1. World Series Champs. Boom. They'll take a ton of confidence into 2011 to do it again.
2. If they are to compete to repeat in 2011, their pitching staff will anchor their success. That was the case throughout the regular season, and throughout the playoffs. Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain will be the 1-2 punch for the team. Madison Bumgarner continues to grow, with a sharp World Series performance under his belt. He's only 21, but the team has a world of belief that he'll be around for a long time. Jonathan Sanchez, put on the backburner because of a mediocre World Series performance, will hopefully continue to grow. He needs to work on his command, avoiding games of 5+ walks. He has nasty stuff to get strikeouts every night. Finally, Barry Zito, San Francisco's $126 million dollar man, will be back. They obviously cannot trade him. They would like to get confidence instilled in him again, take pressure off him to be a main component, and let him quietly do his work.
3. Which Giants "misfits" will return? Cody Ross, Pat Burrell and Jose Guillen all are question marks. In my opinion, bring back Ross, and leave the other two. Burrell's atrocious World Series performance (see 0-13, 11 Ks), may lead the team to believe he's running out of gas. They may not want to risk that happening again late in 2011. An outfield of Cody Ross, Andres Torres and Aaron Rowand/Nate Schierholtz is forseeable. Perhaps Travis Ishikawa will start at first and Aubrey Huff will see time in the outfield. Its safe to assume Uribe and Freddy Sanchez will anchor the middle of the infield. Pablo Sandoval may get another shot to reclaim his shot at 3B. World Series MVP Edgar Rentaria hinted at both retiring and not retiring, leaving all sorts of uncertainty with him in 2011. Buster Posey will, of course, start at catcher. Eli Whiteside may depart in search of more full-time duties. Free agency is certainly unpredictable, there is no saying what sort of misfits or strong players may join the club.
4. Brian Wilson will again be the man in the Giants' bullpen. I forsee most of those guys returning. Javier Lopez and Jeremy Affeldt are critical lefties in relief. Sergio Romo has a bright future, as do Santiago Casilla and Ramon Ramirez. Guillermo Mota is a question mark.
5. Pitchers and catchers report in 13 weeks!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Quick Hits on the Texas Rangers
1. The Rangers fell 3-1 to the San Francisco Giants on Monday night, ending their stellar 2010 campaign. Texas won their first postseason series in franchise history, beating the Rays, before beating the Yankees to advance to the World Series.
2. Cliff Lee was a stud for the Rangers, until the World Series. Even in Game 5, he just was damaged by one pitch too far inside, which Edgar Rentaria promptly deposited into the first rows of the left-center field bleachers. Now the issue is that he will not pitch in any other games for Texas. Instead, chances are highest that he'll probably end up pitching for the New York Yankees next season.
3. Darren Oliver and Vladimir Guerrero both may not return. Each have team options, so it will be interesting to see how those play out. Vlad's offense was solid during the regular season, but he can only be the Rangers' DH and he hurt them defensively in the World Series.
4. Colby Lewis and C.J. Wilson will still be studs at the front end of the rotation. Each is gaining more and more talent as they progress, and each had some very quality games in the postseason. The franchise has a boatload of confidence in these two entering 2011.
5. Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz will highlight the middle of the batting order next year. Elvis Andrew and Michael Young will lead the way at the front of the order. The team will still be strong offensively in 2011.
2. Cliff Lee was a stud for the Rangers, until the World Series. Even in Game 5, he just was damaged by one pitch too far inside, which Edgar Rentaria promptly deposited into the first rows of the left-center field bleachers. Now the issue is that he will not pitch in any other games for Texas. Instead, chances are highest that he'll probably end up pitching for the New York Yankees next season.
3. Darren Oliver and Vladimir Guerrero both may not return. Each have team options, so it will be interesting to see how those play out. Vlad's offense was solid during the regular season, but he can only be the Rangers' DH and he hurt them defensively in the World Series.
4. Colby Lewis and C.J. Wilson will still be studs at the front end of the rotation. Each is gaining more and more talent as they progress, and each had some very quality games in the postseason. The franchise has a boatload of confidence in these two entering 2011.
5. Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz will highlight the middle of the batting order next year. Elvis Andrew and Michael Young will lead the way at the front of the order. The team will still be strong offensively in 2011.
WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS
The 2010 MLB World Series Champions are the San Francisco Giants.
Kudos to World Series MVP Edgar Rentaria, whose 3-run home run fueled the Giants 3-1 victory in Game 5, to clinch the series for the Giants.
