Turnpike Series Preview: Phillies vs. Yankees

Finally here it is, the Fall Classic, and what a heavyweight bout this should be. This match-up excites me more than any other World Series I have been alive for. These teams are pretty evenly matched. To break it down some I will go position for position.

Catcher

Carlos Ruiz has played well, Jorge Posada is way better. Jose Molina won’t be making appearances any more.

Edge: Yankees

First Base

Mark Teixeira might be right behind Pujols as the best first baseman in the game. However, this postseason he hasn’t really been his regular season self in the batter’s box. His slick glove has however made up for his lack of offense, saving some big runs and hits. Ryan Howard has been the A-Rod of the NL this postseason. I don’t see him stopping in the World Series, especially at Yankee Stadium.

Edge: Phillies

Second Base

Robinson Cano has played well and made some great plays defensively, but Chase Utley is arguably the best second baseman in the game. Utley needs to be more productive than he has been during these playoffs.

Edge: Phillies (Slightly)

Shortstop

Other than his trash talking, Jimmy Rollins hasn’t done much this post season. Jeter is Jeter and he’s even more than that during the playoffs. No question who is better here.

Edge: Yankees

Third Base

Pedro Feliz plays some stellar defense. Alex Rodriguez is playing out of his mind. Game 7, bottom 9, 2 out, I want A-Rod up over Jeter. Yeah, I said it.

Edge: Yankees (100X Over)

Left Field

Raul Ibanez has had a career year with the Phillies this season. he is a real threat. Johnny Damon has finally started to hit and woke from his postseason slumber. His experience also makes him very dangerous. Damon is more dangerous.

Edge: Yankees

Center Field

Melky Cabrera has been hitting great during the ALCS and has done very well defensively. Shane Victorino is hitting better and is one of Phillies opposing teams fear most.

Edge: Phillies

Right Field

Nick Swisher hasn’t done much this post season. Jayson Werth hasn’t been that stellar either but still better than Swisher.

Edge: Phillies

The DH will only factor in 2-4 games in this series. Yankees get the edge because Matsui is far & beyond better than any bench player for Philadelphia and better than many Phillies starters.

Starting Pitching

Cliff Lee is one of the best aces in the game and will be dominant in the World Series. Pedro Martinez starting in Yankee Stadium is great theater and I feel he will either be old Pedro owned by the Yankees in the playoffs or older Pedro who was so dominant for the Red Sox, chants will be plenty either way. Cole Hammels is a shell of his 08 self and Joe Blanton does nothing for me. Hammels is the key to the Phillies repeating.

The trouble for Lee is that he will be matched up with an equally as dominant ace, former teammate, CC Sabbathia. Andy Pettitte has shown why he has the most wins in post season history. A.J. Burnett needs to contain his Jekel & Hyde performance. Just like Hammels, Burnett’s performance(s) during this World Series could be the key to victory for the Yankees.  The big issue here is the fourth starter. Sabbathia can’t start on short rest without either having Chad Gaudin, who has pitched 1 inning since the playoffs started, start a game or have Pettitte and Burnett go on short rest. Rather than have two pitchers with past injury issues go on short rest, I would probably start Sabbathia on short rest in game 4 and have Gaudin start game 5. This gives Pettitte & Burnett ample rest and let’s Sabbathia start a Game 7 instead of Burnett. Gaudin starting a game is still a very big weakness for the Yankees this series.

The Yankees are in better shape I think because of their front three, the Phillies have only Lee and maybe Martinez. Hammels is the wild card.

Edge: Yankees

Bullpen

Brad Lidge has shown to be reliable this postseason. If I were a Phillies fan, I would still be terrified when this bullpen comes in late against this Yankees lineup. The Yank’s bullpen which has been a strong point all season has shown some weakness this postseason, especially with the bridge to Mariano Rivera. Chamberlain and Hughes have not been as reliable as everyone believed they would be during these playoffs. Rivera is Rivera though and automatically gives the Yankees the edge here no matter what. Though constant 6 out saves should worry Yankee fans. That was his undoing in that epic game 7 in the 2001 World Series.

Edge: Yankees

Manager

Joe Girardi has unquestionably done a fantastic job this year with the Yankees, regardless of some questionable over managing during this year’s ALCS. Charlie Manuel has done this already, Girardi hasn’t, bottom line.

