NEWSLETTER
Good morning, and happy Friday! If you’re reading this, I’m already on the golf course for a charity outing benefiting the 100 Club of Illinois. The 100 Club of Illinois provides financial support for the families and loved ones of first responders killed in the line of duty.
But, I made sure to put together a Friday edition of MLBits that wouldn’t be stale despite it being written on Thursday evening. A couple of weeks ago, I dedicated a portion of MLBits to the weekend of baseball ahead that carried playoff implications, and I figured with me being on the golf course by the time you read this, today would be a good time to bring that back.
Keep in mind, that I’m writing this on Thursday evening, so records, standings, and stats will be as current as Thursday afternoon.
Orioles at Astros
The Astros have all but locked up the American League West at this point as they woke up on Thursday with 80 wins and a 12.5-game lead over the Seattle Mariners. Still, this series means plenty for the Baltimore Orioles. The O’s were 2.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot in the AL heading into play yesterday. A weekend series against the AL’s best team will be a big test for the O’s who need every win they can get right now.
The O’s might be 33-17 in their last 50 games thanks to the strong Rookie of the Year candidacy of Adley Rutschman, but they’ll have their work cut out for them this weekend when they take oppose Lance McCullers, José Urquidy, and Justin Verlander in Houston.
Pitching Probables:
Braves at Cardinals
Most of the regulars around here probably won’t pick this series as their favorite of the bunch, but this is the one for me. Paul Goldschmidt is flirting with a Triple Crown, Albert Pujols is chasing 700 home runs, and the Cardinals are working to pad their lead against the Milwaukee Brewers. Meanwhile, the Braves are in hot pursuit of the Mets in the NL East. Basically, there are storylines aplenty in this weekend tilt, and I’m here for it.
Pitching Probables:
Giants at Twins
This series is more of a potential wake for one of the two teams if it goes heavily in favor of one side or the other. The Twins rode a five-game losing streak into Thursday, and with Byron Buxton hitting the IL, a weekend of similar results might spell their doom. The Guardians are pulling away in the AL Central, and the Twins can’t afford to lose ground. If Minnesota drops this weekend tilt with the Giants, you can begin to write the obituaries on the Twins 2022 season.
The Giants are already on life support with a slim chance at chasing down the Padres for the final Wild Card spot in the National League. A strong weekend is a must if they hope to have any chance at keeping their playoff hopes alive.
Pitching Probables:
Guardians at Mariners
The Guardians and Mariners are sporting nearly identical records heading into this weekend but their positioning in the AL Postseason picture is wildly different. The Guardians are pulling away in a putrid AL Central. The Mariners have no shot at catching the Astros in the AL West, but they’ve got a small lead over the Tampa Bay Rays for the final Wild Card spot.
Every win is crucial for these two AL surprises, with Cleveland trying to pad their growing lead in the AL Central and Seattle trying to gain some separation between themselves and the Orioles and Twins in the AL Wild Card race.
Also worth pointing out is that if the Guardians and Mariners end the season in their current positions in the playoff race they would meet in the first round of the Postseason. So, a little potential October preview this weekend!
Pitching Probables:
