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If Tuesday’s drama-filled American League Wild Card Game between the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles was an indication of what’s to come in the 2016 MLB playoffs, baseball fans are in for a treat.

Edwin Encarnacion played the role of hero with a three-run walk-off homer in the 11th inning, propelling the Blue Jays past the Orioles 5-2 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto and pushing them to a date with the Texas Rangers in the American League Division Series.

MLB on Twitter shared video of Encarnacion’s long ball:

Mike Halford of NBC’s Pro Hockey Talk passed along an image of the Blue Jays celebrating:

While Encarnacion made headlines with his homer, the Toronto bullpen deserved plenty of credit. After starter Marcus Stroman pitched six solid innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits and striking out six, Brett Cecil, Joe Biagini, Jason Grilli, Roberto Osuna and Francisco Liriano shut down the Orioles, as Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com illustrated:

The Baltimore bullpen was also impressive until Ubaldo Jimenez allowed three hits on five pitches in the 11th, including the home run to Encarnacion. Starter Chris Tillman tossed 4.1 innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits and a walk while striking out four.

Mychal Givens, Donnie Hart, Brad Brach, Darren O’Day and Brian Duensing then combined for six innings of two-hit relief with seven strikeouts. However, stud closer Zach Britton didn’t make an appearance.

“Either Britton is hurt or we just saw the worst managerial decision in my lifetime,” David Cameron of FanGraphs said.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said there was nothing physically wrong with Britton and that he elected to use Jimenez instead because “No one has been pitching better for us than Ubaldo,” per Jayson Stark of ESPN.

Each starter threw a perfect first inning well before the bullpens took over, and Big League Stew wondered how the rest of the game could unfold:

The scoreless tie didn’t last long, as Jose Bautista drilled a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the second inning. It was his fifth homer in 12 postseason games.

“This guy lives for the big moments,” Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com said.

While it was just one run, the deficit appeared more daunting with Stroman working quickly and effectively. He mowed through the first nine Orioles, leading Ryan Fagan of Sporting News to opine, “In Toronto’s Game 162, Aaron Sanchez took a no-hitter into the seventh inning. Stroman looks better tonight.”

He didn’t look better in the fourth when Mark Trumbo—who was 5-for-11 against the Blue Jays right-hander in the regular season—launched a frozen rope over the left field wall to give the Orioles a 2-1 advantage.

Toronto responded in the fifth. Michael Saunders and Kevin Pillar hit back-to-back doubles, though Saunders made a baserunning miscue and failed to score. He did, however, cross the plate on Ezequiel Carrera’s single, which drove Tillman from the game.

Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com bemoaned Michael Bourn’s failure to haul in Pillar’s double, which the right fielder seemed to have a bead on:

Givens limited the damage and maintained the tie by inducing a double play on his first pitch.

In the seventh, manager John Gibbons and the Blue Jays turned to the bullpen, and Biagini struck out both batters he faced after Cecil issued a one-out walk. Faizal Khamisa of Sportsnet shared a quote from the pitcher about pressure-packed moments:

The drama extended beyond the field in the bottom of the seventh when a fan threw a beer can at Baltimore left fielder Hyun Soo Kim as he tracked a fly ball. Adam Jones came over from center field to defend his teammate and angrily yelled into the crowd.

Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated suggested a punishment for the perpetrator:

Grilli and Brach pitched scoreless frames in the eighth, and Osuna took over in the top of the ninth, retiring Manny Machado, Trumbo and Matt Wieters with a groundout and two swinging strikeouts.

Brach—and not Britton—faced the heart of the Blue Jays lineup in the bottom half, and Josh Donaldson led things off with a double. Brach then intentionally walked Encarnacion and struck out Bautista before handing the ball to O’Day, who delivered in the marquee moment by inducing a double-play ball off the bat of Russell Martin.

Jesse Spector of Sporting News reacted to the Orioles’ decision not to use Britton, who entered the game with a 0.54 ERA and 0.84 WHIP:

Osuna retired Chris Davis in the 10th but then left the game with a trainer, per Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star. That’s when Liriano entered the contest.

The left-hander gave the Blue Jays a reliever who could pitch a number of innings, and he got four ground-ball outs and a strikeout before Showalter used a similar strategy, inserting Jimenez for Duensing with one out in the 11th.