Edge: Phillies

Phillies Key To Success: Cole Hammels- The Phillies need him to be 2008 version.

Yankees Key To Success: A.J. Burnett- With Gaudin possibly getting a start, the Yankees can’t afford to have a shaky performance from Burnett. He will need to work well with Posada, because that security blanket of personal catcher Jose Molina is gone.

Prediction: NYY Over PHI in 7 Games- A little different from Rollins’ prediction.

ALCS Preview: Angels @ Yankees

In my eyes, this is a match-up of the two best teams in all of baseball. These two teams are very evenly match and this should be a tough fought series going the distance (Though, I did same the same about the BOS-LAA series). Lousy weather this weekend could push this series back a few days, even to Monday night. Hopefully, they will be able to get the games in or the World Series might stretch into mid-November.

The Angels’ pitching staff needs to be very good this series against the best offense in the game. Lackey and Weaver need to keep up their great pitching. This series is why the Angels picked up Kazmir, for the way he pitches against the Red Sox and Yankees, though he didn’t look very good against the Sox. Joe Saunders pitching performance could be big this series. The bullpen was solid, but Fuentes doesn’t instill too much confidence in me.

The offense was productive in the ALDS, they hit well, got on base, and stole bases. Abreu was incredible and I’m sure he will want to keep going against the team that refused to re-sign him.

The Yankees’ pitching was also very good in the ALDS. Sabbathia seemed to exercise some of his old playoff demons, Pettitte was old Pettitte, and Burnett pitched well, though he needs to cut down on his walks. The big question is who starts game 4?  Sabbathia on short rest or Chad Gaudin? I go with Sabbathia since he hasn’t been overused this season and he’s one of the best aces in the game. Even though the bridge to Mariano Rivera has been shaky at times in the ALDS with Phil Hughes, Rivera has shown why he is still the best closer in the game.

The offense hasn’t played like the best offense of the year. Outside of Jeter, A-Rod and Posada, the team has struggled. Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano and Johnny Damon need to pick up the slack. I see A-Rod having a brilliant ALCS.

Angels Key To Success: Scott Kazmir- If he can rebound from his DS performance and pitch against the Yankees like he has in the past, this would mean big trouble for the Yankees.

Yankees Key To Success: CC Sabbathia- CC needs to be the ace in this series, he might pitch 3 times. That game 4 on short rest could be the biggest start of Sabbathia’s career.

Prediction: NYY Over LAA In 7 Games- I think this good be a classic ALCS going to the last game. Since I did have a dream last night of Nick Swisher having the game winning hit in Game 7, I’m going with the Yankees. It won’t be easy though and I wouldn’t be surprised if it went the other way.

NLCS Preview: Phillies @ Dodgers

Okay, so I seem to have been very wrong about the Dodgers, the Cards were no competition for them. I was right about the Phillies in 4, so I’m batting .500. This should be a great series. Both teams have good offenses and pitching.

The Phillies need to be on top of their game to beat these Dodgers. The starting pitching wasn’t great in the NLDS, with the exception of Cliff Lee of course. Hammels and Happ need to rebound after shaky appearances, and I don’t really trust Martinez n the playoffs. The 9th still worries me with this team.

The Phillie’s offense has been great. Six starters are hitting above .300 and only 3B Pedro Feliz is hitting below .250, sitting at .208. They are going to need to be very productive to beat the Dodgers.

The Dodgers surprised many by their dominance of St. Louis and their pitchers. More surprising was Vicente Padilla’s pitching performance. If the Dodger’s pitchers keep pitching like they have been, it puts them in good shape against a tough Phillies lineup. The offense has been pretty good, Andre Either and Rafael Furcal are each hitting .500. Manny will need to continue to be productive.

Phillies Key To Success: Closer- Yes, still the closer role. I know closers not named Mariano Rivera have had a rough post season so far, but the closer is still one of the most important positions. I’m not sold on Lidge’s 1.1 innings this October.

Dodger’s Key To Success: Manny Ramirez- I see him having a monster series and helping to carry this team to the pennant.

Prediction: LAD Over PHI In 6 Games- I think Torre is destined for another World Series trip. The Dodgers will treat the Phillies like they were named the Cardinals, though the Phillies will put up more of a fight.

