MLB Playoffs

The San Francisco Giants are going to the playoffs for the first time since the ill-fated 2003 campaign.

Officially.

And the tortuous 2010 regular season really couldn't have ended any other way.

When the Giants swept the Arizona Diamondbacks earlier this week, the clincher seemed like a formality.

The New York Yankees had a rough September, posting a 14-16 record for the month, and finalized it by losing the AL East to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Regardless, getting closer to the goal of repeating entails making the postseason and that first step has been accomplished.

A 162-game season came down to the last game.

The Phillies and Reds clinched their divisions early on, but the NL West and Wild Card spots came down to the wire. In the regular season's final game, the Braves, Padres, and Giants fought it out on the field and engaged in intense scoreboard watching off it.

But the hypothetical three-way tie didn't materialize as the Braves managed to squeeze by the Phillies in an 8-7 victory, and the Giants took care of business in San Francisco shutting out the Padres, 3-0.

October is upon us once again.  It is one thing that is almost as certain as death and taxes, yet at the same time, can never be scripted as FOX claims.  The plot is about ready to thicken as September ends and October commences.

There is something about the aura of October that always keeps us guessing, its essence is so subtle and can never be fully explained.  The things that have happened in past Octobers  are still mysteries that will remain unsolved. 

Part 5 of 7 Phillies Championship Advantages

The Philadelphia Phillies are fortunate to call Citizens Bank Park "home." The stadium is both part and parcel to the greatest era in the organization's history.  

The initial champagne has been popped and the celebrations have come and past. Now that the playoff series are set, we can begin talking about matchups and how far each team will go.

Which National League team will play for all the marbles?

We have the Wild Card winning Atlanta Braves going to San Francisco to start their series with the NL West Champion Giants on Thursday.

The NL East Champion Phillies will host the NL Central's Reds starting on Wednesday.

They're back. After a seven-year absence from the postseason, the Giants hosting the wild-card wining Atlanta Braves in an upcoming Division Series. It has been a roller coaster of a season for the team by the bay.

In early July the Giants were in fourth place in the NL West and 4.5 games back. Then, after taking a three game lead, they dropped two to San Diego (SD was 12-6 this season against SF) and had to go to the final game of the season to clinch their berth. But they did it—and hope to follow it up with a World Series ring.

You can say a lot of things about the New York Yankees.  They've got the most money, their offense is unbeatable, the list goes on and on.  However, one thing you can't say is that their starters are a lock every time they take the mound. 

A.J. Burnett has been up and down, Hughes has been shaky but good for the most part, and Javier Vazquez was demoted to the bullpen.

This has arisen many issues like, "Who starts Game 2?  Well they go with three starters like last year, or four?" 

In the immortal words of American Idol host Ryan Seacrest, “America, this is your bottom three.” For the New York Yankees, the bottom three of their starting rotation this season has been about as stable as Lindsay Lohan in a rehab centre. This is no doubt going to leave the Yanks with some serious problems this coming postseason.

In a Bleacher Report Community effort, the top Featured Columnists for MLB's top teams have come together to give the fans a thorough understanding of what to expect when your ace succumbs to playoff pressure, putting a close game in the hands of your bullpen.

Each Bleacher Report Featured Columnist has been a fan of their team, as have you, for as long as possible.

In speaking with these writers, they understand the history as well as the current state and future prospects for their bullpen.