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For the second year in a row, the Pirates lost the Wild Card Game and their playoff run ended after a single contest. Jake Arrieta proved too much for Pittsburgh, throwing a complete game shutout with 11 strikeouts, no walks and just four hits -- all singles. So, now we have our Division Series’ planned out, and two of them begin on Thursday. That’s right: it’s time for multiple playoff games per day.
Thursday is the AL’s day, as both of its Division Series will kick off, with the NL’s starting on Friday. The Rangers open against the Blue Jays in Toronto at 3:30 p.m. ET, with Yovani Gallardo taking on David Price. Then, at 7:30 p.m., the Astros head to Kansas City to take on the American League’s defending champion Royals, with Collin McHugh squaring off opposite Yordano Ventura.
Price vs. Gallardo is the pitching matchup of the day, mostly thanks to Price, but don’t sleep on Gallardo. He’s had his typical solid season, and could survive the Jays’ powerful lineup simply by not being left-handed. Well, maybe: Toronto crushed righties, too, just not to the degree they did to southpaws. McHugh vs. Ventura has the potential for greatness, too, depending on which Ventura shows up.
Ventura’s ERA climbed to 5.29 on August 6, but since then he cut it down to 4.08 courtesy of an 11-start, 2.38 ERA run that also featured 81 strikeouts in 68 innings. If that Ventura is on the mound, well, the Astros usually don’t need much encouragement to strike out, so imagine what that version of the righty could do to them.
- Since Dallas Keuchel pitched the Wild Card Game, it'll be McHugh in Game 1, then Scott Kazmir in Game 2. Sunday is Game 3, so Keuchel will get the nod then.
- Arrieta got some help celebrating from his young son, who poured champagne into Jake's face.
- It wasn't all fun for Arrieta, however, as the Pirates hit him with a pitch in retaliation for two earlier HBPs, then benches cleared.
- Sean Rodriguez, who was ejected for his part in those proceedings, proceeded to box a Gatorade cooler in the dugout and scream threatening obscenities at the opposition. He uh, he knows he's not actually a pirate, right?
- So now, the Midwest's greatest baseball rivalry gets its turn in the NLDS, where the Cubs will take on the Cardinals. If Chicago is ever going to catch up in pennants and World Series, this is probably a good place to start.
- The quiet trade deadline didn't doom the Yankees -- it saved them, because now they still have a chance in the future.
- So, apparently the Giants did not sign international prospect Eddy Martinez.
- Mookie Betts was a three-sport star in high school: baseball, basketball and bowling. He's now going to be a two-sport professional athlete, as he's participating in December's PBA tournament in Reno. Listen, we told you awhile ago that Mookie is special.
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