Playoff Preview: Red Sox @ Angels

These two teams seem to meet every year in the ALDS. As everyone knows, the Red Sox own the Angels in the playoffs. Will this year be any different?

The Angels come into this year’s postseason with a very well balanced team that led them to having the second best record in the MLB with 97 wins. The entire rotation has been pitching great during the end of the season and look for ace John Lackey to have a big postseason. A secret weapon the Angels might have is the rejuvenated Scott Kazmir, who has looked like a completely different pitcher since coming over from Tampa Bay this summer. The Angel’s offense is what sets this Angels team away from previous year’s teams. They can play scrappy, small ball and hit homeruns and steal the base paths away, Boston’s catchers are one of the worst teams at preventing stolen bases. Brian Fuentes is nowhere near the stature of former Angel’s closer Francisco Rodriguez, that could be an issue.

The Red Sox come into this postseason with pitching as their weapon and a good offense backing them up. There is a good amount of World Series experience on this team. Though the Red Sox pitching staff isn’t as deep as everyone claimed in the beginning of the season, but the 1-2 combination of Jon Lester- Josh Beckett is one of the best and scariest in the game. It will be big for either starting catcher, Victor Martinez or Jason Varitek, to not let the Angels steal all day against them. The Boston offense isn’t as scary as previous playoff Boston teams, but it still is very dangerous with the likes of Kevin Youkilis, Jason Bay, Dustin Pedroia, and Victor Martinez.

Angels Key To Success: Scott Kazmir- If Kazmir can be the pitcher he was during last year’s playoffs with the Rays, the Angels can have dominant pitching this postseason.

Red Sox Key To Success: David Ortiz- Ortiz did have an improved season this year after being terrible at the start, though he still wasn’t the same Ortiz as in previous years. But if he can continue his clutch magic in the playoffs as he’s done so many times, the Red Sox will be in good shape.

Prediction: BOS Over LAA In 5 Games- I think this series will be a bloodbath that will go the distance. The results won’t look any different from previous postseason meetings between these two teams.

Playoff Preview: Twins @ Yankees

The New York Yankees come into the 2009 postseason as the big bad team with 103 victories. Everyone is looking for this team to fail. the Twins come in the 2009 postseason as the opposite. They are the scrappy underdog team who got hot at the right time and upset the Tigers to win the Central Division in a one-game playoff.

The Yankees’ offense is one of the best I’ve seen in a long time. they have 5 players with over 20 homers and the 3-4 combination of Teixeira-Rodriguez is one of the best in the league. With Jeter and Teixeira, the Yanks have two players who will probably finish in the top 3 in the AL MVP voting. Ace C.C. Sabbathia hasn’t had the best postseason success in the past, but I see him having a big October along with playoff veteran Andy Pettitte. A.J. Burnett is a wildcard, the Yanks need him to be the pitcher he was mid-season and in late September for a deep playoff run. The bullpen is also one of the best in the game with Phil Hughes setting up the legendary Mariano Rivera.

The Twins come in hot and running on adrenaline after a tiring week and a 12 inning play-in game with the Tigers ending 20 hrs before the first pitch of the ALDS with the Yankees. The Twins have the AL MVP on the team with insanely awesome catcher, Joe Mauer. But besides Mauer and the momentum, I don’t see how this team can compete with the Yankees. Michael Cuddyer has fit in very nicely for an injured Justin Morneau, but Morneau will be missed for these playoffs. The starting pitching is also in shambles. Rookie Brian Duensing takes on ace C.C. Sabbathia for his first start at Yankee Stadium in game 1 of the ALDS, talk about pressure. You then have Carl” The DL” Pavano starting game 2 in Yankee Stadium, which I’m sure the packed crowd won’t be very hostile. The Twins best pitcher will only be able to start one game in this series, and it won’t be until game 3 in the Metrodome.

Yankees Key To Success: A.J. Burnett- He has to show up as the pitcher he was signed to be and has been during July. He better win with his personal catcher Jose Molina, or Jorge Posada might cause some ruckus and won’t be silent about it.

Twins Key To Success: Momentum- They need to ride this momentum all the way through the playoffs, similar to how the 2007 Rockies did.

