ALCS Preview

Ok, so maybe the Rockies will sweep. But, this next prediction is a lock! With the Cleveland Indians going to Boston tonight to start their best of seven series we couldn't ask for anything better out of the postseason, unless of course your a Yankee fan. We got the two best teams in the American League facing off for the rights to hold in their stadium the League Pennant Champs banner. Two great offensive teams facing pitching staffs that has had their highs and lows during the season. So what are we to suspect in this series? Well, as far as starting pitching, the Indians have two aces(C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona) on their team that will both pitch two games if the series goes the distance. While the Red Sox have two of the best postseason pitchers of are era(Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling) facing off against the young aces. What drama! We get these guys pitching the first two games of the series in Fenway Park, wow! I really believe this series is going to come down to Daisuke Matsuzaka in game 3 vs. Jake Westbrook. With Tim Wakefield looking to be the game 4 starter for the Sox, Boston needs Dice-K to have a great start, even if the Sox are up 2-0 going into game 3, he needs to pitch well because there are no guarantees with Wake pitching 4. With that being said I think that the Indians have the edge in pitching, but a very slight edge. Of course, I really don't think that the Red Sox will sweep the first two. Fausto Carmona is one of my favorite pitchers right now and I have only seen him pitch twice! And, I am not a believer that if Carmona has his sinker working that the right-handed based Red Sox will be able to hit the youngster. On paper the Red Sox have the better bullpen, but are they? With the time off that they have been able to have I think that Hideki Okajima, Eric Gagne, and Jonathan Papelbon in that order will be just fine. As for the Indians, yeah Joe Borowski led the league in saves this season but he is the first reliever to lead the league in saves and have over a 5.00 era, bullpen edge to the Sox. We all know what both of these offenses are capable of, but I am giving the nod to the Sox in all the offensive categories, except sac bunting. With Manny Ramirez looking to be tuned in on all pitches, and they way that the Sox have a different guy everyday coming up big, the edge in hitting goes to the Sox. On to the pick!

RED SOX IN SEVEN Ok, so you saw this coming, but really the only reason that I went with the Sox in seven is that I can't see them losing to Jake Westbrook or Paul Byrd game 7 in Fenway. The Sox will beat Sabathia, maybe twice but Schilling is going to have to dig deep into his past to try and out duel Carmona. It should be a very memorable series! MVP of the series goes to Mike Lowell.