NL wild card preview: Pirates look to battle past playoff-tested Giants
There’s no doubt the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco have taken two vastly different roads to reach the 2014 NL wild-card game.
For the Pirates, there are 20 years of futility now firmly placed in the rearview mirror. The satisfaction of a winning season and simply making the postseason in 2013 has given way to desires of winning their first World Series championship since 1979. For the battled-tested Giants, they’ve been there and done that twice since 2010, but the hunger for a third championship is strong.
The Pirates appeared in the first NL wild card game in 2013, defeating the Cincinnati Reds 6-2 at PNC Park. The Giants, on the other hand, haven’t played in a one-game playoff. If Pittsburgh has one edge, as slight as it might be, that one-game experience could be it. That said, this is about the most unpredictable scenario any team can face — just ask the Royals and the A’s. No matter the path they’ve taken, the pressure on each is the same. It’s win-or-go-home.
PARTICULARS
First pitch is scheduled for 8:07 p.m. ET Wednesday at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. The game will air on ESPN, with a one-hour edition of Baseball Tonight serving as the lead-in beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET. Rosters and full lineups haven’t been announced yet.
While the Pirates battled for the NL Central division crown right up until the final day of the regular season, the Giants were able to plan and line up ace Madison Bumgarner (18-10, 2.98) for this do-or-die game. Pittsburgh will counter with Edinson Volquez (13-7, 3.04), who’s coming off his healthiest and most productive season since 2008.
Bumgarner, still only 25, holds a significant edge in postseason experience. This will already be his seventh postseason start. He also made one relief appearance during the 2010 NLCS. He’s 3-2 with a 3.79 ERA in 35 2/3 innings, but has yet to pitch under win-or-go-home circumstances for San Francisco. Bumgarner is firmly established as one the NL’s most consistent starters, and he’s been locked in since Aug. 3, going 7-3 with a 2.12 ERA in 10 starts.
Volquez, on the other hand, made one postseason start for Cincinnati in the 2010 NLDS. He lasted an inning and two-thirds before leaving with an injury. That was the famous Roy Halladay postseason no-hitter. Volquez hoping to leave a better lasting impression this time around. Just the fact he’s getting an opportunity in a decisive game is an amazing turnaround. In 2013, he posted a 5.71 ERA in 170 1/3 innings split between the Padres and Dodgers. He had to know the opportunity he was getting in Pittsburgh could be his last, and took full advantage. A clutch start on Wednesday would cement his return to form.
PREVIOUSLY
The Pirates took the season series 4-2 against the Giants, winning two-of-three at home May 5-7 and two-of-three in San Francisco July 28-30. That included a 5-0 victory over Bumgarner on July 28. Bumgarner lasted only four innings, a season low.
THE PIRATES WILL WIN IF
Edinson Volquez stays hot at home. In his last 34 2/3 innings at PNC Park, Volquez has allowed four earned runs. This figures to be a low-scoring game, so there will likely be a lot of inning-to-inning pressure on both starters. If Volquez can withstand it and hold San Francisco at bay, the Pirates offense is better equipped to manufacture that difference-making run or two.
THE GIANTS WILL WIN IF
They can shut down the top of Pittsburgh’s lineup. Obviously, this is much easier said than done. Josh Harrison has enjoyed a breakout season, hitting .315 with 13 homers, 52 RBIs and 18 steals, mostly from the leadoff position. Reigning MVP Andrew McCutchen is back in that conversation again for a reason, so it will be in Bumgarner’s best interest to limit run-producing situations for McCutchen. Put the pressure on Starling Marte, who’s been hot in the second half, Russell Martin, who’s dealing with a hamstring issue, and force the rest of Pittsburgh’s order to do the creating.
FIVE IMPORTANT NUMBERS
• 1.85 — Edinson Volquez’s ERA in 17 starts since June 23. He’s been pitching very well everywhere, so confidence shouldn’t be an issue entering his biggest professional start.
• .837 — Josh Harrison’s OPS in 2014. Only 20 players in MLB had a higher OPS than the surprise All-Star. In three prior seasons, his career OPS was .648
• 4 — Number of home runs hit by Madison Bumgarner this season. He became the first pitcher since Bob Gibson in 1972 to hit at least four homers while posting a sub-3.00 ERA. It wouldn’t surprise if he helped his own cause.
• 109 — Number of Pirates’ errors in 2014, which led the National League. San Francisco wasn’t far behind with 100 errors, so defense could play a key role in the outcome.
• 10 — Pablo Sandoval enters with a 10-game postseason hitting streak. The damage was all done in 2012, but over that span he hit .405 with five home runs and 10 RBIs. Though he only hit .218 in September, he’s playoff tested and capable of heating up at the right time.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
