Masterpress/Getty ImagesDiverging payrolls and franchise histories will frame Wednesday's

American League Wild Card Game as a David vs. Goliath tale. Don't fall for it.Hosting the elimination game for the second straight year http://www.padresfanproshop.com/authentic-brad-hand-jersey , the New York Yankees have made a dozen playoff appearances since Michael Lewis publishedMoneyball in 2003. The Oakland Athletics, the franchise that was featured in that bestseller, entered 2018 with stunted expectations following three consecutive last-place finishes in the AL West.Despite the self-writing narratives, this is far from an epic mismatch.The Yankees became the first 100-win team relegated to the Wild Card Game since MLB instituted the new format in 2012. Yet the A's also tallied more wins (97) than any prior AL participant. They also brandish more triumphs than any National League squad vying for the Commissioner's Trophy.Oakland may lack New York's deep pockets and championship banners, but it has taken a similar path to the elimination game. For all the unanswered suspense of who will start for each franchise, these teams made it this far because of a strong lineup and loaded bullpen.Those strengths could come in handy against the Boston Red Sox. Only one will earn the chance to take down the 108-win juggernaut in the American League Division Series.AL Wild Card Game: Oakland Athletics at New York YankeesDate: Wednesday, Oct. 3Time: 8:05 p.m. ETTV: TBSLive Stream: TBS Watch Live Yankee Stadium Hosts Another Home Run DerbyAaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton led the Yankees to a record-setting 267 home runs this season.Mike Stobe/Getty ImagesDespite playing seven weeks without superstar slugger Aaron Judge, the Bronx Bombers belted a record-setting 267 home runs. They made the most of Yankee Stadium's cozy dimensions with a .474 slugging percentage and .351weighted on-base average (wOBA) at home.Per MLB.com's Bryan Koch, manager Aaron Boone touted the team's home-field advantage."In a lot of ways, we're built for our ballpark," Boone said. "Our power plays for a lot of our guys, especially our right-handed hitters. They use that right field to their advantage. I think it's played out that we've been a very good team at home. I love the fact that our fans will get to be making the right kind of noise for us."Judge, whose .352/.471/.699 home slash line would make Babe Ruth blush, is one of seven probable starters to notch a wOBA above .367 at home. For context, Francisco Lindor earned a .368 wOBA.By the way, that list doesn't include Giancarlo Stanton, who hit .229 at Yankee Stadium. A far cry from last season's MVP-clinching finish, he batted .213 with five homers in September. Yet there's hope for a strong postseason debut, as the 28-year-old masher went 10-for-23 with four walks, three doubles and three homers during the final week.Know who else will enjoy swinging for the short porch? The A's.According toESPN.com Wil Myers Jersey , only Marlins Park and ATT Park were less conduciveto home runs than the Oakland Coliseum. That didn't stop the A's from registering MLB's third-most home runs(227) and fourth-highest slugging percentage (.439).No team earned more long balls (136) and a higher wOBA (.341) on the road than Oakland. After crushing an MLB-best 48 homers鈥攁nd hitting .247 for the fourth straight year鈥擪hris Davis gets a chance to inflict more damage on a national platform.Pay special attention to Matt Chapman, who batted .311/.388/.596 on the road and .309/.371/.591 in the second half. He's also a strong favorite to snag a Gold Glove with an MLB-high 30defensive runs savedfrom the hot corner.While he won't win, the third baseman should appear on most MVP ballots:Baseball Reference baseball_refMatt Chapman is the first Athletics hitter to break 8+ WAR in a season since Jason Giambi in 2001.Before Giambi, the last As hitter to do it was Rickey Henderson in 1990 su4liPtLiX ck5bm6pRNXStephen Piscotty also swung a sizzling bat with eight September homers. While Ramon Laureano arrived far too late to join Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar in the AL Rookie of the Year race, the center fielder amassed a 2.0 WAR in 48 games.One would expect a scoring bonanza if not for all the shutdown relievers waiting in the bullpen.Battle of the BullpensBlake Treinen should make his presence felt from Oaklands bullpen.Abbie Parr/Getty ImagesRemember when the Baltimore Orioles lost 2016's 11-inning Wild Card Game without using closer Zach Britton? That was dumb, and neither New York or Oakland will make the same mistake or sidelining their premier late-inning arms.Then again, Britton is now New York's fifth-best reliever.With Chad Green, David Robertson, Dellin Betances and Aroldis Chapman at his disposal, Boone could eschew a starter altogether and rely exclusively on his power pitchers. As noted by The Athletic's Marc Carig, the unit set all-time marks in strikeouts per nine (11.4) and WAR (9.7).Joe Girardi yanked Luis Severino one out (and three runs) into the first inning of last year's Wild Card Game.Boone has yet to name his starter as of Monday morning, but expect either Severino, Masahiro Tanaka or J.A. Happ to operate on a similarly short leash with no margin for error.The A's, on the other hand, may not waste any time turning to their bullpen. Per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, "it'sbecoming ever more likely" the team will open with a reliever after testing the tactic with Liam Hendriks late in the season."It's something we've been tinkering with some and trying to take a look and seeing what the best fit is going forward," A's manager Bob Melvin said on Saturday.MLB.com's Jane Lee also said they are leaning toward starting Wednesday's game with the 29-year-old reliever:Jane Lee JaneMLBAll signs point to Liam Hendriks opening the game in New York, and I would