Baseball Playoffs Weekend 1

The opening weekend of the MLB playoffs are in the book, and there was no shortage of drama. We had the two one-game wild card playoff games, one of which was full of controversy. We also had the first games off all 4 Divisional round series'.

The two wildcard games were Friday, with Atlanta hosting St Louis and Texas hosting Baltimore. The Atlanta-St Louis game had one of the worst judgement officiating calls I have ever seen in a game, as an infield fly rule was called on a ball at least 50 feet into the outfield, if not more. It cost Atlanta at least one run, and we will never know if it was more than that, as Atlanta fell to St Louis 6-3, in what is the final game of the storied career of Chipper Jones. In the other wildcard game, Joe Saunders and the vaunted Baltimore bullpen held the high-powered Ranger lineup to one run, and Baltimore got timely hitting from Nate McLouth and Manny Machado, as Baltimore defeated Texas 5-1. This set the matchups for the divisional rounds as Baltimore vs New York and Oakland vs Detroit in the AL, and Washington vs St Louis and Cincinnati vs San Francisco in the NL.

Saturday saw the beginning of the divisional round games, in which Justin Verlander won his first series-opening game of his career, going 7 strong and stifling the red hot Athletics in a 3-1 victory for Detroit. We also saw Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce carry Cincinnati to a 5-2 win in San Fran, in a game where Reds ace Johnny Cueto was forced to leave after 1 batter with back spasms. Mat Latos, the scheduled game 3 starter for the Reds, came in and shut down the Giants.

All 8 teams were in action Sunday. A 2 run error by Oakland CF Coco Crisp, and a walkoff sac fly by Don Kelly gave Detroit a commanding 2-0 lead in the best of 5 series, as the series shifts back to Oakland. A pitching duel between the Nats Gio Gonzalez and the Cardinals Adam Wainwright eventually ended up in a 3-2 Nats win, with Tyler Moore delivering the game winning 2-run single in the top of the 8th for Washington. 

The Yankees and Orioles also began their series Sunday in Baltimore, with CC Sabathia opposing Jason Hammel. Both pitchers were solid, keeping the game locked up at 2 going into the 9th. The Yankees would get to Orioles closer Jim Johnson in the 9th for 5 runs, the big blow coming from a Robinson Cano 2 run double, posting them to a 7-2 lead. Sabathia went 8 2/3, and the Yankees took the series opener in Baltimore 7-2. The Reds Bronson Arroyo was locked in Sunday night, not giving up a hit until the 5th inning, going 7 scoreless, and the Reds offense staking him to a 4 run lead against Madison Bumgarner. The Reds would further extend their lead in the 8th, with Jay Bruce, Brandon Phillips and Ryan Hannigan continuing to be the big bats for the Reds. With their 9-0 victory in game 2, the Reds take a commanding 2-0 series lead back home to Cincinnati.

My picks remain the same through the opening weekend of the MLB playoffs, with Baltimore, Detroit, Cincinnati and Washington advancing. Once the first round concludes I will post a recap.