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The St. Louis Cardinals find themselves in Game 5 of the National League Division Series yet again this year.

Just like 2012, they will turn to Adam Wainwright to lead them to victory and on to the National League Championship Series.  Wainwright hopes to put the team in a position to win instead of the team overcoming a poor start like what occurred last year.

The Cardinals are no stranger to elimination games.  They are even more familiar with playing the fifth game of a NLDS.  Over the past two seasons, the Cardinals have produced a dominant pitching performance and a come-from-behind victory in Game 5.  

The dominant pitching performance belonged to Chris Carpenter, the former ace of the Cardinals who now finds himself a spectator and cheerleader from the dugout.  His 2011 performance against Roy Halladay, the ace of the Philadelphia Phillies and Carpenter’s good friend, was an instant classic.  

Wainwright was unable to follow in his mentor’s footsteps the following season, however.  Wainwright took the mound against the Washington Nationals in 2012 and would exit the game in the third inning.  Three home runs, six runs, and seven hits would chase the ace to the dugout to watch the remainder of the game. The rest of the team refused to give up and the Cardinals fought their way back to take the game and move on to the NLCS.

Derrick Goold of StlToday.com checked in with Adam Wainwright during a Tuesday afternoon optional workout at Busch Stadium.  Wainwright made it clear that he was feeling relaxed when he took the opportunity to joke about last year’s disastrous outing:

“I’m a motivator, so I knew that day that I was going to need to go out and pitch bad for our team to really get some mojo flowing,” Wainwright said, grinning.

Adam Wainwright was recovering from Tommy John surgery and finding his way in 2012.  At times, his season would show the flare of the ace pitcher the Cardinals hoped would return.  At others, he reminded the team and the fans that he was still finding his groove.  He shared some thoughts on that with Goold as well:

This year is completely different than last year. I learned some valuable lessons last year. I persevered through some hard times. The fact of the matter is last year I pitched a good Game 1, a terrible Game 5, and a good Game 4 of the NLCS. There is no guarantee my stuff would have returned in the World Series had we even got there. That’s just the truth of the matter. My stuff was hit or miss all year long.

Wainwright seems to have found that groove in 2013, posting a Cy Young-worthy season and being the leader the young pitching staff desperately needed throughout the season.  

He now finds himself poised to lead this team one step further, into the next round of the playoffs and possibly beyond.  He finds himself in position to exorcise the Game 5 demons from last season.  He finds himself in the position to put the exclamation point on the statement that Michael Wacha made in Game 4.

The Cardinals and Wainwright wouldn’t have it any other way.

Statistics in this article are sourced from Baseball-Reference.

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After another sluggish start to a game, the Detroit Tigers came to life late against the Oakland Athletics with an 8-6 win to force a Game 5 in the American League Division Series on Thursday night. 

Things will be very interesting on the mound for both teams. Tigers manager Jim Leyland used Max Scherzer, who would have started the deciding game, for two innings and 47 pitches in relief during Game 4. That likely limits him to bullpen duty once again on Thursday and gives Justin Verlander the start. 

For the A’s, the choices come down to Bartolo Colon and Sonny Gray. Colon started opposite Scherzer in Game 1 and allowed three first-inning runs before settling down to go six innings. He did get smacked around a bit, giving up 10 hits. 

Gray was fantastic in Game 2, his first career playoff appearance. He went eight shutout innings and scattered four hits with two walks and nine strikeouts, matching Verlander pitch for pitch. 

Oakland manager Bob Melvin did not make an announcement after the game, with Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reporting a decision will likely come on Wednesday. 

Of course, this may not be the situation that Oakland wants to be in. If you are superstitious and believe trends carry over from year to year in baseball, don’t look at what Rany Jazayerli of Grantland posted on Twitter about what this game means for the A’s. 

Before we offer a final take on the game, let’s go over what the potential pitching matchup means for both the Tigers and A’s. 

Let’s start with Verlander, since he is the known commodity and has a far greater track record of success than either of Oakland’s options. 

