SAN FRANCISCO -- When the A's are in the playoffs, it's an interesting test for Giants fans. While much of the fan base will choose the Bay Area over anyone else, there's certainly a large contingent that enjoys rooting against rivals who have spent the last few years ramping things up with McCovey Cove takeovers at Oracle Park and airplanes dragging banners across the sky.
Well, the A's lasted just one game. So the postseason, which kicks into high gear with two NLDS games today, now features eight teams from other regions. Who should Giants fans root for? It's easier to start at the end of the list.
The Dodgers are out, obviously.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
That leaves seven teams from very different markets. Here's a rundown of how you Giants fans can choose your side this October ...
8. Dodgers: No explanation necessary, although it should be pointed out that Dave Roberts and Clayton Kershaw handled Sunday's ceremonies in a wonderful way, and if the Dodgers do happen to break through this year, you should feel happy for those two at the very least.
7. Yankees: When I was in middle school in Cupertino, there was a kid who decided one day that he was a Yankees fan and he insisted for years to come that he had always been a Yankees fan. The cap would come out every October. We all know this person, the one who randomly roots for the Yankees or Cowboys and insists it has nothing to do with being a frontrunner. So this is relatively easy, too. Don't be That Guy.
6. Braves: Mark Melancon handled the down times in San Francisco about as well as you could expect, and he agreed to waive his no-trade clause in July, helping set the Giants up for a better future. He deserves a good month, and Adam Duvall and Charlie Culberson are also here. Plus, a short October for the Braves may make them more desperate for Madison Bumgarner.
San Francisco Giants
Find the latest San Francisco Giants news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
But they rank this low because of the tomahawk chop, which is still a huge part of their celebrations and in-game experience. Also, they wouldn't let The Merc's Kerry Crowley race The Freeze and the Blooper Burger gave me food poisoning.
5. Cardinals: A postseason enemy for years, it's hard to really feel too much one way or the other about these guys now.
4. Astros: The favorites heading into October, they're led in part by Gerrit Cole, who is Brandon Crawford's brother-in-law. They rank this high because they have the best shot of beating the Dodgers in a seven-game series, and ultimately that's probably the result most Giants fans want this month.
3. Nationals: Hunter Strickland and Gerardo Parra are here, but the real reason they're an early favorite for Giants fans is that they're the first team to face the Dodgers. And with Pat Corbin, Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, they have a good shot at the upset.
From a baseball standpoint, the Nationals are fascinating because of the lack of balance on their pitching staff. Strasburg already played hero out of the bullpen in the Wild Card Game. A World Series run could force the same from him or Scherzer later in the month, and as we learned with Bumgarner in 2014, that's one of the coolest things you can see in the sport.
2. Twins: It's a close call at the top, with plenty of former Giants on these last two teams, both of whom are small-market clubs trying to crash the party. Sergio Romo (it would be great to see him gutting his way through another huge postseason moment) and Ehire Adrianza are here, and Sam Dyson would get a ring if the Twins win it all. Plus, between the Dyson deal and the Eduardo Nuñez swap, the Twins have been quite helpful to the Giants in recent years.
1. Rays: MATT DUFFY. That's your answer. If you're a Giants fan, you're probably just rooting for Matt Duffy this month.
No, in all seriousness, the Rays are a hell of a story, the brilliant organization with a low payroll and a bunch of contributors you've never heard of. (Who the hell was that Nick Anderson guy?) They might have to get through a Wild Card game, the Astros, the Yankees and the Dodgers to win it all, and while that would murder MLB's ratings, it would be pretty cool to watch.
[RELATED: Duffy reveals that his Willie Mac Award was stolen]
Plus, a Rays championship might end a curse some Giants fans whisper about. It all went downhill when Duffy was traded in the middle of 2016. Perhaps a ring would set things back on course ...