Playoff Break Down.

So yesterday afternoon was a crazy finish in baseball to a team that came back and won the NL West division to another team that won its second division title in 3 years. It was everything we'd expect this season. We start things off with the New York Yankees taking on the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees would get hammered 8-4, so if the Tampa Bay Rays win they will win the AL East title. Over to Tampa and they were taking on the Royals and they Rays would beat the Royals 3-2 and win their second division title in 3 years, so that also means that Rays will have home advantage throughout the postseason accept the World Series if they make it that far. As for the defending World Champions they would have to settle for the wild card spot. This is the Yankees first wild card spot since 2007 and they lost in the ALDS to the Cleveland Indians.

We move things to the National League East where the Atlanta Braves were hosting the Phillies. Now with a Braves win and Padres lost the Braves will win the NL wild card. But if a Padres win and Braves win there would be a 3 ways tie for the NL West and the NL Wild Card. Confusing I know, but back to the action the Braves would beat the Phillies 8-7 and the Braves would have to wait their destiny. Now to the National League West where both the San Diego Padres and the San Francisco Giants would have their own fate in their hands. If the Padres would beat the Giants it would cause a 1 game playoff on Monday for the NL West division title and the winner of that game would have to take on the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday for the NL Wild Card. In this case nothing like that happened and the Giants beat the Padres 3-0 and knocked off the team who had a 6 1/2 game lead in the division on August 25th will no longer have postseason dreams. The Giants will head to the postseason for the first time since 2003 and that was also the last time the Giants won their division. For the Braves the head into the postseason as the wild card team and the last time they went to the postseason was back in 2005. Also this is the first time in team history the Braves will be a wild card team in the postseason.

So this is what it looks like for the ALDS the Tampa Bay Rays will host the Texas Rangers and the Minnesota Twins will host the New York Yankees. For the NLDS the Philadelphia Phillies will host the Cincinnati Reds, this is the first time the Reds have been in the postseason since 1995 and San Francisco Giants will host the Atlanta Braves. The ALDS and NLDS is a 5 game series first team to win 3 games will head onto the ALCS and NLCS (American League Championship Series and National League Championship Series).


Wednesday October 6th.

Game 1 of the ALDS will start off with the Texas Rangers at Tampa Bay. Starting pitcher in Game 1 for the Rangers will be Cliff Lee who this year had an ERA of 3.18, 12 wins, 9 losses, and 185 strikeouts. For the Rays they will throw David Price who this year had an excellent year with a 2.72 ERA, 19 wins, 6 losses. Price is runner up for the AL CY Young. Game 1 will start at 1:37 p.m. on TBS.


Game 1 of the NLDS will start off with the Cincinnati Reds at Philadelphia. Starting for the Reds in Game 1 will be Edinson Volquez who had an ERA of 4.31, 4 wins, 3 losses, and 67 strikeouts. For the Phils they will throw ace number 1 in Roy Halladay who had a fantastic year for Phillies and first time in the NL with a 2.44 ERA, 21 wins, 10 losses, and 219 strikeouts. Halladay looks like the NL CY Young award winner. Game 1 will start at 5:07 p.m. on TBS.


Game 1 of the ALDS will be the New York Yankees at Minnesota. The Yankees will start their big dog C.C. Sabathia who had a great year with a 3.18 ERA, 21 wins, 7 losses, and 197 strikeouts, he also in the running for the AL CY Young award. For the Twins they will throw Francisco Liriano who this year had a 3.62 ERA went 14-10, with 201 strikeouts. A rematch for last year’s ALDS and be sure to expect this one to go more than 3 games. Game 1 will start at 8:37 p.m. on TBS


Thursday October 7th

Game 2 of the ALDS between the Rangers and Rays will start at 2:37 p.m. on TBS. The Rangers will start C.J. Wilson who had an ERA of 3.35, 15 wins, 8 losses, and 170 strikeouts. As for the Rays they will throw Matt Garza who went 15-10, 150 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.91.


Game 2 of the ALDS between the Yankees and Twins will start at 6:07 p.m. on TBS. The Yankees are unsure on who will start Game 2 but expect it to be A.J. Burnett or Phil Hughes. I wouldn't think they would go with Andy Pettitte because of starting lefty - lefty in both Game 1 and 2, but hey you never know. As for the Twins they will go with Carl Pavano who had a great 2010 year with an ERA of 3.75, 17 wins, 11 losses, and 117 strikeouts.


Game 1 of the NLDS the Atlanta Braves at San Francisco. The Braves will start sinker baller Derek Lowe who this year had an ERA of 4.00, 16 wins, 12 losses, and 136 strikeouts. For the Giants they start their ace and back to back CY Young award winner Tim Lincecum who had a rocky year but none the less still one of the best with an ERA of 3.43, 16 wins, 10 losses, 231 strikeouts. Game 1 will start at 9:37 p.m. on TBS.


Friday October 8th

Game 2 of the NLDS between the Reds and Phillies will start at 6:07 p.m. on TBS. The Reds will send out Bronson Arroyo to the mound who went 17-10, 121 strikeouts, and had a 3.88 ERA. For the Fightin' Philis they start ace number 2 in Roy Oswalt who has been very with the Phillies with an 2.76 ERA, 13 wins, 13 losses (7-1 with the Phillies this year), and 193 strikeouts.


Game 2 of the NLDS between the Braves and Giants will start at 9:37 p.m. on TBS. The Braves will start Tommy Hanson who this year had an ERA of 3.33, 10 wins, 11 losses, and 173 strikeouts. For the Giants they will start Matt Cain who has been very good with an ERA of 3.14, 13 wins, 10 losses, 177 strikeouts.


Saturday October 9th

Game 3 of the ALDS between the Rangers and Rays will start at 5:07 p.m. on TBS. Game 3 will take place in Texas for the first time since 1999, the Rays will throw out rookie pitcher Wade Davis who had an 4.14 ERA, 12 wins, 11 losses, 107 strikeouts. For the Rangers they will send out Coby Lewis who went 12-13, 196 strikeouts, and had an ERA of 3.72.


Game 3 of the ALDS between the Yankees and Twins will start at 8:37 p.m. on TBS.
Game 3 will take place in New York as they still don't know who will start Game 3 and if Burnett starts Game 2 expect to see Phil Hughes or Andy Pettitte. I'm 90% sure it might be Pettitte only because he has pitched in the postseason before but I wouldn’t be surprised if they start Hughes. For the Twin they will start Brain Duensing coming out of the bull pen. Not so sure this is a good move for the Twins but I guess will see what happens. Duensing had an ERA of 2.62 in the pen.


So there you have it for games 1-3 for the ALDS and games 1 and 2 for the NLDS. This is beyond the postseason, this is beyond baseball.