Be prepared, y'all. It's October, the Red Sox are in the playoffs, and Char is a traitor. Things are gonna get ugly up in here. Char, I'm telling Jacoby Ellsbury on you.
She says I have to make my October predictions, so. Red Sox! No, I'm not predictable in the least. And to be quite honest with you, as much as I love my boys, I'm a little iffy about their chances in the postseason. Three of our October superstars aren't playing at 100%, and that's a huge deal. Beckett has a strained oblique and won't pitch until Game 3 of the ALDS. Drew and Lowell are both on the ALDS roster, but Drew has a back injury and Lowell a hip injury. Obviously they're both healthy enough to play, but are they firing on all cylinders? That's my concern. But we all know what kind of stuff the October Sox are made of. Dustin Pedroia played the entire postseason last year with a cracked hamate bone in his left hand, and who can forget Curt Shilling and the infamous bloody sock? Even JD "Made of Glass" Drew isn't letting his injury sideline him. Go Sox!
I think that the entire tone of the Sox postseason is going to depend on how Jon Lester does tonight. Lester seems to be a sink or swim kind of pitcher. Either he dominates or he tanks. Hopefully he's got his good stuff with him tonight.
Possibly significant stats:
Number of times the Sox have met the Angels in the postseason: 3
Number of times the Sox have knocked the Angels out of the postseason: 3
Sox postseason record against the Angels: 10-3
Not so significant stats!
Adam Kilgore of the Boston Globe writes:
"For what it’s worth, here were the Red Sox' records this season when …
Drew and Lowell both appeared: 45-42
Lowell appeared, Drew didn’t: 19-9
Drew appeared, Lowell didn’t: 13-7
Neither Drew nor Lowell appeared: 18-9
Absurd conclusion: Drew and Lowell shouldn’t play.
Actual conclusion: Stats make no sense. I give up."
I'll be watching the Rays/White Sox closely, too. I honestly can't decide which would be a worse matchup for the Sox. We're 4-3 this season against the White Sox and 8-10 against the Rays, but the White Sox are a pretty formidable opponent and we all know that October baseball is a whole new ball game.
My predictions:
ALDS:
Sox vs. Angels - Sox
Rays vs. White Sox - Hm. Probably the Rays
ALCS:
Sox vs. Rays - You know, as much as I'm inclined to say Sox, there really is a good chance that our October could end here. I still think that we could pull it off, though, assuming nobody goes down with an injury in the ALDS.
NLDS:
Dodgers vs. Cubs: I'm saying Dodgers just to make Char mad. ;) And they have Mr. October himself, Manny Ramirez.
Brewers vs. Phillies: Phillies
NLCS:
Dodgers vs. Phillies: This is a hard one, but I think I'm going to say Phillies.
World Series:
I have no freaking idea. All I really have to say is that I love that there's NO CHANCE the Yankees will be here this year. That's what I'm talking about!
