Buoyed by an unexpectedly superb outing from Barry Zito, the Giants regained home-field advantage in the NLCS with a 5-0 win on Friday night. But Bruce Bochy’s team needs two more victories to clinch its second pennant in three years, while Mike Matheny’s team is just one victory away from its second pennant in a row. Will the Cardinals advance tonight, or will this series require a decisive Game Seven on Monday? To answer those questions, here are the PECOTA odds and projected starting lineups for Game Six:

Guess the MLB.com headline!

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Guess the MLB.com headline!

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ALCS Game Four was decisive, but decidedly short on new narratives. What we saw, for the most part, was more of the same motifs that wove through the first three games. The Tigers pitched well; the Yankees couldn’t put anyone on. Some slumping Yankees batters were benched; Alex Rodriguez, despite not starting, still managed to steal some of the spotlight. We couldn’t get much more mileage out of a one-sided series: either the Yankees would do something drastic to change the script, or the Tigers would sweep. With Max Scherzer on the mound, the script stayed the same. The Tigers won the pennant, and the Yankees went quietly into what’s shaping up to be an eventful winter.

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The prospect of a weekend without baseball is frightening, but that’s precisely what’s at stake this evening with the Yankees already gone and the Giants facing elimination. Can the Cardinals capture their second consecutive pennant? Or will the Giants bring the series back to San Francisco by forcing a sixth game? To answer those questions, here are the PECOTA odds and projected starting lineups for Game Five:

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The Cardinals lost their best postseason hitter to a knee injury early in Game Three, but still came out on top, because his replacement socked a game-winning two-run homer in his first trip to the plate. Now, the Giants must win to avoid facing three consecutive elimination games for the second straight series. Here are the PECOTA odds and projected starting lineups for Game Four:

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Guess the MLB.com headline!

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The wind at Comerica Park was blowing in from center on Tuesday night, which was a bit heavy-handed of Mother Nature, given how beleaguered the Yankees' batters have been even under ideal conditions. Tasked with taking on the best pitcher in baseball, their lineup already reeling from six straight low-scoring games, the Yankees could have used a little help from Linka. Instead, they faced another factor conspiring to keep scoring down, albeit one that probably favored extreme fly-ball pitcher Phil Hughes more than it did Tigers ace Justin Verlander.

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After watching Madison Bumgarner get lit up by the Cardinals in Game One, the Giants returned the favor against Chris Carpenter and a shaky St. Louis defense to even the series on Monday night. Which team is likely to grab a 2-1 edge in Game Three? Here are the PECOTA odds and projected starting lineups for tonight’s contest:

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Do or die. Put up or shut up. [swear word] or get off the… well, you get the idea. After last night’s episode of Verlander Verlanding, New York finds themselves down three games to none in the best-of-seven series. It’s time for the Yankees to make their stand. Anyone have Kevin Millar’s phone number?

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Kevin Goldstein has moved on to a greener pasture, but we’re bringing back one of his postseason staples to illustrate how the four League Championship Series squads were built.

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There’s being down 2-0 after two home games in a best-of-seven series, and then there’s being down 2-0 after two home games in a best-of-seven series with the reigning Cy Young winner and MVP on the mound against you in Game Three. That’s the scenario the Yankees are facing. Do they stand a chance? Here are the PECOTA odds and projected starting lineups for Game Three:

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