Giants, Dodgers ready to rumble

Quite frankly, they [Dodgers] are not a team we have a lot of time for. They get under the skin a bit.Ritchie Clarke, Giants pitcher Giants pitcher Ritchie Clarke says the words will be flowing when his team takes on Dodgers in a crucial Inter City series men's softball match at Fraser Park tomorrow.
A place in the semifinals the following weekend will be at stake and, with Giants and Dodgers having what Clarke labels as a "pretty interesting sort of relationship", there will be no shortage of chatter on and around the diamond.
"Quite frankly they [Dodgers] are not a team we have a lot of time for. They get under the skin a bit," Clarke said.
"We usually have plenty to say to each other and nothing will change there."
As much as Dodgers are not his favourite side, Clarke freely admits they are a formidable line-up, having as they do a handful of Black Sox, including captain Rhys Caseley and nine Hutt Valley representatives.
"Yep, they aren't too bad but, then, neither are we," he said. "Names are just names when you get out there, it's what you do that counts.
"We won't be intimidated, not at all."
Dodgers have won both clashes they have had with Giants this season. Giants led 3-0 in the first before losing 5-3, and the second was a battle royal with Dodgers sneaking in 2-1.
Clarke knows he will be in the hot seat as the first-string pitcher for Giants but is confident his fielders will give him the sort of support he needs to keep the powerful Dodgers batting line-up under wraps.
"We can't leak runs, we have to make them fight for everything."
Batting-wise Giants have strength in depth with Ryan Shannahan, Blair Thompson and the Karatiana brothers, Corie and Justin, leading the way.