The 2007 American League Championship Series gets underway in 5 hours and what better time than now to for Steve and I to give our predictions as to our winners. As usual my picks will be blue and Steve’s in red. To see our NLCS predictions, click here.
Some Grade A pitching matchups in the first two games with Cy Young candidates Josh Beckett and C.C. Sabathia squaring off in Game 1 and Curt Schilling and Fausto Carmona going toe-to-toe in Game 2. On paper, these two pitching matchups are a wash as they all have their strengths. The advantage to me goes to the Red Sox due to the experience that Beckett and Schilling have in the postseason. The Indians have Travis Hafner, Grady Sizemore, Victor Martinez and Ryan Garko who lead the way their bats. David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Mike Lowell, and Dustin Pedroia do the same for the Red Sox. So where is this series won. It’s won from the bullpens. The bullpens of the two teams are evenly matched until you get to the closer. The Red Sox have the premier closer in Jonathan Papelbon while the Indians have a hittable Joe Borowski, who almost gave Indians fans a heart attack in Game 4 of the ALDS. Ultimately with Papelbon as the stopper, I see the Red Sox in 6 games.
Everyone is talking about the two teams top two starters, but you have to look at the 3 and 4 guys and the bullpens and this is where the Red Sox pitching will be better than the Indians. Who would you rather have closing games? Joe Borowski or Jonathan Papelbon? The Sox also have a ton of guys with experience in getting this far, and while Sabathia/Carmona and Beckett/Schilling on paper maybe a wash all you need to do is check the fingers for the bling.
Line up wise, the Indians were very dangerous against the Yankees with two out RBI. It will be up to the Sox pitching and defense not to put themselves into these positions very often. The Sox have thump with Ortiz, Ramirez and Lowell. The Indians have Hafner, Martinez and Garko. The lineups are pretty even but I think in the end the pitching will win the series. Red Sox in 7.
You can also see other predictions over at Red Sox Monster where Dan held another Red Sox blogger roundtable.
And of course it wouldn’t be an ALCS without a Fitzy Wicked Pissah webcast. I think y’all know the drill that his videos (non-ESPN ones that is) are NSFW
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ALCS Game 1, Fri., Oct. 12, FOX at 7:00 PM at Fenway Park
C.C. Sabathia vs Josh Beckett
ALCS Game 2, Sat., Oct. 13, FOX at 8:00 PM at Fenway Park
Fausto Carmona vs Curt Schilling
ALCS Game 3, Mon., Oct. 15, FOX at 7:00 PM at Jacobs Field
Daisuke Matsuzaka vs Jake Westbrook
ALCS Game 4, Tues., Oct. 16, FOX at 8:00 PM at Jacobs Field
TBA (Tim Wakefield) vs TBA (Paul Byrd)
ALCS Game 5, Thurs., Oct. 18, FOX at 8:00 PM at Jacobs Field*
TBA vs TBA
ALCS Game 6, Sat., Oct. 20, FOX at TBA at Fenway Park*
TBA vs TBA
ALCS Game 7, Sun., Oct. 21, FOX at TBA at Fenway Park*
TBA vs TBA
*If necessary
Pitching matchups subject to change
