Monday’s only MLB playoff game was postponed due to rain, but that just means Tuesday’s slate will be a packed postseason doubleheader. The American League Championship Series and National League Championship Series will both resume on Tuesday with a duo of pivotal Game 3 affairs.
As was planned all along, the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants will continue the NLCS out West in a Tuesday afternoon thriller to decide which team will take a 2-1 advantage. But after a stretch of storms soaked the Midwest on Monday, the ALCS had to wait until Tuesday night, as the Royals aim to go up 3-0 in the series at home.
All four teams are getting deep into their pitching rotations as we head toward Game 3, and a few hot offenses should see more of the same success. Timely offense has been the key to success all postseason long, and Tuesday should be no different.
Here’s a look at the two games on tap for Day 11.
Updated MLB playoff bracket available at MLB.com.
Day 11 Predictions
ALCS Game 3: Orioles at Royals
After a 2-for-2 trip to Camden Yards that continued their perfect postseason record, the Kansas City Royals come home for three straight games only needing to win two for a spot in the World Series.
The Royals will roll out a fresh pitcher for Game 3, with veteran right-hander Jeremy Guthrie making his first start and appearance of the postseason. The 35-year-old with a 13-11 record also pitched in Baltimore for five seasons before his first of two Royals stints.
With a 2-1 career record and a 2.67 ERA against his former team, he’ll come into Tuesday’s start focused on nothing other than striking out his former teammates, per Fox Sports Kansas City’s Jeffrey Flanagan:
Yeah, I think the emotion will come, obviously, from the playoff game. I think (my) history (with the O’s) will be put, not even on a back burner, but on some kind of like rotating kitchen device, what do they call it, lazy Susan or something. So this is a playoff game and each one of us is preparing to play a very good team on the other side.
And whether there’s history or not, I think each player, myself included, has put that on the lazy Susan for the time being.
The Royals might not know what they’re getting from Guthrie on the mound Tuesday, but his head is certainly in the right place. His strong history against the O’s is also a promising sign for Kansas City.
Meanwhile, the Orioles have a better starter on paper in Wei-Yin Chen, but his postseason debut was one to forget. He was pulled after 3.2 innings, giving up five earned runs and two homers against the Tigers in a game the Orioles were lucky enough to still win.
Kansas City was the worst home run-hitting team in the majors this season but has eight through just six playoff games. The Orioles offense—while effective—hasn’t been able to keep up so far this series, and that shouldn’t change as the Royals grind out another close one at home.
Prediction: Royals win, 6-4
NLCS Game 3: Cardinals at Giants
Two teams awfully accustomed to the NLCS spotlight in recent years will battle on Tuesday, both knowing the implications Game 3 has—especially in a knotted-up series.
And if it wasn’t for the bat of Kolten Wong in Game 2, that wouldn’t even be the case, as his late home run allowed the St. Louis Cardinals to notch a win before heading to AT&T Park for three games against the San Francisco Giants.
This is guaranteed to be a memorable series given the recent history of both clubs, and it has already shattered network records, according to Sports Illustrated‘s Richard Deitsch:
Despite playing far from their best baseball through these two games, the Cardinals used their typical recipe of late heroics to even the score. But that doesn’t change the fact that the Giants can win this series solely by taking care of business at home.
The Giants lineup went cold at times in the National League Division Series, but it has come to life in the NLCS by drubbing Adam Wainwright in Game 1. Despite losing Game 2 late, the Giants scored runs in four of their last five innings.
John Lackey, the Cardinals’ starting pitcher for Game 3, raved about the Giants’ bats, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle:
They have got a really good lineup. It’s a deep lineup, and especially when you’ve got (Travis) Ishikawa hitting eighth. … It’s more of an American League-style lineup, which I’m pretty well accustomed to. So I’m going to have to make pitches all the way throughout the lineup. They are good.
Tim Hudson will start for San Francisco in Game 3, and after getting an early lead from his offense, he will be able to navigate the Giants to a crucial win.
Prediction: Giants 3, Cardinals 2
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