4 issues we realized from wild card video games: Are Mets harmful once more?
Welcome to the in-between time, when the overwhelming majority of Main League Baseball casts its consideration on the Division Collection, with three of the 4 matchups set, prime seeds rested and revved up and the playoffs really able to get going.
With just a bit outdated enterprise to wrap up.
It’s Mets-Padres, Act III (7:07, ESPN), at Citi Area. It is about as even a Recreation 3 as one may think about with a pair of regular No. 3 starters, Chris Bassitt and Joe Musgrove, pitching to save lots of the season but confronted with navigating a star-studded opposing lineup.
For everybody else, it’s time to dream larger.
Congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Guardians for his or her two-game sweeps on this wild card spherical. A take a look at what Saturday’s outcomes imply – for the upcoming Division Collection and the final wild playing cards standing:
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Mets-Padres: Water finds its degree
It may have been a disastrous two-game flop for the Mets, with a $290 million roster meekly succumbing to the Braves (in a final-weekend division-deciding collection) after which these Padres, after San Diego launched 4 homers off $43 million man Max Scherzer in Recreation 1.
But a 7-3 Game 2 victory provided relief, if not utter redemption. Jacob deGrom, who may have been beginning his final sport as a Met, had sufficient dominant stretches blended in between the occasional egregious errors, yielding his fourth house run in two video games however staying upright for six innings, exiting with a 3-2 lead.
Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor homered, Jeff McNeil was knowledgeable hitter and the Mets, after a shaky month, had been absolutely on model.
So, what now?
Effectively, after profitable 101 video games but someway feeling like a failure because of an unstoppable Braves crew, it’s attention-grabbing to ponder the Mets after getting various glimpses of their very own mortality. Musgrove is not any straightforward out; he’s a mirror picture of Bassitt insofar as each pitched 181 innings this season, are extremely regarded by teammates and maintain down the No. 3 position of their rotations.
He’s probably dominant however nothing for the Mets to essentially concern. Did scoring seven runs off Blake Snell and associates shake unfastened a few of the swagger gone dormant after frittering away the division?
If nothing else, it confirmed them what’s attainable: Beat Musgrove. Throw Taijuan Walker in opposition to, in all probability, Julio Urias in Recreation 1 of the NLDS after which hope Scherzer and deGrom can throw a large scare into the indomitable Dodgers.
It’s not as clear nor as assured a path because the membership that sat atop the division for six months earlier than shedding it. Nevertheless it’s additionally attention-grabbing to ponder the Mets, instantly, as a crew with nothing to lose.
Phillies-Cardinals: Two for the present
So possibly the NL Central winner has, lately, been a mere velocity bump for the coastal elites on their solution to the World Collection. Maybe we shouldn’t make an excessive amount of of Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola throwing 13 combined shutout innings in opposition to a Cardinals lineup that managed one run-scoring hit – Juan Yepez’s pinch-hit homer in Recreation 1 – and is house for the winter.
However these are the Cardinals of Albert Pujols and MVP frontrunners Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, of knowledgeable bathandlers like Tommy Edman, trailing solely the Dodgers and Braves in OPS and runs this season. Certain, this was simply two video games.
Nevertheless it’s additionally scrumptious to ponder Wheeler and Nola manning Video games 2 and three in opposition to an Atlanta crew it carried out decently in opposition to – 8-11. Division foes within the playoffs don’t have any secrets and techniques, and the Phillies are now not playoff newbies.
“He is actually one thing. He actually is. He is cool as a cucumber, and simply provides us nice begins,” Phillies supervisor Rob Thomson mentioned of Nola, who flirted with an ideal sport within the playoff-clinching sport at Houston. “He is so constant. I simply can’t say sufficient about him.”
Wheeler, in the meantime, held the Braves to at least one run over seven innings in his final begin in opposition to them on Aug. 3. Recreation 1, with Ranger Suarez beginning, will merely be home cash.
“It’s going to be a troublesome collection,” third baseman Alec Bohm mentioned Saturday, “however it’s going to be enjoyable.”
Guardians-Rays: Bronx spoilers?
No AL Central crew has superior previous the Division Collection since Cleveland in 2016. These rebranded Guardians didn’t break new floor, then, by out-grinding the Rays to win 2-1 and 1-0 video games – the latter in 15 innings – and surviving this knockout round.
However now that it’s out of the way in which, and their opponent is in view, it’s curious to ponder what may be carried out.
Backside line: The Yankees, Rays and Guardians are awfully shut in relation to pitching peripherals – and we simply noticed what Cleveland did to Tampa Bay.
That trio ranks 2-3-4, usually, within the AL in most pitching classes, and it’s a good query to ask what is perhaps more durable – scoring off the Yankees or scoring off the Guardians?
New York has Aaron Choose and Cleveland doesn’t, and that is an apparent drawback. The Guardians received nothing from prime rookie and leadoff man Steven Kwan – he went 0 for 9 in opposition to the Rays – and only one huge swing (OK, an enormous swing) from perpetual MVP candidate Jose Ramirez. They nonetheless received each video games in opposition to the Rays.
Put it this fashion: Cleveland’s offense can’t carry out a lot worse than it did – and so they’re nonetheless standing. It is perhaps robust to match runs in opposition to Gerrit Cole when pitch-to-contact right-hander Cal Quantrill begins Recreation 1 at Yankee Stadium. However then it’s again to Shane Bieber and Triston MacKenzie in Video games 2 and three and we could but be reminded: You possibly can’t win for those who don’t rating.
That will probably be a more durable plan to execute in opposition to the Yankees. But when the video games are well-pitched and low-scoring, something can occur. And it will probably’t get a lot tighter than what the Guardians simply endured.
Mariners-Blue Jays: Previous is not prologue
The Mariners went from Cute Story to Formally Harmful proper across the time J.P. Crawford’s ducksnort fly fell between Bo Bichette and George Springer, and the Mariners riverdanced around the bases like they do after huge victories.
Now, we’re about to learn the way a lot of a distinction Luis Castillo could make.
The Mariners have been little greater than an afterthought for the Astros, who beat them 12 occasions in 19 tries this yr on their solution to profitable the AL West by 16 video games. But they by no means needed to face Castillo, who threw his first pitch for the Mariners on Aug. 3 and by no means confronted the Astros after his commerce from Cincinnati.
Effectively, Castillo introduced himself in a giant manner in opposition to Toronto, throwing 7 1/3 shutout innings and permitting only one extra-base hit. It set the tone for the upcoming sweep and, maybe, for these playoffs.
Wild-card survivors are presupposed to be at an obstacle popping out of that spherical. However the Mariners’ Division Collection alignment – Logan Gilbert adopted by Castillo in Video games 1-2 at Houston – is perhaps a greater look than the Castillo-Robbie Ray duo in opposition to Toronto.
Seattle wanted 10 runs and Crawford’s miracle three-run double to eradicate Ray’s three-inning flop in Recreation 2. He disillusioned at occasions within the first yr of a $115 million deal, although he steadied down the stretch.
Towards Houston, he received’t begin till Recreation 3, at house, whereas Gilbert and Castillo intention to steal one from Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez. Castillo was a 2022 All-Star, posted an general 2.99 ERA and, as he confirmed in Recreation 1, may be unhittable at occasions.
The Astros have superior previous the Division Collection each season since 2016. They might very nicely overwhelm the Mariners. However Castillo will give the Mariners an opportunity – and so they’ve confirmed harmful with simply that.
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