MLB Playoffs Preview!

Carlos Zambrano and Alfonso Soriano are on a mission to help deliver The Cubs a World Series Pennant.



I Live For This!
It's October, and that means that the postseason for Major League Baseball Season is about to get under way. Let's take a look at each series and the things that will have to happen for that team to go to the World Series.

NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISIONAL SERIES
Philladelphia Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies
Analysis: The Colorado Rockies had to fight to make it here, and they did, scoring three runs, including the game winner, in the bottom of the 13th inning to beat San Deigo in a thrilling 9 to 8 finish in the one game playoff to decide the winner of the National League Wild Card. The Rockies are getting here thanks to the collapse of the San Diego Padres over the last two weeks. The Philladelphia Phillies are also getting here because of a monumental collapse over the last two weeks, they sat back and watched the New York Mets blow an 8 and a half game lead with two weeks to play to get eliminated from the playoffs. Both of these teams just got in at the last minute, and this will be a good series for both teams.
Keys To Victory
PHILLIES: No doubt, Ryan Howard is the key for the Phillies. If he's swinging the bat well, Philladelphia will win the series. If he's not, it will be that much harder for Philly to pull it out.
COLORADO: Troy Tulowitski will be the key for the Rockies, with the glove and the bat. Tulowtski got an unassisted triple play for the Rockies against the Braves, and he did a good job with the bat as well, batting near .300. He's gonna be key for the Rockies.
Your Winner
PHILLIES. The Phillies just seem to have more depth, more offense, and more defense, although The fact that Denver is the highest altitude in Baseball will help the Rockies out. Expect a lot of homeruns in this series. I go with The Phillies in five. I expect it to go back and fourth with the Phillies winning.
Phillies in Five.

Chicago Cubs vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
Analysis: This is the series that I'm waiting to see. The Cubs got hot after the Florida series and won the National League Central for the first time since 2003, when they were five outs away from going to the World Series before a monumental collapse cost them their chance to Break The Curse. Watch out for this young Diamondback team, particularly when Micah Owings is pitching (and hitting.)
Keys To Victory
CUBS: No doubt, the key for the Cubs will be scoring runs. Runs will be hard to score in Game One against Brandon Webb, so one run for either side may be enough to win a couple of the games.

DIAMONDBACKS: The Diamondbacks were everyone's unexpected team this season. Arizona seemed to get hot and stay hot nearly all season. The Diamondbacks don't have much of a rotation outside of Micah Owings and Brandon Webb, so they need to depend on the arms of the bullpen to help them win ballgames.
Your Winner
I've gotta go with the Cubs. I think this Cubs team is good enough to beat the Diamondbacks and face the Phillies in the NLCS. That would be a fantastic series. Perhaps the Cubs could go further than five outs away from going to the World Series this time around.
Cubs In Four

AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISIONAL SERIES
Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim vs Boston Red Sox
Analysis: Game One is another marquee pitching matchup. Twenty Game winner Josh Beckett takes the mound for the Red Sox, while nineteen game winner John Lackey is on the mound for the Angels.
Keys To Victory
RED SOX: Outside of the Pitching, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are thr two biggest reasons why the Red Sox will be very hard to defeat. Ortiz and Manny were together in 2004 when the Red Sox won the World Series, and were in the playoffs again in 2005, when the White Sox defeated the Angels to advance to the American League Championship Series.
ANGELS: Vladamir Guererro and Garret Anderson will be tough to defeat. Andersson had 10 RBIs in an August win over the Yankees, and Vlad is the defending Home Run Derby Champion.
Red Sox in Four

New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Indians
Analysis: This will be a fantastic series as well. Chien Mien Wang will pitch Game One for the Yankees, and C.C. Sabathia will pitch for the Red Sox.
Keys To Victory
YANKEES: Alex Rodriguez will have his chance to erase his "Choke-Rod" label that comes with him every October.
INDIANS: The only Indian that has posteason experience is Trot Nixon, who was with the 2004 Boston Red Sox. Travis Hafner will be swinging for the fences. C.C. Sabathia and Paul Byrd will have to bring their A-Game to prevent a Yankee sweep.
Prediction:Yankees in Three.

My Picks.
ALCS: New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox
NLCS: Chicago Cubs vs. Philladelphia Phillies

The Major League Baseball Postseason begins tommorow! Don't miss a second of the exciting playoff action!