MLB playoffs down to final four teams | Lucas

The world expected three, but not the fourth. We are down to the final four teams in the Major League Baseball season. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers will begin their best of seven series tonight to see who represents the National League in the 2018 World Series, and the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox will do…

The world expected three, but not the fourth.

We are down to the final four teams in the Major League Baseball season. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers will begin their best of seven series tonight to see who represents the National League in the 2018 World Series, and the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox will do the same for the American League tomorrow night.

The Astros and Dodgers proved they are title contenders when they reached last year’s Fall Classic. The Red Sox proved their candidacy over the course of their 108-win regular season, the best in franchise history, and their three games to one victory over the Yankees in the Divisional Series. However, I doubt that anyone saw the Milwaukee Brewers coming. The Brew Crew reached the postseason this year for the first time in seven seasons while stunning the Cubs in a one-game playoff at Wrigley Field to claim the National League’s best record.

While the Brewers may not have been a World Series favorite, or even a playoff favorite for that matter before Opening Day, this series will be exciting. The Brewers are in the League Championship Series for only the third time after winning the 1982 ALCS and losing the 2011 NLCS. The Brewers and Dodgers have never faced each other in a postseason series, though Brewers fans may be hopeful when remembering their only LCS win was against another Los Angeles team (sort of). That 1982 Brewers team stunned the then-California Angels three games to two (yes, it was still just a best-of-five series), by winning three in a row in Milwaukee, including a Game 5 won on a seventh inning two-run single by Cecil Cooper. That team, known as Harvey’s Wallbangers for its manager Harvey Kuenn, was very similar to its 2018 counterpart.

The 1982 Brewers won on the strengths of a balanced lineup and a fantastic bullpen, in spite of average starting pitching, just like this year’s team. That team rode the back of a dominant future Hall of Fame closer in Rollie Fingers. The mustachioed reliever recorded only 29 saves, but with nearly 80 innings. Corey Knebel, Josh Hader, and Jeremy Jeffress have combined for 43 saves and 213 innings. Three-fifths of the ’82 starting rotation had an ERA above four, but Mike Caldwell and Pete Vuckovich had ERAs of 3.91 and 3.34, respectively, and combined for 35 wins and over 480 innings. This year, Jhoulys Chacin and Chase Anderson stood at the top of the rotation with the only sub-four ERAs of regular starters, with Chacin winning 15 games. The 1982 Brewers had four players with 25+ home run, 100+ RBI seasons: Cecil Cooper, Robin Yount, Ben Ogilvie, and Gorman Thomas. They also benefitted from great seasons by Ted Simmons and Paul Molitor. The 2018 Brewers may have the NL MVP in Christian Yelich, and Jesus Aguilar contributed a 35 HR, 108 RBI season.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are definitely the favorite because of the pitching of Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler, the incredible lineup featuring Manny Machado, Max Muncy, Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, and Brian Dozier, and a lights out closer in Kenley Jansen. However, after a decade of playoff hype, they only reached one World Series, and lost a Game 7 at home. This team has shown promise, but they won less than 90 games this year and barely snuck into the playoffs. I will take the Brewers to win the National League Pennant.

In the Junior Circuit, we have baseball’s two best teams, both of whom have tremendous lineups and starting pitching, but lack strong bullpens. The Astros helped settle their problems with the addition of closer Roberto Osuna, and the Red Sox have a dominant closer in Craig Kimbrel, but neither team is very deep on the mound in the late innings. The rest factor enters play as well.

Houston swept the Cleveland Indians with great pitching, clutch hitting, and a Game 3 blowout. The Red Sox knocked out the Yankees in four games, but barely survived two of them. Boston held a 5-0 lead in Game 1 only to come within one swing of blowing it, and even Kimbrel stressed out Beantown with a three-run lead in Game 4.

Alex Cora got cocky when he opted to challenge a call and later called for a base steal attempt while up 10 runs in Game 3. In addition, he pitched Chris Sale in relief in Game 4 even though there was still a decent possibility for a Game 5. A.J. Hinch is more trustworthy, and the Astros have more reliable starting pitching in the postseason. Justin Verlander and Dallas Keuchel have proven themselves ready for October, while Chris Sale and Rick Porcello only won their first postseason games this year. I say the Astros will be successful in defending their American League Crown.