Archive for October, 2016

NLCS 2016: Cubs vs. Dodgers Position-by-Position Breakdown, Predictions

Here’s one thing we know for sure: The 2016 National League Championship Series is going to feature a lot of blue.

The Chicago Cubs knocked the orange-and-black San Francisco Giants off in four games, and on Thursday the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the red-clad Washington Nationals in Game 5 of their division series matchup.

It’s the Cubs’ second consecutive trip to the NLCS and the Dodgers’ second in four years. 

Chicago has the infamous World Series drought, which dates back to 1908, as if you needed to be reminded. L.A., though, is working on a decent dry spell of its own. The last time the Dodgers hoisted a Commissioner’s Trophy was in 1988.

The North Side faithful will surely look at that 80-year gap and scoff. The point, though, is that both fanbases are hungry.

With the series set to kick off at Wrigley Field on Saturday (8 p.m. ET on FS1), let’s break down the position-by-position matchups to see who’s got the edge, contrast the skippers who will be calling the shots, and finally, make a prediction for what figures to be an entertaining clash of blue.

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Blue Jays vs. Indians ALCS Game 1: Live Score and Highlights

Francisco Lindor’s two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning provided the only scoring in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, giving the Cleveland Indians a 2-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Lindor roped a one-out pitch from Toronto starter Marco Estrada into the seats in right-center field, right after Jason Kipnis drew a walk. Those were the only mistakes Estrada made all game. He went the distance with six strikeouts and six hits allowed in the complete-game loss.

Cleveland starter Corey Kluber allowed six hits with six strikeouts and two walks in 6.1 innings, stranding seven Blue Jays runners on base, and then Andrew Miller followed by striking out five of six batters he faced. Cody Allen came on for a 1-2-3 ninth to get the save.

Scroll down for our real-time updates, analysis, statistics, tweets, pictures and anything else worth noting from Progressive Field in Cleveland.

     

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.

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Trevor Bauer Injury: Updates on Indians Pitcher’s Finger and Return

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Trevor Bauer will miss Game 2 of the American League Championship Series after cutting his pinkie while fixing a drone on Friday, per Tom Withers of the Associated Press. 

Continue for updates.


Latest on Bauer’s Status

Friday, Oct. 14

The cut required several stitches and Bauer’s start will be pushed back to Game 3, per Withers. Josh Tomlin will step in to start the second game of the series.

Despite losing his Game 2 starter, Indians manager Terry Francona stayed upbeat when speaking with the media on Friday, via Tyler Kepner of the New York Times:

Prior to Game 1, Bauer waved his injured hand to waved to the crowd and “playfully” slapped Michael Brantley in the face, per Zack Meisel of Cleveland.com.

The 25-year-old Bauer, who was the third overall pick of the 2011 draft, put together his best season in the majors by posting a 12-8 record and a 4.26 ERA in a career-high 35 games this year. 

He made his first career postseason start in Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Boston Red Sox, going 4.2 innings while allowing three runs on six hits and striking out six.

While he didn’t get the win, the Indians’ bats did enough to take Game 1 and spark a series sweep to clinch a spot in the ALCS against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Thanks to the sweep, the Indians had enough time to swap Bauer’s spot in the rotation with the veteran Tomlin. 

Tomlin recorded a career-best 13 wins this year (4.40 ERA), providing support behind Cleveland ace and Game 1 starter Corey Kluber. 

Also making his postseason debut this year, the 31-year-old Tomlin went five innings in the decisive Game 3 of the ALDS, allowing two runs on four hits and picking up the win.

However, Tomlin has been susceptible to the long ball, allowing 36 home runs this season, which was the third-most among all pitchers. The Toronto Blue Jays, who ranked fourth in the league with 221 home runs this season, are not an ideal matchup for Tomlin.

That means there is even more pressure for the Indians to take Game 1 on Friday night with Kluber on the mound.

    

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com

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MLB Playoffs 2016: Live Stream Schedule and Championship Bracket Predictions

The World Series dream is still alive for four teams, as the 2016 Major League Baseball Playoffs head to the Championship Series round with a pair of exciting matchups.

The Chicago Cubs used late-game heroics to get past the San Francisco Giants last round, but they will need to overcome a confident Los Angeles Dodgers team to win their first National League pennant since 1945. On the American League side, the Cleveland Indians and the Toronto Blue Jays each enter their series looking stout from sweeps, but something will have to give in this matchup of opposing strengths.

