2nd Wild Card Games

Tonight’s game: Orioles at Blue Jays, 5:00PM PT, TV: TBS

With nearly 500 home runs between them this season, these teams will probably give us a 2-1 nailbiter instead. The Orioles send RHP Chris Tillman (16-6, 3.77 ERA) out to do battle with the Jays’ RHP Marcus Stroman (9-10, 4.37 ERA).

Stroman led all qualified starters in MLB with a 60.1 percent ground-ball rate; nobody’s saying so, but it may be the Jays are hoping he can keep the Orioles from hitting long fly balls for homers. Tillman had a 1-0 mark and a 3.63 ERA in four starts against Toronto.

Tomorrow night’s game: Giants at Mets, 5:00PM PT, TV: ESPN

The Giants send LHP Madison Bumgarner (15-9, 2.79 ERA) to the mound at Citi Field to face the Mets’ RHP Noah Syndergaard (14-9, 2.60 ERA). The Mets were hot coming down the stretch: they had a .643 winning percentage from Sept. 1 on. Conversely, the Giants were awful the entire second half of the season: they were 30-42 after the All-Star break.

66 thoughts on “2nd Wild Card Games

  1. Bring ’em on! Well, after we beat the Nats and they beat the Cubbies (knock on wood).

    • Careful what you wish for. They definitely know how to win in postseason and Bumgarner goes to a different level.
      Go, Dodgers!
      Go, Cubs!

        • Could’ve done that last weekend and they wouldn’t be a problem for anyone.
          Hopefully the Dodgers didn’t because they had other priorities.

          • I’d pay to see a NLCS between the Dodgers and the giants! (which would be a high price as I don’t live anywhere near LA or SF).

          • Got tix for both Friday and Saturday (and even for next Thursday). Game 1 we are right above the visitors pen, so get to see Klayton warm up nice and close.

  2. I must say I’m not at all surprised that SF will win the NLWC. Just utterly disappointed and disgusted.

    • Wow Dave. Utterly disappointed? Disgusted? Bit strong, don’t you think? Lol.

      Ah well, here’s to vulnerability and expressing emotion I guess.

    • Let’s Go Mets! reminded me of Tom Seaver. He’s 71 years old now. Jerry Koosman is 73 and Ken Holtzman is 70. There’s your Mets starting rotation in 1969 (I think).

      Oops. Why did I think Holtzman pitched for the Mets? Gary Gentry was the third starter in ’69.

  3. Gunna be a long night. Bochy goes with 11 pitchers on the roster. Nunez not picked (injured).

  4. I would like to watch the Wild Card Game today, but I do not want MadBum staring me down.

    • Interesting, Corey has been amazing, but of course they are not actually competing against each other.

    • I see that the voting was pretty close in 2012, with Wade Miley (SVS’s best friend) right behind Harper. He put up 16-11 3.33 ERA for the Snakes. With all the hoopla, Harper was not top ten in any batting category, whereas Miley was for wins and ERA

  5. Some “fan” at the ALWC Game in Toronto threw a can of beer right at Kim’s head just as he was trying to make the catch.

        • Makes for an interesting question as to HFA. Is it having last at bats, or being at home/fans cheering for you that makes it more advantageous?

          • Obviously in basketball it’s being at home with your own fans that makes the difference – often a big difference.

          • Last AB by far, but HFA is more significant in the regular season, with usually rested team v. other team that’s been traveling. Crowd makes no difference whatsoever.