League Championship Series Breakdown

by Mike Izzo

With Brett Favre’s crocs getting all the attention this past week, one might forget that the MLB playoffs are going on. Croc-shots be damned, you cannot stop America’s pastime, and with the LCS set, we are now one step closer to crowning a 2010 World Series champion.

(This is what it's all about.)

New York Yankees/Texas Rangers

Well if the starting pitching behind C.C. Sabathia is as stellar as it was against the Minnesota Twins, expect the Yankees to win this series handedly. Everyone expected C.C. to go out there and get the win, but Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes actually pitched better than C.C. to lead the Bronx Bombers to an easy sweep of the Twins. I expect C.C. to come back in the LCS and pitch even stronger.

Pettitte looks healthy and ready to continue breaking postseason pitching records (he is the all-time leader in postseason wins), and Phil Hughes looks rested and back to early season form after skipping a few starts in September. But in a seven game series they will likely have to throw in A.J. for Game 4, so they’re far from infallible.

(Vladimir Guerrero and the Rangers' bats need to come alive in the ALCS.)

They did catch a lucky break with the Rays/Rangers series stretching to five games because Rangers’ ace Cliff Lee likely won’t start until game three of the LCS. C.J. Wilson will have to pitch as well as he did against the Rays to keep the Rangers alive. If they’re going to win this one, expect Lee and Wilson to account for at least three of the four wins, which means they’ll likely have to stretch it to the full seven games.

If Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero can finally start hitting and if Ian Kinsler stays hot, it’s possible the Rangers win their first AL Pennant, but I’m giving this one to the Yankees.

(EP has Robinson Cano and the defending champs making a return trip to the fall classic.)

San Francisco Giants/Philadelphia Phillies

This is arguably the best NLCS pitching matchup in recent memory. Tim Lincecum facing Roy Halladay to start the series? In their postseason debuts, the pair combined to pitch two complete game shutouts, walked only two batters, and gave up two hits.

Oh yeah and Halladay threw a no hitter - only the second in postseason history.

These two were born to pitch in October. Behind Halladay, the Phillies have Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels, making up the best three-man-rotation in the postseason.

(Despite the Phillies three man rotation, the Giants have more pitching depth.)

While most would agree that the top three of the Phillies is better, the Giants go even deeper. Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, and rookie Madison Bumgarner along with Lincecum posted a combined ERA of 0.93 against the Braves. Barry Zito who? Expect to see one of the best-pitched LCS’s of all time.

So who wins? I’m still going with Philly. Good pitching beats good hitting, but both teams have good pitching. The Phils have a much deeper and more experienced lineup so look for them to make their 3rd consecutive World Series.

(EP's crystal ball shows a Phillies/Yankees rematch this postseason.)

Expect to get a bit of déjà vu in a week or so, because it’s going to be a rematch of last year’s fall classic. For better or worse, the battle over New Jersey’s baseball team rages on.