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AMERICAN LEAGUE
New York Yankees 4, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 2
Turning Point: In the bottom of the 11th in Game 2, Alex Rodriguez hit a game-tying home run off of Brian Fuentes. The Yankees would win in 13 and take a 2-0 lead.
Key Stat: Errorless Games: Yankees 5, Angels 2
Result: The Yankees return to the World Series for the 40th time after their 6-game victory. The Angels were done in by their defense. They committed an error(s) in all of their four losses. The throw by Maicer Izturis in the 13th inning cost them a shot in Game 2. C.C. Sabathia was named MVP after winning Games 1 & 4 by going 8 innnings and allowing only 1 run in each start. Alex Rodriguez did his part in getting to his first World Series by hitting .429 with 3 home runs. Chone Figgins couldn’t be the igniter at the top of the order hitting a measly .130 in the series. In addition, Abreu, Morales, and Rivera all hit .200 or lower. The Angels will wonder about what could’ve been had the fences in Yankee Stadium been normal but the Yanks will christen the new digs with a World Series.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Philadelphia Phillies 4, Los Angeles Dodgers 1
Turning Point: An out away from a tied series, Jimmy Rollins tagged a 2-run double off of Johnathan Broxton in the bottom of 9th to give the Phillies a 5-4 win and 3-1 series lead.
Key Stat: Home Runs with Men on Base: Phillies 7, Dodgers 1
Result: It was Deja-Blues for Dodgers fans for the second straight year. Game 4, about to tie the series, their closer on the hill, blown save, 3-1 deficit. The Phillies showed their power by hammering the Dodgers with the long ball. Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth had monster series but the tone was set by Carlos Ruiz’s 3-Run homer in Game 1. The Phils were able to hammer the Dodgers stout bullpen and scored 8+ runs in three of the games. Still, the hit by Rollins changed the complexion and prevented a return trip to Los Angeles.

Championship Series Breakdowns
There is definitely a lot of storylines that could unfold in the championship series:
• Can the Phillies get back to the series to defend their crown?
• Do the Dodgers return the favor this time around?
• What about the potential rioting that could take place from an I-5 series?
• Can the Yankees finally get back to the World Series after a six year hiatus?
• Can the Yankees finally beat the Angels in the postseason?
• What about Joe Torre potentially going against his former team?
• How about rekindling the Dodgers-Yankees rivalry for a 12th time?

AMERICAN LEAGUE
New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Season Series: Tied 5-5
Breakdown: In 2002 and 2005, the Yankees felt they had teams that were championship worthy. Both times the Angels ended that dream. This should be a great matchup with contrasting styles. The Angels speed and ability to manufacture runs have been a problem for New York. The Angels starting pitching contained the Red Sox in the opening round but will have their hands more full with the Yankees. The Yankees will use a 3-man rotation, meaning C.C. Sabathia will pitch on short rest in Game 4. With these two offenses, there could be some wild and long games. The innings out of the starters could be the key considering neither team has dominant middle relief and the while Brian Fuentes is good, he’s not Mariano Rivera. This should be fun. The Angels have been kryptonite to the Yankees.
Predictions: Travis and Chip say Yankees in 6.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Season Series: Dodgers 4-3
Breakdown: This is a rematch of last year’s NLCS. The difference is this year both teams are better and the Dodgers have the home field advantage. This series could come down to left-handed pitching. How will the Phillies heavy left lineup fair against the Dodger lefty starters and bullpen arms? What about Andre Ethier and James Loney against the lefties of Cole Hammels and Cliff Lee? The Phillies have the advantage in starting pitching while the Dodgers have a huge edge in the bullpen. Both teams have a lot of thunder in the lineup and this could become a series dictated on a 3-run homer here or there. In addition, both teams were excellent on the road and will each win a game in the other ballpark. It should be a long and fun series and down the road this could be rekindling those great Dodgers-Phillies battles of the late 70s and early 80s. Both teams are built for about another 2-4 years of excellence.
Predictions: Both like the Dodgers. Travis in 6. Chip in 7.

