Cleveland Guardians vs. Tampa Bay Rays: AL wild-card series game one preview

Cleveland handled Tampa Bay well this season, going 4-2 overall and winning both the home and road series. This includes a three-game series in September which was played in a playoff-like atmosphere as both teams were fighting for playoff spots and jockeying for seeding at that point.

On the season, Cleveland has played well at home, so in the new format where they have home-field advantage for all three games, that could be a factor. Progressive Field also provides an intimate atmosphere that can get loud and exciting. Look for the Cleveland faithful to add to the home-field advantage for the opening afternoon game.

We could not ask for a better matchup to start the playoffs than two young aces at the top of their game. For the Guardians, Shane Bieber went 13-8 with a 2.88 ERA this year, providing consistency and stability at the top of the young Guardians rotation. The Rays will counter with AL All-Star starter Shane McClanahan. While McClanahan has been excellent this year, sporting a 2.54 ERA on the season, health and endurance may be a factor in this game. McClanahan has been dealing with a neck issue and has not thrown more than five innings in a game since August 24.

With a pitching matchup of this caliber, runs will be at a premium. This is the reason that power often wins in the postseason. However, these teams are not built to mash. Neither team is built to win that way, so expect a low-scoring game. This game will likely come down to which offense can string a couple of hits together and run the bases well.