The MLB Wild Card Playoffs 2015 kick off tonight with a huge clash between the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium. After months of games through the regular season, for these two teams at least, it all comes down to one game in the AL Wild Card Game to see who makes it through and whose season ends tonight. The game has a scheduled start time of 8 p.m. ET and can be watched on TV on the ESPN network or online through ESPN live stream via the link below.
The Yankees have not made the postseason since 2012, and this will be their first appearance in the Playoffs since Derek Jeter left their ranks. For the Astros it's been even longer, and Houston have not made the Playoffs for an entire decade – since they went all the way to the World Series in 2005.
Awaiting the victor of tonight's winner takes all contest will be the Kansas City Royals in the Divisional Series.
There is no room for mistakes for either team tonight, and the Astros are expected to start with Dallas Keuchel. In 2015 he has gone 20-8 with a 2.48 ERA and 216 Ks. The Astros are also opting for a pitcher who is 2-0 against the Yankees, having pitched an impressive 16 shutout innings, compiling 21 K's in the process.
Taking the mound for the Yankees will be Masahiro Tanaka, who is 12-7 in 2015 with a 3.51 ERA and 139 Ks in 154 innings. He has allowed 25 home runs, and does not have such an impressive record against the Astros. Houston scored six runs in just five innings off Tanaka during the 9-6 loss at Minute Maid Park.
There is not much between these two teams and this one could go either way. During the season series the Astros held the slight edge, winning 4-3. However, even though the Astros finished second in the majors with 230 home runs, they also have not traveled too well, and finished the season with a 33-48 record on the road.
So does that give the Yankees the edge at Yankee Stadium tonight? Well, it's not that simple, and the Yankees closed out their regular season with six losses from their final seven games, meaning they are completely off the boil coming into this game. Over those last seven games of the regular season, the Yankees also were horrendous at converting scoring positions, going 11 for 68 – a measly .161 – with runners in scoring positions.
Whether the Yankees can spark back into life tonight remains to be seen, and if they can't do so for a Wild Card Playoffs game then they don't deserve to progress. There are various factors that indicate this could go either way tonight, and it could all come down to which team, and indeed which players, can hold their nerve when things come to the crunch and the pressure is on.
Tonight's massive MLB AL Wild Card Playoffs 2015 game between the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros has a start time of 8 p.m. ET and can be watched on TV on the ESPN network or online through ESPN live stream by clicking here.
