Game 3: Critical, But Not Deadly

With both the ALCS and NLCS tied at a game apiece, I decided to do a little research, which will probably be available by Elias tomorrow (if it's not already tonight).

I looked back at all of the World Series plus all League Championship Series since 1985 (when the format went from five to seven games). Prior to this year's post-season there were 79 series that were tied at 1-1 after two games.

52 of those series occurred during the World Series. 16 teams came back from a 2-1 deficit to win the championship. They included the 1923, 1951, and 1952 Yankees.

There have been 13 ALCS that were tied after the first two games, with five teams going to the World Series after dropping game 3. They included the 1998 and 2003 Yankees.

Of the 14 NLCS series involved, four teams moved on to play in the World Series after dropping the third game of the playoff series.

So what does it all mean? While it's difficult to come back from a 2-1 deficit it is not impossible. Especially if you have games four and five at home.

68.3% winner of game 3 takes it all.

Battle of the Windy City

It would be the Civil War, Illinois style (maybe they'll make one of these neat replica chess sets). As we see it, the World Series won't be leaving the Windy City this year as the Cubs and White Sox will meet in the championship.

What better way for the Cubs to end their miserable streak of losing then to beat their hated crosstown rivals?

Here's our round by round break down.


ALDS

Red Sox vs. Angels - Wow this is tough. The defending champs are banged up. Josh Beckett may not be able to go. At the very least he won't start until game three. Mike Lowell (hip) and J.D. Drew (back) are also having lingering issues.

The Angels have had trouble beating the Red Sox in the past, but this year they should be able to handle them. Which is why we are picking the Red Sox in 5. Yes, you read that correctly. The Angels clinched the AL West very early, and their starting pitching hasn't looked so terrific the last month of the season. Being that we hate the Red Sox, we hope we're wrong, but we think Dice-K and Jon Lester make the difference in this one.
Red Sox in 5.

White Sox vs. Rays - The Rays are in their very first post-season while their opponent won the World Series just three years ago, and much of that team is still intact. We think the Rays starting pitching and bullpen will take on water in some of the cracks we've started to see. Dan Wheeler and company just are not that great, and Troy Percival is banged up.

Scott Kazmir is great, but isn't always on. Garza and Shields are good, but hittable. Sonnanstine and Jackson? Nah.

Mark Buerhle, Gavin Floyd, and John Danks should be the difference here, as well as the White Sox set up men to Bobby Jenks. The Sox also have a lot of momentum coming off of Monday's huge win and last night's one game playoff with the Twins.
White Sox in 4


NLDS

Brewers vs. Phillies - Unfortunately for Milwaukee, CC Sabathia cannot go every day. He is slated to come back on three days rest again for game two and is also scheduled for game 5. We don't see this going that long though.

The Phillies have tremendous hitting, good starting pitching, and a solid pen. They also have the experience of last year's playoff failure to build off of. The Brewers haven't been in the post-season since they won the World Series in 1982.
Phillies in 4

Dodgers vs. Cubs - We're sure Manny will have a huge series and Joe Torre will be the talk of the town...for a bit. We expect another first round exit by Torre, though it will be no fault of his own. The Cubs are just a better, deeper ball club than the Dodgers.

Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden are the keys to the series. Their health and ability to pitch. And Ted Lilly is on a roll.
Cubs in 5


ALCS

Red Sox vs. White Sox - Sox it to me. Should be a well pitched game, but the number games will take its toll on the banged up Red Sox.
White Sox in 6

Phillies vs. Cubs - This should be a great one that could go the distance. We think it will come up just shy of that, however, with the Cubs sacrificing a goat and Bartman before game six.
Cubs in 6


World Series
White Sox vs. Cubs - Brother vs. Brother. This one goes the distance, with the Cubs winning by a knockout late.
Cubs in 7

World Series MVP Prediction - Aramis Ramirez

Battle of the Windy City

It would be the Civil War, Illinois style (maybe they'll make one of these neat replica chess sets). As we see it, the World Series won't be leaving the Windy City this year as the Cubs and White Sox will meet in the championship.

What better way for the Cubs to end their miserable streak of losing then to beat their hated crosstown rivals?

Here's our round by round break down.


ALDS

Red Sox vs. Angels - Wow this is tough. The defending champs are banged up. Josh Beckett may not be able to go. At the very least he won't start until game three. Mike Lowell (hip) and J.D. Drew (back) are also having lingering issues.

The Angels have had trouble beating the Red Sox in the past, but this year they should be able to handle them. Which is why we are picking the Red Sox in 5. Yes, you read that correctly. The Angels clinched the AL West very early, and their starting pitching hasn't looked so terrific the last month of the season. Being that we hate the Red Sox, we hope we're wrong, but we think Dice-K and Jon Lester make the difference in this one.
Red Sox in 5.

