I keep reading and hearing about it.
A Yankees vs. Phillies World Series is the ultimate nightmare for Mets fans. It's like choosing between cancer and AIDS. Both suck, and no matter who wins, you still lose.
Well, that's true and yet, not.
First of all, as a Mets (and Angels) fan living in Los Angeles, I can assure you that a Yankees vs. Dodgers World Series would be the ultimate nightmare for me. Thankfully that didn't happen.
Second of all, if you're a New York Mets fan, you do not root for the New York Yankees.
Ever!
Never ever never ever never ever under any fucking circumstances!!!!! You do not pick and choose depending on which team the Yankees are playing. NEVER!!!!!!!
I understand Met fans who don't want to root for the Philadelphia Phillies, a team that has emerged as the new rivals in the NL East and could end up repeating as World Series champions.
But the Atlanta Braves were the Mets' main rivals for many many years, and even played the Yankees in the World Series twice. Losing to them in both 1996 and 1999. If you were a Met fan, YOU STILL ROOTED FOR THE BRAVES TO BEAT THE YANKEES BECAUSE THEY ARE THE FUCKING YANKEES!!!
This is where some people may be confused. Why do Met fans HAVE to hate the Yankees?
- Because of the obnoxious arrogance displayed by both their longtime fans and their legions of bandwagon boobs and douchebags who feel that they are absolutely entitled to always win.
- Because of the sheer absurdity of "26 rings!!! 26 rings!!!" When the reality is, they have 7 rings since 1962, the first year of the Mets' existence. 7 is still a lot more than 2, but it's not 26. The last thing we need is "27 rings!!! 27 rings!!!" or... 8 since 1962.
- Because they are a team whose latest dynasty (1996, 1998-2000) was built upon performance enhancing-drugs, and the Mets LOST to that roided-up team in the 2000 World Series.
- Because Alex Rodriguez is another steroid-using lying cheating prick who is in love with both Kate Hudson and Derek Jeter's ass.
- Because of the lunacy of the "aura and mystique" horseshit.
- Because of the fucking Steinbrenners.
- Because in New York City, the media will always treat the Yankees as numero uno because they've been around since 1903, and as a result, have a longer history. Why should any Met fan be happy about that?
- Because while I don't believe that the Yankees "buy championships" as no team can do so, they definitely do attempt to buy postseason berths. What makes that unfortunate is that many Met fans believe their team has to follow suit and continually lead the NL in highest payroll, instead of constructing the best team period.
- Because Roger Clemens intentionally beaned Mike Piazza, and later threw a bat at him, you fucking forgetful fruits!
- Because the Yankees and their fans represent all that is wrong with baseball, and they are known as the "Evil Empire" for many reasons, some of which I've already mentioned.
If you are a true Met fan, you already know most of these things. You know that while another Phillies World Series championship is not exactly preferable, it's certainly and unquestionably the lesser of two evils.
Still can't root for the Phillies? Ok fine...
Root for meteors to hit both ballparks. Root for terrorism. Root for the swine flu to infect both clubs and make the games impossible to play. Root for Pilot Sully Sullenberger to make an emergency landing on Derek Jeter instead of the Kate Hudson river.
Only phony baloney bullshit fair-weathered faggot Met fans who have no real understanding or concept of Met fandom root for the Yankees.
But first, a quick rundown of the LCS predictions I made and how they turned out.
AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
My prediction: Yankees in 7 games.
Reality: Yankees in 6 games.
I really wanted to be wrong about this, and believe that the Angels were going to continue to win in the same fashion they did against Boston. Except in Game 1 of the ALCS, the Angels made unimaginable errors such as Erick Aybar and Chone Figgins admiring a Hideki Matsui infield pop-up, but not bothering to catch it. Or Torii Hunter misplaying a base hit in centerfield and the ball getting away from him. It was like watching the Mets.
The Angels should have won Game 2, but Angels closer Brian Fuentes couldn't protect the 3-2 lead in the 9th when he served up an 0-2 fastball to Alex Rodriguez that should've been up and away, but was over the plate enough for A-Rod to hit it over the fence past a jumping Bobby Abreu. That game was won by the Yankees in the 13th inning by a final score of 4-3 when the Angels infield made more errors, blowing the game.
That was the key game in the series, because the Angels had to escape New York with a split, and could not. They won a thrilling Game 3 in Anaheim, got destroyed in Game 4, and won another thrilling game to send the series back to the Bronx before crumbling at the hands of Andy Pettite, Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera in Game 6.
The Yankees don't lose at home. More on that in a bit...
NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies
My prediction: Philadelphia in 6 games.
Reality: Philadelphia in 5 games.
Like with the ALCS, I predicted the right team, but one less game needed to win. At least my LCS predictions were far more accurate than the LDS ones. Yikes.
An interesting series highlighted by a Game 2 pitching duel between Pedro Martinez and Vicente Padilla in which Pedro pitched 7 shutout innings on 2 hits, and Padilla pitched 7.1 IP giving up only a Ryan Howard home run. But that game was ultimately lost by the Philadelphia bullpen. It was also the only game in the series that the Dodgers won. Once the series shifted to Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies crushed the Dodgers in Game 3 by a 11-0 final. THey mounted a miraculous comeback in Game 4 off Dodger closer Jonathan Broxton when Jimmy Rollins hit a 2-out 2-run double to win the game in dramatic walkoff fashion. And in Game 5, the domination of the Dodgers continued when the Phillies trounced them by a 10-4 final.
The Phillies' offense was firing on all cylinders at home, and they only lost one home game in the postseason, which was to Colorado.
WORLD SERIES
New York Yankees vs. Philadelphia Phillies
So here we are. Two high-powered offenses, two ace pitchers in CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee, two dominant closers who haven't blown a save in the postseason.
The media likes to break these matchups down by position, and starting pitcher vs. starting pitcher and so forth. Let's face it. The two teams are extremely evenly matched, which should make for a superb World Series.
To me, this series is going to be about home field advantage. There hasn't been a World Series that went more than 5 games since the 2003 version when the Marlins beat the Yankees in 6, and despite the All-Star game continually giving the American League home field advantage since the AL keeps winning, that hasn't mattered too much either.
This year, I think it's all about that. The Yankees do not lose at home in the postseason, and went 57-24 in their ballpark during the regular season. The Phillies DO lose in their own ballpark at times, which I think is going to be the ultimate difference maker here.
If the Phillies can somehow win a game at Yankee Stadium, then they may have a chance of winning. But I simply don't see them winning there in the postseason. As with all of my Yankee predictions, I hope I am wrong, but...
My prediction: New York Yankees in 6 games.
Hey, I wanted to believe it too, but it just didn't make any sense.
It all started last night when "Quinlan's Goofy Swing" at Angels' fan site halosheaven.com posted a Zapruder-film like desconstruction of a piece of video footage from ALCS Game 3 in which Yankees Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera seemed to spit on the ball.
And then the theories ran rampant as to what was going on, from both sides.
- The Yankee lunatics were claiming this was doctored video by a fan and uploaded to YouTube, and it could be proven!!! Alas, this video was not doctored, and it was completely legitimate.
- The Angel lunatics were demanding Rivera be suspended by MLB for clearly spitting on the ball, and then throwing that ball to Erick Aybar in the bottom of the 10th.
But a rational observer would clearly surmise the following...
- Mariano Rivera has been pitching in the bigs for 15 years, and this is the first video that has ever surfaced of him even coming close to something resembling a spitball.
- If his back was to the home plate umpire, there are still other umpires on the field perfectly capable of witnessing him spitting on the ball, if that's what really happened. That, and the entire Angels dugout. And Angel fans in the stands. Curious how none of the above ever brought up the issue to anyone.
- Is Mariano Rivera really dumb enough to spit on a baseball in full view of countless FOX cameras, umpires, fans, etc. in order to cheat? Generally, if you're one of those players who cheats, you're a lot more sneaky about it. Just ask players like Mike Scott and Gaylord Perry. Hocking a loogey in full view of everyone? Not exactly credible.
Nonetheless, while the video didn't present Rivera's actions in a favorable light, there was still a lot of question to exactly what occurred.
The Commissioner's Office of MLB reviewed the evidence and determined that the spit did not touch the baseball, and furthermore, it simply didn't make any sense that he would do something like that in full view of everyone, which goes to my 2nd point above. Plus Rivera is known to spit often when on the mound, but never on the ball.
You can read the MLB Commissioner's findings here:
In summation, much ado about nothing.
A whole lotta talk about the weather in the Bronx, but so far, the sheets of rain have not fallen from the skies. The tarp is not on the field, and while it's still just as cold as it was 24 hours prior during Game 1, it looks like the game will get started on time. Whether it finishes today, is another story entirely because the rain is expected to get heavier into the night.
Some random notes about the ALCS so far. The Yankees won Game 1 by a final score of 4-1.
- Chone Figgins desperately needs to snap out of his 0-for-16 postseason slump, only getting on base once when Jonathan Papelbon walked him on a 3-2 count in Game 3 of the ALDS. If the old cliche for the New York Mets is, "As Jose Reyes goes, so do the Mets," then the same (mostly) holds true for Figgins and the Angels. They beat Boston in spite of his inability to get on base, but that likely won't be enough to beat the Yankees
- The weather conditions tonight are generally the same as they were last night. Whatever blame the Angels may have been able to put on "not used to the cold and rain" can't happen again. You only get the one mulligan in situations like these.
- The Angels' normally stellar defense must return in this must-win game for the Halos. They cannot afford to leave New York without a split of the first two games. The Yankees won Game 1 of the 2002 ALDS and 2005 ALDS against the Angels. Both series were won by the Angels. But they also had to win Game 2 of those 5-gamers.
- Joe Saunders hasn't pitched a real game in 2 weeks. He also gives up a lot of homers. Pitching Saunders instead of Kazmir in Yankee Stadium when Kazmir's history against the Bronx Bombers strongly favor him over Saunders, could prove to be a mistake. But Saunders isn't chopped liver. He posted a 16-7 record with a 4.60 ERA this season, with a very strong 2nd half going 7-2.
LIVEBLOGGING
(ALL TIMES PACIFIC)
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Top of 1st Inning:
4:59pm: Chone Figgins makes it 0-for-17 in the postseason striking out for the 8th time against a filthy AJ Burnett curveball. 1 out.
5:00pm: AJ Burnett gets ahead of Bobby Abreu 0-2. Abreu looked awful against Sabathia last night.
5:01pm: Bobby Abreu hits a weak liner to LF Johnny Damon. 2 away.
5:04pm: Torii Hunter bloops a 2-2 curveball into rightfield and ends up on 2nd base with a double.
5:05pm: Vladimir Guerrero grounds the first pitch to SS Derek Jeter. 6-3. 3 outs.
Bottom of 1st Inning:
5:08pm: Derek Jeter swings at the first pitch from Joe Saunders, grounding out to 3B Chone Figgins. 5-3. 1 out.
5:10pm: Johnny Damon lifts one sky high towards the rightfield seats but it falls on the warning track into Bobby Abreu's glove. 2 outs.
5:12pm: Mark Teixeira strikes out swinging. 3 outs.
Top of 2nd Inning:
5:17pm: Kendry Morales strikes out looking at strike 3, and I have no idea what he was looking at, considering it was a fastball right on the plate. 1 out.
5:19pm: Juan Rivera flies out to RF Nick Swisher. 2 outs.
5:20pm: Maicer Izturis hits a comebacker off AJ Burnett's first pitch. Burnett fields it, throws to 1st. Score it 1-3. 3 up, 3 down.
