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The race for the last playoff spot is fun. I'm a Twins fan and they're breathing down the neck of the Astros. One little stumble and they're tied, possibly with the Angels too.
All 3 teams deserve credit. It's crunch time and all of them are busting their butts and not giving an inch.
I'm an Angels fan and before the final series in Texas I predicted to my friends and family that the Angels would lose 3 of the four games. The Angels lost last night so now they trail the Astros by one full game. The Astros just have to keep winning in AZ and it won't matter what the Angels and Twins do in their games. The Astros are in the driver's seat.
No - but they have played average baseball for 3/4 of the season.
I wasn't speaking to the Yankee game in particular, but the playoffs in general. I am not expecting them to get to the WS... I will make that claim.
The post season is a crap shoot. The teams do not play one another often enough for the differences identified by the regular season, to come into play.
Consider: A team which wins 97 games plays .600 ball. A team which wins 90 games plays .555 ball. Does that make the .600 team a heavy favorite in a short series?
In a five game series the .600 team would win 3 games, but the .555 teams wins 2.8 games.
In a seven game series the .600 team wins 4.2 games, the .555 team wins 3.9 games.
You would have to extend the series to 21 games before the .600 team gains a one full game advantage. (12.6 games to 11.6 games.) And keep in mind, that is a one game advantage, the .600 team prevailing 11 games to 10, not the .600 team blowing away the .555 team.
Thus, despite our perceptions, any team in the post season has reasonable chance of winning it. Last season it was the two wild card teams facing off in the Series, one an 89 game winner, the other 88.
While there is no valid reason to bet on the Astros to win, there is also no valid reason to bet on them to lose.
Strong 6 innings by Keuchel...and an equally impressive job by the bullpen.
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Wild Card Showdown
