National League Wild Card Game
Cardinals over Padres
Although the Cardinals will have fallen short of winning their division, that will not stop them from taking care of an inexperienced Padres team. Like David Price, James Shields has proven to be unreliable in the playoffs as he has a 3-6 record with a 5.46 ERA.
Although the Royals won with him as the starter in last year’s Wild Card game, it took a spectacular comeback from the Royals bats for them to win. Wainwright is another story when it comes to the playoffs.
National League Division Series
Cardinals over Nationals in 5
Ladies and gentlemen, your first upset of the 2015 MLB playoffs! It should be no surprise if the Cardinals advance deep into the playoffs, but this will be against a Nationals team who will likely have the best record in the NL due to their star power. While their rotation will come in handy during the playoffs, the Cardinals have a much more reliable bullpen while they have a rotation who can perform in the postseason.
Pirates over Dodgers in 4
It will be up to Clayton Kershaw to put his playoff goat label behind him, but the three-time NL Cy Young winner has compiled a 1-5 record and 5.12 ERA in the postseason. That may not be entirely his fault though, as manager Don Mattingly has made some head-scratching decisions in the past that have cost the Dodgers in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Pirates have a great rotation of their own with Francisco Liriano, Gerrit Cole and A.J. Burnett, who has World Series experience. Their lineup also has enough power and speed to figure out the Dodgers pitching.
National League Championship Series
Pirates over Cardinals in 6
After making their fifth annual trip to the NLCS, the Cardinals will once again fall short as Mike Matheny will be out-managed by Clint Hurdle, who has made the Pirates a force to be reckoned with along with general manager Neal Huntington.
Huntington’s work will finally be rewarded as their pitching staff will overpower the Cardinals’ bats, and closer Mark Melancon will continue to establish himself as one of the premier closers.
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