The 2009 playoffs have been awful so far. The only series that wasn't a sweep ended in four games. But the stark differences in talent make grading the performances of each team that much easier. Let's get right to it.
Boston Red Sox
Grade: C
Unlike the other two teams that got swept, this team showed signs of life when facing elimination. But for every hit they had, it seemed like the Angels had two more. In the two games before that, this offense was abysmal. One run in two games is probably not going to cut it against the Nationals, let alone the Angels. They'll not only have to watch the rest of the playoffs from home, but it seems increasingly likely that their hated rivals will be there every step of the way. The next few weeks will seem like an eternity in Boston.
Colorado Rockies
Grade: B-
They looked good against the defending World Series champs, but relied too heavily upon their pitchers consistently dominating. The offense needed to step it up for them to win the NLDS, and it failed to do so. Jim Tracy was basically guaranteed a job next year with the Rockies' performance after he took over in the regular season, so an early exit here won't matter much. I fully expect this team to be back here next year, and with some of their younger players having more experience when that time comes, they might make it even farther.
Los Angeles Angels
Grade: A-
The Angels looked very good in their sweep of the Red Sox. Unfortunately for them, they have to face the only team left that's on more of a roll than they are. They might win a game or two against the Yankees, but unless Alex Rodriguez and C.C. Sabathia both recede into their former playoff troubles, don't expect anything more than that. Their success against the Red Sox was predicated upon an amazing job by their pitching staff, which completely stymied the explosive Boston offense for the first two games. If they can couple that with the offense they showed in Game 3, they just might prove to be a worthy adversary against the Yankees, but don't count on their ability to do that for four out of seven games.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Grade: B+
As bad as the Cardinals may have been, their performance should not deter you from thinking that the better team won the series. In the first third of the playoffs, the Dodgers looked like they did in the first third of the regular season. That is, not necessarily the best team in the league, at least on paper, but somehow always better than whoever they happen to be playing on any given day.
They hit well, at least considering the pitching staff they were up against, and their whole pitching staff was electric for the entire series. Their team ERA over the three games was 2.00, and that was against a team with a fairly powerful lineup. If they can use this series to jump-start their NL pennant bid, they might be pretty hard to stop.
Minnesota Twins
Grade: C-
This team ended up in the playoffs largely due to the complete collapse of the Detroit Tigers over the last month of the season. Most people expected them to be the worst team in the playoffs, and if not for a horrendous showing by the St. Louis Cardinals, they would have been. Still, they were only one blown call away from possibly winning game 2. Considering that the game took place in New York, that was no small task. Either way, they still lost that game, and the other two in the series. All their playoff appearance really did was force them to play one more game in the Metrodome.
New York Yankees
Grade: A
They are who we thought they were. They hit well, they field well, and they pitch well. It sounds like a simple analysis, and that's because it is. Even A-Rod is hitting very well, and Sabathia has reversed his recent trend of poor playoff performances. This team has finally gotten back to where Yankees fans expect them to be, proving once and for all that it is possible to buy talent. I say $200 million will be enough to win them the 2009 World Series.
Philadelphia Phillies
Grade: B+
Cliff Lee was exceptional in Game 1, and Game 4 was no different. He is the best pitcher left in the playoffs, and he's got a good offense to back him up. If Lee keeps this up, he might be the MVP of the NLCS in a week or so. The Phillies also have looked good offensively, but the Dodgers' pitching staff will prove to be more of a challenge than the Rockies' staff was. They're the champs until somebody beats them, so I won't completely disregard their chances of repeating, even if they have to beat the Yankees to do it.
St. Louis Cardinals
Grade: D
This team was terrible in its quick exit from the playoffs. A team that features Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday in the middle of the lineup, and has Ryan Ludwick and Mark DeRosa thrown into the mix, should not struggle to hit left-handed pitching. Yet in the first two games of the NLDS, in which the Dodgers started two lefties, the Cardinals managed a thoroughly unimpressive 5 runs, some of which came off of right-handed pitching in the Dodgers bullpen.
Relying on two Cy Young candidates at the top of your pitching rotation necessitates those same pitchers delivering quality starts. In the first game, Chris Carpenter failed to deliver, but in the second game, Adam Wainwright delivered arguably the best pitching performance of the playoffs so far. But when your bullpen allows four consecutive batters to reach base, and Matt Holliday makes a rare error at the worst possible time, even the best 8-inning performance won't be enough without some decent hitting.
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