American League Wild Card: Houston @ NY Yankees

[Seth Stohs]

At 7:08 Central Time, the Houston Astros and New York Yankees will begin the AL Wild Card game with the winner scheduled to play Game 1 of the ALDS on Thursday in Kansas City.

 

It'll be Dallas Keuchel facing Masahiro Tanaka in the one game, winner advances playoff game. 

 

The Yankees obviously faced the announcement that CC Sabathia was going to enter alcohol rehab and will miss the playoffs. A-Rod has been their MVP this season.

 

The Astros had a remarkable turn-around this season and won that 2nd Wild Card spot. Keuchel could win the Cy Young Award, but he has been much more effective at home. On the season, he is 20-8 with a 2.48 ERA overall. At home, he is 15-0 with a 1.46 ERA. On the road, he is 5-8 with a 3.77 ERA. 

 

So, get your predictions in and feel free to discuss throughout the day and throughout the game.

[ashbury]

I predict the loser goes home.

 

It's a one-game series. With no rooting interest, put me down for "who cares". I don't like the present wild-card setup. Ask me again when the real playoff series are set. Sorry.

[Otto von Ballpark]

No rooting interest?  When the Yankees are involved?

 

I actually like the current wild-card format.  Incentivizes winning a division, and guarantees two win-or-go-home games every year regardless of how the regular season or postseason shakes out.  (Aside from brief moments, MLB postseasons were largely boring affairs from 2004-2010.)

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

A-Rod has been their MVP this season.

Not quite sure about that.  He's been good, no doubt, but Teixeira probably tops A-Rod's contributions even with time lost to injury, although he's out right now too.  Considering position and defense, I think Gardner and McCann have rivaled A-Rod's contributions as well.

 

Betances has been pretty darn valuable for them too (as has Miller, plus Tanaka and Warren in the innings they've pitched).

[Hrbowski]

I want the Astros to win. I wouldn't be surprised to see Tanaka turn on his ace stuff and dominate in the playoffs this year, but he has battled injury, so we haven't seen that for awhile.

[Seth Stohs]

 

I want the Astros to win. I wouldn't be surprised to see Tanaka turn on his ace stuff and dominate in the playoffs this year, but he has battled injury, so we haven't seen that for awhile.

 

Just think, if the Yankees had decided when Tanaka had his strained UCL to have him have Tommy John surgery instead of rest and rehab, he wouldn't have pitched at all this year. 

 

 

[Willihammer]

Yankees RH bats lifetime against Keuchel:

ARod is 1/7 with 4 k's lifetime.

Tex: 2/9, 1 BB, 3 K

Headley: 3/13, 0 BB, 6 K

Beltran has fared a little better - 4/10, 1 HR, 1 BB, 1K

 

Most everyone else will be a LH hitter tonight.

 

For Tanaka's part:

Carter: 1/2 with a HR

Rasmus: 0/3 with a K

Valbuena: 3/9, 2 2Bs, 2 Ks

Castro: 0/2, 2 Ks

 

I predict a low scoring game.

[USAFChief]

I like the WC setup.

 

And in this one....die Yankees, die!

[sampleSizeOfOne]

I predict...

 

There will be commercials every half inning. And pitching change.

 

Not inclined to stray far from the trunk with my prognostication.

 

Nor do i have a quarter in this tiddlywinks match neither, but watching might pass the time...

 

And chatting about it might be worth the effort. At least i'm willing to give it a try.

[Seth Stohs]

I hated the Wild Card at first, and now I like that there are two Wild Cards. I like the idea that winning the division matters. 

 

I've never hated the Yankees. I have hated some of the media over-glamification (which is also understandable) and maybe some of the calls they get, but i don't hate the Yankees.

 

That said, I love what the Astros have done, and I'd love to see them win.

[Squirrel]

 

And in this one....die Yankees, die!

I couldn't have said it better myself!

 

Concur!

 

Times 1000!

 

[spinowner]

 

I like the WC setup.

And in this one....die Yankees, die!

 

 

I couldn't have said it better myself!

 

Concur!

 

Times 1000!

 

Times 1001!

[ashbury]

I like the WC setup.

How about the setup they have for the NL? Where a 98-win team and a 97-win team play one game to settle matters? Second and third best teams in the league, by a pretty good margin, and one goes home after 9 innings.

 

OK, I'm off topic. Thanks for taking my call. I'll hang up and listen.

[ashbury]

So, I went ahead and tuned in anyway. My gripe is with the wild card format, not with the caliber of play I expect to see. It's baseball! I can't just hang up and listen.

