We're really going into a week of Championship Series' where three of the teams are actual division leaders who overcame first round byes. Which means this playoff season can actually fully complete whatever story was being told in the regular season, rather than suddenly go 'and then Arizona got good and beat everybody' or 'and then all these worthy teams were mowed down by a Houston team that wasn't as good as the last three'.
Even better that both of these teams started the series' landing in win-or-die formation first, and both of them clawed their way back and into the next round. It could have been easy to succumb to the inevitable, but the Dodgers and Guardians refused, and fought off lethal opposition to advance.
The Dodgers' series win happened because of a few unrelated factors. Yes, the Padres went cold for two games, that just can't happened. But the heart of what makes the Dodgers lethal postseason opponents abruptly woke up. The first blow of the night came from Enrique Hernandez, off of former Dodgers postseason disappointment Yu Darvish, who reminded everyone of how incredible he can be in the postseason. Then Teoscar Hernandez cracked another one. And it was the strength of the Dodgers bullpen that carried this team to an NLCS, regardless of how likely a Padres win was at several points.
On one hand, the Dodgers are now going to an NLCS with a limited rotation strategy, but because of Betts, Freeman and Ohtani's work thus far, they're still the favorite.
The Guardians meanwhile had to truly fight for their win, as the series they had with the Tigers was so evenly matched that it could flip at any moment. Two comparable bullpens, two comparable scrappy lineups. Today seemed difficult for the Guardians, as Tarik Skubal was on the mound, and for a while that was enough. But Skubal got tired, the Guardians' lineup got restless, and pretty soon Lane Thomas was grand slamming everyone home. Thomas was the undisputed hero today, being responsible for 5 of the team's 7 runs, and cementing his status as one of the power pillars of this team. And while Cleveland's rotation prospered, Detroit's further deteriorated, meaning Emmanuel Clase, still bitter over his blow earlier in the week, got to be the hero again.
The Guardians went into a series as the favorite and came out by the skin of their teeth. As they head into New York they're the underdog. At this rate, they may not be for long.
As for who we're bidding adieu to..
I really thought the Padres were going back this year. At their peak they were deadly, and their October energy really made me think they'd have enough to outdo the Dodgers. They just picked the wrong time to go cold. Even Xander Bogaerts, who was having a pretty decent series, couldn't get anything done last night. I get that momentum only lasts so long in the playoffs these days, but I really thought the Padres had figured it out. Fortunately, I do think this team has enough to still compete next year, with a still young core that could keep the rest of the division at bay for a while.
Mets-Dodgers kicks off tomorrow. The Haves vs. The Haves...who until recently Had Not [Been Good]. Should be interesting either way.
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