Time for another edition of the three strikes roundtable. This week, the staff will take a look at the chances of the Rays and Cardinals making the playoffs, if the Angels can catch the Rangers in the AL West, and what team puts TEH FEEEEEEEEEAR into your heart come October.
1) Do you think that either the Cardinals or the Rays will make the playoffs?
Matt Lindner: For the first time since oh, say, late June, I am legitimately concerned about a Brewers collapse. The Cardinals are playing well enough to the point where the NL Central is no longer a given, not to mention the fact that the Brewers have a pair of distractions that they don’t need in Prince Fielder talking about how this is his last season in Milwaukee and K-Rod hooting and hollering about his lack of save opportunities. Both the Braves and Brewers need to start playing like they’ve actually got something to play for before the Cardinals sneak up ad knock them out. The Rays on the other hand have a chance to deliver a solid uppercut to the Red Sox chances if they can sweep them out of Fenway starting tonight or at least take three out of four. The winner of this series will emerge as the favorite to play in October.
Daniel Moroz: I wouldn’t bet on it, but it’s certainly possible. Making up more than a couple game difference this late in the season is tough though
Brian Packey: Not after the Rays blew a chance to gain a game yesterday and the Braves look like they’re going to take care of business. The Rays obviously have a better shot, though, because they still play the Red Sox, whereas the Cardinals don’t play the Braves and will need help.
Pat Lackey: No. The Cardinals are 5 1/2 games behind the Brewers and 4 1/2 behind the Braves without playing either down the stretch. That’s too much to make up, in my eyes. The Rays do have a bunch of games against the Red Sox, but they have to sweep in Boston because once this series is over, they play a much tougher schedule over the season’s last ten games. I just don’t see either team closing the gap at this point.
Garrett Wilson: I highly doubt the Cards can make the post-season mainly because I think the Brewers and Braves are too good not to hold onto their leads. The only way St. Louis makes a run is if they find a way to take at least three of four from the Phillies in this current series. Their schedule gets pretty cushy after that, so they could go on a big run if they get past the Phils unscathed. As for the Rays, I think they have a shot. Their remaining schedule is kind of rough, but the Red Sox pitching staff is being held together with rubber cement at this point. What really gives them a shot is that they are currently playing four against the Red Sox, so they control their own fate to a certain degree, unlike the Cardinals.
Mark Smith: I could see the Rays getting in more because the Red Sox have literally one viable starting pitcher at the moment and the two teams play each other over the next four days, but neither team has a great chance. It’s just hard to make up much ground in two weeks unless one of the two teams goes on a real hot/cold streak to help the cause, which isn’t really likely.
2) How about the Angels? Are they good enough to overtake the Rangers in the AL West?
Matt Lindner: The Angels are absolutely good enough to overtake the Rangers. They’d be a lot better with Mike Napoli, but that’s irrelevant at this point. Both teams have pillow-soft schedules heading down the stretch, so really it’s going to come down to whether the Angels can make up enough ground before their climactic season-ending three game series on the 26-28. Nothing is more thrilling than a winner-take-all series to end a season.
Daniel Moroz: They’re good enough in the sense that any team can get hot over a week or two. They’re pretty clearly a worse team than Texas, in my opinion, and are starting out behind, so I don’t like their chances much.
Brian Packey: I don’t see the Rangers relinquishing that division. It looks like they got serious in this last series.
Pat Lackey: I don’t think the Angels are the better team, but if they can give themselves a chance going into their season-ending three-game set against the Rangers in Anaheim I certainly won’t write them off. I like their chances better than the Rays and Cardinals, at least.
Garrett Wilson: DISCLAIMER: Angel blogger about to give his opinion on the AL West. Are the Angels good enough? Yes, they are, but it won’t be easy. Both teams have cream puff schedules before they meet to end the season, so this race isn’t likely to resolve itself before then. If they can keep the Rangers within two games, then all bets are off because all the pressure will be on Texas to not choke. That being said, Texas is a more talented team and should be able to keep the Halos at bay, but they haven’t been able to runaway from them in the division all season long despite the superior talent, so who knows what will happen in that final weekend?
Mark Smith: They are, and they have a chance. But realistically, they need to gain two games in the standings before that last series because banking on a sweep is silly. The thing is that gaining two games won’t be easy, either
3) What team do you absolutely not want to play in the playoffs right now?
Matt Lindner: Gotta be the Phillies. Easily the hottest team in the Major Leagues with a playoff rotation that’s deeper than any we’ve seen since the ’90s Braves. Difference between those Braves teams and this Phillies team — the Phillies have a much, much more dangerous offense than the Braves did.
Daniel Moroz: The Phillies, because of that rotation. It’s entirely possible they could give up 0 runs in a series.
Note:
Braves offense from ’93-99: 98 wRC+
Phillies offense this season: 97 wRC+
Brian Packey: I disagree with Matt about the Phillies being the hottest team in baseball (that honor belongs to the Tigers, who have won 12 straight), but I do agree that the Phillies have to be the team absolutely nobody should want to play in the playoffs if they want to like their chances. Their rotation is made for playoff dominance — it’s terrifying really.
Pat Lackey: It’s the Phillies, of course, because facing Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels in any best of five or best of seven is pretty much unfair at this point. Though I will say that facing Verlander and Fister in a short series isn’t terribly appealing, nor would I want to face Greinke, Marcum, and Gallardo. Or the Yankees offense. Or the Red Sox offense. I suppose what I’m really saying is that even though the pennant races have mostly sucked this year, I have pretty high hopes that the playoffs will be entertaining.
Garrett Wilson: Forgive the obvious answer but, who would want to mess with the Phillies and their pitching staff? They are the favorites until they lose as far as I am concerned.
Mark Smith: The obvious answer is the Phillies, who are probably the best team in baseball. If you want a not obvious answer, I don’t want any part of the Brewers, that front three of Greinke, Marcum, and Gallardo, or the talented twosome of Braun and Fielder among the other good position players they have. They’re my darkhorse for the World Series.
