Both League Championship Series are now set, following the Dodgers’ 2-1 victory over the Giants in Game 5 of the National League Division Series. Over the next week-plus, we’ll see the Astros (home field advantage) battle the Red Sox for the AL pennant while the Braves (home field advantage) take on the Dodgers for the NL crown.
All four teams are dealing with either uncertainty surrounding a key player. It’s still not clear whether the Astros will have Lance McCullers Jr. for the ALCS after he exited his last start against the White Sox due to forearm discomfort and underwent an MRI. On the other side of this matchup, Red Sox star third baseman Rafael Devers has been playing through a forearm injury that has impacted his swing but has yet to detract from his production.
The Braves, meanwhile, don’t know when or whether they’ll get slugger Jorge Soler back into the mix after he tested positive for Covid-19 just hours before their own Game 5 showdown against Milwaukee. The Dodgers have been without Max Muncy throughout the postseason, and both manager Dave Roberts and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman were deliberately vague when asked about him following last night’s win (Twitter links via Jorge Castillo of the L.A. Times and Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register).
With just four teams remaining in the field and a fresh pair of best-of-seven series set to kick off over the next two days, it seems like a good time to give MLBTR readers a chance to weigh in on who they’re taking in the ALCS and the NLCS (and perhaps an avenue to voice their thoughts on any, um… questionable… calls from last night’s game).
(link to poll for Trade Rumors iOS/Android app users)
Interesting results. People who pick the Dodgers are heavily favoring Astros over Red Sox, while people who pick Braves heavily favor the Red Sox over the Astros.
West coast v east coast bias?
Probably more likely people who pick the Braves are picking the underdog so they would pick the Red Sox as well
Red Sox would have home field advantage against the Braves, so I think part of it is just wishful thinking.
How come I was able to still vote? At least I got the two teams right even if no one is actually watching. Ratings outside of the.two markets will tank
Man. I wonder how Dodgers fans would feel if the Astros beat the Dodgers in the World Series again after cheating them out of it in 2017. That would really show no justice in the world. Get caught cheating the Dodgers out of a Championship and your penalty is you just get to beat them again. Some people might even feel disgusted and stop watching. You gotta figure the top MLB brass is hoping the NL wins it all. Didn’t the Red Sox kind of get caught cheating, too? I know Cora did it in Houston but I figure it wouldn’t make a whole lot is sense if he just stopped when he went to Boston because he still hadn’t been caught yet. If he cheated as a coach in Houston why wouldn’t he keep cheating as a manager in Boston? My guess is he just got a lot better at covering it up since he was in charge. He also had a heads up because they started investigating the Astros first so I’m sure he had time to get rid of any evidence.
If the Astros win without cheating that’s okay. It’ll suck for the dodgers fans and some Astros fans will “think” that it justifies 2017. That’s about it.
How does feel to miss the playoff year after year after year?
@raft: I wouldn’t know. My team has won their division 4 years straight now and made it to the NLCS back to back years. We also had a short rebuild after the winning the division 14 years in a row. You tell me? “How does it feel to miss the playoffs year after year?” Because my team is too talented to do that to it’s fans.
MLB is definitely not rooting for Atlanta
Imagine moving your AS game to pander to the left only for the Braves to force you to hand them the WS trophy in the city
Lol
I’m no Houston apologist, and maybe i’m missing something, but didn’t Houston panic and remove all the monitors after Danny Farquhar basically caught them in late 2017? How did that ‘cheat’ the Dodgers?
I’d have rooted for the Braves anyway, but that’s a pretty good point. Could you imagine Manfred having to hand out a WS trophy in front of the Braves crowd? The boos would be deafening.
Haters just hate they don’t think. Not just Farquar, the catchers hear what the batters hear and they are not dummies, they switched signs and that’s why banging the trash can didn’t work, in fact, it caused more harm than good to the Astros. Research shows the system was about 50% accurate so NO, the Astros batters didn’t know what was coming. It didn’t work.
Ted – in this case I think its more of a underdogs vs favorites type bias. I’d love the braves to win just to annoy my met fan friends but I have money on the sox. Plus I hate all things Californiaand have disliked the astros since they gave up the rainbows
People who pick the Red Sox are more likely to pick the Dodgers though. So how is that East coast bias?
Also not sure id say 17% vs 13% is heavily favoring the Red Sox over the Astros for the Braves selections. Seems pretty close to split. That means 56% of those who think the Braves win also think the Red Sox will win and 44% still think the Astros will win.
Mookie Betts, Joe Kelly Fight Club, David Price, Dave Roberts. All four got a ring in Boston.
So, does McCullers officially being out change votes now?
I voted Dodgers-Sox after reading McCullers was out. It’s the matchup I’d prefer anyway, if only because the Astros are so undeserving of another shot at the series. I’ll be rooting for the Sox in the ALCS for sure.
Undeserving? How do you earn your pass to the WS?
If this something I have to explain, then it can’t be explained.
AH! The Donald Trump’s playbook, I see.
