The LCSs are set, and we have two East Coast-West Coast showdowns.  Angels and Yankees.  Dodgers and Phillies.  This is not how I thought the playoffs would play out, but I’m excited for both match-ups.  This is not the year of the Wild Card as both were knocked out in the first round.
The key to both of these series is pitching and more specifically the bullpen.  All four teams have the ability to score runs, and lots of them.  They also have the ability to score runs late in ball games.  In their three games, the Yankees score 8 runs in the 7th inning or later.  That included a walk-off home run from Teixeira and an 8th inning rally to win Game 3.  The Angles scored 10 runs in the 7th inning or later in their 3 games verses Boston.  Including taking the lead in the 7th of Game 2 and beating Papelbon in their last at bat in Game 3.  The Phillies totaled just 5 runs late in their games, but they pushed across 3 with 2 outs in the 9th of a stunning Game 4 victory.  And finally, the Dodgers scored 3 late inning runs against the Cardinals, but had a walk-off of their own in Game 2.  The ability of the bullpens to put zeros on the board will play a major factor in both the National and American League Championship Series.