The one game Wild Card matchups passed with one emotional home team and a determined bunch of Rays moving on. What happens now?
Pittsburgh vs. St. Louis- It's a great story that I really enjoy: over two decades with no winning seasons, let alone playoff wins. Heck, the last time the Pirates won in the playoffs, the Wild Card hadn't been invented yet. The Pirates are a solid team, but the Cardinals are strong and proved it all year. It may come down to the catcher's position, where there is no answer for Yadier Molina. It's not necessarily what you do with the bat, it's how you lead. Give Molina his due, and the Cardinals have been timely all season. Cardinals in five games.
Los Angeles vs. Atlanta- Could be a war of attrition. The Dodgers ran away with a weak division, but so did the Braves. I believed the Braves would be here in October, the Dodgers, not so much. Might come down to pitching staffs, where the Braves are still very deep. Timely hitting will be the difference in this one, with an Upton (pick one, not Kate) getting the winner in game seven.
Tampa Bay vs. Boston- Another great story in Boston with the Red Sox going from worst to first. It would be more intriguing if they hadn't bought the division. I didn't see the Rays getting this far, winning two road games already in elimination situations, last nights against a team hotter than Phoenix in August. Momentum can be a powerful thing in October. Do the Rays have enough pitching to start off rotation against Boston? The answer to this question determines the series. I believe this is the series most ripe for an upset, but Red Sox nation will live to see another round, in six games.
Oakland vs. Detroit- Underestimating the A's is easy to do. You generally read the outcome the next day because their games start well after bedtime. Detroit has enough pitching horses to carry a fleet of stagecoaches, and I believe they will get the job done for now. Oakland bats vs. Detroit pitching is the key matchup. We know the Tigers can score runs, the question is, Will the A's score runs? Tigers in five games.
Should be an interesting round of games. I can't wait.
So...am I off base?
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Oh yeah, I'm off base. Showing my age by believing the Divsion Series are seven games! Subtract two games from each of the above predictions! Sweeps for the Cardinals and Tigers, Red Sox in four (against my better judgement, and Braves going the distance.
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