Five reasons why the A's beat the Tigers in four games:
1. Momentum. Yes, baseball pundits frequently say there is no momentum once you begin a new series. But consider that the last two World Series winners, the 2010 Giants and St. Louis in 2011, both had to clinch their spot in the playoffs with a victory in the final game of the season. They then tore through the National League Division and Championship Series and beat the American League pennant winner. The truth is teams that get hot at the end of the season like the A's can carry on in the postseason. The A's had to play some of their best baseball at the end to reach this spot. That will at least get Oakland past the formidable Tigers.
2. Josh Reddick. He's not the best hitter in the A's lineup as Yoenis Cespedes looks like a star in the making for years to come (but you never know what Billy Beane will do with younger and still reasonably priced stars). However, of the everyday position players, Reddick provides the heartbeat that keeps the club alive over the long haul. Reddick's ability to hit in the clutch -.206 with RISP, compared to Cespedes at .345- has been a question mark. But he had some big moments late in the season such as a two-homer game at Texas on Sept. 27 and a exclamation point two-run shot in the eighth against the Mariners four days later. If Reddick can collect some key hits with runners on base in this series, the A's will have an edge.
3. Brett Anderson. The last "old guy" standing among Oakland starters, 24-year-old Anderson looks like a green light to pitch in Game 3 at the Coliseum on Tuesday. That is sure to be the pivotal game of the series, particularly if the A's and Tigers split the first two games in Detroit. Anderson suffered his strained oblique muscle in his last start ironically against the Tigers on the road. If healthy, the A's should expect Anderson to pitch well. His return could be the wild card that puts his team over the top.
4. Bullpen domination. Let's face it: with rookies Jarrod Parker, Tommy Milone and A.J. Griffin scheduled to start three of the first four games and Anderson coming back from over two weeks of no game action, the A's will probably have to go to the bullpen often in this series figuring none of these starters should be expected to throw complete games or even get into the eighth or ninth. Manager Bob Melvin and pitching coach Curt Young were almost perfect in their decisions in the Texas series, especially in the late innings. Sean Doolittle, Ryan Cook and Grant Balfour were about untouchable throwing the seventh, eighth and ninth innings for all three victories over the Rangers. And less heralded relievers like Jerry Blevins, Evan Scribner and Pat Neshek are capable of getting big outs. But the A's will gladly take six solid innings from the starters and if ahead or tied will feel good about their chances if the bullpen continues to dominate.
5. Fate and destiny. I don't know if the A's are going to win the World Series. But this has been a New York Knights, North Valley League (nee Bad News) Bears and the Willie Mays Hayes/Jake Taylor Pedro Serrano-led Cleveland Indians Hollywood-style run thus far. The A's and the still alive Baltimore Orioles are both having someone nab the movie rights kind of seasons. Anyone else get the hunch these two surprise clubs are going to win their ALDS and play for a World Series berth?
Now, five reasons why the Tigers will win this series in five.
1. Justin Verlander. We talked a lot about Verlander in yesterday's blog. And why shouldn't he top the Tigers' list of reasons to feel good about their hopes? If this series does to go to a fifth game, the A's will have faced Verlander twice. Can they beat him either time, particularly with the series on the line?
2. Miguel Cabrera. He won the Triple Crown for Yaz's sake. And he was productive against the A's this season (.483/.515/.862). With Cabrera hitting in front of Prince Fielder, it's not like the Athletics can pitch around the former and get much relief with the latter. Detroit's Nos. 3 and 4 hitters can arguably win this series on their own offensively if the A's young starters are not stingy with them.
3. Playoff experience. Coco Crisp won a World Series ring in Boston; Seth Smith had a few big hits during the Rockies' run to the National League pennant; Stephen Drew hit two home runs in an Arizona NLDS victory over the Cubs. But the A's can't match the Tigers' postseason-tested pedigree: Cabrera and Fielder have a combined 155 career playoff at-bats; Detroit's Game 2 starter Doug Fister got the win in last year's ALDS Game 5 at Yankee Stadium; despite his overall struggles Verlander has beaten both the A's (2006) and Yankees (2011) in playoff starts. The A's probably don't care about any of this, but many of the Tigers have been through this playoff grind just last season.
4. The 2-3 playoff format. The The A's aren't alone in their home-field advantage disadvantage. Higher seeded teams get three potential home games. But lose the first two on the road and you'll have to win all three of your home games. Facing the daunting Verlander in Game 1, if the A's can't get a split in the first two games, even the anticipated rowdy and rejuvenated Coliseum crowds may not help get Oakland through Detroit down 0-2.
5. Jim Leyland. Bob Melvin deserves every bit the American League Manager of the Year vote as Baltimore's Buck Showalter will command. But the Tigers counter with chain-smoking and grizzled veteran skipper Leyland, whose playoff managerial experience dates back as far 1990, when his Pittsburgh Pirates were led by a still skinny Barry Bonds. Leyland won a 1997 world title in Florida and piloted the Tigers to the 2006 World Series. Melvin has been nothing short of marvelous this season. Leyland has been working his magic for years.
OK, I've analyzed far too much. I'll take the A's in four, but not with a ton of confidence. Either way, this been a fantastic year to be a long-time and sometimes battered A's fan. Let's just hope for a little more fun, and if the A's can win a division series and play on, wonderful. If not.......
