Game 5 Recap: LAD 6, STL 4
The Dodgers have once again made this a series. Thanks to four homers (two by Adrian Gonzalez; one by Carl Crawford and A.J. Ellis), the Los Angeles Dodgers have made this series a one game series, as the Cardinals still lead 3-2. Behind seven solid innings from Zach Greinke (2 ER), and decent bullpen pitching, the Dodgers will send this to a game six, and perhaps give themselves a shot at winning the series. Pete Kozma, Matt Adams, Matt Holliday, and Carlos Beltran provided the offense for St. Louis by each driving in a run. The Cardinals and Dodgers will resume play once again on Friday in St. Louis. LAD 6 | 9 |0 STL 4 | 10 | 0 Game 4 Recap: STL 4, LAD 2 Thanks to a three run first inning capped by a Matt Holliday two-run shot, the Cardinals put the pressure on the Dodgers, and gave breathing room to starting pitcher Lance Lynn. Lynn used all of it, allowing two runs, giving the Dodgers a legitimate chance to win this game. They didn't however, as Shane Robinson (only 2 HR in regular season) homered, sealing the deal for St. Louis. They take a 3-1 series lead, and have a shot to win it today at 4:07 PM (Kelly vs. Greinke). STL 4 | 6 | 0 LAD 2 | 8 | 1 Game 3 Recap: LAD 3, STL 0 Hyun-Jin Ryu tossed seven shutout innings, allowing only three hits and striking out 4. Behind Yasiel Puig's RBI Triple and other Dodgers offensive forces (Adrian Gonzalez and Hanley Ramirez each added an RBI), the Dodgers give Adam Wainwright his first loss of the postseason and snap their stretch of being shutout at twenty-two innings. The series is now 2-1 in favor of St. Louis; they play again today at 8:07 PM (Lynn vs. Nolasco). LAD 3 | 9 | 0 STL 0 | 4 | 0 Game 2 Recap: STL 1, LAD 0 Since 2008, the Dodgers have gone 2-10 in NLCS games. Yes, they are struggling mightily in this series, not getting the breaks they need, and not coming through when needed. Clayton Kershaw pitched a nearly flawless six innings, allowing only one unearned run on a Jon Jay sacrifice fly. Dodgers hitters went 5-for-32 with 13 strikeouts against wonderful pitching from Michael Wacha, and the Cardinal bullpen. Wacha pitched 6.2 shutout innings, while striking out eight. The Cardinals now lead the series 2-0, as they head to Dodger Stadium for game three on Monday. STL 1 | 2 | 1 LAD 0 | 5 | 0 Game 1 Recap: STL 3, LAD 2 (F/13) The Cardinals took a great outing by Joe Kelly (six innings; two runs), and almost wasted it numerous times. Both teams scored two runs in the third inning, and that was how it stayed, until the bottom of the thirteenth. Carlos Beltran, who had already driven in the first two runs of the game, came up with runners on first and second. He delivered like he always does in the postseason. With a RBI walk-off single, Beltran and the Cardinals take game one of the NLCS. Lance Lynn took home the win with two scoreless innings of relief. STL 3 | 7 | 0 LAD 2 | 9 | 0
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Walt Weiss and the Rockies have agreed to a three year contract extension, which will keep Weiss in a Rockies uniform until 2016, according to multiple reports. Weiss, in his first year of managing took the Rockies to a 10 win improvement over the 2012 campaign. Weiss went 74-88 with the Rockies in his first year as a manager in all of baseball. As a player, Weiss played successfully in the big leagues for fourteen years. He played four years in Colorado, where he hit .266 with 14 HR and 143 RBI over his tenure. Weiss, 49, has been a good manager for improving Colorado, as they play in a relatively easy NL West. "There are some good things in place," Weiss said. "We've got to play better offensively, especially on the road, for us to be a serious contender, but if you turn on the TV [during the playoffs] and watch the games, you see a lot of dominant arms. That's part of what it takes to play in October. We're developing some arms -- we had guys step up and hopefully have got some guys on the radar." "I think it comes down to stability for our club from the players' perspective, that the manager is going to be around," Weiss said. "That's not an issue that comes up during the season because you know the manager is going to be there. Both quotes courtesy of MLB.com.
