Both the A.L. and N.L. Championship Series are far from over, but the MLB Playoff Picture has the 2004 l League Champions as the front runners to meet in the World Series. Here are the possible matchups and a look back at what happened in 2004 as the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox seemed destined to once again meet in the Fall Classic.
The Cardinals are the most obvious choice for N.L. Champions as they lead the struggling Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-1, in the NLCS. With great pitching and timely hitting, the Cardinals have been able to get just enough runs in each of their games to take the series lead. They are once again in the cusp of clinching the pennant, but they will have to close the door this time and dominate until they win that fourth ball game.
It impossible to label the Cardinals a dynasty, but they have been a force in the N.L. for over a decade. They are on the verge of making their second World Series appearance in the past two years and fourth in the last 10. They were there in 2004 when the Red Sox finally won their championship after almost 90 years of suffering. The Cardinals won in 2006 and most recently in 2011. They could have been there last year, but the San Francisco Giants rallied back from a 1-3 deficit. The Giants have been a dominant club in 2010's, but they were nowhere to be found in 2013.
With their 97-65 record, the Cardinals matched the Red Sox for the best record in baseball. They did it with great pitching as Yadier Molina helped these young arms surface out of nowhere, making the proper adjustments to compete at the major league level.
For the Red Sox, 2013 did not look very exciting. They made a few minor signings, making noise after acquiring Shane Victorino, Jonny Gomes and Mike Napoli. Nobody expected them to do much, though they did look like a competitive team on paper. The Red Sox surfaced out of the ashes, not only rebuilding the club, but reestablishing healthy relationships. John Farrell was shanghaied from the Toronto Blue Jays to manage a Red Sox team that had lost 90 games the season before.
Low and behold, now the Red Sox appear to be one of the most unified teams in baseball. They are griddy (looking and on the field), they hustle and they win. They have veteran pitchers with Jon Lester, a 2007 champion, leading the pitching rotation. The Red Sox are hungry and looking to claim their first World Series since 2007.
In 2004, when the Red Sox trumped the Cardinals, they swept all four games. David Ortiz was a part of that team that brought the trophy back to Boston. The Cardinals were no match for the Red Sox in that series, but things look a little more even now in 2004, though the Cardinals are still missing their RBI machine, Allen Craig.
Will this be the matchup or will the Detroit Tigers surface from a 1-2 deficit? The Dodgers also have a great chance of getting back into the series as they start Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw in Games 5 and 6.
MLB Playoff Picture:
Los Angeles Dodgers 1
St. Louis Cardinals 3
Detroit Tigers 1
Boston Red Sox 2
