Wild Card Series Takeaways By: Hank Indictor
Well, that was fast. All of the Wild Card Series' have ended in sweeps; some were more surprising than others, but history continued to be made. Here are some of my key Takeaways from each series.
American League
Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays
This was a sloppy series for the Rays. The four errors made in the first game were terrible, with the worst being the bobble/airmail by Jose Siri that led to a pair of runs scoring. And even if you remove the much-maligned Wander Franco, the Rays bats were utterly silent, having scored just one run in the entire series! We must give the Texas Rangers credit where credit is due. Their much-hyped pitching acquisitions may have been out of commission, but their secondary additions in Jordan Montgomery and Nathan Eovaldi proved to be keys in shutting down the Rays. Neither of them walked a batter, and together they had 13 strikeouts. And despite leaving many runners in scoring position, the Rangers lineup still provided enough clutch hits to take the series. 21-year-old Evan Carter, in particular, proved to be an unsung hero with his big catch in the first game and a two-run homer in the 2nd game that essentially was the nail in the coffin. This team will have their hands full against the Orioles in the Division Series. Do they have enough to stop the Oriole Magic?
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Minnesota Twins
Much was made of the Minnesota Twins and their 18-game playoff losing streak. Now, not only did they exorcise some demons, but they have a chance to slay another dragon in the Houston Astros. How long has it been since the Twins have won a playoff series? Most of us in the Network (I slowly raise my hand) were in elementary school! Royce Lewis made history by hitting home runs in his first two at-bats of the series, and Carlos Correa provided a clutch single to enhance his reputation as a big game player. That said, the Toronto Blue Jays have many questions to answer come the offseason. This is yet another year of high expectations they failed to deliver. We didn't know which lineup would show up beforehand, but ultimately, it was the ice-cold underachieving one. Bo Bichette was the only one to have a decent series. The Blue Jays had many chances to get that big hit, but it never came. And there's no defending John Schneider's moronic decision to remove high-priced acquisition Jose Berrios despite only throwing 47 pitches and not allowing a run. This team needs to do some serious soul-searching in the off-season.
National League
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Milwaukee Brewers
The injury to Brandon Woodruff was the fallacy of a predetermined outcome, especially when neither Corbin Burnes nor Freddy Peralta could hold on to leads. That is a significant disappointment. And much like in years past, the lineup, while decent on paper, couldn't get the big hit when it mattered the most. However, credit Zac Gallen, who settled down after giving up two runs in the first inning, and ROTY Candidate Corbin Carroll, who hit a home run in his first postseason game. Could he be a potential big-game player? Also, Ketel Marte hit big home runs in each of the games. Does this team stand much of a chance against a powerful Dodgers lineup? Time will tell.
Miami Marlins vs. Philadelphia Phillies
This one was easily the least shocking out of all the sweeps. Although the Marlins appeared to be a threat since they've had their way with the Phils recently, they could not keep it a close game. You have to credit the one-two punch of Wheeler and Nola, who dominated the Marlins in each of their starts. Nick Castellanos was ready to flip off fish with his clutch doubles, and Bryce Harper will run through stop signs to attempt to deliver a championship back to Philadelphia! Bryson Stott's grand slam not only put a final nail in the coffin, but it was another moment that set off bedlam to the Bank! However, awaiting is a loaded Atlanta Braves squad, and no matter how that series ends, you can be sure that the Phillies will not show any signs of intimidation.