Not that Oakland fans need a reminder of this, but Verlander is no stranger to close-out games against the A’s. It was 12 months ago, also in Game 5 of the ALDS, where the 2011 AL MVP put the Tigers on his back with a complete-game, 11-strikeout effort in a 6-0 win that sent the Detroit to the ALCS. 

It’s entirely possible he does that again, though what fun is it to say that if we don’t talk about the numbers?

Assuming Melvin uses the same lineup he had in Game 2 against Verlander, here is how the starting nine stacks up against Detroit’s big right-hander in their careers. 

As you would expect for a lineup that is prone to striking out and one of the best power pitchers of this generation starting this matchup, the numbers don’t look good for the A’s heading into this game. 

Verlander has loved pitching against Oakland and at the O.co Coliseum in his career. He has a 2.48 ERA, 76 hits allowed and 91-35 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 98 innings (15 starts) against the A’s. 

In Oakland, Verlander’s ERA drops to 2.38 with a 63-24 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Who would have guessed that putting a pitcher of this caliber in a huge park would make his already-stellar stats look even better?

You can’t really put Verlander into a specific category as a ground-ball or fly-ball pitcher because he had roughly the same number of both in 2013 (240 ground balls, 243 fly balls). 

Interestingly, the Athletics actually hit better against pitchers who were primarily ground-ball guys this season. 

I say it is interesting because most of the time you will see teams hit better against pitchers they can elevate the ball against, but the A’s are one of the exceptions to that rule. If Verlander isn’t missing bats but hangs around the bottom of the zone, it could play into Oakland’s hands. 

Shifting over to the Oakland side of things, Colon is the well-traveled veteran who has a long history against the Tigers from his days in Cleveland and Chicago, though his last year in the AL Central was 2009. 

But given his age (40) and late-career surge, Colon has had plenty of chances against this current crop of Detroit hitters.

That is about what you would expect from a lineup with the depth of Detroit’s and Colon’s pitch-to-contact approach. They have eaten him alive throughout his career. 

One thing that Colon does use to his benefit is the spacious O.co Coliseum. He had a 2.58 ERA at home and allowed just five home runs in 101.1 innings this season. 

Unfortunately, due to the fact he only made 12 appearances in the regular season, we can’t judge how good or bad Gray does against the Tigers in his career because his only start came a few days ago. 

We could make the simple conclusion that Gray will do that again, but without any hard evidence to back it up, who is going to believe it?

The good news is there are stats for everything in baseball, so we can try to paint a picture of what to expect from the Oakland rookie. 

If the Tigers want to get to Gray, their best bet would be to do it right out of the gate. Here are Gray’s numbers when he goes through the order three times:

Those are what you might see from a power pitcher who needs time to settle into a game. Not that Gray doesn’t have power stuff because his fastball can touch 96 with a curveball that makes children cry, but his small frame doesn’t strike fear into an opposing hitter. 

For me, if I am Melvin and know what Verlander is going to give Detroit, I want the player capable of matching him pitch for pitch. 

No disrespect to Colon, who has done wonders for his career in Oakland and been a lynchpin in the rotation all year, but Gray should be the one to get the nod in this game. We know he can miss bats, which is what you want in a game like this. 

Gray is Oakland’s best shot to win this game, though it is hard to find a way where Detroit doesn’t go into Thursday with the advantage. 

Verlander’s regular season wasn’t as dominant as we have gotten accustomed to. His 3.46 ERA and 2.89 strikeout-to-walk ratio were the worst since 2008, but just rewind to Game 2 when he made Oakland hitters look silly for seven innings. 

Even if the Tigers’ offense isn’t in peak form entering this game, Verlander is going to give his team every opportunity to win. That’s why Leyland is putting him on the mound in this spot. 

If you are unable to watch on TV, check out the MLB.tv postseason package to watch playoff games on your computer by clicking here. 

Note: All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and Fangraphs unless otherwise noted. 

If you want to talk baseball, feel free to hit me up on Twitter with questions or comments.

