Oct 14, 202310 min read

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We flip to the next page of the Fall Classic after another lackluster round that gave us more sweeps; blowouts; and poor revelations. Don't get in a full twist- we still saw some loud moments. The tops seeds have all gone packin'; the Phillies' faithful gave off SCENES in the Bank; and Bryce Harper's playoff legacy continues to add more weight.

The action is ready to resume on Sunday, and we can only hope the games will be closer. The diamond has been charged; will the comp meter get power and start up?

The number one seeds in both the AL and NL have been swept in the LDS. The Rangers swept the Orioles and the Diamondbacks swept the Dodgers to shake up the postseason picture heading into the championship series'. The sweeps gave fans a poor taste that made them seek grief and point blame at the new playoff format.

I for one, wish to see closer ball-games in the playoffs. Is the new playoff format the reason for the blowouts and the two top seeds being sent home? No! Stop looking for reasons to complain and cry. Bye teams havin' a 5 day break before playin' does not give them a poor advantage. I did have a gripe regarding the Wild Card round. Despite the win or go home intrigue, movin' to a three game set is just dandy. I just don't like one team having three consecutive home games. I am an on-goer who really enjoys the atmosphere and feel it's fair (I usually hate that word) to give both teams the opportunity to FEEL the opposing city's roar. I get the travel. Milwaukee playin' one game then hoppin' on a flight to play in Arizona the next day. I guess you can whine about that but, those poor Marlins didn't stand a chance in Philadelphia. The only outcome to my gripe would be 5-5-7-7. Besides that, the format is fine, stop complaining. The teams need to play better plain and simple. Braves are one of the highest scoring teams in MLB regular season history but, couldn't mustard more than three runs in their 3 L's to the Phillies? Excuses-excuses. Shoutout to their ace Spencer Strider on not accepting the new playoff format as an excuse unlike many others:

Just for smiles, you know the 100+ win Dodgers and Braves blew it last year too? Under the old format. So, don't sit there and try and blame the playoff format for teams shittin' the bed. Take a deep breath. The comp' has to improve though. This is the playoffs, man. Ten out of fourteen games being decided by 3 runs or less isn't too terrible but, no one wants to see sweeps. The Astros/Rangers matchup & the Diamondbacks/Phillies matchup looks to change that narrative. I think it's an easy prediction to say they will. Start up the electricity.

Diamondbacks. Phillies. NLCS. Oh baby, does that spark flames off the keyboard. The two teams who have brought the most pop offensively are now set to square off in an electric NLCS showdown. The noise in this one should be off the CHARTS.

Philadelphia has once again been the story of the MLB playoffs. Two years in a row, now. From savages being put on display to atom bombs off the bat, and capped off with scenes made by the fans unlike anything heard, or seen in sports. No sugar cone. The Phillies are entering the NLCS with intent, givin' off a heatwave that may be greater than the one from last season. Philadelphia have now knocked the Braves out in two consecutive NLDS. Doing so in extreme competitiveness and at times... personal warfare. Creating a new bitter rivalry for us fans to adore.

The series had some steam right off the bat, obviously due to last season's series but, also with the two fan bases goin' at it on whom is superior in the "home-field advantage" department. For Atlanta, that was a grave mistake. The Philly crowd took things to another level by somehow raising the bar they set last year. The volume and vibes toned off one of the loudest atmospheres we have seen in North American sports. It was a spectacle and a complete statement as the 'Phils faithful even took the tomahawk chant and launched that to another level too. The fans took over and elevated the Phillies' lineup to launch moonshots; stare-downs; and a full on offensive onslaught.

21st-century Mr. October is Bryce Harper and it's in stone. Harper is HIM. Braves' shortstop Orlando Arcia messed up real bad when he chirped around a hot mic in the clubhouse. The mistake was mostly him spittin' Harper's name out of his mouth. Awakening the monster that was created last year... the monster that sent them home. Harper took Arcia's "atta-boy" statement personally, as he launched an earthquake creatin' BOMB in Game-3 to give the Phillies the lead:

Unreal clutch in the grandest moment. The confidence; savagery; and pure boldness by Harper to launch a three-run blast, give an infamous stare-down, and then sign it off with a preconditional throat slash at home-plate. Big time baller. You saw the epic stare-down picture in the above headline graphic, and you saw the broadcast angle of the homer. Those don't speak the full justice of the moment. Outside of being in the Bank, this camera angle shows the best justice. Experience it all from Harper, experience playoff baseball in legendary form:

video via MLB/X

Harper now has smashed 10 home-runs in the NLDS round across his career, passing Chipper Jones (9) for the most all-time. He's arguably the most hated man in Georgia, right now. Harpers godly clutch leeched onto his mates as Nick Castellanos; Trea Turner; and J.T. Realmuto also added fuel to the Philly crowd meter with monstrous hits; Turner and Castellanos especially. We rave about Bryce Harper, and rightfully so but man, we need to rave about Nick Castellanos too! That cat is on FIRE and just as baaaad as Harp.

