Baltimore Orioles: Four Bold Playoffs Predictions
Aug 4, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Baltimore Orioles manager
Buck Showalter(26) is interviewed prior to a game against Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports
The Orioles will make it to the World Series, where they will ……
… either win it or lose it! How’s that for bold?
Here is what I mean by this:
It is pretty clear that the National League as a whole is inferior to the American League. I don’t think there is anything scary about Pittsburgh, St. Louis, or San Francisco. The Orioles were 3-1 against the Pirates, outscoring them 28-17. And Baltimore was 2-1 versus the Cardinals, putting up 25 runs in those games. The Giants were not on the 2014 schedule. If any of these three teams somehow made it to the World Series and played the O’s, I believe the Orioles would have a strong advantage and would win.
The most interesting scenario in Major League Baseball would be for a Battle of the Beltways Series of the Baltimore Orioles against the Washington Nationals. It is so interesting that these two teams – so long in the basements of each league – both finished with identical 96-66 records. Along the way, their seasons largely replicated each other with slow starts and a strong second half and finish.
In head-to-head competition, the Orioles have seemed to have just a bit of an edge. And even with the very strong final months of the Nationals and their hot pitching, the Orioles match up well against them. I would give the edge to the Orioles and predict them to win in seven games in a highly entertaining World Series.
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However, were the Los Angeles Dodgers to prevail through the National League Playoffs, this would present a more difficult scenario. Clayton Kershaw is simply amazing and clearly in a league of his own. He is good for two wins in a World Series. That means that an opposing team has to win four of the other five games to prevail – no small matter.
The Dodgers lineup is filled with quality hitters, not just Yasiel Puig, and they finished the season with an 8-2 record over the final 10 games. Therefore I would predict the Dodgers to win in six games, not only over the Orioles, but over whatever AL team would face them. And that is a bold pick.