Division Series Recaps
AMERICAN LEAGUE
New York Yankees 3, Minnesota Twins 0
Turning Point: With a two-deficit in the bottom of the 9th in Game 2, Alex Rodriguez hit a game-tying home run off of Joe Nathan to send the game to extra innings and the Yankees eventually won.
Key Stat: Home Runs: Yankees 6, Twins 0
Result: The matchup favored a Yankees sweep which is exactly what happened. The Twins squandered away opportunities in Games 2 and 3 to take a series lead. The missed Joe Mauer double in Game 2 had huge repercussions. Once the Twins failed the close out Game 2, the Yankees put them away with their power in Game 3. A-Rod showed up going 5-11 with 2 HRs and 6 RBIs.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 3, Boston Red Sox 0
Turning Point: The Angels scored 3 runs with two outs in the Top of the 9th in Game 3 to slam the door on the Red Sox curse.
Key Stat: Runs after the 4th inning: Angels 15, Red Sox 1
Result: What was supposed to be a mind block and hope for the Angels to win the series ended quickly. Ignited by a big and emotional home run by Torii Hunter in Game 1, the Angels rode the momentum through the remaining games and closed out the Red Sox in Boston. The Angels starters in Anaheim outdueled John Lester and Josh Beckett as the duo of John Lackey and Jered Weaver allowed 1 run in 14.2 innings.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Los Angeles Dodgers 3, St. Louis Cardinals 0
Turning Point: Matt Holliday dropped a fly ball that would’ve ended a Game 2 St. Louis victory. Instead the Dodgers rallied for two runs with two outs and stole Game 2.
Key Stat: Two Out Runs: Dodgers 9, Cardinals 2
Result: Talk about a backbreaker. Unlike the other series, the Cardinals lost Game 2 on an error. After the Game 2 loss the Cardinals were essentially dead as L.A. pulled off a shocking sweep. Matt Kemp quickly set the tone in Game 1 with a two-run home run in the 1st inning and Andre Either and Rafael Furcal each hit .500 in the series.

Philadelphia Phillies 3, Colorado Rockies 1
Turning Point: After giving up 3 runs with 2 outs in the bottom of the 8th in Game 4, the Phillies flipped it on the Rockies in the top of the 9th to close it out.
Key Stat: Cliff Lee: 16.1 IP, 2 ER, 1.10 ERA
Result: The only series with any drama. Hell the only series with a Game 4. The snow out of Game 3 paid dividends for the Phillies as Cliff Lee (and potentially Cole Hammels in Game 5) was able to throw on regular rest. Rockies closer Huston Street faltered. The closer that blew only two saves all year took the loss in both Games 3 and 4, each time being beaten by Ryan Howard. In Game 3, it was a Howard sac fly to untie a 5-5 game in the 9th and it was Howard’s two-run double before Jayson Werth’s RBI single that tied the score at 4-4. Brad Lidge recorded the saves in Colorado, which should be a sigh of relief amongst the Phillies faithful.

AMERICAN LEAGUE
New York Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins
Season Series: Yankees 7-0
Breakdown: On paper, this might be the most one-sided series ever in a Division Series. But hey, weirder things have happened in a short series. The Twins made a nice run to get in and got to celebrate but the party should be short. The Yankees lineup should overwhelm the young Twins pitching and given the week the Twins have had just to get in makes it that much more unlikely of an upset. It’s good to have the homer hankies one last time in the Metrodome.
Predictions: Travis and Chip say Yankees in 3.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs. Boston Red Sox
Season Series: Angels 5-4
Breakdown: 2004. 2007. 2008. Those are the years the Red Sox have eliminated the Angels. In fact if you want to include 1986, the Red Sox are 12-1 in their 13 playoff games against the Halos. The Angels should have room for optimism as they possess a better lineup and do have the home field advantage and a solid road team. The Angels should be able to run all over the Victor Martinez and if they can manufacture some runs it could counter Boston’s power. The Red Sox have the edge in pitching, top to bottom. If Beckett is healthy, the power arms that dominated the Angels in Anaheim last year could end this series quickly. People ask if the Angels can win in Fenway. How about in Anaheim where they’re 0-5 in the last three series? Maybe the Rally Monkey has AIDS. This should be a fun series and something tells us that this series could dictated by who wins Game 1.
Predictions: Travis says it’ll take the Red Sox 5 while Chip says 4.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Season Series: Cardinals 5-2
Breakdown: These teams are polar opposites. The Cardinals have great starting pitching and a mediocre bullpen while the Dodgers have questions about their starters and the best bullpen in baseball. You wonder who needs a split more in the first two games: The Cards to get the home field or the Dodgers to win a game against Carpenter/Wainwright? Don’t expect this to be a battle of Manny vs. Albert, both should be pitched around. The pitching favors St. Louis, but in the last five meetings, the Dodgers held St. Louis to 3 runs in each game. It’ll be up to St. Louis’ supporting cast to give reasons for the Dodgers to pitch to Pujols. This has the makings of a long low-scoring series.
Predictions: Travis plays homer and says Dodgers in 5. Chip likes the pitching of the Cards in 4.