That response is just plain bizarre.
Bizarre in certain circles. If your team lose the Astros cheated.
I don’t think Trump’s a baseball fan.
I think his theory is that Astros are undeserving because of past cheating. I would not describe this years Astro’s as undeserving, I would just stick an asterisk on the past Astros winner. But with no Verlander and no McCullers, I think the NL team will have better pitching.
I’m certain you’ve heard this before in a different setting, but acceptance is the first step to recovery.
I keep telling the Yankees to release the Manfred’s letter to no avail.
Wait! So the Red Sox didn’t cheat as well in 2018? I could have sworn they were found guilty too.
Well, it isn’t a theory exactly, it’s an opinion, and it isn’t about individual players so much as it’s about the organization that sanctioned the cheating and ultimately paid no price for it. I don’t want to see that team back in the World Series for a long time, because I believed then that the penalties were a joke, and now everyone should be able to see clearly how little real effect they had. I also believe it would be bad for baseball to have the recent cheating scandal be the storyline of this year’s series, and if the Astros are in it, you have to know it will be. As fans of the game, who wants that? Anybody at all?
Not once but twice. The RedSox are repeat offenders but they are the RedSox, they received a different brand of justice, similar to Yankees and Dodgers.
“…see clearly how little effect they had.” That’s very telling. So cheating, punishment, draft picks lost, no Hinch, no Luhnow, booing, etc. and the damned Astros keep on winning. Not fair! What do we have to do to make the Dodgers win????
Such foolishness. Some of us are actual baseball fans. What the rest are doing here, it’s hard to imagine.
I don’t think baseball is a fan of Trump
So they don’t deserve being a good team? Why not abolish the franchise? Oh yeah then both Sox teams, Yankees, Royals, heck every team in MLB would need abolishing for cheating. The Astros got punished. What happened to serving your time? They have done that. You’re just pissed because that are still good.
Not really. If you lose you’re default is “it was rigged.”
Thanks for explaining to me how I feel. I wouldn’t have known otherwise. What you are pissed about remains to be seen. Enough to make up stuff, apparently.
Anyhow, such short memories. It was just a few years ago when the discussion was all about whether the Astros were being handed a token punishment for cheating. Lots thought they were getting just a hand slap. Turns out they were right. Some care, some don’t.
So unless they were so crippled they couldn’t compete? That would be fair when the Red Sox did pretty much the same thing and had to be without their manager for a season? Yeah that’s fair. Like I said unless you’re willing to hand out death penalties in professional sports then you haven’t a leg to stand on and all the teams that have been caught cheating should suffer it.
More shortsightedness based on highly selective memory. The punishments should be fitting for all rules violations, and should be enough to really matter, and yes, that means it has to hurt. Enough, or it happens again. Baseball should have an active interest in protecting the integrity of the game if only for the sake of the future of the business of baseball. But the history is, ownership is more often than not way behind that curve. They were with PEDs, and so it goes with cheating. In the case of the Astros, a lot of us noticed at the time that ownership totally skated, and that happened because owners don’t hold the other owners to account. It’s a structural problem with baseball that goes way back, and is the reason the commissioner was created in the first place. But now the commissioner is so weak he’s really just the CEO of baseball and never does anything to upset the apple cart. And so history repeats itself.
Scapegoating is not dispensing justice. The owners are complicit because they all cheat. The commissioner is the puppet of the big market teams. If the owners want a commissioner office that works for the best interest of the sport they would have a commissioner for the AL, one for the NL, and one retired judge to break the ties and provide wisdom. But, buying two commissioners is much harder than buying one.
The Astros cheated either way and nothing will change that part of baseball history
No one is saying they didn’t cheat only do you destroy the team ala Black Sox or punish fittingly. Should the players have been punished? If you think that then you need to talk to the MLBPA, which is the reason they weren’t. As for the owner, his team lost 4 top draft choices, paid a fine and lost the GM and Manager. At least he didn’t just bring Hinch back.
Why stop there? Keep digging.
I picked with the Braves being a fan, and the Sox because I don’t like Houston. Purely picked based on rooting interest
Nah I feel like it’s gonna be Dodgers vs Red Sox. Rematch of 2018 both ALCS and WS.
Fwiw the AL East beat the crap out of the Barves in inter- league. They went 6-14 against them. I’m just glad Toronto didn’t make it b/c they swept the Braves both times and hit like 46 homers in 6 games
Houston, west coast?
Dodgers and Red Sox. If they Astros had McCullers, i would favor them, but as of right now it looks like they probably won’t.
They probably won’t reveal a decision on McCullers until the latest possible time, it’s all gamesmanship.
Everyone thought Whitlock wouldn’t pitch in the postseason, until they revealed otherwise at the last minute.
you’re probably right. It’s a tough series either way.
McCullers is off the roster for the ALCS. And Braves get home field advantage versus Dodgers. Makes it closer, but I am picking Dodgers over Astros.
Sports is entertainment but I am always a bit disappointed when an opinion decides a critical play/game …even if it goes “my” way.
