The
MLB has come down to its final four and for the remaining teams, it seemed like
an easy road to the League Championship Series. Every divisional series matchup
lasted either three or four games with only a select number of games being
relatively close. The competition should definitely pick up with even more
intriguing matchups to watch for.
In
the American League Championship Series, the defending World Series Champion
Houston Astros will battle the team with MLB’s best record: the Boston Red Sox.
The Red Sox took out their archrival the New York Yankees in four games during
the ALDS including a 16-1 beatdown and a nail-biting 4-3 victory in Yankee
Stadium.
All
eyes this season have been on the franchise record 108-win Red Sox and the
historic offense they bring with the likes of Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts,
and J.D. Martinez. Those three combined to hit 98 home runs and 313 runs batted
in during the regular season, but all eyes will be on pitching as the key
factor. While Chris Sale and Nathan Eovaldi had strong outings in the ALDS,
David Price remains the big question as he still looks for his first career
postseason victory in his 10 playoff starts.
In
the other dugout is no slouch, the defending champion Houston Astros have been
picked as the favorite in this series. And why wouldn’t they be? The ERAs for
Justin Verlander (2.52), Gerrit Cole (2.88), Charlie Morton (3.13), and Dallas
Keuchel (3.74) lead the way on a pitching staff that has one of the most
dangerous bullpens to face if you can beat the starters.
Alex
Bregman and his .556 ALDS average leads a lineup that has taken a dip in terms
of stats, but still deadly with George Springer, Marwin Gonzalez, and reigning
AL MVP Jose Altuve. After running through the Cleveland Indians in three games,
the Astros are looking to make it back-to-back trips to the World Series after
many years of disappointments.
On
the other side, the NLCS contains a team that most people predicted and another
team that no one would’ve guessed at the beginning of the season. The road team
is once again the defending National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The
NL West Division champions beat the Atlanta Braves in four games to make it to
the NLCS for the third consecutive year.
The
Dodgers are thriving after acquiring shortstop Manny Machado, who played a key
role in the NLDS by hitting two home runs for six runs batted in. As accustomed
for the Dodgers, their pitching staff is led by their ace Clayton Kershaw who
surprisingly started game two instead of game one, but the strategy definitely
paid off. For the success Los Angeles has had over the past few years, no World
Series are to show for it, but they’re ready to drive for their first since
1988.
However,
the Dodgers have to contend with the NL Central Division champs the Milwaukee
Brewers. In their first NLCS appearance since 2011, the Brewers wiped the floor
with the Colorado Rockies the NLDS and enter this series on an impressive
eleven-game winning streak dating back to the regular season.
The
pitching has been dominant led by starter Jhoulys Chacin and relief pitcher
Josh Hader in a pitching staff that held the Braves to two total runs and a
team ERA of 0.64 in the NLDS. Big season acquisitions Christian Yelich, Mike
Moustakas, and Eric Kratz have maintained an offense that give enough run
support for their staff, but that will be tested in the NLCS.
The
potential World Series matchups have many fans intrigued to see who will
compete in the fall classic, but the action will be hot and heavy in both the
ALCS and the NLCS as action gets underway this week.