Ranking Most Likely Wild Card Teams to Come Back from 0-1
Ben DiGiacomo
Host · Writer
1. Houston Astros
If you're not rooting for the Detroit Tigers to advance to the ALDS, do you even like fun? They have been the best team in baseball for about the past two months, going from being irrelevant to center stage in the biggest setting. Yesterday, we saw Tarik Skubal deliver a dominant performance on the mound, and the offense did enough to give the bullpen some cushion. After Skubal, they have no one proven in their rotation ready to step in and take the ball behind him. For the past few months, it's been a by-committee approach that manager AJ Hinch has had down to a science. He has a great read on his roster and when to push certain buttons, and it's fair to expect him to manage his way to a win across the next two games. With that being said, these are still the Houston Astros who have been proven playoff performers for nearly a decade now, and it would be unfair to expect them to go down without a fight. On paper, they'll have the starting pitching advantage and better offense for the rest of the series, but sometimes, destiny prevails, which is what these Tigers are riding on right now.
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4. Baltimore Orioles
I don't want to say that the Baltimore Orioles are cooked, but they might be. Few people wanted to admit it, but this Orioles team hasn't been more than average for the past few months, especially offensively. We saw that in full effect yesterday. Even with Corbin Burnes tossing an absolute gem, the Orioles didn't find a game they needed to win. There are no excuses for the Os to lose that game. After last night, it's fair to say that the Royals will have the starting pitching advantage in Games 2 and 3, and should it get there. What has the Orioles' offense shown to make us believe their offense can catch fire? The Royals showed they weren't intimidated by the road environment, so we don't expect that to change this afternoon. Maybe next year, Baltimore.
3. Atlanta Braves
Everybody wanted to write off the Atlanta Braves once Chris Sale was ruled out of the Wild Card due to injury, and it's not helping their case that they got shut out last night. However, tonight, Max Fried is taking the mound for them, and he's been able to deliver ace-level performances throughout his career. Never say never, but part of me almost wants to trust him more than Joe Musgrove. It's hard to bet against the San Diego home-field advantage and their offense, but if Fried can escape tonight with a win, anything can happen in a win-or-go-home Game 3 environment. Dylan Cease is taking the ball in Game 3 should it get there, and he's been the victim of a few collapses across the season. I won't say the Braves are likely to come back, but they have more of a chance than most want to give them credit for.
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2. Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers and New York Mets Game 1 bout gave us the most offense on the postseason's opening day. Heading into tonight, I'm not ready to write off the Brewers. They have been resilient all season when everyone wanted to count them out repeatedly, and they continually have found a way to bounce back. Sean Manaea is taking the mound tonight for the Mets, and while he's been good overall in recent months, he got blown up by the Brewers in his last start, allowing six runs in not even four innings of work. I don't know what Manaea has done in his career to earn so much trust in a playoff setting, but I expect this to head to a rubber match tomorrow, where anything can happen.
1. Houston Astros
If you're not rooting for the Detroit Tigers to advance to the ALDS, do you even like fun? They have been the best team in baseball for about the past two months, going from being irrelevant to center stage in the biggest setting. Yesterday, we saw Tarik Skubal deliver a dominant performance on the mound, and the offense did enough to give the bullpen some cushion. After Skubal, they have no one proven in their rotation ready to step in and take the ball behind him. For the past few months, it's been a by-committee approach that manager AJ Hinch has had down to a science. He has a great read on his roster and when to push certain buttons, and it's fair to expect him to manage his way to a win across the next two games. With that being said, these are still the Houston Astros who have been proven playoff performers for nearly a decade now, and it would be unfair to expect them to go down without a fight. On paper, they'll have the starting pitching advantage and better offense for the rest of the series, but sometimes, destiny prevails, which is what these Tigers are riding on right now.
Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid.
4. Baltimore Orioles
I don't want to say that the Baltimore Orioles are cooked, but they might be. Few people wanted to admit it, but this Orioles team hasn't been more than average for the past few months, especially offensively. We saw that in full effect yesterday. Even with Corbin Burnes tossing an absolute gem, the Orioles didn't find a game they needed to win. There are no excuses for the Os to lose that game. After last night, it's fair to say that the Royals will have the starting pitching advantage in Games 2 and 3, and should it get there. What has the Orioles' offense shown to make us believe their offense can catch fire? The Royals showed they weren't intimidated by the road environment, so we don't expect that to change this afternoon. Maybe next year, Baltimore.
