Wild Card day one: All Day Baseball!!
The MLB has made it to the postseason. After a shortened 60 game regular season, we have an expanded Wild Card. Tuesday was the first of an exciting Wild Card round that will give the fans what they want. All-day baseball. The first day gives us a brief insight into what to anticipate for the rest of the American League Wild Card round.
Twins vs. Astros
It’s easy to forget that the Twins are the Detroit Pistons of the postseason. Meaning, they can reach the playoffs but can’t win any games. Once the Astros tied the game, it almost felt inevitable that the Astros would win it. The ninth inning was where the flood gates opened, as Houston scored 3 runs to seal the victory. It almost feels hopeless for the Twins, a team that many fans of baseball are rooting for as they are playing the most hated team in baseball.
A’s vs. White Sox
Technically, the Oakland A’s are the #2 seed, while the White Sox are the #7 seed. This is an obvious misrepresentation as the White Sox are clearly one of the best teams in the MLB. It’s also easy to forget that Lucas Giolito has become one of the best pitchers in baseball, it showed as he dominated the A’s lineup. This game and this series will likely show us how Oakland is plain bad in the playoffs (they just can’t win). We will also see how the White Sox have one of the more complete teams in the American League.
Rays vs. Blue Jays
It was almost a cliché to assume that pitching was going to decide the game and this series. Blake Snell was on fire, and the Blue Jays pitching also kept the Rays at bay. As the game developed, it became clear that the big run or two would become the knockout punch. The Rays were able to strike first, and a seventh-inning Manuel Margot homer sealed the 3-1 victory. The Rays have proven why they are a favorite to make it out of the American League. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays look good but still young, not ready yet to compete for the World Series.
Yankees vs. Cleveland
There are three possible assumptions that can all be correct, but all have different angles on the game that we saw. Many fans likely have some or all of these beliefs after the first game of this series.
Angle One; The Yankees were neutral during the regular season and now have kicked their performance into full speed. The Yankees also have been clipped with injuries and now are healthy. This is valid, but we can’t ignore the abysmal regular season the Yankees had.
Angle Two; Cleveland was overrated in the regular season. This might allude to the schedule that they played. While the division is tougher this year, one can’t forget how in 2018 they won over 90 games only to be swept by the Astros. There was a lot of reason to be excited for Cleveland, but it could be that the Yankees are their kryptonite.
Angle Three; Everything just went right for the Yankees. Let’s be honest, the tone was set from the Aaron Judge homer in the top of the first inning. Gerrit Cole was superb, and the Yankees got what they paid for this off-season. Shane Beiber might have just had a bad start (like really bad)? The bottom line is that this was only one game, and the series is not over (unlike the one-game Wild Card).
