There will be no Rocktober, but there are still plenty of intriguing matchups, with Colorado kicking itself in the shins given the easy path to the National League Championship Series. National baseball writer Troy E. Renck breaks down the playoffs:
National League
In the year of the pitcher, it is fitting that Roy Halladay’s brilliance makes the Phillies the favorite. He won 21 games, is the favorite to win the Cy Young and is the flame of the three-headed, fire-breathing monster that is Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels. There is a minty freshness to October. The Reds are in for the first time since 1995, the Braves return in Bobby Cox’s last season and San Francisco’s transformation without Barry Bonds is complete.
* Reds at Phillies: Reds built their record by beating bad teams. Philly is really good. Reds went 2-5 vs. the Phils. Cincinnati should be an easy mark for the NL’s top bully.
* Braves at Giants: Injuries to Martin Prado and Chipper Jones leave Atlanta’s scrappy duct-tape lineup vulnerable to a mauling by baseball’s hottest pitching staff. Tim Lincecum gets his first taste of the playoffs.
American League
The Yankees hold the title belt but have lost their aura of invincibility because of a flawed pitching staff. Their rotation is One Man (CC Sabathia) and a Maybe (Andy Pettitte). Tampa Bay won the American League East, and the Rays aren’t even the best team. That honor goes to the Minnesota Twins, metronome consistent even without Justin Morneau. Texas has a proven ace in Cliff Lee, who will need to win in his starts.
* Rangers at Rays: Rays easily won the season series and their pitching, specifically lefty starter David Price and closer Rafael Soriano, is scary. The Rangers have never won a playoff series.
* Yankees at Twins: The Yankees catch a slight break. The Twins play great against everybody but New York. They went 2-4 against the Bombers this year. And the Yankees aren’t going to fear Carl Pavano, that’s for sure.