Brian Wilson finished it up.
Fear The Beard, baby.
Kudos to World Series MVP Edgar Rentaria, whose 3-run home run fueled the Giants 3-1 victory in Game 5, to clinch the series for the Giants.
Brian Wilson finished it up.
Fear The Beard, baby.
Halloween College Rewind
Week 9 in the 2010 NCAA football season is behind us, and two more unbeaten teams unfortunately chalked up their first number in the loss column. Only five unbeatens remain, and one is guaranteed to go down this coming weekend, when #3 TCU visits #5 Utah.
Missouri (7-1), previously #6 in the nation, was run over by Nebraska (7-1) senior running back Roy Helu Jr., who rushed for 307 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Tigers now drop to #12 in the BCS Standings and need one Nebraska loss, combined with winning the remainder of their own games, in order to be in first place in the Big 12 North. Missouri will need to fight another letdown this weekend at Texas Tech, as well as face a tough road matchup with Iowa State on November 20. Nebraska, meanwhile, has only Big 12 lowlights Colorado and Kansas remaining, as well as a matchup on the road against Texas A&M.
Michigan State (8-1), previously #5 in the nation, was blasted 37-6 on the road against Iowa. The Spartans had escaped Northwestern with late road win the week before, and could not muster up much effort against Iowa. HUGE kudos to the Hawkeyes defense for intercepting three passes from Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins and shutting down the Spartans offense. Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi completed 11 of 15 passes for 190 yards and 3 touchdowns to pace the Hawkeyes offensive attack. "Did we come unprepared? I don't think so," Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio told ESPN after the game. "Did things snowball on us? I guess they did." Dantonio was coaching from the sideline for only the second time since returning from a heart condition that kept him away from the team much of October. Michigan State, Iowa, Ohio State and Wisconsin now all lead the Big 10, with one loss each in conference play. Wisconsin and Michigan State each only have games remaining against teams lower in the confernce, while Iowa hosts Ohio State in a critical game on November 20. The winner of that game will keep themselves in the hunt for the Big 10 title, and a bid to the Rose Bowl, or better.
The remaining undefeated teams include Oregon, Auburn, TCU, Boise State and Utah, who are ranked in that order in the most recently released BCS Standings.
The Ducks remaining slate includes home games versus Washington and Arizona, and road contests at California and Oregon State. The top challenges will likely be the matchups to close out the season, starting November 26 with Arizona, followed by the annual Civil War in Corvallis on December 4. Both the Wildcats and Beavers have Rose Bowl aspirations of their own, which may only be plausible by beating the Ducks.
Auburn, 51-31 winners over the weekend against Ole Miss, still face Chattanoga and Georgia at home before closing out their regular season on November 26 at Alabama. The game against the Crimson Tide easily poses the biggest threat to the Tigers, and is also Alabama's best chance to return to the National Title converstation. Cam Newton continues to lead the Tigers with his arm and his legs, making him one of the leading Heisman Trophy Candidates.
TCU faces its toughest remaining test this weekend at #5 (and unbeaten) Utah. The Horned Frogs follow up this weekends matchup with games against San Diego State and New Mexico, in which TCU will be major favorite. As it stands, the Horned Frogs are 6-point favorites this weekend for the game in Salt Lake City, which will likely decide the Mountain West conference champion and be the factor in which teams earns a BCS bowl berth.
Boise State continues to suffer from the ease of its WAC conference slate, losing votes in the polls and points in the BCS standings. The 7-0 Broncos have home games remaining against Hawaii, Fresno State and Utah State, and road games at Idaho and Nevada. The November 26 game at Nevada poses the biggest threat to the Broncos undefeated season, but as long as TCU remains ahead of the Broncos (or Utah beats TCU and ergo jumps over Boise), even an undefeated season from Boise State would still leave uncertainity upon the announcement of the postseason bowl matchups. Only one non-BCS school (a MWC school or WAC school is among that category) is assured a spot in a BCS bowl, and all signs currently point to TCU or Utah finishing ahead of Boise.
Utah has been the team to most quietly navigate to its currently undefeated record, rising up from the edge of the polls to #5. The Utes are led by their offense, which is third in the nation at 45.3 points per game, but also feature a defense allowing only 14.1 points per game, good for sixth in the country. The Utes most challenging remaining game is clearly this weekend hosting #3 TCU, but the Utes must remain focused for road contests at Notre Dame and San Diego State, as well as the annual Holy War versus BYU to close out the year. A win over TCU would probably sway the voters to move Utah to #3, jumping TCU and Boise State.
