Here we go ladies and gentleman as the National League has their say in the Wild Card round of the 2016 MLB playoffs. Here we are juggernaut is the song listed above this game thread because these two teams and their starting pitchers are absolute juggernauts in the NL. Tonight the hometown New York Mets send Thor, Noah Syndergaard, to the mound to square off with Mr. October around the San Francisco area in Madison Bumgarner. The game will be played at 8:05 pm ET inside Citi Field and can be seen on ESPN.
My prediction is the Giants win 2-0 but if the Mets can get the ball to their closer I may end up with egg on my face at the end of the night. And that would be okay too, I guess that's one of the "perks" to not having a horse in the race. You can enjoy the game for what it is again. Enjoy the game.
So the offenses have had their say, the pitching has had their
say and the game has been previewed so it’s time to put up or shut up. Who
takes home the crown and gets the consolation prize that is facing off with the
Chicago Cubs on the road in the NLDS? Is it going to be a Noah Syndergaard led New York Mets
squad or is it going to be a Madison Bumgarner led Giants squad?
In all honestly I left the whole “even number” thing out as
much as I could because on a long enough timeline that will have to come to an
end eventually but I can’t see the Mets getting passed the Giants in this
contest. The Mets pitching is stellar and if they can get the ball to Jeurys
Familia with a lead that may be the ball game leaving me with egg on my face
but the Giants just have so much postseason experience and so many clutch
hitters and so many players that have been there before it’s hard to root
against them in a one-game playoff. It may even be hard to root against them in
a best of five series to be completely frank and honest. That is why I’m going
with the Giants tonight in Queens.
Well that and I’m a Yankees fan and according to Michael Kay
I can’t be a fan nor can I root for both… and I’m inclined to agree with him.
Blake Parker, Kirby Yates, and Anthony Swarzak are no longer with the Yankees
Parker and Yates were claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of California of The United States of... you get the joke, and it's not a good one anyway.
Swarzak elected free agency instead of accepting an outright assignment to the minors.
None of these three will be missed by the Yankees or their fans. That's not to say they weren't good guys or teammates, but Parker's ERA was 4.96 in 16 games, Yates' was 5.23 in 41 appearances, and 5.52 in 26 games.
Hey, the New York Mets offense had to suffer through
their career stats against Madison Bumgarner being blasted for all to see on the blog this
morning so it’s only fair that Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford and company have
to go through the same treatment this afternoon with their career stats against Noah Syndergaard also being showcased here for all to see. We’re all about equality here and
stuff so here are the San Francisco Giants offensive numbers against tonight’s
Mets starter Noah Syndergaard.
All photos and stats courtesy of ESPN.com. Don’t feel bad
guys, I wouldn’t hit well against Syndergaard either if that makes you feel any better
about tonight.
The National League takes center stage tonight as the New
York Mets return home to host one playoff game against the San Francisco
Giants. Win or go home and one team will do just that after tonight while the
other heads to Chicago and Wrigley Field to take on the Chicago Cubs. Ladies
and gentleman they call that a gift and a curse for the winner but no one is
thinking that far ahead tonight as they have to first take care of business
tonight inside Citi Field. In the game the New York Mets will send Noah Syndergaard to the
mound to square off with the Giants starter Madison Bumgarner in what should be one of the
better pitching matchups of the postseason. Let’s get to it.
Snydergaard will start the Wild Card Game for the Mets on
seven days of rest which could be a good thing or a bad thing for Terry Collins
tonight. The Mets were saving him for the final day of the season if they team
needed a victory to get into the postseason after the righty led the Mets
starters in ERA and strikeouts while making his case of the NL Cy Young Award.
Bumgarner heads into this start fresh off setting a
single-season Giants franchise record for strikeouts by a left-handed pitcher.
Bumgarner only faced the Mets once this season and he did so inside Citi Field
where the game will take place tonight. In that May 1st start
Bumgarner struck out seven while hurling six shutout innings in a win over New
York.
The game will be played at 8:05 pm ET inside Citi Field and
can be seen nationally on TBS. The playoffs really get kicked off after the AL
and NL Wild Card games are over and you know both teams didn’t work this hard
just to go home in one-game without a fight. What a game this should be and
truth be told I think I am more excited about this one than I was the American
League’s Wild Card Game.
