After what was mostly a quiet second half to the Major League Baseball season, the month of September reminded us once again why baseball is the nation's most beloved pastime. The Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves reached historic lows when they choked away wild card leads of 9 and 8.5 games, respectively, culminating in what many experts are referring to as "The greatest night in baseball history."
On that fateful evening, the St. Louis Cardinals won and the Braves lost, thus breaking a tie at the top of the National League Wild Card standings and locking up a playoff berth for the Cardinals.
Over in the American League, the Baltimore Orioles walked off victorious against the Boston Red Sox, who had allowed the streaking Tampa Bay Rays to tie up the American League Wild Card race. Just moments later, Evan Longoria of the Rays secured the franchise's first wild card berth with a dramatic walk off home run, capping off a ferocious eight run comeback while setting off a frenzy at Tropicana Field.
So now the dust has cleared, the hysteria has settled, and we're ready for playoff baseball. Can the Texas Rangers repeat as American League champions? Will the Rays stay hot well into October? Can the Philadelphia Phillies duplicate their dominant regular season performance? And how about those New York Yankees; will they be able to secure World Series title number 28?
These questions may seem overwhelming, but have no fear; The Spectrum has got you covered.
American League Division Series:
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Texas Rangers
The sexy pick here is undoubtedly the Rangers. They're the defending American League champions and they boast the top ranked offense in all of baseball.
But don't count out the Rays.
Tampa Bay is hot, and as we've seen in past playoffs, it's all about who gets hot at the right time. Let's not forget, the Tampa Bay Rays starting rotation boasts the lowest ERA in the American League with a 3.58 mark. The Rays also possess what is easily one of the deepest starting pitching staffs in the AL, featuring James Shields, David Price, Rookie of the Year candidate Jeremy Hellickson, and former top prospect Matt Moore. In a best of three series, that doesn't bode well for the Rangers.
Playoff baseball is all about pitching, and I'll take the Rays' arms over the Rangers' bats any day. Granted, the Rangers' starting rotation is no slouch either, but the Rays' offense appears ready to breakout after a torrid final week of the regular season.
Prediction: Rays in 5
Detroit Tigers vs. New York Yankees
The tone for this series may very well be set in game one. The Yankees will throw ace C.C. Sabathia in the opener, as the Tigers will counter with Cy Young candidate Justin Verlander. It's a game the Yankees need to win, as they'll be forced to go with starting pitcher Ivan Nova in game two, a player with no playoff experience. Needless to say, it would be a huge blow to the Yankees to be down two games to none before even heading to Detroit for games three and four.
Regardless, I still like the Yankees in game one. C.C. has a tendency to rise to the occasion come October, and the Bronx faithful are certain to be in a frenzy for the playoff opener. Expect the Yankees' offense to carry the team for the rest of the series, as the veteran-laden lineup knows they must produce with the likes of Nova and Freddy Garcia taking the ball for the Yankees.
The Tigers' rotation isn't all that overpowering either, with Doug Fister and Max Scherzer following Verlander in games two and three. It's certain to come down to the offense in this series, and the Yankees boast arguably the best in the game.
Prediction: Yankees in 4
National League Division Series:
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Kirk Gibson is finally back in the postseason. Rather than as a player, though, the former October legend returns as the manager of the upstart Arizona Diamondbacks.
Gibson's Diamondbacks supplanted the defending World Champion San Francisco Giants en route to the club's fifth NL West title during the regular season. They did so on the backs of MVP candidate Justin Upton, Cy Young contender Ian Kennedy, and a deep bullpen that boasts five relievers with a 3.10 ERA or less. All signs are pointing up for the Diamondbacks. Unfortunately, they're matched up with the powerful Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS.
The Brewers clubbed a National League best 185 homeruns during the regular season, and they did so behind the prodigidous power of Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun. Together, Fielder and Braun make up arguably the most fearsome 1-2 punch in this year's playoffs. That doesn't bode well for an Arizona team that outside of Kennedy, has no starting pitchers with under a 3.30 ERA.
All in all, the Brewers are a more well rounded team, featuring a deeper offensive arsenal and higher quality starting pitching. Behind Zack Grienke, Yovani Gallardo and Shaun Marcum, the Brew Crew boasts the pitching staff to put this series out of reach early on. Not to mention, the Brewers own the best home record in baseball with a 57-24 mark at Miller Park, where the first two games of the series will be played. Still, we'll throw the D-Backs a bone and assume Justin Upton's bat will carry them for at least one game.
Prediction: Brewers in 4
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Phillies
The Cardinals' September surge was a nice story. But the Phillies aren't about to become a footnote in a feel good October for the Cards.
The Phillies, often referred to as the "Miami Heat" of Major League Baseball (See: Starting Rotation), were the only team to win 100 or more games this season, as they proved victorious in 102 contests. A team doesn't win that many games without having the wherewithal to make it deep into October.
This Phillies team is absolutely loaded; there's no two ways around it. Its pitching staff is the best in baseball, and each starting pitcher has playoff experience under his belt. When you're throwing out Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels in consecutive games, it's nothing but a death wish for the opposition. Even if that opposition boasts the bat of Albert Pujols.
The Cardinals have a powerful offense, and they are without a doubt more capable of producing runs than Philadelphia. But as I said earlier, playoff baseball is all about the pitching, and there's no better example of prominent starting pitching than what the Phillies have put together in the City of Brotherly Love.
Prediction: Phillies in 4
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Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
Photo: Paul Hokanson / UB Athletics
