Giants in Pittsburgh for National League Wild Card Game

The San Francisco Giants travel to Pittsburgh tonight to take on the Pirates in the National League Wild Card matchup. The winner of this game will advance and take on the National Leagues best team, the Washington Nationals on Friday the 3rd of October.

The Giants have a recent history of winning the World Series in even numbered years. In case we have forgotten, this is 2014, an even numbered year. Since moving to San Francisco from New York in 1959, the Giants have been to 10 post season series and won the World Series in 2010 and 2012.

The Pirates, on the other hand, are making just their second appearance in the playoffs since losing to the Braves in the NLCS in 1992. The Pirates lost to the Cardinals in the 2013 NLDS three games to two. Before 2013 the Pirates had not had a winning season in 20 years, dating back to 1992.

San Francisco finished the 2014 season 12th in the major leagues in Runs Per Game with 4.1, 10th in Batting Average at .255 and 17th in Home Runs with 132. They will start Madison Bumgarner against the Pirates. Bumgarner finished the year with an 18-10 record and a 2.98 ERA. He struck out 219 batters in 217 innings. Madison issued 43 walks and his K:W ratio was a very good 5.09. He had a 1.09 WHIP and gave up 21 home runs on the year.

Pittsburgh who ended the season 10th in the MLB with a 4.21 RPG, 5th in hitting at .259 and 6th in HRs with 156 counter with Edinson Volquez. Volquez was 13-7 in 2014 with an ERA of 3.04. He struck out 140 in 192 innings. He issued 43 free passes for a K:W ratio of 1.97. Edinson finished the season with a 1.23 WHIP and surrendered 17 home runs.

Both the Giants and the Pirates can hit. Their pitching is adequate. This is a one game, winner take all contest in which both managers should pull out all the stops. The Giants get the nod for the better relievers. In the final analysis the Giants should win this game and advance.

 I pick the Giants to win. That being said, throughout baseball history teams who should not have won did win. Case in point, the Pirates were playing the Orioles in the 1979 World Series, when down three games to one, against arguably the best pitching staff in the majors that year, they won three games in a row to win the Series.