MLB: If Only the New York Yankees Could Play the Boston Red Sox in the ALDS
September 7, 2011 · Harold Friend · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
The rules prevent teams in the same division from facing each other in the first round of the playoffs. In the past, for both the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, that rule usually benefited both because they usually were the top teams in the American League.
For possibly the first time, not being allowed to play the Red Sox in the first round could make the Yankees road to world championship No. 28 more difficult.
The Detroit Tigers and the Texas Rangers have better starting pitching than the Red Sox.
Everyone is familiar with Justin Verlander, but now that the Tigers have added Doug Fister, they have two top starters to throw at their opponent in the best-of-five first round.
The only “easy” mark might be Max Scherzer. Verlander and Fister could make two starts since there will be two travel days.
The Rangers have less spectacular starters than the Tigers, but C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis, Matt Harrison and Derek Holland are formidable opponents. No matter who starts the first two games, the Rangers’ Game 3 starter should be better than Max Scherzer.
The Red Sox starting pitching is in trouble at the wrong time.
Jon Lester can hold his own with anyone and Josh Beckett is having a solid season, but what effect will Beckett’s ankle injury have in the near future?
If the Yankees played the Red Sox in the first round, they would face Beckett and Lester twice each, assuming Beckett could start two games. Since the 2003 World Series, they have done decently against him.
Who would be the Red Sox third starter?
John Lackey has been a disaster; Tim Wakefield has started only because no one else has been healthy.
The Yankees would be better off facing the Red Sox in the first round, but the rules must be followed.
Of course, the Yankees would have a better chance beating Boston in a seven-game series than in a five-game set, but that is true about their chances against the Tigers as well as against the Rangers. Each team would need four starters.
C.C. Sabathia can match Verlander (who has been touched for a pair of Cleveland Indians home runs today), and certainly with C.J. Wilson, but following Sabathia, the Yankees might have some problems.
Winning playoff teams usually rely on pitching, not offense.
Still, Ivan Nova should keep the Yankees close and the offense should score enough to give the Yankees a good chance of winning his game. Then it’s either Freddy Garcia or Bartolo Colon.
The third game of the first round will be the key. The Yankees should score enough runs off the Tigers Scherzer or the Rangers Game 3 starter to win.
Joe Girardi must not manage this September the way he did last September. This year, the Yankees must have the home field in the first round, no matter which team they face.
The feeling here is that if the Yankees can beat Verlander once, they will get to the next round. If they face Texas in the first round, it is completely unpredictable.
The Red Sox are overrated and will not make it to the ALCS.
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