The 2007 National League Championship Series gets underway tonight at Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ at 8:30 PM when the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks square off. The NLCS will be broadcast on TBS.
The ALDS and NLDS predictions didn’t go so well for me as I was 1-3. Steve, on the other hand, was 2-2. So here are our predictions, mine in blue, Steve’s in red.
The NLCS brings us a matchup of two teams, the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks, that nobody expected to be in the playoffs, let alone in the NLCS. The Rockies come in having won 17 of their last 18 games played, including an improbable sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS. Colorado is led by MVP candidate Matt Holliday and Rookie of the Year candidate Troy Tulowitzki and the veteran Todd Helton. They have a fine unheralded young pitching staff that has helped propel them this far. Manny Corpas at the end of the bullpen has solidified the Rockies rotation. Arizona sports a lineup of a lot of youth with some veterans mixed in. Their pitching staff is anchored by Brandon Webb, Doug Davis, Livan Hernandez and Micah Owings. Owings is a guy to watch out for because he can hurt you with his bat as well as his arm. We all know what Webb can do and what Livan can do in the big games. Justin Upton and Stephen Drew are just two of the young rookies providing big bats. Chris Young has had a great rookie year and has kept his hot bat in the playoffs. Drew is hoping to be reunited with his brother in the World Series but I’m sorry to disappoint the Drew family as I see the Rockies winning this in 7 games.
A battle between two teams who are really playing well. The sexy choice is going to be Colorado because they’ve won 17 of the last 18 games but I still feel that Arizona has the better pitching staff, especially starters, with a Cy Young winner in Brandon Webb, a World Series MVP in Livan Hernandez, who by the way is a big game pitcher much like Schilling and Beckett, and then you have Doug Davis and Micah Owings with Jose Valverde at the back end.
A line up led by Chris Young, Stephen Drew, Justin Upton, Eric Byrnes and a handful of others can produce runs in a variety of ways. Arizona wins in 6 games.
NLCS Game 1 Thurs., Oct. 11 TBS, 8:30 PM at Chase Field
Jeff Francis vs Brandon Webb
NLCS Game 2 Fri., Oct. 12 TBS, 10:00 PM at Chase Field
Ubaldo Jimenez vs Doug Davis
NLCS Game 3 Sun., Oct. 14 TBS, 8:30 PM at Coors Field
Livan Hernandez vs Josh Fogg
NLCS Game 4 Mon., Oct. 15 TBS, 10:00 PM at Coors Field
Micah Owings vs Franklin Morales
NLCS Game 5 Wed., Oct. 17 TBS, 8:30 PM* at Coors Field
Brandon Webb vs TBA
NLCS Game 6 Fri., Oct. 19 TBS, 8:30 PM* at Chase Field
TBA vs Doug Davis
NLCS Game 7 Sat., Oct. 20 TBS, TBA* at Chase Field
TBA vs Livan Hernandez
*If necessary
Pitching matchups subject to change
