Not long ago everybody assumed the playoffs were set. Now we have two wild card spots, two teams tied for each spot, and four huge games tonight. Here is what to expect from each:
1. David Price will strike out 8+ Yankees
Yankees manager Joe Girardi hinted that his lineup will consist of mostly back-up players and that he will utilize a number of pitchers to scrap together nine innings. I like Price in a big game anyway, but especially at home against a weak lineup.
2. The Orioles and Red Sox will combine for over 15 runs
The pitching struggles for the Red Sox down the stretch have been well documented and they will continue through game 162. Jon Lester will go on short rest and the Orioles' hitters have been dialed in so far. The Red Sox hitters will do their part and try to mash their way to victory. Will that be enough?
3. The struggling Braves offense will finally produce
Charlie Manuel plans to use tonight's game to get various pitchers work before the postseason. Joe Blanton will come off of his lengthy injury to start and pitch a couple innings, followed by Cole Hamels and many others thereafter. These pitchers will not invest in those innings like they would a normal start, and the Braves will capitalize on that difference.
4. The Cardinals will lose a heartbreaker
On this night Tony LaRussa and his trigger-happy bullpen switches will spoil a predictably strong start by Chris Carpenter. With key injuries to Matt Holliday and Rafael Furcal, the Cardinals will let the Astros hang around and pay for it in the late innings.
The winners will be...
No one game playoffs tomorrow: Rays over Yankees, Orioles over Red Sox, Braves over Phillies, Astros over Cardinals
Why? Near the end of The Replacements, head coach Jimmy McGinty shouts the following inspirational speech:
"Up until now Dallas has not been afraid of you, and they should be because you have a very powerful weapon working for you. There is no tomorrow for you, and that makes you all very dangerous people!"
Which brings us to the Orioles and the Astros. Anybody who watched the end of last night's Red Sox victory saw Orioles outfielders Nick Markakis and Adam Jones both give their team incredible at-bats, even if they resulted in outs. Players like Astros third baseman Jimmy Paredes have the chance to be impact players in what would normally be a typical September audition. Buy into the cliche: this is their World Series and they will play way above their normal level of intensity in hopes of being the spoiler.
Meanwhile, the Phillies and Yankees are taking the night off, giving guys light workloads to stay fine-tuned for the playoffs. Joe Girardi and Charlie Manuel have already decided how to manage tonight's games and it will make no difference to them if it is a close game or if the playoff fate of another team is on the line.
On paper the match-ups appear to favor the Red Sox and Cardinals. Don't be fooled, because the Phillies and Yankees teams who will be favored in the playoffs aren't showing up tonight.
Links about tonight's games
Cliff Corcoran previews the games http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/cliff_corcoran/09/28/regular.season.finale.preview/index.html?eref=sihp&sct=hp_t12_a2
Jonah Keri looks back at last night's games and previews tonight's http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/5139/a-sneak-preview-to-mlbs-second-season
Who the Rays will face tonight http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/09/28/yankees-giving-september-call-up-dellin-betances-his-first-start-tonight-against-rays/
A.J. Perez on whether or not the Braves and Red Sox are actually "choking" http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/atlanta-braves-boston-red-sox-choking-or-just-not-good-enough-092811
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