Interesting, I just saw this very same post on a SportsNet thread word for word
Should I credit myself and put quotation marks around my own words?
I guess this is a “we’ll never know” situation but Flores was 0-17 lifetime against Scherzer and would still have been down 1-2 in the count. He was probably going to strike out anyway.
Kris Bryant ab was the worst of all of it
Sports were better before we started micro managing it with instant replay.
Close calls happen and umps make decisions. It gives fans something to talk about for decades sometimes lol.
Please explain that to Armando Galarraga and the perfect game stole from him after Jim Joyce disastrous call years ago….
Acting like the game isn’t better with insta reply is just silly. Is it perfect? No. Is it better than just the sole human element, by far it’s not even close.
Some of us still appreciate the human element in baseball, and that includes officiating, but we know we’re bucking the trend of turning all of sports into a video game. BTW, a swing isn’t defined by the position of the bat, wrists, or arms, it’s a judgement by the umpire on whether the batter offered at the pitch. Besides I didn’t hear anyone crying alligator tears over the strike zone Wade was getting in Game 1 and it had at least as much impact on that game as the one called strike in the last one.
Sorry meant Webb.
I felt the same when giants got the call on the season and ended up been the difference in the standings. So no because we got the call in our favor im going to change my point of view. I say open the plays that can be reviewed, maybe from the 7th inn on. We are not to far from rob umps.
I’m in the Eastern Time Zone. I’m hoping the Braves beat the Dodgers so I won’t have to stay up until 1 or later to see the end of a World Series game.
lol true
World Series game times are not dependent on what time zones the teams play in. They are already set at a certain time and will be played then regardless of the participants.
toycannon – Then why haven’t the World Series game times been released yet?
Makes it hard for people’s travel plans
.
I think it’s starts at 8 regardless now thankfully
The World Series * maybe 8:30. I don’t think they ever do it based on time zone once it gets to the World Series. Not even sure with the CS
I thought it was a weird start time like 8:37. I want the Sox to make it, but the late nights are killing me already.
One of the most underappreciated things in sports is being a fan on the west coach. No games start at 8 and we get NFL football at 10 am every Sunday
Didn’t think about this. Changing my vote!
Hopefully Houston
How giants fans doing???
Disappointed for sure. Missed a once in a lifetime opportunity. But also proud of how they battled that absolutely loaded Dodgers team and took it to gm5. It was a darn good season, but in the end the Dodgers were better. Hat tip to them.
It’s terrible to see it come down to that call in the end but at the end of the day each team has to face bad calls, missed opportunities, injuries and they have 27 outs in a game to put more runs on the board. The Giants are in good hands and I look forward to battling with them year in and year out for the foreseeable future. Hats off to the Giants on a hell of a season.
The dodgers weren’t better though. The dodgers won a coin flip. The series was decided by one run. In order to figure out who was truly better they would need to play 75 games. Plenty of better teams have lost in baseball happens every year.
Dodgers – 18 runs
Giants – 10 runs
The Dodgers won the crucial game . The Giants lost. No teams play 75 games against each other. Silly take.
Fine thanks. The off-season started. The future is looking good.
Padres
Silly question – the 103-win Mets already won the World Series.
oRaNgE tEaM bAd ! Cute.
Not a fan of any of them so I don’t care honestly lol.
So, why bother posting? I never understood posts like this. Nobody cares that you don’t like any of the teams.
imagine a rematch of the dodgers and astros
As long as the Dodgers win, that’s fine by me. Not even a Dodgers fan, just hate systemic cheating. It’d be nice to see the Dodgers inflict some sort of retribution.
You hate cheating but would be ok with the Dodgers winning? We just going to ignore the dozens of players saying they did the same thing? Weird
Which dozens admitted to using technology to cheat?
vtadave Don’t hold your breath for an answer.
Little off topic, but day playoff games don’t have the same feel. The Braves Brewers series was one of the most boring playoff games I’ve ever seen. I think it had a lot to do with it being during the day.
I am biased, but maybe you just like offense considering it was ATL’s offense against a MIL rotation of Burnes, Woodward & Peralta. ATL’s pitchers (Morton, Anderson, Fried) stifled a MIL offense. Will be interesting to see ATL face Scherzer, Buehler, Urias. Most fearful of Urias considering how much ATL has seen of Scherzer over the years.
Brewers offense isnt the dodgers. Braves are getting ran through in 4-5 games
I like watching pitcher duals, but I feel like guys like Ian Anderson aren’t mowing guys down like a scherzer or fried do. It felt more like bad hitting vs good pitching, compared to great hitting vs great pitching, with the pitchers winning. That’s how the Dodgers giants series felt. I think the day game had a lot to do with it though.
If I recall correctly the Dodgers swept the Braves in September.
