They played 162 games to get here and are now just a handful of wins away from playing in the Fall Classic. LA and Boston took care of business in 4 games each to move on as they re-set their lineups and prepare to start the next round this weekend. The baseball playoffs have been full of excitement already in the early going, and are now giving us 2 game 5’s where the winner takes all.
Tonight, division rivals St Louis and Pittsburgh will face off in “the Lou” for all the marbles. This will be the 24th meeting between the 2 squads this season with the Bucs holding the slight 12-11 edge. Here are 3 things to watch for in the matchup:
1. Can Gerrit Cole pick up where he left off in game 2? The rookie has been sensational all season and looked very comfortable in the second game of this series as he retired 11 straight batters in getting the win. However, that was the first time the Cards had faced him and I expect them to challenge him more now that he’s a known commodity.
2. Will St Louis find more elimination game magic? The Cardinals are 7-1 in the last 3 years when facing elimination in the postseason. Being on the ropes is nothing new to them and they’ve found ways to keep their composure in the same scenario recently. Being at home doesn’t hurt either given how rowdy the crowds in Pittsburgh were, we can expect the same from the self-proclaimed “best fans in baseball”.
3. Who will rise to the occasion for the Pirates on the road? The series has been close (as has the season) and if Pittsburgh wants to continue their first postseason run since 1992, they will need someone to step up against Wainwright – who is 5-0 in his last 6 starts. McCutchen is the best player on the team and will need to be a spark for the Bucs tonight to give them a chance to keep playing.
Prediction: St. Louis will advance to face the Dodgers in the NLCS
On Thursday night, the A’s and Tigers will meet at the Coliseum for a game 5 match-up for the 2nd year in a row. After home and home splits so far, two teams that have became pretty familiar with each other as Oakland seeks revenge for last season. Here are 3 things to watch for tomorrow night:
1. Will Justin Verlander continue his dominance over Oakland? 
Last year, JV was lights out in game 5 to stop the “swinging A’s” as Detroit eventually played in the World Series. While he got a no decision in game 2, he went 7 scoreless with 11K’s. Verlander has historically dominated Oakland with a 2.48 ERA in 15 career starts. He is better in Oakland, where in the Coliseum his ERA drops to 2.38 with a 64-24 strikeout to walk ratio. Remarkably, the Detroit Ace is even better in the postseason against the A’s: 3-0 and 1.59 ERA against the green and gold during the postseason. The rowdy fans of Oakland hate him after how he’s dominated their team and he looks to continue to feed off the boos.
2. Who starts for Oakland? It’s Bartolo Colon’s turn to start in the rotation, but will it be “Sonny in Oakland on Thursday?” Much like Cole, rookie Sonny Gray was dominant for the A’s in game 2. The Tigers had not seen him before and he honestly made some of the batters look stupid as they were swinging at everything before getting shut out. It will be a big decision for manger Bob Melvin if he wants to put his trust in a vet or kid.
3. Which offense wants it more? Both teams thrive on sparks from their offense to win games. For Oakland, Coco Crisp and Yoenis Cespedes have been very strong in the series – and will need to be for a win. For Detroit, they’ve struggled to get any production from the bottom of the order and Austin Jackson was horrible in the lead off spot before coming through in game 4. He needs to build on that to get on base for the “big boppers” to get him a run. Fielder and Cabrera have been quiet for the most part this series but could make a difference in game 5. Ultimately, the team who gets more lead-off men on base in the game will have a big advantage.
Prediction: Detroit will be heading to Boston to face the Red Sox in the ALCS
Play Ball!
Ms Mittens Mound 