On top of that, their bullpen has been on point and is a major reason why the offense has been in the position to win games late. Though they rank near the bottom of the league in most stats, they’ve been able to generate their runs when they most need it, late in games and in last at-bats. Of course, I will reiterate that it’s not the size of the offense but how the M’s are using it this season. Not much has changed for the team, with the same names still providing most of the oomph for the team. Seeing as how I’ve covered this twice in the past few weeks already I’m just gonna cop out and refer you to my previous series preview from when the Astros faced the Mariners last week. W/L Splits: 40-29 at home, 35-33 on the road, 39-36 against teams over. Last 10 Games: 6-4 Record, 1 Series Sweep, 1 Series Win, 1 Series Loss, +6 Run Differential (45 Scored, 39 Allowed) They also play a number of their final games against the Diamondbacks, Angels, and Royals, so the chances of them ending September with a winning record is at least decent. If they’re going to break their epic postseason drought then they’ll need to win most of those games, if not all of them. That places Seattle firmly in charge of their own destiny with this series against the Astros, two more against the A’s, and another against the Red Sox. On top of that, they now sit just 4.5 games back from the Astros after Houston’s disastrous road trip to the West Coast, which included a series loss against these same Mariners. They leap-frogged the A’s after sweeping the Diamondbacks over the weekend to run their winning streak to 5 in a row, and are now just 3 games back from the second WC spot. Still, they do have some work to do if they expect to be playing a month from now. However, a surprisingly strong bullpen and a surgical offense with a propensity for the clutch hit has propelled them into the thick of the October hunt. By rights the young team from Seattle doesn’t really belong in the race considering that they’re supposed to be at the beginning of a rebuild period. Neither the Yankees nor the Red Sox can be eliminated after Sunday even if they lose.For the third time in as many weeks the Astros will face off against the Mariners in what is becoming an increasingly tight postseason race. The worst-case scenario for either the Yankees or Red Sox is playing in a tiebreaking game to determine whether they would play in the AL Wild Card Game matchup. The winner would face the Rays in the ALDS. The Red Sox would host by virtue of winning the regular-season series 10-9 over the Yanks. If they both win, New York will be heading to Boston for that matchup. A win for either team would cement a spot in the AL Wild Card Game. Simply put, the Yankees and Red Sox control their own destinies. Yankees and Red Sox Control Their Own Destiny That game would take place Monday, with the winner visiting the team occupying the first wild-card position on Tuesday.Īs far as how positioning is determined within tiebreaker scenarios, please consult this detailed guide from MLB.com for more information. There will be a tiebreaker if two teams are tied for the second spot. In that instance, the team with the better head-to-head record will just host the other in the AL Wild Card Game. There will not be a tiebreaker if two teams are tied alone atop the AL Wild Card standings. The winner of each matchup would meet Tuesday to determine the AL Wild Card winner. One team would host another, with the other two teams playing each other. If all four teams are tied in the standings, then there will be a de facto AL Wild Card tournament. The AL Wild Card Game would then go down Wednesday. In that instance, that three-team winner would then meet the team that finished in the first Wild Card spot to determine who visits Tampa Bay. Two teams would play each other in a single game Monday, and the winner would host the remaining team Tuesday.Ī three-team playoff would also occur if it's just for the second AL Wild Card spot under the aforementioned format. Tiebreaker games will be played to determine the top two participants if needed.įor example, if three teams are tied for the AL Wild Card lead at the end of the season, then there will be a three-team playoff to determine the eventual AL Wild Card winner. ET but will be pushed to Tuesday (or Wednesday in one scenario) if tiebreakers are needed. The wild-card game is currently scheduled for Monday at 8:08 p.m. The top two teams in the standings will face each other in the AL Wild Card Game, with the winner facing the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Division Series starting Thursday. Los Angeles Angels at Seattle Mariners, 3:10 p.m. Joan Adon (WSH)īaltimore Orioles at Toronto Blue Jays, 3:07 p.m. Jameson Taillon (NYY)īoston Red Sox at Washington Nationals, 3:05 p.m. Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees, 3:05 p.m.
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