MLB Playoff Picture 2010- World Series

by Mike Trovato


After six months of play, just two teams remain in the quest for greatness. The Texas Rangers and the San Francisco Giants were favored by no one coming into the playoffs, but both needed just six games to knock off the 2009 pennant winners from their respective leagues.

Tonight, the Rangers and Giants will play Game One of the 2010 World Series, and within the next ten days, only one will be left standing as Champions of Major League Baseball.

Texas Rangers

Texas handled the reigning World Champion New York Yankees on all fronts, out-pitching and outhitting the most productive lineup in baseball during the regular season. Slugging center fielder and MVP candidate Josh Hamilton hit .350 with a 1.000 slugging percentage, belting 4 homers and 7 RBI against New York to take the ALCS MVP honors. The Rangers clubbed 14 doubles against Yankee pitching, en route to a collective .304 average for the ALCS. A stellar performance by Colby Lewis the Game 6 clinched Texas' first World Series berth in franchise history. Lewis shut the Yankees down, whiffing 7 and allowing just 7 base runners through 8 innings of one-run ball. More importantly, the Rangers advanced without needing to throw Cliff Lee in a Game 7, meaning Ron Washington will throw his ace in Game 1 of the Fall Classic.

San Francisco Giants

In the NLCS, San Francisco's offense held its own against a Philadelphia Phillies rotation that was expected to silence the Giants' bats. Instead, it was the Phillies bats that were held in check by Giants pitching, managing just 3 home runs and a mere .214 team average against the young arms of Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez and Bumgarner. Though the Giants didn't hit all that well either, they received a boost from one of their mid-season acquisitions, outfielder Cody Ross. Ross accounted for 3 of the Giants' 4 home runs in the series, but two of them powered San Francisco past Phils ace Roy Halladay in Game 1. The 4-3 victory became the trademark for Bochy's squad, as three of their four victories came in one-run fashion, sealed up by flame-throwing closer Brian Wilson.

Analysis

Obviously, the way teams match up are a huge factor in how interesting a series can be. Some series are a matchup of two dominant offensive teams, other times a pitcher's duel seems eminent. But the stark contrasts in the way these two teams match up is what makes the 2010 World Series even more intriguing.

The Giants have not faced an offense as potent as that of the Texas Rangers all season long, playoffs or otherwise. Texas produced 787 runs and hit .276 as a team during the season, and is averaging nearly 5.4 runs per game this postseason, including 38 runs against the Yankees. On the other hand, the Rangers have not faced a pitching staff as dominant as the Giants pitching staff. San Francisco owned a 3.36 team ERA, the lowest in baseball this season, and only the Atlanta Braves had a lower ERA than San Francisco's 2.37 throughout the postseason.

Offensively, the Giants have remained consistent with their regular season output, and actually tallied a lower team average than they did during the season. For that reason, San Francisco may have less to fall back on, as their pitching is by far their main strength. Yet, that was the case in the NLCS, against a better pitching staff than Texas, yet they still managed a win against Roy Halladay.

What may prove to be a deciding factor is the Rangers pitching. Texas has overachieved against what is supposed to be "elite" competition during the playoffs, with ERAs and opponent batting averages significantly lower than what they were during the course of the regular season. The Rangers bullpen was strong as well, as their relievers held a solid 2.25 ERA against the Yankees. That said, Texas may be able to rely on their pitching to get them through, should their hitting falter. Another interesting foot note is that Texas will have to field Vladimir Guerrero while playing by National League rules at AT&T Park. Interestingly enough, the pitching matchups may offset the defensive drop-off, as the Rangers will throw Lee and C.J. Wilson, two lefties, in Games 1 and 2.

