Giants Within One-Half Game of Final National League Wild Card Berth

The San Francisco Giants beat their arch-rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and then got some help to close the gap in the NL wild card race.

Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The San Francisco Giants had a great day on Friday. Beat the Los Angeles Dodgers? Check. Climb within a half-game of the final National League wild card berth? Check.

The Giants (75-72) beat the Dodgers in 10 innings, 5-1, after Patrick Bailey hit a grand slam to break a 1-1 tie. The celebration was two-fold. First, San Francisco beat their long-time rival. Second, the Giants climbed a little bit closer to a miraculous potential playoff berth in the National League.

That happened because of what happened on the east coast a few hours before the wild celebration at Oracle Park.

The NL West Playoff Race

Add this to the all-time #BeatLA edit pic.twitter.com/S2sBFIbvI5

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) September 13, 2025

Entering the evening, the Giants were 1.5 games back of the final NL wild card berth, held by the New York Mets. Winning would only keep San Francisco in the race. What the Giants needed was a Mets loss.

New York lost again on Friday, falling to the Texas Rangers, 8-3, at Citi Field in Queens. For the Mets, it was their fifth straight loss since starting a four-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday. That sweep at the hands of the Phillies ended any hopes the Mets had of pulling off a miracle comeback in the division. It’s also helped keep the Giants in the wild card race.

Now, with the Giants win and the Mets loss San Francisco could climb into the final wild card berth on Saturday, if San Francisco wins and New York loses. Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Reds lost to the Athletics on Friday, which broke a tie between the Giants and the Reds behind the Mets.

The Giants are trying to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2021, when it won the NL West. San Francisco last claimed a wild card berth in 2016 and last won a World Series in 2014.  

San Francisco Giants Playoff Watch

Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

NL Wild Card Race (after Sept. 12)

Chicago Cubs: 84-63 (8.5 games ahead)

San Diego Padres: 80-68 (4.0 games ahead)

New York Mets: 76-72 (last wild card berth)

San Francisco Giants: 75-72 (0.5 games behind final berth)

Cincinnati Reds: 74-73 (1.5 games behind final berth)

San Francisco Giants Games Remaining: 15

San Francisco Giants Remaining Schedule: Sept. 13-14, vs. Los Angeles Dodgers; Sept. 15-17, at Arizona; Sept. 18-21, at Los Angeles Dodgers; Sept. 22-24 vs. St. Louis; Sept. 26-28, vs. Colorado.