EDITOR’S NOTE:
This story was completed BEFORE the beginning of the World Series but not posted due to administrative error.  We’re posting it regardless to allow our readership to compare Fitz Robling’s prediction and analysis with the actual conclusion of the Series.

Texas Rangers v. San Francisco Giants

In the ALCS, the Texas Rangers put a beat down on the New York Yankees that will be remembered for years to come.  The Rangers out-scored the Bronx Bombers 38 to 19 in the series, including an 8-0 shut out at Yankee Stadium.  The Rangers pitching was outstanding with the exception of the first game meltdown.  Cliff Lee won his game in dominating fashion, but the star of the pitching staff was Colby Lewis who went 2-0 with a 1.98 ERA.  Josh Hamilton Received MVP honors by hitting 4 home runs. Over all it was a dominating performance that left the $210 million dollar Yankees clueless about what had just happened.

In the NLCS, the San Francisco Giants advanced with a 4-2 series win.  The Giants pitching was good but not great. The key to the series was the timely hitting by the Giants. Juan Uribe hit a walk off sacrifice fly to win Game Four and added a solo homerun in the eighth inning of Game Six to help secure the series for the Giants.

This World Series promises to be a good one due to the history of both teams, and how much they want this series. The Giants have not been in the World Series since 2002 and have not won one since leaving New York City. The Rangers, on the other hand, have never been to the World Series in their 38-year franchise history.  Thanks to the National League’s first wild card win in over a decade, the Giants have home field advantage despite a worse record. The Rangers have won five of the seven games they have played on the road this year in the playoffs.  Both teams feature mostly new comers to the series with the exception of one or two long time veterans.

Keys to Series:

The biggest key to this series will be hitting.  Both teams have very good pitching, so who ever can strike first in the game will definitely have the upper hand.  The Giants are not known for scoring lots of runs, but because of the Rangers high-powered offense, they’re going to need to change that. The Rangers are known for scoring lots of runs thanks to a stacked line up featuring Josh Hamilton, and Nelson Cruz.  In order for the Giants to keep up with the Rangers, they will need Cody Ross, and Buster Posey to have a big series.

The second key is the fourth pitcher.  Both teams feature Cy Young award winners as their aces, and their two-three guys have been very solid, but the fourth spot is always a week spot.  The Giants are starting 21-year-old Madison Bumgardner who was 7-6 in the regular season while the Rangers are starting Tommy Hunter who was 13-4 during the regular season. These two pitchers will be very important to their teams. 

The last key to the series will be Vladimir Guerrero. Vlad will be starting in right field for the first time all post season.  He started there 13 times in the regular season. Guerrero is definitely a fielding liability. He is old and aging, so the Giants should be aiming towards him for a lot of their hits. If Guerrero can hold his own then the rest of the rangers fielding core should be all right, but if he can’t it could be a long night for Texas.

Prediction:

The Giants have a very strong pitching staff featuring two time Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum, and a strong two- three combo of Cain and Sanchez. They also have great young stars that are looking to prove themselves. Their biggest weakness is their poor hitting. The Giants won the second most one run games all season, which is impressive, but it means that they struggle to score a lot of runs.  The Rangers also have great pitching and hitting. Their weakness is lack of focus and Guerrero playing right field. The Rangers have slacked off when they get a lead, which could allow the Giants to come back on them.

In the end the Rangers offense will be too much for the Giants to handle.  They out scored the Yankees by 19 runs over six games in the ALCS, and are know for jumping on Pitchers early.  The Rangers also have slightly better pitching especially in the fourth spot where Madison Bumgarner is young and unproven. I think the Giants put up a good fight, but with all the story line following the Rangers who have become America’s team, the Rangers will win this series.

Rangers win the World Series 4-2 against the San Francisco Giants.