The Wild Card games are in the books and it is time for the playoffs to truly begin. The first round of the playoffs start with the NLDS and a matchup of two aces, A.J. Burnett and Adam Wainwright. The ace matchups don’t stop there, the second game of the opening night matches last year’s breakout star Kris Medlen against the favorite to win this year’s NL Cy Young Clayton Kershaw. With matchups like this on night one it will be hard not to watch. Anyone can look at the matchups and tell you it is must see TV, but what I’m going to tell you is who is going to win, and the matchup that will make it happen.
NLDS - St. Louis Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates held a slight advantage over the Cards in the regular season, but all bets are off in the playoffs. For this series I have the Cardinals moving on, but the key for the Pirates to win this series will be to win game one or two and flip the home field. If you watched the wild card game between the Pirates and the Reds you could see, and hear, that the Pirates home field advantage truly is an advantage. If the Pirates are going to move on the next round the matchup to watch will be the game one and game two matchups between Burnett/Wainwright and whoever the Pirates put out there for game two against Lance Lynn. If the Pirates can win one of those games they can win the series at home in game four, but if this series goes to five, you can all but guarantee the experience of the Cards will take over and the Pirates magical run will be over.
Cardinals in Five Games.
NLDS - Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves were the only team to dominate their division from start to finish this season, but they will have their hand full with the Dodgers. It is hard to pick against a team like the Braves with the fire power they have and the solid pitching they have had all season, but the pitching of the Dodgers is that much better. The matchup to watch in this series will be Mike Minor against Zack Greinke in game two. It isn't a lock that Kershaw will pull out the win in Atlanta, but it is highly likely and if Greinke can follow it up with a win in game two, this series is over as quick as it began.
Dodgers in Four Games
ALDS - Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays
It is hard to pick against the Red Sox. They didn’t quite dominate their division from beginning to end like the Braves did, but they were close to it. The only team that gave them a run for their money for a short time, these very Rays. The pitching probables have not yet been announced for the Rays because they just pulled off the win to move on, but it looks like Matt Moore, David Price, Chris Archer and Alex Cobb in that order. If that is the true order of pitchers the big matchup to watch will be John Lackey taking on Price in game two in Boston. If the Rays can pull that off and take a 1-1 split back to Tampa they have a shot at winning and moving on, but I don’t see it happening.
Red Sox in Four Games
ALDS Oakland Athletics vs. Detroit Tigers
In the only rematch from last season’s LDS’ the Tigers and the A’s clash again. This will be the toughest matchup to call because they both hold the top pitching rotations in the playoffs and the injury to Miguel Cabrera may or may not knock the Tigers offense down a notch. For me, the most important matchup of the series is easy, though. Last season Justin Verlander matched up against Jarrod Parker twice and both times he dominated the A’s. This season Verlander has not been as dominant as he has in the past, and he’s matching up against a different breakout rookie in the form of Sonny Gray. This will be the matchup to watch because if the A’s can pull out a victory heads up against Verlander this series could go from another five game classic to a surprising sweep.
A’s in Five Games.