That Cubbie surge, since it came at the right time against the right opponents, pushed their chances of making the playoffs by nearly 20 percentage points in only seven days. Going 4-3 in a week may not sound amazing, but when it comes against your division rivals, it can be a strong way to push the needle fast. If the Reds can keep pace, they could benefit from some teams around them beating each other - but if the Cubs have a great week, they could put some distance between themselves and their competitors, while also pushing the Brewers for the division. Early in the week, the Giants get the Cubs, and then later in the week the Diamondbacks come to Wrigley, and while that’s happening, the Reds get the Mariners and Cardinals at home. The last wild-card spot in the National League could end up being an intense battle late this month, and there are a couple of big series this week that could change the tone of that battle quickly. Most interesting race this week: NL wild card Trea Turner, Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber are all flaming hot right now, and if that’s the case, the Cubs’ possible advantages seem to dry up. By runs allowed in the last month, the two teams are separated by one measly run. Over the last 30 days, though, things look more normal: Only the Braves have scored more runs than this surging Phillies O. It might be surprising to some to find out that, for the year, the Cubs offense has scored more runs than the Phillies one, and that the Phillies staff has allowed fewer runs than the Cubs one, but those are the facts. The odds will favor the Brewers, but teams with below-average offenses don’t typically fare well in the postseason. What’s left for the Brewers to try in order to goose some runs loose? Tyler Black, the 23-year-old prospect, has had a great season, but since his promotion to Triple A, he hasn’t quite shown the same power that would separate him from Andruw Monasterio. 700 OPS in the last month) but since offense peaks in August, Milwaukee’s spot in the rankings leaped up one whole spot to 19th. That something is probably their bullpen, as - even with the acquisition of Paul Sewald - they’ve had a bottom-10 pen over the last 30 days by most metrics. The state of that Twins offense is the linchpin for this potential series, since the Rangers have scored three-quarters of a run per game more on the season as a whole, and the pitching staffs are only separated by around two-tenths of a run per game.Īstros feast on beleaguered Rangers bullpen in pivotal Silver Boot Series opener Diamondbacks at BrewersĪfter a disastrous 8-16 July and a mediocre 12-15 August, the Diamondbacks need to figure something out. They’ve got the sixth-best OPS in the last month, and only the Phillies and Braves have hit more homers in those 30 days. They went 4-3 on the week and scored 54 runs in their last seven games. The Twins, on the other hand, seem to be righting ship. That wasn’t a good way to start an important divisional series. Wild-card matchups: Who has the edge? Rangers at TwinsĪfter a week that started well for the Rangers, with two straight wins against the Mets supported by good pitching, the Rangers continued their struggling ways, losing four of their next five, including a 13-6 stinker against the Astros on Monday. The potential matchups will be updated every week. Which teams would have the edge in these scenarios and who should you be watching this week? The Athletic has you covered as the 2023 MLB playoff picture starts taking shape. The National League wild-card games would pit the Brewers (No. 5) in the American League wild-card games. The third-seeded Twins would play the Rangers (No.
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