Casty stole the show in games three and four as he became the first player to hit multiple homers in consecutive postseason games. Castellanos hit two off of Spencer Strider to seal the coffin shut on the Braves in GM-4. Checkout the second one that took Strider out of the game and sent Philly into a frenzy:

The swing; the strut; the swag... yeah that cat was LOCKED in. Batting out of the seventh spot- Castellanos gettin' this hot at the plate is a recipe for disaster to any pitching rotation. Trea Turner being just as hot along with Bryce Harper!? Braves' pitching were doomed. Speaking of Trea Turner and being hot: Turner was right with Casty in game four as Trea went 4-4 at the plate including a lead takin' blast that is pure poetry in motion:

video via MLB/X

Philadelphia has a montage of epic blasts mixed with epic crowd decibels in response. It has been another special playoff run thus far for Philly. Now they advance to the NLCS for the second year in a row to face a team who also has a montage of homers.

Arizona shocked the baseball world with a three game sweep of the Dodgers, including two dubs in Los Angeles. The Snakes bit Clayton Kershaw with some nasty venom and then suffocated rookie Bobby Miller and Lance Lynn to death to master the sweep and move to 5-0 in the playoffs. I'm talkin the Snakes SLASHED the Dodgers' pitchers- Kershaw; Miller; and Lynn's combined stat-line is not good:

We know who angered the Phillies, who the hell angered the Diamondbacks? Must be the doubters, or maybe they are just HUNGRY. Diamondbacks are back in the NLCS for the first time since 2007, ridin' a 5-nil unbeaten streak that has been sparked by a power led offense and topped off with defensive prestige that they have shown all season. This is the first time the Diamondbacks have won multiple playoff series since the 2001 campaign... the year they won their only World Series (wink wink).

Arizona exploded in game one for eleven runs, thrashing Clayton Kershaw to possible retirement as he gave up 6 hits; 6 earned runs; and posted a 162.00 ERA to the Diamondbacks' lineup. The Dodgers' loaded lineup only scored two runs to the Snakes' eleven, bringin' the baseball world to a daze. Just like we saw with Philadelphia last season, Arizona proved the narrative that once the playoffs start- it's a new season. A reality the Dodgers are used to... just not in the good way like Arizona:

Dodgers should stop at 99 in the future by those results. What another brutal collapse, and like the Braves- there is no valid excuses to be made. Arizona was better in every fashion of the game across the series than the Dodgers. They wanted it more and then some. The starters were rock solid in all three games and the Arizona bullpen pitched nearly to perfection in all consideration. The offense scored 3 in game two's first inning, and knew the pitchers had the game on lock. Game three saw the Snakes wanting the NLCS more in testimony and in record fashion as the Snakes thrashed Lance Lynn with FOUR homers all in the 3rd inning. Geraldo Perdomo, Ketel Marte, Christian Walker and Gabriel Moreno made history as it was the first time a team hit 4 homers in one inning, in MLB postseason history.

It was an unreal experience. Like watching Mike Tyson set up a fight finishing fury. Haymaker; after haymaker; after haymaker. Christian Walker smashing the 4th one threw you off your rocker. Walker goes up and smashes one, gettin' the crowd in a frenzy just for it to be ruled foul. The noise balanced and then next pitch BOOM: the crowd gets wild again. Surreal moment that made everyone feel the dagger vibes despite it only being a third inning. You could just see the Dodgers' souls get sucked into the skies like Sirius Black. Feel the energy:

video via Arizona Diamondbacks/X

That's all the offense needed to as the pitchers sailed them the rest of the way. Arizona is scorchin' as they are ridin' a major heatwave into the NLCS. Setting up a legendary duel with the Philadelphia Phillies, whom are ridin' the same level heatwave. Holy smokes, this is going to be damn good.

