Friday Rockpile: Wild Card Friday Harkens Rockies Fans To Times Past

This time, 5 years ago, the Rockies were already in the NLDS against Philadelphia, but at this POINT in the season, they, too, were in a one-game, winner-plays/loser-goes-home situation. The Padres sent out Jake Peavy, the Rockies sent out Josh Fogg.

Tomorrow, Atlanta will send out Kris Medlen against the Cardinals' Kyle Lohse. The Texas Rangers will throw Yu Darvish against the Orioles'... Joe Saunders.

Joe Saunders to start AL Wild Card game for Orioles - Camden Chat
For the one-game playoff against the Texas Rangers, the Orioles will use Joe Saunders as their starting pitcher.

Camden Chat isn't TERRIBLY optimistic about Saunders' chances against Darvish and the Rangers, but Rockies fans weren't terribly confident with Josh Fogg facing off against 2007 Cy Young award winning Jake Peavy. Kyle Lohse is riding a career year, going 16-3 with a 2.86 ERA, while Medlen is 10-1 with a 1.57 ERA (50G, 12GS).

As the benefactors of an entire October of pure luck and awesomeness, we watched the 2007 Colorado Rockies climb through an absurd September, Game 163, and then sweep their way through the entire NL side of the postseason to climb to the loftiest postseason peaks in franchise history.

Baltimore, while they have rolled with the Yankees most of the season to the point where the final series of 2012 would determine the fate of the AL East. On the opposite coast, the Athletics and Rangers concluded with a series that would determine the fate of their division as well. In the east, the Yankees maintained their lead and took the NL East, but in the west, Oakland unseated the Rangers. The Rangers now have 1 game to determine if the third time is, in fact, the charm, or if they have become the Buffalo Bills of MLB.

Of the two Wild Card games tomorrow, I figure Texas will advance to the ALDS, based solely on the fact that Yu Darvish is better than Joe Saunders. While I give the edge in the NL to Kris Medlen, Lohse is having a good enough season that the Cardinals' offense could strike lucky against Medlen. However, should the Braves take any sort of lead into the 6th or beyond, it's game over for St. Louis.

Games start at 3PM MT with the NL Wild Card matchup, and 630PM for the AL, both games on TBS.

Off Topic

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