National League Wildcard Preview
With the Major League Baseball postseason upon us, it’s time to preview the October, and for the lucky teams November perspective matchups.
The National League playoff teams have been set for some time now, with all three divisions being all but wrapped up since early September. It was easy for these teams to rest their regulars and give veterans extra rest in preparation.
The wild card play-in game will see the Pirates host the Reds. This is a huge advantage for the Bucs as they will most likely start Francisco Liriano, a left handed pitcher who boasts a home record of 8-1 with a 1.47 era. The rest of the pitching staff looks solid for a long run with starters AJ Burnett and Gerrit Cole both throwing in the mid to upper 90's. The bullpen has been dynamite all season with closer Jason Grilli returning from a DL stint late in the year. Marc Melancon has locked down the 8th inning, and filled in more than adequately when Grilli went down.
GM Neil Huntington buffed up the roster at and after the trade deadline, picking up extra bats for his bench and outfield in acquiring Marlon Byrd from the Mets. Byrd has been a spark, adding needed thump to a lineup with only Pedro Alvarez and Andrew McCutchen as deep threats. McCutchen is in the discussion for NL MVP, and he will need a big postseason at the plate for the Pirates to advance.
The Reds come into the game more uneven than the Pirates. Their starting pitching has been spotty this year with no true ace on the team. Despite Homer Bailey's no hitter earlier in the year, he finished the year with an 11-12 record. Matt Latos is the guy having the best year with 14 wins and a 3.16 era. The wildcard is Johnny Cueto, who will start the game for Dusty Baker. Cueto has been on the DL for the past two months which will necessitate a starter doing some long relief. Those guys are Mike Leake and Bronson Arroyo, who will keep them in games long enough for the offense to bail them out. Aroldis Chapman throws gas as the closer, however the setup guys out of the bullpen are not as strong as the Pirates.
The lineup has been streaky with Baker trying several players in the top two spots in the order. Joey Votto and Jay Bruce provide solid presence in the middle of the order. In order to win the game and move on, the bottom of the lineup has to out hit the bottom of the Pirates order. I don't see that happening.
Prediction: Pirates 5 Reds 2
