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The wild-card chase represented the only real drama during the stretch run of the MLB regular season with all six divisions getting wrapped up early. Now the four teams that survived the crowded battles are set for an immediate must-win game to keep their World Series hopes alive.

In the American League, the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays face off after a highly competitive season series that Toronto won 10-9. In the National League, the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets could be in for one of the postseason’s best pitchers’ duels.

So let’s check out all of the important viewing information for the playoff openers. That’s followed by a closer look at each game and a prediction for which teams will advance to the Division Series.

Wild Card Round Schedule

AL: Orioles at Blue Jays

The Blue Jays need a spark. They started September with a 76-57 record and a two-game lead in the AL East. They finished the regular season 89-73—a 13-16 mark over the final month and two days—and didn’t clinch a playoff berth until the last weekend.

So, while the team would have liked to win the division, playing in the Wild Card Game could end up being a blessing in disguise. A chance to play in front of a raucous crowd with a high-energy starter like Marcus Stroman, who feeds off that energy, could help the Jays break out of their funk.

The 25-year-old right-hander endured an up-and-down campaign that resulted in a mundane 4.37 ERA across 32 starts. Yet, Rosie DiManno of the Toronto Star noted the starter feels the postseason is exactly the type of environment where he can thrive.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Stroman said. “It’s my personality. It’s the type of individual I am. I pitch with a lot of emotion, a lot of energy. My teammates and everyone in the organization love it as well. They tell me to go out there and be myself.”

Another positive sign for Toronto is the recent play of Jose Bautista. The slugger battled injuries during the middle of the season, which limited him to six home runs from June through August, but he hit five homers and posted a .413 on-base percentage in September.

Meanwhile, the Orioles are a club that rely heavily on the long ball. They led baseball with 253 homers during the regular season, 28 more than the next-closest team, but they ranked just 12th in runs scored.

So if they aren’t hitting it out of the park, they struggle to score, and that’s a dangerous game to play in a one-game playoff situation. Being unable to manufacture single runs on a consistent basis will be a problem, even if Baltimore does survive Tuesday’s game.

Chris Tillman will start for the O’s. He bounced back from a dreadful August (6.60 ERA) with a solid September (3.79 ERA), which was right in line with his full-season performance (3.77 ERA).

ESPN Stats & Info noted he’s struggled in road games against the Blue Jays, though:

Ultimately, this game is about Stroman keeping the ball in the yard and the Jays finding the spark to ignite the proverbial flame. They have enough talent on the roster to make a serious run toward a championship, but there have been a lot of indifferent moments over the past month.

The Orioles must try to take advantage of Toronto’s recent struggles by jumping ahead early. A couple quick home runs could send the home team into a tailspin. But that homer-or-bust mentality at the plate may come back to haunt them in the end.

Prediction: 6-3 Toronto

NL: Giants at Mets

Madison Bumgarner against Noah Syndergaard in a must-win game is the best argument for the current playoff structure. Getting a chance to see two of the best pitchers in the league with that amount of pressure on their shoulders is a rare treat for baseball fans.

James Wagner of the New York Times further highlighted the marquee pitching matchup:

So it’s safe to assume runs will come at a premium Wednesday night. The managers will be doing everything they can to grind out a quick run or two, knowing that might be enough.

Both teams have separate reasons for optimism heading into the postseason, too.

The Giants have made a habit of winning the World Series in even-numbered years. They won the title in 2010, 2012 and 2014, while missing the playoffs in 2011, 2013 and 2015. It’s a trend they would love to continue by matching their run two years ago, when they won the Wild Card Game in Pittsburgh to start the run.

On the flip side, the Mets are the reigning champions in the NL after making the playoffs last year for the first time since 2006. Though they haven’t generated quite as much hype this year, their 87 wins were just three less than their 2015 total.

Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News pointed out last year’s success is one reason star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes opted against celebrating after the team clinched a playoff berth.

“Yes, Wednesday will be a big day when we keep going forward,” Cespedes said.

All told, given the strength of both clubs on the mound, the game will likely get decided by whichever offense is able to come up with the one or two clutch hits.

The recent play of both sides suggests New York should have the edge if that’s the case. The Mets ranked fifth in baseball in runs scored in September. The Giants were a distant 22rd.

Prediction: 3-1 New York

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The Major League Baseball postseason is something that’s supposed to build to a crescendo, with the most memorable note being sounded in the seventh game of the World Series.

The National League Wild Card Game is anything but a warm-up or an appetizer. It is a full-fledged marquee matchup between the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets, featuring two of the best pitchers in the league: Madison Bumgarner vs. Noah Syndergaard.