You’re right, but look closer:
ATL 3 / LAD 5 (SP Smyly allows 4 HR) — Smyly pitching out of BP in series
ATL 2 / LAD 3 (Morton/Buehler gems — ATL BP (Jackson/Matzek) blew it)
ATL 3 / LAD 4 (Chris Martin blew it — Martin not on playoff roster)
Fried/Morton both threw gems, while Anderson didn’t go. ATL bullpen looked inconsistent, but during the playoffs they’ve looked refreshed. With that close of a score, on the road for ATL, I don’t really know how that series gives you much confidence either way.
@ rundmc. This is a better more seasoned Braves team than the one last last the lost the NLCS to the Dodgers in 2020. Dodgers have added a couple weapons in Scherzer/Turner but they are missing a couple weapons they had last time in May and maybe Muncy. Braves of course down a superstar in Acuna and the infamous Ozuna. I suspect Soler will be back ASAP and the Braves lineup in much deeper with him in it. It will be inexcusable to not have Pederon/Duvall/Rosario starting every game in the OF with Soler gone. Should be a great series. It was nice to see Gore disrupt the pitcher the time he pinch ran in the Brewers series, but I hope they opt for Strider this time.
Fried has a lifetime ERA of near five against the Dodgers.
Scherzer and Buehler back on track.
Betts is finally healthy and hitting near 450 in post season.
Bellinger may have awoken from a deep slumber.
Pollock is healthy.
Trea is overdue to break out.
The Dodger pen is as good or better than any team right now.
The folks here overwhelmingly chose the Cards over the Dodgers in the WC game.
The Braves still didn’t score that many runs.
Fred more than just a couple of weapons. The batting champ and the best pitcher in the MLB since the trade.
Dude why are you preaching? Everybody knows the Dodgers are good and the best team in the sport. That does not mean they will win. You probably thought the Brewers will beat the Braves too.
Don’t I am responding to others posts not preaching. Although based upon your track record of posting on this site you are the very last person who should complain about preaching. The vast majority of those polled here on this site picked the Cards in the WC game. I think y’all should pick the Braves. And I picked the Braves so that shows what you know.
Could we talk about how the dodgers got gifted a win last night by the umps and the better team lost? Talk about manfreds agenda. That was embarrassing.. one Mickey Mouse WS wasn’t good enough so he is trying to win them their first real one in ages! Lol
The Giants are a better story than the Dodgers, who are fast becoming this generation’s version of the 90’s Braves. I think it’s ridiculous to see a grand conspiracy in every missed call.
They’ll never be the 90’s Braves.
Yea because they on pace for more rings.
You are kidding right? One missed check swing and Manfred has an agenda to push the Dodgers? I can’t stand Manfred as much as any other fan, but come on dude. Also, the better team did not lose. The Giants played out of their minds all year, but they were not a better team than the Dodgers.
Says the fan whose team hasn’t won a championship in 35 years.
Yeah ok. Only 7 teams have more than one championship since 1986
One of them being the Dodgers.
Was that gift larger than Buckner’s to Mets fans in Game 6?
Better team lost? 10 runs in 5 games?
I mean if it’s fits your narrative about how Mets players have bruised vagina’s every year while every other team is lucky.
Shouldn’t you be worried about your prized arm not pitching in October since 2015? Wasting his career. No wonder the Mets are the B team in NYC and forever more.
MetsFan, let’s play this out. Let’s say the check swing is not called for strike three. So Flores is down in the count 1-2. There are two outs in the bottom of the 9th. According to a previous post, Flores is 0-17 lifetime vs Scherzer. All the pressure in the world is on Flores. Statistically, what are the chances Flores wins the game in his AB, extends the game by reaching base and/or the next batter is successful, as well?
Nonetheless, it was a tough way to lose a game. I feel bad for Giants fans.
Angels the Dodgers lost earlier in the year when a check swing call was blown on Ruf. Had it been called correctly, and it was a much blown as this call, even more so, since it was a 3-2 pitch, the Giants would have been the WC and the Giants might not even have gone up against the Dodgers. Even had they beaten the Cards Webb may have only been able to start one game.
Talk about gifting.
Ghost of Bill Buckner says hi to your 86 asterisk team.
It isn’t a conspiracy. If your offense is quiet, you won’t get calls, you’ll get punched out on check swings. That’s just how baseball works
No surprise that this post is ridiculous. Bad calls happen every game. It’s the human element. Your job as a team is not to put yourself in a position where you need the umpires help. SF is a huge market too. Manfred would have been just fine with them in the NLCS.
It was the Dodgers who needed the umpire’s help.
Not necessarily. Do you really think Flores is hitting a homer there? It’s a judgement call. Giants were down a run in the final inning. Not the ideal position. That’s what I mean.
Von plus Flores is 0-17 vs Mad Max lifetime and looked totally overmatched in that at bat. The Giants were fortunate that they even had a runner on base. Mad Max was lights out.
Yea. Unfortunate way for a game to end, but honestly the Giants still had a huge hill to climb.
Yes flores could have.. you could leave the Mets but the magic tends to follow you. Turner… Murphy … I could go on an on. Flores would have probably got out but you never know. And that’s definitely not the only call. It was horrible all game…
Max was dealing. Flores has 18 at bats lifetime against Max. One walk and eight strike outs. Flores looked absolutely lost at the plate.