Prediction: NYY Over MIN In 4 Games- If the Yankees lose this series, it will be more to a total collapse by the Yankees than the Twins overpowering them. I’ll give the Twins game 3 with Baker on the mound and in the tough, loud Metrodome.

Playoff Preview: Rockies @ Phillies

The Rockies have had an incredible run since firing Clint Hurdle and being 10 games under .500 earlier in the year to hiring Jim Tracy and finishing 22 games above .500. However, they will have their hands full with the reigning World Champions Philadelphia Phillies.

The Phillies have the high powered offense with Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, & Shane Victorino. They also have one of the best 1-2 punches in their starting rotation with Cole Hammels and Cliff Lee. J.A Happ also waiting later in the series is pretty scary. A big question is whether Hammels can be as clutch and as great as he was last postseason after struggling somewhat this season. Closer (or ex-closer) Brad Lidge shouldn’t come anywhere near a 9th inning during this postseason. The biggest weakness on this Phillies team may be that they don’t have a dependable closer like all the other playoff teams have.

The Rockies power their way into October, coming in as the surprise team to win the Wild Card for the second time in the past three years. After they traded Matt Holliday during last offseason, I never believed the Rockies had a chance. Though this Rockies team’s offense isn’t as awesome as the 2007 version, it’s still a good one. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki powers this team along with outfielder Brad Hawpe and veteran Todd Helton. The Rockies pitching might be their strength. Ubaldo Jimenez and Jason Marquis have been great for the Rox this season, and Aaron Cook has been pitching well also. At least trading Holliday has paid off somewhat this season with getting dependable closer Huston Street, which gives them an edge over the Phillies at that position.

Phillies Key To Success: Closer-Last year Brad Lidge was as much as a sure thing in the 9th inning as any closer. This year, not so much. Not having a good closer in October is very dangerous.

Rockies Key To Success: Ubaldo Jimenez- He has to be the ace the Rockies need him to be to compete with the Phillies pitching staff.

Prediction: PHI Over COL In 4 Games- I think the superior Phillies offense and starting pitching will be overpower the Rockies.

Playoff Preview: Cardinals @ Dodgers

Best time of the year starts tonight. With the play-in game between the Tigers and Twins, it’s officially playoff baseball time.The Cardinals-Dodgers match-up is probably the second most intriguing series in both league’s divisional series, behind the Angels-Red Sox series.

I do belive that the Cardinals-Dodgers DS contains the two best teams in the National League.

The Cardinals are a huge threat to the Dodgers, especially in a 5-game series, with their frontline starters. Possibly seeing Carpenter & Wainwright twice in a series is terrifying, unless you’re a Cardinals fan of course. The Cardinals will need their starters to be top notch, because the Cardinal’s offense isn’t as good as the Dodger’s. Though, The Cards have the best 3-4 right now with Pujols-Holliday. Having Joel Pinero as the game 3 starter is also very solid. With Ryan Franklin closing out games, the Cardinal’s pitching is in very good shape.

The Dodgers might be the most well rounded team in the game. Their front four of Chad Billingsley, Randy Wolf, Clayton Kershaw, and Hiroki Kuroda are all having solid years. They might not have the two front aces as the Cardinals do, but the pitching is still very good. If they can contain the Pujols-Holliday duo, the pitching might be able to dominate the weak bottom of the Cardinal’s lineup.

The Dodger’s offense needs to keep being balanced and productive in the playoffs. The Dodgers will need Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and especially Manny Ramirez to step up against the powerful Cardinals pitching.

The manager battle between future Hall-of-Famers Joe Torre and Tony La Russa is also very intriguing. The postseason experience between these two is astonishing.

Cardinals Key To Success: Carpenter & Wainwright- If they can keep up their Cy Young worthy pitching, the Cardinals could breeze to the World Series on their backs ala the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks.

Dodgers Key To Success: Manny Ramirez- Since coming back from his PED suspension, Manny really hasn’t been Manny offensively. The Dodgers will need Manny to be his old self to have that serious weapon on offense like the Cardinals do with Albert Pujols.

Prediction: STL Over LAD in 5 games- I think the Cardinal’s starting pitching will be too much to handle for the Dodgers in a short series.