Prediction

Texas by far has the better hitting and is much better on the base paths than the Giants are. Although, so were the Giants' last opponents, and things turned out alright for them so far. The starters between Lee and Lincecum's projected starts can go either way, though I do like Cain, but it can't be ignored that the Giants have not faced a well-rested Cliff Lee. Despite his regular season numbers, Lee is a bona fide force on the mound in playoff baseball, with a career 7-0 postseason record and 1.26 ERA, including two World Series victories in 2009. It would be very difficult to see the Giants having much success should they have to face Lee three times, in the event of a Game 7, though I don't think it will go that far.

Rangers defeat Giants, 4 games to 2

MLB Playoff Picture 2010- National League Championship Series

by Mike Trovato

San Francisco Giants (92-7) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (97-65)

def. ATL 3-1 in NLDS def. CIN 3-0 in NLDS

San Francisco Giants
Offensively, the Giants weren't something to write home about against the Braves in the NLDS. Despite 3 RBI apiece from mid-season acquisitions Cody Ross and Pat Burrell, only Rookie of the Year candidate Buster Posey appeared totally locked in at the plate, going 6-for-16 (.375), the only Giant to hit above .300 for the series. As a small consolation, San Francisco did have the highest NL slugging percentage in round one. a less-than-stellar .295. But then again, no National League team has hit a lick in this year's playoffs, and in a series dominated by pitching, the Giants 11 runs in four games was still enough to knock off Bobby Cox's Atlanta Braves.

Yet, despite the best collective pitching performance by any team in the postseason, the Giants young guns have been overshadowed amidst all the talk about no hitters and whatnot. So here's some recognition: The San Francisco Giants starting pitching is the best in the 2010 playoffs thus far; their miniscule 0.93 ERA and 11.17 strikeouts per inning ratio rank first among all playoff teams through one round of competition.

Still, no one seems to be talking very much about them, at least not in terms of them being a serious contender. Tim Lincecum's 14 strikeouts in his complete game two-hit shutout was about as good a performance as you will see, no-no's aside. At least that got some chatter; Matt Cain and Jonathan Sanchez truly got a raw deal. Cain threw 6.2 scoreless innings in Game 3 on the heels of Sanchez' gem. Sanchez fanned 11 in 7.1 innings in Game 2, and he too allowed just two hits, though he did allow one whole run to score.

Say what you want about "H20," but here's one better- Lincecum, Cain and Sanchez abbreviated is LCS, granted, Madison Bumgarner doesn't fit into any acronyms... Joking aside, yes, give credit where it is due to H20, as it is an incredible 1-2-3 tandem. However, one through four, no team has it better right now than San Francisco. Consider that with an average age of the four starters being a peach fuzzy 24.5 years, the Giants have a legitimate, stone cold quartet of starting pitching capable of unbelievable things in the future, and the future could very well be right now.


Philadelphia Phillies
Three is a significant number when it comes to cliches about luck like, "third time's a charm" or three-leaf clovers. For the Philadelphia Phillies, good things seem to come in threes. Presently, the Phils are relying their three top-notch starting pitchers to get them to their third consecutive World Series. In their case, however, luck may not even be necessary.

Roy Halladay has gotten himself acquainted with life in the playoffs quite nicely, although as good as he is, I think he walks one two many batters... Honestly though, what more can you say about a postseason no hitter? Now, I don't consider myself an expert on things of this nature, but come the 7th inning, there was no question about it, it was going to happen. It wasn't one of those "hush hush," let's not jinx this kind of deals. It was unjinxable. Halladay didn't just silence the Reds' bats, he killed more bats than PETA would allow in the literal sense. It was masterful, the single-handed most mechanically methodical manhandlings of a lineup I have ever seen. When all was said and done, Hallday's no hitter essentially marked the only one-game series in playoff history.

What Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels did from that point on was merely a formality. Hamels was brilliant, though his sweep-clinching complete game shutout paled in comparison to the aforementioned Halladay. Oswalt in the middle wasn't great, but he didn't really need to be. The series, for all intents and purposes, ended in Game 1.

