That was quick. Four best-of-five series' last a combined total of 13 games. The Dodgers, Angels, and Yankees all swept their opponents, while the Phillies topped the Rockies 3-1. This sets up an interesting pair of LCSs, both featuring two teams that are hot and rested, one team I expected to be there and one team I did not.
Even though they were short, they were all still full of excitement and late-game heroics. The Dodgers had the 9th inning comeback in Game 2 after the Matt Holliday error. The Angels came back in Game 3 against Johnathan Papelbon. The Yankees offense basically played dead in the first half of games and just turned it up at the end, including the 11-inning game in the middle of that series. And the round of games finished with a bang with a wild ending to the Phillies/Rockies Game 4, a second consecutive 9th inning victory for Philadelphia.
That top of the ninth for the Phillies tonight was painful, but expected. Jimmy Rollins has struggled for most of this season, but of course he comes through when it matters. Of course Chase Utley is not going to fail with the team down to their last out and Ryan Howard on deck representing the go-ahead run. Of course, Ryan Howard, who seems to either kill you or strike out, drove the ball into the right field wall to tie it. And of course, Jayson Werth, who has been so valuable to this team after you look past the gauntlet of Rollins, Raul Ibanez, Ultey, and Howard, drives in the winning run.
Cliff Lee had another dominating performance. He's looking like he can get you half a series victory by himself. The big question is whether the bullpen can hold up. It cost Lee the victory, but the offense picked them back up. Eyre almost lost it, but Lidge locked down the final out to clinch the series.
As much as I would hate to see it, I keep looking forward to a Phillies/Yankees matchup as a tremendous World Series. There's no assuming they beat the Dodgers and Angels first, respectively, but they should be the favorites to win. I would've picked the matchup in my original predictions, but I just couldn't let myself have either of them win, so I went with the Cardinals as having the best chance to top them.
I will suffer the consequences of my stubbornness and bias, but I will continue to hope for the Southern California teams to conquer. But if it is an East Coast World Series, I am sure it will be very entertaining, in which case, I am on board the Alex Rodriguez bandwagon.
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