MLB Playoffs 2014: Schedule, Bracket and Divisional Series Predictions
If the 2014 regular season has proven anything, it's that nothing can be taken for granted.
The reigning world champion Boston Red Sox finished last in the American League East. The Tampa Bay Rays—a team some had penciled in as World Series contenders—were only nine games better than the Sox and finished fourth in the AL East.
The Oakland Athletics had a collapse of epic proportions after making that blockbuster trade for Jon Lester. Of course, their collapse was nothing compared to that of the Milwaukee Brewers, who led the National League Central for 150 days but ended up two games over .500.
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You can view an updated postseason bracket on MLB.com.
| 1 | KC at LAA | Thurs., Oct. 2 | 9 p.m. | TBS |
| 2 | KC at LAA | Fri., Oct. 3 | 9:30 p.m. | TBS |
| 3 | LAA at KC | Sun., Oct. 5 | 7:30 p.m. | TBS |
| 4* | LAA at KC | Mon., Oct. 6 | TBD | TBS |
| 5* | KC at LAA | Wed., Oct. 8 | TBD | TBS |
| 1 | DET at BAL | Thurs., Oct. 2 | 5:30 p.m. | TBS |
| 2 | DET at BAL | Fri., Oct. 3 | 12 p.m. | TBS |
| 3 | BAL at DET | Sun., Oct. 5 | 3:30 p.m. | TBS |
| 4* | BAL at DET | Mon., Oct. 6 | TBD | TBS |
| 5* | DET at BAL | Wed., Oct. 8 | TBD | TBS |
| 1 | SF Giants at WSH | Fri., Oct. 3 | 3 p.m. | FS1 |
| 2 | SF Giants at WSH | Sat., Oct. 4 | 5:30 p.m. | FS1 |
| 3 | WSH at SF Giants | Mon., Oct. 6 | TBA | MLB Network |
| 4* | WSH at SF Giants | Tues., Oct. 7 | TBA | FS1 |
| 5* | SF Giants at WSH | Thurs., Oct. 9 | TBA | FS1 |
| 1 | STL at LAD | Fri., Oct. 3 | 6:30 p.m. | FS1 |
| 2 | STL at LAD | Sat., Oct. 4 | 9:30 p.m. | MLB Network |
| 3 | LAD at STL | Mon., Oct. 6 | TBA | FS1 |
| 4* | LAD at STL | Tues., Oct. 7 | TBA | FS1 |
| 5* | STL at LAD | Thurs., Oct. 9 | TBA | FS1 |
Baltimore Orioles vs. Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers' postseason run will be a strong indicator of just how much a bad bullpen can sink your World Series hopes. Max Scherzer, David Price and Justin Verlander are the last three American League Cy Young Award winners, but they can't pitch nine innings in every game.
Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter thinks Detroit's issues in late innings will be the team's ultimate undoing:
"Flaws at the back end of the relief corps tend to be magnified in October, and the team's 27th-ranked bullpen ERA tells the story of a team that has struggled to close out games this season behind high-profile signing Joe Nathan.
The rotation is going to keep the Tigers in games, but just think back to the ALCS a year ago, when the bullpen blew a pair of games against the Boston Red Sox and essentially cost them the series.
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What the Baltimore Orioles lack in star power, they make up for in balance across the board. They have a solid if unspectacular starting rotation and an offense that's continued to produce even after losing Chris Davis, Manny Machado and Matt Wieters.
Defense could also be a key factor here, and Detroit continues to be one of the worst defensive teams in baseball.
A top-heavy team can go all the way, but more often than not, its flaws are exposed in a big way come October.
Prediction: Orioles win, 3-2
Los Angeles Angels vs. Kansas City Royals
Much is made of the Kansas City Royals bullpen, and rightfully so. Once the Royals reach the seventh inning with a lead, that's usually all she wrote. The trio of Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland has been almost untouchable.
According to USA Today's Jorge L. Ortiz, the Royals are 72-1 when leading after the seventh and 79-1 when leading after eight.
Of course, the Los Angeles Angels bullpen isn't too bad, either. Huston Street's saved 17 games and posted a 1.71 ERA since arriving in Anaheim, while the Jason Grilli-Ernesto Frieri trade couldn't have worked out any better.
The Royals are a better defensive team and have much more speed than the Angels, but Kansas City manager Ned Yost can be a bit too devoted to his small-ball approach. While good pitching often trumps good hitting, you still need some power coming from the heart of your order.
As long as the Angels get some steady innings from their starting pitchers, Mike Trout and Albert Pujols' offense will be the difference for Los Angeles.
Prediction: Angels win, 3-1
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. St. Louis Cardinals
If only Clayton Kershaw could pitch every game in this series.
While Kershaw will undoubtedly grab the majority of the headlines, the progress of Hyun-Jin Ryu's recovery could mean everything for the Los Angeles Dodgers. If they can count on him in the National League Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, they'll win the series.
According to ESPN.com's Mark Saxon, Ryu pitched a three-inning simulated game on Wednesday and looks on pace to be back by Game 3.
"Ryu was at his normal velocity and used all his pitches with no problems before, during or after with his shoulder," read a statement released by the team, per Saxon. "He will be re-examined [Thursday] to determine how the shoulder responded."
If Los Angeles can have a top three of Kershaw, Zack Greinke and Ryu, then the Cardinals could be in serious trouble.
Prediction: Dodgers win, 3-2
Washington Nationals vs. San Francisco Giants
Asdrubal Cabrera hasn't been lights-out since being traded to the Washington Nationals, but putting him at the bottom of the order helped add some pop to the Nats offense and shore up what was one of the few holes in the team.
The greatest strength for the Nationals, however, is their starting rotation. Jordan Zimmermann and Stephen Strasburg finished 10th and 13th, respectively, in pitcher WAR, according to FanGraphs. The advanced metrics aren't as kind to Doug Fister, but he finished with the fourth-best ERA in the National League.
Whom Nats manager Matt Williams will turn to in Game 4 remains up in the air. Fox Sports' Jon Morosi believes Gio Gonzalez presents a tough matchup for the San Francisco Giants:
The Giants have won two World Series titles in the last five years, and even years seem to be their good luck charm. However, it's hard to see where they find the offense to nullify Washington's advantage on the mound.
Prediction: Nationals win, 3-0
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