Bottom of 2nd Inning:
5:23pm: A-Rod leads off against Joe Saunders, and is 7-for-14 (.500) against him lifetime with 2 HRs and 7 Ks. Yikes. Good thing no one is on base.
5:24pm: Alex Rodriguez hits a routine liner right at SS Erick Aybar. Aybar is not wearing the ski outfit like he was yesterday. Although 2B Maicer Izturis is. 1 out.
5:26pm: Hideki Matsui hits a 2-2 pitch on the ground to 2B Maicer Izturis. 4-3. 2 outs.
5:27pm: Nick Swisher takes a walk.
5:28pm: As I mentioned earlier, Joe Saunders gives up a lot of homeruns. 29 this season to be exact, tied for 2nd most in the AL with Tampa's James Shields. The man who gave up the most HRs in the AL this season? Jeremy Guthrie of the Baltimore Orioles.
5:29pm: Robinson Cano ropes an 0-2 breaking ball into right-centerfield for a triple that easily scores Nick Swisher. The ball went all the way to the wall and picked up a lot of moisture on its way. The throw into the infield by CF Torii Hunter was mishandled by Maicer Izturis, which prevented any chance of a play at either home or 3rd. No error though. Yankees take the lead 1-0.
5:32pm: Melky Cabrera works a full count against Saunders.
5:33pm: Melky Cabrera tries to check his swing at ball 4 but cannot. The ball isn't handled cleanly by Napoli, so he throws down to Kendry Morales at 1B to complete the strikeout. 3 outs.
Top of 3rd Inning:
5:38pm: Mike Napoli skies a 1-2 pitch but to RF Nick Swisher. 1 out.
5:39pm: Erick Aybar grounds out to Derek Jeter at SS. 6-3. The throw from Jeter almost takes Mark Teixeira off the bag but he keeps it on the base long enough. 2 outs.
5:40pm: AJ Burnett has thrown 9 out of 10 first-pitches for strikes. And he's making the Angels look silly along the way.
5:41pm: You can see the affects of that wind on the shirt of home plate umpire Laz Diaz.
5:42pm: Chone Figgins reaches base on a walk. HALLEULEUUUUUUJAH!!!!
5:43pm: FOX announcers Joe Buck and Tim McCarver believe Chone Figgins is definitely going to be stealing 2nd in this AB, but there are 2 out, and Burnett has made 3 pickoff throws to first (and counting) without throwing to Abreu.
5:44pm: Burnett's first pitch to Abreu is a ball outside. Is Figgins scaring Burnett? Not likely. We'll see.
5:45pm: The count goes to 2-2 on Bobby Abreu. Figgins hasn't even made an attempt at 2nd yet.
5:46pm: Chone Figgins runs on the 2-2 pitch, but Bobby Abreu flies out to CF Melky Cabrera to end the inning. 3 outs.
Bottom of 3rd Inning:
5:50pm: As FOX makes a point of it to show Jorge Posada looking on in the Yankee dugout, Jose Molina strikes out swinging. 1 out.
5:51pm: The rain is expected to hit the Bronx within the next 10 minutes. How much of it, heaven knows.
5:52pm: Derek Jeter hits an opposite field shot into the rightfield seats. That one is not stopped by the wind and it's a home run for Derek Fucking Jeter. Joe Saunders left that two-seam fastball pitch to Jeter up in the zone. Big mistake. 2-0 Yankees.
5:53pm: Angels' pitching coach Mike Butcher trots to the mound to figure out what's wrong with Joe Saunders. Tim McCarver talks about Derek Jeter being the worst defensive SS in baseball last year, and somehow ties that stat to his hitting this season. Uhhh, what?
5:54pm: Johnny Damon goes opposite field with a base hit to left.
5:55pm: Mark Teixeira hits a weak grounder at 2B Maicer Izturis. Izturis tosses to Aybar at SS and they try to complete the 4-6-3 double play, but Tex beats it out. 2 outs.
5:57pm: Alex Rodriguez lines out to RF Bobby Abreu. 3 outs.
Top of 4th Inning:
5:59pm: They said the rain was coming. I don't see no stinking rain yet.
6:00pm: Torii Hunter hits a weak grounder at 3B Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod throws to Mark Teixeira at 1B. Tex makes a falling-to-the-ground defensive grab to get Hunter. Mark Teixeira's defense at 1B is the #1 reason why Jeter is a far-improved fielding shortstop. He's been making the whole infield look better all year.
6:02pm: Vladimir Guerrero swings at a ridiculous pitch for strike 3, but the ball gets away from Jose Molina. Vladimir runs relatively hard to 1B, but Molina still makes the the throw to Teixeira for the out. Only problem is, he was clearly safe on replay. But close enough that you can't fault the umpire for the real-time mistake. Plus yeesh, how does Vlad swing at THAT garbage? 2 outs.
6:03pm: I can understand CC Sabathia shutting the Angels down, but AJ Burnett isn't THAT good. Josh Beckett and Jon Lester are better pitchers and the Angels were able to beat them.
6:05pm: Kendry Morales gets hit by a pitch on the foot. Any way to get on base at this point, as long as someone can drive in the runs. Juan Rivera, are you the man for the job?
6:06pm: Jose Molina is taking a beating behind the plate tonight from some foul balls. Maybe he's not thrilled being Burnett's personal catcher on a cold night like this.
6:07pm: Juan Rivera hits a weak grounder to SS Derek Jeter, who flips to 2B Robinson Cano for the force. 3 outs.
Bottom of 4th Inning:
6:10pm: Hideki Matsui grounds out to 1B Kendry Morales who takes the ball to the bag himself for the out. 1 away.
6:12pm: Nick Swisher grounds out hard to 3B Chone Figgins who makes a nice fielding play. 5-3. 2 outs.
6:13pm: Mike Napoli takes a mound visit after Saunders falls behind 3-0 to Robinson Cano.
6:15pm: Saunders comes back to get a full count on Robinson Cano before he lifts a shot into centerfield, but Torii Hunter tracks it down on the run. 3 outs.
Top of 5th Inning:
6:17pm: The Angels desperately need to get something going in this inning. And just as I finish typing that sentence, Joe Buck says pretty much the exact same thing.
6:18pm: Maicer Izturis rips a shot into rightfield for a ground-rule double. That definitely counts as "getting something going," eh?
6:19pm: Mike Napoli swings at the first pitch but flies out to CF Melky Cabrera. No chance for Izturis to advance. 1 out.
6:20pm: FOX shows the ominous doppler radar of the rainstorm just waiting to move over NYC, but it's seemingly stalled in central Jersey. Perhaps it's stuck on the turnpike. Heyoooooo.
6:21pm: Erick Aybar rips a shot up in the middle past AJ Burnett on the mound for an RBI-single that scores Izturis. Angels get up on the board and cut the lead in half. Yankees still up 2-1. Aybar can be dangerous on the basepaths.
6:22pm: Chone Figgins is up with Aybar on first base. Tim McCarver mentions the possibility of a hit-and-run here, except Figgins has not exactly been making any contact. Burnett almost picks off Aybar at first, but he's back safely, barely.
6:23pm: Erick Aybar takes off for 2nd base, Figgins swings through the curveball to even the count 1-1. Molina's throw is late, and Aybar is safe at 2nd with the stolen base.
6:25pm:.Figgins gets hit on his back (left) foot by a Burnett curveball, and the ball bounces away from catcher Jose Molina. Figgins takes 1st base. The Angels still need to make this a meaningful inning, and they can do so with Bobby Abreu hitting with 1 out. I hope.
6:27pm: Buck and McCarver note that Derek Jeter keeps shouting "hey" at AJ Burnett. But they can't decide whether it's to get Burnett's attention about Aybar at 2nd base, or just to fuck with Aybar's head a bit and keep him closer to 2nd base.
6:28pm: Bobby Abreu just swung at a high fastball out of the zone which would've been ball 4. Now it's a full count.
Tim McCarver believes the runners may be going on the pitch.
6:29pm: Tim McCarver is correct. Aybar and Figgins were running on the pitch, but Abreu fouls it off. The AB continues.
6:30pm: See last entry. It occurs again.
6:31pm: The fans are getting very loud in the ballpark. Runners going again on the 3-2 pitch, Abreu fouls the 8th pitch from Burnett off. If I'm Burnett, I should try that high heat again.
6:32pm: Bobby Abreu flies out to Johnny Damon in the LF corner of the ballpark right up against the fence JUST on the foul side of the pole. 2 outs.
6:34pm: Burnett falls behind Hunter 2-0, but I wonder if he's being careful with Torii in order to pitch to Vlad.
6:35pm: Once Burnett got Hunter to go too far on a check swing for strike 1, he's now 2-2 against Torii and the fans are clamoring for the big out.
6:36pm: Fans breaking out with the loud "AJ" chant, like they did for "CC" last night. Andy Pettite is considering using only his initials for future home games.
6:37pm: Ball 4 gets away from Jose Molina and goes into the seats. Aybar alertly tries to score but can't because the ball went out of play. That's a huge break for the Yankees. Torii Hunter moves to 1st, Figgins to 2nd, Aybar to 3rd. Bases loaded. Vlad is up in the big spot but can't swing at garbage this time.
6:38pm: David Robertson is warming up in the Yankees bullpen. Jose Molina has another mound conference with AJ Burnett, the 6th in this inning. Burnett is ahead of Guerrero 1-2. The "AJ" chant rings out again.
6:39pm: Burnett throws the ball in the dirt and it gets away from Jose Molina. All runners move up 90 feet. Erick Aybar scores and ties the game at 2. Figgins moves to 3rd, Hunter to 2nd. 2-2 count to Vlad.
6:40pm: Good thing that wild pitch occurred, because Vladdy hits a shit grounder to Derek Jeter at shortstop. 6-3. 3 outs.
Bottom of 5th Inning:
6:44pm: Melky Cabrera hits a leadoff single up the middle past a diving Erick Aybar. With Jose Molina up next, a double play is definitely required.
6:45pm: With Molina bunting, that double play probably won't happen. But Molina fails to execute the bunt and is behind 0-2.
6:46pm: Somehow Joe Saunders can't find the plate now, and it's a full count. Cabrera is likely to be running with the bunt off.
6:47pm: No worries for the Yankees because Jose Molina lines a shot into rightfield for a base hit. Melky Cabrera wasn't running on the pitch, so he stops at 2nd base. Although it was hit fairly hard, so he may not have gotten to 3rd base either way. Derek Jeter is now up in a big spot, as usual.
6:48pm: Jason Bulger gets up in the Angels bullpen. Joe Saunders needs to work a miracle here.
6:49pm: Angels infield corners are playing slightly in on Jeter, expecting a possible bunt. But he has yet to square. 1-1 count to Jeter.
6:50pm: Derek Jeter grounds back to Joe Saunders on the mound. He turns, throws to SS Erick Aybar who takes just enough time to get Jeter at 1B for the double play. Melky Cabrera moves to 3rd on the play. Score that 1-6-3. 2 outs.
6:51pm: Replays show Jeter barely beat the throw but the Angels got the call.
6:52pm: Joe Saunders works a miracle (with a little help from the umpire) by striking out Johnny Damon. Crisis averted. 3 outs.
Top of 6th Inning:
6:55pm: The Angels tied it up in the 5th, but they desperately need to go ahead right now off AJ Burnett before the heart of the Yankees bullpen comes in.
6:57pm: Kendry Morales strikes out looking at a backdoor curve that nips the outside corner of the plate. 1 out.
6:59pm: Juan Rivera flies out to RF Nick Swisher. 2 outs.
