2010 MLB Playoffs

The 2010 NLCS begins this Saturday in Philadelphia between the Philadelphia Phillies and the San Francisco Giants. Both teams bring impressive pitching rotations into the series, highlighted by the Game 1 match-up between Roy Halladay and Tim Lincecum.

Impressive hardly describes each of their first postseason starts during the NLDS.

Things have gone exactly to plan for the Yankees so far this postseason.

New York tanked the American League East so it could face the whipping boy Twins instead of Cliff Lee and the Rangers, and what happened?

After dismissing the Cincinnati Reds in the NLDS, the Phillies will face off against the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS. 

Will the Giants be a minor speed bump on the road to another National League pennant, or do they have a legitimate shot at sending the Phillies home early?

Here are some arguments for both cases:

Fear the Giants

The sports world can be a crazy place. With all of the news stories, rumors, and general gossip floating around, it can be a terrifying place. 

But, there's no need to fear. We here at Bleacher Report are dedicated to bringing you the latest news on the most important topics in sports. From the latest on Brett Favre's sexting woes, to baseball's Championship Series', to Lana Lawless' struggles to join the LPGA, we've got it all covered. 

After a brilliant performance in Game 3 from Phil Hughes, Joe Girardi has decided to switch him and Pettitte in the playoff rotation. And not only that, A.J. Burnett is getting the nod in Game 4. 

This may come as a surprise to a lot of people after Pettitte's good outing against the Twins in Game 2, and A.J. Burnett's horrendous regular season. But you have to trust the decisions your manager makes and I'm sure Joe Girardi knows what he's doing. 

As a Giants fan and writer, I just can't get over what Buster Olney said on Bill Simmons' MLB Playoff Podcast, which I listened to yesterday.

Basically, I came away with four things:

1.) The Tampa Bay Rays have the best GM in baseball (probably true).

2.) The Red Sox are hurting in terms of the money they owe to contracts next year (true, but unnecessary considering the Red Sox aren't in the playoffs).

The Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies are in their respective league championship series thanks in large part to their pitching aces Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay.

Lee mowed down the Tampa Bay Rays by going 2-0 in 16 innings and allowing only two runs. 

Halladay is throwing in his first postseason ever. He only has one start, but it was a dandy has he no-hit the Cincinnati Reds, only the second no-hitter in postseason history.

Admit it, you’re enjoying these baseball playoffs. The excitement. The do-or-die nature of every game. Brian Wilson’s epic beard-mohawk combo that makes him look like a guy begging for change outside McDonald’s.

The—

Wait, what’s that? You’re not enjoying these playoffs? Really? Maybe I’m the only one.

The moment the Texas Rangers' Cliff Lee hurled his last strike Tuesday night; he not only killed the Tampa Bay Rays' postseason dreams, but also gave the New York Yankees an official ALCS opponent for Game One on Friday night.

The Yankees will fly down to Texas to face the Rangers in the seven-game ALCS series, which for one team will lead to the World Series.

In all honesty, predictions were betting the Rays would beat the Rangers in the ALDS, but in a five-game series, there is no room to stumble.

The Texas Rangers will face the New York Yankees in the ALCS.

Yes, you read that correctly, the Texas Rangers! One of just two teams coming into the season to never win a postseason series are now four tough wins away from a World Series birth.

Those wins will definitely be tough to come by, as they face off against the reigning World Series champs in the Yankees.

That is not to say the Yankees don't have question marks because they certainly do. They still have to decide whether or not to pitch the often erratic, sometimes brilliant A.J. Burnett.