Thursday, October 28, 2010

Game 1 Reaction, and Preview of Game 2

Well, I guess it's pretty obvious to say that everyone was surprised about the amount of offensive production that came from game 1. The Giants are one of those teams that can blow up if you miss your spots and leave balls over the plate. That's exactly what Cliff Lee did, and because he doesn't have power stuff, he paid for it dearly. This was a reminder to all of those teams sitting with blank checks, that power stuff can get by on off days.

There will be a lot of people who think that the power has shifted to the Giants advantage, but I would not be so quick on that assumption. I think CJ Wilson pitches well tonight, and I think he is a great matchup against San Fran. He can be a little on the wild side, but SF's offense strikes out a lot and are willing to chase out of the zone. Matt Cain is a phenominal pitcher, and he doesn't get the credit he deserves because he is on the same team as Tim Lincecum.

Game 2 Prediction:

Rangers win 4-2
Wilson: 6IP 6h 8k 2ER
Cain: 7IP 7h 7k 3ER

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

World Series Predictions and Breakdowns

Game 1 is tonight, and I doubt anyone saw this one coming. To the few who bet that Texas and San Francisco would make it to the world series, spend it wisely!

A lot has been made in the media about game one and how dominant that Cliff Lee has been. The most amazing stat are the splits between lefties and righties. San Francisco is almost exclusively right-handed hitting team. To add to it, the ballpark is not hitter-friendly so a guy like Lee will do well even if the hitters get a few good swings on him. Lincecum is a strikeout pitcher who has trouble locating at times. He often gets his body out in front of him and leaves pitches up. He gets by because of the incredible movement, but you can only hang so many pitches before someone hits you hard. Texas' lineup is too powerful, and it has extra-base hitters from top to bottom.

Game 1 Prediction:

Rangers win 5-0
Lee: 8IP 5h 10k
Lincecum: 5 1/3 IP 7h 4ER 8K

Interesting point by an ESPN analyist on Baseball Tonight.. he thinks SF should go with Jonathan Sanchez in game 1, followed by Lincecum and Cain. That's an interesting perspective, but think about it from the manager and players point of view. It's not as if Texas is a heavy left-handed team.. so it would be pretty obvious that the manager would be saying "hey guys, give up tonight and lets go at it tomorrow". Is it a good idea? Sure, it is Cliff Lee after all. However, pulling it off may not be the best idea.