“Did Britton not get through customs?” Brian Kenny of MLB Network asked.

Retired pitcher Dan Haren also weighed in:

Jimenez promptly surrendered singles to Devon Travis and Donaldson before allowing the walk-off blast to Encarnacion. Khamisa reacted to the towering home run:

Daren Willman of MLB.com pointed out the location of the pitch:

All it took was that poorly placed offering, and the Orioles’ season came to a screeching halt.

What’s Next?

The Blue Jays will face the Rangers in the American League Division Series in a rematch of last year’s five-game classic.

Texas won the first two contests, but Toronto came storming back with three straight wins that included Bautista’s memorable bat flip in Game 5. The Rangers, with the best record in the American League at 95-67, will look for revenge this time around.

Texas boasts a formidable lineup with Rougned Odor and Adrian Beltre and was fourth in the AL in runs scored and fifth in home runs.

Toronto will be playing from behind in the starting pitching department after using Stroman and Liriano, but it was 4-3 against the Rangers this season. Game 1 is set for 4:30 p.m. ET Thursday.

Postgame Reaction

Britton said he was fine and called watching the last inning “frustrating,” per Crasnick.

Jimenez described the final pitch, per MASNSports.com’s Steve Melewski: “Was trying to get a sinker down and get a double play. But it didn’t do anything. It stayed up.”

Jones commented on the fan who threw a beer at Kim, per Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun: “That’s just as pathetic as it gets. I hope they find the guy, and I hope they press charges.”

The Blue Jays shared their celebration on Twitter:

“That’s why I want to come back here—because that happened tonight,” said Encarnacion, who is set to be a free agent after the season, per Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.

Scott MacArthur of TSN reported “Osuna told me he felt tired and a bit of a stretch in his shoulder. His self-prognosis is to be good for ALDS.”

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Two familiar foes will square off Tuesday in the American League Wild Card Game, when the Toronto Blue Jays host the Baltimore Orioles as -150 home favorites (bet $150 to win $100) at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark.

The teams just played each other last week at the Rogers Centre, with Baltimore winning two of three but losing 10 of 19 meetings overall this year to surrender home-field advantage.

The Blue Jays will send Marcus Stroman (9-10, 4.37 ERA) to the mound as the starting pitcher on Tuesday, even though he struggled versus the Orioles during the regular season. Stroman went 1-2 in four starts against Baltimore with a 7.04 ERA, and he went 4-3 in 16 home starts with a 4.59 ERA.

Toronto has lost five of its last six games with Stroman on the hill overall, as he has failed to earn a win since beating the Houston Astros at home back on August 14.

Opposing Stroman for the Orioles will be Chris Tillman (16-6, 3.77), who is just 2-6 with a 7.01 ERA in his career when pitching at the Rogers Centre. Tillman walked away with a no-decision there last time out against the Blue Jays on Wednesday after allowing one earned run and six hits in 5.2 innings of an eventual 3-2 victory.

Tillman has gone 1-0 with a 3.63 ERA in four starts versus Toronto this season and owns an 8-3 mark and 2.97 ERA in 14 outings away from home overall.

While many bettors might expect to see a high-scoring affair between the two AL East teams, their recent series history has shown quite the opposite results. The under has cashed in each of the past seven meetings, four of which were played in Toronto.

Before that, though, six of the previous seven games finished over the total, with four of those also played at the Rogers Centre.

However, the last four starts for both Tillman and Stroman have also gone under, according to the Odds Shark MLB Database. In fact, 11 of Tillman’s previous 13 outings have all dipped below the total, 10 of which have seen eight runs or less scored.

The Blue Jays are listed at +1000 on the odds to win the World Series heading into Tuesday’s game, with the Orioles sitting at +2200. Toronto has a 56.9 percent chance of winning Tuesday’s game, according to website PredictionMachine.com.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Two American League East clubs will vie for their postseason lives when the Toronto Blue Jays host the Baltimore Orioles in Tuesday’s AL Wild Card Game.

MLB nearly faced a scheduling nightmare when a four-team tie remained plausible as late as Saturday. If the Detroit Tigers were required to make up a rained-out game Monday, they could have forced another tiebreaker game before playing the actual elimination game.

