We could know the ALCS matchup by the end of the day
It’s crunch time folks. Either we get a Game 5 in one series or the other, or we get to know the 2024 ALCS matchup that’ll determine who goes to the World Series. Things are getting serious and we love it. More drama!
Two games on tap. Both American League. First up: the Cleveland Guardians will try to keep their season alive against the Detroit Tigers, who are a win away from their first ALCS since 2015. Detroit will be sending sophomore right-hander Reese Olson to the mound with a chance to send his team to the next round. Olson improved in his second full season as a major leaguer and is a big reason why Detroit is in this position. While a lot of the attention went to Tarik Skubal Olson was tied for second on the staff with 112 1⁄3 innings pitched while posting a solid 3.53 ERA. He’s made his postseason debut already, pitching five innings in relief during Game 1 but tonight will be his first career start in October. The pressure is on Olson to prevent this series from heading back to Cleveland.
Cleveland will counter Olson with righty Tanner Bibee, who also pitched in Game 1 and looked solid for 4 2⁄3 innings against Detroit. He probably could have gone deeper but the Guardians elected to pull him and let the bullpen finish Game 1 for them, which would be their lone win in the series so far. Bibee will now get the ball for Game 4 and he needs to do more of the same from his last time out. Otherwise Cleveland’s season could be crashing down this evening in MoTown. First pitch is set for 3:08 P.M.
The nightcap for today’s playoffs will be the other American League series happening right now. The Kansas City Royals are at home and down 2-1 in their series against the New York Yankees. The Bronx Bombers squeaked out a close 3-2 win in Game 3 that now has them one win away from the ALCS. They’ll turn to their $324MM arm in Gerrit Cole for one of the biggest moments in his career. He was brought to New York to win games exactly like this one. This could also be Cole’s final start in pinstripes due to the fact he has an opt out he can trigger at the end of the season. Cole already has a long track record in the postseason but he didn’t look like himself either during the regular season or in his first start this October in Game 1. Can he turn it around and give the Yankees what they paid for?
The Royals meanwhile, with their backs against the wall and facing the prospect of the offseason beginning tomorrow, will put their hopes with righty Michael Wacha. The longtime Cardinal has bounced around since his time in St. Louis having played for six teams in six seasons, and Kansas City was his most recent stop. He continued his mid-career renaissance with another strong, consistent season for the Royals, helping to stabilize the mid-rotation for the club. His first start of this postseason did not go well as he allowed three runs in just four innings in Game 1 against the Evil Empire and he’s never really found much postseason success in his career. He can put all of those struggles in the past if he can come through for the Royals by shutting down the Yankees and forcing this series back to New York for a Game 5. Every game has been extremely close and hard fought and it’s fair to expect more of the same tonight. First pitch is scheduled for 5:08 P.M.