By Evangelos Malakates

With the Major League Baseball playoffs rapidly approaching and the thoughts of possible match-ups arising, it is time to let the Dutch Master of Sports have at his predictions.

Out of the American League, the Minnesota Twins were the first so sew up a playoff spot mathematically with their win on Monday. Following the Twins will be the New York Yankees, taking the American League East. After that, the Oakland Athletics will nail down their fourth-straight American League West title. That leaves the ever-optimistic Boston Red Sox, who have the American League wild card nearly locked up. Barring any losing streak by the Yankees and a winning streak by Boston, the playoffs in the American League is set.

Over in the National League, things are a little more surprising. After a disappointing 2003 campaign, the St. Louis Cardinals rebounded this year behind the incredible play of their big three: Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds. With solid pitching and the scariest offense in the National League, the Cards willl be a force to be reckoned with come playoff time.

After losing catcher Javy Lopez and right fielder Gary Sheffield to free agency, not to mention losing 300 game winner Greg Maddux, the Atlanta Braves were considered all but dead in the National League East. However, after proving everyone but themselves wrong, the Braves are cruising to their fourteenth straight East divisional title.

Following years of all offense and no pitching, the Los Angeles Dodgers appear to be on their way to West divisional title.

However, with a slim two-game lead over Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants this division is not quite decided. Assuming the Dodgers take the division, it will be a dogfight between the Giants and the Chicago Cubs for the title of National League Wild card winner. The x-factor in this race will be Bonds. En route to his fourth-straight National League MVP award, Bonds will carry the Giants past the Cubs and right into a march towards October.

The Yankees have an offense that can overcome any deficit, but the problem is their pitching staff. After acquiring Kevin Brown and Javier Vazquez, it has to come as a surprise to all Yankee fans and personnel that their most consistent pitcher has been Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez. El Duque, a pitcher who’s real age is only known to him, is 8-0 and every time he takes the mound, the Yankees seem to win and opposing hitters seem clueless against the drastic movement of his off speed stuff.

Unfortunately for the Yankees, the Red Sox have two legitimate number-one starters in Pedro Martinez and 20-game winner Curt Schilling, who once put down the Yankees in the World Series as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks. It will be a Red Sox-Yankees American League championship series and, as much as the Yankee fans will relent, this is the Red Sox year and behind Schilling and Martinez the Sox will make the World Series.

The National League championship series will see the Braves and the Cardinals square-off in what should be an exciting series. The Braves have a propensity of winning the division each year, but each year they come up short in the big playoff series. This year will be no different. With starters like Paul Byrd and Jaret Wright, the Braves have question marks of their own to address. Can a Braves pitching staff, whose best pitcher, John Smoltz, only works the ninth and occasionally the eighth inning, keep the big three of St. Louis in check? My answer is no. In addition to the Cardinals big three, they also have shortstop Edgar Renteria, who already has proven his playoff worth after his amazing performance with the World Champion Marlins as a rookie in 1997. With pitchers Matt Morris, Woody Williams and Chris Carpenter spearheading the Cards pitching attack, along with closer Jason Isringhausen pitching his best baseball of the year now, the Cardinals will be too much for the Braves to handle, setting up a Red Sox-Cardinals World Series.

The Red Sox have waited a long time for this. Ever since that ball slipped through Bill Buckner’s legs in Game Six of the 1986 series against the Mets, the Red Sox and their fans have been waiting for their chance and this could be the year. With and offense that surpasses that of last year, hitting machines Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz will prove to be too much for a Cardinals staff that is unproven in a situation as big as the World Series.

Schilling, Martinez and closer Keith Foulke will provide the shutdown pitching needed in the World Series. Boston fans will get what they have been waiting for since 1918. Eighty-six years is a long time to wait for a World Series championship and even though the number 86 reminds too many fans of those cold nights against the Mets in Shea Stadium. They will soon forget about 1918 and 1986 and even the curse of the Bambino all together with a championship this year with a 4-3 series win over the St. Louis Cardinals.