Toronto and Baltimore, however, made things easy by taking care of business. Behind power-fueled offenses, both squads finished at 89-73 after winning Sunday.

Last year, Toronto ousted the Texas Rangers in a feisty American League Division Series matchup most remembered by Jose Bautista‘s game-winning home run. (OK, probably more the ensuing bat flip). A win Tuesday night would set up a rematch.

Let’s take an early look at the AL’s play-in game.

AL Wild Card Game: Baltimore Orioles vs. Toronto Blue Jays

Where: Rogers Centre, Toronto

Date: Tuesday, October 4

Time: 8:08 p.m. ET

TV: TBS

Live Stream: MLB on TBS

Preview

With both teams needing to clinch a spot Sunday, each side used its most exciting young starter. As a result, Baltimore’s Kevin Gausman and Toronto All-Star Aaron Sanchez are unavailable for the Wild Card Game.

So who will take the mound at Rogers Centre? Neither team confirmed its starter as of Sunday night. J.A. Happ pitched Saturday, so the Blue Jays will turn to Marco Estrada (on three days’ rest), Francisco Liriano or Marcus Stroman. Unless they prefer Yovani Gallardo on short rest, the Orioles can employ Chris Tillman or Ubaldo Jimenez, who is highly erratic despite surging to the finish line.

Regardless of the two choices, it’s not a pitchers’ duel like the National League’s clash between Noah Syndergaard and Madison Bumgarner. This game boils down to offense and relief pitching. The starters will do their job by navigating five solid innings.

Buoyed by Mark Trumbo’s MLB-high 47 home runs, Baltimore rounded the bases more than any other MLB team this season. Although Bautista missed some time, only the Orioles, Seattle Mariners and St. Louis Cardinals went deep more than the Blue Jays.

It’s imperative for the Blue Jays to avoid a deficit entering the final inning. They shouldn’t want to take their chances against closer Zach Britton, who allowed four earned runs all season. Stats guru Ryan M. Spaeder noted the reliever’s historic season:

The path to Britton, however, is not as stable as earlier in the season. Brad Brach, who earned an All-Star nod with a 0.91 ERA, inflated his second-half mark to 3.94 after relinquishing four runs Saturday. Darren O’Day is no longer an automatic late-inning option after an ineffective (3.77 ERA) and injury-plagued campaign.

Baltimore could instead peg Dylan Bundy as a high-leverage bullpen option. Although the worn-down rookie yielded five runs in four of his last eight starts, he submitted seven strikeouts in 2.1 relief innings to earn a rotation spot in July. That culminated a string of 14.1 scoreless frames over which he tallied 22 strikeouts.

Meanwhile, foolish baseball shenanigans cost Toronto its hottest reliever. Since arriving from Seattle, Joaquin Benoit allowed one run over 25 appearances. On Sept. 26, he tore a calf muscle while running from a bullpen to join an on-field altercation against the New York Yankees.

“It felt like something hit me,” Benoit said, per an Associated Press report, via USA Today. “I won’t be able to get on the mound anytime soon, so personally this is really disappointing.”

Days later, Jason Grilli and Roberto Osuna blew a lead to Baltimore by allowing three runs over the final two frames.

“It was big,” Tillman said after Wednesday’s rally, per Reuters. “I think that could push a team a long way, those kind of wins. It was a big team win, and everybody played a part in it.”

Devon Travis also jammed his recently surgically repaired left thumb in the ruckus, but he looked fine when homering on Sunday. After debuting in late May, the 25-year-old second baseman hit .300/.332/.454 with 11 long balls in 432 plate appearances.

The Blue Jays were assembled to out-hit everyone, but Bautista, Troy Tulowitzki and Russell Martin have fallen shy of expectations. Not Edwin Encarnacion, who remains one of the game’s sturdiest sluggers. In perhaps his final season with the club, the pending free agent belted 19 of his 42 homers after the All-Star break.

Home-field advantage could give Toronto a major boost, as Baltimore is the only AL playoff team with a losing record (39-42) on the road. Toronto also gained a narrow season edge in head-to-head meetings (10-9), but Baltimore stayed alive by winning two of three at Rogers Centre last week.

