After missing only one series last time, I’m back for more. And yes I’m aware that bragging about doing well on my picks after only picking one series is sort of silly, but hey – the internet’s never been a place for humility. So follow along for more prodigious playoff picking prowess.
Winners in bold
Los Angeles Angels vs. New York Yankees
The Yankees and Angels are not dissimilar teams – they’re 1-2 in runs scored per game, and 14th and 18th in runs allowed per game. But the problem for the Angels is that they come out on the low end of both of those measures, and not by a particularly close margin. The Yanks also boast a .366 wOBA to the Halos’ .346, and a 4.32 FIP as compared to the Westerners’ 4.45. Now, it should be noted that the Red Sox also had advantages in wOBA and FIP, and yet the Angels had little trouble sweeping them out of the playoffs. And that happened mostly because the Angels were able to shut down the talented Sox offense, to say nothing of hitting Jonathan Papelbon’s fastballs. The same thing could happen here; if Jered Weaver and John Lackey go out and dominate again, the Yankees could quickly be in hot water. And with their announced intention to go with 3 starters, the last thing they want is an extended series. But, for me, I can’t pick against this deep, powerful lineup and lefty ace that can neutralize the Angels for a couple of wins. Yankees in 6.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
I really do want to pick the Phillies here after they played well against the Rockies. That was a tough team they dispatched, and their offense showed the ability to keep them in any game. But one thing jumped out at me as I was researching this: the Dodgers feast on left-handed pitching. As a team, they hit .294/.380/.469 against southpaws – think David Wright with some extra power. And as you might remember, the Phillies feature two such pitchers at the top of their rotation. While the Rockies can be neutralized by lefties, the Dodgers will likely benefit. Further, the Dodgers are stocked in the bullpen, meaning there’s only so much even Joe Torre can do to mess it up, and Clayton Kershaw should be good for two wins. I just don’t see enough adding up in Philly’s favor for them to overcome this Dodgers team. And yes, this is despite the fact that I picked the boys in blue to lose in the first round. Let’s move on from the past, and look ahead to a future of Dodgers in 5.