MetsFan22, luckily I already know that you have zero credibility and are not to be taken seriously whatsoever. That was a bad call no doubt and I wish that Scherzer would’ve had the chance to mow him down on the next pitch just to make it official. With that being said, both teams dealt with injuries, bad calls, missed opportunities and various other adversity throughout the season and at the end of the day the Dodgers had more runs at the end of game 5. As a Dodgers fan I completely respect the Giants for what they did all season long and into the playoffs and I was fully prepared to come in here today and congratulate them for putting us down if that were to happen. Go Dodgers, bring on the Bravos.
Mcdusty totally agree with everything you said. The Giants just stopped hitting.
It’d be cool if it wound up Braves-Red Sox. The Braves already played one of their previous home city’s team, why not the other?
Braves will shock people and prove the best division was the NL East
And dont cite records casuals because if all 5 teams in the division are strong the records will be closer to .500
To be fair the Braves escaped mediocrity after the trade deadline and became a real solid team. Even the Phillies were good in spurts post trade deadline, but they eventually fell back to mediocrity where they belong. So basically what I’m saying is the top teams in the NLE actually played okay in the 2nd half. The bottom 3 teams got worse.
Right. Which is why the Braves started winning more. Marlins and Nationals mainly fell off
That’s why the records can be deceiving. The Marlins were loaded with pitching. Nationals still had Scherzer and Turner
Camden453 quickly moving into the top 5 power rankings of worst posters on here.
Yeah that means (as always) most insightful and knowledgeable then know nothings come out to mock the messenger in their ignorance
How exactly are they going to prove that? By winning short post season series? The irony of your posts is awesome, if you’re trolling, good job. If you’re serious…yikes.
Yes, by winning the series. Try to watch baseball and gain more insight about it
You are one of the hordes and hordes who don’t know what’s going on and then mock the few people who do
You make a fair point but not all games are played in your division. The strongest division should have a .500 record in games against itself and than a winning record against all others. Much like the NLW and ALE
People underestimate the Braves pitching. Especially the SP ability to go deeper into games. Fried, Morton, Anderson, Ynoa
Braves are getting ran through brother. Dodgers offense isn’t the Brewers.
The Braves offense isn’t the Giants and if you remember the Dodgers had to go seven games last year to beat the Braves thank you
justme Who scored more runs this season? The Braves or Giants?
After facing the NL East lineups all year, I don’t think they’ll be worried
It’s not like the Dodgers offense lit it up in the NLDS. Plus the Braves have a big advantage at their park
And never doubt Dave Roberts ability to blow it
Braves pitching isn’t the Giants brother
And LAD have a big disadvantage at night in their home park. That Lux HR (100mph off the bat) that died on the warning track by the inward winds is karma or witchcraft.
Yup dodgers swept them during the year too while dodgers offense was slumping. We just beat the hottest team in baseball and giants the best record in baseball. Braves beat a Brewers team who had zero offense. Dodgers are sleeping easy with dreams of smoking astros in ws going back to back!
Facing Smyly and Chris Martin will wake any bats, which is why the former is relegated to the BP and the latter sitting on his couch. Part of the reason the Dodgers were slumping was because of Morton/Fried, but I digress.
Yup because the dodgers threw out there best foot forward missing bellinger, seager, betts, muncy, kershaw for parts of the year. Dodgers pitching has been stable and also part of the reason why Braves got swept. Braves had the easiest schedule second half and benefited from nationals unloading half their team. Braves last year were much more scary than this season. Dodgers in 5
Fried, Morton, Anderson – yes. Ynoa – noa. Predictably and understandably – he doesn’t have the command he had pre-injury. His velocity is back (nothing wrong with his arm), but his slider doesn’t have the same movement considering breaking your hand will affect your grip. Even ATL doubts he’s the same pitcher by how they’re using him. He’s not Smyly, but he won’t see more than 2-3 IP in relief, at most.
If you have a kid in Little League that wants to be a big leaguer, please teach them to either scream into their glove or punch with their non-throwing hand when venting.
It’s going to be another good series for baseball, best of luck to the Bravos and may the best team win.
In terms of viewership and dollars of
Dodgers v astros $$$$
Dodgers v Red Sox $$$
Braves v astros $$
Braves v Red Sox $ no one on west coast would watch this
I know a lot of Red Sox fans here in Cali, I think they’d draw more West Coast viewership than the Trashstros. Unless of course people would tune in just to watch the Asterisks die a dog’s death in the WS like I would lol.
Hopefully the Astros win just to have people like you stay big mad. And don’t say you aren’t mad because you’re mad and you’re bad.
Wow you should write a Dr. Seuss style children’s book with your impressive rhyming skills.
playoff need to be re-done should be best record vs worst record and AL vs NL new match-ups and lot more strategy AL VS NL field anvantage DH/no DH tired of same teams playing division series and championship series after they play like 20 times vs each other in regular season tampa vs boston and giants vs dodgers same games they play 20 times already. dont get me wrong i enjoy the games would be but better new match-ups AL VS NL what you think people? im alone in this?
