NLCS Preview: Arizona vs. Colorado
Who would have expected this? Of all of the teams to face off in the National League Championship Series, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies probably would have made the bottom of the list on most predictions. But here they are, both vying for a spot in the World Series and a chance at baseball’s highest glory.
Going into the series, both teams are coming off of 3-0 beatings of their first-round opponents. The Diamondbacks handled the Cubs while the Rockies shocked the Phillies, who perhaps spent too much time celebrating their division crown. Momentum, therefore, should not be an advantage for either team. Both squads are hot and confident.
In these types of games, the team with the better pitching usually ends up taking home the National League ring. The Diamondbacks, while a little weak in the later parts of their rotation, have the best pitcher, by far, of the two teams in Brandon Webb. It wasn’t too long ago that Webb was in the running for the all-time scoreless streak. He should have no trouble pitching in three games and taking home two, or more, wins.
In terms of hitting, the Rockies have an advantage. The team just knows how to bring home runs and this fact alone should make this series more competitive than any of the divisional series games. But hitting alone rarely wins a playoff series. Because the Diamondbacks can pitch well and have good enough hitting, it is not much of a stretch to pick them to win this series in six games. But the Rockies shouldn’t feel bad if they do lose, they have had one of the best seasons of anyone this year.
