Predictions Part II: Rochester vs. Norfolk

Rochester vs. Norfolk

Projected Pitching match-ups

Game 1: Willie Tapies (12-6, 3.08 ERA) vs. Bernard Jamison (10-11, 4.36 ERA)
Game 2: Erick Appier (18-4, 3.31 ERA) vs. Elmer Radmanovich (14-10, 3.87 ERA)
Game 3: Max Hernandez (9-9, 3.47 ERA) vs. Ariel Estrada (8-8, 4.21 ERA)
Game 4: Tapies vs. Philip Lyon (9-5, 3.06 ERA)
Game 5: Appier vs. Jamison

Rochester will win if: They can finally figure out how to stop Devon Decker. Decker has really hurt the Raging Rhinos over the 10 games the two teams have played this season. Against Rochester he is batting .394, with 6 HRs and 15 RBIs and .500 in the two teams’ last four game series. Even he does fall, the Nomads have Pat Becker and Corey Franco, both 35 HR guys waiting in the wings. But Decker has been the Nomads offensive machine, accounting for 22% of their home runs, and 16% of their RBIs.

Norfolk will win if: Their mid-season pickups can come up with big outings. Both Jamison and Estrada struggled on their previous team this season before being traded to Norfolk. Their records and ERAs may not look all that scary, but those numbers are from the entire season including before trades. Both players have come into their own since landing on the Virginia coast.

Intangibles: Norfolk has dominated the season this year, but they’ve won nearly every single type of game they could. They’ve won blowouts, high-scoring close games and low-scoring close games. No matter what the Rhinos do, Norfolk always finds a way to one up them.

Prediction: Playoff inexperience almost dooms the Nomads, but like the regular season, they find a way to play just a little better than Rochester. Norfolk in five.