Hello Baseball Fans,
Summer is over. BOOOO! Fall is here. BOOOO! The regular season is gone. BOOOO! Wait! We have something, don’t we? Yes, that means the post-season is here!! Alllllll-right! So that means we need to do some thinking, calculating, and dart-throwing to the furthest wall possible to determine the ‘best’ predictions to follow through to the Fall Classic. Well, that’s the plan anyway. We’ll see how it goes. You know how difficult the prediction business is, and we here at VFTD sure seem to make it look even harder than it is. Here goes!
It all starts tonight in the Bronx as the Bombers take on a road-warrior team of sorts in the Minnesota Twins, who went a mildly impressive 41-37 away from all those lakes (were just 1 game over .500 at home). The winner of this game ‘wins’ the chance to play Cleveland in the ALDS. It’s difficult to pick against the home team, especially with all that power in Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez, but we like the veteran Twin, Ervin Santana, over the newer Yank, Luis Severino, on the mound atop the big stage. Besides, the Twins are due. It seems like the Yanks have eliminated them from about every post-season since 1995 (it’s probably about three times in reality). The Call: Twins 7 to 5.
Tomorrow night, the intra-divison NL Wild Card is between the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks. The winner of this one will move on to Los Angeles to play the Dodgers in a continuation of NL West match-ups. We will take the home team in this one as the Rockies were just 5-5 down the stretch and only provided a +67 run differential for the season. The Call: Paul Goldschmidt has three hits and 4 RBI as the D-backs roll the Rockies 8 to 3.
In the ALDS (best of 5 games): We’ll take the Cleveland Indians and all their amazing curves, slurves, and sliders from the likes of starters Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer, and Mike Clevinger. And that’s not even mentioning the bullpen’s horses. They will dominate the Twins in a quick and easy three game sweep as Joe Mauer and Byron Buxton and company struggle mightily at the plate.
On the other half of the ALDS, Boston is exciting with Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, and rookie sensation Rafael Devers. And who doesn’t like to watch Chris Sale deal from the mound like he’s on some kind of 10 second pitch clock? The Houston Astros are young, really good, and finished strong in winning 8 of 10 to close out the year with 101 wins. The BoSox don’t hit many home runs, in fact the least amount in the AL. WOW! The Astros don’t have much playoff experience in the ALDS. Similar to the Yanks, something says it’s just not Houston’s time yet. And besides, Sports Illustrated jinxed them a couple years back with a ‘future’ cover and article about the up-and-comers and predicted them winning the 2017 Fall Classic. So we know they CAN’T win now. BoSox in 5 games is the call to earn a chance at redemption from last year’s defeat in the ALDS vs. the Indians.
ALCS (best of 7 games): The BoSox were swept in 3 games last year in David Ortiz’ swan song. Not this year though. Ortiz won’t be there. And the Sox will win two games. But they’ll still be sent packing and off to the golf courses by the Cleveland Indians 4 games to 2. Chris Sale will continue to be dominant with two double-digit strikeout games, but will not get enough help from his bats as Cleveland’s ability to shut down even post-season lineups is proof that their +254 run differential (almost 60 better than next closest team) during the regular season was no accident.
In the NLDS (best of 5): Arizona vs. Los Angeles. The Dodgers were an amazing team in two directions. They went 43 and 7 in the best 50 game stretch in history. They also lost 16 of 17 games including 11 in a row while hitting a collective .175. Those two things in and of themselves are unfathomable. Put them together and it’s mind-popping. We like consistency. The D-backs also won 14 games in a row, but were steadier overall and we think they’re still getting better. We’ll take Arizona in 5 games as Zack Greinke pitches like a champion and reminds L.A. of why they should have kept him around a few years back.
On the other side of the NLDS: The defending World Champion Cubs take on the Washington Nationals. The Nats are difficult to figure out. Uber-talented. Snake bit by injuries (Scherzer, Harper, Turner,etc.). Have even disappointed at times. The Cubs started off slow and looked tired or bored or distracted or something for about the first 100 games, give or take, this year. However, Chicago swept their rival St. Louis Cardinals at their own place and finished 7-3 down the stretch. They still have big stage man-of-the-hour Jon Lester leading the way and their youth and talented lineup is now experienced as well. What’s not to like? We’ll take the Cubs in 5 games here in a great back-and-forth series.
NLDS (best of 7): Joe Maddon and Company will show the Arizona Diamonbacks why they go to Phoenix every spring to prepare for the regular season. Now, they’re going there in October to prepare for the World Series. Chicago in 6 games is the call as Arizona showcases its talent and hangs in there, but just can’t get to the winner-take-all Game 7 v. the Cubbies. Look for masked man, Willson Contreras, to lead the way at the plate and behind it en route to the NLCS MVP.
WORLD SERIES (best of 7, obviously): So here we are again folks. Lake Erie. Lake Michigan. Cleveland. Chicago. ‘C’ vs. ‘C’. Again. Last year, it took seven games and an extra inning to determine a winner. It was truly a classic in the fall. Chicago will be playing for another huge part of history. To win two titles in a row for the city that waited 108 years for one title? Wow. They said it couldn’t get any sweeter after one title. But at this range, it actually could. Cleveland will play for the same thing, as history does actually repeat itself. Now it’s been 69 years since they won a title. They have a shot at redemption vs. the very team that extended what is now the longest current title drought. Rare air there.
After having 10 more regular season wins than the Cubs, for a nice and neat 102-60 record, the Indians will have home field advantage again in the Series. The talent and star power is crazy high for these two teams. Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Javy Baez, and Contreras. Kluber, Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, and Andrew Miller. Joe Maddon vs. Terry Francona. This Series should go the distance again. It’s only right, right? The Indians put up a season-long dominance that included a record twenty-2 game winning streak built upon a laborious 11-and-oh road trip with sweeps in two split doubleheaders. All that was driven home just months after practically being able to smell the champagne in both teams’ facilities following a three games to one lead vs. the Cubs last year. This team is on a mission, you could say. Maddon always has his team prepared and his squads play for keeps (in addition to last year, a la Tampa Bay in the ’08 Series vs. eventual champion Phillies). The only thing left to do after winning a title is to defend that title. There will be no three games to one lead this year. There will be no Trevor Bauer blood-gushing drone accident. There will be no rain delay for dramatic effect.
It will be memorable still. The Indians win Game One. Cubs take Game Two. Indians Game Three. Cubs win Game Four. There, nice and neat and all knotted at 2 games apiece sets up the ultimate Best Two out of Three. The Indians will win Game Five. The can again practically taste the champagne as Game Six’s stage is set. A long-waiting and thirsty city clings to every moment. This time, the Indians finish what they started and take Game Six. CLEVELAND WINS! Indeed, at 2, it’s the smallest of all ‘winning streaks’. But it’s also much more important than any big winning streak in the city’s baseball history.
Later Baseball Fans.