That was quick! After just 3 games, the Detroit Tigers and their 3 Cy Young pitchers, and the Los Angeles Angels with their top run producing offense, are both vanquished from the 2014 playoffs.
In the case of the Angels, the writing was on the wall once they lost both extra inning games to the Royals, because the quality of their starting pitching drops off after Weaver and Shoemaker. C. J. Wilson and Hector Santiago both demonstrated the inconsistency they had shown all year, as the Royals scored 8 runs to easily eliminate the Angels.
For the Tigers, much was made of their acquisition of David Price and he didn’t pitch badly, but he was outpitched by unheralded Bud Norris. Of course, this series was lost in the first two games, when the Tigers bullpen imploded. The result is a sweep by the Baltimore Orioles, and can be sited as another example that a single great player helps, but does not guarantee post season success.
In the National League, it would behoove the Giants to follow the example of the Royals and Orioles and finish off the Nationals with their ace Madison Bumgarner on the mound. The first two games were tight and could have been won by the Nationals, so the difference between the two teams is not much. I wouldn’t want to give the Nationals more opportunities to reverse the results if I were the Giants.
The Cardinals and Dodgers are my one hope for a competitive Divisional Series.