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Facing elimination in Game 4 of the ALDS with the Oakland Athletics, the Detroit Tigers managed to pull out an 8-6 victory on Tuesday night, as they’ll send the series back to Oakland for a decisive Game 5 on Thursday.

Doug Fister got the start for Detroit, and he gave the Tigers six solid innings, allowing seven hits and three runs, and left the game with things knotted up at 3-3.

With the season on the line, Detroit skipper Jim Leyland opted to go with his ace and likely Game 5 starter Max Scherzer to start the seventh inning, putting the season in the hands of the AL Cy Young favorite.

Leyland spoke before the game about the idea of potentially using Scherzer if the team was ahead for the seventh and eighth innings, and he pulled the trigger on that plan with the score tied up.

It’s no surprise Leyland put the game in his hands, as Scherzer was an absolute stud during the regular season, finishing the year with a record of 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA and 240 strikeouts in 214.1 innings of work.

He drew the Game 1 start, and was virtually unhittable, allowing three hits and striking out 11 in seven innings of work, with the lone blemish being a two-run homer to Yoenis Cespedes in the seventh inning, as the Tigers jumped out to a 1-0 series lead.

Scherzer made his first relief appearance since the 2011 ALDS against the New York Yankees, when he also relieved Fister. He worked 1.1 innings in that one and allowed two hits and one run but recorded a hold.

Things got off to an inauspicious start for Scherzer on Tuesday, as he allowed a lead-off single to catcher Stephen Vogt, who was then bunted over to second by Eric Sogard.

The red-hot Coco Crisp came up next, and promptly delivered an RBI single to put the A’s up 4-3, before Scherzer retired the final two hitters to get out of the inning. The Tigers then struck for two runs of their own in the bottom of the seventh to regain the lead.

With setup man Drew Smyly warming in the bullpen, Leyland opted to go with Scherzer for a second inning, and he got into immediate trouble once again.

A leadoff walk to Brandon Moss was followed by a double from Yoenis Cespedes. Seth Smith was then intentionally walked to load the bases with nobody out.

Throwing harder than he usually does as a starter, Scherzer was mixing in some solid changeups with his high-90s fastballs, and he got Josh Reddick to chase a 3-2 changeup down and in for the first out of the inning.

He followed that up with a strikeout of Vogt, before getting pinch-hitter Alberto Callaspo to line out to center field for the final out of the inning. A fired up Scherzer greeted his teammates in the dugout.

A shaky ninth inning from closer Joaquin Benoit finished things off, as a heavily-favored Tigers team now heads back to Oakland looking to keep their World Series hopes alive.

Though they by no means ran away with the AL Central in the regular season, the Tigers entered the playoffs looking like a team built to win it all.

With a deep pitching staff that has Scherzer, AL ERA leader Anibal Sanchez, Justin Verlander and Fister and an offense that ranked among the best in the game even with a hobbled Miguel Cabrera, most picked the Tigers to emerge from this ALDS matchup and meet the Red Sox for a run at their second straight AL pennant.

Using Scherzer in Game 4 certainly changes the Game 5 outlook, as it will likely be Verlander getting the starting nod. He threw a gem of his own in Game 2, allowing just four hits and fanning 11 in seven shutout innings, and that no doubt contributed to Leyland‘s decision to use Scherzer in Game 4.

Putting the ball in the hands of your best pitcher makes sense with your back against the wall facing elimination, and while Scherzer no doubt took a few years off the lives of a number of Tigers fans, his eighth inning tightrope act already goes down as one of the biggest moments of the 2013 postseason.

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MLB‘s revised instant replay rules aren’t in play yet, but replay certainly played a role in a critical situation during Game 4 of the ALDS between the Detroit Tigers and Oakland A’s Tuesday evening.

With Sean Doolittle on the mound for the A’s and no one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez hit a towering fly ball deep to right field.

A’s right fielder Josh Reddick leaped for the catch, but it was clearly out of reach of his outstretched glove, giving Martinez the home run to tie the game at 4-4.

