MLB playoffs preview

I'm going to pretend that football doesn't exist today and instead focus on the MLB playoffs now that they matchups have been set.

NLDS

Phillies vs Reds
The Reds remind me of the Phillies from a few years ago when they won their first of 4 straight NL East titles. Good young pitching and strong young lineup led by a power hitting first baseman. However, the key word there is young. Like the Phillies from 2007, the Reds aren't quite ready to make a deep run into the postseason. The Phils will feast the on the three right handed starters the Reds will trot out, and H2O should be able to contain the Reds lineup.
Phillies in 3

Giants vs Braves
These teams are pretty evenly matched on paper. The difference will come down to the Giants home field advantage. The Braves have been great at home, but not so great on the road. This'll be a series in which the home team wins every game.
Giants in 5

ALDS

Twins vs Yankees
The big question in this series is who is going to pitch for the Yankees after Sabathia? The Twins starters (Liriano, Pavano, and Duensing) won't blow you away on paper, but they've been solid all season. The Twins might have the biggest home field advantage of any team, given they're playing in Minnesota in the Fall, meaning plenty of below freezing games. I picked the Twins at the beginning of the season, so
Twins in 5

Rays vs Rangers
The Rangers have certainly had a good season, but they almost won the AL West by default. With Cliff Lee not pitching at his best lately, and Josh Hamilton banged up, I don't think this'll be much of a series. The Rays pitching after David Price (James Shields and Matt Garza) is a bit inconsistent, but they should get the job done here.
Rays in 4

NLCS

Phillies vs Giants
This matchup will be all about the pitching. Halladay vs Lincecum, Oswalt vs Cain, Hamels vs Sanchez. Even if you put the pitching as a wash, the Phillies lineup holds the advantage over the Giants lineup, despite their improvement throughout the season. A tough series for the Phils, but they'll pull it out.
Phillies in 6

Rays vs Twins
A very tough series to predict. The Rays have the potentially better pitching, but again, Shields and Garza are inconsistent. The Rays may have a slight advantage on offense, but the Twins have been quietly efficient all season. I have a feeling the Rays pitching will ultimately let them down, and I picked the Twins at the beginning of the season, so
Twins in 7

World Series

Phillies vs Twins
A potentially scary series for the Phillies, since they got beat around by the Twins in interleague play this year, at home. Of course, that was back in the portion of the season when the Phillies weren't really the Phillies. What this series might ultimately come down to us the NL winning the All-Star game this year. It's hard to imagine the Phillies losing a series in which they have home-field advantage, considering the way they've played at home since August. Did you really think I would pick anyone else?
Phillies in 6