ALDS Game 1: Yankees (Cole) vs Rays (Snell)

THEY ARE = Virtual

TODAY!!!

www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/mlb-playoffs-which-teams-have-the-clearest-path-to-a-title-ranking-contenders-1-8/ar-BB19IlQ5

1. Dodgers

Collectively, they may be Sisyphus, but Sisyphus never had a pair of MVPs helping him push that boulder up the hill. Fool us 32 times, shame on us, but c’mon, can you honestly place another team ahead of the Dodgers as they bid for their first title since 1988?

The bats looked a little tight in a two-game sweep of Milwaukee, save for Mookie Betts, who socked three doubles and is playing with the security of a man with a $365 million contract and a World Series ring already in tow. He seems unstoppable, and slowly, the other bats and well-placed platoon pieces will fall in place.

Despite Clayton Kershaw’s Game 2 masterpiece, the pitching feels too unsettled for a pennant favorite. Walker Buehler’s blister remains disconcerting. Will anyone among Julio Urias, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May seize a role as a No. 3 starter? If they require “piggybacking” with another arm, will that stretch the pitching too thin without off days for two rounds? Whither Kenley Jansen?

That all rates somewhere between nitpicking and actual concern.

3. Braves

Commissioner Rob Manfred says people love their brackets and we’ll say this for the Braves: They got a nice draw. The offensively erratic Reds were a perfect match for their overwhelming bullpen and 1-2 starter punch. While Ian Anderson has just seven career starts, his 50 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings – including nine in six against the Reds – create the impression he’s going to join Livan Hernandez, Michael Wacha and others who followed abbreviated rookie years with dominant postseason runs.

Atlanta won six of 10 against Miami and scored at least nine runs in three of those wins. It will be more challenging to prevail in best-of-five settings, but leaning on a lineup with three MVP candidates in Freddie Freeman, Ronald Acuna Jr. and Marcell Ozuna is not a bad way to live, either.

4. Astros

It’s easier to find a ballot drop box in Harris County than it is to find anyone outside of the 713 rooting for these guys. Yet those who live for Astros schadenfreude may want to hibernate until 2021.

First off, they made it look way too easy going into Target Field and thoroughly submitting a good Twins team, playoff history aside. It should be a little disconcerting to opponents that Zack Greinke is starting Game 3 of the ALDS. Why? Because Cristian Javier, Framber Valdez and Jose Urquidy combined to allow one earned run over 12 1/3 innings (0.73 ERA) in the wild-card series, and Lance McCullers Jr. is frothing to take the ball. They can afford to push the $200 million guy back a bit.

And here’s another fun theme for this Astros run: How unsatisfying is it to root against players who weren’t even around for the 2017 sign-stealing scandal? Certainly, Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa and George Springer will figure into any Astros advancement. But if the heroes are ultimately Kyle Tucker and Michael Brantley and Valdez and Javier, do you even get a decent hate-watch out of it?

6. Marlins

Anyone out there still foolish enough to bet against America’s Team?

It’s true: There’s nothing the Marlins can’t overcome, be it the first and worst COVID-19 outbreak in baseball history or an offense that ranked in the lower third of baseball in OPS, home runs and weighted on-base average.

Perhaps rookie Sixto Sanchez and Sandy Alcantara’s 1-2 rotation punch can continue creating the breathing room needed for the offense to cook just enough. The back-end starters – some combo of Pablo Lopez and Trevor Rogers, most likely – shouldn’t be slept on, either. But the Braves and Dodgers or Padres will pose far greater offensive threats than the Cubs, along with the ability to win close, low-scoring games. There’s a path for the Marlins, but it’s narrowed considerably.

7. Athletics

It’s a question that seems to dog every A’s playoff team: Can they hit elite pitching?

Oakland finished in the bottom half of the big leagues in almost every offensive category and survived the wild card round only because the White Sox walked nine batters in eight innings in Game 3. Those free passes will be harder to come by when trying to topple the Astros, the Yankees-Rays winner and the NL champ.

Meanwhile, while Game 1 ALDS starter Chris Bassitt and the bullpen are outstanding, there are far too many questions surrounding the Nos. 2-5 starters, compounded by the no-days-off format.
8. Padres

Even if top starters Dinelson Lamet and Mike Clevinger were healthy, any path that begins with the Dodgers is daunting. San Diego went 4-6 against its northern nemesis this year, with Lamet striking out 11 in one of those wins. But both right-handers remain doubtful for the NLDS, at least, with arm injuries.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers have posted a .944 OPS over two seasons against second-year righty and likely Game 1 starter Chris Paddack, and the Padres’ whole-staff approach that won Game 3 of the wild-card series will only get less sustainable with each round

Rays lineup for today:

1. Yandy Diaz (R) DH
2. Brandon Lowe (L) 2B
3. Randy Arozarena (R) LF
4. Ji-Man Choi (L) 1B
5. Manuel Margot (R) RF
6. Joey Wendle (L) 3B
7. Willy Adames (R) SS
8. Kevin Kiermaier (L) CF
9. Mike Zunino (R) C

Hopefully Choi doesn't continue owning Cole like he has in the past. He's 8 for 12 with 3 HRs and 3 doubles off of him!