As the League Championship Series come to a close, it is time to start looking at possible matchups that fans might see in the 2013 World Series. My predictions were made earlier in the playoffs and I will be sticking to my instincts, though, things have changed a bit. Here is a look at my picks for the 2013 World Series.
N.L. Champions: St. Louis Cardinals
Their chances are beyond decent. The Cardinals have their two best starters of the postseason going on Friday and Saturday in Games 6 and 7. Arguably, their best starter will take the ball tomorrow, Friday, in Game 6. Michael Wacha is only 22 years of age, but he is proving that he can hang with the best of the best. The Pittsburgh Pirates had the Cardinals, taking a 2-1 series lead with a chance to bury the Cardinals. However, Wacha saved their season in the NLDS and then shut down the thunderous Dodgers lineup that smacked seven home runs in the NLDS.
The stage does not appear to be big enough for Wacha, just yet. This is his first season pitching in the majors, therefore, his first postseason, but he is not pitching with fright. However, this will be the first time he faces a team twice in a series. He only faced the Pirates once in Game 4 of the NLDS, giving way to Adam Wainwright, who then shut the doors in Game 5 of the NLDS.
Wainwright could not give the Cardinals a 3-0 series lead in his Game 3 start as the Dodgers managed two earned runs. That day, it was Hyun-Jin Ryu who led his team to victory. However, if the series goes to Game 7, Ryu will be in another new situation and we saw how terrible he was against Atlanta Braves in his first-ever playoff start and he was pitching at home. Would Ryu be able to deal another gem on the road in a Game 7?
The Cardinals are bound to win one of the next two remaining games of the series. I am not worried about that pick going wrong. However, the Boston Red Sox might be in trouble as they face three pitchers they struggled against in the first three games of the series.
[Check out my predictions way back when the postseason first began]
A.L. Champions: Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox are my pick to win the ALCS, but with the series tied 2-2 and Anibal Sanchez, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander making back-to-back-to-back starts to close out the series, the Red Sox appear to be in a lot of trouble. The offense has struck out 42 times in the first four games of the series, which equals to at least 10 K's per game. Sanchez got them 12 times in Game 1 and he takes the mound in Comerica Park in Game 5.
It is a simple recipe for the Red Sox, they have to win tonight. They have to make contact, stop whiffing or else they will join the Atlanta Braves on vacation. The Red Sox are getting hits, but they are not coming at the right time. They got Doug Fister and the Tigers' pitching staff for 12 hits in Game 5, out-hitting Detroit who finished the game nine. However, the Tigers strung huge knocks at the opportune moment, scoring seven runs to the Red Sox's three.
The good news for the Tigers, if they go down 2-3, though they will enter the raucous and hostile environment of Fenway Park, they will have two aces taking the mound the following day. Scherzer gets the ball in Game 6, while Verlander takes it in Game 7.
Once again, I stick to my guns. There is no going back after those predictions are in. However, I will predict this. The winner of the American League will take the World Series, upsetting the 2011 champion Cardinals in the 2013 Fall Classic.
Here are the dates my winners (Cardinals vs. Red Sox) will meet.