Other notable notes from this past weekend include:
-UC Davis suffering a 55-24 loss at home to Southern Utah. The Thunderbirds concluded their Great West conference play, finishing 4-0 in conference, with a postseason birth likely on the horizon. The Aggies travel to North Dakota and Cal Poly over the two upcoming weekends, then finish their 2010 campaign at home in the annual Causeway Classic against Sacramento State on November 20.
-Miami suffered a 24-19 road loss at Virginia, severly damaging the Hurricanes hopes of competing with Virginia Tech for the ACC Coastal title. Losing quarterback Jacory Harris early in the game due to a concussion was a huge blow to Miami.
-Notre Dame lost 28-27 at home against Tulsa. The same Fighting Irish team who nearly beat Michigan State, the same Fighting Irish team who beat Big East leader Pittsburgh, and the same Fighting Irish who tragically lost football cameraman Declan Sullivan in an accident this past week. A very tumultuous and inexplicable season for Notre Dame.
-Texas lost at home for the second consecutive week, dropping the Longhorns to 4-4 overall. Baylor came into Austin and dealt Texas a 30-22, giving the Bears their first win over Texas since 1997. Baylor, now 7-2 and ranked #21 in the BCS Standings, is having a tremendous season.
-Florida bested Georgia 34-31 in overtime, keeping the Gators in second place in the SEC East behind South Carolina. The November 13 game at Florida against the Gamecocks will likely decide who will go to the SEC championship game.
Missouri (7-1), previously #6 in the nation, was run over by Nebraska (7-1) senior running back Roy Helu Jr., who rushed for 307 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Tigers now drop to #12 in the BCS Standings and need one Nebraska loss, combined with winning the remainder of their own games, in order to be in first place in the Big 12 North. Missouri will need to fight another letdown this weekend at Texas Tech, as well as face a tough road matchup with Iowa State on November 20. Nebraska, meanwhile, has only Big 12 lowlights Colorado and Kansas remaining, as well as a matchup on the road against Texas A&M.
Michigan State (8-1), previously #5 in the nation, was blasted 37-6 on the road against Iowa. The Spartans had escaped Northwestern with late road win the week before, and could not muster up much effort against Iowa. HUGE kudos to the Hawkeyes defense for intercepting three passes from Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins and shutting down the Spartans offense. Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi completed 11 of 15 passes for 190 yards and 3 touchdowns to pace the Hawkeyes offensive attack. "Did we come unprepared? I don't think so," Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio told ESPN after the game. "Did things snowball on us? I guess they did." Dantonio was coaching from the sideline for only the second time since returning from a heart condition that kept him away from the team much of October. Michigan State, Iowa, Ohio State and Wisconsin now all lead the Big 10, with one loss each in conference play. Wisconsin and Michigan State each only have games remaining against teams lower in the confernce, while Iowa hosts Ohio State in a critical game on November 20. The winner of that game will keep themselves in the hunt for the Big 10 title, and a bid to the Rose Bowl, or better.
The remaining undefeated teams include Oregon, Auburn, TCU, Boise State and Utah, who are ranked in that order in the most recently released BCS Standings.
The Ducks remaining slate includes home games versus Washington and Arizona, and road contests at California and Oregon State. The top challenges will likely be the matchups to close out the season, starting November 26 with Arizona, followed by the annual Civil War in Corvallis on December 4. Both the Wildcats and Beavers have Rose Bowl aspirations of their own, which may only be plausible by beating the Ducks.
Auburn, 51-31 winners over the weekend against Ole Miss, still face Chattanoga and Georgia at home before closing out their regular season on November 26 at Alabama. The game against the Crimson Tide easily poses the biggest threat to the Tigers, and is also Alabama's best chance to return to the National Title converstation. Cam Newton continues to lead the Tigers with his arm and his legs, making him one of the leading Heisman Trophy Candidates.
TCU faces its toughest remaining test this weekend at #5 (and unbeaten) Utah. The Horned Frogs follow up this weekends matchup with games against San Diego State and New Mexico, in which TCU will be major favorite. As it stands, the Horned Frogs are 6-point favorites this weekend for the game in Salt Lake City, which will likely decide the Mountain West conference champion and be the factor in which teams earns a BCS bowl berth.
