Another postseason game to feature sailors on October 22, 2001. Julio Rodriguez was about 10 months old; The first generation iPod was a day away from its release; And the American version of survivor Its third season has just begun. Needless to say, a lot has changed since then (except for survivorwhich is still strong).
The blue jays They appear for the fourth time in the postseason in eight years, but prior to that, they had not made the playoffs since back-to-back World Championship wins in 1992 and 93. So these are two franchises that know a thing or two about the drought. With the two sides poised to align in Toronto’s best of three wild card series, let’s take a peek at the three that will define what should be an entertaining series.
1. Can Seattle Trust Starters?
The Sailors needed to bolster their rotation initially in the deadline, and they did so in a massive way by swinging a deal in Luis Castillo’s favour. while the former reds The ace has impressed since moving in, the other major members of the rotation have shown signs of wear.
Rookie George Kirby had a 5.89 ERA in his last four starts, and his sprint dropped from 95.3 mph to 93.8 mph in his last start on Oct. 3. Robbie Ray, who won the AL Cy Young award with the Blue Jays last year, has dropped eight home runs across 27 runs in his last five matches. The leftist was effective on his first start against his former team again on July 9, although he allowed a six-stroke run over six innings. In a solo outing against Toronto on July 8, Kirby gave up two rounds at 10 strokes and was removed in the fifth inning.
The Bullpen in Seattle has been reliable all year, with the sixth best ERA (3.34) and fourth lowest walking average (3.01 BB/9) in the majors. The team threw the fourth-fewest number of rounds among the relief teams, however, manager Scott Service may have to rely on those arms more if any of his early starters falter.
2. Which team can keep the ball in the yard the most times?
Of the 12 playoff teams, none of the crew has given up running at home at a rate higher than these two teams. The Mariners allow 1.16 home runs per nine innings, while Toronto comes in with a 1.13 HR/9 clip. Both are fifth in the standings in the MLS, and with each attack falling into the top ten in major home running competitions, we could be in store For some high-goal matches.
The pitcher from every side to watch in this regard is the aforementioned opinion from Seattle and Kevin Gussman from Toronto. Back to his days in BaltimoreGausman has always been a talented arm that’s been played a lot with the long ball. He averaged 1.26 HR/9 from 2013 to 19, but has seen that number drop in each of the past three seasons, all the way down to 0.77 HR/9 this year.
But old habits started creeping in at the wrong time, as the oath succumbed to eight homeowners in its last seven starts across 40 degrees (1.79 HR/9). The good news is that he’s hit 50 strikes in just six times during that time, so he’s still pretty effective despite his home runs. Moreover, since he did not walk much, he limited the damage mostly when he gave up the niggers; Five of those eight came with no one at base.
3. Could Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Get Hot In Time?
Guerrero’s first taste of baseball after the season was short and quiet, as the 21-year-old went 1 for 7 on the 2020 wild card tour as he swept Tampa Bay Toronto. Guerrero hasn’t had the same season as the MVP runner-up since 21 and has seen his racket go relatively quiet since the start of September: .680 OPS with just five players in 32 games.
If there’s one thing Guerrero hasn’t faced this season, it’s catching fast balls. He’s put .56 slow and .386 wOBA on the heaters this season, breathing only 17% of the time (swinging and missing at least 30% of the time against non-quick pitches and breaking balls). Meanwhile, two of Seattle’s top players – Castillo and Kirby – have four-stage fastballs that rank in the top 10 for Operating value, so don’t expect them to just dump the junk on Flady, though it crushes the heat. Guerrero has delivered twice with three walking runs and only three strikes in his last five games, so he’s probably getting close to his level when his side needs him most.
More MLB coverage:
• World Series Outlook for SI . Employees
• Inside Aaron Judge’s hunt for running history
• Aaron Judge: The Authentic Home Run King
• The Guardians are the most interesting MLB team
• ‘Let’s F –ing Party’: Sailors finally ended their 21-year drought
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