Kuzul

Clayton Kershaw, closer.

Hey, why not? After a division series round where bullpens mattered more than ever, why not end it all with the best pitcher of our generation coming out of the bullpen to get the final two outs?

Kershaw did it, finishing off the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 4-3 win over the Washington Nationals. Their matchup was the only division series to last the full five games.

Not that any of these series were easy.

In 10 of the 15 division series games, it was either tied in the ninth inning or the losing team had the tying run at the plate in the ninth. There were big home runs, four-run rallies and even a walk-off race to the plate on a throw to first base.

There was the emotion of David Ortiz’s farewell, and we learned how to correctly spell Conor Gillaspie (don’t let autocorrect tell you you’re wrong).

If you watched to the end every night, you missed out on a lot of sleep, but you didn’t miss any of the drama. And you probably feel a little like Kershaw did when it all ended well after midnight Friday morning.

“We’re all exhausted after every game, even if you’re sitting on the bench,” he told Fox Sports‘ Jon Paul Morosi. “These games are such grinds that it’s such a relieving feeling when they’re over and you win.”

It’s over. The Dodgers won, and so did the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays.

There was plenty of excitement, plenty of stars and plenty to fill this year’s edition of Bleacher Report’s League Division Series Awards.

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It was truly all hands on deck for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5. 

Clayton Kershaw got the save on one day of rest after starting Game 4, following 2.1 strong innings from Kenley Jansen out of the bullpen. Six different pitchers took the mound for the Dodgers on Thursday as they secured a 4-3 win over the Washington Nationals in a winner-take-all battle.

Mike Petriello of MLB.com summed up the drama in the last inning:

MLB Stat of the Day provided an interesting note on Kershaw’s performance:

While the game was good throughout, the action picked up in the seventh inning. Down 1-0, the Dodgers scored four runs against a record six different Nationals pitchers to take the three-run lead.

Washington was able to answer back with two runs in the bottom of the inning but failed to capitalize on a bases loaded situation that would have tied the game or given the Nationals the lead.

ESPN Stats and Info recapped all the action from a busy inning:

The Nationals had two more chances to tie the game but couldn’t get it done against either Jensen or Kershaw, ending their season at home.

Los Angeles’ bullpen finished with 6.1 innings pitched after starter Rich Hill did all he could on three days’ rest, allowing one run in 2.2 innings while striking out six. Joe Blanton and Julio Urias kept the Nats off the board for the next 3.1 innings.

Justin Turner and the Dodgers then only needed one inning to get all of their offense to secure the win and move on to the National League Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs. 

Max Scherzer looked every bit of the Cy Young contender he is to start the game, throwing bullets out of the gate, per ESPN Stats and Info:

He sent the Dodgers down in order in each of the first two innings and didn’t give up a hit until the fifth. He ended up with six shutout innings before giving up his only run in the seventh.

Meanwhile, the Nationals were able to get on the scoreboard in the second inning when Danny Espinosa hit an RBI single to bring home Daniel Murphy.

Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post provided some perspective on the surprising hit:

Washington challenged once again in the third inning with two runners on base, forcing the Dodgers to make an early pitching change. Hill gave way to Blanton, who coaxed a fly ball from Anthony Rendon to get out of the inning.

The Dodgers then had their own chance in the top of the fifth but struggled once again with the bases loaded, as described by Scott Miller of Bleacher Report:

According to Baseball Tonight, they fell to 0-for-9 with the bases loaded in the series.

Scherzer was otherwise cruising on the mound, thanks in part to Jose Lobaton behind the plate, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports:

He ended the night with seven strikeouts in a strong effort to keep Washington in the game.

The two sides traded zeroes on the scoreboard as the game continued, with the Nationals only hurting themselves with outs on the basepaths. Bryce Harper was picked off to end the fifth, while Jayson Werth was thrown out at home by a mile in the sixth.

It took until the seventh inning for the Dodgers to get on the scoreboard. Joc Pederson drove a ball over the left field wall, knocking Scherzer out of the game in the process.

Later in the inning, a pinch-hitting Carlos Ruiz came through with an RBI single to give Los Angeles the 2-1 lead. Two batters later, Justin Turner drove in two more runs with a triple.

