A Detroit Tigers fan’s 2022 MLB Postseason rooting guide: Division Series

Detroit Tigers fan watch as the MLB Postseason reaches the second round

With the Detroit Tigers out of the playoffs once again, fans have had to get their baseball fix from the 2022 MLB Postseason. Thankfully, it hasn’t disappointed so far…well, except for game 2 of the Rays/Guardians series (no runs until the 15th inning? Seriously???)

The Wild Card round has concluded, with four teams moving on and four teams going home. The four teams that went home are as followed:

Tampa Bay Rays– Yeah, I had a feeling the lack of offense would doom them. One run in 24 innings…yikes. Maybe this’ll give Stuart Sternberg some motivation to actually spend some…ha! Who am I kidding?

Toronto Blue Jays- Game 1 was just a spectacular pitching performance from Luis Castillo, but game 2 was one of the biggest collapses in postseason history. Toronto had an 8-1 lead in the fifth inning and went on to lose 10-9. I would invest heavily in that bullpen if I were them.

St. Louis Cardinals- Nice way to send off Pujols, Yadi, and Waino, eh St. Louis? The bullpen collapsed in game 1, and the team didn’t bother to show up in game 2.

New York Mets- I could end this section with LOLMETS and call it a day. But that would be unprofessional. Still, winning 101 games during the regualr season, leading the division for 174 out of 180 days, and losing it during the final week of the season, only to get bounced in the first round of the playoffs is a very Mets thing to do.

Now that we’ve gone over the teams that have been eliminated, it’s time to look at the matchups for the League Division Series, which starts tomorrow.

Yuck. Can both of these teams lose? Does somebody have to move on to the ALCS from this series?

While Tampa didn’t score much in the Wild Card round, Cleveland didn’t either. They only scored three runs in the 24 innings. They’re pitching was outstanding, but now it has to go up against a much more potent lineup. Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Rizzo, and Gleyber Torres headline the Bronx Bombers star-studded lineup.

I think the Yanks will move on here, but I’m going to be rooting for a meteor to strike at some point during the series so neither team can move one. I suggest other Detroit Tigers fans do the same.

Now this is an easy one. The Mariners are the underdog story, having swept Toronto in the Wild Card round after not making the playoffs the previous 21 years. They’re such a likeable bunch.

On the other side, you have the top-seeded Astros, who many still loathe for the cheating scandal. They have embraced the villain role with open arms, however. They breezed through the AL West again this year, and now look to prove they can win it all without the aid of trash cans.

You don’t even have to think about this one. Root for the Mariners.

Somewhat surprisingly, Philadelphia swept St. Louis. The things that usually doom the Phillies—bullpen collapses, random cold spells from the offense, untimely errors—all happened to the Cardinals. Perhaps they reverse-cursed the Cards with their own devil magic?

All jokes aside, Dave Dombrowski’s Phillies are back in the NLDS. The Braves are looking to defend their World Serie title. They get to do it against their division rival.

The Braves have former Tiger Robbie Grossman, who of course was traded to Atlanta on Aug. 1. The Phillies have Dombrowski and Nick Castellanos. Personally, I’m going to root for the Braves since I like their team, but I understand if some Detroit Tigers fans who still have an affinity for Dombrowski would want to see him keep winning.

It appears I may have underestimated the Padres. I was unimpressed with them coming in, but they rode their pitching staff to an upset of the 101-win Mets.

The Dodgers are…well, the Dodgers. They’re just as much of a juggernaut as ever, winning 111 games this year. However, their starting rotation has been plagued by injuries all year. Walker Buehler is out for the year, and Tony Gonsolin and Clayton Kershaw will both be limited. Even then, it’s still hard to count this team out.

I don’t know about any of you, but I’m sick of the Dodgers being the class of the NL. It’s time for some fresh blood. Root for the Padres.