National League Division Series
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals
It’s quite simple to explain the matchup between the Pirates and the Cardinals. Pittsburgh is the story of the 2013 baseball season. St. Louis has been one of the best teams in all of baseball. The Pirates have been on the heels of the Cardinals for much of the season, but St. Louis was able to pull away at the end. Pittsburgh boasts a good lineup and a solid rotation that will help them set the tone early. The Pirates bullpen is among the best in baseball and has been a big reason why they are playing postseason baseball. Can NL MVP candidate OF Andrew McCutchen lead the Pirates to a NLCS berth? Or will it be someone else that steps forward to lead them? All eyes will be on Pittsburgh this postseason. It will be interesting to see how they deal with their first test in the Division Series.
It doesn’t surprise anyone that the Cardinals had the best record in the National League. What is surprising is they accomplished that feat with some of their best players missing some time with injuries, namely their NL MVP candidate C Yadier Molina. Although he hasn’t shown any signs of fatigue, Molina is a workhorse and doesn’t shy away from the spotlight or big moment in a game. Like Pittsburgh, St. Louis has a solid rotation and a great bullpen. One of the many factors in the Cardinals most recent success. They’ll have to be near perfect to stump the best story in baseball. Everyone will be rooting for the Pirates, but if the Cardinals do emerge victorious it should come as no surprise to anyone.
Cardinals in 4 games
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves
The Los Angeles Dodgers were able to run away with the NL West Division, but they won’t be able to run over the Atlanta Braves the same way. The one thing the Dodgers have going for them is their rotation which is among the best in baseball with Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke at the top. The Dodgers bullpen isn’t the strongest, but they have been a consistent group during their hot streak to take the NL West. Los Angeles’ lineup is stacked. They are able to beat you in many different ways. Either on the basepaths, the long ball or by playing small ball. They have many players that can play to many different strengths. This is why the Dodgers were considered a World Series contender at the beginning of the season only to realize their potential starting in June.
Atlanta has been an afterthought for most of the summer and into September. They have had a commanding lead of their division all year and with lackluster competition coming from the NL East this year, the Braves have been forgotten. They shouldn’t be as they have been able to beat teams with stellar pitching from their rotation and bullpen. Also they have had many come from behind victories to put them in a position to host the Dodgers instead of the oppostie way around. Atlanta is just starting to get healthier in their lineup with the return of OF Jason Heyward from a broken jaw. With him and 1B Freddie Freeman planted in the middle of the lineup they could give the Dodgers pitchers fits. The Braves rotation doesn’t look as good as the Dodgers without Tim Hudson, but Atlanta has a beavy of talented arms in their bullpen to help offset any rotation issues.
Dodgers in 4 games
American League Division Series
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Boston Red Sox
These two division rivals have had some history since the Rays have become a competitive organization. Boston has had an amazing transformation since last season’s debacle with Bobby Valentine. Tampa Bay has had an amazing road as well having to play the Texas Rangers in a 163rd regular season game and then beat a hot Cleveland Indians team for the AL Wild Card spot. If not for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Tampa Bay Rays would be the talk of baseball. It seems that every year no one wants them to succeed, but yet they find a way. They have a good rotation and a bullpen of mostly outcasts from other teams that have blossomed into a solid pitching squad. Tampa Bay’s lineup isn’t stacked by any means, but they are adequate and they seem to love playing against the Boston Red Sox.
Boston needed some key players to bounce back after subpar seasons last year. DH David Ortiz and P John Lackey were two of the biggest ones. They have both stabilized their lineup and rotation respectively and in turn have transformed the Red Sox into contenders once again. Boston’s two key players are OF Jacoby Ellsbury and closer Koji Uehara. If Ellsbury can set the tone with his base stealing ability and if Uehara can continue his success during the season in closing games the Red Sox should be fine in this series. If one or both falter, Boston will be doomed to an early exit. That’s something the Fenway faithful don’t want to see, but at least the Red Sox will have the ability to say they have righted the ship in 2013.
Ray in 4 games
Detroit Tigers vs. Oakland Athletics
It seems like the Detroit Tigers have played the Oakland Athletics in almost every postseason series the last few years. In actuality they have only played each other twice in the postseason. The 2006 American League Championship Series and the 2012 American League Division Series. Both resulted in a series victory for the Tigers. Detroit did struggle down the stretch in September, but did have a big enough lead to avoid any kind of a collapse. One of the big reasons for their struggles has been the health of AL MVP candidate 3B Miguel Cabrera. He’s had an abdominal injury that has been nagging him through the summer and into the fall. If he’s not right for this series the Tigers could be looking at an early exit. Detroit’s rotation will have to step up in a big way this postseason. Their rotation is highly regarded, but their bullpen is a little suspect. They’ll have to find ways to win without having the game be to close late in the game.
The Oakland Athletics have gotten no respect and that’s a mistake. Yes, they are a young rag-tag group that no knows about or cares to know about, but they all play as a team. They are very similar to the Tampa Bay Rays, but Oakland still doesn’t get that same kind of respect. Their rotation is solid and has excellent depth. Oakland’s bullpen is by far their biggest advantage over the Tigers. Detroit has been able to get over that fact in their last few postseason meetings, but something has to give. The Athletics lineup is streaky at times, but they have solid RBI producers in 3B Josh Donaldson and OF Yoenis Cespedes. If those two are able to click early and often this will be a relatively quick series unless Oakland’s pitchers can’t keep the Tigers batters at bay.
Athletics in 5 games
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