Brian McNally of 106.7 The Fan captured the moment at Nationals Park:

Of course, the game was far from over as Chris Heisey hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh to cut the lead to one. This led to a bold move from Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, which was praised by Kevin Burkhardt of Fox Sports:

Jansen got out of the inning after striking out Rendon with the bases loaded. The closer followed that up by getting through the eighth inning as well. By the time he got the first out in the ninth inning, he had set a career high in pitches in a game.

After walking Harper and Werth, however, it was time for Kershaw to get his moment, just one game after throwing 110 pitches.

Pedro Gomez of ESPN noted what makes this game different than all others:

The ace did his job, getting Murphy to pop out before striking out Wilmer Difo and securing the win.

Dan Plesac of MLB Network provided this amazing statistic on Kershaw’s save:

Passan explained what this means for the lefty going forward:

There isn’t a lot of time for the Dodgers to celebrate, as Game 1 of the NLCS is Saturday at 8 p.m. ET. The Chicago Cubs are waiting and rested after beating the San Francisco Giants in four games in the NLDS.

The Cubs are certainly favored following a season in which they posted by far the best record in baseball, but Los Angeles won’t go down without a fight.

Postgame Reaction

Nationals manager Dusty Baker expressed skepticism about where the Dodgers will go from here after using their best arms Thursday, per J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group:

On the other hand, Roberts was only concerned with using his best pitchers when it mattered, per Ryan Schuiling of 92.1 FM:

Considering the Dodgers are moving on while Washington is going home, Roberts likely feels good about his choices in Game 5.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter.

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The Chicago Cubs have been waiting for nearly a full year to get back to the National League Championship Series.

Last year, that exercise did not go well for Joe Maddon’s team, as they were swept in four games by the Mets and denied the opportunity to go to their first World Series since 1945.

Of course, it has been much longer than that since Chicago’s National League representative won the World Series. The 108-year wait for the Cubs has been tortured for many generations of fans, and they have good reason to believe that this is the year they can get to the World Series with an excellent chance of winning it.

By beating the San Francisco Giants in four games in the National League Division Series, the Cubs preserved their starting pitching rotation. They will be able to start left-handed ace Jon Lester in the opener and follow with Cy Young candidate Kyle Hendricks if Maddon chooses to go in that direction.

The Los Angeles Dodgers will fly into Chicago on a tremendous high themselves. They edged the Washington Nationals 4-3 in Game 5 of their NLDS, and that allowed them to advance to the National League Championship Series.

The Dodgers got gutsy relief performances from Kenley Jansen and Clayton Kershaw, and that allowed Los Angeles to survive and advance.

The Cubs are favorites to represent the National League in the World Series. According to Odds Shark, the Cubs range from prohibitive minus-310 to to minus-160 favorites to win the NLCS. The Dodgers range from plus-450 to plus-530 underdogs to win the National League pennant.

Chicago was a dominating team during the regular season, winning the National League Central Division by 17 ½ games over the St. Louis Cardinals, and they were a remarkable 57-24 at Wrigley Field. That’s another problem for the Nationals, because the seventh game would be played in Chicago if the series goes that long.

The confidence in the Cubs’ well-appointed locker room is peaking. “This is exactly where I envisioned our team being when I was deciding who to sign with,’’ Cubs infielder-outfielder Ben Zobrist told Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. “My ultimate goal here is to win a championship. And that’s what everybody’s is. We’re close to that.’’

Prediction

The Cubs were the best team in baseball during the regular season by winning 103 games, and then they faced a tough test in the NLDS against the San Francisco Giants.

After losing Game 3 that allowed the Giants to get back in the series, the Cubs trailed in Game 4 until the ninth inning. That’s when they rallied for four runs to take the lead. They secured the victory in the game and the series when Aroldis Chapman struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth.

That showed the mettle the team has, and as Zobrist pointed out, the team is confident and ready to play. The Dodgers are a fine team that might have a good chance of advancing most years. However, this Cubs team is one for the ages.

Chicago wins the series in five games.

For tickets information, go to ScoreBig.com.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers staved off elimination in Game 4 of the National League Division Series with a 6-5 victory on Tuesday, setting up a decisive Game 5 with the Washington Nationals on Thursday night.

