MLB Playoff Picture 2022: Hot Takes and Top Storylines for October 14 Schedule
Friday could turn out to be a vital day in the Major League Baseball postseason.
The two NLDS series change venues with the matchups tied at one game apiece. The Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres hold the edges in the pitching matchups and appear to be in good spots to go up 2-1 on home soil.
Philadelphia needs a win out of Aaron Nola so that it can feel less pressure about Game 4, when it will throw a significantly weaker starting pitcher against the Atlanta Braves.
San Diego must get a quality start out of Blake Snell to keep up the momentum gained from its Game 2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
And then there is the ALDS showdown between the Cleveland Guardians and New York Yankees.
Game 2 of the Cleveland-New York series was postponed from Thursday to Friday. The rainout set up a four-game-in-four-day sprint that could tire out both bullpens.
Shane Bieber and Nestor Cortes have extra pressure on them to pitch well on Friday so that each bullpen is not taxed going into Saturday's Game 3 in Cleveland.
Shane Bieber, Nestor Cortes Need to Go at Least Six Innings
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The Cleveland Guardians and New York Yankees need quality performances from their Game 2 starters in order to preserve their respective bullpens for the potential run of four games on four consecutive days.
Thursday's postponement moved the Shane Bieber-Nestor Cortes matchup back to Friday. Both hurlers are more than capable of delivering what their teams need.
Bieber is coming off a 7.2-inning outing last Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays. The scheduled day off in between Games 1 and 2 and the postponement will allow him to pitch on more than full rest on Friday.
Bieber reached the sixth inning in 10 of his final 11 regular-season starts. He conceded more than three earned runs once in that span. He followed that stretch up with a three-hit outing in Game 1 against the Rays.
Cortes fanned 12 Baltimore Orioles in his final regular-season start. He got into the sixth inning in five of his last nine appearances. He pitched at least five frames in eight of those nine games.
The Yankees need at least five innings out of Cortes to match what Bieber does and to put less stress on the bullpen.
The Game 2 goal for both sides should be to use the bullpen arms as little as possible so that they can cover innings in Games 3 and 4 when starters will have shorter leashes.
We are likely in for a pitching masterclass at Yankee Stadium given the recent form of both pitchers, and that would be the ideal scenario for both teams before they head to Cleveland for two games in two days.
Blake Snell Pitches Well but Has Shortest Outing of Friday's Starters
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Blake Snell has a habit of pitching well in games but also maxing out his pitch count before the sixth inning.
Snell had nine starts with three or more walks, and 13 of his 25 starts did not go past the fifth inning.
The San Diego southpaw has never made it out of the sixth inning in his postseason career, and he lasted just 3.2 innings against the New York Mets in Game 2 of the wild-card round.
Snell walked six batters and struck out five in his 3.2-inning outing against the Mets. He was tagged for four hits and two earned runs.
He has the potential to last the shortest of Friday's six starting pitchers, but that may not be a bad thing for the Padres.
San Diego's bullpen pitched 9.1 scoreless innings in the first two games against the Los Angeles Dodgers inside Dodger Stadium.
Bob Melvin would have no problem going to the bullpen early in order to either keep the Padres within striking distance or preserve a small lead.
San Diego's relievers did not give up a hit in Game 1 after Mike Clevinger departed in the third inning, so some of the arms who would be called on in case of a short Snell start already have experience in the situation.
Snell could still produce a strong outing, but do not expect him to last deep into the game with a strong bullpen ready to go behind him.
Philadelphia Sits in Must-Win Spot
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Philadelphia resides in the largest must-win spot on Friday.
The Phillies will be playing their first home postseason game in 11 years with ace Aaron Nola on the hill.
Philadelphia needs a Game 3 victory to give itself a safety net ahead of Games 4 and 5, where the Atlanta Braves could have the edge in the pitching matchups.
As of Friday morning, the Braves had not named a Game 3 starter. The decision is likely between Charlie Morton and Spencer Strider. Morton has struggled in parts of the season, and Strider's innings may be limited since he is coming off an oblique injury.
The Phillies know they can get six or seven innings out of Nola, who shut down the St. Louis Cardinals offense over 6.2 innings in the clinching win of the wild-card round.
Nola went at least six innings in all five of his regular-season starts against Atlanta. He struck out at least seven batters in all of those appearances.
Philadelphia needs the best out of Nola because the rest of its pitching schedule for the series is questionable. Kyle Gibson or Noah Syndergaard will throw in Game 4, and either a fully rested Ranger Suarez or Zack Wheeler on short rest would go in Game 5.
Atlanta could have the edge in both Games 4 and 5, so it is imperative that Nola puts all the series pressure on the Braves by winning Game 3 for the Phillies.
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