The Tigers and Red Sox are one step away. One step is all they need to be playing for the World Series. They have come so far, each in their own ways. The Red Sox came out of the 2012 season with much to improve on, finishing in last place of the American League East, with a horrifying 69-93 record. The Tigers are coming off of a season where they had played well, representing the American League in the 2012 World Series. They were swept by the Giants in the series. This series between the Red Sox and Tigers is shaping up to be a good one, as both teams are among the best in the Major Leagues. Batting: Both the Red Sox and Tigers have good, clutch lineups. Over this season, the Tigers and Red Sox finished with the top two batting averages in the Major Leagues. Detroit lead the way with a .283 average; followed closely by the Red Sox with a .277 mark. They also finished first and second in runs, this time with the Red Sox (853 R) scoring more than the Tigers (796 R). And, OPS? Yes, they both finished first and second in OPS. The Red Sox .795 OPS was just a tad bit better than the Tigers .780. This series already has the makings of much excitement through the offenses, as these two teams had arguably the two best offenses in the major leagues. Pitching: The Tigers starting rotation was dominant this year. Even in an overall down year from Justin Verlander, the Tigers took advantage of Max Scherzer's breakout season, and good seasons from Doug Fister, Anibal Sanchez, and Rick Porcello. They ranked fourth in starter's ERA over this season, with a 3.44 mark. Only the Cardinals, Reds, and Dodgers had better ERAs than the team from Detroit. But, you cannot underestimate Boston's rotation either. Although their starting rotation posted an eleventh best 3.84 ERA, they still can be dominant on any given day. Their rotation was given a boost from the acquisition of Jake Peavy, but I still consider their rotation worse than the Tigers. This series looks to bring quite a matchup between these two teams, with the Tigers looking to defend their AL title, and the Red Sox looking to show that they are the real deal. I have to go with the Red Sox in this matchup, especially since the Tigers went 1-2 with a 7+ ERA in Fenway. Now they are in the postseason, with more pressure, more fan involvement, and no home field advantage. The Red Sox are great at home, going 53-28 in Fenway. They went 1-3 in Comerica Park this season, but I still am going to go with Boston. Due to their great hitting, timely pitching, and home field advantage, I predict the Red Sox to advance to the World Series by defeating the Tigers in this series 4-2. Game 5 Recap: DET 3, OAK 0 The Detroit Tigers will be advancing to the American League Championship Series for the third consecutive year. Behind eight shutout innings from Justin Verlander (eleven strikeouts) and a two run bomb from Miguel Cabrera, it will be the Tigers playing the Red Sox in Boston on Saturday. They take this series 3-2 over the Oakland Athletics. Game 4 Recap: BOS 3, TB 1 This game was scoreless until the bottom of the sixth, when David DeJesus singled home a run. The Red Sox subsquently scored on a wild pitch, sacrifice fly, and an infield single, to give themselves the three unanswered runs to win this game. The Red Sox have been a great story over this past year, going from worst to first in the span of an offseason. Now, they will be advancing to the ALCS, as they beat the Rays 3-1 in this series. Game 4 Recap: DET 8, OAK 6 Five runs in the final two innings sent Tigers fans home happy in Comerica Park, giving them a chance at game five, and a chance to take this "once lost" series. Behind six innings of three run ball from Doug Fister, and two innings of relief from Max Scherzer (who got the win), the Tigers were able to tie this series at two. Jhonny Peralta and Victor Martinez each homered, and Joquain Benoit closed it out, as the Tigers take this one, 8-6. Game 3 Recap: TB 5, BOS 4 Jose Lobaton blasted a walk-off homer in the ninth off the Red Sox shutdown closer, Koji Uehara. The Rays erupted, and the Red Sox went home blowing a tie game in the ninth. They still have a commanding 2-1 series lead, however, and could easily come back and win tonight. But, even giving the Rays some life could lead to trouble. Evan Longoria also homered, to tie the game at three. Game four is tonight, and the Rays need to capitalize once again to stay alive. Game 3 Recap: OAK 6, DET 3 The Tigers needed one win to brush off the shutout in game two and retake control of this series. The couldn't. Anibal Sanchez allowed three homers to Seth Smith, Josh Reddick, and Brandon Moss to send them to victory. Grant Balfour and Victor Martinez exchanged words in the ninth, which led to cleared benches, and a brawl. The A's take a 2-1 series lead, as game four will be played today. The Tigers seem to have lost all their life. Game 2 Recap OAK 1, DET 0 The Dodgers and Cardinals have played a combined three hundred thirty three games this season. The first team to win four games, however, will be playing for the World Series. They have not played against each other in the postseason since 2004, when the Cardinals defeated the Dodgers in the NLDS (three games to one), en route to the National League Championship that year. The Cardinals and Dodgers have not faced off in the NLCS since 1985, also resulting in a Cardinals win (four games to two). Both these historic franchises will face off in what seems to be an exciting National League Championship Series.