My heart wants Dodgers/Red Sox (Kike and Verdugo) but my brain tells me Dodgers/Astros
My pick: Bosox in 6 over Astros, Trolley Dodgers in 5 over Braves.
WS: Bosox in 7 over Dodgers.
Sentimental pick is Braves to win it all, ‘cause they were my late Mother’s favorite.
But then I picked Giants/Tampa previously.
Red Sox should they make it past the astros (highly unlikely imo) would get destroyed in 5 by dodgers no disrespect. Thinking eovaldi and injured chris sale are stopping them is laughable. Red Sox also aren’t hitting scherzer, buehler and urias.
In terms of talent and on paper
Dodgers
Astros
Braves
Red Sox
I projected Braves-Red Sox. The Braves are sort of the unknown factor. They could either wilt and go silently against the Dodgers or run it through and win the World Series
You cannot say the better team lost (or won) last night. You could not have two more equal teams if you tried. Call on last pitch was wrong but I have never seen a whole game without a couple questionable calls on balls, strikes or swings. No evidence of bias, just a wrong call. The Dodgers won without Muncy, Kershaw and May. The Giants still have three championships in the past dozen years. Last year, Julio Urias was the hero against the Braves. Freeman and Riley should be in MVP conversation unless you think Padres were in wild card hunt long enough to give it to Tatis. Fried is pitching lights out and Morton is a post season big game guy. Sounds like fun!
Giants offense didn’t show up all series and the umps rang them up
If your offense isn’t showing up you’re not going to get calls. That’s true for every game regular or playoffs
The umps know whose winning the game. If your offense doesn’t show, they’re going to ring you up until you prove something
You can say it shouldn’t be like that and maybe it shouldn’t, but that’s how it is. If you’re offense is going and you’re winning, you’re going to get the calls
Yeah the umps don’t do that so just say I’m not educated enough on this subject to have a opinion. You can do that Camden.
Iverbure is sassy today jeeze!
Camden you don’t think the pitching of the Dodgers had anything to do with the offense not showing up? This is an example of underestimating the Dodgers.
Or just blatant Dodgers hating which is very common on this site lol
Betts beats the Sox in the Series. Poetry from the baseball gods.
Verdugo wins 7th game with a homer run off Joe Kelly…..Poetry from the baseball gods.
Bob your delusional to think Red Sox are making it to ws let alone beating dodgers in seven. Dodgers are going back to back, seen the “analysts” say padres are it (we ran threw them) pick the cards in wild card (ran threw them) giants (outscored them 18-10) keep saying we won’t win. Only makes the victory that much sweeter
An Astros win would be a more baseball gods type Poetry than either of those scenarios. I think the baseball gods dabble in Vogon Poetry sometimes.
I don’t hate the Astros, but the comment section here would be comedy gold if they win
Astros Dodgers with Astros winning in Correa’s walk year would really be something
I wouldn’t doubt Swanson and Albies. Ok Betts, Correa, Bogaerts….But you can’t overlook Swanson
Can’t compare Swanson to Betts. Silly.
They’re not comparing them, just calling your attention to him as he has been a difference maker this postseason on both sides of the ball, not unlike Betts. No one would dare compare a mere mortal with luscious locks to the diminutive god that is Markus Lynn Betts.
Run now Bellinger has awoken from his coma. There is no aspect of hitting, hitting with power, running, throwing, or fielding that Swanson is close to Betts.
Bellinger striking out 7 of 15 AB in NLDS hitting .267 with 1 XBH — if that’s waking the sleeping bear, then what’s the slumber look like? He’ll be riding pine in G1 vs. a southpaw.
Pop a Prevaegen – maybe the 2nd time it’ll sink in that no one is comparing Swanson to Betts.
You know when you personalize insults like that run you look foolish. And that is not a compliment. In case you’re wondering.
Run there you go. “Just calling your attention to him being a difference maker this postseason on both sides on both sides of the ball, not unlike Betts”. Nah that ain’t comparing the two is it? And I’m the one who needs a brain booster? Particularly when Swanson is hitting 200 this post season with one extra base hit and Betts is hitting newt 450. If Swanson is deemed as having been a difference maker this post season the Braves are doomed.
near
I did compare the two highlighting both’s ability to be a difference maker on both sides of the ball, but that’s where it ends.
It’s not even fair to compare Swanson to Betts. I mean, look at those locks.
Then you either lied above or don’t understand the term “compare”. Swanson hitting 200 is no difference maker. Again perhaps you don’t understand the term “difference maker”. Chris Taylor is more of a difference maker than Swanson.
By the way Mr. Prevagen aka RunDMC when you want to childishly indukt someone about their mental capabilities at least spell Prevagen correctly. Makes you look even more ridiculous.