The Dodgers took Game 1 of the series by a score of 4-3, but the Nationals picked up back-to-back wins after Game 2 was pushed back due to rain.

An RBI single by Chase Utley in the bottom of the eighth inning proved to be the difference in Game 4, but the Dodgers were forced to start ace Clayton Kershaw in that game as they fought to keep their season alive.

That leaves veteran Rich Hill (12-5, 2.12 ERA, 129 K) as the starter for Thursday night’s game, with rookie Julio Urias (5-2, 3.39 ERA, 84 K) waiting in the wings if he runs into any sort of trouble.

Those two and the rest of the Dodgers lineup will tasked with facing Nationals ace Max Scherzer (20-7, 2.96 ERA, 284 K), who did not look particularly sharp in Game 1 when he allowed five hits and four earned runs on a pair of home runs over six innings.

Who will come out on top in Game 5 of this exciting NLDS matchup?

Keep it right here for live updates on all of Thursday’s action and be sure follow me on Twitter (@JoelReuterBR) for further MLB analysis.

FINAL SCORE: Dodgers 4, Nationals 3

W: Julio Urias (1-0)

L: Marc Rzepczynski (0-1)

SV: Clayton Kershaw (1)

SCORING PLAYS

BOT 2: Danny Espinosa RBI single (0-1)

TOP 7: Joc Pederson solo HR (1-1)

TOP 7: Carlos Ruiz RBI single (2-1)

TOP 7: Justin Turner 2-RBI double (4-1)

BOT 7: Chris Heisey 2-run HR (4-3)

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The Division Series clash between the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers is the only one from either league to go the distance. That’s not much of a surprise given how evenly matched the clubs were coming into the postseason.

Now it comes down to a single game to determine which team will keep its World Series hopes alive. The visiting Dodgers are set to send Rich Hill (12-5, 2.12 ERA) to the mound to take on Nationals ace Max Scherzer (20-7, 2.96 ERA) in Thursday’s series finale.

So let’s check out all of the important details for Game 5, followed by a game preview and a prediction for which side will advance to face the rested and favored Chicago Cubs in the NLCS.

Game 5 Viewing Information

Where: Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.

When: Thursday, Oct. 13 at 8 p.m. ET

Watch: Fox Sports 1

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go

Game Preview

As expected, it’s been a hard-fought series. Two games were decided by one run and the only lopsided result was an 8-3 victory for the Nationals in Game 3, which was actually a one-run contest heading into the ninth before Washington tacked on four insurance runs.

Game 5 should be more of the same.

The Nationals decided to start Joe Ross in Game 4 and keep Scherzer available for the decider or Game 1 of the NLCS. The Dodgers opted to bring Clayton Kershaw back on short rest with their backs against the wall, and while he didn’t pitch great, they survived to fight another day.

Scherzer gives Washington the pitching advantage Thursday night, but not by a significant margin. Hill battled through some blister issues that limited him to 20 starts, but his late-career renaissance continued when healthy with a 2.12 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 110.1 innings.

The Nationals’ No. 1 starter is one of the best pitchers in baseball, though. This season marked the third time in the past four years he’s finished the regular season with a sub-3.00 ERA, and his electric arm has resulted in a terrific strikeout rate of 9.98 per nine innings for his career.

Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post noted Scherzer hasn’t attempted to downplay the significance of the Game 5 start, either.

“This is probably the biggest start of my career,” he said. “Biggest start of my life.”

A pair of home runs doomed him in his first start of the series. He gave up four runs in six innings despite allowing just five hits and no walks.

Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is hopeful the club can scrape together enough runs against him for the second time in the series, per Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times.

“We beat him once already, we know we can do it,” Gonzalez said. “We put some pretty good at-bats against him in Game 1 and I’m confident that we can do it again.”

ESPN Stats & Info noted history also favors Los Angeles in these situations:

All told, this game should feature plenty of drama, regardless of which team is left standing when the dust eventually settles. It’s been an entertaining series between two clubs capable of giving the Cubs a legitimate fight, and the pitching matchup should ensure it ends with one more nail-biter.

The edge goes to the Nationals, though. They are playing at home, have their ace on the mound and had success against Hill earlier in the series with four runs in 4.1 innings. That should be enough to push them into the next round by the slightest of margins.

