2013 MLB Playoffs: League Championship Series Preview

The bottles of champagne have been popped, the celebrations were immaculate, and for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, and St. Louis Cardinals the league championship series awaits them. Let’s take a look at the respective league championship series’:

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. St. Louis Cardinals

The Los Angeles Dodgers are into the league championship for the first time since 2009. They defeated the Atlanta Braves in four games to advance. The Cardinals on the other hand, ended the Pittsburgh Pirates storybook like year in five games.

Hanley Ramirez, the Dodgers shortstop, is scorching hot right now; in the National League Division Series he batted an astounding .500 with four doubles, a triple, and a home run. Ramirez and Yasiel Puig, the Dodgers outfielder, were tough for the Braves to stop, and if the Cardinals want to have success in this series they will have to slow them down. Along with Puig and Ramirez, the Dodgers will also send out, arguably, the best pitcher in baseball, Clayton Kershaw. Beating Kershaw is no small task, and the Cardinals will most likely have to face him twice in this series.The Cardinals have what the Dodgers do not, and that is a roster full of American League Championship series experience. The Cardinals have been in the LCS the last two years and most of their roster has played in at least one of those series. They also have one of the best post-season hitters of all time in Carlos Beltran, who recently passed Babe Ruth on the all time post-season home run list with 16. The Cardinals also have a stellar rotation full of young flamethrowers, and post-season ace, Adam Wainwright.

The series will begin Oct. 11 at 8:30 p.m. on TBS. It will feature a matchup of Joe Kelly and Zack Greinke.

Detroit Tigers vs. Boston Red Sox

The Detroit Tigers are riding high after their 3-0 win in game five of their first round matchup against the Oakland Athletics in the American league division series. After defeating their inter-division rival, the Tampa Rays, the Boston Red Sox are into the American league championship series for the first time since 2008.

The Red Sox may have the deepest team in the playoffs. They have a very talented starting pitching staff headed by Clay Bucholtz, and a lineup that has the ability to put up runs in a heartbeat. “Fear the Beards” is the motto these

days in Boston, and these grizzly men have conformed into a very tight knit, well oiled machine that will be tough for any opponent to stop.

The Tigers on the other hand have the best player in the playoffs and that is third baseman, Miguel Cabrera. Although beaten up right now, “Miggy”, can put a team on his back and carry them to the next round. If the Red Sox want to defeat the Tigers they must slow down the hot hitting Cabrera. They also have two of the most dominant pitchers in baseball in the American League, including Cy Young candidate Max Scherzer, and 2012 Cy Young winner, Justin Verlander.

The series kicks off Saturday, Oct. 12 on FOX, when Anibal Sanchez faces off against Jon Lester.
That concludes the 2013 league championship series preview. So kick back, grab some popcorn, and enjoy watching baseballs best take the stage.