Analysis
This may be one of the most intriguing series there could be to pick for, and here's why. Offensively, the difference between the Giants and the Phillies is significant; the Phillies are vastly superior to San Francisco at the plate. However, the progression of pitching matchups is so phenomenal that it's mind-boggling: Lincecum vs. Halladay; Sanchez vs. Oswalt; Hamels vs. Cain. When it comes down to it, this has the potential to be one of the lowest scoring Championship Series of all-time.

With such tight matchups through Game 3, two things come to the forefront becoming exponentially more critical, the Game 4 starters and the bullpens. The Giants clearest edge lies in Game 4, as they are expected to throw Madison Bumgarner against Joe Blanton. While that would likely change if one team is up 3-0, I don't anticipate that being the case.

As far as relief pitching goes, in limited work the Philly bullpen was technically better, but the sample size for the two 'pens is quite small. Collectively, the Phillies (4 IP) and Giants (9 IP) bullpens amassed just 13 innings, with Charlie Manuel's relievers nibbling at the scraps of 4 innings thrown to them in Game 2. The Giants bullpen has been elite, particularly during the final month of the season, but the caveat here is not to compare the two bullpens to each other, but to the respective lineups they will face. The Philadelphia relievers won't have to face the likes of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Jayson Werth on the limited occasions they will be needed. In that regard, the Phillies have the edge.

Prediction
If there's one team equipped to match up against such a juggernaut offense in a best of seven series, I'd have to say it's the Giants. Lincecum certainly has the tools to at the very least not split two head-to-head decisions with "Mr. Doctober." With the luxury of Madison Bumgarner in Game 4, the Giants won't need anyone a third time around, and can very well roll with their top 3 for as long as they will take them. Although that could be 9 strong, logic still dictates that inevitably the bullpens will be called upon, and when that time comes, the Phillies offense stacks up better against the Giants than the Giants bats against the Phillies.

It seems too easy to go ahead and pick another Yankees-Phillies World Series showdown, seeing how both teams are the favorites. It seems that all the Phillies need to do is score first, and they can turn on the cruise control from that point on. I know it won't be that simple, and the Giants will put up a fight. But as much as I'd like to pick the upset here, my gut won't allow it, and I can't justify calling the upset just for the sake of calling it. When it's too close to call, you go with the better team. In my heart of hearts, I know that when it comes down to it, the Phillies are the better team.

Phillies defeat Giants, 4 games to 3

MLB Playoffs: NLDS- Colorado Rockies vs. Philadelphia Phillies

by Mike Trovato

Before I jump into the Rockies/Phillies, let me first start by making my playoff predictions, as my work schedule may prevent me from posting each series breakdown before they get started:

ALDS- Twins vs. Yankees- Yankees in 4
ALDS- Red Sox vs. Angels- Red Sox in 5
NLDS- Rockies vs. Phillies- Phillies in 4
NLDS- Cardinals vs. Dodgers- Cardinals in 4

NLCS- Cardinals vs. Phillies- Cardinals in 6
ALCS- Red Sox vs. Yankees- Yankees in 7

World Series- Cardinals vs. Yankees- Cardinals in 6


National League Divisional Series
Colorado Rockies vs. Philadelphia Phillies







Overview: Neither team goes into this series hot, but keep in mind that the Phillies wrapped up the NL East early, and gave their starters significant rest during the final week of the season. Colorado, on the other hand, played competitive baseball down to the wire, having had the chance to win the NL West in a 3-game series against the Dodgers on the final weekend of the regular season.

The Phillies have home field advantage in the first round, and given that Jimenez and Cook have struggled there, Philadelphia should be able to at least start off more like 2008 than 2007. Whichever team can put up runs early stands a good chance of winning the series, the Phils in particular. Manager Charlie Manuel has not officially named a closer on account of everyone struggling at the back end of the 'pen, and there has even been talk about J.A. Happ being in the mix for save opportunities.

