8. Clayton Kershaw can win in the playoffs
The seventh inning tripped up Kershaw again in Game 1 of this NLDS, but overall, he put in a very steady performance. Through six innings, he had surrendered only three hits and two runs before a pair of solo home runs chased him, but the Dodgers had built up a big enough lead that it didn’t matter.
The Kershaw postseason narrative — which many thought came to an end after his strong effort last year — won’t be truly crushed until he turns in a dazzling performance in a victory, but he looked very good against Arizona and got a rather pedestrian win. He’ll be fine.
9. Joe Maddon’s quick hook paid dividends
Kyle Hendricks went seven innings for the Cubs in Game 1 of the NLDS, and that was the last time a Chicago starter would pitch past the sixth. Maddon was not prepared to let his starters gut through things — mostly because he trusts his bullpen enough to get away with it. He could bring in Pedro Strop and Mike Montgomery early, plus a couple starters as needed, and keep his team in the game at worst or close it out at best.
Maddon has always had a good feel for his pitching staffs. He has the talent and the intuition to make the most of it, and that matters a lot in a short series.
10. The Yankees were well-equipped for the postseason
It was the Kansas City Royals who more or less codified the bullpen and defense strategy to succeed in the playoffs. The Chicago Cubs perfected a higher-powered version of that formula a year ago. Even the Cleveland Indians used it to great effect to get to Game 7 last year, but it was the Yankees who used that formula to the most success here.
The Bronx Bombers leaned hard on power — they hit seven home runs in five games — and their deep bullpen did a lot of heavy lifting. As it turns out, that is what works in October.
11. Cleveland’s young stars did not deal well with the favorite tag
Perhaps there’s something in Cleveland’s mental makeup. They played second fiddle to the Cubs in last year’s World Series and went up 3-1, only to collapse once they were pinpointed as the clear favorites in the series. Here, they went up 2-0 before losing three straight in surprising fashion.
Edwin Encarnacion, Michael Brantley, Jose Ramirez, Francisco Lindor, Jason Kipnis, and Carlos Santana combined to go 13-for-97 in the series, a .134 average. Kluber allowed nine runs in 6.1 innings. The team as a whole made nine errors. Cleveland was the best team in the AL this year, and they looked to have this wrapped up, but they seemed to fall under the weight of expectations once more.
12. The World Series champions don’t go down quietly
The Chicago Cubs did not play their best series against the Nationals. Their bullpen struggled at times, some of their starting pitchers did not look sharp, and they had the occasional defensive lapse, particularly with Kyle Schwarber in left field. Washington pushed them to the absolute limit, and could have very easily won the series had a few minor things gone differently.
That, though, is why the Cubs are champions. They trailed 4-1 on the road in an elimination game and battled back, fighting off a dogged comeback effort. They know how to win at this stage of the season. That alone will make them an extremely difficult out for the Dodgers in the NLCS.
13. Arizona’s future is bright despite the mismatch
Of players who got at least 300 plate appearances for Arizona in 2017, only two — Chris Iannetta and Daniel Descalso — are 30 or older. Paul Goldschmidt, A.J. Pollock, and David Peralta are all 29, but they should still have several good years left provided they can stay healthy. Zack Greinke is 33, but the rest of the rotation is under 27, including 25-year-old All-Star Robbie Ray. Ace reliever Archie Bradley is 24.
The point is most of Arizona’s core players are still young enough to make an impact for years to come. If they can add another pitcher or two, they won’t be going away anytime soon.
14. Dodgers’ pitching depth made all the difference
Arizona had two quality front-line starters in Zack Greinke and Robbie Ray, but beyond that, they had trouble matching up with the Dodgers, who could throw a lot of quality arms one after another. Clayton Kershaw, the obvious ace, heads the rotation. Yu Darvish, who dominated in Game 3, made things even tougher for Arizona. Even when Rich Hill didn’t have his best stuff in Game 2, Kenta Maeda was able to come in and shut things down to help the cause. The bullpen depth is also fantastic. Los Angeles had deeper pitching than Arizona, and it made a big difference.
15. Houston’s offense is deep, and new stars are emerging
With good reason, most of the publicity around Houston’s offense goes to Jose Altuve and, to a lesser extent, George Springer. The ALDS showed that Houston has so much depth and talent that often goes unnoticed.
Yuli Gurriel, for instance, went 9-for-17 in the four game series. Josh Reddick hit .375. Alex Bregman hit two home runs off Chris Sale, including a massive game-tying shot in the eighth inning of Game 4. From 1-9, Houston’s lineup is as deep as any lineup in baseball. Bregman, the No. 2 overall pick in 2015, is being talked about by some as a future star and has shown glimpses justifying those beliefs.