Prediction: Nationals 3, Dodgers 2

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No matter who wins the upcoming American League Championship Series, the Toronto Blue Jays or Cleveland Indians will inject the World Series with fresh blood.

After winning the title in 1993, the Blue Jays went 21 seasons without a playoff berth until last year. After falling short against the Kansas City Royals in 2015, they have another chance to advance beyond the ALCS.

Cleveland, meanwhile, hasn’t made it this far since 2007, when it squandered a 3-1 lead against the Boston Red Sox.

Which franchise will take one more step toward reversing years of misfortune? Let’s break down the fight for the AL crown after running through the series schedule and updated World Series odds, courtesy of Odds Shark:

ALCS Preview

Cleveland and Toronto finished the season ranked No. 7 and No. 9, respectively, in team OPS. They both flexed their power during American League Division Series sweeps; the Indians went deep five times, while the Blue Jays belted eight home runs.

Yet their stellar pitching especially stands out against tough opponents. The Blue Jays—who led the AL in ERA, one spot ahead of the Indians—limited the Texas Rangers to 10 runs despite both squads hosting games in hitter’s parks.

The Indians faced a steep challenge against Boston’s MLB-best offense without Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar, two of their three best starting pitchers.

Challenge accepted.

They held the Red Sox to seven runs and recorded 31 strikeouts.

Without his usual No. 2 and No. 3 starters flanking ace Corey Kluber, manager Terry Francona must continue to rely heavily on his bullpen. In the previous round, he asked star reliever Andrew Miller to deliver a two-inning outing twice.

Miller, who recorded a 1.45 ERA, a 0.69 WHIP, 123 strikeouts and nine walks during the regular season, delivered four scoreless innings. 

In Fox Sports’ studio, Alex Rodriguez called his former New York Yankees teammate “the best reliever in the game”:

Francona‘s usage worked out perfectly, as Kluber and Cleveland’s offense made sure they didn’t need Miller during a 6-0 victory in Game 2. In a best-of-seven series against a deeper Blue Jays rotation and a red-hot offense, though, he might not get as lucky.

Despite hopes of Salazar returning, Francona is not counting on having the explosive righty, per the team’s Twitter account:

That means rookie Mike Clevinger, who posted a 5.26 ERA without making it through the sixth inning of any outing in the regular season, is in line to start Game 4.

The Blue Jays have no such rotation worries. Marco Estrada, J.A. Happ, Marcus Stroman and AL ERA leader Aaron Sanchez offer four trustworthy choices. While the Indians would have to consider using Kluber on short rest if they go down 2-1 or 3-0, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons can comfortably arrange his four options in any order on a normal schedule.

Toronto’s injury concerns lie elsewhere.

Veteran reliever Joaquin Benoit suffered a torn calf during a bench-clearing scrum against the New York Yankees near the season’s finish.

Per Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling, he won’t return:

Devon Travis’ prognosis is better. Despite missing the final two games of the ALDS, the starting second baseman said he is “feeling much better” and should play in Friday’s series opener after receiving a cortisone shot in his right knee, per Zwelling.

“Honestly, the biggest thing is pain management,” Travis said. “Hopefully [the cortisone] calms it down. I don’t see why I wouldn’t be able to get through this. This is the playoffs. It’s something we’ve worked all year for. I’m going to get back in there and do my job.”

The offense kept raking without him, but not because of replacement Darwin Barney, who went hitless in both games. Even though he’s rolling, inserting Ezequiel Carrera—holder of a .255/.314/.665 slash line—into the leadoff spot isn’t the best way to set the table for Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion.

Travis, who hit .300/.332/.454 during his second season in the big leagues, provides a sizable boost despite not walking enough for an optimal No. 1 hitter. Then again, Gibbons might stick with Carrera, who is 6-for-16 with two walks and four runs in the postseason.

Prediction

The Blue Jays wield a mighty advantage with their starting rotation, especially if the lineup can get to Kluber. The Indians, on the other hand, can unleash Miller and Cody Allen in the bullpen. They’re also faster in the field and on the bases.

As the Royals proved last year, a stellar rotation isn’t required for postseason success. A solid one helps, though.

