There’s a cliche in sports that says that any team good enough to make it to a championship is capable of winning it also, but I’m betting there are a lot of people who are surprised at the results of both League Championship Series in baseball this year. The last 2 World Series winners are being handled by unsung, unproven teams through the first 4 games in both leagues so far. In the National League, the Philadelphia Phillies came into the LCS having swept Cincinnati, with their superior pitching shutting down the Reds’ offense, which was the most potent in baseball in the regular season. At the same time, the San Francisco Giants had to battle to eliminate an Atlanta team that was riddled by injuries, so the Phils were considered heavy favorites. The difference so far in this series is that the Giants’ pitching, starters and bullpen, are trumping the Phils’ outstanding three starters, while the Giants’ lineup, which on paper is nowhere near what Philly brings to the table, is finding ways to score runs while the Phillies’ big hitters struggle.
In the American League, the New York Yankees staved off elimination by winning game 5 over Texas, but the Yanks were outplayed in all phases of the game through the first four. Cliff Lee was outstanding in his start, as expected, but the other young Ranger pitchers have gotten the job done also. Josh Hamilton, Texas’ biggest regular season offensive threat who has been slowed by injury and wasn’t a factor in the division series, has managed to supply timely hits in almost every game of this series. The Rangers are doing a great job of taking extra bases and doing all the little things to manufacture runs. Manager Ron Washington’s team has also blown games open with big innings late in games, rendering one of New York’s biggest weapons, closer Mariano Rivera, a non-factor.
Both series are far from over, despite the early success of the Giants and Rangers. The Yankees already showed in game 5 that they aren’t going to go down quietly, and Philadelphia’s bats, which have been silent, came alive last night in game 4, and despite the fact that the Giants have a big edge, if the Phillies can turn it around and start scoring, they certainly have the pitching to win 3 straight games.