebreaker department. The Padres have already clinched the season series against the Giants, winning 10 of 15 games between the two teams.

Minnesota, in the AL Central, and Texas, in the AL West, have clinched their postseason spots. Philadelphia, in the NL East, and Cincinnati, in the NL Central each have magic numbers of one before they can celebrate.

That leaves the NL West, NL wild card, and the AL East and wild card to be decided.

Tampa Bay and the Yankees are in control of those final two AL openings, but Boston could slip in the back door if the Yankees falter.

After Sunday night's extra-inning loss to the Yankees, the Red Sox are 6 1/2 games back of New York. The Red Sox host the Yankees in the three-game regular-season finale this weekend.

Before then, the Yankees are in Toronto for three games beginning Monday while the Red Sox visit the White Sox in Chicago.

The Red Sox, however, have little margin for error. If Tampa Bay wins two of its remaining games — regardless of what Boston does — they clinch the AL wild card, at least.

The Yankees' magic number for eliminating Boston — combination of Yankee wins and Red Sox losses — is two.

Things are tighter in the National League where four teams remain alive for two spots — the NL West and the wild card, although Colorado was dealt a serious blow by losing two of three to the Giants during the weekend, leaving the Rockies with six losses in their last seven games.

"I wouldn’t be surprised to see this go to the last game, as tight as the race has been," admitted Giants manager Bruce Bochy. "We just have to take care of our own business. We can’t control anybody else."

And the Giants don’t have to.

They dealt Colorado’s late-season rush a major blow during the weekend. Thanks to the two-hit effort of Tim Lincecum on Friday night and a three-hitter from Matt Cain on Sunday, the Giants took two of three from the Rockies at Coors Field, leaving the Rockies 4 1/2 games back in the NL West, and four out in the wild card with seven games to play.

There is a sense of relief among NL West contenders to see the Rockies hit a wall in light of their late-season charges to the postseason in both 2007 and 2009.

"Definitely, the way that Colorado plays," Cain told the media about satisfaction in taking two of three from the Rockies. "To get them set back a little bit is definitely good for us. These guys are always hot the past couple years in September. So we really, really wanted to come here focused and win two of three from these guys. We had a successful road trip and that’s what we wanted to do."

Now the Giants go home with the biggest question facing manager Bruce Bochy being whether he prefers having Tim Lincecum pitch the series finale against Arizona on Thursday or would like to give him a full week of rest, and start him in Friday’s opener against San Diego, moving Barry Zito up for the Arizona start.

"We’ve got several things to talk about and we’ll use the off-day (Monday) to make those decisions," Bochy said.

WORTH THE PRICE OF ADMISSION

While the Padres and Giants are battling with the NL West at stake, Atlanta has a solid shot at claiming the wild card if its pitching can hold up.

The Braves are a game back of the Giants, but after hosting a three-game visit from Florida beginning on Tuesday, the Braves finish off the regular season with a three-game series against the Phillies.

Good as the Phillies are, how motivated will manager Charlie Manuel be to win those games, at all costs? Not very. More than winning games on the final weekend of the season, the Phillies, who will have the home-field advantage in the NL in the Division Series and NLCS, will be looking to get their team in place for the postseason.

And that will, in part, deal with whether the Phillies opt for the late start and day off between Game 1 and Game 2 in the Division Series.

They could go into Philadelphia and start Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt on regular rest as tune-ups for the postseason. They, however, most likely wouldn’t push the envelope with any of them.

Given that possible alignment, it would seem likely that the Phillies would opt for the NL Division Series that begins on Oct. 7, and does not have the extra day off between Games 1 and 2.

Manuel, who is comfortable with both Halladay and Oswalt on three days rest, could then start Halladay and Hamels in Games 1 and 2 on Oct. 7 and 8; take the day off; and come back with Oswalt in Game 3 on Oct. 9. He would then have Halladay, on three days of rest, in Game 4, on Oct. 10; and then have Hamels, on full rest, to pitch a possible Game 5.

If the Phillies were to opt for the extra off day, Halladay most likely wouldn’t be used in Game 1 because he would be coming back on three days of rest. But the Phillies could go with a three-man rotation, with each starter working on regular rest, and could use Halladay in Game 2, and then have him rest for a possible Game 5.

CATCHING ON

Jason Heyward was the early favorite in the NL Rookie of the Year race, grabbing headlines immediately when he caught the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day from Hank Aaron and then homered in his big-league debut.

Josh Axford — the independent league refugee who took over the closer role in Milwaukee from all-time save leader Trevor Hoffman — and lefty Jaime Garcia, who solidified the St. Louis rotation, built solid resumes, too.

And don’t overlook the likes of Florida’s Gabby Sanchez and Mike Stanton.

San Francisco Buster Posey, however, is the rookie who has made the biggest impact.

Not only has he evolved into the cleanup hitter for the contending Giants, but he also has taken control behind the plate, surviving a possible rotation revolt when the Giants dealt the popular Bengie Molina to Texas to make room for Posey as the No. 1 catcher.

"That’s why we brought him up and initially put him at first base, and caught him once a week," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy, a former catcher. "When we were confident he was ready to make move we made the move.

"He has a fit. Some catchers are known more for their catching skills than hitting. The kid has both. He also has the ability to separate his hitting from his catching. He knows his big responsibility is behind the plate.’’

DON’T BE SURPRISED IF …

• Stan Kasten winds up the next commissioner. He is resigning as president of the Washington Nationals, but isn’t ready to spend his days playing golf.

Kasten, 58, has not only been president of the Nationals and Atlanta Braves, but he was president of Atlanta’s franchises in the NBA and NHL, and having worked with Ted Turner he has a strong background in the television world.

He also has been a chief lieutenant for Commissioner Bud Selig, who could retire in two years, and has been actively involved in labor and television negotiations on the ownership side.

• Ted Simmons is managing next year. Seattle is a prime spot, considering it was Simmons, as general manager in Pittsburgh, who hired Jack Zduriencik to be a scouting director for the first time.

Currently the bench coach in San Diego, Simmons also was a farm director in St. Louis, and has been a special assistant to the general manager in San Diego as well as a professional scout for Cleveland, St. Louis and San Diego.

He is set to manage in the Arizona Fall League. His name also has come up in Toronto and Florida.

The fact that Simmons knows from a front office perspective the world of dealing with tight budgets from his GM stint in Pittsburgh should make him attractive in Florida.

ADDING THEM UP

• 40 RBI for Troy Tulowitzki this month with four more games to play. Babe Ruth set the record for September RBI with 43 in 1927. The single-month record for RBI is 53 set by Hack Wilson in August 1930 and equaled by Joe DiMaggio in August 1939.

• 7 hits for San Diego 1B Adrian Gonzalez in his last 32 at-bats with one home run and three RBI. Don’t think teams are trying to avoid him? He has drawn eight walks in that stretch.

• 20 wins for Philadelphia RHP Roy Halladay, the 11th pitcher to have 20-win seasons in both the NL and AL since 1950, and first Philadelphia right-hander to win 20 since Robin Roberts in 1955.

• Arizona 3B Mark Reynolds is in line to become the first major-league player with a strikeout total (206) higher than his batting average (.199). He has reached the 200-strikeout level three times, the only player to ever strike out 200 times in a season.

FINAL WORD

"This time of year if you don’t admit you are checking the scoreboard you are lying. We are all fans of the game. We watch the scoreboard from Day 1." — Giants manager Bruce Bochy.

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