The Deets is a morning dose of commentary from sports columnist Dieter Kurtenbach that wraps up everything important in the world of sports and looks forward to another crazy day ahead.

The Big Thing

The Giants played like the Giants of old Thursday, losing both games of their doubleheader to the Dodgers, not scoring a single run in the process.

But at least it was over fast.

I have to say it. I don’t care who knows it: I love seven-inning baseball games.

Feel free to rally against me and to go on some diatribe about the history of the sport of baseball and how sacred it all is. I don’t care.

But let me ask a question: In a season that is 60-games, where the designated hitter is ubiquitous, the ball is juiced, runners randomly end up on second, and more than half the teams will make the playoffs, what’s shaving the last two innings off a game?

It’s the future of the sport.

Thursday, the Giants and Dodgers played two “full” games in a total of four hours and 47 minutes. That’s the length of just one Yankees-Red Sox Sunday Night Baseball game.

The seven-inning games make a ton of sense for these shoehorned double-headers, but I think they should be the length of baseball’s everyday 162-game schedule moving forward, too.

Seven innings simply fits the style of baseball that’s being played today better than the 27-outs-a-side length.

It’s a style with openers, “starting” pitchers only going through the lineup twice — if they have a good outing — way too many relievers (who all seem to take forever to throw), and the ever-increasing rise of three-true-outcomes baseball. Outside of having A’s pitcher Jesus Luzardo start every game, losing six outs per team seems like the only way to actually speed up the sport.

The average nine-inning MLB game has increased by 17 minutes the past decade, now sitting at 3:07. That’s even increased since last year, despite the new three-out rule for receivers. We’re now encroaching on the same run-length as The Irishman.

That’s on par with the average NFL game length.

The difference, of course, is that NFL teams play once a week and often in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, baseball teams have moved up start times in recent years because the games go too deep into the night.

Other sports that do multiple weeknight games a week, the NBA and NHL, play their games, on average, in 40 fewer minutes than Major League Baseball. Yes, those sports are timed, but unlike baseball, they also end at a reasonable time and give you time to get to the game or in front of your television.

Now I doubt that length of games is the main reason that baseball is struggling to resonate with folks under 40 years old — why it often seems like I’m the youngest person who actually cares — but it certainly isn’t helping.

Baseball might be a past time that’s past its time.

But through necessity brought on by bad planning, baseball might have a solution to take less time.

And amid a sea of changes, that’s the kind that should absolutely stick around.

What We Learned

Giants drop both doubleheader games… Kerry Crowley with the report from Oracle Park

» I’d imagine this is the last game Kyle Gausman starts for the Giants this year. San Francisco should have always been sellers at the deadline, but they’re now three games under .500. Forget the fact that they could land the No. 8 seed in the playoffs — this team isn’t going to win anything of real consequence this year. Trading away the one-year contracts for prospects of worth is just good business amid a half-decade rebuild.

» Will Johnny Cueto make his Sunday start for the Giants? If not, that’d be coup.

The 49ers are all sorts of banged up… Cam Inman with the details

» I’m not freaking out about it just yet. The 49ers’ first game isn’t until Sept. 13 and many of the injuries seem to be precautionary holdouts ahead of that season opener.

» That said, depth is often the separating factor in the NFL and San Francisco’s could be tested early. Can they repeat their 2019 performance? History says it’s unlikely, but the Niners’ operation is outstanding.

What To Watch

A’s at Astros… 6:10 p.m… BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Giants at Diamondbacks… 6:40 p.m… The Giants might face Madison Bumgarner this weekend. That’s great news for San Francisco — they mash lefties, and especially lefties that can barely throw 90 miles per hour.

Best Bet

Montreal v. Toronto (MLS)… Draw +260

I just like betting draws.