But wait!

In Jeffrey Maier-like fashion, a fan reached over the yellow line at the top of the wall to grab himself a souvenir.

But unlike the 1996 incident, the umpires had a chance to get the call right with the use of video replay. And Twitter was abuzz with speculation as to what the call would be. 

In the case of Jeter’s home run in the 1996 ALCS against the Baltimore Orioles, it was clear that the umpires got the call wrong; Maier did in fact interfere in the play. 

But video replays from several angles clearly show that the umpires did indeed get this call right at Comerica Park.

It was only the second home run of the entire series for the Tigers; Jhonny Peralta’s three-run shot earlier in the game put the Tigers back in the game at 3-3.

In this case, the A’s can’t say they got robbed by a bad call.

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The crucial Game 4 matchup between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays is underway in Tampa Bay. Stay tuned here in this blog for all the latest updates and in-game analysis!

Live Score: Red Sox 2, Rays 1, Bottom Eighth 

Scoring Plays

Bottom Sixth: DeJesus single to right field, drives in Escobar. Rays 1, Red Sox 0.

Top Seventh: Wild pitch by Peralta scores Bogaerts from third. Rays 1, Red Sox 1.

Top Seventh: Victorino infield hit, Ellsbury scores from third. Red Sox 2, Rays 1. 

Note: Get the discussion going in the comments below or send me a tweet @jakubrudnik I’ll try to get in as many tweets as possible during the game.

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Back in August, I wrote about how a healthy Matt Kemp would be the final piece to the Dodgers‘ World Series run. And when he finally returned in mid-September with 11 hits in his first 28 at-bats, including three doubles and a homer, that final piece to an already strong team appeared to have arrived. 

But it wasn’t meant to be. A recurring ankle injury forced the 29-year-old out of action for the remainder of the season and playoffs.

It hasn’t slowed the Dodgers, though, who knocked out the Braves in four NLDS games and will head to the NLCS as favorites over the Pirates or Cardinals.

Should we be surprised? I had them winning the division in my preseason NL West preview, and so did many others. But they looked like anything but contenders after a June 21 loss to the Padres, which dropped their record to 30-42.

They were in last place and 9.5 games back of the division-leading Diamondbacks. Nearly four months later, they’ve gone 65-29 and are eight wins away from a championship.

So, how did they go from cellar-dwellers with a manager and general manager on the hot seat to World Series favorites?

As easy as it is to point to rookie Yasiel Puig’s call-up, it’s been so much more than that. While Puig may have been the necessary spark, the Dodgers have gotten to this point with an all-around team effort.

Here’s a look at the five keys that have the Dodgers closing in on their first World Series title since 1988. 

Begin Slideshow

The Boston Red Sox were hoping to avoid a Game 4 in the American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, yet that is exactly what is on the table.

As such, both teams need to regroup heading forward for, what could be, a pivotal postseason matchup. 

Which team will get more from their starting pitcher and who will be the offensive stars and catalysts during the game?

For Boston, one more game is all that is needed to advance to the ALCS, whereas Tampa Bay has to continue their comeback after staving off elimination in Game 3.

The Red Sox obviously want to avoid a Game 5 and will hope to shut the door Tuesday night.

There are a number of keys to each team’s success in this game. Whichever team gets the best out of those keys should come away with a Game 4 victory.

Boston Red Sox

Boston will turn to veteran right-handed Jake Peavy to take on the Rays. Boston wanted to clinch in Game 3, but late-inning heroics from the Rays made it otherwise.

Jake Peavy Needs to Pitch Well

This could be an obvious statement, but Peavy has not exactly been stellar as of late. Over his last three starts, Peavy has a 5.21 ERA. He also has not been that effective on the road—a 5.27 ERA in 2013 compared to 2.73 at Fenway Park.

Which Peavy will the Red Sox get on the mound tonight?

The Rays are hitting only .217 against Peavy this season, which bodes well in spite of the aforementioned statistics. Peavy tends to be effective early in the game, yet his ERA tends to rise above 6.00 in innings three and four, which means he can be vulnerable after the first time through the opponent’s lineup.