Sure, Taylor is a difference maker – so was Swanson in the NLDS. He had 2 defensive gems that saved one of the wins, while a few more than helped secure the close games and some timely hitting. Considering he was moved from the back of the order to hitting leadoff (due to Soler testing positive), if he has smart ABs and sets the table for those behind him, combined with his defense – he’ll be a difference maker if Soler continues to stay out.
Mr. Prevagen (or Prevaegen) aka RunDMC,
By the way Mr. Prevagen, when I initially responded re: not comparing the two, no one used the term “difference maker” and it wasn’t “they’re” either.
It was a string of names including Betts and Swanson, Albies, Correa and Bogaerts.
Comparing Swanson to Betts, Correa or Bogaerts as being a potential difference maker, is like comparing the experience sitting at home and eating a frozen tv dinner to dining in a Michelin star rated eatery. But carry on Mr. Prevagen (prevaegen).
LOL…love your BDE. Did I hit a sore spot? Carry on! More similes, please!
Nah Mr. Prevagen, no sore spot, just pointing out how immature, childish and ridiculous your posts are.
And pointing out how you either lied or don’t understand basic English words. Each of your succeeding post seems to prove exactly that. You are funny.
I know, right?
Chris Taylor “difference maker” indeed!
Nobody’s comparing any of them. But the playoffs is a new season. We see who the leaders are
Camden Run did unless you are calling him a nobody.
Braves are healthy and have a good bench, especially when Soler clears Covid protocol. Bullpen is pitching much better. Dodgers are banged up and the Braves hit Scherzer well. McCullers availability hurts the Astros but the can still slug it out and win. I think both series go 7, I took Braves/Sox
Don’t forget about Joc Pederson vs. his old team. Would be great to get Soler back even nothing else to give them permanence in their lineup construction. Interesting tidbit: ATL bench piece Orlando Arcia is 4-for-7 (2 HR / 2.000 OPS) in playoffs vs. Walker Buehler. I don’t think that stat has gotten by AA/Snit. Scherzer is a totally different pitcher on short-rest. Urias is a freak – I want no part of him.
The Dodgers hit Fried very well (something like 5.00 ERA lifetime). Scherzer is back on track. He will be well rested. Last time the Braves played the Dodgers, last month, they were swept. Buehler is back on track. Last I looked the Braves are missing most of their starting outfield.
Braves are good but don’t underestimate the Dodgers.
Who is underestimating the Dodgers? If you turn on 1 sec of MLB postseason analysis, look at the poll of WS winner on this very post — you don’t need social security to see LAD isn’t David, they’re Goliath. The team with the most Joc will win.
Run you are right that Scherzer is a different pitcher on short rest. Last time he pitched (Giants) he went 7 if I recall and allowed a run. But he hasn’t pitched but one inning since Tuesday so I am not sure why you brought it up.
Dodger1958 – Max Fried is much better now than he was earlier in the year. Dodgers will still win the series, but Max Fried can hold his own against the Dodgers. Notwithstanding Riley, Freeman, Betts and the Turners, this will be a low scoring series. Buehler, Urias and Scherzer will get the job done. Personally, I think NL MVP is Tais, Freeman or Riley. Goldie was slightly behind in stats, Harper’s team barely was a contender, so if it is a non-contender than it is Tatis or Soto ahead of Harper.
If he pitches, even 1 stress 13 pitches in a decisive game, that ain’t rest, thus “short rest” if they hand the ball to him in G1. Whew! Good grief.
Just my Opinion Braves over Dodgers in seven Houston over the Red Sox in six Houston over the Braves in five. Just my opinion
playoff need to be re-done should be best record vs worst record and AL vs NL new match-ups and lot more strategy AL VS NL field anvantage DH/no DH tired of same teams playing division series and championship series after they play like 20 times vs each other in regular season tampa vs boston and giants vs dodgers same games they play 20 times already. dont get me wrong i enjoy the games would be but better new match-ups AL VS NL what you think people? im alone in this?
Guardians I couldn’t follow your writing. You need to shorten the first sentence to make it more understandable.
Dodgers/Astros I won’t be watching
The Braves are ****in due to beat the Dodgers in the playoffs. They are due. Braves will be Barves but my gut feeling is saying Braves will pull an upset.
Braves Sox
You should not even be allowed to root for the Braves after all the comments and doubting you’ve done all season.
This organization shouldn’t be allowed to be a terrible postseason team throughout the years either…but here we are.
This is the second straight (first in my book) time they reached CS. They got Morton for this exact reason. Last season they had Fried, Anderson, and nobody else. This year they are three capable starters.
How did they get this far without MadBum???
Hahaha someone had to, nice to see that hasn’t been forgotten.
Any conspiracy theory suggesting the fix was on to allow the Dodgers to win last night is absurd. It would have to go back to the first day of the season to get them to yesterday. Absolutely ridiculous. I’m not a Dodgers fan BTW.
I picked the Dodgers and the Astros to advance because I believe they are the two best teams remaining.
