Friday BP: BEAT L.A.!

Good morning, baseball fans!

For the second time this season, the San Francisco Giants will be kicking off a series against their division rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The rivalry may sting a bit still for Giants fans. The two teams battled it out until the final game of the regular season last year, with the Giants just edging out a division win, with 107 and 106 wins respectively. It was one of the most thrilling division races in recent history, with one of the most disappointing post-season endings to boot.

To add insult to insult, the Giants were swept by the Dodgers in the two-game series they had earlier this season in Los Angeles.

The Dodgers continue to have dominant success, currently leading the National League at the time this is being written. Meanwhile the Giants have been struggling to break even with below average teams the last few weeks.

So, it’s maybe not the best time for a visit from the rivals. But it would be a great time to turn things around at home in front of a packed house.

They’ll also be facing off against Clayton Kershaw on Sunday for the first time since May 30th of last year. Hate to love or love to hate him, Kershaw is a Dodgers icon. And while he may not be exactly the pitcher he was in years past, any match-up between him and the Giants is always going to be appointment viewing.

Happy Friday, and BEAT L.A.!

What time do the Giants play today?

The Giants and Dodgers kick off game one of this three-game series at Oracle Park tonight at 7:15 p.m. PT.