Gamethread: 2016 Wild Card Game

Due to the coronavirus outbreak suspending the 2020 MLB season, we’re rewatching memorable San Francisco Giants games on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday nights at 6 p.m. PT, with a gamethread for each.

The San Francisco Giants limped their way into the 2016 postseason. After setting a blistering pace in the early going, and entering the All-Star break with a 57-33 record, the Giants finished the year 30-42, and flirted with missing the playoffs.

But their 87-75 record was good enough to earn the second Wild Card spot, and book them a trip to Citi Field to face the New York Mets, who sported the same record.

It’s a single elimination Wild Card Game, with a standoff against the Chicago Cubs awaiting the winner.

The Giants will try and ride the postseason magic of Madison Bumgarner, who finished the year with a 15-9 record, a 2.74 ERA, a 3.24 FIP, and 251 strikeouts in 226.2 innings. He was an All-Star, finished fourth in Cy Young voting, and finished 16th in MVP shares. It was only two years ago that Bumgarner pitched a complete game shutout, while striking out 10, in the Giants Wild Card win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Mets are handing the ball to Noah Syndergaard, who finished the year with a 14-9 record, a 2.60 ERA, a 2.29 FIP, and 218 strikeouts in 183.2 innings. He was an All-Star, finished eighth in MVP voting, and finished 19th in MVP shares.

We’re starting this rewatch at the same time as all the other ones: 6 p.m. PT. The video is embedded at the bottom of the article, or you can find it at this link, or you can YouTube search “2016 NL Wild Card Game” and click the first link.

Here’s the lineup that Terry Collins is sending out:

1. Jose Reyes — 3B
2. Asdrubal Cabrera — SS
3. Yoenis Cespedes — LF
4. Curtis Granderson — CF
5. T.J. Rivera — 2B
6. Jay Bruce — RF
7. Rene Rivera — C
8. James Loney — 1B
9. Noah Syndergaard — P

And Bruce Bochy’s lineup:

1. Denard Span — CF
2. Brandon Belt — 1B
3. Buster Posey — C
4. Hunter Pence — RF
5. Brandon Crawford — SS
6. Angel Pagan — LF
7. Joe Panik — 2B
8. Conor Gillaspie — 3B
9. Madison Bumgarner — P