Expect Tampa Bay to try and exploit this transition.

Peavy will also try to shake off his postseason demons having lost both his previous two postseason outings while posting a 12.10 ERA for San Diego.

Hopefully, for Peavy and Boston’s sake, things end in their favor. The Red Sox do not want to see David Price in a potential Game 5.

If Boston gets a quality start out of Peavy and is able to turn the game over to their bullpen, the Red Sox should be in good shape.

Keep the Offense Rolling

In their first two wins of the series, Boston put up a combined 19 runs compared to only four in their Game 3 loss.

Some of this could be attributed to playing away from the lofty confines of Fenway Park—they have only a .206 batting average at Tropicana Field—yet in the playoffs, all of those numbers go out the window. 

Boston needs to get to Rays pitcher Jeremy Hellickson early and often and expose Tampa Bay’s bullpen as soon as they can. Getting to Tampa Bay’s starters was key in Boston’s first two games and the formula needs to work in Game 4 for the Red Sox to be successful.

David Ortiz has done the most damage against Hellickson and boasts a .375 batting average with three home runs. Ortiz may be called upon to provide some of the necessary offensive thump for the Red Sox lineup. If they can get something going against Hellickson early, the Rays may be in trouble.

Shane Victorino on the other hand is hitless in three at-bats, yet that is too small of a sample size to assume anything at this point.

Tampa Bay Rays

Game 3 provided some magic for a Rays team trying to avoid elimination in the series. 

Jose Lobaton’s late-inning home run provided the motivation and means for Tampa Bay to continue playing. Will that momentum carry over in Game 4?

Jeremy Hellickson Needs to Pitch the Game of His Life

In many ways, Hellickson emulates Red Sox starter Jake Peavy. Hellickson also struggled down the stretch, going 1-7 with a 7.53 ERA over his final 10 starts.

Simply put, he needs to pitch as if Tampa Bay’s season is on the line because it is. 

His lackluster ERA down the stretch does not bode well against a Red Sox team that has dominated offensively in the series thus far. Hellickson does own a 3.44 ERA against Boston in three starts this season so that is good news.

Given how important momentum is in the playoffs however, is it possible that Hellickson’s struggles resume in the ALDS?

For the Rays, Hellickson needs to be as sharp as he possibly can be. Tampa Bay cannot afford to get behind early in this game, at least by a sizable margin. 

As previously noted, Boston’s David Ortiz could be the largest threat to Hellickson’s chances. Getting him out, or at least facing him with zero runners on base, will be vital here.

Evan Longoria Can Carry This Team on His Shoulders

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria provided much of Tampa Bay’s offensive thump in Game 3. He will need to do more of the same if his team hopes to avoid going home after Game 4.

Longoria has good power numbers against the Red Sox over his career—20 total trailing only the Yankees for teams he likes to hit homers against.

Unfortunately, Longoria has not fared well against Boston starter Jake Peavy. To date, Longoria has hit a mere .200 against the Red Sox right-hander, although two of his three hits have been for extra bases.

Assuming that those stats resemble what may happen in Game 4, Longoria’s best chances may come in the later innings against Boston’s bullpen. Any base hits or RBI against Peavy would have to be considered a bonus.

Longoria also needs protection around him in the lineup. If Tampa Bay is to succeed, hitters like David Dejesus, Ben Zobrist and Wil Myers will have to get on base for Longoria to be a threat.

If and when that situation happens, Longoria becomes that much more dangerous.

Boston will hope to force the opposite.

For Tampa Bay, their sole concern is forcing Game 5. Expect them to put everything on the line versus the Red Sox in order to achieve this.

Boston wants to quell the Rays recent momentum and shift everything back into their favor.  They need a few things to go well in order for this to happen.

In either case, both the Red Sox and Rays will be gunning for everything in this critical Game 4 matchup. What eventually transpires will be a direct result of the listed keys. Whichever team follows these targeted goals should be in excellent shape to win Game 4.