Chase Field's occupants for games 3-5 will to need to rest their voices in the coming days. They will need to give everything they have to help the Snakes roll into the Fall Classic. I don't need to say the same to those packin' the Bank in Philly. That atmosphere is going to be insane. This series should be insane. Got me Joey Styles excited, lets run this thing!

ALCS will bring us a duel between two division rivals. One of the best slates to a seven game playoff series that we can ask for. Texas Rangers. Houston Astros. Oh we ready, baby.

The Astros march to their seventh straight ALCS after closin' the door on the Twins that wrapped up a competitive series in the divisional round. Outside of Houston's nine run breakout in GM-3, the series was close and came down to the Astros bullpen and closers to secure the berth. Yordan Alvarez is back to being an absolute game-breaker at the plate as he destroyed four baseballs for homers. Jose Abreu caught his drift and smashed three of his own, helpin' Alvarez power the offense against a real solid pitching staff of the Twins.

It wouldn't be right for me to rave about Bryce Harper and not rave about Yordan Alvarez in a similar degree. Alvarez continues to be a PROBLEM in the playoffs at smashing homers in the biggest of moments. He's not wreckin' ya in every at-bat but, he does in the big moments- like Harper. Seven of Alvarez's ten career playoff homers have come in the division series. He's slowly beginning to give off that Ortiz fear for pitchers when he walks to the plate late in playoff games. How about Jose Abreu as well!?

Abreu has been destructive in his two career division series appearances. With the White Sox ('21), Abreu batted .357 with 3 RBIs and reached base 7 times in his 14 at-bats. This go around for the Astros he was that and MORE. The on-base percentage went down a tad but that's all fine due to his three homers; 8 RBIs; and 14 total bases. Abreu's clutch emergence for the Houston lineup has been pivotal as the cleanup hitter Kyle Tucker has been a non factor in the core of the lineup. Abreu's two-run shot in game four, was the biggest moment of the game elevating them to squeak out a 3-2 clinching win.

As I mentioned, now Houston returns to the ALCS for the seventh year in a row as they look to be in the Fall Classic in consecutive seasons and for the fifth time in the past seven years. Baseball's current dynasty have a major roadblock ahead with the Texas Rangers waiting in the wings. They went 9-4 against Texas in the regular season: that all goes out the window.

Like the Diamondbacks, the Rangers also shocked the baseball world with a sweep of their own as they sent the AL's number one seed Orioles home in powerful fashion. Games two and three saw the Rangers own the diamond as they exploded for a combined 18 runs with the pitching holdin' the O's to just one run in the series clinching game three win. Sluggin' superstar Adolis Garcia broke game three open and electrified Globe Life Field with a bat flippin' moonshot:

video via MLB/X

Texas now has two playoff series wins after not winning a series since 2011. That was also the last time the Rangers made the ALCS as they went to the World Series two years in a row in 2010 and 2011- just to lose them both. Can the Rangers finally end one of the most dreadful title droughts in the Big 4? They have to get through an arch rival in order to see if a third time is the charm. A tough feat as they didn't fare well with Houston in the regular season. The Rangers have just as dangerous of a lineup as the Astros and bring out two starters in Jordan Montgomery and Nathan Eovaldi that they have all the faith of the world in.

Eovaldi had a shaky 2021 postseason with the Red Sox but, he was a giant x-factor for Boston in their 2018 World Series dub, posting one of the best World Series performances of this era in that '18 Classic. Now, Nathan looks to be back to that form as he wants another crack at pitching in a World Series. Texas will sure need him in that form as I expect we have some small score pitching duels in a couple of the games.

Montgomery and Verlander will get the nods in game one of the ALCS. This series should bring much more noise than the Baltimore and Texas series did. Houston is lookin' to cash in one more time before some of their stars' clocks run out. Texas looks for that first title. Yup... this is going to be lit.

What a slate we have in the league championship series this year. We baseball fans are rejoicing in intrigue and excitement. Epic playoff atmospheres. Rivalries. Bloody endeavors. The Shakespeare of sports. This is what legends are made from.

We ask: please no sweeps and blowouts. I want cardiac arrests; broken tellys; and tears of both joy and demise. It's time we turn the meter to full blast. Phillies versus Snakes. Rangers duelin' with the Astros. League Championship Series. LETS GO!

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