Bumgarner has a magnificent postseason legacy, having been the Most Valuable Player in the Giants’ 2014 World Series run. He has a 5-1 record in his last eight postseason games with a 0.91 ERA. Bumgarner was 15-9 with a 2.74 ERA during the 2016 regular season.

Syndergaard won Game 3 of the 2015 World Series against the Kansas City Royals, and that was the only game the Mets won in last year’s Fall Classic. He had a 2-1 record in last year’s postseason with a 3.32 ERA.

Syndergaard was 14-9 in 2016 with a 2.60 ERA while striking out 218 batters and walking 43.

The two teams will play Wednesday night at Citi Field in New York, and the game will be televised by ESPN. The game will be live-streamed at WatchESPN, but it will not be available at MLB.tv.

Bumgarner has also been at his best when pitching at Citi Field. He has a 4-0 record and an impressive 0.62 ERA.

Mets manager Terry Collins knows his team has a tough assignment, but the Mets beat Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers in last year’s National League Division Series and have come through under difficult circumstances

“It’s the big leagues and you are going to face great pitching in the postseason,” Collins told Mike Puma of the New York Post. “I know [the Giants] are in their clubhouse and saying, ‘Wow, we’ve got to face Syndergaard,’ so it should be a great game.”

The Mets are going to have to find out a way to scratch out a run or two against Bumgarner and hope that Syndergaard is on top of his game.

They showed quite a bit of power this season and are led by outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, who had 31 home runs and 86 RBI this year. Additionally, Curtis Granderson belted 30 homers, while Asdrubal Cabrera added 23 long balls. Jay Bruce hit 33 home runs in 2016, but 25 of those home runs were hit with the Cincinnati Reds before he was acquired by the Mets in a trade.

Neil Walker also hit 23 home runs, but he underwent season-ending lumbar surgery in September.

The Giants do not hit the long ball. Brandon Belt led the team with 17 home runs, and that was the lowest figure to lead any team in either the American or National League.

Third baseman Eduardo Nunez hit 16 home runs and drove in 67 runs on the season, while former postseason hero Buster Posey suffered a power downturn as he hit just 14 home runs while driving in 80.

While the Giants struggled badly in the second half of the season, they have a history of excelling in the postseason. They won the World Series in 2010, 2012 as well as 2014, and manager Bruce Bochy has shown that he knows how to get the most out of his team when it matters most.

If the Giants are going to survive and advance this year, they will need their ace to outduel the Mets’ best pitcher in a game that could be remembered as a postseason classic.

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Rick Porcello loves to fly fish whenever work doesn’t get in the way. This year, he may reel in the American League Cy Young Award or baseball’s ultimate catch—a World Series ring.

Porcello’s semi-secret New England fishing spot is nearby a home he has in Vermont, located close to the Massachusetts border. He also fly fishes in both salt and fresh water near the Red Sox spring training home in Fort Myers, Florida.

Porcello (22-4) sees a real-life connection between casting for rainbow trout in his native New Jersey and pitching to Mike Trout at Fenway Park.

“The fishing carries over to baseball,” Porcello told B/R. “If I’m mentally drained and need my escape, that’s usually what I go to. It helps me clear my head. If I have an off day, or a morning where I don’t have a lot going on that day. It’s not very often. I try to mix it in.”

The daily catch varies by season and location; just as successful pitches in baseball vary based on opponent and location. Thursday, Porcello starts for the Red Sox in Game 1 of the ALDS at Cleveland. 

Any mention of Red Sox and fishing allows for no more than two questions before Ted Williams enters the conversation. Williams is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Fishing Hall Fame and the Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame.

“I’m aware of the three Hall of Fames he’s in,” Porcello said.

The Marine Corps Hall of Fame is probably out of the question, but is Porcello gunning for either a spot in Cooperstown or Springfield, Missouri—where the Fishing Hall of Fame will soon be located.

“I’m gunning for a World Series, and maybe down the line, some kind of award.”

Monday, Porcello was named American League Pitcher of the Month for September. The “Comeback Player of the Year” is a strong possibility, but the honor bearing the name of the once-upon-a-time Red Sox pitcher Young would be his top individual prize in 2016.

Porcello said he’s “simply honored” to be in the Cy Young conversation. He led the American League with 22 wins, becoming the first Red Sox pitcher to reach that number in a season since Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez won 23 in 1999.