No stat or trend in the world will unearth the answer to who claims a winner-take-all baseball game. Especially not when the similarly constructed participants exited 162 of them with identical records.

Anything can happen in the Wild Card Game, but viewers should expect plenty of offense during a close contest. Orioles backup catcher Caleb Joseph went the entire season without recording an RBI, so he’ll probably come off the bench to drive in the winning run.

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There’s no turning back now, folks. On Tuesday (8:05 p.m. ET on ESPN), the Houston Astros visit the New York Yankees in a do-or-die American League Wild Card Game to kick-start the 2015 playoffs, with a trip to the American League Division Series against the Kansas City Royals awaiting the winner.

The AL #WildCard Game is set: @Astros–@Yankees, Tuesday night in the Bronx. http://t.co/791NbISAbJ pic.twitter.com/VosxIdF4tH

— MLB (@MLB) October 4, 2015

The Yankees (87-75), competing in their first playoff game since 2012, earned home-field advantage when the Astros (86-76) lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday.

Not that a trip to the Bronx is of any concern to Houston manager A.J. Hinch. His team won two of three games in Yankee Stadium this season in a 4-3 series win.

And Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel certainly doesn’t mind playing in New York.

Dallas Keuchel: 5-8 w/ 3.77 ERA on the road this season But in 1 start at Yankee Stadium: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K pic.twitter.com/rHFduPe68y

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 5, 2015

In fact, the 27-year-old lefty doesn’t mind playing the Yankees full stop.

Dallas Keuchel faced 16 teams this season (a varying number of times each). The only team that did not score off him was the Yankees.

— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) October 5, 2015

Dallas Keuchel in 2 starts vs #yankees this season – 2-0, 16 IP, 9 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 21 K’s. #astros

— Dan Shulman (@DShulman_ESPN) October 5, 2015

Keuchel, who led the AL with 20 wins, will square off against Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka. The 26-year-old was 12-7 with a 3.51 ERA this season and hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in nine of his past 10 starts at home.

AL Wild Card Astros/Yankees Keuchel: 16 IP, 0 R vs NY in 2015 Tanaka: 3.06 ERA in last 5 starts Tuesday, 7 ET ESPN pic.twitter.com/7itCzSnOGf

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 5, 2015

Look away now, Keuchel…

Perspective:starting pitchers today salary- Dallas Keuchel‘s salary $524,500 and Tanaka $22 million / it’s hard out here for an ace #Astros

— David Nuño (@DavidNunoABC13) October 6, 2015

Despite being one of the league’s most talented pitchers, the Astros hitters have had success against Tanaka.

Very small sample, but interesting: Astros’ hitters 11-for-34 vs. Masahiro Tanaka, 4 doubles, 3 homers. http://t.co/1c762hETPj

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) October 5, 2015

And Tanaka‘s numbers against the Astros on June 27 were less than impressive.

Masahiro Tanaka, already announced NYY starter Tuesday, faced the #Astros on June 27 at MMP in a 9-6 win. 5 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 3 HR

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) October 4, 2015

Joe Girardi‘s team will face the Astros—and any further playoff games—without CC Sabathia after the pitcher announced Monday he will spend the postseason in an alcohol rehab center.

Sabathia’s statement: “Being an adult means being accountable. Being a baseball player means that others look up to you.”

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) October 5, 2015

Sabathia: “I want my kids — and others who may have become fans of mine… to know that I am not too big of a man to ask for help.”

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) October 5, 2015

The 35-year-old added in a statement:

I love baseball and I love my teammates like brothers, and I am also fully aware that I am leaving at a time when we should all be coming together for one last push toward the World Series. It hurts me deeply to do this now, but I owe it to myself and to my family to get myself right. I want to take control of my disease, and I want to be a better man, father and player.

We all support you, Big Man. #WePlayForCC #Teammates #Brothers

— Alex Rodriguez (@AROD) October 6, 2015

Girardi: When CC came in yesterday, I was no longer a manager. I was somebody who wanted to make sure the right course of action was taken.

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) October 5, 2015

According to Emily Smith, Danika Fears and Frank Rosario of the New York Post, Sabathia spent the majority of the Yankees’ final regular-season series in Baltimore “pounding drinks at a hotel.”