1. Momentum. Yes, baseball pundits frequently say there is no momentum once you begin a new series. But consider that the last two World Series winners, the 2010 Giants and St. Louis in 2011, both had to clinch their spot in the playoffs with a victory in the final game of the season. They then tore through the National League Division and Championship Series and beat the American League pennant winner. The truth is teams that get hot at the end of the season like the A's can carry on in the postseason. The A's had to play some of their best baseball at the end to reach this spot. That will at least get Oakland past the formidable Tigers.
2. Josh Reddick. He's not the best hitter in the A's lineup as Yoenis Cespedes looks like a star in the making for years to come (but you never know what Billy Beane will do with younger and still reasonably priced stars). However, of the everyday position players, Reddick provides the heartbeat that keeps the club alive over the long haul. Reddick's ability to hit in the clutch -.206 with RISP, compared to Cespedes at .345- has been a question mark. But he had some big moments late in the season such as a two-homer game at Texas on Sept. 27 and a exclamation point two-run shot in the eighth against the Mariners four days later. If Reddick can collect some key hits with runners on base in this series, the A's will have an edge.
3. Brett Anderson. The last "old guy" standing among Oakland starters, 24-year-old Anderson looks like a green light to pitch in Game 3 at the Coliseum on Tuesday. That is sure to be the pivotal game of the series, particularly if the A's and Tigers split the first two games in Detroit. Anderson suffered his strained oblique muscle in his last start ironically against the Tigers on the road. If healthy, the A's should expect Anderson to pitch well. His return could be the wild card that puts his team over the top.
4. Bullpen domination. Let's face it: with rookies Jarrod Parker, Tommy Milone and A.J. Griffin scheduled to start three of the first four games and Anderson coming back from over two weeks of no game action, the A's will probably have to go to the bullpen often in this series figuring none of these starters should be expected to throw complete games or even get into the eighth or ninth. Manager Bob Melvin and pitching coach Curt Young were almost perfect in their decisions in the Texas series, especially in the late innings. Sean Doolittle, Ryan Cook and Grant Balfour were about untouchable throwing the seventh, eighth and ninth innings for all three victories over the Rangers. And less heralded relievers like Jerry Blevins, Evan Scribner and Pat Neshek are capable of getting big outs. But the A's will gladly take six solid innings from the starters and if ahead or tied will feel good about their chances if the bullpen continues to dominate.
5. Fate and destiny. I don't know if the A's are going to win the World Series. But this has been a New York Knights, North Valley League (nee Bad News) Bears and the Willie Mays Hayes/Jake Taylor Pedro Serrano-led Cleveland Indians Hollywood-style run thus far. The A's and the still alive Baltimore Orioles are both having someone nab the movie rights kind of seasons. Anyone else get the hunch these two surprise clubs are going to win their ALDS and play for a World Series berth?
Now, five reasons why the Tigers will win this series in five.
1. Justin Verlander. We talked a lot about Verlander in yesterday's blog. And why shouldn't he top the Tigers' list of reasons to feel good about their hopes? If this series does to go to a fifth game, the A's will have faced Verlander twice. Can they beat him either time, particularly with the series on the line?
2. Miguel Cabrera. He won the Triple Crown for Yaz's sake. And he was productive against the A's this season (.483/.515/.862). With Cabrera hitting in front of Prince Fielder, it's not like the Athletics can pitch around the former and get much relief with the latter. Detroit's Nos. 3 and 4 hitters can arguably win this series on their own offensively if the A's young starters are not stingy with them.
3. Playoff experience. Coco Crisp won a World Series ring in Boston; Seth Smith had a few big hits during the Rockies' run to the National League pennant; Stephen Drew hit two home runs in an Arizona NLDS victory over the Cubs. But the A's can't match the Tigers' postseason-tested pedigree: Cabrera and Fielder have a combined 155 career playoff at-bats; Detroit's Game 2 starter Doug Fister got the win in last year's ALDS Game 5 at Yankee Stadium; despite his overall struggles Verlander has beaten both the A's (2006) and Yankees (2011) in playoff starts. The A's probably don't care about any of this, but many of the Tigers have been through this playoff grind just last season.
4. The 2-3 playoff format. The The A's aren't alone in their home-field advantage disadvantage. Higher seeded teams get three potential home games. But lose the first two on the road and you'll have to win all three of your home games. Facing the daunting Verlander in Game 1, if the A's can't get a split in the first two games, even the anticipated rowdy and rejuvenated Coliseum crowds may not help get Oakland through Detroit down 0-2.
5. Jim Leyland. Bob Melvin deserves every bit the American League Manager of the Year vote as Baltimore's Buck Showalter will command. But the Tigers counter with chain-smoking and grizzled veteran skipper Leyland, whose playoff managerial experience dates back as far 1990, when his Pittsburgh Pirates were led by a still skinny Barry Bonds. Leyland won a 1997 world title in Florida and piloted the Tigers to the 2006 World Series. Melvin has been nothing short of marvelous this season. Leyland has been working his magic for years.
OK, I've analyzed far too much. I'll take the A's in four, but not with a ton of confidence. Either way, this been a fantastic year to be a long-time and sometimes battered A's fan. Let's just hope for a little more fun, and if the A's can win a division series and play on, wonderful. If not.......
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