When the Giants took two of three from the Dodgers during their final meeting of the season back on September 3-5 and then proceeded to go on a franchise record-setting nine-game winning streak, it appeared that the Dodgers would not overcome their (then) four-game deficit with (then) 25 games remaining in the 2021 regular season.

What a difference 11 games can make.

Since that franchise record-setting nine-game winning streak, The Hated Ones have lost their last two games, both to the NL West third place (by a considerable margin) San Diego Paders.

Fortunately, and that cannot be overstated enough, the Dodgers have won eight of their last 10 games since that horrible series at Oracle Park. Add to that the fact that the Dodgers swept their just-concluded three-game series with the NL West last-place Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium, and that the Giants lost on Thursday while the Dodgers were off and travelling to Cincinnati to begin a nine-game road trip with the Reds, Brewers, and Dbacks, that once four-game deficit is now only one game.

That’s the good news.

The not-so-good news is that for the Dodgers to catch – and pass – the Giants with only 15 regular-season games remaining, they must win at least two games when the Giants lose two of their remaining 15 regular-season games; and they absolutely cannot afford to lose even one game when the Giants win.

Over the past week or so, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (and a good many players) have repeatedly said (ad nauseam) that they can’t worry about what the Giants are doing and need to focus entirely on themselves. And while there is no disputing this absolute fact, the simple truth – whether they choose to acknowledge what the Giants are doing or not – is that regardless of how well the Dodgers are playing, and they are playing exceptionally well right now, the Giants still must lose at least two of their remaining 15 games on days that the Dodgers win – period/exclamation point.

“The Giants are playing unbelievable baseball this whole season, so we just got to take care of our … just keep playing good baseball,” Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen said postgame following the Dodgers 5-3 win over Arizona on Wednesday night. “Whenever we just think ‘Just worry about us,’ good things gonna happen, and I think, when we do that, there ain’t nobody better than us.”

Can it happen?

Absolutely.

Will it happen?

Stay tuned…

Play ball!

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