NL Wild Card Preview - Pirates vs Reds

Its Pittsburgh vs Cincinnati - Is Anyone Surprised??

The nerves, the pressure, the anticipation.  Pirates fans that are old enough probably can't even remember what this exactly feels like.  I know for me, its tough to remember.  I was 10 when the Pirates lost that heart breaker in 1992.  Now, at the age of 30, I can't remember being this nervous for a baseball game since I stopped playing the game years ago.  There is something about baseball, but especially this one game playoff.  I have often said there is nothing more nerve racking than playoff hockey, but playoff baseball certainly ranks up there in terms of intensity and excitement.  Just one pitch, one swing of the bat, one throw that misses the mark...could completely change the outcome of the game.  Pirates fans know this all to well even from this season.  Watching the Reds come back from 5-2 in the bottom of the 9th?  Sound familiar?  Don't think that won't be on everyone's minds tonight if the Pirates climb in front and are ready to slam the door on the Reds.  My goal here isn't to bore you with numbers, but to give you a preview of tonight's matchup that will leave you prepared, and hopefully excited for the game tonight at 8:07pm EST.

Pitching Matchup:
PIT - Francisco Liriano (LHP)
CIN - Johnny Cueto (RHP)

- When the Pirates won the series in Cincinnati and clinched the home field advantage for this one game playoff, I knew the Pirates were going to throw "Pappa" Francisco out on the mound.  Putting it bluntly, Liriano is downright nasty at PNC Park.  He is 8-1 this season when taking the bump at PNC.  Those numbers are hard to ignore when you need to have one solid pitching performance to extend your season.  However, when I heard the Reds announce that it wouldn't be Mat Latos taking the baseball for the Reds, but Johnny Cueto, I had (and still do) have a feeling that this game could be a nail biter.  Cueto has pretty much owned the Pirates in recent history, and this could prove to be an interesting pitching matchup for many reasons.  If I were to say who has the advantage in this matchup, you'd be silly not to say "Frank the Tank" with his domination at PNC Park, but this is the playoffs, and anything can happen.

Lineups:
- The one upside of having Cueto on the mound is that I feel the Pirates left handers, mainly Pedro Alvarez, have a much higher chance of success against a righty than a lefty.  There has been alot of discussion about moving the Pirates batting order around, and I can't say that I'm crazy about the decision.  Players like Justin Morneau, Pedro Alvarez, and Marlon Byrd are all players that can be shuffled around the lineup; however, the talk about Andrew McCutchen leaving the #3 spot is just ludicrous.  The lineups will be released mid afternoon for the 8:07 start (on TBS in case you were wondering), but you can expect the Pirates lineup to resemble something like this: 7- Marte, 4 - Walker, 8 - McCutchen, 3 - Morneau, 9 - Byrd, 5 - Alvarez, 2 - Martin, 6 - Mercer, 1 - Liriano.  That just my guess at the Pirates lineup / positions, but I've been wrong before, and I'll be wrong again so don't take that as "gospel".

- The Reds lineup has its share of question marks as well.  For instance, will Dusty Baker put speedster Billy Hamilton into the starting lineup to utilize his speed on the base paths, or simply use him in certain situations?  Will Brandon Phillips bat in the cleanup spot, or will be bat 2nd in the order?  Will Joey Votto be a difference maker, or just another batter in the lineup?  All of the questions are "to be determined", but needless to say, the Pirates will have their hands full with the Reds whether Hamilton, Ludwick, or any other Reds players are inserted into the starting lineup.

Intangibles:
- Home field advantage is going to be huge for the Pirates.  This town is starving for a home playoff game, and they finally got their wish.  The one thing that I can't stop thinking about is how the Pirates need to avoid the fireworks tonight.  No, I'm not talking about hitting the "long ball".  I'm talking about the head games that the Reds try and play when facing the Pirates.  If you think for a second that Reds manager isn't telling the Reds that they need to get in the heads of the inexperienced Pirates, you are crazy.  The Reds have done this all season, and I don't expect it to stop in the biggest game of the season.  I fully expect the Reds to throw inside, or hit a Pirates batter (whether its intentional or not is up in the air) just to try and get an edge in this matchup.  After all, desperate teams, desperate times, call for desperate measures.  The fans will be into the game, but the Pirates CANNOT get lost in the mix of the "mind games".  Instead, keep your nose to the grind stone and prove the be the bigger team...by ending the Reds season and advancing to the next round.

Prediction:
- I find it extremely difficult to predict baseball games, especially playoff games.  As good as Francisco Liriano has been, especially at PNC Park, he still has a loss there.  Nothing is guaranteed, but since you are holding a gun to my head and forcing me to predict a winner...I will.

I see this game as a nip and tuck nailbiter that will come down to a crucial play.  I expect Andrew McCutchen to have a hand in that play...and that play will power the Pirates onto the next round to play the Cardinals in the NLDS.

All I know, is that the game is still hours away, and I feel like I might puke with excitement...