What the MLB Playoff Picture holds
With just three days to go in the Major League Baseball regular season, it’s best we take a look at the playoff picture before every team begins their final series of the year, which will end on Wednesday unless tiebreakers have to decide things on Thursday.
AL East too close to call
Both the Orioles and Yankees won yesterday, which keeps them tied atop the division with three games remaining. Although both have played very well of late, the feeling around baseball is that the Yankees are simply keeping up with the O’s.
Considering New York has held first place for the majority of the season, it sounds daft to say such a thing. But then you have to look at the ten games that the Yankees gave up from July and Baltimore’s incredible record in one-run games – 28-9 – which is the best in major league history. Baltimore are finding ways to win and are now in a position to overhaul the Yanks.
There are several factors here that do, almost naturally, favour the Yankees. We should say that because of yesterday’s wins, both teams cemented their places in the playoffs whether it be through the division or the wild card, but the remaining schedule seriously favours the 2009 world champions.
The Yankees finish up at home for three against the Red Sox, who haven’t helped their fiercest rivals out recently being swept by Baltimore. The Sox now have 90 losses on the season, their first 90-loss campaign since 1966. Clearly, the Red Sox were in no mood to play spoiler against the O’s but you never know when they come to Yankee Stadium.
Meanwhile, the Orioles have to play three in Tampa against the Devil Rays, who are still chasing a wild card. However, one Tampa Bay loss or one Oakland win will seal their fate for the year, but until that time is up, you expect the Rays to fight harder than the Red Sox.
I mentioned tiebreakers at the top simply because there is a realistic chance that these two will remain tied on Wednesday evening and have to then separate themselves on Thursday. Since both clubs went 9-9 against each other this year, home advantage will be decided on who has the better intra-division record, and you guessed it Baltimore wins that one having gone 42-27 so far to the Yankees 38-31.
Whatever the information, it’s sure to be a fun three days, except for perhaps Joe Girardi and Buck Showalter.
Tigers roaring, White Sox fading
Last week I wrote about the Tigers need to take their last chance when it came to grabbing the initiative in the AL Central. If no one has looked at the standings for the last seven days then you are in for a surprise, because Detroit now holds a three-game lead over Chicago with as many games to play.
Now, before we start praising the Tigers for their stellar stretch-run, consider this.
The White Sox have lost ten of their last twelve games, seemingly encouraging Detroit to take over top spot.
Yes, Detroit have won when Chicago has lost – which is what the White Sox have done for most of the year – but after the Tigers left the Windy City for the final time this season it looked as if their final shot had escaped them.
No-one expected Chicago to collapse like this and with little time remaining it looks as if the Tigers have all but assured a playoff berth.
Chicago fell 6-2 to the Rays yesterday while Prince Fielder hit an eighth inning two-run home run to beat Minnesota 2-1. His 30th homer – he now has as many in six straight seasons – came off a belt-high 93 mph fastball and showed exactly why Detroit owner Mike Ilitch spent $214million on the first baseman in January.
Detroit has led the Central for just 43 days this season, but crucially they own it with one series remaining. Perhaps in the end money does matter and the Tigers have enough big players to push them over the line. See you in October, Comerica Park.
Angels all but done
Show me a team as talented as the Angels who didn’t make the playoffs and I will show you the Angels lineup again, and again, and again until you finally believe they are just about done for the year.
The Angels needed to sweep their doubleheader against the Rangers yesterday but could only split it and with that they trail the Athletics by three games for the second wild-card spot with three to play. The Angels must sweep the Mariners in Seattle whilst hoping the A’s lose all three at home to the AL West leading Rangers to have any hope of making the postseason.
It’s a long shot and for the life of me I can’t figure out how it has come to this. The Angels have a pitching staff with four Cy Young Award candidates, led by Jered Weaver. They have a free agent signing in Albert Pujols who is arguably one of the greatest hitters the game has ever seen. Then we move to the outfield and they have a rookie who has surpassed all expectations at such a young age. Mike Trout has become the youngest member of the 30/30 club (30 home runs and 30 stolen bases) and also the first ever rookie to hit 30 home runs and steal 40 bases in a single season. He will surely finish second in MVP voting behind playoff bound Miguel Cabrera, but the difference is Trout will be taking a vacation while Detroit’s star goes for glory.
Funny then that the Angels neighbours the Dodgers, who have spent a ton of cash and also post a stacked lineup, look like falling short too; they trail the Cardinals by two games for the second wild-card spot with three to play.
Winter hot-spots are certainly going to be littered with baseball superstars this October, and you can thank the city of Los Angeles for that.
