Championship Series

Phillies – Giants
Game 1 of this series has the potential to be shown the following day on ESPN 8 “The Ocho” under the file Instant Classic. Tim Lincecum and Roy Halladay likely had the two most impressive post season debuts…ever. Timmy: CG, 2 hitter, 14 K’s.Doc: something about a no hitter. If the Giants can win the first one this series might go 5 or 6 games, but otherwise it’ll be over quickly. Let’s be honest, postseason baseball is about pitching and the Phillies have the best starting rotation in baseball. Period. Phils in 6.

Yanks – Rangers
The key to this series for the Yankees is to keep it short and only have to face Cliff Lee once. The key for the Rangers, then, is to drag this out to seven, pitch Lee twice (games 3 and 7) and clinch at home. I am excited to see Josh Hamilton at the new Stadium and in the spotlight. The Rangers lineup is pretty stacked generally so the Yankees staff will have their work cut out from them. The matchup of Texas pitchers vs. Yankees batters should be interesting, too. Texas takes the bullpen-by-committee approach and manager Ron Washington is not afraid to warm up anybody – starter or reliever – to come in and pitch when he feels the time is right. This is either reflective of managerial brilliance or zero confidence. I think the Yanks will take at least one in Texas, that Game 3 will be an unreal Lee v. Pettite matchup, and that the Yanks will win it in 6 as well.