2007 ALDS & NLDS

The Red Sox chose the long series with the extra off day and nobody could be happier then the banged up Angels. With Vladimir Guerrero hurting and the Sox deeper starting rotation 1-5 they would have been better off choosing the series that started Thursday with no break between Game 1 and 2. Instead they now give the Angels to use 19-game winner John Lackey twice, and are set up good for an upset. While the Red Sox are still clearly the better team and will win this series, fans in Boston will be going through Heart Palpations, as they will need to win a decisive fifth game, fortunately for them it will be at Fenway, and that’s when the series will be won.

In the regular season the Yankees and Indians faced off six times, with the Yankees winning all six. While the Yankees did not face Indians ace and possible Cy Young Winner C.C. Sabathia, they did wear out everybody else including the Tribe’s bullpen as one of Alex Rodriguez’s two walk off homers in April came off Indians closer Joe Borowski as part of a 6-run ninth inning. Back then the Yankees were struggling and still managed to sweep the Indians in the Bronx. Look for more of the same as the Indians must win Sabathia’s start to even have a shot. Look for the Yankees to win this series as the Yankees pen will be the difference putting games on ice after 7 innings with the kid Joba Chamberlain and the legend Mariano Rivera.

The Diamondbacks have the one thing the other three NL teams lack, and that’s a certified reliable ace in Brandon Webb. Look for pitching to tell the story of this series, as the erratic Carlos Zambrano could decide this series. If he is on the Cubs can not only win this series they can go to the World Series. If he struggles they don’t have a chance. The Cubs bullpen is also a question, with Ryan Dempster closing games, 9th Inning leads won’t be safe for the Cubbies. While the Diamondbacks lineup may not scare anybody, they may have a secret offensive weapon in Micah Owings, who has one several of his starts with his bat and his arm, as he has been an effective starting pitcher with the ability to have big offensive games look for a big Owings game as the D-Backs win in four.

Two teams as hot as a firecracker on the 4th of July meet in a match up of teams that nobody thought would be here. For the Phillies it took two to tango as they need a epic collapse from the Mets, while the Rockies did it by winning every game down the stretch, including an epic tiebreaker over the Padres. That experience in the end is what will give the edge to the Rockies in the series, as Coors Field should be a mad house when the series shifts for Games 3 and 4. Look for a big series from Matt Holliday, as the runs will pile up in this series with both teams playing in high scoring ballparks, with the Rockies having just enough to win in five.