Happ has been solid, but given the uncertainty of the situation, the worst thing for the Phillies would be a high scoring series of games that requires their bullpen arms to log valuable innings. The Rockies best shot is to score early, keep games close and get past the Phillie starters.

COLORADO ROCKIES: NL Wildcard, 92-70

The Rockies are making their second playoff appearance in the last three years. In 2007, Colorado went on a tear in late September, carrying into October to the tune of 20 wins in 21 games. The Rockies swept through the Phillies in the NLDS and the Diamondbacks in the NLCS before being swept in the World Series by the Boston Red Sox.

Ubaldo Jimenez and Aaron Cook will be the Game 1 and 2 starters respectively for the Rockies this time around. Jimenez is 0-1 in 2 with an 8.10 ERA in 2 lifetime regular season starts against the Phillies, both games being played at Citizens Bank Park. Jimenez did beat the Phillies- in Colorado- in the clinching Game 3 back in 2007, allowing just a solo home run to Shane Victorino over 6 1/3. Cook has never beaten the Phillies, though his 4.91 ERA against them is slightly better, which isn't saying much.

The Rockies starting lineup will be almost the same as it was in 2007, the biggest difference being that Matt Holliday is no longer with the club. Jeff Francis has been out all year following shoulder surgery, however Jorge de la Rosa has stepped up to fill that void nicely, winning 16 games this season in Francis' absence to help the Rockies surge from 20-33 to the NL Wildcard.
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/2009/fantasy/02/25/bargains/troy-tulowitzki.jpg
On a relevant but relatively inconsequential note, Kaz Matsui is no longer on the team, but Clint Barmes has provided surprising power, belting 23 home runs and 76 RBI this season. Garrett Atkins has regressed significantly since '07, and Ian Stewart has taken over as the starting third baseman. Stewart was one of four Rockies with 20+ home runs, along with Barmes, Troy Tulowitzki (right) and Brad Hawpe. Interestingly enough, Colorado did not have a single player drive in 100 runs this season, as Tulowitzki led the team with 92.


PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES: NL East Champions, 93-69

Cliff Lee, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, has performed well for the reigning World Champions since being acquired from Cleveland in July, and will get the ball in Game 1. Lee struggled in his final two starts of the regular season, allowing 10 runs over 11.2 innings. Through his last 10 starts, Lee walked just 7 batters, posting a 3.96 ERA with a 5-4 record.

Cole Hamels, the Phillies' Game 2 starter, had a down year following a solid 2008 campaign. Hamels finished sub-.500 (10-11) for the first time in his career, and his .277 BAA and 4.32 ERA were by far his worst.

After a phenomenal 2008 season, the Phillies bullpen is in shambles this season, headlined by Brad Lidge's woes. Lidge, who was a perfect 43 for 43 in save opportunities (41 regular season, 2 playoffs) in '08, was 0-8 with 11 blown saves and an ERA of 7.21, career worsts for any full season by 5 blown saves and 1.93 full earned runs. Of all 8 playoff teams this season, only the Dodgers have blown more saves (26) than Philadelphia (22).
http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/ryanhoward.jpg
Despite the question marks about pitching, when it comes to hitting, without question, the Phillies bats are lethal, though it will be interesting to see whether the rest will benefit or hurt the Phillies bats heading into the NLDS. The World Champs hit the most home runs (224) in the National League, tied with the Rangers and behind only the Yankees (244) for the Major League lead. Led by Ryan Howard's (left) 45 home runs, Philadelphia had four players with 30+ homers this season: Jayson Werth (36), Raul Ibanez (34) and Chase Utley (31).

Prediction: Given the pitching matchups, I believe the Phillies will take care of business, especially at Citizens Bank Park. The Rockies may take one in Game 3 at home, though the Pedro Martinez investment may have yet to pay its biggest dividends should Manuel hand him the ball in Colorado.
Phillies in 4.