Love you @CC_Sabathia get well ! @Yankees

— Doug Ellin (@mrdougellin) October 5, 2015

Sabathia’s absence is certainly a blow to the Yankees.

Yankees will be without their most experienced MLB postseason pitcher in the playoffs in CC Sabathia pic.twitter.com/ztH2eZ3cGN

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 6, 2015

New York struggled late in the regular season, losing six of their last seven games, and are 29-31 since Aug. 1. But let’s cast our minds back to 2000 and how that World Series-winning Yankees team ended its regular season…

The 2000 Yankees lost 14 of their last 17 and won 87 games, looking sluggish heading into the playoffs. 2015 Yanks might not look too bad…

— Chris Perkowski (@doctor_perk) October 6, 2015

It’s hard to predict the winner of this one. Keuchel has had a Cy Young Award-caliber season but has never pitched on three days’ rest before. The Yankees have several experienced leaders, none more so than Alex Rodriguez, but A-Rod has hit just two home runs since Sept. 12.

All of this means we can expect a close-fought game. Perfect for the neutral, torture for fans of either team.

When you realize it’s officially Tuesday in Houston and the #Astros are in the #WildCard game tonight. #HustleTown pic.twitter.com/fENES0FQju

— Houston Astros (@astros) October 6, 2015

Cheering for New York baseball in the @MLB #postseason! Good luck to the @Yankees and @Mets!

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 6, 2015

Pretty easy to predict what @AROD will do in the playoffs, same as @NickSwisher used to do – nothing. @Yankees @MLB @MLBplayoffs

— Brian P. Fisher Sr. (@bpfish36) October 4, 2015

#Yankees #Astros wild card prediction. Yanks win 4-2 Beltran- 2-4 2 run HR Refsnyder– 1-4 HR Ellsbury: RBI Single Tanaka: 7 IP 2 ER

— Tom Smith (@SMITTYWHHS) October 6, 2015

Woke the roommate up by screaming “IT’S POSTSEASON DAY” only time I’m a morning person is when the @astros are in the postseason #HustleTown

— Ali (@AliKonow) October 6, 2015

Today’s agenda includes lots of staring at the clock. #Astros #WildCard

— Bobby Dynamite (@AstrosTrainGuy) October 6, 2015

The Yankees are 66-3 when leading after six innings, per Yahoo Sports’ Mark Townsend, so it’s important they get off to a fast start. Whether that’s possible with Keuchel on the mound remains to be seen.

The Astros ranked No. 2 in home runs this season, the Yankees No. 4. They combined for 442 homers. This one should be fun.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Welcome to the Oakland Athletics vs. New York Yankees live blog!

I will post updates every inning, similar to rounds in boxing, with recaps focusing on the best and worst of the particular inning, from home runs to embarrassing blunders in the field and on the basepaths. I will declare a winner of each inning and look for knockout blows delivered to the opposing team’s jaw.

Kuroda and Kazmir, New York and Oakland, who will be the champ?

The A’s and Yanks are going at it in a heavyweight fight tonight, after a brief rain delay.

UPDATE: OAKLAND WINS 5-2 IN TEN INNINGS ON A SOLO SHOT BY DH BRANDON MOSS

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Here are the Depth Charts for the American League West this season:

Los Angeles Angels

Starting Lineup

CF- Peter Bourjos

DH- Bobby Abreu: 71 HR last four seasons combined.

RF- Torii Hunter

1B- Kendry Morales: 45 HR last two seasons combined.

LF- Vernon Wells: 2010 [TOR]: 31 HR, 88 RBI, .273 BA, 161 hits.

2B- Howie Kendrick

3B- Alberto Callaspo

C- Jeff Mathis

SS- Erick Aybar

Bench

C- Bobby Wilson

1B/OF- Mark Trumbo: Potential prospect.

IF- Maicer Izturis

OF- Reggie Willits: Nine SB total since 2007 where he has 27 SB.

Some Players Outside of 25-Man

C- Hank Conger: Potential prospect.

SS- Andrew Romine

IF- Brandon Wood

OF- Chris Pettit

OF- Mike Trout: Top potential prospect.

