MLB Playoff Schedule 2014: Updated ALDS, NLDS Bracket, Day 2 Predictions

On the heels of two wild-card games and the start of the American League Division Series, it has already become clear that this postseason is poised to be a wild one.

That certainly figures to be the case on Friday, as all eight teams remaining in the playoff hunt will be in action throughout the day.

Each and every game is important come postseason time, but there is most definitely a sense of urgency in the division series since it is only a best-of-five situation.

A couple AL teams got off to a quick start on Thursday, but their opponents aren't likely to go quietly. On the National League side of things, all four teams are hoping to strike the first blow during Friday's slate of games.

With Day 2 of the division series set to commence, here is a look at the current playoff landscape, as well as predictions for all four games.

MLB Playoff Bracket

Here is a look at the original postseason bracket, courtesy of MLB.com, although the Kansas City Royals and San Francisco Giants have since moved on to the ALDS and NLDS, respectively:

MLB Day 2 Playoff Schedule

Time (ET)	Series	Game	Away Team	Home Team	TV
12:07 p.m.	ALDS	2	Detroit Tigers	Baltimore Orioles	TBS
3:07 p.m.	NLDS	1	San Francisco Giants	Washington Nationals	FS1
6:37 p.m.	NLDS	1	St. Louis Cardinals	Los Angeles Dodgers	FS1
9:37 p.m.	ALDS	2	Kansas City Royals	Los Angeles Angels	TBS

Detroit Tigers at Baltimore Orioles (Game 2)

The Detroit Tigers were favored to win on the road in Game 1 of the ALDS against the Baltimore Orioles with ace Max Scherzer on the mound.

While Scherzer wasn't in vintage form, he gave his team a chance to prevail when he departed trailing 4-3. What happened from there, though, could be Detroit's undoing.

Relief pitching has long been an issue for the Tigers, and those issues persisted on Thursday when the bullpen surrendered eight runs in a nightmarish eighth inning.

Former Cy Young winner and AL MVP Justin Verlander will start for Detroit on Friday, and there will be a ton of pressure on him to go deep in the game, according to MLB Network's Chris Rose:

Verlander didn't have a vintage regular season with an ERA of 4.54, but he is still capable of a dominant performance every time he takes the bump.

As for the bullpen, Joba Chamberlain is already moving past Game 1 and putting it firmly in the rear-view mirror, per Steve Gardner of USA Today:

"Whether you lose by 100 or you lose by one, you still lose," Chamberlain said. "It's one of those things. That's the life of a reliever. The greatest thing about it is that you get an opportunity to pitch tomorrow."

The Orioles will counter with lefty Wei-Yin Chen on the mound. He had a strong year, but with power-hitting righties like Ian Kinsler, Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez (switch), J.D. Martinez and Nick Castellanos in the lineup, look for Detroit to light up the scoreboard.

Game 2 prediction: Tigers 7, Orioles 3

San Francisco Giants at Washington Nationals (Game 1)

After a dominant performance in the NL Wild Card Game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the San Francisco Giants are in the hunt for their third World Series title in five seasons.

In order to advance further, however, they will have to get past the NL's best-record team in the Washington Nationals.

The Giants received a sterling performance from pitcher Madison Bumgarner in their playoff opener, but that means he won't be available to pitch in Game 1 of the NLDS. Instead, veteran Jake Peavy will hope to remain in top form Friday against the Nats.

Washington will counter with power arm Stephen Strasburg, who will be making his first career playoff start. Strasburg struck out 242 batters during the regular season, and he has the stuff necessary to dominate a game much like Bumgarner.

With a 1.13 ERA in September, Nats manager Matt Williams is excited to see what Strasburg can do in the playoffs, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post:

"

Over the last month, everybody has been real good—they've pitched really well. Stephen in particular has gotten stronger as this month as gone on. His fastball velocity has ticked up each month during the course of the season. He's healthy and strong, and he's looking forward to this opportunity.

"

Both of these teams can manufacture runs when they have to, but it is no secret that pitching is the biggest key to their success. With Strasburg pitching better than perhaps anyone in the league, Washington will jump out to a 1-0 series lead.

Game 1 prediction: Nationals 3, Giants 1

St. Louis Cardinals at Los Angeles Dodgers (Game 1)

In what could prove to be the most intriguing matchup of the entire postseason, the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers will engage in a battle of attrition in Game 1 of the NLDS.

Twenty-game winner Adam Wainwright will pitch for the Cards, but he is somehow managing to fly under the radar. That is due to the fact that he is going up against two-time NL Cy Young winner and likely 2014 Cy Young and NL MVP winner Clayton Kershaw.

The dominant southpaw went 21-3 during the regular season with a sparkling ERA of 1.77 and 239 strikeouts.

Both of these guys are legitimate aces, and they give their teams a chance to win whenever they toe the rubber. Wainwright knows that Kershaw is receiving most of the attention, but that doesn't seem to bother him, according to the Cardinals' official Twitter account:

It is possible that Wainwright and Kershaw will turn the pitching matchup into a stalemate, which means the advantage would shift toward L.A. due to home-field advantage and a superior lineup.

Yasiel Puig, Adrian Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez and Matt Kemp make up a dangerous middle of the order for the Dodgers that Wainwright will have to be extremely careful with.

The Cards' recent history of postseason success could help them thrive in big moments, but the Dodgers are a bit too talented to overcome, especially with Kershaw on the hill.

Game 1 prediction: Dodgers 4, Cardinals 0

Kansas City Royals at Los Angeles Angels (Game 2)

Intangibles are funny things in sports. Even when one team looks clearly superior on paper, there is always a chance that they can lose because of forces that can't really be explained.

Of all the teams in the playoffs this year, the Kansas City Royals have to top the list in the intangibles category.

They seemed certain to lose the AL Wild Card Game against the Oakland Athletics trailing 7-3 in the eighth inning, but they battled back and even overcame a one-run deficit in the 12th to win in walk-off fashion.

That grit was once again on display during Game 1 of the ALDS, as K.C. came through with an 11-inning win on the road against the Los Angeles Angels.

As pointed out by legendary college basketball analyst and huge baseball fan Dick Vitale, the Royals have a never-say-die attitude:

With that said, the Angels have their backs against the wall, as they can't afford to go back to Kansas City trailing 2-0.

L.A. will bank on rookie Matt Shoemaker on the mound, while the Royals will counter with a rookie of their own in Yordano Ventura. Both enjoyed fantastic seasons and will certainly be considered for AL Rookie of the Year honors.

Shoemaker was more dominant down the stretch, though, as he posted a 1.87 ERA after the All-Star break. Jered Weaver may be the Angels' ace in name, but Shoemaker truly has been in practice.

The Royals are a team that needs to manufacture runs in order to score, and that has worked thus far. Conversely, the Angels can strike at any time with Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Howie Kendrick and others.

Momentum is a great equalizer, but Los Angeles will find a way to seize it.

Game 2 prediction: Angels 6, Royals 2