Here's the dates and times for every game in this series:
October 7 Los Angeles Dodgers @ Washington Nationals Nationals Park 5:38 EDT
October 8 Los Angeles Dodgers @ Washington Nationals Nationals Park 4:08 EDT
October 10 Washington Nationals @ Los Angeles Dodgers Dodger Stadium TBD
October 11 Washington Nationals @ Los Angeles Dodgers Dodger Stadium TBD
October 13 Los Angeles Dodgers @ Washington Nationals Nationals Park TBD
This could be a solid series. A lot of people talk about the Giants and their luck with even years, and with good reason. An interesting note here, though, is the Nationals have won their third-straight even-year NL East title while missing the playoffs in every odd year of their existence. So Washington has the same luck as the Giants do, but for them it doesn't always end the way the Nationals want. These Dodgers have won four division titles in a row, but they were bounced from the NLCS in 2013 in six games. In each of the last two years, they've lost in the NLDS round. This with Clayton Kershaw in his prime, too. Meantime, they've seen their biggest rival win three of the last six World Series. So both teams are really looking for something to prove in this series. As noted before, Los Angeles won five of the six meetings, with the only win for Washington coming in a lopsided 8-1 game. Los Angeles outscored the Nats 25-13 in the other five games. They won one on a walk-off, a few pitcher's duels and essentially a blowout (the score ended 8-4, but it was 7-1 heading into the bottom of the eighth). Being the home team in this series favors the Nationals. Besides the fact that the Nats finished with the better record, the Dodgers aren't as good away from Chavez Ravine. Los Angeles is 38-42 on the road this year and they've given up 2 more runs then they've scored on the road. Washington won 50 games at home this year and are balanced at both home and on the road.
Los Angeles had only two guys drive in 90 or more runs this year, Adrian Gonzalez and Justin Turner. Four Dodgers hitters, Turner, Yasmani Grandal, Corey Seager and Joc Pederson hit twenty or more home runs. Seager was the only Dodgers regular to hit over .300 on the year, he finished hitting .308. As a team, the Dodgers can't hit lefty's. As a team, the Dodgers hit .235 against lefty starters and if you throw in relievers too, the Dodgers are hitting just .213. That's not good, especially come playoff time. If Washington is smart, they will load up on lefty relievers so that way if the Nats get a lead, it pretty much means the Dodgers chances of a comeback aren't good.
Then we have the Nationals. A good hitting team, led by one of the big hero's of last years playoffs Daniel Murphy. Murphy had a career year, hitting .347 with 25 homers and 104 RBI, numbers that were better then the MVP in the NL last year, Bryce Harper. Harper was no slouch this year, hitting .243, but he did hit 24 homers and he drove in 86 RBI While the Dodgers may have set a record for most guys put on the DL this year, they are healthy right now by comparison to the Nationals at the moment. All-Star catcher Wilson Ramos is out for the season with a torn ACL and it happened so late that we didn't really see them in an extended stretch without him. Stephen Strasburg is unlikely to toe the rubber at all due to an elbow issue. Bryce Harper has dealt with various injuries all season and the best guess is that's why he hasn't quite himself at the plate. Max Scherzer has been dominating force this year, winning 20 games , with a 2,96 ERA and 284 strikeouts. I think he can top anybody in LA right now, only because Clayton Kershaw hasn't come back to full health yet.
Both teams are banged up and hurting going into this series,. Los Angeles does appear to have a bit better bill of health, but I think because of all the problems they've had scoring on the road, its going to make things very tough on LA. This series will go the distance, but at the end of the day I just think the Dodgers will have too much of a hill to climb.
Prediction: Washington Nationals in 5!
Here's the dates and times for every game in this series:
October 7 San Francisco Giants @ Chicago Cubs Wrigley Field 9:15 EDT
October 8 San Francisco Giants @ Chicago Cubs Wrigley Field 8:08 EDT
October 10 Chicago Cubs @ San Francisco Giants AT&T Park TBD
October 11 Chicago Cubs @ San Francisco Giants AT&T Park TBD
October 13 San Francisco Giants @ Chicago Cubs Wrigley Field TBD
There's a lot on the line in this series. Can the magic of the even number year keep up for San Francisco? Can Chicago get the job done after running rough shot over the league all year? This is going to be a very good, very even series, maybe the best matchup of this round. If your Chicago, playing at home is a big help this year. The Cubs won more than 70 percent of their games played at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field, resulting in the best home record in baseball. Of course, the Cubs also boasted the second-best record on the road. What that means is, this year at least, it didn't matter where the Cubs played, they won. San Francisco is an OK road team, they had a winning record at both home and on the road. But if you take run differential into account, then the Giants maybe a little more uncomfortable playing three of the possible five games in this series at Wrigley Field. If your the Cubs, its worth noting that, even though you dominated everybody during the regular season, nothing is set in stone come playoff time. An interesting stat to look at is that, from 1995 (the first postseason with a wild-card team) to 2015, 22 teams won 100 games, but only two of them won the World Series (the 1998 and 2009 Yankees), and just six won pennants (the '95 Indians, '99 Braves, '03 Yankees and '04 Cardinals were the others). What's more, the teams with the best record in baseball have won just four World Series in that span: the aforementioned Yankees plus the 2004 and '07 Red Sox. So you never know.
Chicago has the numbers to back up why they are so good. Bryant and Rizzo but had over 100 RBI and both guys hit over 30 homers. Addison Russell was the only other Cubs hitter to drive in more than 90 runs, as he finished the year with 95. Ben Zobrist was the only other Cubs hitter to drive in more than 70 runs, as he finished with 76. Chicago is stupendous at smothering everything put into play. Their .745 defensive efficiency was the best in the majors this season by nearly three percentage points Those numbers back up the fact that the Cubs are a good hitting team. Oh yeah, they can pitch too. Chicago had the majors' stingiest rotation, with a 2.96 ERA. All five Chicago's starters, Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Jason Hammel and John Lacky, won 11 or more games. Lester and Hendricks each had an ERA under three. As for their bullpen, the unit's 3.56 ERA ranked fourth in the league, and its 9.9 strikeouts per nine was tops. Chicago was even more dominant in the second half after adding Aroldis Chapman. Facts are the Cubs are good.
San Francisco got here thanks to a brilliant pitching performance from Madison Baumgarner in the Wild Card game. The man is brilliant come playoff time that's nothing new. San Fran has other pitchers besides Madison. Johnny Cueto won more games then Bumgarner did during the year. One thing that worries me about the Giants is the pen. The Giants’ bullpen led the league with 32 blown saves and lost nine games in which it led in the ninth inning, including five in September and October. But its overall marks, like its 3.66 ERA, are the highest of any NL playoff team. Numbers like that have to give anybody heartburn. Bochy’s three World Series rings attest to his deft touch with the bullpen and willingness to break from orthodoxy. San Francisco can hit a little. The Giants' offense ranked ninth in scoring (4.41 runs per game) and OPS+ (94) and 13th in homers (130), including just 55 at AT&T Park; they didn't have a single player with 20 overall. They were solid against righties (.737 OPS, sixth), less so against lefties (.703 OPS, 11th).
As good as the Giants are, the Cubs are just that much better. This pick is kind of easy to make.
Predictions: Chicago Cubs in 4!
No comments:
Post a Comment