Porcello finished second in the American League with a 1.01 WHIP. Detroit’s Justin Verlander’s was lower by .01. His 3.15 ERA was fifth league-wide. Aaron Sanchez of the Blue Jays captured the ERA title (3.00), helped by his dominant performance against Boston (7 IP, 2 H, 1 ER) on Sunday. 

Porcello’s consistency in delivering quality starts in 2016 was pivotal in Boston’s AL East title run. The Red Sox were coming off back-to-back last place finishes this year. Starting on July 29 this year, Porcello strung together 11 consecutive starts of seven innings or more in which he allowed three runs .

“He’s a model of consistency. He’s been so strong. He’s been so consistent. It’s a combination of multiple things: a talented guy, a well-prepared pitcher and an extremely competitive one,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said.

Porcello was traded to the Red Sox from Detroit before the 2015 season in a deal that sent Yoenis Cespedes to the Tigers. Porcello, a lean 6-foot-5, 205-pound righty, finished 2015 at 9-15 with a portly 4.92 ERA and 1.360 WHIP in only 172 innings. He landed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right triceps muscle on July 31. 

His keys to finding success in 2016 were mental and mechanical. 

“A lot of [my offseason] was spent working on my delivery. Something I’ve always battled in my career is trying to find the check points in my delivery, and being able to maintain that over the course of a season. That was my major focus. That was one of the big things that was off last season. That was in addition to my normal workouts and conditioning,” he said.

Porcello spoke to B/R at length in a one-on-one before the Red Sox clinched a playoff spot with a 6-4 victory here on Sept. 24.

Then Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington signed Porcello to a four-year, $82.5 million contract extension in April of 2015 that kicked in this season. That contract extension, Porcello said, brought up a lot in conversation as to why he struggled.

The contract wasn’t an added pressure point for Porcello. 

“I went back and forth in my head trying to figure out why I was putting so much pressure on myself. It wasn’t the contract that was doing it. I was coming into a new environment. New coaching staff. New organization. New teammates. New city. I wanted to show them all what I could do. I ended up being my own worst enemy,” he said.

Red Sox President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski told B/R he believed Porcello had “No. 1 starter” potential when he drafted Porcello out of high school in 2007 as GM of the Detroit Tigers. Drombrowski was hired by the Red Sox on Aug. 18 of last year after the team fired Cherington.

Porcello’s contract, along the $183 million combined committed to Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval, fueled much acrimony last season among citizens of Red Sox Nation and media types who report on the team. 

“He was probably doing things he normally wouldn’t do,” Dombrowski said. “Rick is more of a two-seam, sinker-ball type of guy, with command of his pitches. It’s a better position than where he’s constantly using the four-seamer trying to overpower hitters. That’s what he was trying to do [last year]. A lot of time, people put those expectations on themselves because they think they need to do that in order to live up to big-dollar situations.“

Dombrowski’s hiring to command the Red Sox front office coincided with Porcello’s return off the disabled list. 

“He (then) looked like the Rick Porcello that I had always seen. He lived with the two-seamer and really commanded the strike zone. The other difference, this year, is that he’s in a much more comfortable situation coming back in the second year. You can also just see the maturity in pitching, the mix of pitches and the command of the strike zone,” Dombrowski said. “But all of sudden you see him elevate the fastball a little bit more than he used to, and pitch in and out more than he used to. So I just think you see the normal, natural development and maturity of a young pitcher who is a quality pitcher, not overpowering, but has learned to pitch with his stuff and get people out.”

Porcello’s regular scouting regimen is simple yet effective. The day before each start, he breaks his opposing lineup into two parts. He will spend about an hour watching 60 to 70 pitches each batter has faced in the past week. He will scout five batters on the first day and four on the day he starts.

“I’ll be looking at what hitters have done in the past week, because they can change. Some guys have been hitting the fastball in the past couple of weeks, then they transition and start hitting a breaking ball. Or they’re covering different areas of the strike zone. So I want to be aware of what they’re feeling now. And it’s what I see in the game. So if I’m establishing my fastball, and I see that’s beating hitters or getting on guys, I’m more apt to be aggressive and stay hard with them. And vice versa,” he said. “I see what they’re doing. If they’re aggressive in the count. What counts they don’t want to be in. Take that, try to identify their weaknesses, take my strengths and try to apply it all.”

Two hours before his Sept. 24 start against the Rays, Porcello was relaxing on a couch in the visitor’s clubhouse as Latin pop music blared throughout the room. His concentration wandered between a no-stakes, two-man card game with teammate Marco Hernandez, his smartphone and a pair of TVs showing college football games, including Florida State’s victory over South Florida.