7:01pm: On a 3-2 fastball, Maicer Izturis flies out to CF Melky Cabrera. And still no sign of rain after 10pm Eastern time. 3 outs.
Bottom of 6th Inning:
7:04pm: Joe Saunders still pitching for the Angels and he'll be facing Teixeira, A-Rod and Matsui to start.
7:05pm: Mark Teixeira rips a shot at 3B Chone Figgins who makes a great play to come up with the ball, spins around, his throw to Kendry Morales takes him off the bag. Morales spins and tags, but the ball flies out of Kendry's glove on the tag so Tex is safe. Error charged to 3B Chone Figgins on the throw.
7:06pm: Alex Rodriguez flies out to Bobby Abreu in shallow RF. 1 out.
7:07pm: FOX shows the doppler radar image. The storm is moving closer to NYC but hasn't hit the Bronx yet.
7:08pm: Holy shnikeys, another double play!!!! Hideki Matsui grounds sharply to Kendry Morales, who throws the ball to SS Erick Aybar at 2nd, Aybar throws to Joe Saunders covering first for the 3-6-1 double play. WOW!
Top of 7th Inning:
7:10pm: Phil Coke and Joba Chamberlain are loosening up in the Yankee bullpen. AJ Burnett's final inning in all likelihood.
7:11pm: Mike Napoli flies out to RF Nick Swisher. 1 out.
7:12pm: Erick Aybar is toying with the idea of a bunt single, but probably won't do that now that the corners are in. Hopefully looking to line a shot down the rightfield line.
7:14pm: Erick Aybar grounds to 2B Robinson Cano but the ball falls out of his glove while trying to field it. Aybar safe at 1st on the error charged to Cano. That's all for AJ Burnett, who certainly pitched well enough to keep the Yankees in the game. Lefty reliever Phil Coke is coming in for the Yankees and he'll be turning Chone Figgins around to his weaker right side. A bunt wouldn't be the worst idea right now considering the speed of both Aybar and Figgy.
7:16pm: AJ Burnett's pitch count went to 114 in this game.
7:18pm: Phil Coke tosses over to first base a couple of times to keep Aybar honest. Joba Chamberlain is still warming in the Yankee bullpen.
7:20pm: Erick Aybar is definitely being held on by Phil Coke. Coke is a lefty with a good move and Aybar can't seem to get a good read on his motion. Still, Coke falls behind Figgins 3-1.
7:21pm: Chone Figgins walks. Erick Aybar moves to 2nd on the play. The speedsters are on with 1 out and Bobby Abreu coming to bat.
7:22pm: FOX is stat-geeking it up, timing Bobby Abreu's AB's by time spent at the plate. His third AB (against Burnett) lasted over 5:30, going 9 pitches.
7:23pm: Yankee fans getting loud and rowdy with Coke having a 2-2 count on Abreu.
7:24pm: Phil Coke has thrown nothing but fastballs so far against Abreu.
7:25pm: Abreu checks his swing against a Phil Coke slider but definitely went around. Very smart pitching by Coke going all fastballs and fooling him with a slider. 2 outs.
7:26pm: With Torii Hunter and Vladdy Guerrero coming up next (both righties), that's it for Phil Coke. Joe Giradi is making the bullpen call for righty Joba Chamberlain.
7:28pm: FOX shows some of Joba's warmup pitches from the mound, and they were way the hell over Molina's head. Should be a fun AB for Torii.
7:29pm: Or not. Torii Hunter watches two wicked sliders go by to fall behind 0-2.
7:30pm: And then Joba falls behind 3-2 trying to paint the corners but missing.
7:31pm: Torii Hunter hits a weak chopper to Derek Jeter which goes for an infield single. Jeter knows there's no play at first, so he hopes to get Aybar snoozing off of 3rd base. Aybar isn't snoozing, but A-Rod isn't there to cover either. Bases loaded for Vlad, which is probably an advantage for Joba. The Angels can't afford to blow opportunities like this though.
7:32pm: Vlad fouls off 2 pitches and falls behind. This ain't good. He fouls off another that is outside. 3 pitches now. Joba should just throw it in the dirt.
7:33pm: Jose Molina has another mound conference with his pitcher, which prompts Joe Girardi to take a quick mound visit. Molina has taken at least 10-12 trips to the mound all game, which might be a record.
7:34pm: Like I said, low ball to Vlad, he swings and misses. 3 outs.
Bottom of 7th Inning:
7:38pm: Phil Hughes is warming up in the Yankee bullpen. Kevin Jepsen warming up in the Angels' bullpen. Joe Saunders still pitching for the Angels. His pitch count is at 91 to begin the 7th. This will almost certainly be his final inning one way or the other.
7:39pm: Nick Swisher ropes a shot into leftfield for a leadoff single.
7:40pm: Brett Gardner is in to pinch-run for Nick Swisher, and will also replace him in RF. Pitching coach Mike Butcher takes a visit to the mound to meet with the infield. Saunders will face Robinson Cano here, who is NORMALLY a double-play machine, but has been pretty good tonight against Saunders with an RBI triple back in the 2nd inning, and a flyout to CF Torii Hunter in the 4th.
7:43pm: Joe Saunders is trying his best to make sure Brett Gardner does not take off.
7:44pm: Robinson Cano hits into that double play he's so well-loved for. Grounder to 2B Maicer Izturis, toss to SS Erick Aybar, throw to 1B Kendry Morales. 4-6-3 motherfuckaaaaa!!!! 2 outs.
7:46pm: Joe Saunders strikes out Melky Cabrera to finish 7 strong innings. If Joe is capable, I'd love to see him pitch the 8th inning too.
Top of 8th Inning:
7:48pm: Joe Saunders' night is done as he got a bunch of high-fives and congrats in the Angels dugout. Defensive changes for the Yankees. Brett Gardner moves to CF, Melky Cabrera moves to RF, Phil Hughes is on in relief for the Yankees.
7:50pm: Kendry Morales skies a ball to CF Brett Gardner. 1 out.
7:51pm: Juan Rivera ropes the first pitch he sees from Phil Hughes into centerfield for a single.
7:52pm: Reggie Willits is in to pinch-run for Juan Rivera. He'll also play LF for him.
7:53pm: With a 2-2 score in the 8th inning, this is now a battle of the bullpens. Remember, the Yankees are supposed to have the huge advantage in this department. I agree that they do with Mariano Rivera over Brian Fuentes, less so with the rest of them, especially since Girardi already burned through Coke and Joba.
7:54pm: Maicer Izturis hits a tailor made double-play ball on the ground right at Derek Jeter, but he boots the ball and can't handle it. Reggie Willits moves to 2nd, Izturis at 1st base. Error charged to Derek Jeter on the play.
7:55pm: Switch-hitting Gary Matthews Jr. is pinch-hitting for Mike Napoli here. Matthews Jr. will be batting from the left side against righty Phil Hughes.
7:56pm: Huge key AB for Matthews here, as he definitely needs to convert these baserunners into go-ahead runs. Mariano Rivera looms in the 9th inning.
7:57pm: Matthews sucks. He strikes out swinging at an 0-2 curveball. 2 outs.
7:58pm: Joe Girardi is making the call to Mariano Rivera to face Erick Aybar. Enter Sandman. Momma, I'm scurred!!!!
8:00pm: Erick Aybar swings first pitch from Mo and grounds meekly to 2B Robinson Cano. 4-3. 3 outs.
Bottom of 8th Inning:
8:01pm: And this is where the game becomes scary for Angels fans. Can the bullpen handle things?
8:02pm: A light rain is falling at Yankee Stadium. Scioscia made a slight alteration in the defensive replacements. Matthews Jr. is playing LF instead of Reggie Willits. Jeff Mathis is catching in place of Mike Napoli. Kevin Jepsen is now pitching for the Angels. Jorge Posada pinch-hitting for Jose Molina.
8:03pm: Jorge Posada grounds hard to 2B Maicer Izturis. He drops the ball, picks it up and throws out Posada at first with enough time. 4-3. 1 out.
8:04pm: Yankee Stadium chanting like mad for Derek Jeter.
8:06pm: Kevin Jepsen strikes out Derek Jeter. Mathis drops the ball but tags Jeter for the strikeout. 2 outs.
8:07pm: Johnny Damon grounds out to 2B Maicer Izturis who backs up on the ball and almost mishandles it, but he recovers and throws to first for the out. 3 up, 3 down. Wonder if Jepsen will get another inning since that was pretty quick. Of course, that assumes the Angels cannot score against Mariano Rivera in the top 9, which... I don't think they will.
Top of 9th Inning:
8:09pm: Jorge Posada is behind the plate for the Yankees now. Brian Fuentes is warming up in the Angels bullpen. Chone Figgins leads off against Rivera.
8:11pm: Chone Figgins bloops a ball into short leftfield, but LF Johnny Damon was playing in to begin with and makes a spectacular diving catch for the first out.
8:13pm: Bobby Abreu falls behind 1-2 to Rivera. Can't say I'm surprised this time.
8:14pm: Bobby Abreu watches strike 3 go by. 2 outs. Ugh.
8:15pm: Rivera falls behind Torii Hunter 2-0 before getting him to swing at 2 strikes. The fans want Torii's blood, and they're gonna get it.
8:16pm: Torii Hunter watches strike 3 go by, and he damn well knew it. 3 outs.
Bottom of 9th Inning:
8:18pm: Team Walkoff is primed and ready to go. AJ Burnett is probably prepping the creampies just in case. No one is warming up for the Yankees in the bullpen. Kevin Jepsen is still pitching for the Angels, as expected. Can't go to Fuentes until you have the lead. The rain is beginning to fall, even though it looks like light snow. So it's not falling heavily enough to cause any problems.
8:20pm: Mark Teixeira grounds out to 1B Kendry Morales who walks to the bag for the out. 1 away.
8:21pm: Alex Rodriguez comes to the plate. He's 0-for-3 tonight, all 3 ABs against Joe Saunders. The fans want the walkoff bomb. I sure don't. And Jepsen better make sure it doesn't happen.
8:22pm: A-Rod grounds out to 3B Chone Figgins. 5-3. 2 outs.
8:23pm: Joe Buck points out that the Yankees have only had 1 hit since the 5th inning. That hit belonged to Melky Cabrera.
8:24pm: Kevin Jepsen falls behind Hideki Matsui 3-1. Matsui is still a very dangerous candidate for the walk-off bomb, so I don't blame Jepsen for being super careful against the lefty.
8:25pm: Sure enough, Hideki Matsui ropes a single into rightfield. Freddy Guzman is in to pinch-run for Matsui here. Lefty Brett Gardner in to face Jepsen.
8:27pm: With Guzman running on the 0-1 pitch, Gardner chops a ball on the left side of the infield hole for a base hit. Guzman to 3rd on the hit. Runners on 1st and 3rd. Angels pitching coach Mike Butcher has an infield conference with Robinson Cano coming to the plate. McCarver suggests the intentional pass to lefty Cano in order to pitch to righty Cabrera. I wholeheartedly agree.
8:28pm: Looks like they're pitching to Cano after all. Brett Gardner takes 2nd base on defensive indifference. First pitch to Cano is a strike. This is that time in the game where I have a fucking heart attack.
8:29pm: Heart attack averted! Cano makes contact with a swinging bunt that goes towards the pitcher but catcher Jeff Mathis fields it cleanly and throws to Kendry Morales at 1B to get the nailbiting 3rd out. Holy shit, we're going extra innings.
Top of 10th Inning:
8:31pm: Mariano Rivera is still in the game for the Yankees, pitching to Vlad, Morales, Mathis.
