Crystal Ball - The 2006 American League Playoffs
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by user The shark
Yesterday, I brought you my supernaturally obtained vision of how the National League playoffs would play out. (Recap: the Mets win the pennant). Today, I am pleased to present what I found when I consulted my Crystal Ball regarding the 2006 American League Playoffs.
American League Edition
How the Season Ends
The early August return of David Wells and the late August return of Matt Clement helped shore up the Boston Red Sox pitching staff, and Big Papi's MLB-leading 54 homeruns and 155 RBI helped the team finish strong and win the AL East with a 101-61 record. The New York Yankees welcomed Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui back to the team in mid-to-late August, but their pitching (specifically Sidney Ponson and Jaret Wright) let them down. A record of 95-67 was not quite good enough as the Bombers missed the playoffs for the first time since 1993. Toronto never had a chance. The Central provided one of the best battles in recent memory as three teams stood toe to toe (to toe) and refused to back down. In the end, the Detroit Tigers outlasted all comers on the strength of their young pitching, and won the Central with an MLB-best 104-58 record. The Chicago White Sox proved to be unable to sustain the momentum need to hold off the Minnesota Twins, who won the AL Wild Card with a record of 96-66. Johan Santana and Francisco Liriano were filthy down the stretch and Joe Mauer hangs on to win the batting title with a .354 average. The West (as usual) came down to the season's final weekend, which found the Oakland A's and Los Angeles Angels facing off in Anaheim. Thanks to the better pitching, the Angeles took two of three in that series to edge Oakland into the post-season (by one game) with an 86-76 record.
ALDS
DETROIT vs. LOS ANGELES
GAME ONE Kenny Rogers vs. John Lackey The city of Detroit hosts its first playoff game since 1987. Unfortunately, however, this one doesn't go their way. Vladdy and Mike Napoli hit a homer each of Kenny Rogers and Chone Figgins goes 4-5 with two stolen bases as the Angels cruise to an easy 10-0 victory. John Lackey goes the distance, surrendering only five hits and striking out nine. LAA 1-0.
GAME TWO Jeremy Bonderman vs. Jered Weaver Despite a grand slam by Chris Shelton in the third and a workman-like effort by Bonderman (7 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 10 K), the Tigers fall to rookie Weaver. The turning point came on an error by Brandon Inge in the fifth, who with the bases loaded threw into right field on a sure-fire double play ball, allowing the Angels to plate their fourth and fifth runs of the game. Francisco Rodriguez pitches a perfect ninth to nail down a 5-4 Angels victory. LAA 2-0.
GAME THREE Justin Verlander vs. Bartolo Colon As the series shifts to Southern California, the Angeles send 2005 Cy Young winner to the mound to face the Tigers' rookie phenom. Verlander responds, Colon does not. Garret Anderson, Darin Erstad, and Vlad Guerrero are the only three Angels who manage a hit off the Tigers' young fireballer, while Magglio Ordonez and Brandon Inge both hit 2-run shots off of Colon. The Tigers win this one easily, 5-0. LAA 2-1.
GAME FOUR Nate Robertson vs. Kelvim Escobar The Angels appear to be unwilling to let this series get back to Detroit as the score early and often in this one, chasing Robertson from the game with only one out in the fourth inning. The Angels score three in the first, one in the second, one in the third, and three in the fourth off of Robertson, who leaves on the wrong side of an 8-2 game. Jamie Walker and Zach Miner keep the Halos from scoring again, but the damage has already been done. Los Angeles wins the game 8-3 and win the series 3-1.
SERIES MVP - Vladimir Guerrero
BOSTON vs. MINNESOTA
GAME ONE Curt Schilling vs. Johan Santana Both hurlers come into this game on hot streaks, each pitching at the top of his respective game. And both are dominant in this one. The Sox manage 4 hits, 2 walks, and 1 run off Santana (a solo shot by Manny Ramirez in the second inning) and the Twins manage 5 hits, 1 walk, and 1 run off Schilling (an RBI double by Justin Morneau in the fourth. Each man strikes out ten. Sox manager Terry Francona pulls Schilling after the eighth in favor of rookie closer Jonathan Papelbon who responds with a perfect inning. Twins' manager Ron Gardenhire follows suit, sending Joe Nathan out in the bottom of the ninth. Nathan strikes out #9 batter Alex Gonzalez, walks Kevin Youkilis, strikes out Mark Loretta and then finds himself facing Big Papi with two out and one on in the bottom of the ninth of a 1-1 game. On a first pitch fastball, Papi crushes a walk-off into the Boston bullpen. Sox win 3-1. BOS 1-0.
GAME TWO Josh Beckett vs. Francisco Liriano A battle of 20-game winners. Liriano is nearly unhittable and thoroughly dominant as the Sox manage two hits and one walk off the phenom, who tosses a complete game gem. Beckett isn't quite as good. Mauer goes 3-4 with 2 RBI and Michael Cuddyer hits a two-run shot in the fourth inning as the Twins win Game 2, 5-0. Tied 1-1.
GAME THREE Jon Lester vs. Brad Radke Boston's potent offense explodes in Game 3. A first inning blast by Ortiz, a second inning grand slam by Alex Gonzalez, and a two-run double by Manny Ramirez in the third sealed Radke's fate, who left the game in the third, down 7-1. Willie Eyre was unable to slow the onslaught, as he surrendered four more runs over the next three innings. Lester goes 7 solid innings, giving up eight hits and three runs. Mike Timlin pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth to nail down the Boston victory, 11-3. BOS 2-1.