Once Porcello was left alone, he was left alone. Aaron Hill jokingly offered him a beer and Sandoval (on the DL but in town to work out with the team) flicked Porcello’s ear as he walked past. One would not know he was pitching that day unless they had seen the lineup card.

He allowed three earned runs in 6.1 innings with eight hits, nine strikeouts and only one walk in that outing. His fastball got up higher than it should have, allowing the Rays to stay in the game until a late Red Sox rally. Where a game such as that might have meant a loss in 2015, it was simply another challenge met and conquered in 2016.

“I definitely made a lot of mistakes, especially early on in the game and then after the inning where they scored those runs, I was able to settle back down and started executing my pitches better,” he said after that game. “I don’t know if it’s the mistakes or the situation. It’s every pitcher’s battle when you get into a tough situation and have some runners on base. You’ve got to make some pitches. There’s two ways you can go. You can settle down and execute a pitch. Or you make a mistake and basically play into the hitter’s hand. I’ve been doing a lot better situation of that this year.”

After more than a full calendar year with the Red Sox, Dombrowski is fully confident that the more-mature 2016 Porcello is the long-term rule, rather than the exception.

He cites evidence to back that up in Porcello’s performance.

“More changeups, breaking balls, mixing pitches much more. When he was a youngster, he was a two-pitch pitcher—fastball and change. He’s brought the curveball in recent years. He’s got the cutter, the two-seamer and four-seamer,” Dombrowski said. “Now, I think the mix of pitches and the comfort of throwing any pitch at any time, with the command that he has, when he’s behind in the count, is the maturity aspect you’re talking about. You have to have the ability to do that, and he does have the ability to do that.”

The Red Sox went 25-8 in games started by Porcello in 2016. His only loss in 16 starts at Fenway Park this season came in spite of a one-run, eight inning effort on Sept. 14. Baltimore beat Boston 1-0.

Porcello’s 2016 masterpiece, at least until now, was an 89-pitch complete-game 5-2 victory over the Orioles on Sept. 19. Sixty-five of his pitches were strikes. He struck out seven batters and allowed four hits without walking a batter. Porcello threw first-pitch strikes to 22 of 32 batters and went to a three-ball count once. 

He demonstrated, at least for one night, thorough mastery of all five of his pitches: the two-seam and four-seam fastballs, the changeup, the slider and the curve.

“That’s anybody’s ideal outing—to have all your weapons working. The reality is that doesn’t happen very often. It’s really hard to do. That was a really good night for me against a good lineup. In order to beat those guys, you have to have all them going. It just happened at the right time. It’s what I’m looking for. It doesn’t always happen. If I can have my fastball command, and at least one or two off-speed pitches, then I can manage that and be OK.”

It was during that start against the Orioles on Sept. 19, when a sinker ball got up and away from Porcello, plunking the combustible Manny Machado in the back. AL home run leader Mark Trumbo was on deck.

Even though there was no obvious intent, Machado glared at Porcello and the two exchanged words. Porcello’s NSFW reply was caught by TV cameras.

“We were just walking to first base, talking — talking like human beings. Nothing much was said,” Machado told Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. “We all know, I know, he doesn’t want to hit me in that situation.” 

Porcello’s name was familiar to many Red Sox fans when he joined the team. He hit then Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis in 2009 at Fenway Park. Youkilis charged the mound and both benches would eventually clear.

“I can honestly say in both of those situations (Youkilis or Machado) I had no intention of hitting those guys. My reaction is basically a reaction to their reaction. It is always an emotional, heat-of-the-battle type of thing. Nobody wants to get hit by a fastball. Whether it’s 88 or 98, it’s going to hurt. I can completely understand that. That would be my natural reaction, to be pissed off and I’d want to say something, too.”

Porcello said he had yet to speak with Machado since the Sept. 19 game.

“I talked to Youkilis once a couple of years ago when he was with Chicago. We happened to be walking out of the ballpark at the same time. Just briefly, ‘Hey, how are you doing?’ I don’t even think he recognized me. I haven’t had the opportunity to talk to Machado. It’s really not necessary for us to talk about it afterward. We’re competing. That’s the way it should be. If I hit him in the back and everything is roses, it wouldn’t feel right. It’s not like I want to hurt him or he wants to hurt me.”

His Cy Young push, meanwhile, has won over hearts and minds across Red Sox Nation.

“Not because he’s my boy—but he’s got the inside track. He’s got better numbers than everybody else,” Red Sox DH David Ortiz told B/R/ “More wins. We are where we’re at because of his performance. I’ll leave it up to the voters, but I’d vote for him. 100 percent.”