Take a look below at the dates and the live-stream and television schedules for the championship series. A full playoff bracket can also be found at MLB.com. Continue reading for a breakdown and prediction for each series.

 

    

Cleveland Indians vs. Toronto Blue Jays

 

Opposite forces will collide in this series, as the high-octane Toronto offense will try to overcome a stifling pitching attack from Cleveland.

The Blue Jays lead the postseason in runs scored with 27 after four games. Yet, the Indians boast a tremendous bullpen that helped hold the Boston Red Sox, MLB’s top scoring offense in the regular season, to just seven runs in three games.

Pitching and the ability to generate early offense will be the key in this matchup.

Neither team boasts a substantially superior rotation, but Cleveland does have the matchup’s only true ace in Corey Kluber. The 2016 Cy Young candidate racked up an 18-9 record this season while posting a 3.14 ERA, but he is 1-3 in his career against the Blue Jays with a lackluster 5.34 ERA.

Kluber also has a shaky history against some of Toronto’s top sluggers, including Josh Donaldson, who is tied for the lead in these playoffs with a .500 batting average. 

In his only postseason start in 2016, Kluber beat Boston with seven scoreless innings. With him starting Game 1, Kluber could be available for two more starts, which could give Cleveland an edge if this series goes long. However, Toronto fared well with its own staff against the Texas Rangers, allowing a solid 12 runs in three games.

The Blue Jays can trot out three stout starters in Marco Estrada, who will start Game 1, J.A. Happ and Marcus Stroman. This gives them a bit more depth in the rotation with Cleveland starters Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar injured, but this series could be decided by which team can score early.

The Indians have arguably the best bullpen remaining in these playoffs, with Cody Allen, Andrew Miller and Dan Otero highlighting a group that can carry the team to a win. They proved it against Boston, as Kluber was the only Cleveland starter to pitch more than five innings, while the trio mentioned above combined for zero earned runs in eight combined innings.

Yet, Cleveland could have trouble earning late leads against this Toronto offense. The middle of the Blue Jays lineup has been absolutely deadly this postseason. Jose Bautista, Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion and Troy Tulowitzki have combined for six homers and 20 RBI while posting a .364 batting average in four games.

The Blue Jays bullpen has also been very good, as it only has allowed two earned runs this postseason. Cleveland outscored Toronto in the regular season, and it had no problem averaging five runs per game against Boston.

This matchup appears microscopically close, but Toronto earns the slightest of edges here. Cleveland’s bullpen is tremendous, but it may not get too many chances to win games with the Blue Jays having a strong opportunity to take advantage of the Indians’ rotation depth. Kluber‘s history also suggests he may get rocked at least once, which could give the Blue Jays enough of lead for their bullpen to hold on and close out this series.

 

    

Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers 

 

The Chicago Cubs are certainly on a mission to end their title drought, as the World Series has eluded the franchise since 1908. While their wait is certainly the longest, the Cubs are not the only team remaining this postseason with a long streak of coming up short, per SportsNet:

Despite this morbid history, Chicago sports the most complete team in baseball and is undoubtedly the favorite win the 2016 World Series. This makes it surprising that the offense has sputtered so far this postseason.

The Cubs’ .200 team batting average was the worst in the Divisional round. It also does not help that pitcher Jake Arrieta is tied for the team lead with three RBI, but NL MVP candidate Kris Bryant has been excellent, hitting .375 with one dinger and three RBI. He also contributed several clutch hits in late innings, so the playoff spotlight has not been too bright.

Chicago’s lineup is strong all the way through, as Javier Baez, Dexter Fowler, Jason Heyward, Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell and Ben Zobrist are all dangerous hitters. The pitching staff is also fantastic, and it could be the difference.

