Since we all picked up our second consecutive win to start the postseason out undefeated at 25, our sexy start to the playoffs continued. Last nightwe jumped on the Tampa Bay Rays (+122) as road underdogs from the Oakland Athletics. I believed strongly that Charlie Morton had been the side of the starting pitching matchup as he dominated the As in two regular season starts, and he ended the season throwing. And on the flip side, the As chose to pass up on genius Mike Fiers and went in Sean Manaea, that had made just five starts with the hand.
I said in my selection yesterday despite the fact which Manaea was essentially unhittable since rejoining the group in September, after missing nearly a year of playing time, that I simply could not trust him at a game this large with so few innings pitched this year. And I was correct as the child got blasted in two innings of work for four runs, such as allowing three home runs. Here is the second year in a row that the As made the card match and decided to pass starting both times, and their genius Mike Fiers that decision blew up in their faces. It makes you wonder whether they would change their minds granted a third chance?
Even though Morton needed to work himself out of many jams and was a little shaky, he picked up the win and gutted it out and then ended his day with five innings pitched and allowed just one unearned run. The door was maintained by the Rays bullpen after that, along with Tampa Bay is headed to face the Houston Astros. For the pick of today, well head to Atlanta in which the Braves host the Cardinals.
The St. Louis Cardinals have been in Atlanta Thursday for game among those five-game National League Divisional Series. Despite losing four out of their last five matches of the season, the Cardinals managed to hold the streaking Milwaukee Brewers for the NL Central Division title. The Cardinals finished the regular season 91-71.
For the Braves, they ran away with the NL East Division title and coasted to the number two seed in the National League with a 97-65 regular-season record. As they dropped five out of their last six 18, they stumbled on the finish line as well. Much of that is connected to players and shedding a couple important guys to injury. Now that the games thing you can anticipate Atlanta to choose the speed up.
Beginning for the Braves is Dallas Keuchel (8-8 3.75 ERA), and for the Cardinals its Miles Mikolas (9-14 4.16 ERA). The game is place at two and a half conducts. The Braves are -140 favorites. First pitch is scheduled for 2:02 PM PST from SunTrust Park in Atlanta.
The St. Louis Cardinals have experienced among the greatest overall pitching staffs in the National League this season. But since they fought for the division title before the final match of the season, they did not receive the chance to set their rotation, and they wont be sending their best out here in match one. Jack Flaherty is the ace of the team, and following that, wellthere are questions.
Mile Mikolas looked to be an ace last season, but this season? Yeah, not too much. Hed get better in the second half but he is not the type of guy you will want to pitch in a match one. After moving 18-4 with a 2.83 ERA last year, Mikolas was just 9-14 with a 4.16 ERA this season. Since he had a stretch of three straight begins where he allowed at least five earned runs in each game he nearly pitched himself from their playoff rotation in August.
Hed repay a few in September as his ERA is still a respectable 3.34, but then, hes struggled with balancing as he has allowed at least three earned runs in all his five September starts. He made a start against the Braves this year and was decent. In that , he threw seven innings, allowed three earned runs, and picked up a luck. Mikolas has the stuff to be a top of the rotation kind of guy, and the Cardinals will require him to step up big time in this series if they want any opportunity to knock off the Braves.
Theyd hoped it would work out well for them when the Atlanta Braves made the move to go out and pickup Dallas Keuchel from this couch in June. And it has done just that, as Keuchel adds and has been a powerful arm. Keuchel isnt blowing the doors of anybody off this season, but he has used his signature performance get deep into games and also to force a great deal of ground balls.
Keuchel has thrown or deeper, in fifteen minutes of the nineteen starts this season and has pitched less than five innings. The Braves will probably be leaning inside this postseason on Keuchel, as he has a lot of postseason experience, as he has a World Series ring out of his time with Houston and has created ten postseason appearances.
This game would be much different if it had been Jack Flaherty squaring off against Dallas Keuchel. The Braves are the team in this show, but needed the Cards gotten to pitch Flaherty twice in the first four matches, they might have found a way. However, with their jumbled up starting turning, I do not think they have much of a shot at pulling off the upset.
Mikolas has only been way too inconsistent to desire to back on the road in the play. At home this season, Mikolas had an ERA of just 3.01. On the Street? He fought because he was 4-8 with a 5.40 ERA. The one thing thats keeping this amount as tight as it really is, is the fact that the Braves finished the regular season a bit wrapped up. Freddie Freeman and Ronald Acuna Jr, equally missed time however, these motions were somewhat much more invulnerable than anything else, along with also the two superstars are expected to perform tonight.
If the Braves are in full power, this game will not be competitive. I think Atlanta finds out a way to score a few runs from Mikolas also Keuchel ought to be fine enough to hold on the win for Atlanta. Give me that the Atlanta Braves as home favorites in game at -140!
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