White Sox vs. Rays - The Rays are in their very first post-season while their opponent won the World Series just three years ago, and much of that team is still intact. We think the Rays starting pitching and bullpen will take on water in some of the cracks we've started to see. Dan Wheeler and company just are not that great, and Troy Percival is banged up.

Scott Kazmir is great, but isn't always on. Garza and Shields are good, but hittable. Sonnanstine and Jackson? Nah.

Mark Buerhle, Gavin Floyd, and John Danks should be the difference here, as well as the White Sox set up men to Bobby Jenks. The Sox also have a lot of momentum coming off of Monday's huge win and last night's one game playoff with the Twins.
White Sox in 4


NLDS

Brewers vs. Phillies - Unfortunately for Milwaukee, CC Sabathia cannot go every day. He is slated to come back on three days rest again for game two and is also scheduled for game 5. We don't see this going that long though.

The Phillies have tremendous hitting, good starting pitching, and a solid pen. They also have the experience of last year's playoff failure to build off of. The Brewers haven't been in the post-season since they won the World Series in 1982.
Phillies in 4

Dodgers vs. Cubs - We're sure Manny will have a huge series and Joe Torre will be the talk of the town...for a bit. We expect another first round exit by Torre, though it will be no fault of his own. The Cubs are just a better, deeper ball club than the Dodgers.

Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden are the keys to the series. Their health and ability to pitch. And Ted Lilly is on a roll.
Cubs in 5


ALCS

Red Sox vs. White Sox - Sox it to me. Should be a well pitched game, but the number games will take its toll on the banged up Red Sox.
White Sox in 6

Phillies vs. Cubs - This should be a great one that could go the distance. We think it will come up just shy of that, however, with the Cubs sacrificing a goat and Bartman before game six.
Cubs in 6


World Series
White Sox vs. Cubs - Brother vs. Brother. This one goes the distance, with the Cubs winning by a knockout late.
Cubs in 7

World Series MVP Prediction - Aramis Ramirez

Tribe Within One of World Series

It's unfortunate, but sometimes post-season sports comes down to rooting against, rather than rooting for. We already had the DBacks eliminated and now the Indians are 1 game away from sending the Beaneaters home for the winter.

A Red Sox starter didn't make it out of the 5th inning for the 3rd straight game, with Tim Wakefield taking the beat down this time around. All 7 Indian runs came in the 5th, with Casey Blake and Jhonny Peralta homering. Blake also had an RBI single in the inning.

The Sox got all of their runs in the 6th when Kevin Youkillis, David Ortiz, and Manny Ramirez (don't worry Chase Wright, your record is safe) hit back-to-back-to-back home runs off of Paul Byrd and Jensen Lewis. But Byrd did it again, baffling the opposing lineup for his 2nd post-season win.

Now don't think for a minute that this series isn't going back to Boston. Josh Beckett has been lights out and C.C. Sabathia has resembled his regular season self in weight only.

...

Congrats to the Rockies. What an incredible run. 21 wins in 22 games, including 7 straight in the playoffs. Now they get the waiting game, but get their pitching lined up any way they want. And heck, we may have a World Series in the snow.

Tribe Within One of World Series

It's unfortunate, but sometimes post-season sports comes down to rooting against, rather than rooting for. We already had the DBacks eliminated and now the Indians are 1 game away from sending the Beaneaters home for the winter.

A Red Sox starter didn't make it out of the 5th inning for the 3rd straight game, with Tim Wakefield taking the beat down this time around. All 7 Indian runs came in the 5th, with Casey Blake and Jhonny Peralta homering. Blake also had an RBI single in the inning.

The Sox got all of their runs in the 6th when Kevin Youkillis, David Ortiz, and Manny Ramirez (don't worry Chase Wright, your record is safe) hit back-to-back-to-back home runs off of Paul Byrd and Jensen Lewis. But Byrd did it again, baffling the opposing lineup for his 2nd post-season win.

Now don't think for a minute that this series isn't going back to Boston. Josh Beckett has been lights out and C.C. Sabathia has resembled his regular season self in weight only.

...

Congrats to the Rockies. What an incredible run. 21 wins in 22 games, including 7 straight in the playoffs. Now they get the waiting game, but get their pitching lined up any way they want. And heck, we may have a World Series in the snow.

Deserted in the Desert

Can someone tell me why these asshats still have a team. Okay, we are still bitter about losing the 2001 World Series to them. That being said, MLB bailed them out financially in that dreadful '01 season. Now they're back in the NLCS. And there's 8,000 available seats for each of the 1st 2 games!

Contract this, Bud.

Deserted in the Desert

Can someone tell me why these asshats still have a team. Okay, we are still bitter about losing the 2001 World Series to them. That being said, MLB bailed them out financially in that dreadful '01 season. Now they're back in the NLCS. And there's 8,000 available seats for each of the 1st 2 games!

Contract this, Bud.