Pro Beavs: Boyd to Make Huge Postseason Start Tuesday, Rutschman Ready for a Rivalry
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The MLB postseason is upon us, and Oregon State university is well represented. There will be a total of six former Beavers competing in the playoffs, and most(if not every one) of them are expected to be crucial pieces to their teams' success. Three of these six former Beavs have a bye into next round, while the remaining three all play in big games tonight in the Wild Card Series.
Steven Kwan and Travis Bazzana - Cleveland Guardians
After a horse race to the finish line, the Guardians clinched the AL-Central title over the Chicago White Sox and now enjoy a bye into the American League Division Series. Much of Cleveland's success in the latter half of the season was a result of Steven Kwan's efficiency. After just an okay performance through the first 90 games, Kwan has hit .346 since the All-Star break, and has largely been the engine of this Guardian offense. While the 2024 number one pick in Bazzana has not been quite as consistent, the Australian has proven just how dangerous he can be at the plate when he gets hot. Cleveland will now wait the winner of the AL Wild Card series between CWS and the Houston Astros, which is a best-of-three set that begins tonight. The Guardians will play their first postseason game on Saturday, October 3rd.
Matt Boyd - Chicago Cubs
The 35 year-old has been a mixed bag of results throughout the regular season. Following a lights-out month of July where he posted a 1.67 ERA over 31 innings pitched, the lefty had a rough August, coughing up quite a few earned runs over five starts. Fortunately Boyd's most recent start on September 24th against Miami was a strong one, and he'll be looking to carry that momentum into a huge outing tonight. Matt Boyd gets the ball this evening against the San Diego Padres, who have been one of the league's hotter teams as of late.
Adley Rutschman - Boston Red Sox
One of the greatest rivalries in sports will be renewed tonight as the Boston Red Sox face off against the Yankees in New York for the best-of-three ALWC. Rutschman, the 2018 first overall pick, has only played in the postseason once, and it was largely a series to forget. Now with a new beginning in Boston, he is presented with an opportunity to put a big stamp on his career if he can help the Red Sox topple their arch rivals. Rutschman will enter the postseason tonight on a high note, after a strong ending to the regular season over the weekend.
Drew Rasmussen - Tampa Bay Rays
The Ace of the team with the best record in the American League finished the regular season on a stellar note. Rasmussen allowed just one run and struck out seven against the Yankees last week, a game where Tampa Bay clinched the American League East title. The Rays will now await the winner of the highly-anticipated Red Sox/Yankees series, and the AL Division Series begins on Saturday. Rasmussen is expected to be on the hill in that game one.
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Ben Pahl is a sportswriter and broadcaster based in Portland, Oregon. His work covering college and professional sports has been featured by the Orange Media Network at Oregon State University as well as KBVR.fm. His other career stops in sports include the Portland Pickles baseball club and the NBA G-League's Rip City Remix.