MLB Wild Card: Pittsburgh Pirates would start Edinson Volquez
By Bryan Rose
As we speak the National League Central division has yet to be determined through 161-games. What we do know is that the Pittsburgh Pirates can’t win the division outright so they’ll need some help from the St. Louis Cardinals.
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If the two are to tie atop the Central they will play a one-game playoff with the loser then having to play a Wild Card game against the San Francisco Giants. If the Pirates lose the division to the Cardinals, Pittsburgh will continue with the previously mentioned game against San Francisco.
Assuming that to be the case, the Pittsburgh Pirates will start pitcher Edinson Volquez in their Wild Card game.
It was expected by many that ace Gerrit Cole would get the call for the potential Wild Card contest however with the division on the line, the Pittsburgh Pirates understandably wanted to try and avoid having to play in a winner-take-all Wild Card game.
If the Cardinals and Pirates tie atop the division, it is not believed that Edinson Volquez will be moved up to start the tiebreaker game but would rather stay in line for his scheduled Wild Card start.
Pittsburgh will also have Gerrit Cole on normal rest if they are to advance to the National League Division series.
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