Division Series Predictions

I began the season by picking the Chicago Cubs to win the World Series this year, and I'll stand by that (for now), although the Tigers obviously won't be participating. That said, I'm still getting over the fact that I am actually typing something that I never would have imagined myself typing this year: The Tampa Bay Devil Rays could realistically win the World Series.

Wow.

But we've still got a ways to go before the Fall Classic, and here's how I see the first round going (in descending order of confidence):








Chicago Cubs over Los Angeles Dodgers in four games





While the way in which the Cubs were unceremoniously swept out of the first round last season hasn't been forgotten, Chicago didn't have the benefit of home-field advantage last year. They open the series at home, where Ryan Dempster has been as good as anyone could have hoped for—and he'd pitch there twice if the series has to go five games. But I'm not sure that's going to be necessary as Manny's unbelievable bat can't win by itself, especially when one considers the hitters the Cubs will be sending to the plate.






Tampa Bay Devil Rays over Chicago White Sox in five games





The White Sox have now survived three consecutive must-win games, and that admittedly is the type of spark that carries teams all the way. But I'm not going to get carried along with that "momentum" argument here, seeing as Chicago goes into Tampa's Tropicana Field. Not only have the Devil Rays been lights-out at home this year (57-24), but domes spell death to the White Sox. They won only five of the 22 games they played indoors this year and the most recent series with a roof saw the Sox get swept out of Minnesota—three games that quickly became "must-wins." Home team wins every game with the Devil Rays moving on.

Boston Red Sox over Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in four games

Sure, the fact that the Angels won 100 games this year is impressive. The division they play in, the AL West, is not. Three sub-.500 teams that Anaheim got to put in the rearview mirror as soon as they got out of the gate. Compare that to Boston, teh Wild Card team that came out of a division in which four of the five teams finished above .500. Trust me, I'd like absolutely nothing more than to see the Red Sox be eliminated as soon as possible, but I'm guessing the defending champs will survive the opening round and are (unfortunately) a very real threat to repeat.

Philadelphia Phillies over Milwaukee Brewers in five games

Who's less likely to disappoint you? It feels like a series more likely to be lost by one team than to be won by one. I'm not sure that's entirely fair, seeing as C.C. CC Sabathia and Brad Lidge have earned their regular season hype. But historically speaking, it's two franchises with more memories of painful losses than ones of victory—or at least that's how I remember them. The Phillies looks better on paper and strike me as the safer bet, but I'll be pulling for the Brewers.