MLB Notebook: League Championship Series Recaps

The chalk held in the League Championship Series, as both 1-seeds, the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers won their pennants. The sport’s most storied interleague rivalry will have its first World Series matchup since 1981. But before we look ahead, let’s look back, at how each team won its LCS battle:

NY Yanks over Cleveland in 5
On the surface, the series went as expected—even in this space, we called it Yankees in five in the previews. But Cleveland has to have a bad taste in their mouth over the way it went down.

The Guardians’ path to victory was to turn these games into bullpen battles. They did—at least the three games that were played in Cleveland. Their bats were able to get to New York’s relievers. Everything was there for the Guards to at least win two home games and force the series back to the Bronx or maybe even get a 3-2 lead.

But their best pitchers came up short in the playoffs, most notably Emmanuel Clase. After a Division Series where he gave up a game-winning blast to Detroit’s Kerry Carpenter, Clase was a complete train wreck in Games 3 & 4. His teammates rescued him in an epic Game 3, but the blown fourth game effectively ended this series. Cade Smith, so good all year, also struggled. In the lineup, Jose Ramirez continued a rough postseason.

That’s the problem though, when you have a narrow path to victory. By contrast, New York had more ways to win. Giancarlo Stanton made up for Aaron Judge’s slump with four home runs and ALCS MVP honors. Juan Soto had seven hits, three home runs, hit the blast that decided the pennant and is whom I would have voted as series MVP.

No less important is what Yankee role players did. Gleyber Torres quietly delivered eight hits and two walks at the top of the lineup. Anthony Volpe, the lineup’s best base-stealing threat, is swinging the bat well. New York’s supporting cast is peaking at the right time and that’s why, even with Judge struggling, the chalk was able to hold.

LA Dodgers over NY Mets in 6
Another series that prognostications in this space hit on the nose (pardon the victory laps, but after misfiring in three of four Division Series picks, I have to indulge myself). The reason for Los Angeles holding serve as a solid favorite isn’t a mystery—when you score 46 runs in six games, I’m almost positive your odds of victory rise substantially.

While the sheer scope of the Dodger offensive unloading wasn’t expected, the fact Met pitching would come up short can’t be seen as a major shock. They pitched over their heads against Milwaukee and Philadelphia. If the bracket had fallen apart and they could have drawn someone like Atlanta, the Mets might have had a magic ride. But asking a staff that’s mediocre—at least by playoff standards—to keep this up against the best teams in the National League was a bridge too far.

The top of the L.A. lineup was dominant. Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts, batting in the 1-2 holes, combined for 17 hits, 14 walks, and four home runs. Moreover, the Dodgers, like the Yankees, are getting support down the lineup. Tommy Edman was the biggest hero, with his 11 hits earning him a deserved NLCS MVP trophy. But don’t overlook Kiki Hernandez—a role player who now has a reputation for consistent contributions in October (from 2020 with the Dodgers to 2021 with the Red Sox), Kiki hit .292 for the series.

Even with Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez having slow series, Los Angeles just has too many weapons, and New York didn’t have enough arms to stop them.

Credit in Defeat
The Guardians and Mets both have players who met the moment, even if their teams fell short. Steven Kwan was terrific all postseason for Cleveland, consistently making contact and getting hits the other way. Johnkensy Noel hit a home run for the ages, a monster blast that tied Game 3, setting the stage for Cleveland’s extra-inning win and a brief flash of hope. Matthew Boyd pitched well.

For New York, Starling Marte and Francisco Alvarez consistently delivered. Francisco Lindor had a good series, including a home run to lead off Game 2—a blast that set the tone for a game the Mets won and opened up a ray of hope. Pete Alonso was respectable, and while Mark Vientos cooled down after his insane run through the first two rounds, he still averaged a hit per game in this NLCS. As a team, the Mets did score 26 runs for the series. There’s a reason they managed to win two games even as their pitching was getting shellacked.

Good years all the way around for both the Guardians and Mets. But it’s the Yankees and Dodgers moving on. The World Series begins Friday night, and we’ll return to this space on Thursday with a preview.