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MLB MLB Playoffs

Pittsburgh Pirates Are In Trouble In The NL Wild Card Game

Edinson Volquez

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The Pittsburgh Pirates finished this season the same way they finished last season. They took home their second consecutive winning season and captured the top Wild Card spot for another year. If this history continues, the Pirates will win the Wild Card game and move on to the NLDS. But unlike last season, the Pirates could be in trouble in this year’s NL Wild Card matchup.

The one problem that the Pirates will have in this game will be their opponent, the San Francisco Giants. The Pirates will be facing Madison Bumgarner on Wednesday and that will be a challenge for them.  Although the Pirates beat the Giants and Bumgarner this year, the team still struggles against left-handed pitching and that has been their Achilles heel throughout the season. They did hit around Bumgarner pretty well in their earlier meeting in San Francisco, but a larger sample size shows that facing him should be a worry for Pittsburgh.

Another issue that has the Pirates in a tough game is that their starting pitcher will be Edinson Volquez. The Pirates used both Francisco Liriano and Gerrit Cole to try and win the division, burning both aces for the Wild Card game. This leaves Volquez by default. At first glance, Volquez looks like the perfect candidate to start this game with his low ERA and consistent output this season, but upon further inspection, there are plenty of issues. Volquez has never started an elimination game in the playoffs, and this year is also the first time he has had a strong season in years. This inconsistency and his lack of playoff experience make Volquez a true wild card for the Pirates on Wednesday.

The final issue for the Pirates is the health of catcher Russell Martin. Martin did not play the last two games of the regular season due to a hamstring injury. He is expected to play for the Pirates on Wednesday, but if he is limited on the field, he will not be able to perform at his usual high rate. And since he plays one of the most important positions on the field for the Pirates, that could be a real problem on Wednesday.

The Pirates seem to have a good chance to win the NL Wild Card for a second year in a row, but there are some real issues that could inhibit how well they perform. They may be the better team playing in the NL Wild Card game, but these issues could spell trouble for them on Wednesday night.

Justin Broyles is a Pirates writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter @Tweets_ByJ, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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