MLB Postseason Update with Alex Crowl
Crack, flip, crowd roars. Monstrous homeruns, eccentric bat flips slash throws via Jose Bautista aka Joey Bats, and chaotic home field crowds have been the recurring themes as we approach the final three series of the season. Bautista has provided the best, but Yoenis Cespedes, Daniel Murphy, and Kendrys Morales have lived up to the post home run celebration hype that this year’s playoffs has brought to America’s pastime. This postseason has a feeling to it. An exuberance and swagger that I haven’t witnessed in baseball. I have enjoyed every second of what it has provided, and look forward to what the future holds for us in Kansas City tonight and in New York on Saturday night.
My picks post wild card were 100 percent correct. I won’t dwell on it, but I did select all four of these teams to advance to their respective championship series. Did the Jays have me scared? A little bit. Did I think the Royals would score 5 runs in the top of the 8th inning in game 4? Nope. Was I thinking it was going to be very difficult for the Mets to beat Greinke in Los Angeles and for the historically consistent St. Louis Cardinals to watch the Cubs do something they haven’t in quite sometime? Not a chance. Let’s focus on what did happen though, I WAS RIGHT.
Jays-Royals
I still love the Jays. No lineup in baseball compares to what the Jays provide offensively in the great white north. David Price has a 7 game series to work with now and I see him doing away with his postseason woes in this series. Marcus Stroman has been steady for the Jays as well. Roberto Osuna at age 20 can flat out pump and shut ball games down out of the pen. Drake may be a bigger Raptors guy, but he needs to settle in for a heck of a ride the Jays are about to provide that.
There is no question the Royals could pull this off. After what they just accomplished against the Astros their is no doubting that the Royals have what it takes to be crowned. The Royals needed Johnny Cueto to step up and they got it. The Royals needed the lineup to step up for the bullpen, that has been the token quality of this club, and they have. The defense and aggressive base running have been there for this squad and those qualities are as strong as ever.
Do I think the Royals will pull it off? I don’t. The Jays have a slight edge in starting pitching. The Royals have a slight edge in the bullpen. What it comes down to is offensive fire power, and no team has more of that then the Jays. I’ll take the Jays in six.
Cubs Mets
Hey Chicago, what do you say? Will any of the curses show up today? Funny thing is, all of these players are so young and naive, in a good way, that they don’t even care or bother to know what this organization has dealt with over the last 107 years. They have some of the most likeable players in the game, an outstanding front office led by Theo Epstein, and the wizard of all managers Joe Maddon. The Cubs are way ahead of schedule with a comprehensive list of youthful talent. The Cubs are 7-0 against the Mets this season and I see no reason for the Cubs to slow down just yet. Give me the Cubs in five. Oh, and they have this guy named Jake Arrieta who should throw 2 games in this series. PS fake Cubs fans, you know who you are, I despise you with every ounce of my being.
Meet the Mets, meet the Mets. Step right up and greet the Mets. And you should, you really should. They have some studs, and players with phenomenal nicknames. Thor and the Dark Knight? How can you top that? They have a hell of a rotation brewing in Queens. With what Cespedes and Murphy have brought to the lineup following the All-Star break they have everything covered. Even the pen is nice with Familia at the anchor who saw 16 batters in the division series against the Dodgers and none of them saw a base.
I just have a feeling on this one. Head to head the Mets are deeper in the rotation, but Arrieta or Lester could easily make up for that. It would appear to be advantage Cubs at the dish, but the Mets have the pieces to go neck and neck with the Cubbies offensively. I really could see this series falling to either team. The key takeaway heading into this series is that the Cubs are playing the Mets for the NL pennant. I repeat, the Cubs are playing the Mets for the NL pennant. Do I dare say it again, I think you get it.
We are all in store for something special in both of these series. I am foaming at the mouth to consume the rest of this postseason. No matter what happens this year, we are going to witness history. What more could you ask for from the greatest game on the planet?