Boise State continues to suffer from the ease of its WAC conference slate, losing votes in the polls and points in the BCS standings. The 7-0 Broncos have home games remaining against Hawaii, Fresno State and Utah State, and road games at Idaho and Nevada. The November 26 game at Nevada poses the biggest threat to the Broncos undefeated season, but as long as TCU remains ahead of the Broncos (or Utah beats TCU and ergo jumps over Boise), even an undefeated season from Boise State would still leave uncertainity upon the announcement of the postseason bowl matchups. Only one non-BCS school (a MWC school or WAC school is among that category) is assured a spot in a BCS bowl, and all signs currently point to TCU or Utah finishing ahead of Boise.
Utah has been the team to most quietly navigate to its currently undefeated record, rising up from the edge of the polls to #5. The Utes are led by their offense, which is third in the nation at 45.3 points per game, but also feature a defense allowing only 14.1 points per game, good for sixth in the country. The Utes most challenging remaining game is clearly this weekend hosting #3 TCU, but the Utes must remain focused for road contests at Notre Dame and San Diego State, as well as the annual Holy War versus BYU to close out the year. A win over TCU would probably sway the voters to move Utah to #3, jumping TCU and Boise State.
Other notable notes from this past weekend include:
-UC Davis suffering a 55-24 loss at home to Southern Utah. The Thunderbirds concluded their Great West conference play, finishing 4-0 in conference, with a postseason birth likely on the horizon. The Aggies travel to North Dakota and Cal Poly over the two upcoming weekends, then finish their 2010 campaign at home in the annual Causeway Classic against Sacramento State on November 20.
-Miami suffered a 24-19 road loss at Virginia, severly damaging the Hurricanes hopes of competing with Virginia Tech for the ACC Coastal title. Losing quarterback Jacory Harris early in the game due to a concussion was a huge blow to Miami.
-Notre Dame lost 28-27 at home against Tulsa. The same Fighting Irish team who nearly beat Michigan State, the same Fighting Irish team who beat Big East leader Pittsburgh, and the same Fighting Irish who tragically lost football cameraman Declan Sullivan in an accident this past week. A very tumultuous and inexplicable season for Notre Dame.
-Texas lost at home for the second consecutive week, dropping the Longhorns to 4-4 overall. Baylor came into Austin and dealt Texas a 30-22, giving the Bears their first win over Texas since 1997. Baylor, now 7-2 and ranked #21 in the BCS Standings, is having a tremendous season.
-Florida bested Georgia 34-31 in overtime, keeping the Gators in second place in the SEC East behind South Carolina. The November 13 game at Florida against the Gamecocks will likely decide who will go to the SEC championship game.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Week 8 NFL picks
Some picks and a thought or two about this weekends NFL slate:
Denver @ San Francisco: The most notable headline from this game is that the game is not in San Francisco, but in fact in London, England. The Broncos are coming off an inexplicable, horrifying loss at home against the Oakland Raiders. The 49ers are coming off a devastating, season crushing loss at Carolina. Every week seems like a week that could turn the San Francisco season around, but that game never comes. Now, former Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith will be the quarterback for SF, and that spells even more trouble for the 49ers, 6,000 miles from home. The Broncos need to bounce back and take advantage of Smith, relying on Orton and company to help get the job done on offense. Take the Broncos by 11.
Jacksonville @ Dallas: The Cowboys need this game. Heads will roll in ways never imagined in Dallas if the 'Boys lose this game to the defensively porous Jaguars. Even John Kitna (Tony Romo + injured collarbone = :-( Cowboys fans) should be able to link up with offensive weapons Miles Austin and Dez Bryant in order to give Dallas enough to win. The Jacksonville quarterback situation is too unstable, with uncertainty on health every week. The Cowboys should be able to win this one by 13.
Miami @ Cincinnati: Now, I am far too biased in this game. The Bengals are my boys. The Bengals have underperformed this year. Carson Palmer is frustrating. The defense is hit or miss. The Dolphins can't win at home. The Dolphins can't lose on the road. Miami will win this one, but I'm not sure by how many. It could be a field goal, or it could be 3 scores.
Buffalo @ Kansas City: Despite their best efforts at Baltimore last weekend, the Bills just can't find a way to win. The Chiefs will not underestimate the Bills, and all the Kansas City weapons will lead to a solid 16 point KC win.
