Game 142 Thread: Sept. 11 @ Frisco, 7p

Hiroki Kuroda (5-6, 4.15) vs. Matt Cain (13-4, 2.51). DODGERS MAGIC NUMBER: 20 COMMENTS: It's crunch time, Cap'n! I mean, not for the playoffs; we're in already, I'm not worried at all. But the question for this series is whether we can match Cain / Sanchez / Penny with Kuroda / Padilla / Billingsley; a series win would basically throttle the life out of the Giants' post-season quest. But getting past Cain in the series opener won't be easy; with his 2.51 ERA (3rd in the NL) and 146 strikeouts (16th in the NL), I'm sure he's got a special K or two saved just for us. Kuroda hasn't had a ton of lucky charms this season, what with the oblique problem early on and the frightening concussion on August 15. But I'm betting on a smart start out of Hiroki. But what we'll really need, early and often from our lineup, is a return of the (honey) smacks and (apple) jacks that the bats of Manny Ramirez, James Loney, and Rafael Furcal are starting ...