Scot Gregor scouts the ALDS
Los Angeles Angels vs. Boston Red Sox
About the Angels: They won the AL West, again, and they face the Red Sox in the first round of the playoffs, again. That's not necessarily a good thing for the Halos, who take on the Red Sox in the ALDS for the third straight season and the fourth time in six years.
Why should this October be different? While being swept by Boston in 2007 and falling in four games last year, the Angels scored 17 total runs. This time around, L.A. has speed at the top with Chine Figgins and Maicer Izturis and power in the middle with Bobby Abreu, Vlad Guerrero, Torii Hunter and Kendry Morales.
The deep rotation is led by John Lackey and Jered Weaver, but closer Brian Fuentes has been shaky.
About the Red Sox: They are battled-tested, especially vs. L.A. The Red Sox no longer have Manny Ramirez teaming with David Ortiz in the middle of the lineup, but five players have 22 or more home runs, so the lineup is deep. Boston was third in the AL with 872 runs scored; Los Angeles was second with 883.
The Red Sox' pitching has been a work in progress for much of the season, but starters Josh Beckett and Jon Lester are a solid 1-2 punch. If closer Jonathan Papelbon struggles, hard-throwing Daniel Bard is ready to step in.
Gregor's pick: Angels in five.
New York Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins
About the Yankees: They missed the playoffs last season for the first time in 14 years, but the Yankees are a powerhouse team again. New York (103-59) has the best record in baseball, to go along with the highest ($207 million) payroll. N.Y. led the league in runs scored (925), home runs (244), on-base percentage (.362) and slugging percentage (.478).
Showing impressive balance, the Yankees tied for third in the AL with a 4.26 ERA, but they are an average defensive team.
Look for big performances from familiar faces like Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui and closer Mariano Rivera, who has a postseason record 34 saves to go with a minuscule 0.77 ERA. And newcomers CC Sabathia (19-8, 3.37 ERA), Mark Teixeira (.292, 39 HR, 122 RBI) and A.J. Burnett (13-9, 4.04 ERA) have earned their huge salaries.
About the Twins: After chasing down Detroit in the AL Central - the Tigers couldn't hold a 3-game lead with four to play - the Twins are going to have lots of support from baseball fans as they go up against the Yankees. But the odds are stacked against Minnesota.
The Twins figure to be gassed after needing 12 innings to win Tuesday's division tiebreaker against the Tigers. The Twins have lost eight in a row at Yankee Stadium dating back to 2007, and they've been playing without star first baseman Justin Morneau (back) since Sept. 14, Joe Crede is also out for the season with back issues.
Gregor's pick: Yankees in four.