Baseball enthusiasts and sportswriters across the country are referring to the San Francisco Giants’ 2021 season as ‘magical.’
Not so Dodger fans, who refer to it as ‘voodoo magic.’
With the Dodgers anemic (and embarrassing) six-hit / 3-1 loss to the National League Central third-place Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on Friday, they needed a loss by the San Francisco Giants to the Atlanta Braves at Oracle Park to remain one game back of them in the NL West standings with only 14 games remaining in the 2021 regular season for both teams.
They almost got it.
Almost.
Voodoo magic.
On a 2-2 count and needing only one more strike to secure a 5-4 win over The Hated Ones, Braves left-hander Will Smith threw one. Unfortunately for him, the Braves, the Dodgers, and every Dodger fan on the planet, Giants pinch-hitter Donovan Solano crushed it for a game-tying solo home run to send the all-but-assured Braves win into extra innings. And being the 2021 San Francisco Giants with their voodoo magic, Gabe Kapler‘s team naturally won on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 11th … because why wouldn’t they.
Voodoo magic
Although anything is still possible with both teams having 14 regular-season games remaining, the Dodgers now need the Giants to lose three games on nights that they win to catch – and pass – them to avoid a win-or-go-home Wild Card game.
…and with the Giants’ voodoo magic, that is the last thing Dodger fans want.
Play Ball!
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Author’s note: All kidding aside, it is impossible not to acknowledge the magical season the Giants are having … much like the Dodgers magical season in 2020.
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Buehler wasn’t sharp enough to hold the Reds and the Dodgers had trouble hitting Luis Castillo.
Just shows you how quickly this season could end for the Dodgers.