Major League Baseball’s new schedule format has the National League and American League playing against each other all year rather than just specific weeks and days.
This tweak will definitely spice up the landscape of the entire baseball world because inter-league games are generally a popular scene.
The Giants will draw the American League East in the 2013 year, which means the Yankees, Orioles, Rays, Red Sox, and Blue Jays will all face San Francisco at some point in the season.
However, there are two particular series that can be awarded as the most enticing.
Giants @ Yankees, September 20-22th
There isn’t one series on the Giants 2013 schedule that stands out quite like this one. The last time that these two teams met was on June 24th, 2007. The Giants won the first game of the series, lost the second, and completed the series win with a 7-2 win.
Much has changed since 2007, though. In 2007, the primary leaders of the current Giants team in Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval were still grooming themselves in the minor leagues, or in Posey’s case, college. In the Yankees perspective, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter were still in the primes of their respective careers, while Robinson Cano was just a young pup.
The tables have almost entirely turned now.
Posey, Sandoval, Cain, and Cano all have been selected as all-stars at least once since 2007. More significantly, they’re all the faces of their respective franchises for the future and present.
Whatever way you shape this dandy of a series up, it’s going to take center-stage. Add in the fact that the three games are in the final week or so of the season with playoff implications possibly at stake, and you have one exciting battle between two class act organizations.
Giants @ Dodgers, April 1st-3rd
A Giants vs. Dodgers series never fails to amuse. As of September 15th, the Giants hold a 7.5 game lead over their rivals, making a comeback pretty much out of the equation. However, mark your calendars, as this three-game set will be the season’s first series, which means a clean slate for both teams, 0-0.
If the spending free Dodgers fail to make the postseason this year, then it won’t come as a surprise to see them open up their checkbooks again in hopes of bolstering an already strong roster. Maybe they will just dip into the bank to make a point.
Either way, it’s safe to say that the Giants got the best of the Dodgers this year. They won nine out of the 15 games between the two, and essentially put Los Angeles out of striking distance after winning two out of three a couple weeks ago.
Depending on the results of the final series beginning on October 1st, you would have to assume that Los Angeles will come out firing next year.