8:32pm: Darren Oliver is warming up in the Angels bullpen.
8:33pm: Vladimir Guerrero leads off the inning with a bloop single to right-center. The outfield was playing deep for Vlad, so that worked out.
8:34pm: Kendry Morales swings at the first pitch from Mo, grounding into a 4-6 forceout. Cano to Jeter. The throw to Teixeira is late and Morales is safe at 1st. 1 out.
8:35pm: Jeff Mathis can't bunt properly as he pops up a bunt on the third base side of the mound. The ball is caught by Mariano Rivera and we get a slight collision between A-Rod and Rivera, but the ball remains in Mo's glove. 2 outs.
8:37pm: Maicer Izturis flies out to 2B Robinson Cano running away from the plate in short centerfield. 3 outs. Good news, that's probably all from Rivera. Bad news, Yankees are coming up and I'm always nervous. At least it's not the heart of the order?
Bottom of 10th Inning:
8:40pm: FOX is showing us a bunch of Melky Cabrera walkoff hits. I don't like that. Lefty Darren Oliver is pitching in relief for the Angels. He is NOT a power pitcher, but is pretty good with the finesse. He better be here.
8:41pm: Mariano Rivera is still walking around the Yankee dugout. Could he pitch the 11th if necessary? I fucking hope not.
8:42pm: On a 3-2 count, Melky Cabrera bloops a ball in short rightfield but it goes foul. Whew. That would've been a leadoff double or worse if it landed fair.
8:43pm: Melky Cabrera hits a ball into centerfield for a leadoff single. Torii Hunter didn't take any chances on that ball, letting it drop in front. Oliver will have to face Posada here and hopefully induce a double play. Posada might be bunting though. Angels' infield is in.
8:44pm: WTF JUST HAPPENED? Jorge Posada grounds to 2B Maicer Izturis, who tosses the ball to SS Erick Aybar at 2nd, throwing the ball to Kendry Morales at 1st. However, 2B umpire says that Aybar didn't touch the base. He's technically correct, but that's a "neighborhood" call always made by the 2B umpire if you're that close to the base. Scioscia flies out of the dugout to argue but to no avail. So Cabrera is safe at 2nd, Posada out at 1st.
8:46pm: Righty Derek Jeter gets the intentional pass to 1st base so Oliver can face Johnny Damon here.
8:48pm: Tim McCarver points out that on every double play this game, Aybar did indeed tag 2nd base. Still, there needs to be global consistency throughout MLB on that "neighborhood call," especially when Aybar was SO close to 2nd base. Yes, technically he didn't touch the base, but that call has been an "out" a billion times in the past. Very frustrating.
8:49pm: On a 3-2 pitch, Johnny Damon foul pops out to 3B Chone Figgins just shy of the TV camera's well.
8:50pm: The rain is starting to pour now. Mark Teixeira has a chance to be a hero with a base hit.
8:51pm: EAT SHIT YANKEES! Mark Teixeira grounds to SS Erick Aybar who goes to 2B Maicer Izturi for the 6-4 forceout. 3 outs. Wow. The Angels overcame HUGE adversity there, but that rope is burning short.
Top of 11th Inning:
8:54pm: No more Rivera. PRAISE DA LORD! Alfredo Aceves is pitching in relief for the Yankees.
8:55pm: The rain has picked up even more, as fans scatter for cover.
8:57pm: Gary Matthews Jr. takes a leadoff walk thanks to Aceves. Matthews Jr. CAN run, but isn't a threat in the vein of Figgins, Aybar, Izturis, etc.
8:58pm: Erick Aybar lays down a textbook sac bunt fielded by Aceves. He throws to Cano covering 1st for the out. 1-4. 1 out. Damaso Marte is warming up in the Yankees bullpen.
8:59pm: Brian Fuentes is warming up in the Angels bullpen again, in hopes the Angels can score Matthews. The rain continues to fall, but not at a 2008 World Series Game 5 pace...
9:01pm: CHONE FIGGINS COMES THROUGH!!!! A bloop shot into leftfield scores Gary Matthews Jr. from 2nd base. Johnny Damon clearly has zero arm because almost anyone else would've nailed Matthews Jr. at the plate, but he scores to give the Halos the 3-2 lead. Figgins takes 2nd base on the throw home.
9:02pm: Bobby Abreu gets the intentional walk from Aceves. Brian Fuentes is almost certainly getting warm in the pen again in hopes of closing out the Skanks in the bottom of the 11th.
9;04pm: Torii Hunter can't add to the damage as he grounds hard to 3B Alex Rodriguez who turns the 5-4-3 double play. A-Rod to Cano to Tex. 3 outs. Fuentes time.
Bottom of 11th Inning:
9:07pm: Brian Fuentes is in to close (?) out the game. He'll pitch to A-Rod and then, we'll see. Freddy Guzman and Brett Gardner are pencilled in. Fuentes always pitches far better to lefty hitters than righties. The Yankee Stadium grounds crew is putting down a bunch of dry dirt on the pitching mound.
9:08pm: I'm glad A-Rod is batting now instead of with someone potentially on base. The Yankee fans are going nuts for A-Rod right now. Fuentes has to go nuts ON him.
9:10pm: You... have to be kidding me. Alex Rodriguez hits an opposite field shot down 0-2 in the count that just clears the rightfield fence. Abreu can't make the leaping catch. Yankees tie it 3-3. Unfuckingbelievable. This sucks donkey nuts.
9:13pm: Freddy Guzman strikes out swinging. 1 out.
9:15pm: Brett Gardner hits a comebacker to Fuentes on the pitcher's mound. He throws to Kendry Morales at 1B for the 2nd out.
9:17pm: Robinson Cano grounds out to 1B Kendry Morales, and the game continues on. 3 outs.
Top of 12th Innning:
9;20pm: Alfredo Aceves still pitching for the Yankees. Vladimir Guerrero pops up to SS Derek Jeter who has a very tough time tracking down the ball in the pouring rain, but he's able to make the catch. 1 out.
9:21pm: No more for Aceves, as the Yankees need to turn Kendry Morales around to his right side, so they're trotting out lefty Damaso Marte.
9:24pm: Kendry Morales grounds out to 3B Alex Rodriguez. 5-3. 2 outs.
9:25pm: And that one batter was all Marte was in there to face. Now it's David Robertson out of the bullpen. I know you have to manage to win NOW, but who is even left in the Yankee pen? Chad Gaudin?
9:28pm: Can Jeff Mathis be an unlikely hero? Highly doubtful.
9:29pm: Well, not a solo blast, but Mathis hits a shot into right-centerfield for a 2-out double. Still gotta get him home somehow.
9:30pm: Maicer Izturis is up from the left side. They're giving him the intentional pass in order to face the free-swinging switch-hitting (still from the left side here) Gary Matthews Jr. The Angels HAVE to score a run here or I'm pretty sure they're losing in the bottom of the 12th.
9:33pm: Matthews Jr. fails. Strikes out swinging. 3 outs. We're going to the bottom of the 12th, and I think this game is finally ending... Ugh.
Bottom of 12th Inning:
9:36pm: Ervin Santana is in to pitch for the Angels. He's gotta pitch lights out as long as possible. The Angels at least have arms in the pen left, but they need to score runs and KEEP the lead, fer fuck's sake.
9:39pm: Ervin Santana gets Melky Cabrera to strike out swinging. 1 out.
9:40pm: Jorge Posada hits a pop fly to the Bermuda Triangle in right-center where Izturis, Abreu and Hunter cannot grab it. Single.
9:42pm: Derek Jeter hits a hard shot up the middle that Erick Aybar tracks down, drops, but then shuttles the ball to Izturis at 2B for the force on Posada. Jeter on 1st. 2 outs.
9:43pm: Johnny Damon ropes a shot into rightfield for a base hit single. Bobby Abreu gets the ball into the infield early enough to stop Derek Jeter from scoring. He stops at 3rd base. Infield conference at the mound with pitching coach Mike Butcher. Mark Teixeira with another chance to be a hero.
9:44pm: Johnny Damon takes 2nd on defensive indifference. Santana isn't giving Tex anything to swing at. 4 straight outside balls loads the bases. An intentional unintentional walk. A-Rod at the plate. At least Ervin Santana is a righty?
9:47pm: Alex Rodriguez skies out to CF Torii Hunter and the Halos get another reprieve. I'm seriously shocked that they got out of that jam. Unfuckingreal.
Top of 13th Inning:
9:50pm: Erick Aybar ropes a first pitch right at 2B Robinson Cano, but Cano was expecting a slight hop to the ball. The ball goes underneath his glove and into RF. That's gotta be another E for Cano. It is. 3rd error of the night for the Yankees. Two on Cano, one on Jeter. Aybar is on 1st.
9:51pm: Chad Gaudin is warming up in the Yankees bullpen. There's no one left after him unless they somehow trot CC back out.
9:52pm: Chone Figgins lays down the sac bunt in front of the plate to move Erick Aybar to 2nd base. Posada fields it easily and throws to 1B Mark Teixeira to get the out. 1 away.
9:53pm: Bobby Abreu is getting the intentional pass from David Robertson. And Joe Girardi is making a mound visit to make sure Robertson knows how to pitch to Hunter and perhaps Vlad Guerrero.
9:56pm: Ahead 0-2 to Torii Hunter, David Robertson throws two awful pitches in the dirt, short of the plate to Posada. Now he falls behind 3-2.
9:58pm: With the runners on the move, Torii Hunter grounds out to SS Derek Jeter. 6-3. 2 outs. Aybar to 3rd, Abreu to 2nd. Vlad up in the biggest spot of his life now.
10:00pm: Vlad hits a groundball that glances off of Robertson's glove but is fielded by 2B Robinson Cano. 1-4-3. 3 outs. Angels just can't make it happen anymore. Ervin Santana has gotta keep the Yankees off the bases.
Bottom of 13th Inning:
10:04pm: Eric Hinske is wearing a rally cap in the Yankee dugout. Jerry Hairston is pinch-hitting for Freddy Guzman.
10:05pm: He ropes a shot into center for a leadoff single. Here we goes again...
10:06pm: Brett Gardner bunts on first pitch, and it's a nice one down the 1B line. Kendry Morales fields it, throws to 2B Maicer Izturis covering first for the out. 1 away.
10:07pm: FOX just flashed a graphic of the Yankees on the bench. The only one left is 3rd catcher Francisco Cervelli.
Ervin Santana almost throws wild on the first pitch of an intentional walk to Robinson Cano. That's the 5th IBB of the game.
10:08pm: Melky Cabrera, are you going to be a hero? Well, kinda... He grounds a ball on the 2B side which is fielded by Maicer Izturis. He tries to throw to Aybar at 2nd base but the ball sails wide of Aybar. Chone Figgins scatters to back up the shitty throw but drops it. Hairston is able to score, and probably would have either way. Izturis' throw shoulda been to first, but my god... What the fuck Angels... How do you blow it like THAT especially when you survived so many improbable circumstances throughout?
Yankees win 4-3 in 13 innings. Kill me.
Round 1 of the 2009 MLB Playoffs has completed, and I did not do very well in my predictions, which you can point and laugh at here.
Of course, predictions are just that. Results you expect to occur, hopefully with some rhyme and reason to back it all up. Whether they actually become reality or not, is a whole nother story.
So first, a little wrap-up of the ALDS and NLDS before moving onto the ALCS and NLDS.
AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES:
New York Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins
My prediction: Yankees in 3 games.
