Well, the Wild Card games are officially over and the Dodgers and Astros now have their opponents. The Astros will face the Rays after a dominant home run hitting performance in Oakland. Oakland hasn’t won a winner take all playoff game since 1973.
Meanwhile, in the NL Wild Card game, the Nationals made a frantic comeback in the bottom of the 8th capped off with an extremely untimely error by Brewers’ right fielder Trent Grisham.
If I were a betting man (which I am! Hey!) I would wager that Grisham was ready to come up throwing, and lifted his eyes slightly as the ball came in, causing him to absolutely whiff on it.
And so, we’re set for some division series baseball! It starts today with the Cardinals traveling to Hotlanta to face off with the Braves. Later tonight, we have my Boys in Blue playing the Nationals in match-up that looks to be largely in favor of the Dodgers. The Dodgers lead the NL in pretty much every pitching and offensive category, but the Nationals are not to be taken lightly. Both teams are coming in red hot and riding win streaks, so it should make for a fun start to the series.
Patrick Corbin (14-7, 3.25 ERA) gets the start for the Nats while the Dodgers will counter with Walker Beuhler (14-4, 3.26 ERA). For us Dodger fans, the name Patrick Corbin rings a bell because he spent his first 6 years in the majors as a part of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Dodgers know Corbin, and Corbin knows the Dodgers. Expect a high dose of strategy with a dash of anxiety (for us fans. Obviously).
Let’s talk about the Dodgers for a second. They’ve had a magical season, mixing in blowouts, close calls, walkoffs, and capping it all off with the most wins in franchise history at 106. After back to back World Series losses, I think this team is poised and ready for a magical postseason run.
I just passed by a Nationals fan here at work and we gave each other quick looks followed by “Good luck tonight, it should be fun!” That’s what I love about sports. As long as you don’t go batshit crazy, like some fans tend to do, it can be a really great thing for bringing people together.
The Postseason is upon us. After a 6 month long, 162 game grind, it turns into a 4 week long 11 (or 12, if you’re the Nats or Rays) win sprint. I’ll keep you all posted on the happenings as they, well, happen. Talk to you in the next one!
Love,
Devin
Devin's Dugout 