Despite what Yankees fans might think, this year's American League Championship Series features the two best baseball teams in the AL and, quite likely, the two top teams in all of baseball.
"That (Red Sox vs. Yankees) was what everybody expected," Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz admitted. "But the Cleveland Indians
The Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians finished with an MLB-high 96 regular-season wins, with Boston getting home-field advantage in the ALCS thanks to taking five of seven from the Tribe in the regular season. However, that may not mean much as the Indians were 0-6 against the Yankees in the regular season before taking them out in four games in the ALDS.
"The Red Sox have had a great season," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "I feel like we've had a great season. You're going to have two very good teams competing in the ALCS."
The top end of each team's pitching rotation is loaded. Game 1 features Cy Young Award favorites C.C. Sabathia of Cleveland against Josh Beckett of Boston, with the Red Sox at a -157 betting line at WagerWeb.com. Beckett, in his past five postseason starts, has an amazing 0.70 ERA, a .118 batting average against, six walks and 41 strikeouts. However, Beckett has struggled in his career against the Indians and is just 1-3 against them in four starts with a 6.57 ERA.
There is little letdown in Game 2, when Fausto Carmona, he of the 19 wins, opposes Curt Schilling, who has allowed only one earned run in his past 20 postseason innings.
"Their top two [pitchers] are top five in the league," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "That's certainly something to think about. They're a reason they're here. They won 96 games, and they're playing us and that's probably how it should be."
When the series switches to Cleveland's Jacobs Field, Daisuke Matsuzaka will face Jake Westbrook in Game 3 and Tim Wakefield, likely, will battle Paul Byrd in Game 4.
The Red Sox expect to have Wakefield available because the knuckleballer, left off the Division Series roster because of soreness behind his right shoulder, threw 77 pitches in a simulated game at Fenway on Monday and said his injured shoulder/back was "good enough."
Boston RedSox Inury Report:
Clay Buchholz (pitcher) - Out For Season (sore shoulder)
Matt Clement (pitcher) - 60-Day Disabled List
Brendan Donnelly (pitcher) - 60-Day Disabled List
More MLB injury reports
Beckett, Schilling and Dice-K combined to hold the Indians to 10 earned runs and 29 hits in 34 2/3 innings this season, with only four walks and 33 strikeouts. As a staff, Boston held Cleveland to a .223 team average.
However, those four Indians starters limited the Red Sox to seven earned runs in 27 innings (with the majority runs of those coming in one Westbrook start).
The Red Sox (second) and Indians (fifth) were among the majors' best in team ERA, with Boston tops in the AL in bullpen ERA (3.10) and Cleveland No. 1 in the AL in starters' ERA (4.19). The Indians' starting pitching ranked first in the AL this season, with Boston's second.
Boston's bullpen is stronger at closer, with nearly unhittable Jonathan Papelbon (37 saves, 1.85 ERA) a big upgrade over Cleveland's Joe Borowski (45 saves, 5.07 ERA). But in middle relief, Cleveland's Rafael Perez and Rafael Betancourt were stellar against the Indians, and Boston has questions outside of Hideki Okajima.
Hitting-wise, Boston has the best two in this series in Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. Ortiz was held to only 3-for-11 against Cleveland this year, but Ramirez batted .417, with seven extra-base hits, including three home runs. And Ramirez, facing his former team
for the first time in the playoffs, is 10-for-26 (.385) since his return Sept. 25. He hit two homers, including a walk-off shot, in the sweep of the Angels.
"Sometimes I can miss three weeks and I still can come and get hits because I am one of the best players in the game," Ramirez said. "I have confidence in myself, and I know my train doesn't stop there."
Cleveland's big hitters, Travis Hafner, Grady Sizemore and Victor Martinez, combined to hit .192 (14-for-73) against Boston this season. The Red Sox held Cleveland to a .223 batting average this season, with 59 strikeouts and 17 walks. The Indians averaged only 3.6 runs per game.
The lowdown: This is the first time these teams will meet in the ALCS. They have met three in the divisional round, with Cleveland winning two of those three. That doesn't mean anything here. It's hard to pick against Boston, with their top two pitchers'
postseason dominance, and Ortiz and Ramirez in a hot streak at the right time. WagerWeb.com's AL series betting line is Boston -170, and I like the Red Sox in six.
MLB American League Series Schedule: (All times Eastern)
Game 1, Friday, at Boston (7:10 p.m.); Game 2, Saturday, at Boston (8:21 p.m.); Game 3, Monday, Oct. 15, at Cleveland (7:10 p.m.); Game 4, Tuesday, Oct. 16, at Cleveland (8:21 p.m.); x-Game 5, Thursday, Oct. 18, at Cleveland (8:21 p.m.); x-Game 6, Saturday, Oct. 20, at Boston (TBD); x-Game 7, Sunday, Oct. 21, at Boston (TBD). (All games on Fox).
MLB baseball Schedules played way better than the Yankees, and that's why they passed to the next level."
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