PLAYOFF PREDICTION THREAD

[Torridd]

Yeah, when I did the MLB.com postseason bracket, I picked with my heart. I'll do two also.

 

HEAD

 

NL

 

Giants over Pirates

Dodgers over Cards in 5.

Nats over Giants in 4.

Nats over LA in 6.

 

AL

 

KC over A's

O's over Tigers in 4.

Angels over KC in 4.

O's over Angels in 7.

 

WS

Nats over Os in 6.

 

HEART

Everything the same except Angels beat O's in 7 and beat the Nats in 7.

[Angel Oracle]

I am only going to post the WC game predictions from me, and leave the others for Wednesday/Thursday before the ALDS starts. 

 

Lester and Bumgarner will be too tough for Shields and especially Volquez to match, plus the A'ths and Giants' pens will then hold the lead.

 

A'ths and Giants advance to the ALDS and NLDS.  

[Torridd]

And I need to add, the Angels deserve to be highly embarrassed if they lost to either of those jokers in the first round. Even with our starting pitching problems, we should win.

 

Baltimore scares me more than any team in the AL. I think we would beat the Tigers (head) if Detroit beats the O's.

[Torridd]

I am only going to post the WC game predictions from me, and leave the others for Wednesday/Thursday before the ALDS starts. 

 

Lester and Bumgarner will be too tough for Shields and especially Volquez to match, plus the A'ths and Giants' pens will then hold the lead.

 

A'ths and Giants advance to the ALDS and NLDS.  

Yeah, Pitt screwed up in not winning the division, but at least they went for it in pitching Cole yesterday. I think KC will beat the A's though.

[QuinlansMinion]

Why do people keep saying this heart vs head nonsense?  Your head should tell you the highest scoring team and best overall should win the WS.  Baltimore sucks on offense, they are without Machado and Davis.  They have 2 maybe 3 good hitters in their lineup.  A roider (Cruz), a guy who came out of nowhere (Pearce), and an overrated all star (Jones, who has an OPS under .800).  The rest of their lineup is dog shit.  

 

Detroit would be our toughest opponent.  Cabrera and VMart + Sherxcer and Price.  Their bullpen is crap though, and their lineup isnt as deep as ours.  And then the NL opponent would surely be tough.  But most of those NL teams benefit from playing in the weak NL.  Bottom line is the Angels should be the favorites if Shoemaker is in fact healthy.

[Torridd]

Why do people keep saying this heart vs head nonsense?  Your head should tell you the highest scoring team and best overall should win the WS.  Baltimore sucks on offense, they are without Machado and Davis.  They have 2 maybe 3 good hitters in their lineup.  A roider (Cruz), a guy who came out of nowhere (Pearce), and an overrated all star (Jones, who has an OPS under .800).  The rest of their lineup is dog shit.  

 

Detroit would be our toughest opponent.  Cabrera and VMart + Sherxcer and Price.  Their bullpen is crap though, and their lineup isnt as deep as ours.  And then the NL opponent would surely be tough.  But most of those NL teams benefit from playing in the weak NL.  Bottom line is the Angels should be the favorites if Shoemaker is in fact healthy.

That's the problem, QM. We aren't completely healthy. If we had Richards and Shoe, I'd agree with you, but our starters are pretty shaky. Basically, if we want to win, we'll have to score 4 or more a game pretty much.

Edited September 29, 2014 by Torridd

[tomsred]

We lose to oakland in 4.

That's the spirit, go for the worst case scenario.  Let's throw up and get it over with, right?

[notherhalo]

AL WC: OAK over KC

 

ALDS: OAK over LAA

ALDS: DET over BAL

 

ALCS: DET over OAK

 

NL WC: SFG over PIT

 

NLDS: STL over LAD

NLDS: SFG over WAS

 

NLCS: SFG over STL in 7 games

 

WS: SFG over DET

[notherhalo]

I would love to see a WAS vs BAL world series though

[QuinlansMinion]

That's the problem, QM. We aren't completely healthy. If we had Richards and Shoe, I'd agree with you, but our starters are pretty shaky. Basically, if we want to win, we'll have to score 4 or more a game pretty much.

Shoemaker is healthy.

[70runner]

If Shoemaker returns AND Nibs shows up, Angels have a chance to get it done.  Otherwise, either KC or Oakland in 6.

 

Wash should be the favorite, Balt a close second. 

[Jay]

OAK > KC

OAK > Angels

 

BAL > DET

OAK > BAL

 

PIT > SF

WAS > PIT

 

LAD > STL

WAS > LAD

 

WAS > OAK

Edited September 29, 2014 by Jay

[Torridd]

No way Oakland goes to the Series.

[QuinlansMinion]

KC > A's

 

Angels over KC

 

Balt over Detroit

 

Giants over Pirates

 

Nationals over Giants

 

Cardinals over Dodgers

 

 

Cardinals over Nationals

 

Angels over Baltimore

 

Angels over Cardinals

[mulwin444]

I'll do NL now: 

 

I think PITT emerges from it's WC game but loses to WAS in 4

 

Dodgers take STL in 5.  Kershaw and Greinke should be enough to handle a rather unintimidating line-up at least 3 times. 