The Red Sox paid David Price and Porcello a combined $52.5 million in salary in 2016. They totaled 39 wins in the regular season. Yet, neither has a postseason victory in nine combined starts.

“Once I found out (Price) signed here, it was awesome. He’s made a huge impact on our team. I’ve learned a lot watching him. How to maintain that even keel and demeanor, the focus and competitiveness. And the great things he brings that you don’t see on a day-to-day basis,” Porcello said. 

And when Price was struggling earlier this season, Porcello kept his distance. “It’s like, the more someone tries to offer help, they can make it more frustrating. It’s like, ‘I’m really good, I can work through this.’ At least that’s the way I am. I’m a leave-me-alone sort of guy. David’s accomplished so many things in this game. What am I going to tell him that he doesn’t already know?”

Bill Speros is an award-winning journalist who covers baseball for Bleacher Report. He is a columnist for the Boston Herald and tweets @RealOBF. 

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This season, the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles couldn’t have played each other closer.

In 19 games, Toronto won 10 and Baltimore nine.

Each team protected its home-field advantage. The Orioles went 5-4 at Camden Yards, while the Blue Jays were 6-4 at Rogers Centre. MLB couldn’t have hand-picked two better teams to pit against one another in the American League Wild Card Game.

Follow along as we break down one of baseball’s most hotly contested division rivalries.

Begin Slideshow

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.

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Barry Bonds‘ tenure with the Miami Marlins is over after just one season.

The Marlins confirmed Wednesday that Bonds would not return next season after Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball cited sources on Monday who said the team elected to let the hitting coach go.

Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald confirmed the report and noted the team was also getting rid of third base coach Lenny Harris and bullpen coach Reid Cornelius.

Craig Mish of SiriusXM reported owner Jeffrey Loria was previously the only one blocking the dismissal of Bonds, but that was “apparently no longer an obstacle.”

Mish pointed out there was a disconnect with the franchise’s premier offensive star, noting Giancarlo Stanton “tuned out” Bonds, who was critical of the slugger within earshot of his teammates at times.

Mish added that manager Don Mattingly called out Bonds during a road trip this season, noting the hitting coach’s commitment decreased over the course of the season.

While there were reportedly some issues with Bonds that go beyond the box score, one of the concerns was likely the lack of offensive production for the team. The 79-82 Marlins finished in third place in the National League East despite ranking sixth in the National League in team ERA.

The Marlins were an abysmal 27th in the major league in total runs scored with 665 and failed to capitalize on many of their impressive pitching outings.

Heyman acknowledged that some of the statistics were solid, and the Marlins improved their overall batting average by three points and their run total by 42 under Bonds’ tutelage. However, the lack of slugging and runs proved costly in Miami’s postseason push:

Bonds came to the Marlins with a head-turning resume as a player. The seven-time National League MVP, 14-time All-Star and 12-time Silver Slugger boasts the all-time records for career (762) and single-season home runs (73).

When the team hired Bonds, USA Today recognized his career was “tarnished by steroids,” but Bonds said, “I know hitting, and I know it better than anybody.”

The 2015 season wasn’t his first time working with younger players in a teaching role. According to USA Today, he served as a guest hitting instructor for the San Francisco Giants in spring training two years ago and previously tutored players on an individual level.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks fired manager Chip Hale and general manager Dave Stewart on Monday after the team failed to reach expectations following an offseason of high-profile moves. 

Fox Sports Arizona’s Jody Jackson shared a statement from the Diamondbacks:

ESPN.com’s Dan Szymborski thought Stewart deserved more blame for Arizona’s disappointing 69-93 record:

Hardball Talk’s Craig Calcaterra wrote more changes are needed in order for the Diamondbacks to turn things around:

Hale is a victim of circumstance more than anything else. He took over the Diamondbacks ahead of the 2015 season and led them to a 15-win improvement during his first year in charge, which gave the organization hope of contending this season.

In turn, the Arizona front office made a couple of blockbuster moves. It signed prized free-agent starting pitcher Zack Greinke to a monster long-term contract (six years, $206.5 million) and acquired fellow starter Shelby Miller from the Atlanta Braves as part of a trade in which it gave up 2015 first overall pick Dansby Swanson.

The Miller trade by itself was a fireable offense. In 38 games with the Braves this past season, Swanson batted .302 with three home runs and 17 RBI. The 22-year-old looks like a franchise cornerstone for Atlanta. 

Miller, meanwhile, was demoted to the minors in the middle of the year because he was badly struggling. He finished the year 3-12 in 20 starts with a 6.15 ERA.