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies
Season Series: Phillies 4-2
Breakdown: Cliff Lee will start Game 1 for the Phillies in a move that frankly we don’t like and doesn’t make sense. Cole Hammels won the NLCS and World Series MVP’s last year and since August 26th, Lee has an ERA over 6. Essentially this limits Hammels to one start. While the Phillies look to repeat let’s remember in 2007 it was the Rockies that blew them out of the water on the way to a series sweep. Colorado possesses a balanced lineup but the lefties of the Phillies will look to contain Helton, Hawpe, and Stewart. Dexter Fowler and Jimmy Rollins are both table setters but average leadoff hitters. If they can get their teams going, the rest of the lineups take off. Both teams are loaded with power. It could be a fun series and don’t sell the Rockies short.
Prediction: We both like the Phillies. Travis in 5, Chip in 4.

TEAM BREAKDOWNS

AMERICAN LEAGUE
New York Yankees (103-59, East Champs)
Projected Lineup: 1. Jeter SS, 2. Damon LF, 3. Teixeira 1B, 4. Rodriguez 3B, 5. Matsui DH, 6. Cano 2B, 7. Posada C, 8. Swisher RF, 9. Cabrera CF
Projected Rotation: 1. Sabathia, 2. Burnett, 3. Pettite, 4. Chamberlin/Mitre
Synopsis: After a year off from the postseason, the Yankees return for the 14th time in 15 seasons. The Yankees took off after Alex Rodriguez recovered from hip surgery and eventually overtook Boston after the All-Star Break and ran away with the best record in baseball. The offense scored a whopping 915 runs, tops in baseball. The offseason additions of Mark Teixeira, C.C. Sabathia, and A.J. Burnett solidified an already potent team.
The Will Win It All Because: The offense continues to carry them and the front-line power arms do just enough to limit the opponents and turn it over to Mariano Rivera.
They Won’t Win it All Because: The new additions press and power pitching shuts down their potent lineup.
X-Factors: C.C. Sabathia and Alex Rodriguez. Both have struggled historically in the postseason and both are depended upon to come up big. Sabathia opted for the big money contract to join the Yankees and A-Rod is A-Rod. If both struggle, the fans will turn and it could be an early exit. If they succeed, this team should win the World Series.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (97-65, West Champs)
Projected Lineup: 1. Figgins 3B, 2. Aybar SS, 3. Abreu RF, 4. Guerrero DH, 5. Hunter CF, 6. Morales 1B, 7. Rivera LF, 8. Napoli C, 9. Kendrick 2B
Projected Rotation: 1. Lackey, 2. Weaver, 3. Kazmir, 4. Saunders
Synopsis: For the third straight year the Angels won the AL West. They led the majors in team batting average (.285) and third in stolen bases (148). The speed and contact method fell into place is a cornerstone of a Mike Scioscia team. They finished second to the Yankees in runs (883) and did it despite not ranking in the top 10 in home runs. The pitching did struggle with a 4.26 team ERA (21st in the majors).
The Will Win It All Because: They figure out how to win in Boston and they’re able to create havoc all over the base paths throughout the postseason.
They Won’t Win it All Because: The starting pitching and suspect bullpen doesn’t do the job and they can’t get over the Boston curse
X-Factors: John Lackey and Chone Figgins. It seems like forever ago that John Lackey was the horse as a rookie that pitched the Game 7 clincher in 02 World Series. He’s to be counted on again to be the front line starter that competes with the Sabathia’s and Lester’s. With a suspect bullpen and getting the Game 1 start he needs to get his team off and running. Speaking of off and running, Figgins is the driving force in the Angels engine. If he gets on-base, the Angels play small ball and become a difficult. If he’s neutralized, they become a slower and more power focused team.

