Photo Courtesy: All-Pro Reels
Baseball fans were spared another loathsome Dodgers playoff run after the San Diego Padres upset them in the NLDS. The Padres rode pitching to close victories in 3 of the 4 games. The stacked Dodgers were neutralized despite being heavy favorites. The Dodgers and their core have been a pervasive force in the playoffs for the last 8 years. The Dodgers success is both grating and played out.
San Diego PadresThe Padres boast an offensive core of Manny Machado, Juan Soto, Josh Bell, and Fernando Tatis Jr. Machado is the most hated player in baseball. He is a dirty player with an irritating demeanor. He likes to run his mouth and whines a lot. He also is a top tier slugger that plays great defense. Juan Soto is the best young hitter in the game. They traded the Nationals a king’s ransom at the deadline to aquire the young star. Soto hasn’t looked as good since he was traded. Josh Bell has pop but lacks defensive versatility. Fernando Tatis Jr. was the most hyped prospect in baseball a couple years ago. He plays a plethora of positions and hits very well. He was signed to a mega deal after showing promise in the Bigs. He wasted the first half of the year recovering from a dirt bike injury and the 2nd half suspended for violating the PED policy. He hilariously claimed the drug test was failed because he was treating ringworm. This excuse is reminiscent of Barry Bonds saying he took “flax seed oil” during his 2001-2004 immortal run where he became the most feared hitter ever. Barry never tested positive for PED’s though. Tatis being gone really hurts the lineup. It shortens and cheapens the lineup for a team that’s been building for this run for years and went all in. If the Padres fall to the Phillies, Fernando’s selfish behavior will be the main reason they lost. The organization has been building to this moment for years and could have their best shot wasted. The Padres boast some great pitching. Joe Musgrove has anchored the staff through the playoffs. He is from San Diego and has a nasty curveball. He no hit the Rangers. He was one hitting the Mets in the Wild Card round when the Managerial Anthrax Buck Showalter came out to the mound to cry to the umps about Musgrove using foreign substances. He demanded the umps check Musgrove. Musgrove was rubbed down like Lou Ferigno and the umps found NOTHING. Musgrove continued to dominate after the fastidious search and seemed to be fired up by the insipid Metsian maneuver. The low rent, pathetic squalor was the cherry on top for one of the biggest collapses in MLB history. What made it Metsy was the petty nature of the complaint and Musgrove’s obvious innocence. The Mets were a darling pick to make a deep run. They led the division almost all season before collapsing in September in true Mets fashion. The Padres also have Yu Darvish and Blake Snell. Darvish is a playoff choker. Snell is a “five and fly” softie. They also have Josh Hader anchoring their bullpen. Hader is a closer who looks and throws like Randy Johnson circa 1995. They traded big for Hader at the deadline. Their bullpen is solid but lacks other big names. The Pads have a brilliant skipper in Bob Melvin. Overall this team is very solid but badly misses Tatis. The lineup is a little thin without him. The Padres deserve credit for dismantling the two most hyped teams in the NL.
Philadelphia PhilliesThe Phillies are an interesting, plucky team. They are in the playoffs for the first time since 2011. They have only had two winning seasons since then. The Phillies narrowly made the playoffs and are top heavy. They are led by two righty aces: Aaron Nola and Zach Wheeler. Ranger Suarez is their best young pitcher, he is 3rd in the rotation. The Phillies Achilles heel is their bullpen. Their closer, Corey Knebel, is hurt. Their bullpen is shallow and the worst of all the playoff teams. This is a squad that needs to bludgeon opponents to win. Their win condition is to go up by 5 or more runs early. Teams like this rarely do well in the playoffs. The Phillies assault is led by defending NL MVP Bryce Harper. Harper is a legit star and one of the most exciting players in the league. He has some help this season. Beefy slugger Kyle Schwarber leads off and hits for power. Rhys Hoskins provides pop from the right side. JT Realmuto is the best catcher in baseball. He plays great defense, hits for average and power, and is fast. Nick Castellanos was added this offseason to give the lineup more consistency and pop. He and Hoskins both lack defensive ability. The Phillies have a better, more potent lineup. They will have a hard time retaining leads due to their bullpen. Their defense is worse than the Padres. This is the most exciting NLCS matchup. The Braves and Dodgers were both heavy favorites going into the NLDS. Both those teams are playoff stalwarts. It is nice to see new blood in the NLCS. The Braves and Dodgers heavy favorite horror show was growing tiresome. Not only will this be a welcome reprieve, these two teams deserve the spot and are fun to watch. Regardless of who wins, the baseball community is lucky to not have to suffer through another Dodgers World Series appearance. Ultimately this series will be defined by the Phillies pitching depth. Can Aaron Nola and Zach Wheeler hard carry and throw complete games? Can the Phillies get good starts from some combination of Ranger Suarez, Kyle Gibson, and Noah Syndergaard? Syndergaard looks washed and not like he did in his prime with the Mets. Unless the Phillies pummel the Padres early and play from ahead, it will be hard for them to win the series with their bullpen.
Prediction: Padres 4-3.
