NLCS and ALCS

[MaineDolFan]

Personally, I think both home teams will hold serve on the first two games and send the series 2-0 back on the road.  Wow, I'm good.
 

So, now that my massively talented prediction has some true (cough, cough) - who do you have in the WS (and why)?

ALCS:  This one is pretty tight, across the board.  In the playoffs I always look at pitching; who has the better rotation?  If that is too close to call, who can deploy a better bullpen?  In this case, Toronto - but a super slim margin, has a better starting rotation.  Paper thin margin, Kansas City has good arms.  When Kansas City is able to get a lead and shorten the game, their bullpen is deadly, arms like Ryan Madson, Luke Hochevar...and Wade Davis in the back end.

Understanding this is coming with the Royals already up by 2, I'll take them in 6.

NLCS:  This is another classic battle of the bats versus the arms.  Like the Blue Jays, who have good arms, the Cubs do as well.  They have good arms.  But they don't have the pitchers, or bull pen, the Mets can run at them.  The Mets rotation struck out 9.4 per 9I over the course of the season, Chicago strikes out way too much (which we are seeing in the first two). 

IF Chicago can get back in this, they have a better shot than Toronto does versus the Royals, with Arrieta and Lester shortening up the series.  Lester puts it in a different level in the post season.  Both clubs have good bullpens, I actually think Chicago's is a little deeper, the Mets middle is a little shaky.  Familia is rock solid at the end, but here is a little stat for you:  Seven post season innings, he's pitched seven innings.  That's a lot of work.  Yes, you need to dance with the one who brought you, but of those appearances, they've also run him out there for a four inning save as well. 

Chicago hasn't show it yet, but they have a better offense, they are being held in check by a really, REALLY good rotation.  I think this shifts a little once in the windy city.  Time and time again, I can point to where pitching won a WS - but not necessarily STARTING pitching.  This one could come down to a couple names:  Strop and Grimm, Cubbies need to be in a position to get to them.  I think they will be.

Cubs in 7.

What say you?

[dolphins4life]

I don't know what happened to the Cubs offense.

Looks like the season will end tonight.

I said tomorrow at first, but changed it because I am posting this very early in the morning.

Sigh....

[BuccaneerBrad]

Wouldn't it be ironic if the Cubs came back and won this?  I remember in 2004, another team from the Northeast who hadn't won a World Series in a while came back and beat a New York team after being down 3-0 on the way to winning the World Series.

[raptorsfan29]

a little late but as a fan with a team in the ALCS for the first time in 22 years i will say jays will win the last 2 game.
Jays vs Mets in WS.

I was kind of relieved that the cubs didn't get to the WS. because if the cubs and jays made it to the WS, It would make it hard for me not to silently cheer for a team that hasn't won a WS since 1908.

I also found it weird that with the teams remaining, the 22 years the jays have since they last  won the world series is the most recent of the 3 remaining teams. It certainly is great for baseball that the usual suspects aren't in it.

[MaineDolFan]

A Raptor sighting!  Was wondering where you ran off to.

Kansas City was far too much of a buzz saw for your Jays; they will also be too much for the Mets.

That, and David Price sucks.  He's the Peyton Manning of baseball.