Sometimes you just don't ask questions

It seems every time a team makes a run, there emerges someone from the “Where did he come from?” camp; the nobody who becomes an overnight sensation. In that vein we give you “Ty Blach: Dodger Killer.”

Still looking for the cape and the red "S". (SF Gate)

A team in desperate need of a win and a boost to its rotation got both from a 25- year-old rookie left-hander who hadn’t thrown more than three innings at a stretch in better than a month and who was making just his second Major League start. And what a start it was: 99 pitches over eight innings, allowing just three hits and a walk while striking out six.

Oh, did we mention the Giants won 3-0? They did. Against the Dodgers. Against Clayton Kershaw. Dodger killer, man. Dodger killer.

Talk about the right time to step up. The win assured the Giants of a Game 163 in some capacity. New York and St. Louis took care of business as well, the Cardinals actually doing so without the help of umpires rushing to make a dinner reservation. As a result the Mets locked down the first wildcard spot and will host the play-in game on Wednesday. The Giants can punch their ticket on Sunday with a win or a Cardinals loss to Pittsburgh and old friend Ryan Vogelsong. Failure to achieve either puts the G-Men and Redbirds at odds in a tiebreaker Monday at St. Louis.

Beating the Dodgers, sweeping actually, would simplify things immeasurably; and wouldn’t it be a momentum building going into the playoffs by brooming such evil right out of AT&T Park? Matt Moore will get that chance.

It’s way too early to anoint Blach as the savior of 2016 or as the next Madison Bumgarner; something the rotation desperately needs with Jake Peavy on the way out and Matt Cain relegated to mop-up duty. But his success at the lower levels and his unflappability in arguably the biggest game of the season to date gives fans cause for hope in a second half that has been morbidly devoid of that emotion.

Bumgarner himself was impressed, telling the assembled media “Getting to watch that was pretty incredible. He was lights out the whole day going against one of the best pitchers in baseball. It was definitely something he will never forget.”

Nor will anyone else. He chiseled his name into a slate of unlikely Giants heroes alongside Brian Johnson and Joe Panik, and he may have even started some cleansing of the memory of Solomon Torres (argh, there it is again!).

Kershaw didn’ t exactly suck, but Angel Pagan body slammed (c’mon, you knew it was coming) a solo homer in the fifth to break a scoreless tie then singled to start an error-aided two-run insurance rally in the seventh. Brandon Crawford followed with a comebacker that caromed of Kershaw to LA third sacker Josh Turner, who sailed a wild throw down the right field line that allowed Pagan to score and sent Crawford all the way to third. Newly-acquired Gordon Beckham got his letter, lofting a sac fly to score Crawford.

Pagan is quite probably on his last rodeo with the Giants thanks to declining production and not-declining age. If that's the case, he clearly intends to stay on for the full eight seconds. At least there's no question about his bulldogging skills. 

Pagan gets some love from Roberto Kelly; Giants get the lead. (SF Gate)

Speaking of "Bulldogs", a side note: Beckham needs to produce on Sunday. If he does, we may forgive him for having the audacity to play against our Fresno State “Wonderdogs” in the 2008 College World Series. At least he had the decency to lose then. Now we need the opposite. But we digress….

That was all the help Blach needed, but he got some anyway. Blach indicated the secret to his success was no secret at all. He threw what Buster Posey told him to throw. Give an assist to the best catcher in baseball (sorry, Yadi) and pass that note to the rest of the staff.

Of course, when you’re going good it’s all good. Blach also got the first two hits of his Major League life, off Kershaw of course. He’s only the second pitcher to ever get to the Dodgers ace twice in the same contest.

The Giants had just five hits of the non-Blach variety but made them count. Pagan’s homer was the only extra-base hit and he backed that up with a single. Posey, Crawford and Hunter Pence also had one-baggers.

So it all comes down to game 162, and with Washington clinching home field the Dodgers have nothing to play for. Will they roll over for the Giants? Dream on, Bullwinkle. While the Blue Crew can’t keep the Giants out of bonus baseball they can certainly make the road more difficult, and this rivalry clearly isn’t dead.

Moore (12-12, 4.21 ERA) has the hopes of a fan base riding on his shoulders with Kenta Maeda (16-10, 3.28 ERA) trying to play spoiler. If the Giants prevail, the pitching is set for Bumgarner to take this hill on Wednesday at New York. If a tiebreaker is required, expect Jeff Samardzija to be on the bump at St. Louis.

After 161 games, nothing is decided. A little Vogey Magic couldn't hurt.

-box-