Now I’m not nor have I ever been a Major League Baseball
hitter so I can only presume but you have to think that the offense for both
the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants can’t be looking forward to
tonight. I mean yeah, it’s the postseason and I’m sure everyone is pumped for
the playoffs and this do-or-die one-game playoff game tonight but when you look
at tonight’s pitching matchup you have to cringe a little bit as a hitter.
Especially the New York Mets offense who has to take at-bats against the Giants
starter tonight Madison Bumgarner.
Here is what the New York Mets offense has done against Bumgarner in their careers. All photos and stats are courtesy of ESPN.com:
So the American League had their say last night and tonight the National League has their turn. This this time it’s the San Francisco Giants making the trip to Flushing to take on
the New York Mets. Will the “even number” Giants make another magical run to
the World Series and beyond like they have in 2014 and 2012 or will the Mets
make another return trip to the World Series after a disappointing loss to
Kansas City in 2015?
Tune in tonight at 8:05 pm ET on ESPN to find out.
San Francisco Giants @ New York Mets – 8:05 pm ET inside
Citi Field on ESPN
On this day in 1980 the New York Yankees broke the American League regular season attendance record of the time by passing the 1948 Indians with their 2,627,417 fans through the gates.
Also on this day in 1963 Mickey Mantle tied Babe Ruth's home run record in the World Series when the Mick blasted his 15th fall classic home run of his career. This homer would tie the score in game four against Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers but it would not be enough as Los Angeles would sweep the Yankees for the title.
Also on this day in 1960 Roger Maris became the seventh player in Major League history to hit a home run in his first World Series at bat.
Also on this day in 1957 in the first World Series game to ever be played in Milwaukee the Yankees rookie short stop Tony Kubek became the second rookie ever to hit two home runs in a World Series game. Kubek would join Charlie Keller who also hit two in the 1939 World Series.
Also on this day in 1953 the Yankees would win their fifth consecutive World Series title in dramatic fashion as Billy Martin would get a walk off hit against the Dodgers. Martin would be named the World Series MVP as he collected 12 hits in the series.
Also on this day in 1951 Mickey Mantle's season ended in game two of the World Series as he injured his knee when his cleat got caught in a drainage cap at Yankees Stadium, really? The injury was initially blamed on Joe DiMaggio as he called off Mantle at the last second on a fly ball off of Willie Mays bat causing the 19 year old rookie to stop awkwardly.
Finally on this day in 1949 Tommy Henrich hit the first walk off home run in the history of the World Series when he led off the bottom of the 9th with a homer off of the Dodgers Don Newcombe. Allie Reynolds would get the complete game victory and manager Casey Stengel would get his first post season victory of his career.
Here we go ladies and gentleman, baseball is back and the
postseason has begun. The New York Yankees did not qualify for the postseason
unfortunately in 2016 but three teams from their AL East Division did including
both of tonight’s participants in the American League Wild Card Game, the
Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays. In the start tonight the Orioles
will send Chris Tillman to the mound to face off with Marcus Stroman for the Blue Jays. Not that you
need a reminder by now but this is a one-game playoff game that decides it all,
win or go home. The game will take place at 8:05 pm ET inside the Rogers Centre
and can be seen nationally on TBS.
I don’t have a horse in this race so for the first time in
162 games I’m simply going to just sit back and enjoy baseball. You know, the
way it should be done. Good luck to both team’s tonight and may the better
team, manager, pitching and offense win. Enjoy.
Okay ladies and gentleman. We’ve previewed the game and we
know what each offense has done against the other’s starting pitcher for the
night so now all that’s left is to pick a winner. Truth be told I think home field
advantage is a pretty minimal advantage in Major League Baseball in most cases
but I think the Toronto faithful proved last postseason that they can be the
key factor in a game. In short, they can get loud and that has to get inside
the head of the pitching and for that reason I have the Toronto Blue Jays
winning this game tonight.
I can see this turning into an offensive explosion for both
team’s due to the big stage and the pressure with the Blue Jays winning the
game 6-2. Buck Showalter won’t be happy but I have a feeling millions of
Yankees fans will be when they see him drop his head and walk into the dugout
after the loss. Just a hunch. I guess you’ll have to tune in here in a couple
of hours to see if I’m right.
Full Disclaimer: I’m hardly ever right so don’t bet the bank
on it.
