LCS predictions

To recap the division series, two of the series I got exactly right, the Phillies in 4 and the Rays in 4. And the other two I was completely off. So hopefully I'll improve on my LCS predictions.

Red Sox v. Rays
Manny or no Manny the Red Sox still know how to get it done in the postseason. They can come at you in all areas and seem to come up with clutch hits at the right moments. To think that AL MVP candiate Dustin Pedroia was not much of a factor against the Angels and they still won in just 4 games should scare every future opponent they have. Jon Lester has been stellar in the playoffs, and if Dice-K and Beckett get back to dominant form, this team will be very tough to stop. As for the Rays, this team has a bright future and could maybe surprise people as to how well they'll do. Players like Longoria, Upton, Pena, Crawford, Navarro and Floyd makes this team very balanced offensively. And the pitching is the strength of their team as they were very effective in taking a potentially explosive offense in the White Sox out of its game, which is hitting it out of the park. Both of these teams have tremendous balance and the Rays even played well against Boston this year enabling them to win the AL East by two games. But the Rays are ultimately still a year or two away in my mind while Boston has done a great job in making up for the loss of Manny and will prove to be too much. I'm sick of Red Sox nation and I really like this Rays team so I hope they find a way to pull it off. But I think the best they can do is be competitive. Red Sox in six.

Dodgers v. Phillies
By far the biggest surprise of this postseason has been the Dodgers. They completely manhandled the team that was supposed to be the best in baseball. While the Cubs made many and I mean many mistakes, the Dodgers made them pay for every single one of them. That series showed me that this team is more than just Manny. Players like Russell Martin and James Loney step up and get hits when runners are on base everytime. Playing on the road much like the Red Sox didn't faze them either. Their rotation seems to be very solid and their bullpen consists of pitchers you want to have trying to win a championship. As for the Phillies, this team has definitely improved from the team that was in the playoffs last year. They have a lot of weapons on offense and their pitching staff has improved the most and been what's enabled them to get this far. However, I didn't feel they dominated Milwaukee like I thought they would. They had big innings but I didn't see the consistency on offense that I would have expected from them and that I saw from the Dodgers. They can't afford to make mistakes as I said or the Dodgers will make them pay for it. But most of all, I remember what happened last year when they ran into a very hot team. The Rockies were playing unbelievable baseball last year and the Phillies couldn't handle them. Maybe the Dodgers aren't quite that hot but they are very close. And I don't think that will bode well for the Phillies. Maybe I'm selling them a little short but after what I saw from the Dodgers I don't think the Phillies will do much to stop them. It's gonna be Manny's former team vs. his current team and either Manny or the Red Sox will pick up a 3rd title in 5 years. Dodgers in five.