 

Doesn't look like anyone is inclined to turn this into a game thread. I was thinking, does Byron Buxton catch that double by Springer in the third inning? I haven't paid attention to Brett Gardner lately, but he sure doesn't seem very fast for a center fielder. True, that ball was scalded and didn't have a lot of hang-time, but he also wasn't anywhere near the warning track when it landed.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

How about the setup they have for the NL? Where a 98-win team and a 97-win team play one game to settle matters? Second and third best teams in the league, by a pretty good margin, and one goes home after 9 innings.

 

OK, I'm off topic. Thanks for taking my call. I'll hang up and listen.

Yeah, that's unfortunate.

 

I'm sure there will be more discussion tomorrow when it's more on topic?

 

Meh, and i think i understand the anti-Yankee sentiment. I guess i'm just glad they aren't the powerhouse they've been in the past.

 

I suppose it is more enjoyable to pick sides. I got a funny taste from some of the Houston draft pick debacles, but think i can let that slide. They are a bit of an underdog, so i'll be happy to root mildly for 'em.

 

They got a 1-0 lead...

 

Which team has the most ex-Twins? Toronto?

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Gomez deposits one in the seats.

[USAFChief]

How about the setup they have for the NL? Where a 98-win team and a 97-win team play one game to settle matters? Second and third best teams in the league, by a pretty good margin, and one goes home after 9 innings.

 

OK, I'm off topic. Thanks for taking my call. I'll hang up and listen.

To repeat...I like the current WC setup.

 

The 2015 NL situation is an anomaly, and one should think carefully about changing policy based on anomalies. Even in this case, if there weren't two WCs, the Cubs are at home watching like the Twins...would that be better?

 

Seems to me it's working just great. The third best record in the NL has a chance. Want a better one? Win your division.

[twinsnorth49]

Couldn't the announcing crew even pretend a little bit that they aren't rooting for the Yankees?

 

This is what it's like watching the Jays in Canada.

[twinsnorth49]

A-Roid put his best playoff swing on that pitch. 

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Couldn't the announcing crew even pretend a little bit that they aren't rooting for the Yankees?

 

This is what it's like watching the Jays in Canada.

I guess i woulda thought they could show an explicit bias for the Jays in Canada...

 

On the other hand, are there any other broadcasters calling this game, besides the ESPN? They usually give, i mean sell, a specific post season game to one network.

 

I always kinda wanted there to be a "wizard people, dear reader" calling of games available. Though i suppose it could easily get tiresome.

[Monkeypaws]

Interesting fact about Keuchel.

 

Hits allowed the last 3 seasons: 184, 187, 185.

 

A model of consistency? Not exactly.

 

Innings pitched the last 3 seasons: 153, 200, 232.

 

Fun with numbers.

[Willihammer]

Hou vs. KC should be a helluva matchup, can't wait.

[twinsnorth49]

I guess i woulda thought they could show an explicit bias for the Jays in Canada...

 

On the other hand, are there any other broadcasters calling this game, besides the ESPN? They usually give, i mean sell, a specific post season game to one network.

 

I always kinda wanted there to be a "wizard people, dear reader" calling of games available. Though i suppose it could easily get tiresome.

True, there is an explicit bias with them being the only team in the country. It would be the same thing if Canada had 4 or 5 teams though, with all the national broadcasting emanating from Toronto, that's all you hear about, it's a virtual nightly love in. The Expos were definitely the red headed step child when they were in Montreal. I think that's why I always preferred them to the Jays, well, that and they were a National League team that didn't interfere with my rooting interest in the Twins.

[DaveW]

Was at the game, it was weird seeing the Yankees lose a playoff game in person, it can be done, Twins should take note for the future

[Halsey Hall]

I'm happy with the outcome, and also with the booing.  What else would one expect.

[twinsnorth49]

Love the booing, oh Yankee fans, never change.

[ashbury]

The Expos were definitely the red headed step child

Le Petit Orange?

[Hrbowski]

I think the Twins could probably have won the game last night if they had been there, which is kinda surprising.

[biggentleben]

So, the NBA put in for 2015-2016 a new playoff seeding that ensures that the best record of each round is the home team. I'd rather prefer that. Still have to play in the Wild Card game if you don't win out in your own division, but if you're facing the winner of a pile of crap division like the Mets were this year and you racked up 95+ wins in arguably the toughest division in the league, you should have home field advantage. It still allows for the reward of winning the division and earning a series rather than a play-in game, but it also rewards the team with a better record over the entirety of the season once series start.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

How about the setup they have for the NL? Where a 98-win team and a 97-win team play one game to settle matters? Second and third best teams in the league, by a pretty good margin, and one goes home after 9 innings.

To be fair, the Dodgers in particular, and to a lesser extent the Mets, could have aggressively tried to match those records if they had to.  Maybe the Pirates and Cubs don't get to those win totals if they aren't the only teams with a huge incentive to catch the Cardinals.

 

Unless you abolish divisions and adopt a balanced schedule, you're not going to find a system that on balance is any more "fair" than the current one.