AL Division Play-In Series: #3 Jackson vs. #6 Philadelphia

The playoffs get under way today, starting with the Divisional Play-In Round. Two of the teams that will be squaring off against each other in this round are the Jackson Senators and the Philadelphia Stars. These are two very different teams that ended their respective seasons on two completely opposite notes. After falling into a post All-Star break slump, interim GM/Manager Spokaneman was let go and replaced by Aaron_Clarke. Since the switch was made, Jackson has been on fire, coming back from a two game deficit to win the AL South by 8 games. Simply put, the Senators have been the hottest team in the AL for a solid month.

On the other hand we have the Stars, who limped into the playoffs as the number 6 seed in the AL. Finishing a distant second in the East to the rival Beaneaters, the Stars have not quite lived up to expectations set this season. Sure, they're in the playoffs, but after a very solid first half, the team faded down the stretch.The Stars have played sub-.500 baseball since the beginning of this month. This team does have a lot of talent, so with a few lineup adjustments, Philadelphia could make this a lot closer series then expected.

Let's take a closer look at this series. Jackson fielded the #12 offense and the #1 pitching staff in the American League. Philadelphia finished eighth in both categories during the regular season. Although the starting pitchers for each team have not been announced as of yet, we're expecting each team to go with a three man rotation. For Jackson, look for Cy Young candidate Tom Lofton, Babe York, and Bruce Shea to carry the Senators on their collective backs this series. Philly looks to run a rotation featuring Cristobal Velazquez, Hank Cunningham, and Jorge Beltre.

We clearly have some very good pitching matchups coming up within this series. The deciding factor of how close this series will be is the Stars bats. They will need a strong showing from Valerio Pizzaro, Hank Corsi, and Rondell Wilson if they expect to have any type of run production whatsoever. The Stars offense could be in danger of being completely shut down if these three guys cannot get it going.

Jackson doesn't have much offense to work with, but when your pitching staff leads the American League in almost every major category, scoring runs should not really be the focal point of your strategy. Jackson is hoping that some men will get on base for DH Nick McGee, as he was their only true slugger all season. If the other Jackson hitters can execute, Jackson should roll and have no trouble getting past the Stars.

Prediction: Jackson wins 3-1