Matt Harvey had made one start in the postseason in his short career in the majors, and that was earlier this season. Jon Lester had started 13 games and carried a 2.66 postseason ERA over his long tenure with the Red Sox, Athletics and Cubs.
But in Game 1 at Citi Field, Harvey looked like the veteran superstar against the Cubs’ talented bats, going 7.2 innings and only allowing four hits and two runs as the Mets took the early series lead with a 4-2 win.
It was a typical performance from New York this season, relying on their skilled, if slightly inexperienced, group of pitchers while the offense put together a passable game to secure the win.
With the Mets taking a 1-0 lead in the NLCS and the Royals up 2-0 heading to Toronto in the ALCS, the World Series has to be on the minds of both sets of fans. But can they get there, or will the Cubs or Blue Jays battle back to steal the series?
Let’s take a look at which teams are likely to advance to the Fall Classic and who is best positioned to take home the title:
Date: Oct. 18, 2015
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Odds: Cubs -175, Mets +165
Odds via OddsShark.com
World Series Prediction
Despite what was expected heading into the ALCS, the Kansas City Royals have taken complete control in the series and head to Toronto with a 2-0 lead. Blanking the Blue Jays in Game 1 was the perfect start, and a comeback win in Game 2 put last year’s runners-up in great position to return to the World Series.
Toronto has already used two of its top pitchers and still failed to secure a victory, while the Royals haven’t trotted out Johnny Cueto to pitch yet and should hold the advantage in Game 3 against Marcus Stroman.
If the Royals can manage a win in Toronto over the next three games, it will be hard for the Blue Jays to fight back into the series even with the powerful bats they have.
In the NLCS, the Mets played great defensively and shut down the vaunted young bats of the Chicago Cubs, doing just enough offensively to eke out a 3-1 win.
But with the talent the Cubs bring to the field on a nightly basis, it will be hard for New York to count on only giving up a single run every game and it remains to be seen if the Mets can keep up with Chicago in a high-scoring affair.
The Cubs get Jake Arrieta back for Game 2, which automatically gives them a huge advantage, and if they can win home-field advantage away from the Mets, Wrigley Field could be too much too handle over a three-game span.
With power hitting, youth and pitching on their side, the Cubs should be able to overcome the 1-0 deficit in the NLCS and join the Royals in the World Series.
The Cubs have shown time and again this postseason that they are one of the best power teams in the majors, but against the Royals, that seemingly means nothing. The bats of the Blue Jays have been largely held in check so far, and while Chicago is good, it can’t quite measure up to what Toronto brings to the plate.
Kansas City has the experience, the pitching and the batting to improve on last season’s result and claim the franchise’s second title in history. Chicago is the fun story this year and should challenge for the title for a long time, but the Chicago fans will have to wait at least another year before celebrating the ending of the drought.
World Series Prediction: Royals beat Cubs 4-2
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