{"id":4514,"date":"2015-10-06T14:43:52","date_gmt":"2015-10-06T19:43:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.baseballroundtable.com\/?p=4514"},"modified":"2015-10-06T14:43:52","modified_gmt":"2015-10-06T19:43:52","slug":"wild-card-elimination-game-predictions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wild-card-elimination-game-predictions\/","title":{"rendered":"Wild Card Elimination Game Predictions"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"BBRT<\/a>

BBRT Crystal Ball for 2015 season appeared either empty or opaque.<\/p><\/div>\n

With the post-season about to start, it\u2019s time for BBRT to get in my predictions.\u00a0 These are not \u201ctake it to the bank\u201d prognostications \u2013 as indicated by my lack of success in pre-season pennant race projections.<\/p>\n

In March, I did accurately project the Saint Louis Cardinals and LA Dodgers as Division winners, and even got the Pirates\u2019 Wild Card slot correct.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t too far off in the AL East \u2013 I had the Nationals finishing first and (what some people have called \u201cThe Surprising\u201d) Mets, second.\u00a0 The two finished 1-2 in the Division, but in reverse order.\u00a0 I really missed the boat on the Padres, predicting that their off-season moves would earn them A Wild Card spot.\u00a0 Ooops \u2013 Padres finished fourth! Still, three-for-five in predicting post-season berths \u2013 and two of three for Division titles (with my only miss finishing second) was not too bad.<\/p>\n

Aah, but then came the AL, home to my Minnesota Twins. Apparently, familiarity is not a good thing.\u00a0 I got only one AL one post-season team correct in my March projections.\u00a0 I had the Blue Jays finishing second and capturing a Wild Card slot \u2013 and, of course, they won the AL East. \u00a0The second-place and Wild Card Yankees?\u00a0 I had them fourth, with the Red Sox (last in the East) taking the Division. Again, I was fooled by aggressive off-season activity. In the AL Central, I don\u2019t know what I was thinking, picking the White Sox for the top spot and the Division-winning Royals in third.\u00a0 I was even worse when it came to pegging the AL West \u2013 predicting the third-place Angels to lead the Division and the fourth-place Mariners to grab a Wild Card spot. Congrats to the Division Champion Rangers and the Wild Card Astros for proving me oh, so wrong.<\/p>\n

So, with that less-than-sterling record, I am fully prepared to make my predictions for the upcoming post-season.\u00a0 I\u2019ll start with the two Wild Card elimination games in this post \u2013 and, once the field is reduced to eight teams, make my predictions for the rest of the playoffs.<\/p>\n

AL Wild Card \u2013 Astros at Yankees<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Carlos<\/a>

Carlos Beltran – BBRT “pick to click” in AL Wild Card Elimination game.<\/p><\/div>\n

The youthful Astros take on the veteran Yankees \u2013 with the Astros\u2019 Dallas Keuchel (20-8, 2.48 on the season, but 5-8, 3.77 on the road) starting opposite Masahiro Tanaka (12-7, 3.51).\u00a0 If this were a three- five, or seven-game series, I\u2019d have to go with the Astros. They just seem to have the better overall squad.\u00a0 But for this one game \u2013 with Keuchel going on short rest (and on the road) and the Yankees able to look to Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller for the last two innings – I expect Tanaka to go a strong six (or, ideally, seven) innings and the Yankees to win a close one. Out-of-left field prediction<\/em>: The Yankees\u2019 Carlos Beltran will provide key offensive fire power as the Bronx Bombers prevail 5-3.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

NL Wild Card – Chicago Cubs at Pirates<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Jake Arrieta should lead Cubs to victory.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n