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The LCS schedule challenges the Guardians. Stephen Vogt’s approach to beating the Tigers was aided by the 1-1-2-1 scheduling of the first round. A 2-3-2 format means Vogt has to get more from his starters. Those middle three contests present a challenge for a manager who used two relievers five times and two others four times to get past the Tigers. There’s a lot of fatigue risk that will only compound as we work through this series.
The Guardians did lose that series two years ago, but they were in every game. In their three losses, the tying run was on deck when the game ended in each one. There is absolutely a path for them to steal this series.
Most paths, though, have the Yankees’ power turning the Guardians’ pen into an effective protector of 4-2 deficits. I’m going with Yankees in five. They’re the better team, one that can win in a variety of ways, and we’ve already seen this series once before.
