MLB Playoffs: Must Wins

Writing by bettingfool on Thursday, 4 of October , 2007 at 11:44 am

MLB playoff teams with relatively thin starting pitching, like the Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Yankees, are looking forward to shortening their starting rotations. But that doesn’t mean they’re out of the woods.

There is still a drop-off in pitching production the farther you go down these rotations. Look at Arizona’s first three starters: Brandon Webb (3.35 xFIP), Doug Davis (4.72) and Livan Hernandez (5.62). Now the Yankees: Chien-Ming Wang (4.35), Andy Pettitte (4.47) and Roger Clemens (4.52).

Pettitte and Clemens are holding up their end of the bargain in their advanced years, so the Yankees can survive a Wang loss in Thursday’s ALDS opener against Cleveland. The Snakes aren’t so resilient. Davis is facing a huge “must win” (not technically facing elimination, but close enough) in Arizona’s Game 2 matchup with the Cubs. You can win with two dominant pitchers like they did with Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling; one usually isn’t enough.

Category: Online MLB Baseball Betting

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