Major League Baseball Playoff Schedule 2015: TV Channel, Start Time Set

And great pitching matchup here – Jake Arrieta – what a phenomenal season by him. “Too much depends on how good a night teams” pitchers are having in a single game.

Last season, the Royals made it to the World Series thanks in large part to their fielding prowess.

After pitching, the biggest key for determining postseason success is timely hitting.

The starting rotation’s 2.98 ERA is the best in the MLB, while the bullpen has the third-lowest ERA (2.77) and the most saves (62) in baseball.

The Cardinals will face the 2nd or 3rd best team in all of baseball in the Division Series. There’s no question they’re underdogs. And the difference in this year’s club versus last year is that all of a sudden, they’re not just a, you know, a paper-cut team offensively.

Many sports fans gravitate to the home town team, but that can be a challenge for baseball fans in the midstate.

They have the deepest lineup by far with Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista and Tulowitzki leading the way. Houston scored first, in the top of the second, when Erasmus homered to right (401 feet).

Another surprise team, the Houston Astros, can certainly bash the ball, but they have proven to be effective when it comes to steals. And if your favorite team hasn’t formed their own adaptation of the “Cardinal Way” yet, they should do it immediately.

On the other side of the bracket, the Los Angeles Dodgers should take care of the very young, but inexperienced New York Mets. The Cubs and Pirates finished with two of the three best records in baseball. “So we’ve actually invited all our full-time baseball operations staff, all the scouts and all our development people, when we host that first game at Wrigley, Game 3”. Waiting for the victor of the Wild Card game will be John Lackey, Michael Wacha, and potentially, 2014 ace Adam Wainwright.

Injuries have taken their toll on the Cardinals, but they have managed to stay somewhat productive with the next-man- up philosophy. The Cubs were trying to hang on by their fingernails to a shred of wild-card contention.

With timely hitting being so key in the postseason, their inability to produce with runners in scoring position is a huge red flag. The Dodges with their world-class pitching against the power and might of the Blue Jays.

Justin Grimm of the Chicago Cubs signs autographs before the last game of the season. However, they will be without Martinez (shoulder sprain) and possibly Molina, who has torn a ligament in his thumb. Cole faced Kyle Hendricks and Jason Hammel once each and Jon Lester twice. Though the Dodgers have become a postseason staple, their most recent World Series victory was in 1988, and their eight postseason appearances since have wound up fruitless. The lovable losers have a decent shot at ending their 107-year title drought.

The Dodgers will edge the Mets and the Cardinals will get past the Cubs. Combine their strong rotation with a dominant bullpen led by Kenley Jansen and the Dodgers could easily pitch their way to a title. The Houston Astros might have enough pitching to overcome a tough, Blue Jays’ lineup, but Toronto might just have the intangibles to overtake a very young, Astros’ team.

In 1985, the Royals came back from 3-1 to upset the favored Cards in the Fall Classic. They only held 71 leads (fourth fewest) following that rotation? Yankee manager Joe Girardi instead played fellow outfielder Brett Gardner (who, as Girardi sharply pointed out, is making a good bit of money himself), because of his better batting average against left-handed pitchers.