MLB Playoff Schedule 2014: Updated ALCS, NLCS Bracket, Day 7 Predictions

The League Championship Series round is set to begin on Friday night. The Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles will battle on the American League side. The San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals get started Saturday in search of the National League crown.

It's a combination of teams that got very little hype when the playoffs began. Instead, the attention went to the likes of Mike Trout, Miguel Cabrera, Clayton Kershaw and Bryce Harper. None of those players are competing for a spot in the World Series.

Playoff baseball is more about executing in key situations than star power. The Giants and Cardinals, which have now combined to win five straight NL pennants, are a perfect example. They are well-rounded teams that aren't overly reliant on a small group of players.

So while those aforementioned big names, and many more in the same category, have already started their offseason, the quality of baseball should be high. Let's check out the brackets for both leagues, followed by a Day 7 playoff outlook.

American League Bracket

Wild Card	ALDS	ALCS
	(1) Angels 0
	(WC) Royals 3
Royals 1		(2) Orioles
Athletics 0		(WC) Royals
	(2) Orioles 3
	(3) Tigers 0

National League Bracket

Wild Card	ALDS	ALCS
	(1) Nationals 1
	(WC) Giants 3
Pirates 0		(3) Cardinals
Giants 1		(WC) Giants
	(2) Dodgers 1
	(3) Cardinals 3

ALCS Game 1 Preview

Both the Royals and Orioles swept through the division series, which allowed them to reset their pitching rotations. That means James Shields (3.21 ERA, 3.59 FIP) will make his second straight start for Kansas City as he faces off with Chris Tillman (3.34 ERA, 4.01 FIP).

Although Shields is more of a household name, the numbers show it's a pretty even pitching matchup. It's also worth noting that the Royals ace doesn't quite live up to his "Big Game" nickname. He sports a 4.96 postseason ERA in eight career starts. He's allowed seven home runs in those games.

Tillman is the ideal Game 1 starter for Baltimore because of his ability to slow down the running game. John Buccigross of ESPN notes the right-hander has been the best in baseball in that area over the past couple seasons:

The Royals led all teams in stolen bases during the regular season with 153. They have 12 more in the playoffs so far. No other team has more than two. Being able to grab that extra base is key to their success, and Tillman is usually able to limit those swipes.

Another thing that will be discussed a lot throughout the series is the impact of Baltimore manager Buck Showalter. The overall impact of managers is debatable, but he's pushed all the right buttons so far, and his players have confidence in him.

Jerry Crasnick of ESPN passed along comments from Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy, who talked about being able to play freely without having to worry about coaching decisions:

"

He doesn't do anything without a reason. When he makes a move like that, it's nice that we don't have to question it. I don't think there's one guy in our locker room who goes, 'What is he doing?' It's nice that we can just do our jobs and never worry about what he's going to do. We feel like we're never going to get out-managed.

"

Showalter's job will become even easier if Adam Jones can get back on track after a lackluster divisional round. He didn't have an extra-base hit, but the rest of the lineup, led by Nelson Cruz, picked him up. Having a few days off to press the reset button likely helped.

Ultimately, Game 1 like the series itself is a toss-up. Neither side has a clear pitching advantage, and both offenses have reason for optimism after the previous round. It's going to once again come down to which team can make that one key play in the clutch.

With Tillman keeping the Kansas City baserunners in check, thus limiting the Royals' offensive upside, the slight edge goes to the homestanding Orioles.

Prediction: Orioles 4, Royals 3