The most
wonderful time of the baseball year starts tonight as the post season gets
underway. After six months of highs, lows, slumps, winning streaks, heart
breaking defeats and stunning walk offs, the marathon is over. Now it’s time
for the sprints, where any slump can bring a quick end to the season.
American League Wild
Card Preview
And speaking of slumps, that’s
just what the New York Yankees find themselves in as they prepare to host the
Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium III in the American League Wild Card game. After a horrible final week where the New Yorkers lost three of four at home to
the last place Red Sox, then got swept by the Baltimore Orioles, it’s hard to
imagine that the Yanks pose much of a threat in the 2015 playoffs.
A team that held a seven-game lead at one point during the regular season
barely secured the wild card berth. And to be honest, if it weren’t for a very
disappointing season by the Baltimore Orioles and an August slump by the Los
Angeles Angels, I doubt very much New York would have made it.
However, that being said, this is still the Yankees and the mystique and
aura surrounding this franchise has a way of making an appearance in the fall.
The opponents, the Astros, have had a bit of a roller coaster ride of a
journey to make it to October baseball. Houston held a five game lead atop the
AL West at the beginning of July, fell two behind LA right after the All-Star
break, surged back into the lead and led by as many as five near the end of
August, slumped again and were in danger of missing out on the postseason
altogether. But winning six of their final nine games was enough to stay ahead
of the Angels and Minnesota Twins in the end, marking the first playoff
appearance for Houston since 2005.
The two teams played seven times against each other in 2015, with Houston
emerging with a 4-3 advantage. A four game series was split in Houston back in
June and the Astros took two of three in the Bronx at the end of August.
Houston will have Cy Young Award candidate Dallas Keuchel (20-8, 2.48
ERA) on the mound tonight. The Yankees will counter with their best pitcher
Masahiro Tanaka (12-7, 3.51). If the Yankees are to have any chance of
extending their season, Tanaka is going to have to pitch his best game of the
season. Houston needs to work Tanaka deep into counts in order to tire him out
and get into the weak Yankee pen.
The winner will take on the Kansas City Royals in the ALDS.
Prediction: Houston-5 New York-2
National
League Wild Card Preview
In my opinion, it’s a shame that this is only a one-game sudden death
event. I would love to see the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates battle in a
five or seven game series. The two teams with the second (Pittsburgh) and third
(Chicago) best records in all of baseball will have to have their best game of
the year if they want to avoid watching seven teams with a record worse than
theirs play on, while they sit at home.
The Pirates are hosting the NL Wild Card game (which will take place
tomorrow night) for the third year in a row. They defeated Cincinnati in 2013
and were blown away by the eventual World Champion San Francisco Giants a year
ago. The fans at PNC Park will be fired up and the Pirates hope this will be to
their advantage.
Both the Cubs and Pirates played throughout the season as if they were
playing towards this game. The Pirates, at times, got close to the first place
Cardinals but never could catch them. And the Cubs would gain ground on the
Pirates, only to lose it again. Chicago won their final eight games to finish
only one game behind Pittsburgh.
During the regular season, the two teams played 19 games against each
other with the Cubs winning 11 and the Pirates eight. At PNC Park, the Cubs
held a 6-4 advantage.
As for the pitching matchup? It’s a good one. The Cubs will have Jake
Arrieta (22-6, 1.77 ERA) throwing for them while the Pirates will counter with
Gerrit Cole (19-8, 2.60).
The winner of this game will go on to take on the Cards in the NLDS.
Prediction: Pirates-3 Cubs-2 (10
innings)
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