AL Baseball Playoffs Begin Friday

Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson takes a swing against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 20. The Yankees will need the bat of Granderson as they take on the Detroit Tigers during the ALDS starting Friday. Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

If the MLB season finale is any indication of what the postseason will bring, grab a seatbelt folks. It is going to be a wild ride! Football has dominated the headlines since its season began, but Wildcard Wednesday showed sports fans everywhere why baseball is still America’s pastime with extra innings, walk off wins, and the completion of two epic collapses.

The American League will kick things off with two great Divisional matchups.

New York versus Detroit

It seems the season has come full circle for the Tigers and Yankees. The two clubs opened the 2011 season on March 31 at Yankee Stadium. On Friday the respective Divisional champs will open the American League Divisional Series (ALDS) at Yankee Stadium, with the Bronx Bombers eying their 28th World Series title. Just as they started the season, Justin Verlander (25-4) will take the hill for the Tigers and CC Sabathia (19-8) for the Yankees.

While the Yankees chose to stay with their lineup at the trade deadline, the Tigers added Doug Fister from Seattle, and the trade has been paying dividends. Fister has gone 8-1 with a 1.79 ERA since the trade and has been a nice compliment to ace Verlander.

In addition to good pitching, these teams have firepower at the plate, with each team in the top five in the majors in both hits and runs scored. Curtis Granderson (a former Tiger) and Mark Teixeira provided most of the offensive firepower for the Pinstripes, propelling them to a top five finish in home runs and runs batted in. The Tigers, however, have the powerful duo of Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez to answer. And although the Yankees have home field advantage, the hitter friendly Yankee Stadium could prove advantageous for the opposition.

The only time these two teams have met in the postseason was 2006, in which the Tigers came out on top in four games. This season the Tigers come into the Bronx on a four-game win streak and the confidence of a strong second half, something they have not done in a while. This series will provide pitching matchups early, but as the teams get into their rotation, expect lots of home run souvenirs.

Texas versus Tampa Bay

The Rangers wrapped up their playoff berth on the 24th, but they seemed to draw the cosmic short straw by playing the Tampa Bay Rays, a team that seems to be sprinkled with luck and destined to win. In addition this ALDS is a rematch of last year in which Texas took care of the Rays in five games.

The Rangers seem to be the sure bet on paper, with their powerful lineup that includes Josh Hamilton, Michael Young, and Nelson Cruz. Their starting pitching is ranked third in the AL in ERA, despite not having the household names. However their Achilles may be their bullpen, which ranks 12th in the AL in ERA.

Meanwhile the Rays have lacked offensive consistency all year, but have had solid defense to keep them in games. Winners of five straight, they seem to be clicking at the right time. Destiny could win out over power in this series.

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