Oct 5, 20236 min read

Sweepin'

Welp, that was quick. The Wild Card round took just two days as all four series ended in 2-nil sweeps. We were robbed from win-or-go-home games and now have two days of no baseball. You ask me? Round 1 was a let down, making the Divisional round slate of rematches; reunions; and revenge extra hot on the stove.

We are set to start the ALDS and NLDS this weekend after the Rangers; Diamondbacks; Twins; and Phillies took care of their business in the opening round. With that, we go to 5-game sets, with each of the eight cities being given a chance to make a difference in the stands. We saw that on full display from the Philadelphia faithful in the Wild Card. Will another city like Minnesota and Baltimore chime in on the noise? I bet they do. I do want to say- I am happy Tampa Bay won't get another opportunity this year (sorry Rays' players).

The Rays went out in one of the more embarrassing ways possible in the Wild Card round. Every once in awhile we see collapses in the playoffs and just embarrassing moments. Remember when the 116-win Mariners team lost 17-2 in a Game-3 to the Indians to trail 2-1 in the opening round in 2001? The Rays added some more down bad behavior to the poor history with a) being swept and outscored 11-1 in two games, and b) the fan attendance.

Through the whole relocation debacle- I wanted the Rays to ship off somewhere else even if it meant a rebrand. Then the news broke that they finally agreed to a stadium location in downtown St. Petersburg, showin' off a sweet template and everything- that I was cool with: Rays stay true and Tropicana is no more.

After Game-1, I was back in disgust and agreement that the Rays need to leave Tampa Bay! What a disgusting showing, rather lack thereof, by the Rays' fans. The attendance at Tropicana Field for the Rays’ playoff opener was 19,704- the lowest recorded for a playoff game in a season since 1919 (not including covid season). The Rays won 99 games this season. Ninety-nine wins and 19K show up for a bloody playoff game. The attendance being that low for a playoff game is dishonor and pure disrespect to baseball and the players. They should force the Rays' organization to relocate out of Tampa Bay and out of Florida.

The Rays' players were gutted and doomed from the start. I blame the "fans" for the 4 errors in Game-1, which tied a franchise record for most in a playoff game. I blame the sweep on the fans, too. The players don't warrant any excuses, but I blame the fans anyway just out of spite. Man. The Rays went from possible AL East champs and the best AL record (maybe MLB too) to losing their ace for a year+; losing their highest paid player and pillar (possibly forever); capped off with the lowest attendance playoff game and a sweep in two games. A monumental derail. Curse startin' derail.

Drought snapped! The streak is over. Minnesota snapped an 18-game postseason losing streak, dating back to 2004, the longest playoff game win drought across the Big 4. Minnesota have advanced in the playoffs for the first time in 21 years (2001)- that was the third longest drought across the Big 4. For all those chirpin' about them gettin' their celly on after just a ALDS berth: sit yo a** down! They have a right to celebrate for one night!

The Twins got the brooms out powered by masterful pitching; veteran prowess; and a young riser steppin' up to make impact in his first big dance. Unlike the nastiness inside the Trop', the Twins' faithful created scenes in the Twin Cities. Target Field was poppin' loud with noise, thanks to their young stud third-baseman who took the top off the diamond.

Royce Lewis was the star of Game-1 and his impact bounced off his teammates. Lewis drove in all three runs in GM-1, with a two-run blast in the first inning and a solo shot in the third. RoLew is just the third player in MLB history to homer in each of his first two career postseason at-bats. Lewis got the crowd going and that was all that was needed for the bullpen to sail them to the drought snappin' dub.

The pitching for Minnesota was the difference maker in this series. Lights out pitchin' from the 'pen and both starters. Across the two games, the bullpen pitched 7 1/2 innings giving up ZERO runs and striking out ten Blue Jays. Pablo Lopez and Sonny Gray did their part with just the kind of performances you could ask for in the playoffs. Gray also made one of the better pickoffs I have seen, considering the moment:

What a move to take the bat out of Bo's hands with 2 RISP and a full count. Playoff baseball at it's finest. Now, as I said the Twins have the right to party that night. They earned that right by advancing when the likes of Mauer; Morneau; Santana; and Gomez couldn't. But the party is a quick one, now it's time to buckle up. From here it only gets tougher.

When friends become enemies as they battle in a quest for the grandest prize. Ah, one of my favorite plots. Here we are again. Carlos Correa played seven years for the Houston Astros. Correa was a pillar to three World Series appearing squads, including the 2017 World Series winnin' squad. He returns to the ALDS, not as an Astro, but against them.

What a reunion. Correa may not be 100% as he deals with his nags- but he still is a playoff prowess. Ranking 6th all-time in career postseason RBIs, he is ready to drive in more to help his Twins past the Astros and into the ALCS. It's going to be a tough feat. The Astros are a team built for the playoffs, like Minny, but with the actual experience to prove it. Both crowds will be loud and active. I am excited for this matchup. Correa vs Altuve- run it!

The Phils' had no issues with the Marlins in the Wild Card. Sliced em up; seasoned em; and took care of that appetite. Phillies' faithful showed OUT and killed Miami's hopes and dreams with each roar. Phillies Nation have once again raised the bar and that goes beyond just the diamond. Citizens Bank Park would collapse if it had a roof. No roof is holding in that Phillies crowd noise. Enjoy Bryson Stott's Grand-Slam with just the sounds of playoff baseball: ** warning ** the decibels are HIGH **

Just unreal atmosphere and now that atmosphere gets even more raucous as the Phils' are still hungry, lookin' to finish their story (peep Castellano's ring finger). Now the test. Up next is the rematch. Phillies versus the mighty Braves is the NLDS for the second straight season. Featuring a Braves team that is far better than they were last season, the kicker? The Phillies squad is better too. This series is going to bring the NOISE.

Phillies-Braves is just the right series that will make us forget about a full slate of sweeps in the Wild Card round. Atlanta will face their most difficult challenge of the season- the Phillies crowd and playoff Bryce Harper (they already know him). Playoff baseball turn things up!

The Rangers and Diamondbacks clicked on all fashions as they cruise into the Divisional round of the playoffs. The Rangers especially as they dominated the 99-win Rays, outscoring them 11-1 in two games. Diamondbacks used their speed; pitching; and defense to dissect a Brewers team in their own backyard. That was just the easy part for the two clubs. Now they really get tested (no offense Milwaukee). Texas plays the AL king Orioles as Arizona plays the NL king Dodgers. Time to buckle up.

Texas and Baltimore should be a fun one and much more entertaining than the Rays series. Just like with Philly and Atlanta, both Texas and Baltimore will bring the noise to help bolster their home team. Will the baby-face Orioles have too strong of jitters is the question to be answered in the beginning stages of the series. Texas havin' consistency marks questions on the other side. Questions that I am pumped to find the answers to. We can only hope this thing goes five games. After the sweeps, we can only hope all the series go the full five, sheeeit.

Diamondbacks need to hope that the confidence on the mound from the Wild Card round, carries over to the NLDS. They won't be wanting to try and come from behind against a Dodgers team. D-backs will need to start better so the pressure doesn't choke their bullpen. As I was right about regarding the Brewers series- game management and pitching decisions will play a huge part. Can Arizona upset the Dodgers and head to the NLCS for the first time since 2007? Or will the Dodgers begin their march?

No more sweep nonsense, baseball gods! We are not here for any of that, cha heard. Knock on wood that the Divisional round will bring the right level of noise (and then some). The matchups scream, hopefully the action will too. Let there be madness!

Sweepin'

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