Kuzul

The new wild-card format will make for an interesting start to the 2012 playoffs, but before we get to that one-game playoff, two teams have to play strong baseball in the coming weeks in order to even be in contention.

The Oakland Athletics and Baltimore Orioles have both been pleasant surprises this season, currently one and two games back, respectively, in the wild-card hunt with the Tampa Rays and Los Angeles Angels right behind them.

Of the four, the Rays, with their strong pitching and timely hitting, are simply better suited for a playoff run and will bypass both the young squads currently ensconced at the top of the standings.

The Rays have qualified for the postseason three of the last four years and have one of the best managers in the game in Joe Maddon. Maddon has done a tremendous job the past five years with this team, turning them into a perennial contender—with a payroll considerably lower than most of the teams in baseball.

The Rays are beginning a three-game set against the Orioles Tuesday night. They have won six of their last eight and look ready to make another charge toward late October.

The Rays will send Matt Moore, Alex Cobb and Jeremy Hellickson to the mound in the series. Seeing as all three have pitched consistently well all season, they should help the Rays grind out important victories.

B.J. Upton has also had a resurgence of late, sharing American League Player of the Week honors with James Shields. Upton slugged .400 the last six games with five home runs and six RBI.

Tampa Bay currently owns the best team ERA in baseball, coming in at an impressive 3.22. Their rotation may be chock full of young arms, but Maddon has this team competing at an extremely high level. That serves to be a huge advantage when the games become taut in late September, early October.

Meanwhile, the Athletics have two tough series down the stretch against division opponents Texas and Los Angeles, while the Orioles play the Rays as well the Athletics one more time.

The Rays have been there and done it before, proving in 2008 that inexperience can be a useful advantage. The A’s and Orioles are certainly viable contenders, but pitching wins in the playoffs, and Tampa has it in abundance.

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Daisuke Matsuzaka has been an enigma for the Boston Red Sox since he came to the team in 2007.

That year he went 15-12 with a 4.40 ERA and helped the Sox win Game 3 of the World Series against the Colorado Rockies. The following season, he was a Cy Young contender, having gone 18-3 with a sparkling 2.90 ERA. His strikeouts went down in year two, but he gave up almost half as many runs, and seemed to settle into his role with the team.

Since 2009, Daisuke has yet to win more than nine games, and his ERA was under five once in 2010 when he logged 153.2 innings. Injuries have certainly played a major role in his downswing, but it has become increasingly difficult to predict what he will do during any given fifth day.

His career ERA of 4.29 does not scream of a guy who is downright terrible, but after all the hullabaloo that followed his signing with the team in 2007, the Sox were right in expecting a bigger return on their investment.

Now, the Red Sox have placed the 31-year-old righty on waivers, according to Buster Olney of ESPN. And although he does have no-trade capabilities, there is a chance he could don another uniform this season.

Washington Nationals

Much has been made of Stephen Strasburg and his season potentially ending early, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Nats go for a starting pitcher. The team does own the best record in baseball, and if their young stud cannot pitch during the playoffs, they will need an additional arm.

While the Nats may be reluctant to take on the last $2 million of his $52 million contract, it’s tough to put a price on good pitching in the playoffs. And seeing as how he has pitched in the World Series with success, he could be an important piece for them going forward.

Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates are another young, inexperienced team that has surprised almost everyone this year. And with news coming out that they released Erik Bedard on Tuesday, they could be looking to add pitching depth to shrink that three-game deficit in the National League Wild Card race. A.J. Burnett and James McDonald have pitched well, but the team doesn’t have another reliable starter to lean on. Daisuke could be a solid fit for this young team.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers may have just made one of the biggest trades in the last decade, but don’t be surprised to see this team looking to add more pitching depth. Josh Beckett looked solid in his first start with the team Monday, but their rotation is far from a dominating unit. Clayton Kershaw has been his usual reliable self, having thrown 186.2 innings thus far and accruing an impressive 2.84 ERA. While Billingsley, Capuano and Harang have held down the fort, an additional starter could do wonders.

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