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Post Your Playoff Predictions

#1 - October 3, 2005 @ 7:20 PM EST

Pawtucket Red Sox

206 Posts

Last year, I made this into a contest, where points were awarded for picking the winner of each series and the number of games played. (I believe GuruGreg was the winner. Imagine - he picked the Sox to go all the way!) This time around, I'm too lazy (and fed up with competition) to care. So, just post your picks here, if for no other reason than to provide an opportunity for others to ridicule you later. :D I'll start this off: ALDS Red Sox over White Sox 3-1 Red Sox win game one in a slugfest, then take home a 2-0 lead, as the offense continues to roll and Wells pitches seven strong. Garland comes back in game 3 to shut down the Sox attack, and the ChiSox get a laugher of their own. Game 4 is a nailbiter, with Schilling keeping the game close until Big Papi works his late innings magic and produces the game-winning hit. Angels over Yankees 3-1 Mussina has a shaky start, and Colon shows why he's the front-runner for the Cy Young, as the Halos run away with game 1. Lackey outduels Chacon, pitching a shutout in game 2 to push the Yanks to the brink. The Big Unit wins the battle of lefties and defeats Washburn and the Angels in game 3. In game 4, Byrd and Small battle to a draw through six, but Vlad hammers the Yanks middle relief, and Escobar and KRod nail down the win. NLDS Padres over Cardinals 3-1 Carpenter continues his late-season shakiness, while Peavy is untouchable and the Pads claim game 1. The Cards gain revenge in game 2, battering Astacio around on their way to a big win. In game 3, Eaton pitches a gem and defeats Morris and the Cards. In game 4, Pads manager Bruce Bochy rolls the dice and pitches Peavy on short rest to try and win it at home. His plan works, as Peavy pitches just well enough, the Pads manufacture a late run keyed by a Dave Roberts bunt single and SB, and the bullpen nails down the win and a huge series upset. Braves over Astros in 5 Pettitte shuts down the Jones boys, while Hudson gets knocked around and the Astros claim game 1. Clemens pitches great, but again suffers from lack of run support as the Astros struggle against Smoltz, and the Braves tie the series at 1-1. Sosa and Oswalt produce another pitchers' duel in game 3, but the Astros whack around Braves relievers and take game 3. In a battle of lesser-knowns, Hanley Ramirez beats Brandon Backe in game 4, as Andruw Jones finds his swing and launches a couple of moonshots. Hudson gains revenge against Pettitte in game 5, and this time the Braves pen holds on to a one run lead to win the series. ALCS Red Sox over Angels 4-3 In a war of attrition, the Sox offense eventually wears down the Angels' pitching staff, and the Sox return to the Big Show. NLCS Braves over Padres 4-1 The Padres' magic runs out, and only the pitching of Jake Peavy prevents a sweep. WS Red Sox over Braves 4-2 The Sox hold serve in games 1 and 2, grab 1 of 3 in Atlanta, and return home to wrap up back-to-back championships in front of a delirious Fenway crowd. OK, let the ridicule begin! :lol:

#2 - October 3, 2005 @ 8:19 PM EST

GuruGreg

Boston Red Sox

363 Posts

ALDS Red Sox over White Sox 3-1 Clement gets beat up in the opener despite is return to Chicago (wrong side though), but the Red Sox rebound to take the next three, pasting Garland along the way. Angels over Yankees 3-2 The Yankees fight hard, but without homefield advantage and with the Angel's solid rotation and bullpen, the Halos advance to the ALCS. NLDS Cardinals over Padres 3-1 Cardinals drop one to Peavy, but bludgeon former teammate Williams and roll on to the next round. Astros over Braves 3-1 Astros have been in playoff mode for a while now (really the only NL team that has), and keep rolling along. Julio Franco does save the Braves with a walk-off HR in Game 2 to keep things interesting, but typical Atlanta results stay true to form. ALCS Red Sox over Angels 4-2 Clement finally gets on track against a relatively light-hitting Angels squad, which is the difference maker in a tight series. NLCS Cardinals over Astros 4-3 Much like last years NLCS, things stay tight, but this year because of great pitching and weak hitting all around. The Cards just have a little more firepower and pull away in the finale. WS Red Sox over Cardinals 4-3 This time around, we get the epic battle the media and non-Sox fans were hoping for. The teams trade blows throughout, but Papi comes through in Game 7 (only to have Manny cap it with an exclamation point) and Papelbon gets the deciding victory in relief.

#3 - October 3, 2005 @ 11:55 PM EST

seantoo

Portland Sea Dog

95 Posts

Sox 3-2 over Sox er Red over White Angels 3-2 over Yanks Angels 4-3 over Sox St.Louis 3-1 over Padres Houston 4-2 over Atlanta St-Louis 4-2 over Houston St. Loius 4-2 over Angels

