Detroit Tigers vs. San Francisco Giants

With the long layoff the Detroit Tigers have had, it’s hard to imagine that they will have any problems considering how well they played in the Championship Series.  After sweeping the New York Yankees, it has become apparent that they have some great starting pitchers.  It starts with Justin Verlander, but it doesn’t end there.  Doug Fister, Max Scherzer and Anibal Sanchez have all been fantastic this postseason.  They’ll have to be to avoid their bullpen woes.  Delmon Young was named the ALCS MVP for his timely hits in crucial moments of the game.  But frankly, the Yankees had no answer for any of the Tigers hitters.  Miguel Cabrera was batting .313 with 4 RBI.  Jhonny Peralta had a .389 batting average.  And even rookie Avisail Garcia led the team with a .455 average.  But if the Tigers want to win the World Series, they’ll need their leadoff hitter Austin Jackson to continue to get on base.  His speed is affecting opponents and his defense is among the best in the game.

They were down 3 games to 1 in the Championship Series with one more game to play in St. Louis.  Yet, the Giants knew the situation and had already persevered in the Division Series against the Cincinnati Reds.  They did so again in the Championship Series. The Cardinals had no answer for Series MVP Marco Scutaro.  He tied a NLCS record with 14 hits and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player bat .500 in a 7 game series.  Pretty sure that’s a record too. Pablo Sandoval and Brandon Belt were major contributors as well. They’ll have to be again to defeat Detroit.  However, if the Giants are to outscore the Tigers they will need Hunter Pence and Buster Posey to be on their game.  San Francisco’s pitchers were just marvelous.  Barry Zito, Ryan Vogelsong and Matt Cain will need to repeat their Championship Series performances.  The bullpen was nothing short of amazing as well.  If Tim Lincecum can continue his resurgence in the pen, the Giants will be tough to score on after the starting pitcher has left the game.