The MLB playoffs are here and what a Wild Card round that was!
Let’s get into the games!!
NL WC ON OCTOBER 2ND : NATIONALS 4 BREWERS 3 (I predicted 8-4 Nats)
The Nationals came into this game in the midst of a Cinderella story. They started the season 19-31 after having lost superstar Bryce Harper in the offseason before rallying to make the playoffs and finish the year at 93-69 and despite having arguably the worst bullpen in baseball, made the playoffs and snatched the 1st WC spot.
As for the Brewers, they came into this game as the hottest team in baseball. They were 5 games out of the WC on September 5th and lost there superstar in Christian Yelich 5 days later. But then, feb Brewers banded together and went on a torrid 12-2 stretch to oust the Cubs and make the playoffs as the second NL WC team.
Coming into this game though, you would expect Washington to win with ace Max Scherzer on the mound in Washington, but the Brew Crew continued to show there resilience as they took a quick 3-0 lead on a 2run HR by Yasmani Grandal in the 1st and an Eric Thames HR in the 3rd.
As for the Brewers, they got 4 innings of 1 run ball from Brandon Wodruff with the lone run coming of a solo HR by Trea Turner. The game carried into the 8th with the score remaining at 3-1 largely in part to Stephen Strasburg reliving Scherzer in the 6th and keeping Washington in the game.
However, it was about to get a whole lot tougher for the home team as arguably the best closer in baseball in Josh Hader entered for a 6 out save with a 2run lead before Washington showed there own resolve and made a comeback for the ages.
With 2 outs and a man on 1st, the 1st National ever drafted in Ryan Zimmerman singled to keep the rally going before a walk to MVP-Candidate Anthony Rendon brought up 20 year old Superstar Juan Soto with the bases loaded and 4 outs left in the Nats season.
It was in this moment that we saw why RF Christian Yelich is so valuable to this Brewers team as Soto lined a ball to right that was misplayed by rookie right fielder Trent Grisham and rolled all the way to the fence clearing the bases to give the Nats a 4-3 lead and ultimately a 4-3 win.
The victory is the Nats 1st ever win in 5 tries in a “Winner -take-all game” as the advance to the NLDS to face the 106 win LA Dodgers in a best of 5 series.
MVP: Juan Soto
LVP: Josh Hader
AL WC ON OCTOBER 3RD: RAYS 5 A’S 1 (I predicted 5-3 A’s)
The Rays making the playoffs shocked many people (Not me) and for those who weren’t shocked, the win total was the surprising thing as they notched 96 wins falling one short of there franchise record of 97 back in 2008.
However, they would have to face the pesky A’s who like last year, used a big 2nd half run to get to the WC game and with it being is Oakland this time, the A’s came in as big favorites to move onto the ALDS and face the 107 win Houston Astros.
But the Rays had other plans, as they jumped on Oakland’s ace Sean Maneana early and often with 3HRs and 4runs in 3 innings (2 By Yandy Diaz with the other one coming from Avisal Garcia) while Rays Ace Charlie Morton went 6 innings of 1 run ball propelling the Rays (Who got a late HR from Tommy Pham) to there first ALDS berth since 2013 with a shocking 5-1 win over the A’s.
MVP: Charlie Morton
LVP: Sean Manena
The LDS matchups are now set!
AL:
Astros vs Rays
Yankees Vs Twins
NL:
Dodgers vs Nationals
Braves vs Cardinals
In my next post you will see who I think will win win and why.
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