The arrivals of Greinke and Miller, paired with some minor roster tweaking, considerably raised expectations heading into this season. As it became clear the D-Backs weren’t going to compete for a playoff berth, frustration began to mount in the desert.

One could sense the letdown in comments from Hale passed along by Michael Wagaman of the Associated Press after the team traded closer Brad Ziegler to the Boston Red Sox in July.

“I don’t [have] really any words to say about it, it’s just something that has to happen,” he said. “It’s partially [because] we haven’t played well enough to keep him. We should have played better and these things wouldn’t be happening.”

Ultimately, somebody had to take the fall for Arizona’s failure to contend, and ownership identified Hale and Stewart.

It’s difficult to pin most of the blame on Hale. Greinke (13-7, 4.37 ERA) didn’t pitch like an ace and spent time on the disabled list after suffering an oblique injury, and Miller was downright terrible. Meanwhile, losing outfielder A.J. Pollock to a broken elbow for most of the year was a huge blow to the offense.

Stewart, on the other hand, was the engineer of his own demise, and his replacement will have a difficult time undoing the damage he did to the roster.

The Diamondbacks couldn’t stand pat given the hype they entered the season with, so a complete overhaul is necessary this offseason.

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Major League Baseball‘s postseason predictions are a lot like blind dates: We’ve all tried them at some point, but man, they rarely goes right.

But that doesn’t stop us from trying, right? So below, I’ve attempted to predict the entire 2016 postseason, knowing fully well that I’ll probably get everything all wrong. The MLB postseason is funny like that, but hey, maybe this is the year it all goes according to plan.

Maybe. Possibly. Hopefully. …

National League

If there is one thing I’ve learned since 2010, it is this: You do not bet against Madison Bumgarner in the postseason.

Maybe it’s his 7-3 record in the playoffs with a 2.14 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 77 strikeouts in 88.1 innings pitched. Or his three World Series titles. Or the fact that in the 2014 World Series, he started and won Games 1 and 5 (with a shutout in Game 5) and promptly returned in Game 7 to throw a remarkable five innings of shutout relief. 

In the postseason, there simply isn’t a pitcher you would want over Bumgarner. Not even Noah Syndergaard.

“You’re going to face great pitching in the postseason,” Mets manager Terry Collins told James Wagner of the New York Times, discussing the matchup against Bumgarner.

“We’ve got our hands full,” Kelly Johnson added.

But Yoenis Cespedes was undaunted.

“Everyone knows the quality of pitcher Bumgarner is, but the field has the last word,” he told Wagner.

Maybe. But more times than not in the postseason, when Bumgarner is on the field, the Giants win. It’s really that simple.

That being said, I’m not betting against the Chicago Cubs after the season they just had. The Cubs have a fantastic pitching staff, one of the best closers in the game in Aroldis Chapman, a talented lineup led by several superstars (take your pick of Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Addison Russell, to name a few) and incredible depth.

Joe Maddon is a mad scientist, meanwhile, and the Cubs will have home-field advantage throughout the National League playoffs.

Or we could go the statistical route. The Cubs scored the second-most runs in the National League this year, were fifth in home runs and sixth in batting average. They also had the NL’s best ERA and batting average against, the most quality starts and were tied for first in shutouts.

No matter who they come up against—and I think they’ll face the Los Angeles Dodgers, who will benefit from not having to face Stephen Strasburg in the NLDS, in the NLCS—I think the Cubs are going to end their long title drought this season.

American League

While I feel confident in my National League pick, the American League is a bit more baffling. 

Let’s start with the Wild Card Round.

The Toronto Blue Jays won the season series against the Baltimore Orioles, though by the narrow margin of 10-9. They’ll have the home-field advantage in the win-or-go home contest, and the Orioles won’t be able to trot out their most consistent pitcher this year, Kevin Gausman.

On the flip side, the Orioles led the American League in home runs and have the game’s best closer this season, Zach Britton, who was perfect in 47 save attempts this year. 

If this game feels like a crapshoot, well, it probably is. In a completely non-analytical prediction—seriously, I’m totally guessing here and I’m not going to pretend otherwise—look for Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion to come up with some postseason magic in what could be their final postseasons with the Jays.

I’m not sure it will matter which team wins and faces the Texas Rangers, however. The Rangers posted solid stats across the board on offense, finishing third in batting average, fourth in runs scored and fifth in home runs. The team’s pitching was far less consistent, though Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish give the team an excellent one-two punch while Sam Dyson has locked down the ninth inning.