Rotation

1. Jered Weaver: Career-high 233 K last season.

2. Dan Haren- Three straight seasons of 200+ K.

3. Ervin Santana

4. Joel Pineiro

5. Scott Kazmir: 11-17 W-L career as an Angel.

Potential Bullpen

Bobby Cassevah

Rich Thompson

Hisanori Takahashi

Jordan Walde: Potential prospect.

Trevor Bell

Jason Bulger

Michael Kohn

Matt Palmer

Francisco Rodriguez

Jeremy Berg

Steven Geltz

SU- Scott Downs

SU- Kevin Jepsen

CL- Fernando Rodney: 84 career saves; 37 in ’09 and 27 combined in ’08 and ’10

Oakland Athletics

Starting Lineup

CF- Coco Crisp: Eight straight seasons of 10+ SB.

1B- Daric Barton

RF- David DeJesus

LF- Josh Willingham

DH- Hideki Matsui: Has not had 100+ RBI since 2007.

C- Kurt Suzuki

3B- Kevin Kouzmanoff

2B- Mark Ellis

SS- Cliff Pennington

Bench

C- Landon Powell

IF- Steve Tolleson

OF- Conor Jackson

OF- Ryan Sweeney

Some Players Outside of 25-Man

C- Josh Donaldson

1B/OF- Chris Carter: Top potential prospect.

IF- Andy LaRoche

IF- Adam Rosales

IF- Eric Sogard

OF- Michael Taylor: Potential prospect.

Rotation

1. Trevor Cahill

2. Brett Anderson: 2010: 2.80 ERA, six HR allowed in 19 games started.

3. Gio Gonzalez

4. Dallas Braden: 25-35 W-L in four season career with OAK.

5. Brandon McCarthy

Potential Bullpen

Rich Harden: From 2003-2008 he went 41-20 W-L, since he is 14-14.

Brad Ziegler

Craig Breslow

Michael Wuertz

Joey Devine

Trystan Magnuson

Guillermo Moscoso

Tyson Ross: Potential prospect.

Jerry Blevins

Josh Outman

SU- Grant Balfour: 207 K last three seasons combined.

SU- Brian Fuentes: Has not thrown over 60 IP since 2008.

CL- Andrew Bailey

Seattle Mariners

Starting Lineup

RF- Ichiro Suzuki: 200+ hits in 10 consecutive seasons [2,244 total hits].

3B- Chone Figgins

CF- Franklin Gutierrez

DH- Jack Cust

1B- Justin Smoak

C- Miguel Olivo

LF- Michael Saunders

SS- Jack Wilson

2B- Brendan Ryan

Bench

C- Adam Moore

1B- Michael Carp

IF- Adam Kennedy

OF- Milton Bradley: Mariners are the eighth team he’s played for in his career.

Some Players Outside of 25-Man

C- Josh Bard

2B- Dustin Ackley: Top potential prospect.

IF- Matt Mangini

IF- Josh Wilson

IF- Matt Tuiasosopo

OF- Jody Gerut

OF- Gabe Gross

OF- Greg Halman

OF- Ryan Langerhans

Rotation

1. Felix Hernandez: ERA under three past two seasons, 71-52 W-L in his career.

2. Jason Vargas

3. Doug Fister

4. Luke French

5. Erik Bedard: Has not started more than 15 games since 2007.

Potential Bullpen

David Pauley

Manny Delcarmen

Jamey Wright

Garrett Olson

David Aardsma: Should be ready by second week of season.

Jose Flores

Shawn Kelley

Josh Lueke

Michael Pineda: Top potential prospect.

Chaz Roe

Nate Robertson

SU- Dan Cortes: Top potential prospect.

SU- Chris Ray

CL- Brandon League: 70 games pitched last season is most in his career.

Texas Rangers

Starting Lineup

SS- Elvis Andrus

DH- Michael Young: 11 seasons w/ TEX; 811 RBI, 55 HR last three seasons combined.

LF- Josh Hamilton: 93 career HR, 331 RBI, 553 hits and .311 BA.

3B- Adrian Beltre

RF- Nelson Cruz

2B- Ian Kinsler

1B- Mitch Moreland

C- Yorvit Torrealba

CF- Julio Borbon

Bench

C- Matt Treanor

C/1B- Mike Napoli: 66 HR last three seasons combined for LAA.