Jon Lester will start Game 1 on plenty of rest since his eight-inning shutout win over the Giants in the opening game of last series. The team will likely follow that up with Kyle Hendricks, who led the majors in ERA this season, and Arrieta, who has the potential to be untouchable on the road this series, per Comcast SportsNet Chicago’s Christopher Kamka:

The Dodgers exhausted themselves to pull out a series win over the Washington Nationals, as closer Kenley Jansen pitched 2.1 innings in relief in Game 5 while Clayton Kershaw got the last two outs on a day of rest with two previous starts under his belt. Washington manager Dusty Baker speculated that this could be an issue for Los Angeles against the Cubs, per Southern California News Group’s J.P. Hoornstra:

This is a valid concern, especially considering the Dodgers lost four of their seven games against the Cubs in the regular season. The extended action will likely push Kershaw back to a Game 3 start at the earliest, and Rich Hill started Game 5 against the Nationals, which puts him on a similar time frame for his next start.

So who can the team rely on to earn wins at Chicago? Kenta Maeda was the only other pitcher to start for Los Angeles last series, and he was roughed up for four earned runs in three innings.

Julio Urias, a promising 20-year-old, could be an option after 15 starts this season. He pitched well in relief last series, allowing only one hit in two relief innings, but he had a 4.91 ERA against the Cubs this season, and he is an unknown in terms of this level of pressure in the postseason.

If the Cubs continue their immense struggles at the plate in the first two games at home against a depleted Dodgers team, then the offensive ineptitude would certainly become a trend and a massive concern. Yet, this lineup is too talented to be this mired forever, and Chicago should benefit from facing a less experienced side than San Francisco.

The pieces are in place for the Cubs to return to the World Series, and they should be heavily favored in this matchup.

 

Statistics are courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted. 

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Wade Davis Trade Rumors: Latest News, Speculation Surrounding Royals RP

The Kansas City Royals are reportedly willing to part with star closer Wade Davis if the right trade offer comes along during the offseason.

Continue for updates.


Royals Listening To Offers For Davis

Friday, Oct. 14

Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball reported Friday teams have started calling Kansas City about Davis, and the front office is listening as it looks to make payroll cuts before the 2017 season.

The Royals hold a $10 million club option on Davis for next year, which includes a $2.5 million buyout clause, according to Spotrac. Heyman noted picking it up is a “formality.”

The 31-year-old reliever is coming off another terrific season at the back end of Kansas City’s bullpen. He racked up 27 saves while blowing just three chances to go along with a 1.87 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 47 strikeouts in 43.1 innings.

To put in perspective how good he’s been over the past three years, his outstanding 1.87 ERA was still nearly the combined totals of his 2014 (1.00) and 2015 (0.94) seasons. It’s a far cry from 2013, when he struggled to a 5.32 ERA while spending most of his time as a starter.

His name also popped up in the rumor mill leading up to the trade deadline with the Royals on the fringe of the playoff race at the time. Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star passed along the closer’s comments about trying to keep his mind off what could happen.

“People talk about it sometimes, even players,” Davis said in July. “And when it comes down to it, we’re here because, one, we love to play baseball. And obviously, we’re here for our teammates, but most of all, (we’re here for) our families.”

The only concern is his health. He landed on the disabled list twice during the regular season with forearm problems, which other teams will surely want to look into before giving up any key assets.

Kansas City may be best served waiting awhile to make a move, though. The free-agent market is littered with top-tier relievers, led by Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon, which could limit what teams are willing to offer for Davis for the time being.

If the Royals wait until those other marquee closers sign new contracts over the winter, they could get better value on the trade market from a team that missed out on the free agents.

                                                      

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ALCS Schedule 2016: Coverage Info, Odds Guide and Series Predictions

The Toronto Blue Jays made the playoffs on the last day of the regular season after an inconsistent month of September, but they are playing in the American League Championship Series after sweeping the favored Texas Rangers in the division series.

The Cleveland Indians limped into the playoffs with an injured pitching staff after winning the AL Central and then swept the hard-hitting Boston Red Sox. 

Now these two teams will battle in a best-of-seven series to represent the American League in the World Series. The Indians will have the advantage of playing the decisive game at Progressive Field if the series goes seven games.

The Blue Jays appear to have the more powerful offense. They feature Edwin Encarnacion (42 HR, 127 RBI), Josh Donaldson (37 HR, 99 RBI), Troy Tulowitzki (24  HR, 79 RBI) and Jose Bautista (22 HR, 69 RBI in 116 games), and their presence allows Toronto to string long hits and runs together.

The Indians have a pair of big-time sluggers in Mike Napoli and Carlos Santana, who both hammered 34 homers this season.

