MLB Playoff Picture: Predicting Wild Card Game 1 Matchups

The Major League Baseball season finally comes to an end today. There's been 4,830 games played this year, between all 30 MLB teams, and it all comes down to one game for four franchises.  

These four teams have their playoff hopes resting on one game tonight, as the Atlanta Braves need a win and a St. Louis Cardinals' loss to make the playoffs. The Cardinals need the same thing (a win and a Braves' loss) for them to make the second season.  

In the American League, the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays are tied for the Wild Card, just like the Braves and Cardinals.  

Four teams, two games, one playoff spot in each league. 

Who will get these spots and who will be going into Game 1 of the American & National League Division Series' that start on Friday?  

Friday September 30th—Texas Rangers at New York Yankees 

C.J. Wilson (Rangers) vs. C.C. Sabathia (Yankees)

Game 1 in the Bronx, New York is going to feature two of the best pitchers in the American League today. The Yankees have the best record in the American League and have home field advantage throughout the American League playoffs.  

C.J. is 0-1 against the Yankees, losing 3-2 on June 16th. Wilson threw eight innings, giving up seven hits, two runs and striking out 10. 

C.C. is 3-0 against the Rangers, giving up four and five runs in each game, pitching in at least six innings in each game and striking out as many as six. 

Friday September 30th—Boston Red Sox at Detroit Tigers

Josh Beckett (Red Sox) vs. Justin Verlander (Tigers) 

The Red Sox will win the American League Wild Card, either in game 162 against the Orioles, or the one-game playoff against the Tampa Bay Rays. They’ll open up the 2011 Playoffs against the Detroit Tigers and the best pitcher in the American League, Justin Verlander.   

Josh is 0-1 against the Tigers, losing 3-0 on May 29th. Beckett went six innings, giving up five hits, two runs and striking out five.  

Justin is 1-1 against the Red Sox, winning 3-0 and losing 4-3. In each game Verlander went eight innings while striking out a combined 12 batters. 

Saturday October 1st- St. Louis Cardinals at Philadelphia Phillies

Chris Carpenter (Cardinals) vs. Roy Halladay (Phillies) 

Just like the Red Sox, the Cardinals will win the National League Wild Card either tonight, or in a one-game playoff against the Atlanta Braves. They will get to face the best team in the National League, the Philadelphia Phillies, in the first round of the playoffs.  

Chris is 2-0 against the Phillies, winning 12-2 and 5-0. In those games Carpenter went seven and eight innings, respectively, while striking out a combined 12 batters. 

Roy is 1-1 against the Cardinals, winning 10-2 and losing 4-3. Halladay threw for six innings in the win and eight in the loss. He combined to strike out 11 batters.  

Saturday, October 1st- Arizona Diamondbacks at Milwaukee Brewers

Ian Kennedy (Diamondbacks) vs. Zack Greinke 

These two teams were highly unlikely to make the postseason at the beginning of the year. Both teams play their best baseball in their home ball park, and both teams have an “us against the world” chip on their shoulder.  

Ian is 1-0 against the Brewers, winning 4-0 on July 21st. Kennedy threw seven innings, giving up zero runs while striking out five.  

Zack is 0-1 against the Diamondbacks, losing against Kennedy on July 21st. Greinke threw seven innings, giving up two runs and striking out seven. 

Twitter: @tjmcaloon