#4 - October 4, 2005 @ 12:52 PM EST

LetsPlayTwo

Pawtucket Red Sox

133 Posts

Bosox Bob, your keen knowledge of the game and detailed playoff picks astound me, i have no reason to ridicule your seasoned logic. however, since anything CAN happen in a short series (and) i was lucky enough to finish second in winning points last year, i think we'll see an entirely different and more dramatic ending: Bobby Cox's rookie lineup (the talk of the town) will come up short against a crafty Houston rotation. Astro bats will mysteriously come alive. the Jones Boys will choke when it counts. close-scoring games. Houston in 4. Peavy falters and SD is no match for the Cardinals who are out to prove themselves after the way they folded against us 4 straight in the WS. plus they don't have Renteria. (Eckstein will not make the final out.) i like their pitching this time around -Carpenter of course- and Pujols, Edmonds, Walker, et al will put on a hitting show to demonstrate why their second 100-win season in a row is legit. Redbirds sweep. Houston vs. Cards... as much as the Rocket would love to go out a winner in front of family and friends, the Killer B's can't get it together, the bats go cold... Cardinals in 5... another chance for WS redemption. the Yankees meanwhile simply SLUG their way past LAA back in the Bronx. Torre's shakey rotation what it is, Johnson and Small will provide the mound heroics, Gordon and Rivera aces in the hole (what else is new).... the Evil Empire in 4. it will take our guys 3 exciting low-scoring games and 1 blowout to subdue the inconsistent White Sox. Ozzie can do the choke gesture in front of his mirror in the manager's office, because i know our fans will be doing "the Choke" in the stands, replacing "the Wave", or better yet, combine the both into a good-natured "Waving Choke" as the series winds down at Fenway.... Red Sox in 4. you want drama, we got drama with a capital "C" -another Yankee Collapse, this time in 5 -a split in NY, a sweep at home, and back to the Bronx for the coup de grace. A-Rod may steal the MVP from Papi, but Slappy will embarrass himself both on the field and at the plate; his failure to produce with RISP and a couple key errors at 3rd will be almost as laughable as when he looked like little a girl prancing down the line and bitch-slapping our Branson. we will soundly beat this $208 million version of clean-shaven ratpunks, whether or not Matsui runs into the stands to avoid a tag. we tied them for the division and didn't get any respect. that will change real fast.... Sox in 5. a rematch with the Cards. no sweep this time around. but a classic WS. sad to say we don't prevail.

#5 - October 4, 2005 @ 3:08 PM EST

rothosen

Pawtucket Red Sox

120 Posts

Angels over Yankees 3-1 Red Sox over White 3-1 Cardinals over Padres 3-1 Astros over Braves 3-0 Angels over Red Sox 4-2 Astros over Cardinals 4-3 Astros over Angels 4-1

#6 - October 4, 2005 @ 5:36 PM EST

BosoxBob

Pawtucket Red Sox

206 Posts

Peavy falters and SD is no match for the Cardinals who are out to prove themselves after the way they folded against us 4 straight in the WS.

Well LPT, you sure seem to be right on the money with this, as the Cards have put up four runs so far against Peavy. Perhaps he's a bit nervous in his first playoff appearance. I knew that picking the Pads was a bit off-the-wall, but having seen how good their pitching can be, and having witnessed them play an amazing month of May (22-6, including taking 3 of 4 against the Cards at Busch), I thought it just might be possible.

you want drama, we got drama with a capital "C" -another Yankee Collapse, this time in 5 -a split in NY, a sweep at home, and back to the Bronx for the coup de grace.

One small correction - the ALCS games go 2-3-2, therefore the Sox would be playing at home for the middle 3. Edit: Errr, make that an 8-spot against Peavy... :oops:

#7 - October 5, 2005 @ 12:47 AM EST

LetsPlayTwo

Pawtucket Red Sox

133 Posts

i got lucky in both tilts so far. the SD-Cardinal game ended with the bases full of Padres and the Cards leading 8-5 -it could have gone the other way. but it didn't. so i'm still okay on that matchup. as for the Red Sox-White Sox game i did predict a "blowout" but had no idea which team would suffer the pounding. had TF pulled Clement in the 3rd (after Konerko's solo shot) we might have had a chance (slim at best, the stuff Contreras was tossing!). i didn't like Clement opening this series anyway. 8 earned runs...two hit batters...while Arroyo sat on his ass in the bullpen? does TF know it's a best out of five playoff??? i think it sucks that we have to settle for a split now. i was thinking we'd take two in LA, then end it at Fenway, where we would first lose a nerve-wracking 1-run game (getting their hopes up) and then finish them off in a Game 4 blowout (a more dramatic ending). right now NY is ahead of LAA 4-0 in the 4th. Jeter in scoring position. A-Rod at the plate... Colon throws one low and inside... Slappy strikes out. don't know what he did his first AB. but he's o'fer 2. and i'm okay with that. can't wait 'til we meet them in the ALCS. (2 in the Bronx, 3 at Home..... that oughta do it.)

#8 - October 5, 2005 @ 12:27 PM EST

LetsPlayTwo

Pawtucket Red Sox

133 Posts

(two wins in Chicago that is.) i get so carried away with these fun-filled, mindless prognostications i forget where i am. but speaking of LA, it was nice to see Cabrera playing full-time on another playoff team. he's made way less errors than Renteria. some would argue that Edgar's 30 (?) errors were not all that costly in the scheme of things. i disagree. to me it suggests the probability he WILL boot one -a costly one- before our season is over. could be this series with Chicago. he doesn't exude a lot of confidence compared to Cabrera, i've watched Renteria backhand too many grounders (or attempt the bare-handed scoop) and cringe every time, when he should be playing the ball in front of him. even on throws from the outfield he prefers gloving the ball to his left. he's trying too hard to be a graceful, soft-hands Ozzie Smith-type and not very good at it. also nice to see Dave Roberts roaming centerfield for SD. we can still rebound from that 14-2 drubbing, but i honestly don't think the magic of last year is forthcoming. if Wells dishes too many of his hanging curve balls, Chicago batters will have a another field day. going back to Boston 2-down and relying on our best home record in baseball to save us -when the White Sox own the best away record- i'm not seeing any light at the end of the tunnel at this point. today is a MUST-win or we are in deep doo-doo.