It’s not going to be easy for the Cleveland pitching staff to keep those big bats in check, but there is no panic among Terry Francona‘s hurlers. Corey Kluber is capable of shutting down the best lineups, and the numbers prove his excellence.

Kluber went 18-9 with a 3.14 ERA and a 1.056 WHIP. Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin started and pitched well in the division series, but the strength of the pitching staff is in the bullpen. Andrew Miller is Cleveland’s dominant reliever, and Francona uses him in a creative manner. Miller can pitch at any point from the fifth inning on and throw 40 pitches effectively.

Miller was remarkable after being acquired from the Yankees. In 29 innings with the Indians, he had a 1.55 ERA, gave up 14 hits and had an otherworldly 0.552 WHIP.

Since closer Cody Allen is so effective (32 saves, 1.000 WHIP), Francona does not have to employ Miller in the ninth inning. That may be the key to Cleveland’s success in this series or beyond if the Indians make it to the World Series.

The Blue Jays have excellent starting pitching as well. Aaron Sanchez, Marco Estrada and J.A. Happ are capable of going deep into games while giving up a minimal number of runs.

The Blue Jays are slight favorites to defeat the Indians in the ALCS. According to Odds Shark, the Blue Jays range from minus-115 to minus-150 to win the series, while the Indians range from even to plus-142.

    

Prediction

The Blue Jays are the more explosive team and probably have more talent from top to bottom. However, the Indians are a competitive bunch that welcomes any challenge. They will not be cowed by facing the Toronto sluggers, just as they were not fearful about facing David Ortiz and the Red Sox in the first round.

The Indians have big edges in the bullpen and on the bench. Francona should be able to manage circles around spit-and-vinegar John Gibbons. Francona is the better psychologist and strategist, and that should pay off when the games are late and close.

Look for the Indians to take the series in six games and represent the American League in the World Series.

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NLCS Schedule 2016: Coverage Info, Odds Guide and Series Predictions

A thrilling NLDS Game 5 on Thursday night from Nationals Park saw the Los Angeles Dodgers, behind the heroics of Kenley Jansen and Clayton Kershaw, punch their ticket to the NLCS with a victory over the Washington Nationals. 

Looming in the Windy City are the Chicago Cubs, a rested team that made quick work of the San Francisco Giants in the NLDS and took four of seven games during the regular season from the Dodgers.

With the pennant on the line, here is the series schedule and how you can watch each game.

    

Odds Guide

Odds to Win World Series (via Odds Shark):

  • Chicago Cubs: 11-5
  • Los Angeles Dodgers: 9-2

     

Predictions

Cubs defeat Dodgers in five games to win the pennant, Kris Bryant will be NLCS MVP

As the best team in baseball, the Cubs own the advantage when looking at the matchup on paper. In terms of every notable regular-season stat, Chicago has the better numbers:

The Cubs emitted a certain kind of swagger on their way to a Major League-best 103-58 record. It was the first time since 1935 that the club has won over 100 games in a single season while trying to end baseball’s longest and most famous championship drought. 

Unlike other ill-fated years, they’ve already showed off the clutch gene in the postseason, coming back from a three-run deficit in Game 4 of the NLDS in San Francisco:

Thanks to a young, fearless core, the Cubs have been able to look history in the eye while taking the league by storm.

Along with veteran second baseman Ben Zobrist, Chicago’s entire infield started the All-Star Game, becoming just the second unit to ever to do so alongside the 1963 St. Louis Cardinals, per ESPN.com

But their most important infielder will be third baseman Kris Bryant, who will be too much for the Dodgers to handle in the NLCS

An MVP candidate this season, Bryant has batted .320 with four home runs and six RBI in seven games against the Dodgers.

They’ll have a golden chance to jump out to an early lead, as Dodgers ace Kershaw isn’t expected to pitch until Game 3 following his Game 4 NLDS start and Game 5 save on one day of rest. 

Chicago’s pitching has been just as impressive as its bats thanks to a rotation headlined by a banged-up Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester, who both posted sub-2.40 ERAs this season. Joining them is last year’s NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta to round out a dominant trio of pitchers that can stifle the Dodgers early in the NLCS

With such a well-rounded team, it’s difficult to think that the Cubs will be denied of their first National League pennant since 1945. 