Reality: Yankees in 3 games
The only prediction that I got right, and I suspect that a lot of people got right too. The Twins weren't good enough to compete with the Bombers, and even during the games that they might have actually taken from the Yanks, they couldn't win. Game 2 was the ultimate in that case, with the Phil Cuzzi blown call in leftfield taking center stage, but the Twins had numerous opportunities to score in that game and never did.
Closer Joe Nathan continued his terrible postseason by giving up a game-tying HR in the bottom of the 9th of Game 2 to A-Rod, and also gave up 2 hits to the Yankees in the 9th inning of Game 3. Those hits led to 2 Yankee runs which were charged to other Twins relievers, but Nathan couldn't stop the Yankees from scoring. As great as Joe Nathan is during the regular season, he's been quite awful in the postseason, posting a 7.88 ERA.
AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES:
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs. Boston Red Sox
I definitely figured this series was going to be a lot more competitive than it turned out. Although I was correct in that the Dodgers needed to survive by hitting off of St. Louis' shaky bullpen. I didn't however, expect Matt Holliday to drop the ball in Game 2, and then Cardinals closer Ryan Franklin to be unable to get any of the additional batters out despite having 2 outs. That game was a heartbreaker if you're a St. Louis fan, or a Dodgers despiser like me.
My prediction: Boston in 4 games.
Reality: Angels in 3 games.
Never so happy to be so wrong on both counts.
The Angels were supposed to be shut down by Jon Lester and Josh Beckett. Instead, it was the pitching of the Angels in the first two games that shut down the Red Sox. Lackey in Game 1, Weaver in Game 2. The Angels' gave up 1 run to Boston in the first two games.
Game 3 was probably the best game of the entire Division Series, because of the unlikeliest of unlikely comebacks against Boston's closer Jonathan Papelbon leading the Angels to a 3-game sweep over their nemesis. I could write more about it here, but my liveblog of the game says it all.
Reality: Philadelphia in 4 games.
Right number of games, wrong team.
The bottom line in this series was Cliff Lee, the Phillies bullpen not blowing things, especially Brad Lidge notching 2 saves in the series. That, plus the Phillies' offense out-hitting and out-running the Rockies, and the inability of Rockies closer Huston Street to stave off the Phillies' comeback in Game 4.
Never so happy to be so wrong on both counts.
The Angels were supposed to be shut down by Jon Lester and Josh Beckett. Instead, it was the pitching of the Angels in the first two games that shut down the Red Sox. Lackey in Game 1, Weaver in Game 2. The Angels' gave up 1 run to Boston in the first two games.
Game 3 was probably the best game of the entire Division Series, because of the unlikeliest of unlikely comebacks against Boston's closer Jonathan Papelbon leading the Angels to a 3-game sweep over their nemesis. I could write more about it here, but my liveblog of the game says it all.
NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies
My prediction: Colorado in 4 games.Reality: Philadelphia in 4 games.
Right number of games, wrong team.
The bottom line in this series was Cliff Lee, the Phillies bullpen not blowing things, especially Brad Lidge notching 2 saves in the series. That, plus the Phillies' offense out-hitting and out-running the Rockies, and the inability of Rockies closer Huston Street to stave off the Phillies' comeback in Game 4.
NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
My prediction: St. Louis in 5 games.Reality: Dodgers in 3 games.
I definitely figured this series was going to be a lot more competitive than it turned out. Although I was correct in that the Dodgers needed to survive by hitting off of St. Louis' shaky bullpen. I didn't however, expect Matt Holliday to drop the ball in Game 2, and then Cardinals closer Ryan Franklin to be unable to get any of the additional batters out despite having 2 outs. That game was a heartbreaker if you're a St. Louis fan, or a Dodgers despiser like me.
Game 3 was the pitching performance of Vicente Padilla's lifetime, as he shut down the Cardinals over 7 strong innings of 4-hit ball. The Dodgers did not have any problems hitting Joel Pineiro though, en route to a surprising sweep of the Cardinals. It's not that the Dodgers didn't have a chance against St. Louis, but no one expected the Cards to fold the way they did.
The Dodgers pitching was also brilliant in the series, giving up 6 runs over 3 games.
So with the ALCS and NLCS set, we have a rematch of last year's NLCS between Philadelphia and Los Angeles, and a highly anticipated 7-game series matchup between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. No wild cards this season.
AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
History favors the Angels here, as they beat the Yankees in both the 2002 and 2005 ALDS. Both times, the Yankees were the favorite. Does history matter this time? After all, Boston owned the Angels in the past.
The main difference that everyone keeps talking about between the Angels and Yankees, is the bullpen. The Yankees have Mariano Rivera, the Angels have the inconsistent Brian Fuentes. But the Yankees had Rivera in 2002 and 2005 too. And while the Angels had better bullpens in those seasons, they still managed to attack Yankee pitching before Rivera could make an impact. For all of the negatives in the Angels bullpen one can lob, they've been outstanding in the postseason thus far. Plus, the postseason Angels bullpen is slightly different from the regular season version, using 2 fairly successful starters (Ervin Santana and Matt Palmer) in middle relief, along with Darren Oliver, Jason Bulger, Kevin Jepsen and Brian Fuentes.
The Yankees definitely have the sluggers with A-Rod, Tex, Posada, Matsui, with Mr. October/November Derek Jeter always a pest in the postseason against every team he plays against. But the Angels' also have some firepower of their own in Torii Hunter and Kendry Morales. Plus Vlad is always still a power threat, even if he's not the same player he used to be. Still, this is the one undeniable advantage the Yankees' offense has over the Angels. Especially now that A-Rod has been able to hit in the postseason for once as a New York Yankee. Damn you Kate Hudson!
Starting pitching is a big factor in this matchup, with CC Sabathia expected to pitch Games 1, 4 and 7 if needed. CC is a fantastic pitcher without question, but his numbers against the Angels over his career (5-7, 4.72 ERA) are not favorable. Nor has be been successful against them this season, going 0-2 with a 6.08 ERA in 2 starts against Anaheim. Sabathia has also not proven to be the best postseason pitcher, with Game 1 of the ALDS against Minnesota being the first sign that Sabathia can actually pitch well in October. Whether he can do the same against Anaheim remains to be seen.
Everyone is predicting the Yankees in a long series, and unfortunately, I'm inclined to agree. Less so because of the bullpen, moreso because of the Yankees' offense. The Angels may end up running the bases all day, but with the Yankees getting home field advantage in their band box, I see this series ever so slightly tipping the Yankee's way.
I really really really really hope I am wrong again, but...
My prediction: Yankees in 7 games.
NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies
This is also a very interesting matchup. A rematch of the 2008 NLCS that Philadelphia won in 5 games. This year, Philadelphia's pitching is weaker overall, but they do have a bonafide ace in Cliff Lee, who was phenomenal against the Rockies in the NLDS.
The Dodgers have probably the best top-to-bottom bullpen of the remaining 4 teams, and that includes the Yankees. But the Phillies have an extremely potent offense, capable of rattling the Dodger's starters, none of which, except perhaps Clayton Kershaw, should have any significant dominant effect on Philadelphia. The resurgence of Brad Lidge as the Phillies closer, at least based on the NLDS, can't go unnoticed, even if it was only 2 games.
Still, if Phillie starters after Cliff Lee can't be effective in the NLCS, they are going to be in trouble. Cole Hamels is going to pitch Game 1, and he's gotta find his 2008 form somehow after suffering a very mediocre 2009 season. Pedro Martinez is slated to pitch Game 2 at Dodger Stadium, although he has been scarce during the last couple of weeks after suffering a stiff neck problem towards the end of the season.
They say that in the postseason, great pitching beats great hitting. But I don't see the Dodgers having great pitching this time. There's no way in hell that Vicente Padilla makes lightning strikes twice in the postseason, is there? I see the Philadelphia offense being able to handle the Dodgers as they did last year, even with the questions surrounding their pitching staff beyond Cliff Lee.
My prediction: Philadelphia in 6 games.
Mets don't have plans to speak to Rudy Jaramillo
http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/mets-don-t-have-plans-to-speak-to-jaramillo-1.1524107 Often when Met fans want someone fired, they don't have a solution to who the replacement is other than someone from the 1986 Mets, or Bobby Valentine. But in this case, if there was ever a person in MLB that could be a significant upgrade over Howard Johnson at the hitting coach spot (and mind you, I don't put a ton of stock into hitting/pitching coaches unless there's significant data that you can't ignore) it'd be Rangers' hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo. Like Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan, Jaramillo isn't going to stick with his former employer come 2010, and as it would have it, the Mets COULD bring him on board if the club felt Howard Johnson was not the best man for the job. As it turns out, the Wilpons love HoJo, and based on the Mets' team BA of .270 this season (tied with the Dodgers for 1st in the NL), and relatively strong RISP hitting numbers, you can't necessarily find cause to fire him either. From a political perspective, with Rudy Jaramillo once a former managerial candidate for the Metropolitans, you can understand why the club might be somewhat loathe to bring Jaramillo on board in any position other than hitting coach for fear it would be perceived as him waiting in the wings to take Jerry's or Howard Johnson's job.
Still, you'd like to think someone with a track record as strong as Jaramillo's could be of great benefit to the Mets.
Thanks MLB, for scheduling this 3rd game between the Angels and Red Sox at 9 in the fucking morning on a friggin Sunday.
Well, as long as I'm barely awake for this game, mind as well liveblog what will hopefully be a 3-game sweep of the Red Sox at the hands of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. It's funny, whenever I WRITE about the Angels, I always refer to them by the proper name. But when TALKING about them, they're usually the Anaheim Angels, or just the Angels. No one really says "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim" in the real world unless they're working in the media or something.
Game 3 pits Clay Buchholz (7-4, 4.21 ERA) against Scott Kazmir (10-9, 4.89 ERA), and it's an absolute must-win game for Boston or they're eliminated. And what a wonderful thing that would be! Still, it ain't over till it's over...
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(All times Pacific)
Top of 1st Inning:
9:10am: Chone Figgins leads off. He has a .214 BA in the postseason against Boston. I was not aware that Figgins was that poor against Boston.
9:12am: TBS announcers Don Orsillo and Buck Martinez make a point to note that all of the Angels players in the dugout are paying great attention to Buchholz's pitching motion since they haven't seen him in live game action since July 2008.
9:13am: Chone Figgins flies out to LF Jason Bay. 1 out.
9:14am: Bobby Abreu rips a 2-1 fastball back up the middle just past the glove of Buchholz for a single.
9:16am: Bobby Abreu draws a pickoff throw at 1B which gets past Kevin Youkilis. First base coach Alfredo Griffin doesn't want Abreu to take 2nd base but Bobby ignores the advice of his coach. Youkilis retrieves the ball, throws down to 2nd but that gets past 2B Dustin Pedroia but it's backed up properly by SS Alex Gonzalez. An error is rightfully charged to 1B Kevin Youkilis on the play.
9:18am: Torii Hunter flies out to CF Jacoby Ellsbury. 2 away.
9:20am: Vladimir Guerrero is down 1-2 in the count, and TBS' pitchtracker shows that all 3 pitches were out of the strike zone. A testament to Vladdy's free-swinging habits. Vlad swings at another inside pitch which saws his bat into pieces, but the ball goes foul.
9:22am: Vlad hits a tame shot that lands in front of 2B Dustin Pedroia. He snags it, throws to first for the out. 4-3. 3 outs.
Bottom of 1st Inning:
9:27am: Jacoby Ellsbury flies out to LF Juan Rivera. 1 out.
