#26. 2019 AL Champion Houston Astros v. 98. 2017 NL Champion Los Angeles Dodgers
The hottest team going as we hit the Elite 8 is the Astros and it ain't close - they have run the table, swept all four series, just steamrolling their way through this tournament. They face a real world rival - in the 2017 the Dodgers lost a controversial World Series (not at the time, but as it turns out, the Astros had a sign stealing system that would cost AJ Hinch and the GM their jobs) to the Astros. This is really close to a rematch.
Astros 107-57 (Pythag 107-55) Mgr AJ Hinch (5th AL MoY)
1st in AL West
d. Rays 3-2 in ALDS
d. Yankees 4-2 in ALCS (MVP-Jose Altuve)
lost to Nationals 4-3 in World Series
d. #103 1948 Yankees 2-0 (MVP-Michael Brantley)
d. #90 1949 Red Sox 3-0 (MVP-Yuli Gurriel)
d. #122 1999 Braves 3-0 (MVP- Carlos Correa/Josh Reddick)
d. #54 1954 Yankees 4-0 (MVP-Michael Brantley)
All-Stars: OF Michael Brantley, 3B Alex Bregman (2nd AL MVP) SP Gerrit Cole (2nd AL Cy Young) RP Ryan Pressly, OF George Springer, SP Justin Verlander (AL Cy Young)
Third straight 100 win season, best record in MLB. Everyone fired in offseason for sign stealing. First team ever to both lead in most pitching Ks and fewest hitting Ks.
Dodgers 104-58 (Pythag: 102-60) Mgr. Dave Roberts (2nd NL Mgr of Year)
Won NL West
d. Diamondbacks 3-0 in NLDS
d. Cubs 4-1 in NLCS (MVP: Chris Taylor/Justin Turner)
lost World Series 4-3 to Astros
d. #31. 1912 Red Sox 2-1 (MVP-Clayton Kershaw/Rich Hill)
d. #34 1952 Yankees 3-1 (MVP-Chris Taylor)
d. #63 1948 Indians 3-0 (MVP-Clayton Kershaw)
d. #18 1944 Cardinals 4-2 (MVP-Yasiel Puig)
All-Stars: 1B Cody Bellinger (NL ROY) RP Kenley Jansen (5th NL Cy Young) SP Clayton Kershaw (2nd NL Cy Young) SS Corey Seager, 3B Justin Turner, SP Alex Wood
This was the Dodgers 5th straight NL West champion, they won more games than any LA team ever.
REGION TWO RECAP: HOW THE '17 DODGERS GOT HERE
The 2017 Dodgers entered as the 98th overall seed; like the '77 Yankees, they've battled uphill all tournament. Their climb to the Elite 8 started with the 31st seed, the 1912 Red Sox, Clayton Kershaw got his first win of the tournament, going 8 in Game 1, adding two hits of his own. The Dodgers lost game 2 - so game 3 was a showdown in Fenway. Rich Hill went 8 and shut the Sox out, 5-0. The two starting pitchers sharing MVP.
Next was the 34th seeded '52 Yankees. Kershaw won his second game, going 7 strong to kick this series off and again, helping himself with the bat. Alex Wood then won Game 2 and the Dodgers went home to LA, needing just one win to move to the Regional Semi-Final. They got 3 hit in Game 3 by Vic Raschi and were 2-2 in the 9th inning of game 4 when Kike Hernandez doubled home Chris Taylor with the series clinching run. Taylor reached 10 times in the series for the MVP.
In the Region 2 Semi-Final, the Dodgers met the #63rd seeds, the '48 Indians. Kershaw went to 3-0 in the tournament with a complete game 3 hitter with 0 walks. LA took the second game in Cleveland, Logan Forsythe hitting a big homer. And in Game 3 Rich Hill beat Bob Feller and the Dodgers had the sweep; Kershaw got this MVP all by himself.
And then came the Regional Final - the '44 Cards, 18th overall seeds. Kershaw, again, starts the Dodgers off with a win, 8 innings, 5 hits allowed. Kerhsaw moves to 4-0 for the tournament. Yasiel Puig hits a big home run. The Dodgers went into the 9th inning of Game 2 down 5-4 and scores 6 runs to beat the Cards. Puig again with the big blow, a 2 run triple. St Louis took the next two games, really blasting Kenta Maeda in Game 4, winning 14-1 and now the series was all tied up at 2 games each. In Game 5, Kershaw went 9 scoreless, batting Red Munger step for step - in the bottom of the 10th, still scoreless, Corey Seager singled home Joc Pederson to give LA the 1-0 win and send the series back to St Louis with the Dodgers up 3 games to 2. It ended in Game 6 - Puig had four hits, took the MVP, and LA won 10-4.
REGION SEVEN RECAP: HOW THE '19 ASTROS GOT HERE
There are 7 teams who come into the Elite 8 playing good baseball. But there's one team playing perfect baseball. The 2019 Astros are undefeated.
Just like that '77 Yankees v. '38 Yankees matchup - whereas the '17 Dodgers have been the underdog in each round; the '19 Astros have been favored. The 26th overall seed started their undefeated run beating the '48 Yankees, seeded #103. Yordan Alvarez hit a big game one homer and the Astros took the first game 7-6, in Game 2, Gerrit Cole went 8, gave up 2 hits in a 12-2 laugher. Michael Brantley had 5 hits in the series for the MVP.
The 90th seeded 1949 Red Sox fell next. Complete game one win for Justin Verlander, 9 Ks, 0 walks. Game 2 was tied at 7 in the 8th when Carlos Correa singled home George Springer with what turned out to be the winning run. And the Astros completed their second sweep by taking game 3 9-6, Yuli Gurriel reached 9 times for the series and was the MVP.
The 122nd overall seed, the 1999 Braves, were the Regional semi-final opponents. Gerrit Cole outdueled Kevin Millwood 2-0 in game 1, Correa hit a big homer in that one. Verlander went to 3-0 in the tournament by beating Greg Maddux in game 2; and Josh Reddick hit a grand slam in game 3 to finish the sweep; he and Correa named co-MVPs.
Finally - the '54th seeded 1954 Yankees were swept clean in the Regional Final. In Game 1 Cole went 8, gave up 3 hits, the Astros pounded Yankee pitching 11-1. Things got worse for New York in Game 2 as the Astros tallied another 16 runs, Jose Altuve with 5 RBI. Verlander went to 4-0, matching Kershaw; that's an appealing Game 1 matchup for the Elite 8. Wade Miley went 7 strong in Game 3, allowing just 5 hits and the Astros shut out the Yanks. And finally Zach Greinke got his first start of the tournament and completed the sweep in game 4; Brantley got the nod for the MVP in a crowded field.
That's 3 series down - one to go.
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