MLB Playoff Schedule 2014: Dates and TV Info for League Championship Series
The postseason in almost any sport is rife with both underdog stories and favorites battling for supremacy.
The same can be said about the 2014 MLB playoffs, although the “Cinderella” stories are playing against each other on one side of the bracket, while the two sides that have made a habit out of advancing this far square off on the other.
The American League Championship Series pits the Kansas City Royals against the Baltimore Orioles. Baltimore has not reached the World Series in 31 years, while Kansas City has not been there in 29 years.
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As for the National League Championship Series, the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals have combined to win the last four NL titles and three of the last four World Series championships.
Here is a look at the entire schedule and broadcast information for both league championship series.
| Game 1: Kansas City Royals at Baltimore Orioles | October 10 | 8 p.m. | TBS |
| Game 2: Kansas City Royals at Baltimore Orioles | October 11 | 4 p.m. | TBS |
| Game 3: Baltimore Orioles at Kansas City Royals | October 13 | 8 p.m. | TBS |
| Game 4: Baltimore Orioles at Kansas City Royals | October 14 | 8 p.m. | TBS |
| *Game 5: Baltimore Orioles at Kansas City Royals | October 15 | 4 p.m. | TBS |
| *Game 6: Kansas City Royals at Baltimore Orioles | October 17 | 8 p.m. | TBS |
| *Game 7: Kansas City Royals at Baltimore Orioles | October 18 | 8 p.m. | TBS |
| Game 1: San Francisco Giants at St. Louis Cardinals | October 11 | 8 p.m. | Fox |
| Game 2: San Francisco Giants at St. Louis Cardinals | October 12 | 8 p.m. | Fox Sports 1 |
| Game 3: St. Louis Cardinals at San Francisco Giants | October 14 | 4 p.m. | Fox Sports 1 |
| Game 4: St. Louis Cardinals at San Francisco Giants | October 15 | 8 p.m. | Fox Sports 1 |
| *Game 5: St. Louis Cardinals at San Francisco Giants | October 16 | 8 p.m. | Fox Sports 1 |
| *Game 6: San Francisco Giants at St. Louis Cardinals | October 18 | 4 p.m. | Fox |
| *Game 7: San Francisco Giants at St. Louis Cardinals | October 19 | 7:30 p.m. | Fox Sports 1 |
What to Watch
ALCS: Pitching
Pitching is critical in every postseason series, but it will take on added importance in the ALCS with two impressive staffs.
ESPN’s Rick Sutcliffe gave his best guess as to what the matchups will be for the first five games:
It is difficult to find an advantage either way, especially since Baltimore’s starting rotation finished fifth in ERA while Kansas City’s was fourth. The bullpens are also impressive, as names like Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland will take care of the late innings for the Royals, while Zach Britton, Darren O’Day, Tommy Hunter and Andrew Miller will do the same for the Orioles.
Ultimately, the pitching staff that understands how to prevent the opponent from doing what it does best will come away victorious.
For Baltimore, that means limiting Kansas City’s ability to control the flow of the game with its small-ball approach. The Royals were the only team in the MLB to hit fewer than 100 home runs, but they led the league with 153 steals and have won in the postseason with a combination of aggressive baserunning and timely sacrifices.
The Royals will have to keep the Orioles inside the park. Baltimore led the MLB in home runs and often relies on a game-changing long ball to swing the momentum of an inning or series.
Both pitching staffs are impressive, but whichever one limits the other team’s strength will prevail.
NLCS: Catching Matchup
Baseball fans who take joy in watching the catcher control the flow of the game will love the 2014 NLCS.
Buster Posey and Yadier Molina are arguably the top two catchers in all of baseball, and each brings a different dominant skill set to the table.
Molina is almost unquestionably the best defensive catcher of the past 10 years and threw out nearly 48 percent of base stealers this season (tops among all qualifying catchers). He also has a reputation for being particularly skilled at framing borderline pitches.
Posey, who won the 2012 NL MVP, does most of his damage at the plate. He hit .311 with 22 home runs, 89 RBI and a .854 on-base plus slugging percentage this season. In all, he finished at 5.2 wins above replacement and gives the Giants offense some punch from a position that typically doesn’t produce like that.
Molina was not as impressive in the offensive statistics department (.282, seven homers, 38 RBI and .719 on-base plus slugging), but he missed significant time with injury and only played 110 games. He has come through with a number of clutch hits in the past for the Cardinals, so underestimate him at your own risk.
Head coach Mike Matheny discussed Molina’s value, according to The Associated Press, via USA Today:
"Yaddy has a reputation and they know he'll pick them off if they get too far off. And if they don't get a good jump and the pitcher doesn't give them much of a chance, they're not going to have much of a shot. He's a prolific throw in my opinion and I think he's proven that every year."
Matt Snyder of CBS Sports took the time to break down the positional battle, which may ultimately decide the series:
"Two of the best in the world at their craft. Both great leaders with plenty of postseason experience -- and success, to boot. Molina has the advantage defensively while Posey is the better hitter. Posey has enough of an offensive advantage at this point -- especially down the stretch and in the NLDS -- that I'm comfortable giving him the edge, but barely. Tough call.
"
The real showdown to watch may be the Royals runners against Molina in a potential World Series matchup, but this series could come down to the defense of Molina against the offense of Posey.
To the victor go the spoils.
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