9:28am: Dustin Pedroia has some great numbers against Scott Kazmir, hitting .517 against him for his career. He's Kazmir's biggest pain in the rear.
9:29am: No worries. Pedroia chops a ball right to 3B Chone Figgins who makes the throw to 1B Kendry Morales for the out. 2 away.
9:30am: Victor Martinez skies out to RF Bobby Abreu. 3 up, 3 down.
Top of 2nd Inning:
9:34am: Kendry Morales grounds out to 2B Dustin Pedroia. 4-3. 1 out.
9:35am: Juan Rivera lines the first pitch he sees from Buchholz back at him up the middle and into centerfield for a single.
9:37am: Maicer Izturis strikes out swinging at a 1-2 inside curveball, but Juan Rivera steals 2nd on the pitch. Victor Martinez' throw is wide of 2nd, and even if it was on the money, Rivera got a very good jump on the pitch and steals 2nd successfully. What's amazing is that Rivera hadn't stolen a base the entire regular season. 2 outs.
9:39am: On a 3-2 count, Mike Napoli is hit on the hand by an inside pitch. Catcher Victor Martinez believes it hit the knob of the bat, not the hand. Red Sox manager Terry Francona tries to back up his catcher but home plate umpire Eric Cooper disagrees. Replays show it may have hit both knob and hand. Hard to tell. Mike Napoli takes first base.
9:43am: Erick Aybar grounds out to 2B Dustin Pedroia, who throws onto Clay Buchholz covering at 1B. 4-1. 3 outs.
Bottom of 2nd Inning:
9:49am: Kevin Youkilis just misses a homerun into the Green Monster by a couple of feet. He then strikes out looking at a 3-2 pitch that he feels was high in the zone. 1 out.
9:52am: Jason Bay walks.
9:54am: David Ortiz flies out to LF Juan Rivera. 2 outs.
9:57am: Mike Lowell flies out to CF Torii Hunter. 3 outs.
Top of 3rd Inning:
10:01am: Chone Figgins grounds out to 2B Dustin Pedroia. 4-3. 1 out.
10:02am: Red Sox alumnus Dave Henderson threw out the first pitch of today's game. Henderson hit a go-ahead 2-run HR in Game 5 of the 1986 ALCS off of Donnie Moore in the 9th inning which put the Red Sox ahead in that game which they would ultimately win in extra innings thanks to a Dave Henderson sac fly. Boston went on to win that series in 7 games and face the Mets in the '86 World Series.
10:03am: Bobby Abreu flies out to Jacoby Ellsbury in right-centerfield, and he makes a spectacular diving catch to rob Abreu of a hit. 2 outs.
10:05am: Torii Hunter skies out to LF Jason Bay. 3 up, 3 down.
Bottom of 3rd Inning:
10:09am: J.D. Drew flies out to LF Juan Rivera who is practically kissing the Green Monster when he catches the ball directly against the wall. 1 out.
10:12am: Alex Gonzalez walks.
10:13am: Jacoby Ellsbury shoots a single into LF for a base hit. Gonzalez to 2nd on the hit. Runners on 1st and 2nd.
10:15am: Dustin Pedroia crushes a shot off the Green Monster wall in centerfield that is fielded by CF Torii Hunter. Gonzalez scores easily, and a throw to the plate is just a bit late to nail Ellsbury. 2 runs score. Boston takes a 2-0 lead off a Dustin Pedroia double. Pedroia continues to have Kazmir's number.
10:17am: Victor Martinez strokes a liner into LF that bounces in front of the Green Monster wall for a single. Juan Rivera fields it and throws the ball back in to stop Martinez at 1st base. The single scores Dustin Pedroia easily and puts Boston ahead 3-0.
10:19am: Kevin Youkilis lines out to CF Torii Hunter. 2 outs. Kazmir is starting to get hit hard, even when outs are made.
10:20am: Jason Bay flies out to LF Juan Rivera who makes a running catch moving towards centerfield. 3 outs.
Top of 4th Inning:
10:24am: Vladimir Guerrero grounds out meekly to SS Alex Gonzalez. 6-3. 1 out.
10:25am: Kendry Morales goes BOOM! He crushes a solo blast into the RF bleachers. Angels get a run on the board and cut the lead by 1. 3-1 Sox. A fan throws the home run ball back on the field. I'll never understand that concept. Don't these douchebags know that the homer still counts and you're out a souvenir now? I'm pretty sure that stupidity started in the bleachers of Wrigley Field.
10:28am: On a full count, Juan Rivera grounds out to Mike Lowell. 5-3. 2 outs.
10:29am: Maicer Izturis skies a first pitch into short centerfield where it's caught by SS Alex Gonzalez. 3 outs.
Bottom of 4th Inning:
10:32am: David Ortiz skies a first pitch from Kazmir into leftfield where Juan Rivera makes the catch. 1 out.
10:34am: Mike Lowell bangs a 3-1 pitch off the Green Monster for a long single. Kazmir continues to get hit hard.
10:36am: J.D. Drew crushes a shot over the centerfield fence which hits the post of the centerfield camera's porch and bounces back on the field of play. The Angels play the ball as if it's still in play until it's clear from 2B umpire Joe West that it's a home run. No doubt about it either. It's the first homer by Boston in the series and they go up by a score of 5-1.
10:38am: Alex Gonzalez flies out to 2B Maicer Izturis. 2 outs.
10:39am: Jason Bulger is warming up in the bullpen for the Angels. Jacoby Ellsbury grounds back to Scott Kazmir. 1-3. 3 outs. This ain't Kazmir's day. Scioscia should pull him at this point before the game gets out of reach.
Top of 5th Inning:
10:43am: Mike Napoli rips a 3-2 pitch down the leftfield line for a leadoff double. The ball takes a carom off the leftfield foul wall and shoots at an odd angle the opposite direction of LF Jason Bay. But Napoli isn't a speed demon so he'll settle for the double.
10:47am: Erick Aybar watches an 0-2 fastball go right by him for strike 3. 1 out.
10:48am: Chone Figgins is up, and he's not having a good series thus far as he's 0-for-10. Will this AB change things?
10:49am: Chone Figgins watches a very nice breaking ball go right by him for strike 3. Figgins isn't happy. I'm not sure if he's unhappy with the call, or with himself. But that was most definitely a strike. 2 outs.
10:51am: Bobby Abreu is up, and if anyone can drive home Napoli, it should be Bobby. He leads the Angels with a .351 BA with RISP.
10:52am: Bobby Abreu flies out to CF Jacoby Ellsbury. 3 outs.
Bottom of 5th Inning:
10:55am: Scott Kazmir is still pitching for the Angels, and I can only hope the leash is short on him at this point. I know the Angels bullpen isn't the best, but Kazmir can't continue to pitch like this. Jason Bulger is back up in the bullpen warming.
10:57am: Kazmir's nemesis Dustin Pedroia grounds a chopper up the middle but it's fielded cleanly by SS Erick Aybar. 6-3. 1 out.
10:59am: Victor Martinez flies out to RF Bobby Abreu. 2 outs.
11:00am: Mike Lowell flies out to CF Torii Hunter. 3 outs.
Top of 6th Inning:
11:02am: Torii Hunter tries to get on base with a bunt on the first pitch towards third base but it goes foul. The Angels are desperate to get something started now before the Red Sox bullpen comes in soon.
11:03am: Torii Hunter strokes an 0-2 pitch into LF that gets to the wall for a leadoff double. Jason Bay bobbles the ball in LF but it would've been a double either way. Sure beats a bunt single.
11:04am: Clay Buchholz bluffs a pickoff throw to 2nd base sending Torii Hunter flying back into 2nd base but no one was covering the bag. Hunter may have hurt himself in the process, or just knocked the wind out of himself as he hit the ground hard.
11:05am: Torii Hunter breaks for 3rd base and would be caught stealing except that Buchholz clearly balks, so Torii is on 3rd base without a problem.
11:06am: A curveball gets away from Buchholz that nearly hits Vlad in the head. On the next pitch, Vlad hits a grounder to 3B Mike Lowell who knocks it down but the ball trickles towards SS Alex Gonzalez. Torii Hunter is frozen in between third base and home, as he can't see where the ball is, so he plays it safe and returns to 3rd base. It's scored an infield single for Vlad. Buck Martinez feels Torii Hunter made a baserunning mistake there by not scoring, but I doubt Torii Hunter could see whether the ball was retrievable or not from his angle.
11:08am: A pitching conference takes place on the mound since Vlad is distracting Clay Buchholz a bit at first base, but he really shouldn't be too concerned with him, a message which Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell conveys.
11:10am: Kendry Morales walks on 4 straight pitches to load the bases with 0 outs, and that's it for Clay Buchholz as manager Terry Francona is ready with the hook. Flamethrower Daniel Bard is coming in to pitch in relief for Buchholz. Clay walks off the mound to a nice ovation from the Boston fans.
11:13am: Juan Rivera is up with the bases loaded. The Angels did not hit any grand slams during the 2009 regular season. This would be a phenomenal time to see one launched over the Monster.
11:14am: TBS announcers Don Orsillo and Buck Martinez note that the hitters are going to have a little trouble picking up the baseball from the pitchers because the home plate area is now in the shade whereas the rest of the field is still in sunshine.
11:16am: On a 3-2 count, Juan Rivera grounds into a 5-4-3 double play. Torii Hunter scores the run which the Red Sox are all too happy to take in exchange for the 2 outs. Vlad moves to 3rd base on the play. Sox up 5-2.
11:18am: Maicer Izturis flies out to SS Alex Gonzalez in short leftfield. 3 outs. That was not the big inning I was hoping for out of the Angels. 1 run is nice, 4 would've been nicer.
Bottom of 6th Inning:
11:20am: Scott Kazmir still pitching for the Angels, although the 5th inning made me feel a tad better about him. Just a tad.
11:21am: Jason Bay flies out to RF Bobby Abreu. 1 out.
11:22am: With "the shift" on, David Ortiz grounds out to SS Erick Aybar. 6-3. 2 outs. Like Chone Figgins, David Ortiz is also hitless in the series.
11:24am: Mike Lowell takes a walk on a 3-2 count. The last two pitches were not even close to the plate.
11:25am: J.D. Drew grounds out hard to 1B Kendry Morales who takes the ball to first himself. 3 outs.
Top of 7th Inning:
11:29am: Mike Napoli strikes out swinging at a Daniel Bard slider. 1 out.
11:30am: Lefty Billy Wagner is warming up tin the Boston bullpen. So is closer Jonathan Papelbon.
11:31am: Daniel Bard goes up 3-0 on Erick Aybar before getting 2 strikes. Aybar then fouls off 2 pitches.
11:32am: Erick Aybar grounds out to 1B Kevin Youkilis. Youkilis tosses to Daniel Bard covering at first. 3-1. 2 outs.
11:35am: Chone Figgins strikes out looking at a slider. Figgy's got no one to blame but himself. 3 outs.
Bottom of 7th Inning:
11:40am: Jason Bulger is pitching in relief of Scott Kazmir.
11:42am: Alex Gonzalez grounds out to 3B Chone Figgins. 5-3. 1 out.
11:43am: Jacoby Ellsbury chops a ball back to 1B Kendry Morales who steps on first for the 2nd out.
11:44am: Jason Bulger walks Dustin Pedroia despite getting ahead of him in the count 1-2.
11:46am: Matt Palmer is warming up in the Angels bullpen. Bulger falls behind Victor Martinez 2-0, so catcher Mike Napoli takes a quick trip to the mound for a chat.
11:49am: Victor Martinez strikes out swinging at ball 4. 3 outs.
Top of 8th Inning:
11:53am: Billy Wagner is pitching in relief of Daniel Bard. He'll face lefty Bobby Abreu before righties Torii Hunter and Vlad Guerrero.
11:54am: Bobby Abreu chops one down the first base line that stays fair and 1B Kevin Youkilis kicks into the photographer's well which allows Abreu 2nd base. Somehow that is scored a ground-rule double. Wow. That's a 2-base error by any normal measure.
11:55am: 1B Greg Gibson somehow believes that Torii Hunter swung on a bunt attempt. A total bullshit call which upsets Hunter, and now the Boston crowd is mockingly chanting "Toriiiii, Toriiii."
11:56am: Jonathan Papelbon is now warming up again in the Boston bullpen. He may have to get 5-6 outs in a save.
11:57am: Torii Hunter watches a strike 3 fastball go right down Broadway to the delight of the Boston crowd. 1 out.
11:58am: This would be a fine time for Vladdy to pop one over the Monster, but Wagner looks to be in the zone right now. Unfortunately, Vlad is lifetime 0-for-5 against Wags.
12:00pm: Billy Wagner walks Vlad Guerrero after a full count. Everyone is shocked that Vlad didn't swing. Boston pitching coach John Farrell has a conference on the mound with Billy Wagner and Victor Martinez, since they'll be facing Kendry Morales, who hit a solo blast earlier. However, the switch-hitting Morales is now batting from the right side, his weaker side.
12:02pm: Kendry Morales hits a hard shot towards the right side hole but it's knocked down by 2B Dustin Pedroia. He stops the ball, picks it up and throws to first base to get Morales for the 2nd out. Hunter and Guerrero advance 90 feet.
12:03pm: That's it for Billy Wagner as it's time for Jonathan Papelbon. He'll be facing Juan Rivera here. Considering Juan Rivera's series thus far, this would be a nice time for home run redemption. Unfortunately, the odds aren't in his favor. He's 0-for-8 lifetime against Papelbon with 1BB and 3K.
12:06pm: Rivera lines the first pitch fastball from Papelbon into right-centerfield for a 2-run single. Finally! Clutch Rivera! The Angels cut the lead down and it's 5-4 Red Sox. Juan Rivera is being pinch-run for by Reggie Willits, who will take over in LF afterwards.
12:07pm: The 2 Angels runs are charged to Billy Wagner. A pickoff throw from Jonathan Papelbon nearly gets Reggie Willits at 1B.
12:08pm: On an 0-2 count, Reggie Willits' lead is way too far off of first base and Papelbon picks him off. That may have been the end of the game for the Angels right there. Fuck. If Reggie Willits had been leaning anymore to his right, he would've been mistaken for Sean Hannity.
Top of 9th Inning:
12:12pm: Kevin Jepsen is pitching in relief for the Angels.
12:14pm: Kevin Youkilis hits a hard shot back up the middle which is fielded and bobbled by SS Erick Aybar, but he manages to still make a hard throw to first to get Youkilis. 1 out.
12:16pm: Jepsen gets Jason Bay to strike out looking at a fastball down Broadway on a full count. 2 outs.
12:17pm: David Ortiz hits a rocket up the middle into centerfield for a single. I imagine Ortiz will be taken out for a pinch-runner.
12:18pm: Joey Gathright is in to pinch-run for Ortiz.
12:20pm: With Mike Lowell batting and Joey Gathright running, the Angels correctly pitch out but Napoli's throw is off to the shortstop side of the bag. Aybar can't come up with it but knocks it down. Gathright steals 2nd successfully.
12:21pm: Mike Lowell shoots the ball down the 1st base line into rightfield for a single which easily scores Joey Gathright from 2nd base to give Boston an insurance run and go up 6-4.
12:24pm: Mike Scioscia goes to the bullpen for lefty Darren Oliver, who is pitching in his third straight game. He'll be facing lefty J.D. Drew in this spot. Brian Anderson is now pinch-running for Mike Lowell.
12:26pm: J.D. Drew lines out to LF Reggie Willits. 3 outs. Last chance for the Halos.
Top of 9th Inning:
12:30pm: Kevin Youkilis moves over to 3B, Casey Kotchmann is now playing 1B.
12:31pm: Maicer Izturis pops one up behind the plate. Catcher Victor Martinez makes the catch despite a dopey Boston fan almost screwing it up. 1 out.
12:32pm: Switch-hitter Gary Matthews Jr. is in to pinch-hit for Mike Napoli. Matthews is batting lefty against the right-handed Papelbon.
12:33pm: Gary Matthews Jr. flies out to CF Jacoby Ellsbury. 2 outs.
12:34pm: Erick Aybar lines an 0-2 fastball into centerfield for a single.
12:35pm: The tying run comes to the plate. Unfortunately it's the non-hitting zero-power Chone Figgins who doesn't hit Papelbon at all. Erick Aybar takes 2nd base uncontested on ball 1 to Figgins. Figgy's best hope is to work out a walk here. Patience will hopefully pay off.
12:37pm: Papelbon falls behind Figgins 3-0 before throwing a strike. If I'm Figgins, I'm keeping the bat on my shoulder and hoping Abreu can come through. Figgins does so, now a 3-2 full count.
12:38pm: Everyone in Fenway is standing. Figgins fouls off the next pitch before a high ball 4 allows him 1st base. First time Figgins has reached base in this ALDS. Boston Pitching Coach John Farrell has a Boston conference on the mound with the entire Sox infield. Bobby Abreu is definitely the guy you want up in this spot for the Halos, although he's only 1 for 7 lifetime against Papelbon with 5 BB and 2 K.
12:40pm: Angels' closer Brian Fuentes is warming up just in case.
12:42pm: Abreu falls behind 1-2, fouling off a couple. I have to stand up now for fear of destroying anything in case Abreu doesn't come through.
12:43pm: Bobby Abreu lines a shot off the Green Monster for a double that scores Erick Aybar easily but Chone Figgins can't make it home. Jason Bay airmails the ball into the infield with no target and the Sox infield scrambles for the ball. BAH! Figgins would've scored on that had he kept going, but you can't blame him for stopping at 3rd as a reasonable throw would've gotten him at home, instead of the garbage that Jason Bay threw. Angels cut it to 6-5.
12:45pm: Torii Hunter is up but he's getting the intentional pass here so Papelbon can pitch to Mr. Free-Swinger, Vladimir Guerrero. Vlad is 2 for 12 lifetime against Papelbon with a walk and 3 K's. I think all fans on both sides of this game are shitting their pants.
12:46pm: BIG DADDY VLADDY COMES THROUGH! He belts a first-pitch fastball into centerfield for a 2-run single that scores Figgins and Abreu to give the Angels a 7-6 lead!!!!!!! I'M GOING CRAZY!!!!
12:48pm: That's all for Papelbon, who has proven to be all too human in this game. His first earned runs given up in the postseason. Terry Francona goes to lefty reliever Hideki Okajima.
12:49pm: Kendry Morales skies out to LF Jason Bay. 3 outs. Can Angels closer Brian Fuentes get the save here and the SWEEEEEP?!
Bottom of 9th Inning:
12:52pm: Brian Fuentes comes in to pitch for the Angels. Jeff Mathis replaces Mike Napoli behind the plate for L.A. Jed Lowrie is in to pinch-hit for Alex Gonzalez.
12:55pm: Jed Lowrie flies out to shallow CF. Torii Hunter makes the catch. 1 out.
12:57pm: Jacoby Ellsbury foul pops out to Catcher Jeff Mathis on the third base side of the plate. 2 outs.
12:59pm: Dustin Pedroia hits a short fly to shallow leftfield which is caught by SS Erick Aybar! 3 outs. THE ANGELS WIN 7-6!!!! WHAT A FUCKING COMEBACK!!!!! AWESOMENESS!!!!
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The Angels finally shake the postseason monkey that is the Boston Red Sox by having a 2-out rally of their own without the power of the all-powerful rally monkey.
Bring on the winners of the Yankees-Twins series, baby! (yes, likely the Yankees, so come the fuck on Skanks! You will loooooooooose to the mighty mighty Angels!)
This was the most upside-down series I can remember in a long while. The starting pitcher was supposed to strongly favor Boston, but for the first 2 games, it strongly favored the Angels. The bullpen was supposed to strongly favor Boston, but it was the Angels bullpen that ultimately came through in the series. The offense was supposed to slightly favor the Red Sox, but it was the Angels that capitalized with big hits of their own. Scott Kazmir was supposed to be dominant in Fenway, certainly moreso than Clay Buchholz. But the reality was just the opposite.
And to boot, I've never been so happy to be wrong about a prediction. Well, I probably have been, considering I thought the San Jose Sharks would beat the Anaheim Ducks in last year's postseason, but this one is even bigger considering the Angels-Red Sox history. I thought the Red Sox would be taking this series in 4 games, but for the Angels to SWEEP? And I don't think anyone predicted a sweep by Anaheim. 4 or 5 games, maybe. But a sweep?
ZOMG FANTABULOUS!
Watching the Angels on TV dominate the Boston Red Sox by a final score of 5-0 was something to behold. John Lackey pitching 7.1 IP of shutout ball against the potent Red Sox offense. Torii Hunter was the hero of the game with a 3-run BOMB off of Jon Lester into the centerfield rockpile which would end up being all the offense the Angels needed to win the game, though they managed to tack on another 2 runs off reliever Takashi Saito in the bottom of the 7th. Darren Oliver pitched the final 1.2 IP to loooock it up for the Halos.
But watching Game 2 at Angel Stadium, with 40,000+ fans, with not nearly as many Boston fans as you'd think (maybe because they were a lot quieter?) was an awesome experience.
- We had a fantastic pitcher's duel between one of the best postseason pitchers of the decade in Josh Beckett, and Jered Weaver, a solid #2-#3 pitcher in the Angels rotation who managed to keep Boston at bay the entire game.
- Boston struck first in the 4th inning when Jacoby Ellsbury led off the inning with a triple to deep centerfield, one of the few balls that Torii Hunter could not track down. 2 batters later, Victor Martinez singled him home. That was all the runs the Red Sox would muster.
- The Angels struck back in the bottom of the 4th when Bobby Abreu got to 1st with a leadoff single. Torii Hunter then hit a bullet towards the left side but it was caught by a diving Mike Lowell, making a fantastic play.
- The next batter, Vladimir Guerrero singled to rightfield while Abreu took off for 2nd, allowing the Angels to do what they do best. Run from first to third. Angels slugger Kendry Morales was next at the plate, hitting a line shot to J.D. Drew in rightfield, far enough for Bobby Abreu to tag up from 3rd and tie the game at 1.
- Weaver and Beckett continued to duel, with Beckett's pitch count more efficient, but Weaver was matching him on overall results. Weaver only gave up 2 hits in the entire game, both in the 4th inning. The only other baserunners allowed by Weaver were 2 scattered inconsequential walks to J.D. Drew and Jason Bay.
- The Angels finally chipped away at Josh Beckett in the bottom of the 7th when Vladimir Guerrero took, of all things, a leadoff walk on 5 pitches to start the inning. In a key managerial decision, Angels skip Mike Scioscia chose to pinch-run for his cleanup-hitting DH with Howie Kendrick, as the Angels had yet to run the bases on Jason Varitek as had been rumored to occur any time he was catching. It's a decision that paid off in spades. Kendrick successfully stole 2nd base after the first out had been made by Kendry Morales flying out to centerfield
- Juan Rivera couldn't get Kendrick home though, as he then grounded out to 3B Mike Lowell. Next batter Maicer Izturis, a .370 career BA against Josh Beckett, and a .327 hitter with runners in scoring position, got the job done. Mighty Maicer hit a shot up the middle into shallow centerfield that scored Howie Kendrick to give the Angels the 2-1 lead.
