The red-hot revival of the Red Sox-Yankees benefits fans, MLB Network, Fox and ESPN, and the Astros and Indians
All three games this weekend likely will be sold out, two will be nationally broadcast and Houston and Cleveland will be among the most interested bystanders, hoping the AL East race stays tight, stressful and the two combatants keep clobbering each other to the finish line
The Astros and Indians are not exactly going to avoid the accelerator. Houston is trying to win back-to-back titles, Cleveland its first since 1948
But by the blessings of their divisions, the Astros and Indians essentially do not have to count down magic numbers or sweat a wild-card game like the Yankees and Red Sox
FanGraphs' simulation gives Houston a 98.4 chance to win the AL West and Cleveland a 98
5 to win the Central — by far the highest percentages in the majors. In fact, in case you haven't noticed, the AL playoff field is pretty much already set
The Astros, Indians, Yankees and Red Sox were all forecasted with a 98.7 percent chance or better to reach the postseason and the Mariners were at 79
6. Unless the Mariners collapse and/or the Angels, A's or Rays surge significantly, then Seattle will be the visiting team in the AL wild-card game on Oct
3. see also Yankees hold just one edge over Red Sox as rivalry resumes With the season having just passed the halfway mark, the
But whether that is in The Bronx or Boston lingers as the most substantial question in the AL, a question that very well could come down to who plays best in the 13 games remaining between the Red Sox and Yankees, including the three this weekend
The rivals live in the strange world of playing brilliantly, yet not being rewarded by being able to shake the other
In the 59 days beginning with May 1, the Yankees and Red Sox have not been separated by more than 2 ¹/₂ games
The Red Sox have led at the end of 36 of those days, the Yankees 11 and the teams were tied 12 times
They went into Thursday with the majors' two best winning percentages and yet one is facing a single-elimination wild-card game
In 1978, the Yankees and Red Sox famously finished 162 games tied with the majors' best record at 99-63, played a one-game playoff in Fenway and Bucky Dent became Aaron Boone before Aaron Boone
Boston was eliminated and the Yanks went on to win the World Series. Imagine them finishing tied this year
That would mean a one-game playoff before the loser had to play a one-game wild-card game, both of them using ammunition that weakens them for the rest of the AL playoffs — again, advantage Astros and Indians
Through Wednesday, the Yanks and Red Sox both had .667 winning percentages. The best winning percentage of the modern era (since 1900) to finish second was the
675 mark of the 104-50 1942 Brooklyn Dodgers, who could not catch the 106-48 Stan Musial Cardinals
In the division era (since 1969), the best winning percentage to finish second is the
636 mark of the 103-59 1993 Giants, who could not catch the 104-58 Braves in the NL West
The following season (which would end abruptly with a players' strike) was the first to have a wild card — too late to help those Giants
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In 2001, the A's finished an identical 103-59, but were a wild card (the 116-win Mariners won the AL West) — Oakland's
636 winning percentage was the best in the wild-card era not to win a division. But the A's got to play a best-of-five series — losing to the Yankees
The runner-up in the AL East this season, like the Yankees last year, will only be assured a single game, almost certainly at home
The Yanks actually went further than the division-winning Red Sox in 2017. But no team wants to be at the mercy of having a bad three hours on Oct
3 and having an exceptional six months wiped out. That is why the games against each other are so vital and so is upgrading between now and 4 p
m. on July 31. The Astros and Indians will probably address their rosters, but they would be doing so specifically to try to win playoff series
The Yanks and the Red Sox more aggressively have to figure out how to get to a series first, not just a wild-card game
They have to outdo each other, likely expending more prospect capital than the Astros or Indians along the way
The Astros and Indians also likely will receive the benefit of being able to rest and line up for the playoffs while the Yankees and Red Sox very well may have to play to the end to try to win the AL East
It all fuels the rivalry, which is good for the game and great for the Astros and Indians, but potentially detrimental to the Yankees and Red Sox
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