UTIL- Andres Blanco

OF- David Murphy

Some Players Outside of 25-Man

C- Taylor Teagarden

1B/3B- Chris Davis

OF- Craig Gentry

OF- Endy Chavez

IF- Matt Kata

Rotation

1. C.J. Wilson

2. Colby Lewis

3. Brandon Webb: Has not pitched since ’08; 198 games started in his career.

4. Tommy Hunter

5. Derek Holland

Potential Bullpen

Matt Harrison

Mark Lowe

Darren Oliver

Alexi Ogando

Omar Beltre

Dave Bush

Scott Feldman

Eric Hurley

Pedro Strop

Mason Tobin

Zachary Phillips

Michael Kirkman: Potential prospect.

SU- Darren O’Day

SU- Arthur Rhodes

CL- Neftali Feliz: 2010: 40 saves, 2.73 ERA, 69 IP, 43 hits

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Prior to making the offseason moves for Rich Harden and Brandon McCarthy, the Oakland Athletics already had the best pitching staff in the American League.  Their 3.56 team ERA ranked first in the AL last year and fourth in the big leagues behind San Francisco, San Diego and Atlanta.  The starting rotation stands to get better with another year of experience for young twenty-somethings Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson and Gio Gonzalez.

With Dallas Braden sliding into the fourth slot, the fifth becomes an arms race between McCarthy, Harden, September call-up Bobby Cramer and the stirrup-clad Josh Outman, presumably sending the rest to an already solid bullpen.  McCarthy and Harden seem to be the front-runners to pitch every fifth day.  However, Josh Outman is an intriguing option as he pitched well in the first half of the 2009 season before Tommy John surgery shut him down prematurely.

The front-end of the rotation is set with Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill each returning with sub-three ERAs from 2010 and in Cahill’s case, all-star recognition.  Gio Gonzalez comes into the 2010 season not far behind them with his own 3.23 ERA and led the team with 171 strikeouts.  Beyond the stats, Gonzalez seemed to mature from an unquestioned talent to a quality starter in 2010.

Lest we forget, their likely least talented pitcher threw a perfect game last year.

Behind the great rotation is a bullpen not likely to give up too many leads, anchored by two-time all-star Andrew Bailey (25 saves and a 1.47 ERA in 2010) and solid setup men Michael Wuertz and Brad Zeigler.  It only gets stronger with the return of Joey Devine (0.59 ERA in 42 games in 2008) and whomever doesn’t make the opening day starting rotation.  Southpaws Craig Breslow and Jerry Blevins seem set to be the left-handed options out of the bullpen for Manager Bob Geren.  The two come into the 2011 season boasting mid-three ERAs each.

Questions certainly abound on the injury front.  Will Devine and Outman be fully recovered from serious surgeries?  Will Brett Anderson complete a full season?  How much does the pitcher-friendly ballpark in Oakland deflate the team’s ERA?  Is there any other AL pitching staff within sniffing distance of the A’s for these questions to matter?

There are quality staffs around the American League, but none that challenge Oakland.  The Tampa Bay Rays have an ace in David Price and two flame-throwers (Joaquin Benoit and Rafael Soriano) in the bullpen but won’t dazzle you otherwise.

Have you heard that Cliff Lee no longer pitches for the Rangers?  C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis are solid but Texas still needs to fill out the rest of their rotation.

The front-end of the Red Sox rotation looks scary with Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester coming off great years.   John Lackey is a pitcher that everyone wants in their rotation and loves to pitch in big games.  Beyond those three, they have three potential starters with good track records but who struggled in 2010. Tim Wakefield, Josh Beckett and Daisuke Matsuzaka all had sub-standard years for the Sox.

The pitching staff for the A’s, combined with an upgraded lineup should have fans optimistic about the 2011 season.  They can now challenge the scary lineups in New York, Boston, Texas, Minnesota, etc.  After all, pitching wins championships.  The Giants just proved it.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

By Mark C. Rinaldi

There are five American League pitchers who are truly deserving of the Cy Young Award. The award is given to the best pitcher, but personally I feel there should be some worth placed on the players value to the team.

For example, Zack Greinke is a great pitcher, but the Royals could have finished in last place without him. Here are my predictions to how the voting will shape out.

