The American League Championship Series will be a clash of the titans. Both clubs are loaded with power as well as powerhouse pitching staffs. One game might be a slugfest, while the next might be a pitcher’s duel. There is an old axiom in baseball: you’re only as good as the next day’s starting pitcher.
Much like the NLCS, the ALCS features two clubs that are baseball royalty. The American League was founded in 1901. The Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox are two of the four remaining original charter members. Both teams are brimming with history – World Series titles, American League pennants, Most Valuable Players, Cy Young Awards, Hall of Famers – the list goes on.
The Tigers feature what will likely be this season’s MVP and Cy Young award winners. The starting rotation is loaded. Justin Verlander is a top three pitcher in all of Major League Baseball. He had an un-Verlander type season for the first five months, but turned it on in September and took it to the Oakland Athletics in the ALDS. Verlander is the type of dominant pitcher that has the chance to twirl a no-hitter or perfecto any time he takes the field. With a fastball that approaches triple-digits as well as a devastating over-the-top curveball. The Red Sox had better hope he is off with his command if they have a chance. Max Scherzer – who will most certainly be this season’s American League Cy Young – is just as dominant. He also possesses an upper-90’s fastball with a devastating power slider. He finished the season with a 21-3 record, 2.90 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. Anibal Sanchez led the junior circuit with a 2.57 ERA. All three had 200-strikeout seasons. Doug Fister gives the Tigers a very solid fourth starter.
The Red Sox rotation doesn’t feature the hardware or power of their counterparts, but they are just as formidable with plenty of postseason experience. Game 1 starter Jon Lester is one of the best left-handed starting pitchers in baseball when he is on his game. He will feature a low-to-mid-90’s fastball along with a sharp slider. If he is on, he could very easily shutdown the Tigers’ potent lineup. Clay Buchholz was the Red Sox best starting pitcher the first half of the season until an injury derailed his season. He is healthy again and gives the Red Sox a potent 1-2 punch. John Lackey was almost run out of town after signing a very lucrative free agent contract a few years ago. He struggled mightily his first season in Boston. He missed all of the following season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He saved the Red Sox rotation this season when Lester struggled and Buchholz landed on the disabled list. His success coming off surgery was a pleasant surprise. He looks to have regained the form he had with the Los Angeles Angels. Lackey was a rookie in 2002 when he was given the ball to start Game 7 of the World Series against the San Francisco Giants. He shut the powerful Giants’ lineup down delivering the Angels their first title. With that start, he became the first rookie to start and win a Game 7 of the World Series since Babe Adams of the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Detroit Tigers in 1909. Fourth starter Jake Peavy is one of the fiercest competitors in baseball. He was acquired from the Chicago White Sox in July in what turned out to be a great acquisition for the Red Sox. He is not the same pitcher he was five years ago, but he will give everything he has on game day.
Detroit features the greatest right-handed hitter of our time and one of the greatest of all-time – Miguel Cabrera. He burst onto the scene as a 20-year old rookie with the Florida Marlins in 2003. He played an instrumental role in defeating the New York Yankees in that year’s World Series. He’s been a hitting machine ever since. The future Hall of Famer was the first player since 1967 to win the Triple Crown and was well on his way to becoming the first player to win back-to-back Triple Crowns until a series of leg and abdominal injuries slowed him down dramatically. First baseman Prince Fielder, one of the best left-handed power hitters in the game, provides Cabrera protection in the lineup. Center fielder Austin Jackson and right fielder Torii Hunter are solid offensive players who provide above-average, Gold Glove caliber defense. Shortstop Jhonny Peralta missed most of the second half as a result of a 50-game suspension for his involvement in the Biogenesis investigation. He is a Gold Glove winner who provides a solid bat. Tigers’ manager Jim Leyland has also used Peralta in left field during the ALDS. If that happens, look for youngster Jose Iglesias to see time at short. Designated hitter Victor Martinez struggled during the first half after missing all of last season with left knee reconstruction. He blossomed in the second half, providing power and average while Cabrera was hurt. A catcher by trade, it is not out of the question to see him behind the dish for a game – or two.
One look at the Boston Red Sox during pre-game introductions and one might wonder how a bunch of hillbillies were able to finagle their way into a Major League ballpark. The hirsute group may not be familiar with the business-end of a razor, but they can rake. This is the classic American League East lineup that consistently grinds out at-bats. Any pitcher that faces this lineup should expect a quite a few high-stress innings. First baseman Mike Napoli and designated hitter David Ortiz provide most of the power. Ortiz, a likely Hall of Famer when his playing days come to a close, is one of the most clutch postseason players of this generation – much like Carlos Beltran in the National League. Napoli was an absolute bargain after signing as a free agent during the offseason. Second baseman and former American League MVP Dustin Pedroia is the heart and soul of the club. He is also one of the remnants from the 2007 championship team. The left side of the infield will provide solid defense, but both have struggled at the plate. Third baseman Will Middlebrooks was benched down the stretch when his bat went cold. Shortstop Stephen Drew is in the lineup because of his glove. If either struggles mightily, look for 20-year old, uber-phenom Xander Bogaerts to see playing time. The outfield features outstanding defense, speed and solid offense. Center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury missed time during the second half but has come back healthy and ready to wreak havoc atop the lineup. He is one of the best leadoff hitters in the game and will steal bases with the best of them. Right fielder Shane Victorino had a career year and gives the Red Sox a very potent top-of-the-lineup. Left fielder Daniel Nava was a very pleasant surprise this season. The man who hit a grand slam on the very first pitch he saw in the Majors, provides the Red Sox with a very solid bat and defense. Left field defense is of premium importance in Fenway Park because of the Green Monster.
Game 1: Detroit (Sanchez) @ Boston (Lester) Saturday, October 12, 8:00pm
Game 2: Detroit (Scherzer) @ Boston (Buchholz) Sunday, October 13, 8:00pm
Game 3: Boston (Lackey) @ Detroit (Verlander) Tuesday, October 15, 4:00pm
Game 4: Boston (Peavy) @ Detroit (Fister) Wednesday, October 16, 8:00pm
Game 5: Boston (Lester) @ Detroit (Sanchez) Thursday, October 17, 8:00pm (if necessary)
Game 6: Detroit (Scherzer) @ Boston (Buchholz) Saturday, October 19, 4:30pm (if necessary)
Game 7: Detroit (Verlander) @ Boston (Lackey) Sunday, October 20, 8:00pm (if necessary)
Like the NLCS, this should be an evenly matched series. Both managers, John Farrell of the Red Sox and Jim Leyland of the Tigers are excellent in-game strategists. This series could quite possibly come down to an unsung hero coming off the bench – many postseason series’ usually do. However, the duo of Verlander and Scherzer gives Detroit a decided advantage.
Tigers in six.
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