As the first weekend of the postseason comes to a close, so too could the seasons for a couple of National League playoff squads. Before the Red Sox dropped the late game on Saturday night to even up that series with Milwaukee, home teams were 7-0 to start this postseason. Part of that is home field advantage, part of it is just blind luck, but most of it is that the home teams were just really freaking good. If that trend doesn’t continue on Sunday, as the National League series both change venues for their respective Game Threes, it will be the last time we see the 2018 iterations of both the Atlanta Braves and the Colorado Rockies.
Sunday could be the end for both Atlanta and Colorado
Sunday morning’s Say Hey, Baseball includes the possible end for both NLDS’s, the first home loss for any Division Series team, and a look back at the two teams eliminated in the Wildcard Games.
Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
Chances are, the attitudes around any possible elimination for either side will be similar, though not exactly the same. Obviously there will be disappointment, but beyond the initial emotion there will be excitement. This is particularly true for Atlanta, who showed up a year before most expected and saw some young talent explode on to the scene. Surely they’d like to win this year, but if they don’t they know they’ll be back. Colorado isn’t quite on the same level, as they’ve been here before and there is some veteran talent on that roster. That being said, they can be happy that they finally found some young pitching that appears to be ready to lead a playoff rotation. For the Rockies, that is massive.
This is not a time for obituaries just yet, though. In a best-of-five series, it is truly never over until it’s over. With the respective NLDS’s heading to Atlanta and Colorado, anything can happen. It’s going to be tough, both because winning three in a row is always tough and because both Los Angeles and Milwauee are rolling. However, both the Braves and the Rockies have the stuff for a comeback. Specifically, they have the star power. Guys like Ronald Acuña, Freddie Freeman, Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon can take over series. They’re running out of time to do it, and if it doesn’t start on Sunday it just may be the end of the road.
- The Astros won it all last year, and then they went out and added a Cy Young-caliber version of Gerrit Cole. Seems fair!
- As the Yankees evened up the ALDS against the Red Sox, Gary Sanchez was front and center with a couple of homers, including this one off David Price.
- The biggest story from yesterday was obviously the Yankees tying up the ALDS, making it the only series in which the home team did not sweep the first two games. PSA has the reaction from New York’s side while OTM has the disappointment from Boston.
- In the earlier game on Saturday, the Astros fell behind for a minute but eventually rolled to another victory. Crawfish Boxes is where to turn for the Astros reaction and LGT has Cleveland’s perspective.
- With the Brewers just one win away from advancing to the NLCS, Erik Kratz deserves some love as an unheralded and surprising hero for their roster.
- The Cubs season ended earlier this week, and after a few days of mourning it’s time to look both forward and back at their club.
- Ditto for the Athletics.
- As the Cardinals try to figure out how to take the next step in 2019, a big key will be if a couple of young pitchers can take the next step forward.
- There weren’t very many bright spots for Kansas City in 2018, but Aldaberto Mondesi was certainly one.
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