Minnesota Twins (87-76, Central Champs)
Projected Lineup: 1. Span CF, 2. Cabrera SS, 3. Mauer C, 4. Kubel RF, 5. Cuddyer 1B, 6. Young LF, 7. DH Spot, 8. Tolbert 3B, 9. Punto 2B
Projected Rotation: 1. Duensing, 2. Pavano, 3. Baker, 4. Blackburn
Synopsis: Despite being 7 games back in September and losing All-Star first baseman Justin Morneau, the Twins were able to rally and tie Detroit for the Central title and won a thriller in 12-innings in the one-game playoff to clinch a spot in postseason. They’re lead by soon-to-be-named MVP Joe Mauer and a solid supporting cast of role players.
The Will Win It All Because: They defy the odds and continue to ride the momentum for another 11 wins.
They Won’t Win it All Because: They went 0-7 against the Yankees during the regular season and nothing changes and they’re gassed from a long chase to win the division.
X-Factors: Justin Kubel and Michael Cuddyer. The Twins don’t possess the potency of any of the other playoff teams and their pitching is suspect. No team will let Joe Mauer beat them, so it’ll be up to these two guys hitting behind them to provide the sock and give teams a reason to face Mauer.

Boston Red Sox (95-67, Wildcard Champs)
Projected Lineup: 1. Ellsbury CF, 2. Pedroia 2B, 3. Youkilis 1B, 4. Martinez C, 5. Bay LF, 6. Ortiz DH, 7. Lowell 3B, 8. Drew RF, 9. Gonzalez SS
Projected Rotation: 1. Lester, 2. Beckett, 3. Buccholz, 4. Matsuzaka
Synopsis: Led by solid pitching and a balanced lineup the Red Sox were in cruise control most of the season. They were surpassed by New York for the division title, mostly due to struggling on the road (39-42) and injuries. John Lester (15-8, 3.41) developed into an ace to complement Josh Beckett (17-6, 3.89) while Jason Bay (36 HR, 119 RBI) flourished in his first full season in Boston.
The Will Win It All Because: They have the best pitching and the power arms that can dominate a series to complement a balanced offense.
They Won’t Win it All Because: They continue to struggle on the road and the pitching is not as dominant as in yester years.
X-Factors: Jacoby Ellsbury and Josh Beckett. Ellsbury and his speed (70 SB) is a table setter. The majority of the Red Sox lineup are power hitters with lower averages. Ellbsbury provides the one-dimension offensively that would fit into a National League lineup. Beckett was not right during last postseason and struggled towards the end of the year. The Red Sox need him to be the hammer he’s been in past postseason’s.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Los Angeles Dodgers (95-67, West Champs)
Projected Lineup: 1. Furcal SS, 2. Ethier RF, 3. Ramirez LF, 4. Kemp RF, 5. Loney 1B, 6. Blake 3B, 7. Belliard/Hudson 2B, 8. Martin C
Projected Rotation: 1. Wolf, 2. Kershaw, 3. Padilla, 4. Billingsley/Garland/(Kuroda- injr.)
Synopsis: They got off to a hot start (21-8) and were able to endure Manny Ramirez’s 50-game suspension led by depth and pitching. The pitching staff led the majors in ERA (3.41) and the bullpen possesses four closers at the back end (Broxton, Sherrill, Kuo, Belisario). The young core emerged and took off led by Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp. The starting pitching is the team’s biggest question mark.
The Will Win It All Because: The starting pitching does enough to keep them in games before turning it over to the bullpen and the offense scores enough.
They Won’t Win it All Because: The starting pitching doesn’t match others and they’re forced to try and outscore teams.
X-Factors: Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw. We know what Manny does in the postseason but the team’s best hitter hits behind him. Teams will pitch around Manny if they have to and Kemp has the potential to be a superstar and it’ll be his time to shine. There might be a pitcher with more impact than Kershaw. When he’s on, he overpowers you and looks like a multi-Cy Young winner. When he’s off, he walks a lot of people and burns his pitch count. It’ll be interesting to see what the 21-year-old does.

