Two of the Massachusetts Daily Collegian’s brightest baseball minds were able to clear their busy schedules to prognosticate Major League Baseball’s upcoming Division Series. The following represents their opinion, and is not necessarily the opinion of this newspaper or its editorial board. Not that it matters; it’s just baseball.

New York Yankees v. Minnesota Twins
Moderator: Alright, we’ll open things up with a look at the AL matchup between the Yankees and Twins.

Mike Marzelli: The Yankees are considered by many to again be the odds-on favorite in the American League, but this is certainly the weakest Bomber team in recent memory.

Matt Brady: Agreed, but the pitching staff is definitely something to be reckoned with. The Twinkies will surprise people once again. Yankees fans are confident, but they should remember what A’s fans saw last year.

Moderator: Arguably, neither one of these teams is as strong as they were last year. Will this be a battle of attrition?

Marzelli: I think the Twins are a team that has played over its head for some time now, and that was evident with their slow start this year. I look for the Yankee pitching to be too strong for an anemic Twins lineup.

Brady: I think the Twins are better than they were last year. Sure the pitching staff isn’t what it used to be with Joe Mays exploding, but having Eric Milton back should be huge. Shannon Stewart was probably the best deadline pickup. You can see a difference in Minnesota’s swagger since they got him.

Marzelli: Stewart has certainly been the table-setter they’ve lacked, but without Torii Hunter swinging a potent bat they wont put the runs on the board that will be necessary to get into New York’s most glaring weakness: the bullpen.

Moderator: So, series prediction?

Marzelli: The Twinkies will steal one at the expense of the Yankees ‘pen, but that’ll be all. Yankees in four.

Brady: If the Twins take one in New York, it could be lights out. They won’t, and the Yankees will win in five.

Oakland Athletics v. Boston Red Sox
Moderator: Sticking with the AL, we’ll move onto the other AL series, the Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics.

Marzelli: The Athletics save the Twins from the distinction of “worst playoff-bound offense,” and without Mark Mulder their pitching staff is Hudson and Zito and pray for rain. The Sox, on the other hand, have pitching problems of their own and must get quality starts across the board. Offensively Boston must continue to do as it has done all season long.

Brady: The A’s offense is definitely weak, but the big guns in the lineup have perked up recently. Ted Lilly has been a bold, brash, excellent number three for them, which is definitely the stuff of playoff magic. Whoever wins game one is definitely in the driver’s seat, as Hudson v. Pedro is definitely the marquee matchup.

Moderator: Many believe that Pedro Martinez will need to cruise through game one of this series to set the Sox up for victory in the latter games. What if Pedro doesn’t come with his best stuff, and the A’s take game one?

Marzelli: This obviously puts the Sox at a disadvantage, but without their third top-of-the-line starter the A’s cannot put the series away with a game one win. Boston should look for a split in Oakland against Hudson and Zito and take their chances with Derek Lowe regaining control of the series in game three at Fenway.

Brady: The Red Sox better hope that the Bay Area winds make Tim Wakefield’s knuckler dance in game two, because Barry Zito has been much more solid lately, though he hasn’t shown great playoff stuff in the past. Still, the A’s have been known to blow series leads, and they likely won’t take one at Fenway. That would mean that it would be Pedro/Hudson again in game five and Mr. Martinez doesn’t often lose two in a row.

Moderator: Series predictions in this one?

Marzelli: This series is going to come down to each team’s respective weaknesses. The A’s must get offensive production from a punchless lineup, and the Red Sox must get quality work from their starters and a much-maligned bullpen. The Sox have the horses in the ‘pen, and they simply must perform. The A’s, on the other hand, are severely mediocre at the top and bottom of their order. Sox in five.

Brady: Pedro will take game one in an “Instant Classic” and the Sox will bash Oakland’s pitching at Fenway to take it in four.

Atlanta Braves v. Chicago Cubs
Moderator: Moving on to the National League, the East Champion Atlanta Braves square off with the Chicago Cubs, kings of the Central.

Marzelli: You hear it all the time: “pitching wins championships,” and that’s no different here. The Cubbies have their ducks in a row, starting with ace Kerry Wood in game one against an up-and-down Greg Maddux. For the Braves to win, they have to keep it a short series. If they see Wood and Mark Prior twice, they are out of luck.

Brady: Maybe three people will show up for the games in Atlanta this year. Seriously, the Braves are the NL version of the Red Sox with a nasty offense, questionable starting pitching and a woeful bullpen. Prior and Wood may be the scariest one-two in the majors, but can they handle the Braves’ mighty bats?

Moderator: The Cubs hallmark this year is their pitching, and the Braves hurlers are always dominant. But who wins in the unlikely event of a shootout?

Marzelli: Good pitching always beats good hitting, and the Cubs lineup rivals the A’s and the Twins for mediocrity, but don’t ever discount a Dusty Baker team in the playoffs. If the Cubs swing the bats – at all – Dusty will find a way to win.

Brady: In a shootout, the Braves will trounce. But you don’t see as many high-scoring games in the playoffs as you do in the regular season, so don’t go expecting that.

Moderator: Prediction for this series?

Marzelli: It’s funny to be talking about the Braves being the weaker of two staffs, but they certainly are. Both teams have glaring bullpen problems, but the Cubs will roll because their starters will go deep into games, even against Atlanta’s potent offense. Cubs in four.

Brady: My heart sides with the Cubs, and to some extent so does my brain. Without John Smoltz, the Braves could be in serious trouble. This is the only NL team that the Cubs really matchup favorably against. The Cubbies will fight nail and tooth and take it in five.

San Francisco Giants v. Florida Marlins
Moderator: Finally, in a story of a feel-good wild card winner and the NL West’s crown jewel, the Marlins take on the Giants.

Marzelli: Felipe Alou has done a masterful job in San Francisco, and aside from an overworked bullpen, this team is as playoff ready as any.

Brady: The Marlins have nothing to lose; they’re young, they’re fun to watch and they love to play the game. They are the starlets of the postseason this year and certainly will give Alou’s squad a fight all the way.

Moderator: There are pluses and minuses abound in Florida’s pitching situation. Any chance the Florida hurlers will get their act together and pull out a series win?

Marzelli: “Trader Jack” McKeon will have his team, and his staff, ready to go, but nothing will prepare any of them for facing Barry Bonds on a playoff stage. A five-game series is one that can be taken over by one man, and Bonds is capable of doing that to the Fish.

Brady: It’s tough. The Marlins lost A.J. Burnett early in the season, but Dontrelle Willis stepped it up big time. He’s not as good as the press he’s gotten, but he’s easily the number three on the staff. Brad Penny is untouchable when he’s on and Josh Beckett has been one of baseball’s best two pitchers (along with Mark Prior) in the second half. He can – and will – strike Barry Bonds out in a key situation.

Moderator: Well gentlemen, in the first three series, you have agreed across the board on the winners, varying only on the number of games it would take. Does the t
rend continue here?

Marzelli: Without Robb Nen, the Giants bullpen isn’t a sure thing, but it’s good enough to win in the playoffs. The lineup is hardly Murderer’s Row either, but all in all this is the most well-rounded team in the playoffs. With that said I think the Marlins will be as energized as any, and will steal two games in South Florida before Jason Schmidt restores order and gives San Fran the series in five.

Brady: God no, and not only because I don’t want to agree with my cohort. The Marlins have so little to lose and the Giants are old and worn down at this point in the season. Sidney Ponson has been good, but not the pitcher the Giants needed to fill out their staff. The Marlins will split in SF and sweep South Florida to win in four.