With all three star sluggers on fire, look for Toronto’s big bats to inflict more damage on Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin than Boston could impose. Miller and Allen should narrow the gap, but they won’t be able to extinguish all of Cleveland’s fires through seven games.

Pick: Blue Jays win in seven games.

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The majority of the postseason drama in the division series came from the National League this year, but the American League has two teams that are a combined 7-0 in the playoffs set on a collision course with a spot in the World Series hanging in the balance.

The Toronto Blue Jays stunned the Baltimore Orioles in 11 innings in the American League Wild Card Game then proceeded to sweep the Texas Rangers in the next round. The Cleveland Indians swept the Boston Red Sox and will square off with Toronto in the American League Championship Series.

The winner will face the Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals or Los Angeles Dodgers in the Fall Classic.

The Cubs ended the San Francisco Giants’ even-year magic by scoring four runs in the ninth inning of Game 4 of their series the day after San Francisco won a 13-inning thriller, while the Dodgers and Nationals will play a do-or-die Game 5 on Thursday.

With that in mind, here is a look at the updated postseason bracket, remaining schedule (courtesy of MLB.com) and predictions for which teams will clash in the World Series.

American League Bracket

National League Bracket

Postseason Schedule

World Series Prediction

The American League representative in the World Series is more of a straightforward prediction at this point because the Cubs don’t yet know their opponent in the National League Championship Series.

Cleveland was impressive against Boston, but its starting rotation injuries will prove costly in the ALCS. Mike Axisa of CBSSports.com noted Danny Salazar has been out since Sept. 9 because of a forearm injury, while Carlos Carrasco is done for the season with a hand injury.

While Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported Salazar threw a bullpen session and could pitch out of the pen against Toronto, that will still put plenty of pressure on Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin as the three starters.

They were able to carry the load in the short series with the Red Sox, but Toronto’s loaded lineup will get to them early and tax a bullpen that relies heavily on Andrew Miller and Cody Allen. 

Toronto leads the postseason in runs and finished fourth in the regular season with 221 home runs. Edwin Encarnacion (42 homers), Josh Donaldson (37), Troy Tulowitzki (24), Michael Saunders (24), Jose Bautista (22) and Russell Martin (20) all blasted at least 20 long balls during the regular season, and Bautista and Encarnacion have combined for five in just four playoff games.

What’s more, Encarnacion, Bautista, Donaldson, Martin and Tulowitzki are all right-handed hitters, which limits the impact the southpaw Miller will have late in the game.

Indians outfielder Coco Crisp still isn’t intimidated, per Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun: “When it comes to beating Toronto, just like Boston we’re going to have to come out there and relax and play our game.”

Despite the confidence, Toronto will wear out Cleveland’s pitching over the course of the longer series. 

There is also something to be said for experience, and the Blue Jays reached the ALCS last year and eventually lost to the Kansas City Royals. That won’t be the case this time around against Cleveland.

As for the National League, the Cubs’ dramatic comeback win on Tuesday was important for more than just the victory itself. Chicago earned three days of rest in between series to reset a formidable starting rotation that led all of baseball with a 2.96 ERA. 

That will prove crucial against the Dodgers, who pitched Clayton Kershaw on short rest Tuesday, or the Nationals, who will pitch Max Scherzer on Thursday.

The Cubs have a deep rotation with Jon Lester (2.44 ERA, 1.02 WHIP), Kyle Hendricks (2.13 ERA, 0.98 WHIP), Jake Arrieta (3.10 ERA, 1.08 WHIP) and John Lackey (3.35 ERA, 1.06 WHIP) that gives them a chance to win any given matchup. It says something about Chicago’s pitching that Arrieta won the National League Cy Young last year and is the No. 3 starter this season.

They also have a strong bullpen that can close the door behind the starters with fireballers Pedro Strop, Hector Rondon and Aroldis Chapman.

The lineup includes likely National League MVP Kris Bryant—who slashed .292/.385/.554 with 39 home runs and 102 RBI—Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist, Dexter Fowler and dynamic youngsters such as Javier Baez and Willson Contreras.

That group doesn’t have to score a ton of runs with the pitching and the best defense in baseball. According to FanGraphs, the Cubs defense was responsible for 82 total defensive runs saved above average this season, which was a full 31 above the second-place Houston Astros.

