Wildcard Predictions:
Detroit vs. Houston:
Houston in 3, Detroit wins game 1.
Detroit has the best pitcher in game 1.
Kansas City vs. Baltimore:
Balitmore in 2.
Orioles lost in the wildcard in 2 last year. I think they win in two this year.
New York Mets vs. Milwaukee Brewers:
Mets in 2.
Mets are a little more well rounded.
Atlanta vs. San Diego:
San Diego in 2.
Braves get hurt all the time. It's happening again with Chris Sale.
Houston in 2
Detroit had a great run and it's a minor miracle that they made it this far. You can make an argument in favor of momentum but I just don't see it with this team
Baltimore in 2
This could be the year that the birds will fly
Milwaukee in 3
I'm just not feeling this Mets team
Atlanta in 3
Injuries are a problem but the Braves will find a way
Good one about the birds flying.
I think I'm at a point where I never like picking an injured team in any playoffs.
Almost a great game by the Tigers.
Tyler Holton might be the best option at closer.
Good to get the win, but you want a reliable bullpen order in the playoffs.
Changing roles too much erodes confidence.
It's a tricky balance, but you want a set order, with a little room for flexibility.
10 K's so far for King. I think he has a shot at 14.
Get the complete game, King.
Catcher dropped the ball on the throw at home. An Astros run scores.
Next play, throw from RF isn't in time to get the next out at home.
Astros take a 1 - 2 lead.
Baseball is a game of errors though, most scoring plays happen because someone is making a mistake somewhere.
They didn't look like "bad" errors that they should have made.
Gotta move on and see if they can find a way to take the lead back.
And just like that, Tigers score on a wild pitch.
With a runner on 1st and 3rd, 1 out, I would have hoped that they would have bunted the tying run in, though, if the wild pitch hadn't occurred.
Wow, I was terrible in these predictions. Good for the fan bases of teams that haven't seen success as of late although the Royals did win the series in 2015. The Padres and Brewers have never won while it's been 40 years since the Trammel, Whitaker, Gibson, Morris, Parrish and Willie Hernandez team won the series
I think I'll keep picking the Orioles next year. Haha.
Maybe their flaw is that they rely too much on HRs.
After @TrueBlood said the birds would fly, and they didn't, I'm never picking them again.
Maybe they flew low instead of high.
Braves get hurt heading into the playoffs often.
2010 Chipper Jones (ACL), Martin Prado (oblique), Jair Jurrjens (meniscus in right knee)
2023 (Max Fried blister)
2024 Spencer Strider (collateral ligament), Ronald Acuna Jr. (left ACL), Austin Riley (right hand fracture).
I don't like using an opener in the playoffs, unless its due to an injured pitching staff. It worked out for Detroit yesterday. But I would never do it.
I guess what I mean is I don't like bullpen games, unless it's due to injury in the playoffs.
I can be convinced to use an opener if the next pitcher is expected to go a least 5 IP.
Detroit vs. Cleveland:
If Tyler Holton is more than an opener for game 1, I like the move. I want him to pitch multiple innings.
Detroit in 4.
Detroit
Detroit
Cleveland
Detroit
New York Mets vs. Philadelphia Phillies:
I think Philadelphia is healthy.
Philadelphia in 3.
Kansas City Royals vs. New York Yankees:
I never like what the Yankees do with their pitching. Not enough starters, not enough bullpen.
Kansas City have better emerging players.
Kansas City in 3.
It's one of those weird series where it shouldn't be a sweep, but sometimes it happens.
San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers:
Both teams are injured.
Musgrove for the Padres.
Dodgers pitching rotation isn't at full strength.
Don't know what to expect from Walker Buehler.
However, I never like how the Dodgers use their pitchers. Everything always seems wrong. Openers at the wrong time.
Pulling starters too early.
Bringing relievers in during the wrong innings.
San Diego in 4.
Los Angeles
San Diego
San Diego
San Diego
Hopefully @Trueblood comes up with some good puns.
Ugh.
Holton faces 4 batters, doesn't get any of them out.
He would get 2 strikes, and not get the out pitch.
Doesn't seem like it was always his fault. But that's baseball.
Weird stuff happens, when trying to get outs.
I don't understand how the MLB tries to market the playoffs. There's commercials targeted towards older fans, with Barbosol, and products to revive the sex experience.
Then there's commercials seemingly targeted towards younger fans, with Google Cloud. (Even in prior years, it was a Google related product. I remember 2011 just had Google the search engine, because they were trying to show how to use Google to throw a no hitter against the Astros).
I can't find the commercial anymore, but found this blog referring to it.
https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/to-pitch-perfect-game-teach-yourself.html
You would think it would be easier to find a google commercial using google or youtube.
Mets vs. Phillies:
Hard to believe they've never played each other in the playoffs.
Phillies pitch great for 7 IP, bring in relievers in the 8th, and give up 5 runs.
There's a booking.com commercials that have San Francisco Giants fans visiting Los Angeles.
They need to change that to Padres fans.