The Rangers have also been excellent in close games, though that doesn’t necessarily mean postseason success is on the horizon for the team. 

As David Schoenfield of ESPN wrote:

Rangers fans are convinced that the team’s 36-11 record in one-run games speaks to some kind of chemistry or clutch factor that bodes well for the postseason. Well, I can tell you that none of the teams that had the best record in one-run games in the past 10 seasons won the World Series.

Of course, it’s certainly better than being 11-36 in one-run games. I think the Rangers will beat either the Blue Jays or Orioles in the ALDS. I like their balance. But I also think that, regardless of the opponent, it will take all five games.

I feel more confident picking the Boston Red Sox to get past the Cleveland Indians and, ultimately, to reach the World Series. Part of that is Boston’s excellent offense, which leads the American League in runs and batting average. Part is a pitching staff that is third in batting average against and fourth in ERA and strikeouts.

But another major factor is that the Cleveland Indians have been decimated by injuries. A healthy Indians club might be able to topple David Ortiz and the mighty Red Sox. But I don’t see the Indians, as constructed, pulling off the feat.

Nor do I see Texas knocking off Boston. The Red Sox have the one-two punch of David Price and Rick Porcello to combat Texas’ Hamels and Darvish. Koji Uehara and Craig Kimbrel are a nice combination in the last two innings, and the Sox come at opposing pitchers with waves of talented hitters, from Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia to Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and Hanley Ramirez.

One other sneaky stat about the Red Sox: They are a solid 46-35 on the road. Texas’ home-field advantage won’t bother Boston. 

World Series

Look, I know the Cubs are the boring pick. Anybody can pick the club with the best record. But there are plenty of reasons to think that the Cubs may be the best team and still won’t win the World Series.

And yes, the “curse” looms large.

As one anonymous executive told Jayson Stark of ESPN, the Cubs will be facing far more pressure this offseason than any other team:

In the postseason, the pressure on both teams to win is usually about 50-50. But in this case… the pressure is on the Cubs every game, because of how well they’ve played, because of their record and, most of all, because of the expectations, especially in that city. If they lose one of the first two games at Wrigley, the pressure will be incredible.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, boast the game’s best offense. That will certainly play a factor.

“Their lineup is so deep and so good,” one AL executive told Stark. “The way they work counts, foul balls off, wear down pitchers, they’re just so good. And they hit good pitching.”

Another general manager told Stark:  “Boston’s offense is the singular best strength of all the teams.”

Fair enough. But Chicago’s hitting isn’t exactly chopped liver, and the team’s rotation is better. Chapman has been the far steadier closer down the stretch than Kimbrel and, honestly, the Cubs haven’t done anything on the field to suggest that they shouldn’t be the favorites to win the World Series. 

All season long, they’ve answered every question presented to them. Yeah, it’s the boring pick. But maybe, just maybe, it’s also the smart one.

Prediction: Cubs

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

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With the 2016 MLB regular season officially wrapped up and the 10-team playoff field now set, this week’s power rankings are going to be a little bit different than what you may be used to.

Looking at last week’s performance is not necessarily the best indicator of which direction each of these teams is headed, as some of them clinched prior to last week and were resting guys and setting up their playoff rotation, while others were battling just to make it in.

As a result, the criteria for this week’s rankings has changed and is more projection- and outlook-based than recent-performance-based.

The following factors were taken into account this time around:

• Postseason Outlook: How a team is lining up for playoff success was the No. 1 factor in these rankings, so things like projected postseason rotation and overall team health played a much bigger role than normal.

• Wild Card Round Disadvantage: Having to play in a one-game, do-or-die situation is a clear disadvantage to the four teams that will be playing in the Wild Card Round. As a result, you’ll see they occupy the No. 7-10 spots in the rankings. That doesn’t mean those are the four worst teams of the 10 playoff participants, but the odds are stacked against them from the get-go.

• Final Month Performance: While last week’s record may not be a good indicator, how a team has played in the past month (or in its last 30 games, in this case) can give a good idea of what direction it is trending.

Along with a postseason outlook for each team, a full breakdown of team leaders in notable stat categories was included for a quick overview of the top performers of 2016.

So here is a pre-postseason look at where this year’s 10 playoff-bound teams stand as we get set for what should be another exciting October.

Note: Season leaders reflect players who had at least 400 plate appearances for BA and OPS or 100 innings pitched in the case of ERA and WHIP.

Begin Slideshow

For all their successes in recent seasons, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals enter their National League Division Series matchup as relative strangers. They have not met in the postseason despite combining for seven division championships in the past five seasons.

