Two of the most storied National League franchises will meet in a postseason series for the first time Saturday, and their Division Series begins with a Game 1 that features the requisite matchup of aces, along with a few unique storylines.
The presence of Matt Cain on the mound for the Giants and Johnny Cueto for the Reds fits right in with the opener of a playoff series between division champions. Both right-handers are coming off regular seasons worthy of mention among the best in the league, leading two of the strongest rotations in the Majors.
But before the NL Central champion Reds and NL West champion Giants even start the action at AT&T Park in a 6:37 p.m. PT first pitch on TBS, the pregame introductions will reveal a few of the many interesting layers that will unfold in this series.
For one, when Dusty Baker emerges from the Reds’ dugout, two weeks removed from a stroke, he’ll be entering a familiar arena at AT&T Park. Baker managed the Giants from 1993-2002, overseeing teams from Candlestick Park to the new downtown digs and leading the Giants to the 2002 World Series. His healthy return while leading Cincinnati to a second postseason appearance in three years figures to be applauded as heartily in San Francisco as anywhere.
And when Giants manager Bruce Bochy’s club comes out for its introductions, NL MVP candidate Buster Posey likely will be subject of a roaring tribute, probably including that certain three-letter chant. As the pivotal player for an offense that adds more balance to this San Francisco team than the 2010 World Series champions had, Posey brings in his first batting title and the achievement of having a tremendous season one year after a devastating injury.
But Posey knows the real star of the Giants’ show is the pitching staff, particularly the starting rotation.
“They’re our rock. We have five guys who every time they step on the mound, you feel really good about your chances,” Posey said.
That all starts with Cain, who added a perfect game to an already impressive resume June 13 against the Astros. That was just part of what turned into a career season for the 28-year-old, who set a career low in ERA at 2.79 and career highs of 16 wins and 193 strikeouts. Cain had two of his rougher outings against the Reds, losing both while allowing eight earned runs and four homers in 13 innings, but his overall body of work has been exemplary in 2012.
“He’s so consistent,” Bochy said of Cain. “I think it’s fair to say he’s the No. 1 guy right now, the way he’s thrown all year.”
The Reds have a rock of a rotation of their own, and Cueto leads the group after his own career year. With career highs of 19 wins, 33 starts and 217 innings pitched to go with a 2.78 ERA, Cueto shined from his Opening Day start through the course of the regular season, albeit with a few struggles down the stretch. Cueto’s experience against the Giants this year was a June 28 start in San Francisco that pegged him with a loss after allowing two earned runs in six innings.
That Cueto would start this game on the road is a reflection of the one-year format change that includes the opening two games being played at the lower seed and the last three of the best-of-five series played at the higher seed.
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