Yeah, so...the Division Series. That went well for me, didn't it? I'm not sure I could go 0-4 again if I tried. (I did get the Wild Card Games right if that counts.) After that stellar start, I'm going to try this again for some reason. If you're a bettor and you haven't put your money down yet, I'd suggest taking whoever I didn't pick.
People have been talking about how great this year's playoffs have been. The Division Series games themselves were good, but to call these playoffs "great" would definitely be an over-exaggeration. And two sweeps with a pair of four-game series mixed in doesn't exactly qualify as compelling playoff baseball either. All four series were over so early that the Royals and Orioles have had pretty much the entire week off and we had two complete October days without a single baseball game. So, compelling? No.
As impressive as their runs through the Division Series were, it seems like none of the four remaining teams are capable of ever losing again. Although, we all know it's impossible for all four to win the World Series, figuring out which one actually will is anybody's guess. You might as well pull a name out of a hat. And raise your hand if you had a Royals-Orioles ALCS. Although, it'll be great to see some new blood in the World Series. It's been 30 years for both of them, and whoever wins the ALCS will without a doubt be America's favorite during the World Series.
The Royals and Orioles have been sitting around so long that James Shields, who started Kansas City's Game 3 clincher on Sunday will be on full rest to start Game 1. In other words, he's starting consecutive games for his team on regular rest. As we've seen with the last couple World Series where one team had a lot of rest and the other didn't, the team with more rest usually ends up getting swept. But both teams in the ALCS are on a ton of rest. The last instance of that I can recall is the 2002 World Series, when the Angels and Giants went seven.
On paper, it looks like this ALCS might go seven, too. The Royals have become America's sweethearts. And, you've gotta admit, they're pretty damn fun to watch. In a lot of respects, the Orioles are the anti-Royals. They love the long ball and, as a result, they're never out of a game. But Baltimore also has something else valuable. A good bullpen. The Tigers and Dodgers learned how important that is come October. (That's what I get for picking the teams with the two worst bullpens to make the World Series.)
Sadly, one of these incredible runs has to end. While the Royals seem like a team of destiny, I'm not sure this long break was necessarily a good thing for them. They were riding such a high and they had no clue what they were doing, especially with those three straight extra-inning wins. Now that they've had time to think about it, the pressure might get to them. The Orioles haven't felt the pressure all year. In fact, just the opposite. They want to prove to the doubters (like me) that they actually are this good. That home field advantage with that ridiculous fan base could definitely have a bearing, too. That's what I think puts Baltimore over the top. Orioles in six.
While no one saw Royals-Orioles coming, we all probably should've known it would wind up being Giants-Cardinals in the NL. Am I the only one who's getting sick of seeing these two in the NLCS? This is the fourth straight NLCS appearance for St. Louis and the third in five years for San Francisco. And they're playing each other for the second time in three seasons. They've traded the pennant back-and-forth for the last four years, and we're now guaranteed to see one of them in the World Series for the fifth consecutive time.
I'm glad to see the rest of America is getting as sick of the St. Louis Cardinals as I am. Yes, they're a great franchise and this run of success has been incredible, but the Cardinals and their fans are just as obnoxious as those of the Yankees and Red Sox. A little taste of humble pie can't come fast enough for them. And the Cardinals players really need to check their egos. "Why are we always the underdogs?" Because you always play a team that's better than you are on paper. That's why.
With that being said, there's no denying something happens with that team when the calendar turns to October. The Cardinals are a completely different team in the playoffs than they are in the regular season. And what they've done to Clayton Kershaw over the past two postseasons, while strange, is downright remarkable. Unfortunately for them, they don't own the other dominant lefty who pitches in the NL West. That, of course, is the Giants' Madison Bumgarner.
St. Louis knows how to win in October better than anybody. Except for the Giants. Including the Wild Card Game, San Francisco has won eight consecutive postseason rounds, a National League record (the Major League record is the Yankees' 11 straight from the 1998 Division Series to the 2001 ALCS). The Giants haven't lost a postseason round since Pudge Rodriguez and the Marlins (who've never lost one) beat them in 2003. Hell, they won 10 consecutive postseason games prior to Game 3 against Washington. The most impressive thing, though, is that they win in all kinds of different ways. This year alone they've had the Bumgarner shutout, the Brandon Belt 18th-inning homer (after being down to their last out in the ninth) and the series-winning run on a wild pitch when the ball never left the infield.
San Francisco might be the only team that's capable of beating St. Louis in the playoffs. Although, the roles are reversed from when they met in the 2012 NLCS. That year it was the wild card Cardinals who went up 3-1 before the Giants came back to win three in a row, the last two at home. This time it's the Giants that are the wild card and St. Louis with the home field. Regardless, it's an even year. If the cycle holds, that means the Giants will win. Giants in seven.
So, there you have it. I'm saying Orioles-Giants in the World Series. But considering my track record, I might be dooming them. In that case, congratulations to the Royals and Cardinals on our second All-Missouri World Series.
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