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise stated.

Peter Panacy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him @PeterMcShots on Twitter.

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When the Detroit Tigers take the field at Comerica Park for Game 4 of the American League Division Series on Tuesday afternoon, they won’t just facing Oakland and the specter of elimination, they’ll be staring an unflattering history in the face.

Since 1972, Detroit has eventually succumbed to elimination in the postseason every single time they’ve faced it.

Starting with the 1972 ALCS against, ironically, Oakland, the 1987 ALCS against Minnesota, the 2006 World Series with St. Louis, the 2012 ALCS in Texas and last October’s World Series with San Francisco, the Tigers have made a habit of falling short in comeback attempts.

If the 2013 ALDS is to be different, they’ll need to follow the following steps on the path to a major ALDS comeback.

1. Continue to receive major October moments from Doug Fister

During Monday afternoon’s Game 3 loss to Oakland, it became clear that the Tigers were going to face a must win in Game 4.

Their reluctance to skip fourth starter Doug Fister in favor of going back to AL Cy Young candidate Max Scherzer seemed odd, especially in light of Los Angeles, playing with a lead in the NLDS, skipping their fourth starter to give the ball to Clayton Kershaw on Monday night.

Of course, not many fourth starters have postseason numbers like Doug Fister. In 36.1 career postseason innings as a member of the Tigers staff, Fister, the tall, lanky right-hander, has posted a 2.97 ERA.

While Fister won’t overpower hitters like Scherzer or Justin Verlander, he has the ability to generate outs on the ground, keep the ball out of the air, and, most importantly, keep the team in the game.

As Jim Leyland told Paul Hagen of MLB.com, the team has confidence he will get the job done in this spot and get the ball to Scherzer, and possibly Verlander out of the pen, in a deciding Game 5.

“He’s one of our four,” Jim Leyland said. “He’s a competitor. He keeps the infielders and outfielders on their toes because he works fast. He’s a terrific fielder. He has movement and his forte is to make them miss hit the ball. He makes them mis-hit the ball, put it in play and makes the defense work.”

2. Find the offensive magic

As I wrote in the aftermath of Monday’s Game 3 loss, the Tigers offense has disappeared.

Due to the zapped power of Miguel Cabrera and Austin Jackson’s speed and BABIP (batting average on balls in play) prowess rendered useless due to high strikeout numbers, Detroit can’t seem to string together hits or walks to score runs.

Even if Fister brings his best stuff, he’s unlikely to shut out an Athletics offense that cranked three home runs off Game 3 starter Anibal Sanchez on Monday.

Detroit will need to score, preferably early, to settle Fister into a groove with a lead and get the home crowd fired up. If the Tigers can continue their short, but effective, history against Athletics Game 4 starter Dan Straily, they should do just that.

Although Straily has only made 34 career major league starts since the beginning of 2012, current Tigers hitters have 33 career plate appearances against him. Combined, they’ve hit him hard.

As the following chart shows, Torii Hunter leads the charge and is key to knocking around Straily early and often in Game 4. 

3. Play with a sense of urgency

As we saw from the Rays and Cardinals on Monday, as well as the Braves (until Fredi Gonzalez refused to use the best closer in the world with the lead in Los Angeles), elimination games can bring out the best in teams in October. There is no tomorrow for the Detroit Tigers in the sense of 2013, but the narrative may extend further than that.

While the Tigers aren’t likely to morph into a bad team in 2014, their championship window could be closing sooner than you think. After qualifying for the ALCS in 2011 and World Series in 2012, it’s time for Detroit to get over the hump and host a parade in a city that could desperately use one.

The average age of Detroit’s position players in 2013 was 30.1.

Miguel Cabrera may continue to hit at a blistering pace for another two or three seasons, but remember Albert Pujols, the former “best hitter alive,” had his last truly great year (173 OPS+) at the age of 30. In 2014, Cabrera will be 31.

