The 2014 Postseason gets started tonight at 8 PM as the Kansas City Royals and Oakland A’s kick baseball’s second season into gear. The Royals will be playing their 1st postseason game in 1,069 days, and their first since I have walked this Earth. The A’s will be sending Jon Lester to the mound to try to salvage the legacy of an A’s team that seemed destined for greatness and has instead been caught by the newly installed safety net of the Wild Card game. Over the next month, the holes of our 10 postseason contenders will be tested, and new heroes will emerge, earning themselves millions. Before entering the game’s second season, let’s pause to handicap the matchups.
Oakland A’s v Kansas City Royals
Matchup to Watch: Royals running game versus Jon Lester. The Royals are in the postseason thanks to solid pitching and an athletic group of position players. They led the league in stolen bases and will look to swipe a bag or two against Lester. The Royals haven’t attempted to steal a base against Lester yet this year, but could be looking to change their approach as they have lost three times to the lefty since July 20.
Bold Prediction: Adam Dunn has 6 total bases and Eric O’Flaherty gets a big strikeout of Mike Moustakas.
The Pick: A’s win 6-3.
San Fransisco Giants v Pittsburgh Pirates
Matchup to Watch: Madison Bumgarner versus the Pittsburgh fans. Last season, the fans really got into the head of Reds starter Johnny Cueto. Is Madison an impenetrable mental palace? Will Pirates fans be as boisterous as they were a year ago?
Bold Prediction: Starling Marte steals 3 bases. And Russel Martin gets only 1 at bat.
The pick: Pirates win 4-3 in 10 innings.
Detroit Tigers v Baltimore Orioles
Matchup to Watch: Orioles rotation against the Tigers lineup. Count me among the pundits who will continue to question the Orioles’ rotation even after they won 96 games. Their “strength in numbers” philosophy” from the regular season may not hold up so well in the postseason.
Bold Prediction: Victor Martinez goes 1-27 with a double. Justin Verlander throws just 4 innings. The O’s bullpen blows two late leads.
The Pick: Detroit in 5.
St. Louis Cardinals v Los Angeles Dodgers
Matchup to Watch: Brian Wilson v Matt Holiday. You know the matchup will happen. Holliday has hit well over the season’s last two months, with 10 homers and reaching base at over .370 clip. If the Cardinals have any shot at winning this, they need Holliday to come through in clutch situations.
Bold Prediction: Game 1 last less than 2 hours and 15 minutes. Matt Kemp hits 3 home runs. And the pitchers combine for 10 total bases.
The Pick: Dodgers in 4.
The Rest
I waffled on picking through the rest of the Division Series and League Series matchups, but figure that level of conjecture is best suited for a Jim Bowden piece. I’ll leave you with the rest of my picks unfiltered and unabridged.
- Nick Markakis makes a good play, but the A’s top the Orioles.
- Tanner Roark faces 9 hitters in the NLDS and allows 5 baserunners.
- The Nationals beat the Pirates in 3 games.
- Josh Hamilton plays in 4 games in the ALDS.
- The Angels score fewer than 10 runs in the ALDS.
- Brandon Moss makes Sportscenter’s top 10.
- The A’s top the Tigers in an epic 6 game ALCS.
- I attend a Nationals/Dodgers game.
- Bryce Harper hits higher than 7th in the Nationals lineup against Clayton Kershaw.
- The Dodgers beat the Nationals in 5 games.
- Josh Reddick becomes an October hero.
- Jeff Samardzija’s hair throws a complete game.
- Hyun-Jin Ryu outduels Sonny Gray.
- WS shakes out to Dodgers over A’s in 6.
-Sean Morash
Stat of the Day: ‘Ravel’ and ‘Unravel’ mean the same thing.