Batting: The Cardinals and Dodgers are two of the best teams in the National League, and have gotten here on similar, but very different, paths. The Cardinals and Dodgers have both hit very well, ranking fourth and sixth in the majors in average, respectively. The Cardinals, however, hit in different situations. They ranked first in average with runners in scoring position, posting a whopping .330 mark. The Dodgers, however, are built more well rounded, finishing in the middle of the pack on most statistics, although they have had a pretty star studded lineup. In the postseason thus far, the Dodgers have been hitting on all cylinders, ranking first in average, OPS, SLG, HR, OBP, and practically every other category for hitting. Their offense is definitely something to watch, especially considering on hot they played against the Atlanta Braves. The Cardinals offense in the playoffs, on the other hand, has not been all that great. Held to just a .209 average, their offense will really be the key on who wins this series. Pitching: The Dodgers pitching staff has proven that they can rack up wins and are able to shine in the spotlight. Consisting of Clayton Kershaw, Zach Greinke, Hyun-Jyu Ryu, Ricky Nolasco, etc. the Dodgers pitching staff was unstoppable this season, pitching to a 3.25 ERA (second in MLB). Their starters pitched to a 3.13 ERA, which led the major leagues. The problem is, however, they are facing a pitching staff in the Cardinals just as good. With a 3.42 starters ERA (second in MLB) and 3.42 overall ERA (fifth in MLB), the Dodgers have lost almost all their bragging rights. The unlikely staff of Adam Wainwright, Joe Kelly, Michael Wacha, and Lance Lynn has shined as bright as the Dodgers star studded staff. It'll be interesting to see how each of the starters perform under the spotlight of the NLCS. The bullpens of these teams could play a large part in the series. The Cardinals and Dodgers bullpen's ERAs are nearly identical, with the Cardinals ERA just a tad bit lower at 3.45 than the Dodgers 3.49 mark. Whoever pitches better down the stretch of the game could play a large impact on the outcome of this series. My Prediction: The Cardinals and Dodgers are dead even. Not a single part of their teams outranks another. No matter how you break it down, you see two teams that are almost exactly the same. We have good offenses and good pitching by both of these teams. Either team could catch a break and win the decisive game in the series. The momentum could swing either way. I am trying to say that it is anyone's game. The NLCS could be one of the best in recent memory, and could be one that we remember for a long time. This is the types of teams these two are. So, who do I think will win? The Los Angeles Dodgers. A team with more experience usually has a better chance to thrive in the playoffs, a team who all the players have had the sweet taste of postseason baseball, and know how to preform under pressure. I have been surprised by the Cardinals composure, however, as I believed that they could have been knocked out following game three of the NLDS. But, their resiliency proved me wrong. But, in a best of seven, I am going to go with the Dodgers, strictly on experience. LA in six games. |
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