Chris Emma of 670 The Score in Chicago pointed out the bullpen and versatile defense are a perfect fit for manager Joe Maddon:

The opponent doesn’t matter—the Cubs have the formula to win in October.

World Series prediction: Chicago Cubs vs. Toronto Blue Jays

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Three of the four spots in the league championship series are set, with only the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers left to decide who will advance.

The divisional series provided plenty of drama, between the Toronto Blue Jays’ walk-off win to the Chicago Cubs’ improbable comeback in Game 4. On the other hand, these two teams and the Cleveland Indians combined to lose just one game as they advanced to the next round of the playoffs.

Fans will at least get to watch one winner-take-all battle in the opening round, and this has the potential to exceed expectations. Here is what you need to know for the final NLDS battle.

Dodgers vs. Nationals

When: Thursday, Oct. 13

Where: Nationals Park; Washington, D.C.

Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: Fox Sports 1

Odds (via Odds Shark): Dodgers (+135), Nationals (-150)

Preview

As with most baseball games, the biggest story coming in is the pitching probables. The Nationals will use their ace in Max Scherzer, while the Dodgers will start Rich Hill on only three days’ rest. While both pitchers had outstanding seasons, they are each coming off poor showings so far in the postseason.

Scherzer, who is a top contender for the NL Cy Young Award, allowed four runs in six innings in a Game 1 loss. The talented pitcher took full responsibility for the loss after the game. 

“Giving up those two home runs, I really feel like that was the difference in the ballgame,” Scherzer said Friday, per Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press. “I’m accountable for that and I’ll shoulder that and I’ll take the blame for that. I know I’m capable of executing pitches at a higher level, and I’ve got to do it.”

While Scherzer does have a bad game every now and then, Nationals fans should be happy about the fact he rarely doubles up on these performances. Only once during the regular season did the veteran pitcher allow more than four runs in back-to-back starts.

Hill is also coming off an impressive season where he posted a 2.12 ERA, but there are more question marks for him entering Thursday’s game. The 36-year-old starter doesn’t go deep into games ordinarily, averaging 85.2 pitches per game with the Dodgers this year. Coming back on short rest, it would be almost a miracle for him to top five innings.

As Holden Kushner of TuneIn noted, Los Angeles will use as many pitchers as needed:

Julio Urias won’t get the start, but you can be certain the 20-year-old lefty will see the field at some point in this important game.

No matter who is on the mound for the Dodgers, however, it will be a serious challenge to keep this Nationals lineup off the scoreboard.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today gave praise for the red-hot Daniel Murphy after his four-RBI performance in Game 4:

Murphy is hitting .462 in the postseason a year after breaking out in the playoffs with the New York Mets. Meanwhile, Jayson Werth (.467), Trea Turner (.353) and Ryan Zimmerman (.333) have been outstanding as well in the four games to this point. If Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon play to their abilities, this could be a high-scoring effort.

The Dodgers just haven’t seen the same type of effort from their offense with the exception of Justin Turner. Even Corey Seager has lacked consistency outside of a few big hits.

At the least, Washington should be able to get enough runs at home to give Scherzer breathing room. The starter can take care of the rest and lead the Nationals into the NLCS.

Prediction: Nationals 4, Dodgers 2

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Either the Cleveland Indians or the Toronto Blue Jays will represent the American League in the 2016 World Series after each team swept through the division series. Both sides figure to face much more resistance in the penultimate round of the MLB playoffs.

The club that ultimately earns that opportunity to play for a championship will be the one that responds best to the adversity that lies ahead in the American League Championship Series after moving through the previous round with only a few minor hints of drama.

So let’s check out all of the available information for the AL pennant battle. That’s followed by a preview of the series and a prediction for which team will punch its World Series ticket.

2016 ALCS Schedule

Series Preview

The Blue Jays limped across the finish line into the playoffs. They started September with a 76-57 record and a two-game lead over the Boston Red Sox in the AL East. A 13-16 record down the stretch dropped them into wild-card position, holding on over the final weekend to avoid a complete collapse.

Yet if Toronto ends up winning the World Series, being forced to play the extra playoff game will be looked back on as a turning point.