imagine the A鈥檚 just bullpen their way through the entire game.While Hendriks posted a 4.13 ERA in 24 innings, the 29-year-old righty has thrown 11.2 scoreless innings dating back to Sept. 4. He has allowed six hits and two runs in 8.2 frames as Oakland's opener.Athletics relievers didn't induce whiffs (8.8 K/9) with nearly as much success as the Yankees, but their 3.37 ERA ranked a tick above their opponent for third behind the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs.The club can thank Blake Treinen Rickey Henderson Jersey , who is having an epic campaign on par with Britton's 2016:Susan Slusser susanslusserCloser Blake Treinen lowers his ERA to 0.78, the lowest in major-leaguehistory among pitchers with a minimum of 75 innings pitched.The 30-year-old has recorded six or more outs in 10 outings, so the question is not if, but for how long, Melvin will deploy his closer.It's not a one-man show. Lou Trivino posted a 2.92 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 74 innings. Jeurys Familia allowed all three runs in the New York Mets' 2016 NL Wild Card Game loss to the San Francisco Giants, but he finished this season wielding a 3.13 ERA and 10.4 K/9.A vital proponent to San Francisco's 2014 title run, Yusmeiro Petit ceded one run in his last 13 outings. He could be quickly called upon to stop any early bleeding in a prolonged outing.Excluding Ryan Yarborough鈥攚ho pitched multiple innings in relief of the Tampa Bay Rays opener鈥攐nly Jesse Chavez (93.1) logged more innings than Petit's 93 from the bullpen.While the Yankees possess the bullpen edge, the A's could narrow the pitching gap by eschewing their patchwork rotation altogether. Each squad will feel an urgency to score early and often.Advanced stats courtesy of FanGraphs unless otherwise noted. ATLANTA (AP) — Brian Snitker has a two-year contract for only the second time in his 43 years with the Braves.It’s little wonder that Snitker, who turns 63 on Wednesday, said Monday he never assumed he’d be asked to return as manager even after leading Atlanta to a surprise NL East division title and its first playoff berth since 2013.“I’ve been around long enough to know you’re never guaranteed tomorrow in this business,” Snitker said after his two-year deal was announced by general manager Alex Anthopoulos. The deal includes a club option for 2021.Snitker began his long run with the Braves as a minor league player in 1977 and spent 20 years as a minor league manager in addition to stints as Atlanta’s bullpen coach and third base coach. He said his only previous two-year contract came when Bobby Cox became general manager in 1985.Now, as a leading candidate to be NL manager of the year, he again has more than a one-year contract.“It does give you a sense of accomplishment, I guess,” Snitker said. “I feel really good about it. I feel good I have the opportunity to stay around longer and be a part of this.”Pitching coach Chuck Hernandez will not return. All other members of Snitker’s coaching staff also received two-year deals.Anthopoulos said it was his suggestion to replace Hernandez, who he said is “open-minded” about possibly returning in another capacity. Anthopoulos said Snitker had to be talked into replacing Hernandez.“The human being he is, I think he would have had continuity there. … I had some concerns. The more we talked about it, he understood,” Anthopoulos said.Snitker said “I was that guy” who was reassigned in 2013, moving from Atlanta’s third base coach to Triple-A Gwinnett’s manager.Snitker said Hernandez is a “wonderful http://www.padresfanproshop.com/authentic-brad-hand-jersey , really good pitching coach,”“I get that in the process sometimes you want to go in a different direction,” he said.Anthopoulos wouldn’t elaborate on his concerns with Hernandez. He said there is no timeframe on hiring a new pitching coach and said the search could include internal candidates.Snitker was named interim manager in May 2016 after Fredi Gonzalez was fired. Snitker will be heading into his third full season as the club’s manager in 2019.Anthopoulos said he was impressed with Snitker’s leadership from the dugout.“When we did hit a bump in the road, lost four games in a row, he was steady,” Anthopoulos said. “Some guys panic.”After a third straight 90-loss season in 2017, the Braves improved to 90-72 with some of baseball’s best young talent, including Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies and Mike Foltynewicz. They lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in four games in the NL Division Series.“I love everything about what’s going on here from the front office to the organization,” Snitker said. “The whole thing is really solid. It’s got that vibe of what I remember from years ago.”The extension is sure to be met with approval in a young clubhouse. The players constantly praised Snitker and how he always had their back.“He did a remarkable job,” star first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “It’s really hard to handle 25 to 35 personalities, and he’s one of the best at it.”Anthopoulos said the team’s payroll will rise in 2019. Right fielder Nick Markakis is a free agent and adding bullpen help and a catcher to share time with Tyler Flowers could other priorities.The team boasts a deep supply of respected pitching prospects, creating the possibility Anthopoulos could look for an offseason trade instead of free agency to boost the lineup.Snitker became a manager for the first time in the Class A South Atlantic League at 26, and his star seemed on the rise when he joined the big league club as a bullpen coach in 1985.It didn’t last. He returned to the minors the following season, settling into a largely overlooked career as an organizational jack-of-all-trades. He managed at every level of the minors, from the rookie leagues to Triple-A, and got two more stints as a coach for the big league team.