We started with eight hopeful worship leaders, but only 2 remain.

The Lincoln Brewster Rays blew a huge lead in historical fashion in Game 5, failed to win Game 6, but came through when it mattered in a memorable Game 7 contest.The Hillsongs Red Sox had abundant chances to break through in the final game, but failed to do so in almost every instance. Jason Bay mastered the art of the check swing strikeout, Jason Varitek flailed at a ball in the dirt to strike out with the bases loaded, and Matt Garza spit his way to winning the LCS MVP.

As a Red Sox fan, it was a brutal game to watch in that the Sox had so many opportunities to break through and never could. It would have been easier to have been down 4 or 5 runs, or to never have had runners in scoring position. But as it was, the Sox sent a handful of batters to the plate in those last 3 innings with a chance to turn the game, and none of them could do it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not wishing we had been down more, I’m just saying it was a tension-filled game, and that sucks when your team never comes through. Especially when there’s 40,000 screaming fans wearing brand new Rays jerseys banging on cowbells. Where were all these people for the past 10 years? I know it’s cliched to be annoyed by that, but I don’t care, I still found it annoying.

But on the whole, I can’t be too upset. Yes the 04 and 07 championships ease the pain on some level. (without them, that loss last night would have been exponentially more sickening.) But as anyone who watched the series knows, the Rays were the better team. (Although with Mike Lowell in the lineup instead of Mark “I’ll swing at anything I think I can get my weak bat on” Kotsay, we might have been able to push through a few more runs when we needed them.) I am thankful that the Sox fought back in Game 5 and gave me that memory. And I’m proud of them for fighting until the end. You can’t win them all. Congrats to the Devil Rays.

Moving on, in the National League the Matt Redman Phillies beat up on the Paul Baloche Dodgers and advanced in 5 games. You might not remember it because it happened 3 weeks ago, but trust me, it did.

So here’s your matchup heading into the World Series, which starts Wednesday night. The Matt Redman Phillies against the Lincoln Brewster Rays. You’ve got the power of one of England’s finest worship leaders against straight up American Fender Strat Rock. In my opinion, the Phillies are the better team heading into this clash, but the Rays have home field and no time to get rusty. In the end, I’m going with my heart on this one: Tampa Bay broke my heart, so they get my wrath. Not to mention that I interact with too many miserable Philly fans on a daily basis. These folks need a championship.

I’m taking the Phillies in six.

What started with eight hopeful worship leaders has dwindled to four.

The Chris Tomlin Angels might have come into the playoffs with the best record in the league, but their inability to record a hit single with runners on base in big spots killed them time and again. Other than Mark Texiera, who might have been the toughest out of any hitter in the first round of the playoffs, the Angels never looked like they were in control of the series. The Hillsongs Red Sox got two great performances out of Jon Lester and some timely hitting from Jason Bay and JD Drew to win the series in 4 games. If I would have told you that Dustin Pedroia would go 1 for 17 in the series, would you have given the Sox a chance? Not sure I would have, and yet they are moving on.

The Lincoln Brewster Rays continued their amazing turnaround story defeating the Shane & Shane White Sox in 4 games. The Rays were the better all-around team during the season, and they were the better team in this series. Let the praises ring!

In the NL the Paul Baloche Dodgers manhandled the David Crowder Cubs, the only series that ended in a sweep. Quirky hair and 100-year old anniversaries are one thing, but only scoring 6 runs in 3 games will do you in every time. With that, the odd couple of Joe Torre and Manny Ramirez advance on.

Finally, Matt Redman and his Phillies powered their way to a 3-1 series over the Desperation Band Brewers. Shane Victorino’s grand slam off of CC Sabathia set the tone for the series, and Pat Burrell’s 2-homer game in Game 4 ensured the Phillies wouldn’t have to face Sabathia in a Game 5.

So here’s your matchups heading into the LCS (NL plays Thursday night, AL kicks off on Friday)

We’ve got your 2008 MLB Playoff coverage right here…only we’ve got it with a bit of a twist.

Baseball has given us 8 teams ready to play into October, and in return we’re giving you 8 worship leaders that are at the top of their games right now. Who’s going to stand alone as World Champions in a few weeks? Let’s take a look at the contestants:

The Chris Tomlin Angels: The only team in the majors to win 100 games this year is paired with the current king of the CCLI charts. They’re the best right now, but the question is, can they continue the success when it matter most?

The Hillsongs Red Sox: Hard to argue with the recent success of these powerhouses. In the last 5 years they’ve combined for 2 World Series titles and well over 10 CD releases among their many franchises.

The Lincoln Brewster Rays: 2008 might be the best year yet for both of these up and comers. The Rays went from perennial AL East doormat to division champions this year, while Lincoln’s recently released CD, “Today is the Day”, went to #1 in the iTunes Christian section. Are they just happy to be here, or are they focused on winning it all?

The Shane & Shane White Sox: This would have made so much more sense if the Twins would have won the play-in game against the White Sox. Just when I have a great visual gag setup, Ozzie Guillen foils me again.

The Paul Baloche Dodgers: Few teams can combine the historical legacy and current relevance like Paul Baloche and the Dodgers. Paul’s been involved in worship ministry for over 25 years, and the Dodgers have 6 World Series titles under their belt. Besides, don’t you think Paul would look great in Manny Ramirez’s dreads?

The David Crowder Cubs: When you’re trying to break a 100-year drought you have to get a bit unorthodox. Who better to do that than the worship leader with the funky hair and uncanny knack for taking everyday language and using it to glorify God.

The Matt Redman Phillies: The guy who has penned some of the most familiar worship songs of the past 10 years gets paired with the city who hasn’t won a championship in any sport since 1983. If he has his way, the city of Philadelphia will be singing “better is one day with a championship than thousands without one”.

The Desperation Band Brewers: Is the whole greater than the sum of it parts? The Desperation Band consists of Jon Egan, Jared Anderson, and Glenn Packiam, a trio of songwriters with a bright future in the industry. Similarly, the Brewers troika of Sabathia, Braun, and Fielder hope to make some beautiful noise of their own in October.

The brackets are set and the games are ready to begin!

Who do you think has the edge in this battle of congregation leading musicians? Leave your predictions in the comments.