The Dodgers’ two NLDS battles against NL East champions came during the two campaigns (2013 and 2015) where Washington was sitting at home.

Both rosters enter the playoffs with their regular seasons defined by pitching excellence and injuries.

The Nationals rank in the top five in nearly every major pitching category, boasting perhaps baseball’s best and one of its most expensive pitching rotations. Per Odds Shark, Max Scherzer is the odds-on favorite to take home the NL Cy Young Award after posting a 20-7 record and striking out a career-high 284 batters. He’s the rare free-agent pitching acquisition who has actually gotten better since getting the money.

Washington has also gotten an excellent season from Tanner Roark, who has taken on Jordan Zimmermann’s old role of being the awesome guy no one talks about. Joe Ross has also been solid for most of the season and would have a legit claim to the third starter role likely occupied by Gio Gonzalez.

Missing? Stephen Strasburg, who has already been ruled out for the NLDS.

“Well, you won’t see [Strasburg] in the first series, and I don’t even know if you’ll see him, you know, maybe in the second series,” manager Dusty Baker said on McNabb & Custer on ESPN Radio (via ESPN.com). “You might see him in the World Series.”

Strasburg, himself heading toward a potential 20-win season, has not pitched since Sept. 7. He’s been dealing with a strained flexor mass in his right arm and has thrown just 2.1 innings since mid-August. His effectiveness had taken a steep decline over his final four starts, with Strasburg losing his last three decisions and upping his ERA by nearly a full run after beginning 15-1.

The Dodgers spent a chunk of their regular season dealing with injuries to ace Clayton Kershaw. The former Cy Young winner sat out more than two months with a back injury before returning in September. He’s been his typically brilliant self in working back into shape since, giving up four total runs in five appearances.

“It looked bleak there for a little bit. I didn’t know if I was going to be able to make it to this point,” Kershaw said, per Matthew Moreno of Dodger Blue. “Now that it’s here it’s exciting. But it’s only exciting if we win, so I’ll try to win Friday.”

Kershaw faced Washington once in the regular season, giving up one run and striking out eight in a June 20 win. He finished 2016 with an ERA of 1.69, the third time in four years he’s been under 2.00.

Co-anchoring the staff will be midseason acquisition Rich Hill, who has basically been put in playoff bubble wrap since coming over from the Oakland Athletics. He’s made just six starts since the trade, none of the last three going for longer than 5.1 innings. Hill has been dealing with finger blister issues for months, and the Dodgers have taken every precaution to ensure he’ll be available in October.

But L.A.’s real strength comes after the starters leave the mound. No team in baseball posted a better bullpen ERA, atoning for the Dodgers ranking 29th in quality starts.

Kenley Jansen is poised for a huge payday this offseason after setting a career high with 47 saves and striking out 104 batters in 68.2 innings. Joe Blanton has enjoyed a sudden return to form at age 35 as a setup man, fanning 80 batters in as many innings to lead the team in holds.

The Nationals are nonetheless sitting right behind the Dodgers in bullpen ERA. Mark Melancon was one of the sport’s best midseason acquisitions and might wind up a top-10 Cy Young finisher despite splitting his season with two teams. Blake Treinen and Shawn Kelley have been good in the back end despite not making many headlines.

The series will likely come down to which of these two questionable lineups can catch a little fire. The Dodgers won the season series 5-1. 

“We played fairly well against the Nationals in the regular season, and playoff baseball is a whole different animal,” Chase Utley said, per Doug Padilla of ESPN.com. “We’re going to do what we can to prepare for them and put a game plan together and we’ll see what happens.”

That success hasn’t carried over of late, with the Dodgers losing five of their last six regular-season games. The rival San Francisco Giants can thank their three-game sweep of L.A. over the weekend for their Wild Card berth. The Dodgers scored three runs or fewer in four of their last six games and ranked 14th in runs scored overall.

“We as hitters…I think everybody else is the ones that are talking about it,” said Howie Kendrick, per Padilla. “As far as us as players, you just do your best every day, whether it’s a lefty or a righty. I don’t think we go up and try to [think] any differently against a lefty or a righty, we just haven’t hit them this year for whatever reason. Whether that’s good or bad, we can’t really focus on that going into the postseason.”

The Nationals were a much more consistent eighth in runs scored, but they were 17th in batting average and struggled for extended stretches against good pitching. Their staff being better from a righty standpoint also fares well for the Dodgers, who have struggled all season against left-handed pitching.

Essentially, this series is as close to a push as you can get. 

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