This is better than Christmas, the Fourth of July and Honey Boo Boo’s birthday all rolled into one!

Post by Mike

Where to start? Okay let’s go chronologically.

Though I hate this new Wild Card coin toss game, it is better to be there than where we were just twelve months ago.

Tonight may provide some clarity on when we will face the Cardinals. We know it will be Friday in Atlanta, but we don’t have a start time because the AL is a disaster.  Baltimore, Oakland and Texas are in a three-way tie for two spots.

The A’s play at the Rangers today at 3:35. The winner will be in, but here is the kicker, if Baltimore wins or loses, there will be a two way tie for the last spot in the one game play off. Meaning there will be a one game play off to determine the participants in the one game play off. We may, however, get some relief on game times if the O’s win. In that there is a 50/50 chance the AL Wildcard play in game will be an East coast start on Friday. An O's loss will mean that Friday AL game will be in either Texas or California, and therefore a later starting time.  Of course all this is assuming that the Yankees win tonight against the Red Sox. If they lose then the mess flows down hill again, and I'm certain the Red Sox would take a lot of pleasure in sticking New York.

You could see a Thursday game to determine the AL East winner, then the AL Wild Card game.

With Chipper Jones retiring I would bet TBS wants the Braves in the prime time spot if at all possible.

Atlanta will send Medlen to the mound to square off against 18 game winner Kyle Lohse. The Braves faced Lohse once in 2012 and roughed him up pretty good back in May winning the contest 10-7. The Card starter only lasted 5 innings and gave up 5 runs on 9 hits.

Both teams will have the advantage of being able to use a 25 man roster for Friday’s game, then being able to reset their card if they advance. Expect the Braves to carry Medlen, Martinez, Durben, O’Flaherty, Venters, The Flame Thrower, and the balance will be bats.

We’ll break the game down further in our next post, and we’ll also get to that little game looming in Columbia between #5 Georgia and #6 Carolina.

It’s a good time to be a sports fan!