With the preliminaries, aka the Wild Card round, completed in record time, Major League Baseball moves on to the Division Series, beginning on Saturday.
American League:
Texas @ Baltimore:
No one expected either of these teams to be here at this juncture. The Orioles have been knocking on the door the last couple of years, and finally broke through thanks in large part to a Yankees collapse in the 2nd half. Texas took down AL East runner-up Tampa Bay in 2 straight, after finishing in a tie for first in the West (Houston claimed the title on a tie-breaker). Nathan Eovaldi, the veteran who was one of the big offseason pickups prior to this year, will be back on the mound when the series shifts to Arlington on Tuesday. The Rangers may or may not get Max Scherzer back for this series, and Jon Gray is questionable, too, but do they have enough pitching, such that the big stars won't be needed?
It's been a long time since Baltimore won a championship. 40 years in fact, well before most of today's Orioles were even born. They're young & hungry, and that may be the biggest intangible of them all.
Pick: Texas in 5.
Minnesota @ Houston:
The Astros' detractors would love to liken Dusty Baker's defending champions to the mythical Hydra in that if you cut off one head, or in this case, when the Astros replace someone, another head emerges. Hydra has nothing to do with it, actually. You would be forgiven if you assumed, as this writer did, that Baker would've retired after winning it all last year.
Minnesota made its case in sweeping Toronto, but they have to open the series in Houston. The series moves to Target Field on Tuesday, and the best the Twins can hope for is to come home with the series even at a game apiece. The main attraction, of course, is Twins shortstop Carlos Correa facing his former team in the postseason for the first time.
Pick: Houston in 4.
National League:
Philadelphia @ Atlanta:
A rematch of last year's NLDS, in which the Phillies upset their division rivals, but would fall short of a title, losing to Houston in the World Series. The biggest question mark for the Braves is their pitching. Max Fried's been banged up. Mike Soroka can't seem to avoid the IL. Dare we think this will be a repeat? Remember, the Braves foolishly gave up closer Kenley Jansen (Boston) after last season. Ex-Brave Craig Kimbrel is now in the Philadelphia pen, but as more of a set-up guy instead of a closer. If Atlanta can keep Trea Turner off the basepaths and in the ballpark, along with Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, & Nick Castellanos, they stand a good chance of advancing.
Pick: Philadelphia in 5.
Arizona @ Los Angeles:
If it wasn't for another late season collapse by the Diamondbacks, this would be in reverse, with Arizona perhaps having home field. Dave Roberts' Dodgers waited patiently before making a move toward the top. We've seen that before, of course, and it doesn't get old. The D-Backs upset Milwaukee to get here, but don't count on them surviving this time.
Pick: Los Angeles in 4.
Of course, I could be wrong.
Wild Card record: 2-2.
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