     

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com

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2017 MLB Free Agents: Rumors and Predictions for Underrated Stars

Both the National League Championship Series and American League Championship Series are set after the Los Angeles Dodgers took Game 5 from the Washington Nationals on Thursday night, cutting down the remaining field in Major League Baseball to just four. 

But plenty of teams, both alive and eliminated, are already focusing on next season and some free agents who could be on the move. 

As baseball winds deeper into October and closer to the offseason, here is the latest on some possible underrated free agents and where I think they’ll end up next spring.

   

A Pair of Texas Hurlers Could Be on the Move

Despite posting the best record in the American League in 2016, the Texas Rangers pitching was no match for the powerful offense of the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Division Series.

Two pitchers in that rotation, Derek Holland and Colby Lewis, are facing free agency over the winter. 

Holland has spent all eight of his MLB seasons with the Rangers but is coming off his worst year since he was a rookie in 2009. In an injury-shortened 2016, Holland went 7-9 with a 4.95 ERA while posting a strikeout-to-walk ratio of just 1.91. 

That could be a reason the Rangers are unsure about whether they will pick up Holland’s option for the 2017 season, per TR Sullivan of MLB.com. If his deal is picked up by Texas, Holland will make an estimated $1.5 million next year, per Spotrac

Lewis also experienced an injury-shortened season for the Rangers, going 6-5 with a 3.71 ERA in 19 starts. He was just a year removed from a career year in 2015, when he went 17-9 despite a 4.99 ERA. 

According to Sullivan, both players have expressed their desires to stay with the club, “but that is far from given.”

Given their lack of success and playing time, the Rangers might be looking for more reliable options to support Cole Hamels, Yu Darvish and Martin Perez, especially because other free agents such as Doug Fister and Rich Hill are projected to be available.

Prediction: Rangers decline Holland’s option, let Lewis walk in free agency.

    

Nori Aoki

Seattle Mariners outfielder and leadoff man Nori Aoki was not having a good contract year in 2016. With free agency looming this winter, Aoki was batting .247 with an on-base percentage of .321 on Aug. 3. 

However, he was able to turn his season around, collecting 48 hits in his team’s final 41 games to raise his average to .283 and his on-base percentage to .349. The Mariners just didn’t have enough to nab a wild-card spot, though.

With the power of Nelson Cruz and Robinson Cano in the Mariners lineup, Aoki was looked upon to get on base and provide ducks on the pond for the big bats:

Despite a .286 career batting average with an on-base percentage over .350, Aoki hasn’t been able to find any sort of continuity in his MLB career. In five seasons, Aoki has played for four different teams, and free agency runs the risk of increasing that number. 

However, Bob Dutton of the News Tribune reported that Aoki‘s hot finish to the 2016 season has “hiked interest” from Seattle to offer him a new deal. 

If the Mariners believe Aoki can play a consistent brand of baseball moving forward, then they have their leadoff man for the next few years as the team prepares to become more of a threat in the American League. 

Prediction: Aoki remains with Mariners. 

    

Mike Napoli

Cleveland Indians veteran first baseman Mike Napoli isn’t letting age slow him down. During his age-34 season, he put up career highs with 34 home runs and 101 RBI, and he’s been a big part of an Indians team that is in the ALCS for the first time since 2007. 

His 101 runs batted in were a team high, while the 34 round-trippers tied designated hitter Carlos Santana for most by a Clevelander

With those two in the middle of the lineup, the Indians had the fifth-best scoring offense in the league:

It seems like he really enjoys playing for Indians manager Terry Francona too, per ESPN.com’s Buster Olney: “I’m getting goose bumps just talking about him.”

Olney also pointed out that there is a good chance Napoli remains in Cleveland next season: “He probably could test the free-agent market and get a good deal elsewhere. But the Indians and Napoli are interested in seeing if they can work out some kind of extension that would keep him in Cleveland.”

Napoli played under a one-year, $7 million deal after signing with the Indians via free agency, per Spotrac. During a contract year in 2015, he was dealt from the Boston Red Sox to the Texas Rangers. 

But having already endeared himself to the Indians fans and organizations thanks to his big year, Napoli could very well find a home where he’ll end his MLB career.

Prediction: Napoli returns to Cleveland.

    

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com

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Complete Offseason Guide, Predictions for the Washington Nationals

Fans of the Washington Nationals don’t care that Game 5 of the National League Division Series was a contest for the ages. Their team lost, failing to advance to the National League Championship Series for the third time since 2012.

