Pittsburgh Pirates Wake Up Call – A Fine Canadian Walk Off

In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates

 

A Degrassi-like Canadian Drama

Last night the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-2 in a drama-filled AL Wildcard Game. The game was a back and forth affair and it wasn’t decided until the 11th inning. With the score tied at two, Edwin Encarnacion hit a walk-off three-run home run to send Toronto to the ALDS.

[mlbvideo id=”1202668883″ width=”400″ height=”224″ /] Former Pirates had their hands all over the game. Francisco Liriano got the win, Russell Martin was the catcher and Jason Grilli pitched in relief. Psh, you thought the Pirates weren’t in the playoffs?

The game wasn’t without controversy as Buck Showalter didn’t use Zach Britton in extra innings. Many media pundits criticized the Orioles manager for going with Ubaldo Jimenez instead of his Cy Young candidate closer. On the plus side, Britton should be fresh for Opening Day 2017.

The Main Event

I am sure many fans were excited for the AL Wildcard Game but I would bet the NL game is the main event. Noah Syndergaard taking on Madison Bumgarner in what could be the best pitching matchup of the entire postseason.

Pirates fans could be indifferent to the playoffs since the Pirates aren’t involved. However, this game has all the makings of a classic. We all know that Madison Bumgarner takes his game to another level in the postseason. It’s going to be exciting to see how this outing compares to his legendary 2014 NL Wildcard game performance.

The Mets are also looking to the defend their 2015 National League title and it begins with a home Wildcard Game. The Mets are trying to copy the Royals by getting back to the World Series following a heartbreaking loss the previous season. This team will have to overcome a ton of injuries to their ace pitching staff. The odds are against them but as we know, you can’t script October.

Baseball Talk on the Web

• Montreal seeks to reach first base with MLB
• MLB average attendance drops 1.1 percent; still 11th-highest
• Major League Baseball Is About To Get Random

Our friends at Jays from the Couch have more comprehensive AL Wildcard Game Coverage 

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