Washington @ Detriot: The Redskins used their defense to beat the Bears on the road last weekend. They'll need it again, because the return of Lions QB Matthew Stafford gives the Detroit offense a good boost. The Lions play well at home, so I look for them to manage a slight, 4 point win against the Redskins.
Carolina @ St. Louis: Matt Moore had a big game last weekend at the helm for the Panthers at home, beating the 49ers late. But DeAngelo Williams is likely out for Carolina, and Steve Smith is a tad beat up. The Rams are solid at home, recently beating the Chargers in St. Louis. Steven Jackson returns from a Monday surgery on a finger, and helps the Rams win by 8.
Green Bay @ New York Jets: The Jets are almost unbeatable at home. It won't change this week, in a victory of the Packers. Aaron Rodgers and company come off a big, emotional victory over Brett Favre and the Vikings, but the Jets defense will carry them to a 4 point victory. Plus, it is relevant again to say the LaDanian Tomlinson will lead a team to a win.
Tennessee @ San Diego: The Chargers have to be underperforming. I just can't believe they are that bad. I think they return to their better offensive ways this weekend against a sometimes shaky Titans pass defense. Rivers will get things on the right page with Antonio Gates and company, and the Chargers win by 6.
Minnesota @ New England: Tom Brady doesn't lose at home. Period. The Patriots by 11.
Tampa Bay @ Arizona: This game barely intrigues me. It seems one Sunday afternoon game each week does that. Unfortunately, we almost always blame the NFC or AFC West. This week, the case is no different. Tampa Bay is slowly getting it all together, however the Cardinals are going to squeek this one out at home by 5 or so.
Seattle @ Oakland: Ditto to the AFC/NFC comment directly above. The only curiousity I have regarding this game is seeing if the Raiders can repeat their 59-point performance from a week ago. I don't anticipate them to score as much, but I want to see if they can still be as functional. Is Darren McFadden finally "getting there?" We'll find out more this weekend in a 3 point Raiders victory.
Pittsburgh @ New Orleans: Unfortunately, the defending champion Saints can't figure things out consistently. The Browns exposed them in a number of ways a week ago. The Steelers are back to playing "title contender" football, led by their defense. The Steelers should give Drew Brees enough trouble to get a 4 point win.
Houston @ Indianapolis. The Colts will avenge an early season loss to the Texans, particularly because they are coming off their bye week. Payton Manning and Reggie Wayne will connect 13 times, the same number which will be the point differential in this Monday Night affair.
Denver @ San Francisco: The most notable headline from this game is that the game is not in San Francisco, but in fact in London, England. The Broncos are coming off an inexplicable, horrifying loss at home against the Oakland Raiders. The 49ers are coming off a devastating, season crushing loss at Carolina. Every week seems like a week that could turn the San Francisco season around, but that game never comes. Now, former Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith will be the quarterback for SF, and that spells even more trouble for the 49ers, 6,000 miles from home. The Broncos need to bounce back and take advantage of Smith, relying on Orton and company to help get the job done on offense. Take the Broncos by 11.
Jacksonville @ Dallas: The Cowboys need this game. Heads will roll in ways never imagined in Dallas if the 'Boys lose this game to the defensively porous Jaguars. Even John Kitna (Tony Romo + injured collarbone = :-( Cowboys fans) should be able to link up with offensive weapons Miles Austin and Dez Bryant in order to give Dallas enough to win. The Jacksonville quarterback situation is too unstable, with uncertainty on health every week. The Cowboys should be able to win this one by 13.
Miami @ Cincinnati: Now, I am far too biased in this game. The Bengals are my boys. The Bengals have underperformed this year. Carson Palmer is frustrating. The defense is hit or miss. The Dolphins can't win at home. The Dolphins can't lose on the road. Miami will win this one, but I'm not sure by how many. It could be a field goal, or it could be 3 scores.
Buffalo @ Kansas City: Despite their best efforts at Baltimore last weekend, the Bills just can't find a way to win. The Chiefs will not underestimate the Bills, and all the Kansas City weapons will lead to a solid 16 point KC win.
Washington @ Detriot: The Redskins used their defense to beat the Bears on the road last weekend. They'll need it again, because the return of Lions QB Matthew Stafford gives the Detroit offense a good boost. The Lions play well at home, so I look for them to manage a slight, 4 point win against the Redskins.