Like most baseball fans, I want to see the Astros burn in a lake of lava. I’m no Red Sox fan, but they’re not the Astros – and they also have my boy Schwaba.
Also, if the Braves could take down the Yankees of the National League, that’d be great.
Will the Dodgers face off against…
The team that cheated them out of the 2017 World Series title OR the team that cheated them out of the 2018 World Series title?
Which team that has indisputably been caught and punished for cheating will prevail?
Will it be the team whose former manager got hired by a different team after his year long suspension for cheating?
Or will it be the team who rehired their own former manager after his year long suspension for cheating?
As long as the cheaters lose everything will be fine.
I love the comments on the Astros cheating. Just because the Dodgers haven’t been caught, does not mean they don’t cheat. If there is a team to do it, it is them.
Also, people who want Astros Dodgers are missing that this is not the same Astros team from 2017. They are a worse constructed team this year. If Dodgers beat them this year, it means nothing. Couple that with the fact it will be the most boring BS in many years. Two teams no one likes or wants to win other than fanbase.
The moon might be made of green cheese. You can’t be sure unless you’ve been there. Let us know when you get back.
Let’s see if we can get enough signatures for Bezos to take him on a one way trip
Well the Braves had the whole IFA scandal thing, and the Dodgers have definitely been accused by more than one source of sign stealing like the Astros and Red Sox did. Also pretty much everyone in baseball were on steroids and greenies back in the day. May the best cheater win!
Astros were cheaters, no doubt about it. But Dodgers had Gagne and Bauer, so those who live in glass houses . . .
What did Bauer or Gagne do by way of cheating?
Gagne cheated by using steroids. Bauer cheated by pretending he was a human being rather than excrement.
I am rooting for the Dodgers but every team has a few skeletons.
Neither of those that you mentioned have to do with dodgers. Mannywood took roids too, is that really dodgers fault?
Yes I think if Dodgers management was paying attention they should have known the steroid issues with Gagne and Ramirez, I think management knew across the league but I have no inside knowledge just my hunch.
l think the Braves will give the Dodgers a hard time.
I picked the Rays to win it and they let me down so I’m pretty sure I’m picking the wrong teams in this but I think it will be LAD vs. BOS.
That means it will be ATL vs. HOU.
LOL — you were right (kind of)!
Growing up, I was not afforded the opportunity to watch the World Series, primarily due to the fact that it was played during the day and I was in school. To this day, I wish I could have seen at least some of them, although I did feign feeling poorly and left school to watch the 7th game of the 1960 fall classic, as much as it disappointed me to see Mazoroski sink the Yankees with a homer in the bottom of the ninth. As a huge baseball fan, I would hope that every baseball fan would put aside their differences, disdain for certain teams, and enjoy the spectacle that is the greatest sports event. To this day, my brother and I still reminisce about those old games. At age 64, I finally finished up the circuit of seeing a game at all 30 current ballparks. So, I ask you to certainly be passionate about your favorite team, but continue to be a good baseball fan. Teach the younger generation to enjoy it also.
Favorite 3 parks (in order)? Mine is still Fenway with SF/PIT/KC gleefully on the 2022 horizon.
I agree. I went to one of the early morning Boston Marathon games once. Still has that old-style feeling to it.
Of the “Old Ballparks”, Fenway, Old Comisky, Old Yankee Stadium. Newer parks, Oracle Park, Nationals Park, Petco.
Wrigley, Chavez Ravine and Oracle.
Nice job hitting all 30. MLB should give out passports to get stamped.
Thanks, it was a long haul.
Good luck to the Bosox!
It’s the team you least expect it that wins these things. Minus the dodger last year (which the Braves tested them). That said, Braves are on paper, much more talented than they have performed as a whole this year. They easily are the least likely to win in my opinion (at first glance). SO, WITH THAT LOGIC, I’m picking them to win it all!! See how I backed into that? No bias here lol
I think “bravesfan” sort of explained it all. I picked the Braves to win the division by 100 games, but losing Acuna is a big loss. I had expected major regression from Ozuna. I think that Soler and Duvall combined are worth more than Ozuna. Riley has gone from prospect to star. Max Fried has gone from potential to star. But I will still take Urias, Beuhler and Scherzer over Fried, Morton and Anderson, especially with the Dodgers having the better, deeper bullpen. I will always remember Julio Urias as the guy who saved the Dodgers from losing to the Braves, you can beat Urias but you cannot intimidate him.
Manny he was 20-3 this year so not many teams beat him. Gonsolin May very well Ben the wild card.
With so many wise guys commenting, you should have made D’Backs and O’s a choice in the poll.
Easy poll, Dodgers Astros. Should be intense
100% chance the stupid Dodgers make it.
Lol
I’m a Sox fan and I see the magic on this team but I just don’t think we have enough. The constant back and forth and up and down games will get to us, especially considering we do not have a stable bullpen or a vintage Chris Sale. We need vintage Chris Sale to win.
Dodgers should outmatch the Braves.
I think Dodgers / Astros a second time will have terribly low ratings.