“Why would teams who are eliminated care about how their starting pitching matches up with contenders?”
Agreed. LAA is trying to avoid having a losing record; Scioscia’s job may depend on it, contract or not.
Looks like Ventura’s coming back: http://www.csnchicago.com/white-sox/ventura-hopes-manage-sox-beyond-2014
Yeah I saw that, big mistake, Ventura should be canned.
“Why would teams who are eliminated care about how their starting pitching matches up with contenders?”
Wait a minute ... when LAA plays Oakland, they don’t care because the games mean nothing to them? Yet, when they play SEA, they care so much they want CJ Wilson to go 123 pitches. Do I got it now?
Some teams do not do that. They play their call ups vs the eliminated teams and use their A-Team vs. the contending teams. LAA hasn’t been making the playoffs lately, their players need the “playoff experience” and the Oakland and Texas series give them that opportunity. The only opportunity they are going to have. The O’s played the BoSox in 2011 as if they were playoff games. Supposedly helped them in ‘12 when they got there for real.
Besides, common sense. Why does the baseball world wanna watch Dice-K pitch for the METS against CINN this week when he could be bumped to the next day? I STAND BY MY THEORY.
IF PER chance TEX gets that far:
Yu Darvish will be unavailable for the 10-2 wildcard game. He will pitch on SUN cuz TEX will not have clinched.
on the other hand
Pitt: Liriano
TB: Price
will pitch in the wildcard game.
I am not sure who the preferred starter is for CINN and CLE at this point. THey seem to have no obvious ace right now.