If the postseason is half as exciting as yesterday's dramatic 12-inning Twins win over the Tigers in game 163 for both of them, we are in for quite an October.
Doesn't always work out that way, of course, but we can dream, can't we? Three of the four series begin today; the Red Sox and Angels will start their series tomorrow. It will be the fourth time in the last six seasons that those two will meet in the playoffs' first round; the Red Sox have won the three previous encounters, sweeping two of them and giving the Angels a single consolation game last year. The Angels posted a better regular season record than the Red Sox, but as we Cubs fans know, you can throw those records out the window once the postseason begins.
Meanwhile, the Twins would appear to be huge underdogs against the Yankees, who won 16 more regular season games than they did and who swept the Twins in their season series (7-0). But CC Sabathia has been bad in his last four postseason starts, posting a 9.47 ERA for Cleveland and Milwaukee the last two years, and if the Twins can steal one game in Yankee Stadium, they will return to a huge home-field advantage in the Metrodome. Don't count the Twins out.
In the National League, the two series seem more evenly matched; the four teams had 95 (Dodgers), 93 (Phillies), 92 (Rockies) and 91 (Cardinals) victories in the regular season. The Dodgers and Cardinals both had outstanding pitching this year; will all those games be decided by 1-0 scores? And any time you play games at Coors Field, anything can happen. By the time that series gets to Denver this weekend, it might be snowing there.
After the jump you'll find all the info you need to follow today's three games.
Rockies at Phillies, 1:30 pm CDT. TV: TBS. Announcers: Brian Anderson and Joe Simpson
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit our SB Nation Rockies site Purple Row and Phillies site The Good Phight.
Twins at Yankees, 5 pm CDT. TV: TBS. Announcers: Chip Caray and Ron Darling
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit our SB Nation Twins site Twinkie Town and Yankees site Pinstripe Alley.
Cardinals at Dodgers, 8:30 pm CDT. TV: TBS. Announcers: Dick Stockton and Bob Brenly
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit our SB Nation Cardinals site Viva el Birdos and Dodgers site True Blue LA.
I'm not going to post overflow threads today; if this one gets too long or slow by the third game, someone please post an overflow in the FanShot section.
Discuss amongst yourselves.