The Jays needed a spark. Beating the Orioles in 11 innings provided it. The powerful offense, which had gone dormant for extended stretches in September, came alive to score 22 runs during the three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers in the division series.

Ultimately, the biggest difference for Toronto this year is more reliability in the rotation. When the offense went cold, the starting pitchers stepped up to ensure the Jays could still qualify for the postseason. In all, the team finished the regular season fourth in starter ERA, per ESPN.

Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star passed along comments from manager John Gibbons about being able to count on anybody in the rotation—Marcus Stroman, Marco Estrada, J.A. Happ and Aaron Sanchez—in a crucial game:

In a lot of ways, that’s been the key to our whole season. All (four) guys doing their jobs. Before this even started, going back to before we played Baltimore 9in the wild card), that’s one of the things we looked at. Hey, we feel good about that. Regardless of what situation we’re in, we feel good about anybody we throw out there, no doubt.

Talent was never the question between the improved rotation and an offense featuring Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista and Troy Tulowitzki. The Jays just needed to break out of their rut, and it will be tough to slow them down now that they’ve done that.

Meanwhile, it’s a surprise the Indians have reached this stage. They have been forced to play without three of their most vital assets, with injuries sidelining outfielder Michael Brantley as well as starting pitchers Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar.

Jordan Bastian of MLB.com noted even Indians owner Paul Dolan is impressed with how the players have risen to the occasion when called upon to fill those voids:

“It’s just something they’ve done all year long,” Dolan said. “They just stepped up when they needed to and just [did] what nobody else thought they were capable of doing. The depth of the team, the character of this team, I mean they just swept the Boston Red Sox. That kind of speaks for itself.”

Although it’s a great story that will become even better if they manage to win the title without those impact players, it’s unlikely they can stand toe-to-toe with the Jays for the entire series and come out on top. They will need to get creative.

Cleveland manager Terry Francona needs to take some chances. Whether it’s hit-and-run calls and trying to steal more bases to put more pressure on the Blue Jays defense or utilizing a quick hook for his starters not named Corey Kluber, he must get creative.

One thing’s for sure: The Indians will hope some of the Cavaliers’ luck rubs off on them in another battle between the cities, as SportsCenter showcased:

Also of interest, Sportsnet Stats pointed out an extended drought is going to end this year regardless of which of the remaining teams comes out on top:

Ultimately, the Indians deserve a lot of credit for getting this far, and those fans whose favorite team is no longer alive and are looking for an underdog story will probably jump on the Cleveland bandwagon. It’s a testament to the front office to have enough depth to keep winning despite the injury issues.

The Blue Jays are in a better spot right now, however. They have found their groove again, and their roster is stronger from top to bottom than the current version of the Indians. That should allow them to power their way into the World Series after a hard-fought series.

Prediction: Blue Jays in six games

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The Chicago Cubs have moved a step closer to ending its 108-year title drought, while at the same time putting an end to the San Francisco Giants’ even-year magic.

The Cubs scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning to win 6-5, clinching the National League Division Series win in four games. Javier Baez’s RBI single scored Jason Heyward for the game-winning run, but before that Ben Zobrist had an RBI double and Willson Contreras added a two-run single as a pinch hitter.

Chicago forced the Giants to use five pitchers in the ninth, scoring three times before recording an out. Before that, San Francisco starter Matt Moore had been electric with 10 strikeouts and only two hits allowed in eight innings.

San Francisco built a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single from Conor Gillaspie and a sacrifice fly from Joe Panik. Three Giants runs cameon outs, two on sac flies and another on an RBI groundout. The fifth runs came when pitcher Moore singled with the bases loaded in the fourth to help his own cause.

The Cubs got their earlier runs on a solo home run from David Ross in the second and a sacrifice fly from Ross in the fifth.

Hector Rondon, the fifth of six Cubs pitchers, picked up the win in relief of starter John Lackey who was pulled after allowing three runs in four innings. Aroldis Chapman struck out the side for the save, a night after he blew a save during the Giants’ 13-inning victory that extended the series.

The Cubs will host either the Los Angeles Dodgers or Washington Nationals, who meet Thursday in Game 5 of their NLDS, on Saturday in the National League Championship Series.

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