Up two games to none on the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series, the Tampa Bay Rays are proving with every contest that they are not to be underestimated. Although the franchise had the sixth-most wins in baseball during the 2010s, it also struggled to make the playoffs — and on the rare […]
As we near the end of the second round of Major League Baseball’s expanded playoffs, we thought it would be a good time to delve into what we’ve observed in this year’s unusual postseason. In some ways, bracket baseball is similar to past Octobers — but it’s also been filled with surprises. So what have […]
It may have been in Major League Baseball’s new best-of-three wild-card round, but the Atlanta Braves’ series victory over the Cincinnati Reds last week was a long time coming. Going into these playoffs, Atlanta hadn’t won a postseason series since defeating the Houston Astros in the 2001 National League Division Series. The 19 intervening years […]
We start with baseball. After a moment of sympathy for the rotten weekend Philadelphia sports fans have just endured, we discuss the format changes for the MLB postseason. We’re all happy baseball made it to the playoffs. Neil and Geoff like the change to a more bracket-friendly approach, with all 16 playoff teams taking part […]
Starting pitching tactics in baseball’s postseason, which starts today, often differ from those of the regular season. Because of the off days needed for travel between cities in a playoff series, pitchers typically enjoy more rest. That allows teams to lean on their best pitchers more than they can in the regular season. For instance, […]