Carolina @ St. Louis: Matt Moore had a big game last weekend at the helm for the Panthers at home, beating the 49ers late. But DeAngelo Williams is likely out for Carolina, and Steve Smith is a tad beat up. The Rams are solid at home, recently beating the Chargers in St. Louis. Steven Jackson returns from a Monday surgery on a finger, and helps the Rams win by 8.
Green Bay @ New York Jets: The Jets are almost unbeatable at home. It won't change this week, in a victory of the Packers. Aaron Rodgers and company come off a big, emotional victory over Brett Favre and the Vikings, but the Jets defense will carry them to a 4 point victory. Plus, it is relevant again to say the LaDanian Tomlinson will lead a team to a win.
Tennessee @ San Diego: The Chargers have to be underperforming. I just can't believe they are that bad. I think they return to their better offensive ways this weekend against a sometimes shaky Titans pass defense. Rivers will get things on the right page with Antonio Gates and company, and the Chargers win by 6.
Minnesota @ New England: Tom Brady doesn't lose at home. Period. The Patriots by 11.
Tampa Bay @ Arizona: This game barely intrigues me. It seems one Sunday afternoon game each week does that. Unfortunately, we almost always blame the NFC or AFC West. This week, the case is no different. Tampa Bay is slowly getting it all together, however the Cardinals are going to squeek this one out at home by 5 or so.
Seattle @ Oakland: Ditto to the AFC/NFC comment directly above. The only curiousity I have regarding this game is seeing if the Raiders can repeat their 59-point performance from a week ago. I don't anticipate them to score as much, but I want to see if they can still be as functional. Is Darren McFadden finally "getting there?" We'll find out more this weekend in a 3 point Raiders victory.
Pittsburgh @ New Orleans: Unfortunately, the defending champion Saints can't figure things out consistently. The Browns exposed them in a number of ways a week ago. The Steelers are back to playing "title contender" football, led by their defense. The Steelers should give Drew Brees enough trouble to get a 4 point win.
Houston @ Indianapolis. The Colts will avenge an early season loss to the Texans, particularly because they are coming off their bye week. Payton Manning and Reggie Wayne will connect 13 times, the same number which will be the point differential in this Monday Night affair.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Quick AL/NL DS review, AL/NL CS banter...
Well, in regards to division series predictions, it was an overall 3/4 in terms of correctly guessing who would advance. However, only one of my predictions was exactly spot on, which was the Phillies sweeping the Reds. Quite simply, when your ace gets things started by throwing a no-hitter, you give the opposition virtually no chance.
The championship series' are fully underway. In the National League, the Giants took a 2-1 series lead today behind a strong effort by Matt Cain. In the American League, the Texas Rangers hold a 2-1 series edge over the New York Yankees. Game 4 is currently underway, with the Rangers leading 7-3 heading into the top of the 8th. If the Rangers come out victorious, they are in great shape to advance to the World Series, as they still have Cliff Lee set to pitch once more, as well as 3 chances to win 1 game. The two teams meet again Wednesday just past 1pm (CA time). The Giants and Phillies meet in Game 4 Wednesday as well, with first pitch scheduled for roughly 5pm (CA time).
Each series has had its host of standout players. In the American League, huge performances have been delivered by Cliff Lee, Bengie Molina, Josh Hamilton and Derek Holland. For the Yankees, the notables have been CC Sabathia, Brett Gardener, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano.
In the National League, the Giants have been led by Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Cody Ross and even a little Brian Wilson. The Phillies have been helped by a strong pitching performance from Roy Oswalt, as well as offense from Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard.
The championship series' are fully underway. In the National League, the Giants took a 2-1 series lead today behind a strong effort by Matt Cain. In the American League, the Texas Rangers hold a 2-1 series edge over the New York Yankees. Game 4 is currently underway, with the Rangers leading 7-3 heading into the top of the 8th. If the Rangers come out victorious, they are in great shape to advance to the World Series, as they still have Cliff Lee set to pitch once more, as well as 3 chances to win 1 game. The two teams meet again Wednesday just past 1pm (CA time). The Giants and Phillies meet in Game 4 Wednesday as well, with first pitch scheduled for roughly 5pm (CA time).
Each series has had its host of standout players. In the American League, huge performances have been delivered by Cliff Lee, Bengie Molina, Josh Hamilton and Derek Holland. For the Yankees, the notables have been CC Sabathia, Brett Gardener, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano.
