I've been waiting for one of these.Red Sox: 9th in ERA, 8th in Starter's ERA, 11th in Bullpen ERA, 3rd in Runs Scored
Angels: 8th in ERA, 10th in Starter's ERA, 6th in Bullpen ERA, 15th in Runs Scored
In the most anticipated match-up of the playoffs, the Red Sox seem to have a slight edge due to their offense, while the two teams match up pretty evenly pitching-wise. A lot of people will take a look at the records and say the Angels are the favorite, but let's see if they are really correct.
Why the Red Sox win:
Big Papi is back to normal, Pedroia continues his MVP quest, Youkilis shows everyone how good he really is, and Bay proves to be just as good as Manny. Oh yeah, Josh Beckett needs to be healthy as well. The Angels don't have a great offense, and it certainly isn't better than Boston's. However, if Beckett is not healthy, that puts Boston in some bad matchups if Paul Byrd has to walk out to face Santana/Saunders/Weaver, but if he is, then Boston has at least evened things out. Oh, and Papelbon shows why he's better than K-Rod.
Why the Angels win:
Mark Teixeira becomes the man everyone thought he'd be and bashes the team through the playoffs. This offense isn't great, but it should be solid enough to back up a stellar staff. Lackey, Santana, Saunders, and Weaver are better than Lester, Matsuzaka, Beckett, and Byrd/Wakefield, and if they show it, Boston could be headed home early. You also really have to like shut-down bullpens which Arrendondo, Shields, and K-Rod give the Angels, a touch better than Masterson, Okajima, and Papelbon.
Offense: Boston
Defense: Even
Game 1: Lester vs. Lackey --> Even
Game 2: Matsuzaka vs. Santana --> Even
Game 3: Beckett vs. Saunders --> Boston (only if Beckett is healthy)
Game 4: Byrd vs. Weaver --> Angels
Game 5: Lester vs. Lackey --> Even
Bullpen: Angels
Closers: Rodriguez vs. Papelbon --> Even
These are clearly the top 2 teams in the AL (we can argue the Rays should be involved, but I'm not sure ... yet). Pitching will play a big role in this series with some marquee matchups. Lackey --> Weaver is better than Lester --> Byrd. It's a tough call between two evenly matched teams, but I say Angels in four.
2 comments:
Down 2-0, it'll take a miracle for the Angels to win. I'm pretty sure that the Red Sox will advance to meet the Rays. Whoever wins that will simply bulldoze over the National League champ.
That seems to be the majority opinion, and I can't say it's illogical. I'm not so sure that the AL team will roll over the other, but if the Dodgers make it, they have Jeff Kent and Nomar to DH, which is better than previous teams have had. LA has the pitching to contend, and Philly does too if Brett Myers continues to pitch well.
By the way, it's nice to meet you Allan.
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