MLB Playoffs: 2018 ALCS Preview
This year’s American League Championship Series in the MLB playoffs will feature arguably the two best teams in the sport; the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox.
Unless you’ve been living under the proverbial ‘rock,’ you know that this year’s MLB playoffs has been star-studded and a filled with moments only October can produce.
But, we really haven’t seen anything yet. With the pennant now on the line in both leagues, things are really about to heat up.
Enter: Boston and Houston.
Want excellent starting pitching? Check. How about lethal offense? Oh, for sure. Those are two things we should be expecting from this years ALCS. But, if there’s one thing the postseason has taught all of us, it’s that we should always expect the unexpected.
Boston enters the ALCS, it’s first since 2013, on the heels of a convincing 3-1 division series victory over the New York Yankees. The team outscored New York 27-13 through the four-game affair.
Chris Sale silenced the critics (for now) with a stellar showing. Alex Cora showed poise and calm, while also remaining aggressive with his decisions. The offense outclassed the Bombers, who struggled to get much consistency at the plate.
Now, here’s where the Astros come in. They’re the champs. They may as well have taken the ‘World Series hangover’ and laughed in its face. A 103-59 record was ‘good enough’ for second-best in the sport.
Translation; they are not going away easily, even if the Red Sox won 108 games. Like any best of seven series, this one could go all the way, based off both’s teams sheer firepower. Should we expect it to? That’s where it gets fun.
When speaking to Jimmy Golen of Boston.com, Cora gave his two cents on the upcoming series.
“Best of seven. They know me. I know them. It should be fun.”
Let’s break it down.
On offense
When you finish with 54 losses in a season, you know things went pretty darn well. Former Astros’ bench coach, Alex Cora, Uh, I mean, Red Sox skipper Alex Cora, did a heck of a job with his bunch this year.
With the help of two leading AL MVP candidates in Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez, he led the Sox to the most runs (876) and best team average (.268) in the game. After hitting just .188 against New York in the ALDS, one should expect Betts’ to pick things up soon.
The duo of Andrew Benintendi and Xander Bogaerts hit a combined .289 with 39 home run’s and 190 RBI’s in the regular season, too.
Boston’s offense doesn’t have much wrong with it, that much is clear. But, serious questions remain surrounding the potency of the bottom half of the lineup.
The triumvirate of Rafael Devers, Christian Vazquez and Jackie Bradley Jr. combined for a .226 average in the regular season. They will also be featured in the lineup against the ‘Stros. It’s not the ideal situation.
Brock Holt is the exception, as he’s proved his worth as a versatile jack-of-all-trade’s across the diamond.
He’s gotten it done at the dish, too, with a .277 regular season average and a cycle against the Yankees in the ALDS.
Another name who figures to get regular time is Ian Kinsler, who, while still effective, is a shell of his former self. But, don’t let the bottom half of the lineup distract you; this offense is explosive.
Countering will be A.J. Hinch’s bunch. Problem No. 1 is quite clear for Cora & Co; George Springer. He’s 5-for-14 against Chris Sale in his career, with a home run and a double against him. In the playoffs, he’s made a name for himself with some serious bombs.
Aside from Springer, stars’ can be found throughout Houston’s lineup. Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman make up a fearsome trio at the top half. Bregman looks like another bonafide star on the roster, after a breakout campaign that saw him club 31 home run’s and drive in 103 runs. His past success against Price, Eovaldi and Porcello in the past (6-for-16) should bode well for the series.
Also in the Astros’ favor is the fact that they’ve crushed left-handed pitching this season. Their combined .803 OPS against southpaw’s was the best in the American League, and that should play a factor with Sale and David Price.
Both offenses have the potential to drive up the scoreboard at any given time. Houston’s arms, from starters to the bullpen, will be tough to get past. The same can’t be said for Boston.
The Astros enter the ALCS with the games best overall rotation. For the Sox, they’ll keep things close with a formidable front-end. But, their suspect bullpen could cause problems.
There’s just no other way to put it; the Astros’ have a dominate rotation. The one-two punch of Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole at the top will be immediate tests for a hot Boston offense.
Behind them, there’s Dallas Keuchel and Charlie Morton. Needless to say, the Astros’ rotation will be a major strong point through the series. The group finished with a combined 3.11 ERA, the best in baseball.
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Both Verlander and Cole looked un-hittable in the ALDS versus Cleveland, tossing a combined 12.1 innings with 19 K’s and three earned runs allowed.
Boston’s staff isn’t nearly as stacked as Houston’s, but, when on, Sale and Price can be as good as anyone. Speaking of Price, it will be fascinating to see his performance in the upcoming game two at Minute Maid Park.
He laid another egg against the Yankees in Game two of the ALDS, giving up two home runs and three runs in just 1.2 innings. His postseason reputation is near rock bottom, but a solid performance would do wonders for him and his team.
Cora is hoping that both Rick Porcello and Nate Eovaldi can replicate their performances against New York, where they combined for 12.1 innings with just two earned runs and zero walks.
Both rotations bring firepower. Houston’s rotation as a whole, though, should be regarded as the better of the two. The same goes for their bullpen.
The group finished the regular season with the best combined ERA, a mark of 3.03. The second best mark belonged to the Cubs at 3.35. At the back end, you’ll find Roberto Osuna, Ryan Pressly and Lance McCullers Jr.
For the most part, teams will find trouble winning games while facing this trio. Despite being the only lefty, Tony Sipp will surely be a weapon after crafting a 1.86 ERA through regular season play. It’s a deep, talented group – one that A.J. Hinch will have to manage perfectly to take down Boston’s lineup.
Cora’s pen has been, well, a punching bag all season. All along, the problem has been bridging the gap from starters to Craig Kimbrel.
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Ryan Brasier and Matt Barnes looked solid against the Yankees in the ALDS, and will have to keep it up if Boston will want to keep things close in the later innings.
Cora’s lack of faith in his pen was evident in game four of the ALDS, as Sale was brought in as the setup man for Kimbrel. Do not be surprised to see something like this again, if the situation arises.