In the National League, the Giants have been led by Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Cody Ross and even a little Brian Wilson. The Phillies have been helped by a strong pitching performance from Roy Oswalt, as well as offense from Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
MLB Divisional Series Predictions
MLB Playoffs have arrived! Now, I know it's cheating to make my predictions because "technically" the playoffs have already begun (see Rangers-Rays, 5-0 Rangers in Top 7). But, I am here anyways to deliver thoughts with reason or without reason, to make predictions just like everyone else is entitled to.
Quick overview:
Rays over Rangers in 4 games
Yankees over Twins in 4 games
Phillies over Reds in 3 games
Giants over Braves in 5 games
Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays
The Rangers come in as AL West champions, led by a strong offensive attack. Vlad Guerrero, Michael Young, Josh Hamilton (now healthy, they hope) and Nelson Cruz bring a lot of firepower to the Texas offense. Cliff Lee heads the front of the rotation, with C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis following. I'm not full of confidence for Wilson on the road, and I think Lewis will be outmatched at home in Game 3.
The Rays, AL East champions and owners of the best American League record, are balanced by a sturdy rotation and experience offense. David Price leads a strong group of arms that includes game 2 starter James Shields and game 3 man Matt Garza. I think Garza will lead the Rays to a road win in game 3 to take control of the series, and David Price will finish off Texas in game 4.
New York Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins
Plain and simple, the Yankees are the better squad. They will trot out their best 9 guys on offense, which will bring lots of offensive ability. CC Sabathia will take care of business in game 1. The Twins will take down the Yanks just once, because the NY pitching has been so shaky as of late. Either Andy Pettitte or Phil Hughes will suffer a loss, but the Yanks and Sabathia will finish it off at home in game 4.
Cincinnati Reds vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Now maybe I am being mean to the Reds, picking them not to win any games. But honestly, none of their pitchers give them a fantastic chance to win, particularly on the road. It is not shameful that they won't be favorite against Roy Halladay or Roy Oswalt on the road in the first two games, nor at home with Bronson Arroyo pitching against Cole Hamels. The Phillies offense, headed by the attack of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins, just to name a few, is a strong candidate to lead the way back to the World Series.
Atlanta Braves vs. San Francisco Giants
Now, as a Giants fan, it's simply tremendously biased of me to comment on this series too much. My thoughts are just that this is a very balanced matchup, maybe the most balanced of any first round matchup, and the team who plays at home once more will win.
For some thoughts on the NFL, since I won't get to them today, check out The Sack Lunch Blog, from Will Robinson.
Quick overview:
Rays over Rangers in 4 games
Yankees over Twins in 4 games
Phillies over Reds in 3 games
Giants over Braves in 5 games
Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays
The Rangers come in as AL West champions, led by a strong offensive attack. Vlad Guerrero, Michael Young, Josh Hamilton (now healthy, they hope) and Nelson Cruz bring a lot of firepower to the Texas offense. Cliff Lee heads the front of the rotation, with C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis following. I'm not full of confidence for Wilson on the road, and I think Lewis will be outmatched at home in Game 3.
The Rays, AL East champions and owners of the best American League record, are balanced by a sturdy rotation and experience offense. David Price leads a strong group of arms that includes game 2 starter James Shields and game 3 man Matt Garza. I think Garza will lead the Rays to a road win in game 3 to take control of the series, and David Price will finish off Texas in game 4.
New York Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins
Plain and simple, the Yankees are the better squad. They will trot out their best 9 guys on offense, which will bring lots of offensive ability. CC Sabathia will take care of business in game 1. The Twins will take down the Yanks just once, because the NY pitching has been so shaky as of late. Either Andy Pettitte or Phil Hughes will suffer a loss, but the Yanks and Sabathia will finish it off at home in game 4.
Cincinnati Reds vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Now maybe I am being mean to the Reds, picking them not to win any games. But honestly, none of their pitchers give them a fantastic chance to win, particularly on the road. It is not shameful that they won't be favorite against Roy Halladay or Roy Oswalt on the road in the first two games, nor at home with Bronson Arroyo pitching against Cole Hamels. The Phillies offense, headed by the attack of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins, just to name a few, is a strong candidate to lead the way back to the World Series.
Atlanta Braves vs. San Francisco Giants
Now, as a Giants fan, it's simply tremendously biased of me to comment on this series too much. My thoughts are just that this is a very balanced matchup, maybe the most balanced of any first round matchup, and the team who plays at home once more will win.
For some thoughts on the NFL, since I won't get to them today, check out The Sack Lunch Blog, from Will Robinson.
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