How Do You Like the NL West Now?
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by Nejoshi
The Sports Lounge's NLCS Preview
The National League West had a 3-15 record in the last four postseasons, and had rightfully earned the distinction as being baseball’s worst division. But, a funny thing happened in 2007 when the division improved by leaps and bounds and became the game’s deepest division featuring four teams with winning records.
Having gone four years without winning a postseason series, the NL West had a lot to prove this season with the league’s best and streakiest teams. Both the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies looked stellar in completing Division Series sweeps, and come into the NLCS riding high with confidence.
There’s not a lot that can be said about the Rockies that hasn’t been said already. They’ve won 17 of 18, and are doing it with all facets of the game. The starting pitching held down the Phillies big bats in the NLDS, holding the league’s top offense to a .172 batting average and less than three runs a game. Starters Jeff Francis and Ubaldo Jimenez proved that October baseball doesn’t faze them; each gave solid pitching performances in Phillies series. Although Franklin Morales didn’t have his best stuff in Game 2, Colorado’s bullpen bailed him out, and showed that they can still carry this team through sub par starts.
The Rockies lineup averaged 5.3 runs in the first round of the playoffs, and got huge performances by Kaz Matsui and Matt Holliday. This team has proven over the last month that anyone in their lineup is capable of beating you, and you just don’t know who that man could be in this series. Troy Tulowitzki and Todd Helton struggled against Philadelphia, but you would be foolish if you thought they couldn’t break out in this series. Up and down the lineup, there’s eight quality guys that have been instrumental to this run.
Hitting and pitching is great, but Colorado’s strength is their historic defense. No team in the history of baseball has been as good at catching the ball (try comprehending that) as the Rockies have been this season. Clint Hurdle’s team did commit an error in the NLDS, but they continued to field their position extremely well. The fact that this defense is dependable takes significant pressure off the pitchers. Francis and Co. don’t have to concentrate on stroking everyone out; they know that if batters put the ball in play, their fielders will have their back.
Few, including me, thought Arizona could sustain their 90-win pace and win a playoff series against a pitching oriented Chicago Cub team. After all, Arizona had been one of the worst hitting teams all year, and were facing a team that looked like it was just hitting their stride. The Diamondbacks responded by shutting me up, and sweeping away the Cubs by a cumulative score of 16-6.
The Diamondbacks have been used to being doubted all year, but they continued to win games, despite the bizarre scenario where they have been outscored for the year. The most promising part of their NLDS win over the Cubs was that it was catalyzed by their youngsters, the same group of guys that struggled to perform up to their potential during the regular season.
Stephen Drew and Chris Young both struggled to hit .240 at the top of Arizona’s lineup, but the young duo combined to hit .400 with 4 home runs and 8 RBI in the first postseason series of their careers. You would expect rookies to tire during the tail end of the season in October, but if the NLDS is any indication, these two are hitting their stride at just the right time.
Arizona’s starting rotation is undoubtedly paced by their ace, 18-gme winner, Brandon Webb. Just as Josh Beckett set the tone for the Red Sox’s postseason run with an unbelieveable Game 1 start, Webb did the same thing against Chicago. He gave the Diamondbacks 7 innings, while allowing a single run and striking out nine. Webb has been doing that all season. Livan Hernandez seems like he’s an ageless veteran, a vet that has a nose for success in the postseason. He gave the Diamondbacks a great start in Game 3 and can be expected to do the same in the NLCS.
As good as the starting pitching was against the Cubs (2.89 starter’s ERA), the bullpen has been even better. Diamondback relievers pitched 8.1 scoreless innings, frustrating the Cubs hitters by inducing double plays and striking out hitters at a blistering rate. Closer Jose Valverde may have had the best season of any closer in the NL, but no one seemed to notice. Then, he struck out 6 batters over 3 innings of work in the NLDS. You could say he deserves the attention of viewers everywhere now.
It’s exciting to see two new and young teams make it this far, with either having a great shot at the World Series. Colorado has been in a do-or-die mode for the last month, and relished the opportunity of making history. The Rockies have overcome so much, and I expect them to defeat the Diamondbacks, even though Webb is likely to go 2-0 this series. Colorado has just been so dominant over the last month that I expect them to go take care of the rest of Arizona’s rotation, a unit that tails off significantly after Webb.
Pick: Rockies in 6