But before we get to the top five, lets take a look at the outsiders, in alphabetical order.

Cliff Lee—Lee was less than spectacular with Seattle, and he took his time getting assimilated to the heat in Texas. But the Rangers would have been watching the playoffs from their La-Z-Boys without him.

Carl Pavano—He is the best pitcher on a team that easily won its division. He won 17 games and was among the league leaders in innings pitched, but his success still reminds me of his time in pinstripes.

Rafael Soriano—Soriano was the closer for the best team during the AL regular season. He had more saves then anyone else in the AL, and down the stretch, when he came in the game for the Rays, it was as good as over.

Justin Verlander—Verlander had another impressive season worthy of Cy Young consideration. But overall, his numbers weren’t good enough to get any votes, especially since he played for third-place team. 

Jered Weaver—Weaver pitched well for a team that was below .500, so even though he ate up innings and had an ERA of three, the team’s performance was not good enough to say he had any significant value on any playoff race.

And now, the Big Five:

5. Clay Buchholz—Buchholz finished second in the AL in ERA, and he was among the league leaders in wins. He missed some starts during the season, and never truly established himself as a big-game pitcher.

So though he looked good on a stat sheet, with the Red Sox not making the playoffs, he may be out of the top vote-getters for the Cy Young.

4. Jon Lester—The Red Sox have two postseason heroes in Josh Beckett and John Lackey, but Lester somehow established himself as the best pitcher (and maybe best player) in Boston this year.

His 19 wins finished second to only the Yankees’ CC Sabathia, but Boston finished third in the division. So as good as he was, he wasn’t good enough to crack the league’s elite.

Plus, when two candidates come from the same team, they always tend to split the vote.

3. Felix Hernandez—Without a doubt, Hernandez had the best statistical season of any pitcher in the major leagues.

But thanks to the fact he played on the American League’s worst team, he only went 13-12. So even though he led the league in several categories such as ERA, innings and strikeouts, he only comes away with the bronze.

2. CC Sabathia—For the first time in his career, CC won more than 20 games. His 21 victories tied for the lead in the majors, but he gave up more hits and runs then anyone else on this list.

That being said, the man is a horse. He pitched more innings than just about everyone else, and in most games he threw well over a 100 pitches, giving the Yankees a legitimate chance to win every time he took the ball.

1. David Price—As good as his stats are, Price gets the nod over CC for two reasons. First, the good old “eye test”. If you watched any of the games where CC and Price squared off, Price was a more impressive looking pitcher.

Second, the Rays beat out the Yankees in the division, and if value to the team’s final standing is taken into consideration for the award, then Price’s team’s accomplishment will help him win his first Cy Young.

This article originally appeared on The NY Sports Digest. If its off-beat and it’s about the Mets, Yankees, Knicks, Giants, Jets, Islanders, or Rangers, than The Digest is the spot to get it. Stop with the mega-sites and get a feel for the true pulse of New York at www.NYSportsDigest.com

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After driving through Canada and across the Michigan border, we finally reached Detroit. I was excited about checking out Comerica Park, as I had heard some great things about the stadium. Before the game started we decided to take a trip to the GM building.

After seeing what the city of Detroit had to offer, we quickly made our way over to the ball park to catch the opening day celebrations. We explored all around the outside area of the stadium and there was so much to see. From massive Tigers to some cool bars, we had a blast. Jets flew over the stadium and Kid Rock was on hand for the opening pitch.

The inside of the stadium is great, its a new park so there is alot to offer. I walked around every area and it seemed like almost every section offered a decent view of the field. All in all they did a wonderful job in the design of the ball park. I am a big fan of stadiums that offer the fan a skyline view, so that was also something nice.

After enjoying opening day at the park, we stopped by the famous American Coney Island and Lafayette Coney Island before hitting the open road. Both hot dogs were great!

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As the playoffs slowly approach, baseball fans continue to wonder who the AL MVP will be. Will it be a member of a first place, playoff team? Will it be a member of a lower-placed team?

I’ve decided to make an MVP of each AL division just to breakdown the many candidates for the cherished award.

Please enjoy the article and thank you for reading.

NOTE: All statistics are as of September 1, 2010.

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