SEASON SERIES: Tied, 5-5
CIN TEAM RANKINGS: .269 BA (10th-ML); 4.60 ERA (25th-ML)
TRE TEAM RANKINGS: .272 BA (T5th-ML); 4.45 ERA (22nd-ML)
CIN KEY PLAYERS: Heinie Roberts, 2B; Hugh Dolan, SP
TRE KEY PLAYERS: Phil Anderson, 2B; David Wang, SP
CIN COMMENTS: "This could really go either way. After I won the first 5 matchups H2H, he stormed back and won the final 5 to split the season series. We both needed to keep pace with each other just to get into the wild card. I think the key comes down to capturing Game 1. I think my pitching is more geared for this series than his, so I think that might just be the difference."
TRE COMMENTS: "We'll win the series, but no doubt it'll go 5 games."
SUMMARY: Throw the seeds out the window on this series. These two clubs are as even as you can get. It could have easily been Trenton winning the AL North and Cincinnati getting the Wild Card. Statistically, they're pretty even all the way around. So who do I like? I focus on the stars. I like Heinie Roberts, Hugh Dolan, and Darrin Baldwin. Don't bet the house on this, but I think the Red Stockings will squeek it out.
SJW BLOG PREDICTION
in 5 games
SEASON SERIES: Tied, 5-5
PAW TEAM RANKINGS: .261 BA (19th-ML); 3.94 ERA (9th-ML)
MTY TEAM RANKINGS: .271 BA (T7th-ML); 4.40 ERA (19th-ML)
PAW KEY PLAYERS: Pedro Rodriguez, RF; Rudy Dingman, SP
MTY KEY PLAYERS: Jim Bailes, 1B; Olmedo Guerrero, SP
PAW COMMENTS: Not available for comment.
MTY COMMENTS: "My lineup is solid, Any given game I could throw 6 or 7 runs out there, and my pitching gives me a shot to win a close game as well. Getting Carson back if I make the Divisional round would be great. And usually if I can get it in Charlie Wilson's hands he is gonna win that war."
SUMMARY: A tale of two teams. Pawtucket came into S8 with glowing expectations. Due to New York's dominance this season, Pawtucket took a back seat and grabbed the #5 WC seed. Always a dangerous team, Pawtucket is not to be overlooked. Monterrey decided to fire sale earlier in the year, and traded away some of their top players, including Hi Priest and Steve Wynn. However, they find themselves once again in the playoffs. Monterrey enters the playoffs on a serious roll, having won 7 out of their last 10, including a W6 to end the season. However, Pawtucket is just a hair too powerful.
SJW BLOG PREDICTION
in 4 games
SEASON SERIES: SJ, 7-3
SJ TEAM RANKINGS: .271 BA (T8th-ML); 4.23 ERA (15th-ML)
SFE TEAM RANKINGS: .288 BA (1st-ML); 4.44 ERA (20th-ML)
SJ KEY PLAYERS: Shane Fleming, 1B; Stuart Murphy, SP
SFE KEY PLAYERS: Luis Trevino, 1B; Willie Ramirez, SP
SJ COMMENTS: "We have great respect for Santa Fe. They have a championship and you have to respect a champion because they know what it takes to get it done. That said, we went 7-3 against Santa Fe head-to-head in the regular season and are just hoping that we can continue that success in the postseason."
SFE COMMENTS: Not available for comment.
SUMMARY: The question of this series is, "Can Santa Fe's offense be powerful enough to carry them through the playoffs?". We all know about Santa Fe, and how deadly they are offensively. Their big question mark is pitching, and San Juan can definitely take advantage of that. San Juan is a team on the rise, which is all due to the outstanding work of team owner Natas46. One key stat to keep in mind, Santa Fe has home field advantage. As long as Santa Fe has that advantage, I'll always take them.
SJW BLOG PREDICTION
in 5 games
SEASON SERIES: ARI, 6-4
BOS TEAM RANKINGS: .274 BA (T3rd-ML); 3.69 ERA (4th-ML)
ARI TEAM RANKINGS: .268 BA (11th-ML); 4.26 ERA (16th-ML)
BOS KEY PLAYERS: Billy Lamb, 1B; Jose Fernandez, SP
ARI KEY PLAYERS: Nicholas Lanier, LF; Jimmie White, SP
BOS COMMENTS: "I think we have a decent shot in this series. We have the pitching to win but our hitting has been suspect all year. If we hit, we'll win. If we don't hit, we'll be making tee times for Thursday."
ARI COMMENTS: "We played them basically even during the season, but that was with Patterson healthy. Without the #1 pitcher on the staff, there is more pressure on the lineup to produce. The good thing about this team is even when the extra base hits don't happen, we can make things happen on the base paths."
SUMMARY: This has the chance to be the best play-in round series. Two of the world's biggest superstars go at it, as Billy Lamb goes up against Nicholas Lanier. Offensively, these two teams are pretty near even. However, Boston gets the edge because of their solid pitching. I think Lanier by himself can keep Arizona in this series, but look for the Stricken Gods to eventually pull this one out.
SJW BLOG PREDICTION
in 5 games