GAME FOUR Tim Wakefield vs. Carlos Silva Wake has his knuckler dancing on this particular evening, and holds the Twins hitless through five. Torii Hunter registers the Twin's first hit in the sixth with a solo shot, which pulls the Twins with two of the Sox, who put up 3 runs in the third on RBI's by Coco Crisp, Alex Gonzalez, and Kevin Youkilis. Silva is lifted after the seventh for set-up stud Juan Rincon, who pitches a perfect eighth. Timlin comes in for the Sox in the eighth and surrenders a solo shot to Rondell White, allowing the Twins to pull within one. Joe Nathan comes in and pitches a perfect ninth for the Twins. Francona calls on Papelbon to close it out, which he does with two strikeouts and a flyball to Trot Nixon in right field. Sox win 3-2. Clinch series 3-1.
SERIES MVP - David Ortiz
ALCS
BOSTON vs. LOS ANGELES
GAME ONE Curt Schilling vs. John Lackey Lackey suffers through a rough first inning, which sees Manny hit a three-run shot over the Green Monster, but settles down over the next couple of innings. Vladdy responds with a two-run shot off Schilling in the top of the third to narrow the deficit. Each team adds another run in the fifth (RBI's for Trot Nixon on a single to center, and Juan Rivera on a double off the Monster) to make the score 4-3, Sox. Timlin replaces Schilling for the eighth and surrenders back-to-back doubles to Vlad and Garret Anderson before retiring the side. The Angels send Brendan Donnelly to the mound for the eighth, who loads the bases but wiggles his way out of the jam by inducing Jason Varitek to pop out to second. Timlin comes back out for the ninth and records a 1-2-3 inning. Angels manager Mike Scioscia runs Scot Shields out for the bottom on the ninth with the score tied at 4. Shields issues a lead-off walk to Coco Crisp who swipes second base. Shields retires the next two batters, but can't get around Mark Loretta who laces a walk-off RBI single into left field. Sox win 5-4. BOS 1-0.
GAME TWO Josh Beckett vs. Jered Weaver Beckett comes out throwing flames with his fastball and buckling knees with his changeup. Jered Weaver's stuff is equally filthy, but two mistakes put the Angels in a hole: A big, ripe melon of a fastabll that David Ortiz hits over the Monster and a hanging curve that Trot Nixon wraps around Pesky's Pole. A Juan Rivera solo shot in the sixth makes the score 3-1 Red Sox. Wanting to get Mike Timlin some rest, Francona puts Manny Delcarmen in to pitch the eighth. The rook responds with a perfect inning. Shields shuts the Sox down in the bottom half. And Jonathan Papelbon comes out and shuts the Angels down in the top of the ninth to preserve a 3-1 victory. BOS 2-0.
GAME THREE Jon Lester vs. Bartolo Colon The series shifts to SoCal. Lester struggles out of the gate in this one, allowing a single and a stolen base to Chone Figgins, an RBI single to Maicer Izturis, and a two-run shot to Orlando Cabrera before recording his first out. He would settle down, but it would already be too late, as Colon was on cruise control. Colon went seven strong, allowing only one run on four hits. Lester was pulled after the fifth, losing 5-1. Julian Tavares replaced him and promptly surrendered a two-run shot to Mike Napoli to extend the Halos lead to 7-1. Craig Hansen pitched two scoreless frames (the eighth and ninth) and the Sox managed a two-run mini-ralley in the top of the ninth but it wasn't enough. Angels win 7-3. BOS 2-1.
GAME FOUR Tim Wakefield vs. Kelvim Escobar Both guys get hit around in this one, as an offensive explosion breaks out. By the end of the fifth inning, both starters are gone and the score stands at 9-8, Sox. Home runs have been hit by Manny Ramirez, Mike Lowell, Jason Varitek, Vladimir Guerrero, and Tim Salmon. At this point, the game turns into a "battle of the bullpens". Delcarmen, Timlin, and Papelbon combine for 4 scoreless innings, while Kevin Gregg allows one run to the Sox in the seventh, between scoreless efforts by Brendan Donnelly and Scot Shields. Sox win 9-7. BOS 3-1
GAME FIVE David Wells vs. Ervin Santana With their backs to the wall, the Angels put their hopes in Ervin Santana. And he steps up big time. On the strength on a first-inning Vladdy dinger and a two-run fifth inning, Santana cruises in this one, not only earning the win, but going the distance to rest the taxed bullpen. Mark Loretta got Boston's only two hits but never got past first base. Santana's line? 9 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 0 ER, 12 K. Angels win this one 3-0. BOS 3-2.
GAME SIX Curt Schilling vs. John Lackey Back at Fenway. These are the kinds of games that Schilling loves to pitch in. And as he has so many times in the past, the thrives in this one. Staked to a 3-0 lead in the second inning on the strength of three singles and two doubles, Curt is given all of the room to work that he will require. Lackey pitches good but not good enough as Schilling goes eight innings (in only 102 pitches) and allows just five base runners, none of whom are able to cross the plate. Papelbon nails down the save with a scoreless ninth to preserve the 3-0 win.
ALCS MVP - Curt Schilling
RED SOX WIN THE AL PENNANT!
In a rematch of the 1986 World Series, the Boston Red Sox will battle the New York Mets in the 2006 World Series. Thanks to this year's All-Star Game, the Sox will have home-field advantage. Who will win? Wait and see.
Date
Fri 07/28/06, 6:40 am EST
