The Pirates have played in the National League wild-card game three consecutive years, and star outfielder Andrew McCutchen is tired of it.
Since the one-game format was introduced to baseball in 2012, Pittsburgh has lost it twice. McCutchen, like many others, feels it's a poor way to end such a long season.
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“Baseball’s built for a series more than a one-game [wild-card],” McCutchen said Monday, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “You don’t ever see anywhere in the game of baseball where 30 teams play a team one time. Doesn’t happen. I believe the reason behind that is because the game is so unpredictable you don’t know what’s going to happen.”
McCutchen believes a one-game format emphasizes pitching matchups more than showcasing a competition between two teams. The Pirates' two wild-card losses — both shutouts — have come at the hands of Madison Bumgarner and Jake Arrieta, so it's hard to argue.
“If they were ever to go to [best of] three games, I think it would make it a little more even,” he said.
Pittsburgh is projected to finish third in the NL Central this season, which puts the Pirates right back on the wild-card bubble.