Another glorious day of baseball.

Another four playoff games today. With the very real chance of four Champaign-soaked celebrations, all in visitor’s clubhouses.

It’s hard to see anybody beating the Astros or Yankees this year. They are just way too tough. Which makes these first rounds just the unwanted entrée to the main course.

They were the two elite teams in the American League, and it’s just a matter of formalities that they dispatch their respective opponents in the warm up round. Let’s get these out of the way so we can get to Yankees-Astros.

There isn’t the difference between elite and second-tier in the National League as there is in the American League, but Los Angeles has certainly found and exploited Washington’s weakness: They have just three pitchers. Get past Scherzer, Strasburg, and Corbin and it’s a whole lot of Sheppers. In an era where even the most dominate starter goes only six innings, the Nationals will be taken down by their bullpen.

The Braves-Cardinals series might be the only one to go five. Neither team has major enough weaknesses to count them out. Both have deep lineups.

The second four-playoff-game day this season. It’s like a Groundhog’s Day of Baseball Christmas.

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TODAY’S GAMES: