Which ALCS opponent is better for the Red Sox?

The Red Sox took care of business Tuesday night, dispatching the Tampa Bay Rays in four games and advancing to the American League Championship Series, which begins Saturday at Fenway Park. The Sox will face one of two teams, the Oakland Athletics or the Detroit Tigers. Which matchup is better for Boston? We run down the pros and cons of facing each team.

Con to facing Oakland: They play like the Red Sox

The A’s are a bunch of grinders. Cut from the same cloth as the Red Sox, Oakland’s hitters take pitches and work counts, often chasing the opposing starter early and attacking the bullpen. Athletics third baseman Josh Donaldson (20) led the team with 76 walks. Oakland drew a total of 573 walks, third in the AL behind the Sox and Rays. Detroit was sixth in the league in base on balls.

Pro to facing Oakland: They’re light hitters

Despite all those walks, the A’s aren’t nearly as good an offensive team as Detroit. Detroit is second in the league (to the Red Sox) with a .346 on-base percentage; Oakland is fifth. The Tigers are first in the league in batting average; Oakland is ninth. If the Sox get good starting pitching, they can keep Oakland from scoring runs.

Pro to facing Detroit: They’re banged up

Detroit’s best hitter is third baseman Miguel Cabrera. Last year’s AL Triple Crown winner led the league in batting average, OBP, and slugging again this season, but he has been dealing with groin and abdominal injuries. Detroit skipper Jim Leyland said before the Division Series that his slugger was “nowhere near 100 percent,’’ and the Tigers have been replacing him defensively late in games. In addition to Cabrera, you have to wonder whether first baseman Prince Fielder’s penchant for trying to play all 162 games during the regular season is taking its toll. Fielder is 4 for 15 so far in the postseason and has yet to drive in a run.

Con to facing Detroit: They have power arms

You could argue that the Tigers have two aces in Max Scherzer (pictured) and Justin Verlander. Scherzer went 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA and 240 strikeouts, while a “down year’’ for Verlander was a 13-12 record, 3.46 ERA, and 217 strikeouts. After the top two, Anibal Sancez led the league in ERA (2.57) while striking out 202 batters, and Doug Fister won 14 games. Scherzer would likely get the nod in Game 1 in Boston.

Pro to facing Oakland: Their starters are unproven

Oakland’s pitchers are talented, but the A’s would be relying on youngsters like Sonny Gray (pictured), Dan Straily, Jarrod Parker, and A.J. Griffin to play significant roles in an ALCS. Gray was impressive in 10 starts this season, striking out 67 batters to 20 walks. Griffin won 14 games, second on the team to 40-year-old Bartolo Colon’s 18. Experience is obviously not the problem for Colon, but you’re still going to have a hard time convincing people that Colon’s 2.65 ERA and 18 wins weren’t a fluke.

Con to facing Oakland: They had the league’s second-best ERA

You may scoff at the parts, but as a collection, Oakland pitchers had the second-best ERA (3.56) in the league. For all their talent on paper, Detroit’s pitching staff (3.61 ERA) finished one place behind Oakland.

Con to facing Detroit: They’ve hit all season

Detroit’s regular-season numbers are impressive. The Tigers finished first in the league in hits, second in runs, and first in batting average. When healthy, Cabrera is the most dangerous hitter in baseball. Put that together with power pitching, and the Tigers could be very difficult.

Pro to facing Detroit: Their lineup is struggling

For all of their offensive firepower during the regular season, the Tigers are struggling to hit the ball in the playoffs. Detroit’s leadoff hitter, Austin Jackson, is 2 for 15 with 10 strikeouts. Cabrera is hitting .250, Fielder .260. Torii Hunter has two hits in 14 at-bats. Of the regulars, only Victor Martinez and Jhonny Peralta are hitting well. It’s one thing to expect a team to turn it on, it’s another for them to do it.

Pro to facing Oakland: They usually fall short

The A’s are notorious for having strong regular seasons and then bowing out in the playoffs. They won the AL West last year and lost the Division Series. The previous time they reached the postseason, in 2006, they were swept by the Tigers in the ALCS. From 2000-03, they made the playoffs each season but failed to make it out of the first round. That was a long time ago, but the team as constituted under manager Bob Melvin (pictured) has not won a playoff series.

<script type=”text/javascript” charset=”utf-8″ src=”http://static.polldaddy.com/p/7463155.js”></script> <noscript><a href=”http://polldaddy.com/poll/7463155/”>Which team would you prefer the Red Sox face in the ALCS?</a></noscript>