There's also a commercial for Red Sox fans visiting New York.
They need to change that to Royals fans.
Dodgers bullpen and offense were good. They controlled the game after the 4th inning.
You nailed the Dodger Padre game 1. That would be something if the Padres take the next 3
That order would be a repeat of 2022.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/2022_NLDS2.shtml
I wasn't thinking of that though when I made that order. It just felt like the right thing at that time.
I also think the booking.com commercials would be funnier if they had someone from a big city, like New York, visiting Kansas City.
None of the other series in this round have as big of a big city / smaller city dynamic, so wouldn't apply.
One of the broadcasters also made an interesting comment that the only series that requires air travel is New York vs. Kansas City.
You can take trains for the rest.
Get your predictions in please.
I'm also hoping for a good pun, but it's ok if you can't think of any for this round.
AJ Pierzynski is talking about the difference between a sinker and two seamer.
I like it.
I guess the theme of Mets vs. Phillies is DON'T SCORE FIRST.
Vientos ties it in the 9th!
One of the best single game playoffs performances I've seen from a hitter.
Cleveland over Detroit, 3-1
SD over LA, 3-1
Philly over NY, 3-2
NY over KC, 3-1
This might be the first postseason in a long time where neither Justin Verlander nor Clayton Kershaw pitch.
I do like what the Dodgers have with their bullpen now, more than most or all of the Jansen years.
I didn't realize how much trash fans were throwing on the field yesterday. I think the TV broadcast hid some of it.
Must have been a lot of trash and baseballs, to stop the game that long.
I also didn't realize until afterwards the back and forth Machado and Flaherty were having.
I didn't realize how much trash fans were throwing on the field yesterday. I think the TV broadcast hid some of it.
Must have been a lot of trash and baseballs, to stop the game that long.
I also didn't realize until afterwards the back and forth Machado and Flaherty were
having. 
I wonder how frustrated they got from Juricson Profar's fake out? Did that have a carryover effect that led to the trash throwing?
Yes.
They were throwing at Profar.
https://sports.yahoo.com/dodger-stadium-fans-toss-balls-031141861.html
I also think the Padres scored too many HRs. Usually if a team scores that many HRs in a game, the next game, with different pitchers, they score 1 run or less. I mean this for any team. I wonder if the hitters think it will be this easy the next game, and lose some of their edge.
But, if they had scored more via regular hits, then I think there might not be as much of a dropoff in the offense in the next game.
The Padres are supposed to be well rounded, so we'll see what happens the next game.
SD over LA, 3-1
Philly over NY, 3-2
NY over KC, 3-1
Possible puns based on your winners:
This could be the year that the Guardians will fly.
Padres will not need divine intervention to win.
In 2014, there were 65 individual SP shutouts.
In 2024, there were 16.
They need to change that to Padres fans.
There's also a commercial for Red Sox fans visiting New York.
They need to change that to Royals fans.
There's another booking.com commercial that has Cardinals fans visiting Chicago.
They need to change that to Phillies vs. Mets.
I think I also got the earlier one wrong, it was Yankees fans visiting Boston. Either way, they need to get rid of the reference to the Red Sox, since they're not in the playoffs.
Have Yankees fans visit Kansas City.
That was awesome seeing Sweeney score from 1st.
New York Mets vs. Los Angeles Dodgers:
I don't like the way a lot of teams use their pitching, including the Dodgers, Cleveland, and Detroit (outside of Skubal).
It hasn't hurt the Dodgers yet. They've done well with it this year.
And I do like their bullpen.
But I like the New York starters a little more.
Dodgers have the better offense.
New York in 7.
New York
New York
Los Angeles
Los Angeles
Los Angeles
New York
New York
MVP: Edwin Diaz
Cleveland Guardians vs. New York Yankees:
I don't think the Yankees are great. Their offense is spotty, and their pitching usually is too.
But, I think this ends up being a sweep.
New York in 4.
MVP: Gleyber Torres.
Impressive Dodgers pitching.
6 - 5, Yankees going to the bullpen again.
But you know the rule.
It's not a comeback until the trailing team (Guardians) take the lead.
I have not believed in the Dodgers pitching, but they've gotten this far.
If they've gotten this far, I think they can win it.
The Yankees bullpen usage has been better than I thought it would be.
The Yankees in recent years are good at getting swept. See the 2012 and 2022 ALCS.
Dodgers in 4.
Their offense is good, although this is seemingly the toughest pitching they're facing.
Games should be good. Hopefully Judge gets credit for his work in the outfield.
Don't have many BOLD picks for series award winners.
MVP: Ohtani
Taco Bell Base Stealer: Ohtani
Don't think they're going to do the Chevy vehicle thing, seemingly haven't since 2020.
If they do we can predict it once we know they're going to do it.
Congrats to the Dodgers for winning the World Series.
Even though Ohtani was hurt, I think his presence messed with the Yankees pitchers. They were so afraid to throw him strikes, they threw him obvious balls and helped the Dodgers get men on base.
