by Michael Duca

WASHINGTON DC–In baseball a trend is a trend ask anybody in baseball they go with the trend and the San Francisco Giants certainly have a trend going with World Series wins in the even years 2010 and 2012 and now their working on another even year win here in 2014. The Giants going into Saturday’s action had won nine straight post season games all with Giants manager Bruce Bochy at the helm.

The Washington Nationals were heavily favored on Friday night and were heavily favored on Saturday and I’m sure they’ll be heavily favored to go home soon too. Bochy has the experience and more so than first year Washington manager Matt Williams and the question begs how long would Bochy would have left Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw in in the Dodgers Friday night loss to the St.Louis Cardinals? Not very long and certainly not six and two thirds worth surrendering eight runs and eight hits. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly was exposed on Friday being the inexperienced guy that he is, the unfortunate thing is he’s been the manager for four years so he ought to have learned by now.

The most important thing that Bochy brings to the Giants everyone has a supreme sense of calm and a leadership style that makes this guy willing to trust. By trusting not creating any descension on the team even though you have say a Pablo Sandoval whose playing gold glove quality baseball at third base but you still replace him late in the game.

There’s issues with that because Panda already is capable of playing for you when you need him. You have no issues with an All-Star MVP caliber catcher not catching some 50 games out of a season (Buster Posey), he’s been playing first base or DH when it’s possible during interleague when it’s possible.

The really striking similarity between 2010 and 2012 in 2010 the Giants had lost their centerfielder and changed their leftfielder when they went into the playoffs and they did okay. In 2012 the Giants had lost their centerfielder when they went into the playoffs and they did pretty well. This year they’ve lost their centerfielder and changed their leftfielder and their in the Division Series. Who knows how they’ll do but they certainly started out better than most clubs probably would.

The Giants have won one game on the road to start this series and they’re playing in the house of money now and sure you come home and would like to sweep the Nats and end this thing quickly but if you actually come out with a split going back to San Francisco on Monday night you still have home field advantage. Saturday night’s game two is not a pressure must win game, the Giants have won two and lost five against the Nats this year and both games that they won the winning pitcher was Tim Hudson.

Game three with Madison Baumgarner scheduled to throw at AT&T for the Giants will be the tipping point. Ga 72 percent of teams who win game one go onto in the World Series. Of the 28 percent who lost game one a third of those went onto win the series and they weren’t the San Francisco Giants. So you got to think that history is on their side but the most important game of the series is game one and then game three to try and go up at least a game.

Michael Duca is doing the Giants commentary throughout the post sesaon for http://www.sportsradioservice.com