League Championship Series Extravaganza

I think extravaganza was probably too strong a word. I really only have time to quickly make my LCS predictions before returning to writing for dollars. I was nearly perfect in my first round predictions, but the Rays wound up on the wrong side of the fifth game I called for. That said, the Rangers are interesting and kind of fun to watch, so I'm pretty pumped about seeing them advance.

ALCS: New York Yankees (95-67, +166) versus Texas Rangers (90-72, +100)

Unlike the NLCS, I haven't already predicted this one. My head tells me the Yankees win this thing quickly, but I'm going to go ahead and say they don't punch their tickets to the World Series until the conclusion of the sixth game. I have good reason to assume the Rangers could take Cliff Lee's start in the third game, and I'm going to go ahead and say they take another one somewhere in there. In the end, though, the Rangers surely must fall short. The Yankees looked pretty invincible against the Twins, and they simply have too much firepower.

Yankees in 6

NLCS: San Francisco Giants (92-70, +114) versus Philadelphia Phillies (97-65, +132)

Like the gigantic turd I am, I'm going back on my initial prediction and saying that it'll take the Phillies six games instead of five to dispatch the Giants. Lincecum and Sanchez were both so nasty in the opening series that they persuaded me to believe their team will lose less brutally. In the end, though, the difference in the offenses tells me the Phillies aren't losing this set. And how about that first fucking game? I mean, wow. TIM LINCECUM VERSUS ROY HALLADAY. How's that shit for a billboard marquee? This thing better be some sort of 1-0 masterpiece where the only run is scored on a solo home run by Dracula (Chase Utley) and everyone else strikes out. I don't think I've been this excited about a non-Cardinal game in a while.

Phillies in 6

And yes, as of now I'm sticking by my World Series prediction. The Phillies look (and are) great. That front three showed exactly why they're going to be so hard to beat.

Eduardo Perez is talking on my television, and his throaty voice displeases me.