Playoffs Day 1

Today starts the MLB playoffs with the AL Wild Card Game. Before I get into what is to come, let us take a look back to what I predicted back in August. In the AL I had the Orioles, Blue Jays, NY Yankees, Houston, and KC in. I only missed one team: Texas, and they seemingly came out of nowhere. As for the Orioles, their pitching and hitting both seemed to go away at the same time and they went on a long losing streak, only winning 2 games in a 15 game stretch. They did somewhat redeem themselves by ending the season at the .500 mark.

 

Tonight Houston will take on the NY Yankees in a win and advance game. The winner of the game will take on KC in the ALDS. Let us take a look at tonight’s game. Houston will put Keuchel on the mound against New York’s Tanaka. Keuchel is pitching on 3 days rest so it will be interesting to see how he deals with it. Although, “I play with a chip on my shoulder,” Keuchel said Monday at Yankee Stadium. “I think a lot of the guys do in there as well. And we’ll always carry that.”   We will see just how far that attitude will take him. Then again, it is a smart play since Keuchel has shut out the Yankees twice this year already and is the AL’s only 20 game winner.

 

Now the Yankees have hit an interesting bump in the road. C.C. Sabathia, a leader in the club house, has entered himself into rehab for alcoholism. So what does this mean for the Yankees? Well, they lose a playoff-tested pitcher. It could also serve as a rallying point. We have seen that happen in 2013 when the Red Sox played way above their potential by rallying behind the Boston bombings. On the other hand, it could be a hindrance; since the news just broke, it will be lingering on the Yankees’ minds all day.

 

Off to my prediction. I think that Houston will take the game tonight. I believe that Houston will have just enough to beat the Yankees. I don’t even think that it will be the Yankees lingering on what happened earlier today. Keuchel will yet again dominate the Yanks. Houston will win 4-1 and will go on to play KC in the ALDS.

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