NLCS and ALCS

Very quickly before the first pitch is thrown tonight with explanations later:

Dodgers in 6
Angels in 7

Considering my World Series pick didn't win a game I can't say going 2-2 in the first round was even average.

NLCS
Phillies vs. Dodgers

The funny thing about this series is that if Brad Lidge was even average this season nobody woudl be taking the Dodgers. The Phillies have a better lineup, beteer defense and deeper starting pitching. But Lidge isn't right, no matter how he looked against the Rockies, and the Phils bullpen is not great.

The best two pitchers in this series are Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee and there is no question about that. But the Dodgers are throwing Clayton Kershaw against Hamels and he is so good that I think they almost cancel each other out. Anyone who thinks Randy Wolf is a front-line starter is crazy and I am not convinced Vincent Padilla can equal the game he threw against the Cards, though he may not have to in order to win.

So why am I picking the Dodgers? There lineup is better than it was last year and can score runs without Manny needing to go deep. I also think Pedro Martinez might get lit up in his start(s) because he can't attack guys the way he used to. But the main reason is the Dodgers bullpen is the best of any team left and the Phillies is the worst. All of these games should be tight and that favors the Dodgers.

Dodgers in 6

ALCS
Yankees vs. Angels

This should be a hell of a series. The thing that very few people realize about the Angels is just how deep and balnace their batting lineup is. They remind me a lot of the '04 Red Sox team but without as much power in the middle of the lineup. They are just a bunch of smart, professional hitters who now how to work the count and get their pitch. And guys like Hunter, Abreu and Vlady will go deep if you make a mistake. They also run the bases extremley well and are very aggressive. They should run all day on Jorge Posada. The Yankees lineup has more power than the Angels but I am not convinced it is that much better overall.

As I mentioned last week the Angels Achilles Heel vs the Red Sox every year was their lack of a true ace. But having 3 #2 starters matters less in a 7 game series than a 5 gamer. I think CC will win a two games for the Yanks but I think the Angels patience will drive Burnett nuts, and Pettite will be forced to throw more pitches than usual to get out of innings. As for the Angels pitching I like Jered Weaver a lot and he is strong mentally. And Scott Kazmir has always pitched well against the Yankees so I expect a strong game 4 start at home from him.

The Angels bullpen is a bit deeper but Brain Fuentes is not Mo Rivera so the Angels may lose one late.

One other big reason I like the Angels is because Mike Scioscia is a much better game manager than Joe Girardi. That means the Angels will usually get the late inning matchups they want.

Angels in 7