Torii Hunter, the aforementioned Dan Straily killer, is 37. Victor Martinez is 34. Jhonny Peralata, fresh off a 50-game suspension in connection with the Biogenesis scandal, is a 31-year-old middle infielder heading for free agency.

Max Scherzer, likely headed for an AL Cy Young, is a free agent after the 2014 season (via Cot’s Baseball Contracts). If he posts another year close to his 2012-2013 form (10.5 K/9, 128 ERA+), the 28-year-old right-hander could price himself out of the Tigers budget, especially after their front office guaranteed Justin Verlander $160 million from 2014-2019.

If the team doesn’t make a single offseason addition, they would still be a good pick to win the AL Central and compete for a title in 2014, but the clock is ticking in Detroit.

If 2014 became an injury-plagued or down year for some older players, an era of Tigers baseball could easily come and go without a World Series title.

Now or never feels extreme, but the Tigers need to play like it to necessitate a comeback in the ALDS.

What is the key to fueling a Detroit comeback in the ALDS?

Comment below, follow me on Twitter or “like” my Facebook page to talk all things baseball.

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With a huge payroll, the Los Angeles Dodgers expect nothing less than a trip to the World Series. Here’s what they will have to do in order to win the NLCS.

It has been an amazing turnaround in Los Angeles. Not only have the Dodgers drastically improved from last year, but they have gotten much better since early in this season.

An incredible come-from-behind victory in Game 4, with recap courtesy of MLB.com, gave Los Angeles time to rest and set its rotation.

The Dodgers have to be viewed as the favorites to win the title. They are stacked in just about every aspect, and their depth is tough to beat.

Even though Matt Kemp won’t be in the lineup, the Dodgers have the talent to win it all. Here’s what they have to do in the NLCS to keep their hopes alive.

Watch postseason baseball live on TBS.com or your mobile device.

*All stats are courtesy of MLB.com

Begin Slideshow

The Oakland Athletics are one win away from clinching the 2013 American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers and will have to go through Tigers starting pitcher Doug Fister if they want to do so in Game 4, which will start at 5:07 p.m. ET on October 8.

Fister finished the regular season with a 14-9 record and a 3.67 ERA.

Fister will have to contend with an Athletics team that has turned up the heat as of late.  After scoring a combined three runs in their first two games of the series, Oakland eventually scored six against Tigers pitcher Anibal Sanchez en route to their series lead.

Now, Detroit has to count on Fister to keep the team in the series and avoid elimination.

The A’s are wondering which Fister they will face in Game 4.  Will it be the pitcher who threw seven innings of two-run ball against Oakland in Game 2 of last year’s ALDS and owns a 1.71 ERA over five career postseason starts?

Or will Fister emulate the start he had against the A’s back on August 28 when Oakland put up 13 hits and seven earned runs over five innings?  In that game, Oakland was able to find Fister‘s weaknesses and went on to win 14-4.

It is safe to assume the A’s are hoping for the latter.

Fister owns a career 3.17 ERA against Oakland over 12 starts.  He has faced only the Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals more.  Yet the A’s roughed him up during his lone start against Oakland in 2013, and that is a good sign for a team that has all the momentum in their dugout.

Which A’s bats will make the difference?  Well, Coco Crisp owns a .368 batting average against Fister, and there is the saying, “How Coco goes, so do the A’s.”

If Crisp can set the tone for Oakland’s lineup, the A’s should be able to continue their offensive surge, which came to life in Game 3.  Crisp reaching base would be a great start to giving the rest of the lineup a chance to do some damage.

With the Tigers’ bats mostly silent in the series thus far, Oakland hopes to put up just a few runs early against Fister and counter with starter Dan Straily, who is 4-1 with a 2.00 ERA over his last six starts.

If Oakland can muster the same success it enjoyed against pitchers like Sanchez in Game 3, there should be little reason to assume the A’s will not clinch the series in Game 4.

The only thing standing in their way is Fister.

All statistics and records courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise stated.

Peter Panacy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report.  Follow him @PeterMcShots on Twitter.

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