 

WAS vs LAD - Nats in 6.   Kershaw is the best pitcher in the game and Greinke is a solid 2 but their rotation depth will be exposed against WAS as it looks like Haren would get a game and they'd either have to throw Kershaw/Greinke on 3 days rest or turn to someone like Roberto Hernandez...neither is an attractive option.  On the other hand, WAS has 5 solid starters in Strasburg, Zimmerman, Gonzalez, Roark and Fister and a decent, if not dominant, BP. 

 

Leaving: WAS VS LAA

 

Angels in 6.  Home field advantage will make a difference.  A healthy Weaver and Shoemaker can dominate at home and the Angels have enough offense, BP, and patchwork answers between Santiago, Wilson, and Rasmus to keep games close enough to outscore the Nats. 

[floplag]

well, noone can accuse this board of homerism.. sheesh!

[mulwin444]

I think, honestly, pessimism desguised as realism.  There is no way KC or OAK is better than the Angels and both DET and BALT have their flaws.  Once you get past Price and Scherzer, DET's pitching is nothing special and BALT has solid, not dominant, SP, a good BP, but holed in their line-up.  The Angels weakness is their SP which should be enough to at least get them to the ALCS.  Once their, my guess is they face BALT who will throw Tillman (13 - 6, 3.34 ERA 1.23 WHIP), Chen (16 - 6, 3.54 ERA 1.23 WHIP), Norris (15 - 8, 3.65 ERA, 1.22 WHIP), and Gonzalez (10 - 9, 3.23 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) - all very good but no aces and all of whom can be gotten to by the Angels line-up.  The key will be to get up or be tied before they can turn it over to their BP.  The offense is reliant on HRs which could be bad news for Weaver but he'll more than likely get them at home in both starts where the ball won't fly out as much in ANA.  Machado and Davis I'm sure will be missed a bit but not as much as its being made out.  Machado was a solid defender at 3B but was hitting around a .750 OPS and Davis' season has been a year-long version fo Mark Trumbo's 2nd half of 2013.  They don't have any speed and they are going to depend on Pearce and DeAza to stay hot to offset the Flahertys and Hardys of the line-up.  It will be competitive but I think the Angels have the better team overall. 

[WallyWorld]

In regards to OAK, I keep hearing about their pitching being the trump card but isn't this the same pitching the Angels beat over the past two months?  It wasn't like the A's were mailing it in, they were really trying to win ballgames - at first, to win the AL and then, just to get  to the playoffs.  We've beaten Lester, Samardjia, and Gray when the games mattered.  

 

 

Yeah and we really smacked them all over the field. Lester, Smardzija, and Gray's ERAs against the Angels the past 2 months:

 

Lester: 2.70

Smardzija: 0.60

Gray: 2.82

 

Why would anyone worry about facing them?

[mulwin444]

Yeah and we really smacked them all over the field. Lester, Smardzija, and Gray's ERAs against the Angels the past 2 months:

 

Lester: 2.70

Smardzija: 0.60

Gray: 2.82

 

Why would anyone worry about facing them?

How many times did they beat the Angels with those guys pitching the last two months?  You know, when the games mattered and they were trying to win.  We beat that line-up with Rasmus and the Bees.  I think we are giving them way too much credit here.

[WallyWorld]

Once you get past Price and Scherzer, DET's pitching is nothing special 

 

 

hahahahaha. You realize it's best 4 out of 7 right? Those 2 guys could start 4 of the 7 games. The Angels' pitching isn't special after . . well it just isn't special.

Look I'm not trying to be a failo, but I think there is some serious rose-colored glasses perspective going on if you don't think the Angels have their work cut out for them against any of these teams. I'm not saying they're worse or better than anyone, but these playoffs are gonna be tough, man. Stop labeling everyone who doesn't predict the Angels to win it all as a pessimist.

[Chimi]

I want to see the Cardinals and Angels in the World Series so I can see the size of the media's boner when Pujols has to go back to St. Louis.

I'd love to see Pujols and Freese be the reason we win against them.

Edited September 29, 2014 by Chimi

[WallyWorld]

How many times did they beat the Angels with those guys pitching the last two months?  You know, when the games mattered and they were trying to win.  We beat that line-up with Rasmus and the Bees.  I think we are giving them way too much credit here.

 

I believe it was 2008, we were 6-0 agains the Red Sox in the regular season? 

[floplag]

instead of posting the ERAs of those pitchers against us, how about we talk about win-loss?  especially over the last month, considering right now thats all that matters
Im pulling for the Royals just cause they haven't been in forever, but part of me wants the A's to shut this stuff up once and for all.

[WallyWorld]

instead of posting the ERAs of those pitchers against us, how about we talk about win-loss?  especially over the last month, considering right now thats all that matters

 

Playoffs are a different animal. If Lester is on, you don't think Melvin leaves him in longer? instead of 6 or 7 innings, he goes 8 or 9. And they're not worried about tomorrow, they can go to anyone they like in their pen to get the most favorable match-up. Same with pinch-hitters. 

[QuinlansMinion]

well, noone can accuse this board of homerism.. sheesh!

So picking the best team in baseball to win it all is homerism.