Philadelphia Phillies (93-69, East Champs)
Projected Lineup: 1. Rollins SS, 2. Victorino CF, 3. Utley 2B, 4. Howard 1B, 5. Werth RF, 6. Ibanez RF, 7. Feliz 3B, 8. Ruiz C
Projected Rotation: 1. Lee, 2. Hammels, 3. Blanton, 4. Martinez
Synopsis: The defending champs cruised to a third straight division title and added a Cy Young winner (Lee) at the trade deadline. Led by an offense that possesses five guys with 20+ HRs (4 with 30) the Phillies led the NL in home runs and runs scored. The addition of Raul Ibanez and emergence of Jayson Werth makes this team more balanced, although they only hit .258 as a team. The one glaring weakness in this team is the bullpen. Brad Lidge has been awful (7.21 ERA, 11 blown saves) and the guys in front are much better. The Phils will rely heavily on their starters to carry them.
The Will Win It All Because: They’ve been down this road before and have gotten it done and the addition of Lee makes them that much more potent.
They Won’t Win it All Because: They strikeout too much and the left heavy lineup is neutralized while the bullpen continues to stink.
X-Factors: Cliff Lee and Jayson Werth. Lee was brought in as another hammer to complement Hammels. By getting the Game 1 start, the onus is on Lee to get this team back to World Series in his first postseason. Werth had a breakout year (36 HR, 99 RBI) and represents the one power right-handed bat. If the lefties are contained, it could be up to Werth to be the butter and eggs man to help balance the lineup.

St. Louis Cardinals (91-71, Central Champs)
Projected Lineup: 1. Schumaker SS, 2. DeRossa 2B, 3. Pujols 1B, 4. Holliday LF, 5. Ludwick RF, 6. Rasmus CF, 7. Molina C, 8. Ryan 3B
Projected Rotation: 1. Carpenter, 2. Wainwright, 3. Pineiro, 4. Lohse
Synopsis: The Cardinals were an average team but when the team added the like of Julio Lugo, Mark DeRossa, and Matt Holliday the team took off in the second half and ran away with the NL Central. They possess the best front line starting pitching in the NL and have two legitimate Cy Young candidates (Carpenter and Wainwright) and of course the great Pujols in the middle of the order.
The Will Win It All Because: They ride the best one-two punch out there and Pujols does his thing.
They Won’t Win it All Because: Pujols can be pitched around and the an average bullpen doesn’t close out the close games.
X-Factors: Matt Holliday and Joel Pineiro. Holliday was brought in to provide protection for Pujols. Teams will not let Albert beat them and will put the pressure on Holliday to produce. Lost in the Carpenter-Wainwright tandem is the great season Pineiro posted (15-12, 3.49). If he provides a third arm, the Cards will be tough to beat.

Colorado Rockies (92-70, Wild Card Champs)
Projected Lineup: 1. Gonzalez LF, 2. Fowler CF, 3. Helton 1B, 4. Tulowitzki SS, 5. Hawpe RF, 6. Stewart 3B, 7. Barmes 2B, 8. Ianetta/Torrealba C
Projected Rotation: 1. Jimenez, 2. Cook, 3. Marquis, 4. Hammel/(De La Rosa- injr.)
Synopsis: The Rockies fired manager Clint Hurdle and brought in Jim Tracy on May 29th and then proceeded to post the best record in baseball. They almost made up a 15.5 game deficit on the Dodgers but settled for the wild card. They possess depth and balance and back end hammer in the bullpen in Houston Street. The Rockies were also the only team in MLB to have all five starters reach double figures in wins.
The Will Win It All Because: They continue to play like the team since June and accumulate timely hitting and enough pitching.
They Won’t Win it All Because: They fattened up on inferior competition and don’t have the power to compete with the big boys.
X-Factors: Ubaldo Jimenez and Troy Tulowitzki. Jimenez has electric stuff but becomes very erratic and wild. When he settles in, he is one of the best in the game and has the power stuff that is devastating in the postseason. Tulowitzki is leader and rides his emotions on the field. He’s the kind of guy that could carry a team with his bat and glove.