World Series 2017: TV Schedule and Bold Predictions for Final Round

The end is in sight, and the 10 teams that started the MLB postseason will soon be whittled down to two.

The Dodgers earned the National League title Thursday night and whipped the reigning World Series champion Chicago Cubs in five games, and the Yankees will be able to meet their ancient rivals in the World Series if they can close out the Houston Astros Friday or Saturday.

The Dodgers have had one of the most memorable seasons in recent memory. For three-quarters of the campaign, they were on a pace that could have seen them win 110 games or more. They were the best team in the National League by a wide margin, but then they hit a bit of a hiccup in late August.

Well, a big hiccup. This magnificent team lost 16 of 17 games in a span that bridged August and September, and the Dodgers were falling to earth like a skydiver whose parachute failed to open. The streak ended during the last 10 games of the season—8-2 over that span—but Los Angeles limped into the playoffs.

Their division series against the Arizona Diamondbacks looked like a major problem. The Diamondbacks had swept the Dodgers twice during that losing spell, and the combination of Paul Goldschmidt and J.D. Martinez looked ready to torch Dodger pitching.

But the magic that had shown up during the early part of the regular season returned. The Dodgers swept the Snakes out of the playoffs and needed just one above the minimum to get rid of Chicago. They closed out the Cubs with a convincing 11-1 victory as Enrique Hernandez belted three home runs.

Now they wait for the Yankees and the Astros to finish their battle on the American League side of the equation. 

The Yankees are supremely confident, coming from an 0-2 deficit to take a 3-2 lead in the series by sweeping three games at Yankee Stadium. This comes on the heels of ousting the Cleveland Indians in the AL Division Series, rallying from 0-2 to win the five-game series.

The Yankees' bats are getting the job done, as they outscored the Astros 19-5 in the three games at Yankee Stadium. 

Rookie slugger Aaron Judge belted two homers and two doubles in the three games at Yankee Stadium. "I'm just trying to get productive hits with runners on base," Judge said, per Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. "That's the biggest thing this postseason. It doesn't matter how you do it as long as you're scoring runs."

It has been something of a reversal of fortune because the Yankees were not hitting in the two games in Houston, both 2-1 Astros victories. The Astros were hitting the ball extremely well in the ALDS against the Red Sox, but once they dusted off Boston in four games, the Astros' bats have cooled down considerably. 

While the Yankees have to face Justin Verlander in Game 6, we think they will ultimately prevail—in six or seven games—and win the American League pennant. They will meet the Dodgers (Brooklyn years included) for the 12th time in World Series history, and the Yankees hold an 8-3 edge.

Here's the schedule for the potential New York-Los Angeles World Series, per MLB.com:

Tuesday, October 24
Game 1, New York at Los Angeles, Time TBD, Fox

Wednesday, October 25
Game 2, New York at Los Angeles, Time TBD, Fox

Friday, October 27
Game 3, Los Angeles at New York, Time TBD, Fox

Saturday, October 28
Game 4, Los Angeles at New York, Time TBD, Fox

Sunday, October 29
Game 5, Los Angeles at New York, Time TBD, Fox, if necessary

Tuesday, October 31
Game 6, New York at Los Angeles, Time TBD, Fox, if necessary

Wednesday, November 1
Game 7, New York at Los Angeles, Time TBD, Fox, if necessary

Prediction

The Dodgers have been the best team in baseball for the majority of the year, although many observers thought the Cleveland Indians were better by the end of the season.

The Yankees have already beaten the Indians, and if our vision holds up, they will have taken down the Astros by winning the final four games of that series or four of the final five games.

That's what championship teams do. They look their opponent right in the eye, take their best shot, and come back harder.

We see this series as similar to the ones that the Yankees have already played. The Dodgers are likely to strike the early blows by winning the first two games at home, but the Yankees will come back to the Bronx and take charge.

The Yankees may not be the better team, but we see them as more resilient, and the Yankees will win in seven games and celebrate in Los Angeles.

In the event that the Astros win the last two games of the AL Championship Series and get to the World Series, Houston will also be successful in a six-game World Series.

American League teams are simply better and face tougher competition on a year in, year out basis. The American League has had the edge in the last 13 years of interleague competition, and that will be proved again in the World Series.