“That’s probably one of the craziest, if not the craziest, games I’ve ever been a part of in my career,” Nationals ace Max Scherzer said after the game, per MLB.com’s Jamal Collier and Ken Gurnick. “Man, this is a tough one to be on the wrong side of.”

Even tougher will be the months ahead, one that will find Washington’s front office tasked with trying to improve upon a team that won 95 games and its third NL East title in five years. Will there be wholesale changes to the roster, or mere tweaks here and there? Let’s take a look at how things might shake out.

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MLB Playoffs 2016: Odds, TV Schedule, Predictions for Championship Series

The MLB playoffs have been everything fans could have hoped for, from shocking game finishes to surprising series wins.

As Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports noted, one team is going to get its first World Series win in a long time:

Obviously, the Chicago Cubs have been waiting the longest, but all these teams are in new territory for this generation, creating plenty of unknowns moving forward. While uncertainty makes the game fun, here is an attempt to predict what will happen over the next couple of weeks.

    

American League Championship Series

These two teams have been flawless to this point in the postseason.

The Cleveland Indians won all three games in their series against the Boston Red Sox and are +375 (bet $100 to win $375) to win the World Series, but the Toronto Blue Jays (+225) have won all four of their contests, including the AL Wild Card Game against the Baltimore Orioles.

Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman sums up what makes Toronto so dangerous:

The pitching came with Aaron Sanchez struggling, which means it could be even better in the next round. The real strength of the team, though, is the lineup, which has produced 10 home runs in four games so far in the playoffs.

Josh Donaldson hasn’t gone yard yet in the playoffs, but he does have five doubles to go with his .500 batting average.

This offense is a terror for opposing pitchers when it is clicking, especially for an Indians rotation that is already short-handed.

Cleveland does have a few tricks up its sleeve, however, including an elite bullpen. Cody Allen has been steady as the closer, although Andrew Miller is the real star as a versatile weapon who can be used in any inning.

“I know sometimes people don’t think a reliever can impact your team as much as a player position [can]. I would argue that point,” Indians manager Terry Francona said, per Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post. “He has been everything we hoped for. We gave up a lot of good players for him. That’s how much we think of Andrew.”

Francona has done everything he can to get the most out of the lefty, and he will be extremely valuable out of the pen to quiet Toronto’s bats for a couple of innings at a time. Unfortunately, there are only so many innings Miller will be able to pitch in a seven-game series.

The bullpen will make an impact, and Corey Kluber is still one of the most talented starters in the game, but the rest of the staff is full of question marks.

Cleveland has an elite offense as well, with Jason Kipnis and Jose Ramirez hitting well so far in the playoffs, but the Blue Jays will be able to match on the scoreboard for most of the series. Each game should be a back-and-forth battle, but Toronto should be able to advance to the World Series.

Prediction: Blue Jays 4, Indians 3

    

National League Championship Series

Like the Indians, the Los Angeles Dodgers showed a lot of creativity with their ability to win in the division series.

Game 5 against the Washington Nationals featured a save by Clayton Kershaw just two days after he threw 110 pitches as a starter. Kenley Jansen also came up big with 2.1 innings of relief work, all after Rich Hill pitched 2.2 innings on three days’ rest.

Los Angeles began Thursday at +900 to win the World Series, although that will likely drop to closer to 4-1 or 5-1 odds after moving on to the NLCS.

The Dodgers have trustworthy starters and a lineup that mixes youngsters and veterans, any of whom are able able to come through with a big hit when needed.

On the other hand, the squad is coming into the next round in rough shape after leaving everything on the line against Washington. There are a lot of question marks about who will pitch the first couple of games, not to mention whether anyone in the bullpen will be available.

The Chicago Cubs have no such problems after having a few days of rest leading up to Game 1.

Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta and Kyle Hendricks are all elite starters who can shut down an opposing lineup, while the Cubs offense is almost unstoppable from top to bottom.

There is a reason the squad is only +160 to win the World Series despite the organization not winning it all since 1908.

Chicago was by far the best team in the league during the regular season and is built to win over a seven-game series. This one should go according to plan.

Prediction: Cubs 4, Dodgers 1

               

Note: All World Series odds courtesy of Odds Shark.

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