Tampa Rays vs Boston Red Sox Game 1: Shields vs Matsuzaka Game 2: Kazmir vs Beckett Game 3: Garza vs Lester Game 4: Sonnanstine vs Wakefield The Rays are completely healthy and the best news of all is Carl Crawford looks to be effective and showed that with 3 steals in the divisional series. The Rays can beat you with small ball or a bloop and a blast. Crawford gives the Rays the opportunity to be aggressive on the base paths. The Rays are the most fundamentally sound team in all of baseball, as they rarely shoot themselves in the foot. It will be interesting to see if Iwamura/Upton can continue on their torrid pace thus far in the playoffs. The Red Sox on the other hand are, well, the Red Sox. They come into this series confident and poised. It was not surprised they moved Lester to being the 3rd starter in the rotation for this series, as he has been untouchable at home and Beckett has been much better on the road. This also sets up for Beckett/Lester for games 6 and 7, if it goes that far. David Ortiz was silenced in the divisional series vs the Angels and must come up big in order for the Red Sox to overcome a very talented Rays team. The key to this series is those first 2 games at the Trop. I like the matchups in favor of Tampa. Shields pitched 2 outstanding games vs the Red Sox at home and won both. Matsuzaka has come down the stretch and appears to be barely holding on at times. Beckett is still not 100 % and it will be interesting to see if he can be dominant again. The Red Sox need him to be. Jason Bay has been a look-alike Manny Ramirez thus far for the Red Sox. It is essential that he keeps up the pace as the Rays are surely going to be very careful pitching to Ortiz. Prediction: Both teams come in clicking on all cylinders. Both have solid starting pitching, great bullpens and a formidable lineup. The series comes down to the home ball parks advantage. The Rays take the first 2 games fairly easily, steal one in Boston and end this thing in 6 games. Philadelphia Phillies vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Game 1: Hamels vs. Lowe Game 2: Myers vs. Billingsley Game 3: Moyer vs. Kuroda Game 4: Blanton vs. TBD The Phillies lineup is arguably the best out of the final four teams remaining. The Phillies come in with a deeper rotation, and their bullpen has been lights out all year long. Jimmy Rollins is off to a great start and must continue to get on base, rattle the starting pitcher on the base paths and set the table for the big boppers. Shane Victorino was the MVP of their divisional series win over the Brewers and offers even more speed on the base paths. He is a definite X-factor. The Dodgers come into the playoffs as the hottest team in baseball. The Dodgers are 22-8 in their last 30 ballgames. And they come in with the hottest pitcher in baseball, Derrick Lowe. Since August 16th, Lowe is 5-1 with a 1.05 ERA. He continued to dominate in his appearance vs the Cubs in the divisional series. Billingsley has been solid in 13 of his last 14 regular season starts and continued that versus the Clubs. Manny Ramirez is poised to have another magical October and it will be necessary if the Dodgers are to win this series. The X-factor is Rafael Furcal, the Dodgers answer to Jimmy Rollins. If he can get on base, it could be trouble for Phillies pitchers. The key to this series involve 3 players. Brett Myers, Brad Lidge and Manny Ramirez. Brett Myers struggled the entire first half of the season, came back after a month off and dominated for much of the 2nd half until September when he started to rely on his curveball way too often. Which pitcher will they see in this playoff series? Brad Lidge was on the verge of a meltdown in his first relief appearance vs the Brewers but managed to survive. All it will take is one blown save and it could easily be over for the psychologically-challenged Lidge. The X-factor for the Dodgers offense will be Manny Ramirez. Will the Phillies pitch around him and force Ethier and Loney to come up with the big hits? My guess is yes, and rightfully so. Prediction: The Dodgers are peaking at that just right time, and look to be poised to make it to the World Series, their first time in 20 years. The Phillies remember last year when they got swept by an ultra blazing Colorado Rockies team. Both bullpens are great, so there is no real advantage there. The series will go 7 and the difference will be game 4, in which Joe Blanton will either face either Greg Maddux or Clayton Kershaw. Advantage Phillies. The Phillies win in 7.
Charlie Manuel's mother passed this morning. His mother called him after every single game he managed to tell him what he did wrong. He will be managing today with a very heavy heart.
excellent write-up. I would choose the Rays as the victor here but there's two things they may be their downfall; Boston's ability to always fight back no matter how late and an unproven Dan Wheeler. I say unproven because Boston is a different animal. And these games will come down to the bullpens. I'll take papelbon over dan wheeler and that makes the difference in the series once the lights are bright. The Sox have a unique ability to shrink even the biggest of relievers and always seem to expose their weaknesses. why the hell the phillies pitched to manny with kemp, ethier and loney protecting him is beyond me. i think they learned their lesson.
Of course I am a big Dan Wheeler fan from his days in Houston. I am not really concerned. And let's remember it was Papelbon who blew a save vs Tampa that pretty much sealed the deal for the Rays to take the division.
gonna be an awesome series, i hope. im a sox fan, but id rather not see a sweep, but the sox really could sweep them. things would have to come together though. -dice k has looked better lately. more pop on the fastball. -what will beckett be like. seems too early for him to be near the top of his game -ortiz. he's not the same as past years. that wrist injury is like kryptonite. -lester. it would be nice to have him earlier in the series. -wakefield's knuckleball is always a wildcard. i say sox in 6. dice k eats em up tonight.
Just a note that chad durbin a former lsu baseball signee and baton rouge resident is on the phillies staff... and he has had a pretty good year.
Uncharacteristic game tonite for the Rays. Man at 3rd and nobody out and can't get him in. Then a huge miscue in the outfield.
Longoria starting to be a huge liability in the lineup. Had 2 great opportunities and failed both times. He is 1 for his last 16 and has left tons of men on base. Move Crawford back to his natural 3 hole, and have Pena clean up and take some pressure off Longoria in the 5 spot. Unfortunately both Pena and Longoria tried to hit the game winning 3 run homer instead of hitting what was pitched or laying off pitches until you get the pitch you can handle. Great job tonight by the Red Sox pitching staff. If this is the Dice K that Boston sees the rest of the way, they will repeat as World Series champs.