- But the Angels weren't done. Izturis then stole 2nd base, easily beating the throw from Varitek. Mike Napoli would get hit in the shoulder by a Josh Beckett pitch and took 1st base. Beckett thought Napoli didn't make an effort to get out of the way, but home plate CB Bucknor felt otherwise.
- By the way, as horrible as his Boston-screwing calls were at first base in Game 1, CB Bucknor didn't have any major problems behind the plate, giving all pitchers a consistent and somewhat liberal strike zone.
- With Izturis on 2nd, and Napoli on 1st, and still 2 out, Erick Aybar came to the plate. This would've probably been the time for Boston manager Terry Francona to go to the bullpen, but he stuck with Josh Beckett one batter too many. Erick Aybar launched a shot into deep centerfield for a triple, scoring Izturis and Napoli and giving the Angels the 4-1 lead.
- At this point in the game, Terry Francona had seen enough from Josh Beckett and brought in ex-Met closer Billy Wagner to stop the Angels' rally. He did so, getting Chone Figgins turned around to bat righty, striking him out.
- Despite a pitch count over 100, Jered Weaver came out for the 8th inning, promptly striking out J.D. Drew before it was time for his standing ovation from the Angels fans. Mike Scioscia went to the bullpen, bringing in lefty Darren Oliver for his 2nd straight game. Oliver struck out pinch-hitter Jed Lowrie but gave up a single to Jacoby Ellsbury.
- Scioscia went to the pen again, this time to righty Kevin Jepsen to face Dustin Pedroia. Jepsen induced a weak chopper short of the mound on the third base side. Jepsen made a nice fielding play and threw out Pedroia to end the 8th inning.
- Billy Wagner began the 8th inning for Boston by giving up a leadoff single to Bobby Abreu, and Tito had to keep the Angels from getting going again. So he brought in closer Jonathan Papelbon to stop things. Torii Hunter flied out to Ellsbury in CF. The Sox then pitched out first pitch to Howie Kendrick, throwing out Bobby Abreu trying to take 2nd base. Kendrick then struck out and we moved to the bottom of the 9th.
- Jepsen remained in the game to start the bottom of the 9th with the Angels' 3-run lead intact. Victor Martinez led off by flying out to Torii Hunter in centerfield for the first out. Kevin Youkilis hit a double into the left-centerfield gap, and then it was time for Angels' manager Mike Scioscia to bring in closer Brian Fuentes to face lefty David Ortiz.
- Though Fuentes has been very shaky this season despite a MLB-leading 48 saves, he's at his best when facing lefty hitters. Ortiz lined out to LF Juan Rivera for the 2nd out. Fuentes got ahead of Jason Bay on a 1-2 count before losing him to a walk With runners on 1st and 2nd, the tying run came up to the plate in the form of Mike Lowell.
- With fans of both teams on edge, Mike Lowell hit a flyball to deep centerfield, but not deep enough. Torii Hunter caught it with ease and the Angels won Game 2 of the ALDS by a final score of 4-1. Just another Halo victory!
Interesting stats about the Angels and the Red Sox:
So now the series shifts to Boston on Sunday morning at 9am Pacific / 12pm Eastern in one of those "WHO THE FUCK SCHEDULED THIS GAME TO BE SO EARLY?" questions that only MLB could make happen. The Angels will be in a position to sweep the Sox in Fenway, and each game is an absolute must-win elimination game for Boston.This was Josh Beckett's first postseason loss since Game 3 of the 2003 World Series against the New York Yankees.
Through the first two games, the Angels' starters have given up a total of 1 earned run on 6 hits with a 0.61 ERA. The scary Angels bullpen? A 0.00 ERA.
If there's any team capable of coming back in the postseason, it's Boston. They were on the winning side of the 2004 ALCS against the New York Yankees (aka: the biggest collapse in baseball history) when they came back from a 3-0 deficit to win 4 straight games and win the ALCS before sweeping the Cardinals in the 2004 World Series. The Red Sox were also down 3 games to 1 against the Cleveland Indians in the 2007 ALCS before taking the next 3 of that series and then sweeping the Colorado Rockies in the 2007 World Series.
Boston has also been down 2-0 in the ALDS 4 times before. And twice, they came back to win 3-2. They did so against the Cleveland Indians in 1999, and the Oakland A's in 2003. The other two times? They were swept in 3 games by the Chicago White Sox in 2005, and the Cleveland Indians in 1995.
The odds still do heavily favor the Angels at this point though. Since the current playoff format was implemented in 1995, teams going up 2-0 in the Division Series have won it 31 of 35 times.
These were the first two consecutive postseason wins for the Halos since Games 2 and 3 of the 2005 ALDS against the Yankees.
Considering the Angels already faced the best starters on Boston's staff in the first two games, the advantage should shift even moreso to the Angels with Scott Kazmir starting against Clay Buchholz.
Buchholz has looked stellar for Boston during the regular season except for the last two starts of the season in which he got destroyed by both Toronto and Cleveland. Buchholz has never pitched in the postseason.
Since coming to the Angels just prior to the August 31 trade deadline, Scott Kazmir has posted a 1.73 ERA in 6 starts for the Angels, going 2-2 with the club. He went 10-9 on the year with a 4.89 ERA, although he was pitching injured for much of 2009 and spent some time on the DL as well.
More importantly, Kazmir has been very successful throughout his career pitching against Boston. During the regular season, he has an 8-7 record with a 3.59 ERA over 130.1 IP in 23 starts. His career record at Fenway Park is equally impressive, going 6-4 with a 3.05 ERA over 73.2 IP in 13 starts.
In the 2008 ALCS against Boston while pitching with Tampa, Kazmir made 2 starts against the Red Sox. The first in Game 2 at Tropicana Field did not go so well, as he gave up 5 earned runs in 4.1IP, 2 of them solo homers by Dustin Pedroia, and another solo blast by Kevin Youkilis. However, opponent Josh Beckett also lasted just 4.1 IP, and he gave up 8 earned runs in that game. Neither Beckett nor Kazmir were involved in the decision in that game which was won by Tampa in 11 innings by a final score of 9-8.
Kazmir's 2nd start in the 2008 ALCS went a lot better as he pitched Game 5 in Fenway Park. Kazmir pitched 6 innings of shutout ball on 2 hits, 3 walks and 7 strikeouts. Tampa's bullpen blew that game and the Rays lost by a final of 8-7. Kazmir did not get the decision but was in line for the win until he left the game.
If the first two games of this 2009 ALDS favored Boston because of the starting pitching which didn't pan out, then Game 3 of the series certainly favors the Angels if Kazmir can outduel Buchholz and whoever else Francona throws out there, as all hands will be on deck for the Boston pitching staff for the remainder of this series.
Here's hoping that Kazmir does so, sweeps the Red Sox, and the Angels move onto the ALCS to likely face the New York Yankees.
A nice article from the NYTimes on the history, and effects of the Rally Monkey.
It's the most...wonderful tiiiiime of the year!!!!
October baseball baby, and while the Mets ain't in it, the Angels are. So, there's some joy in Mudville.
The 8 teams are set for the Division Series, so imma gonna break it down...
AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES:
New York Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins
Yo Kanye, imma let you finish, but the Twins are playing Game 1 of the ALDS less than 24 hours after winning the greatest tiebreaker game of all time. OF ALL TIME!!!! Their bullpen is certainly going to be tired, even if the players say they're ready to play after celebrating the AL Central win.
The Twins went 0-7 against the Yankees during the regular season, AND they're likely going to be worn down. Since 2002, the Twins have gone 3-22 when playing in Yankee Stadium. 2-2 in postseason games there. The odds don't look good for Minnesota. The one positive? The 18-4 streak they're riding into the playoffs.
Sure, they might feel better and rejuvenated by Game 2, but in a short series, that could be too late. Add to that the Yankees have Sabathia, Burnett, and the postseason-experienced Andy Pettite in the short series against a relatively unimpressive Twins rotation of Brian Duensing, Carl Pavano, Nick Blackburn and Scott Baker. And then there's that Mariano Rivera, who is still just as unstoppable as he's ever been. Twins closer Joe Nathan has not fared nearly as well against the Yankees over his career.
When these two teams have met in the ALDS before in 2003 and 2004, the Yankees won both series in 4 games.
It won't take them that long this time around.
My prediction: Yankees in 3 games.
AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES:
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs. Boston Red Sox
These teams have met in the postseason 4 times so far. 1986, 2004, 2007, 2008. Boston won all of them, and in the last 3 ALDS, the Angels only won one game against Boston. History is certainly not on the side of the Angels.
The Angels have a very potent offense, but the Red Sox have even more potent pitching. The Angels' bullpen is not what it used to be in years past anchored by Frankie Rodriguez. It's not that Brian Fuentes isn't a competent closer, but he has been up and down all year, and the rest of that bullpen is even less reliable. The Angels' bullpen posted a 4.49 ERA during the regular season, the highest of the 4 AL teams in the postseason.
Is this the year the Angels can finally shake the Boston monkey off their back with their own rally monkey? Unfortunately, as much as I want to see that happen, I don't think it will.
My prediction: Boston in 4 games.
NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies
A rematch of the 2007 NLDS between these two teams where the Rockies swept the Phillies in 3 games as they rode a September hot streak straight into the World Series. That is, until they faced Boston, and got swept in 4.
Colorado is once again riding a hot streak into the postseason,
The defending 2008 World Series champions are not as good as they used to be, most notably in their bullpen. The once-perfect Philadelphia closer Brad Lidge has been anything but this season, saving 31 games while blowing 11. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel is probably going to have to play closer-by-committee/situation between Lidge and Ryan Madson.
But even the Phillies starting pitching isn't as strong as it was a year ago. Jamie Moyer is injured and out for the postseason. Pedro Martinez is questionable, Cole Hamels regressed this year. The Phillies are going to have rely on the pitching of Cliff Lee to get them through this postseason, although he's not looked good on the mound over the last two months, posting a 5.53 ERA in September-October.
The Phillies are going to have rely on their offense to get them past Colorado. Except the Rockies are quite underrated, with a postseason starting rotation of Ubaldo Jimenez, Aaron Cook, Jason Hammel and Jason Marquis if necessary. With Huston Street anchoring the Rockies' bullpen, the Rockies are a more well-balanced team for the postseason than the Phillies are.
Of course, anything can happen in these best-of-5's.
My prediction: Colorado in 4 games.
NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
This is an NLDS rematch of 2004, when the Cardinals won in 4 games. It was the Dodgers first postseason game victory since 1988. The Dodgers fared far better in the 2008 postseason, but not enough to get to the World Series.
It's often said that pitching and defense is what a team needs to win in the postseason. The St. Louis Cardinals not only have the pitching and defense, but the offense too, anchored by Albert Pujols.
The Cardinals have Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter and Joel Pineiro. The Dodgers have Randy Wolf, Clayton Kershaw and Vicente Padilla. The Cardinals' biggest weakness is in a 7-game series where they have to go to a 4th starter, and there's a significant dropoff in quality after their big 3. But that's not to worry about here.
The Dodgers have a superior bullpen to the Cardinals, with Jonathan Broxton and George Sherrill leading the charge. It's the best bullpen in the majors with a 3.14 bullpen ERA. They do have the depth after 6 innings, but can they defeat St. Louis' starting pitching? Manny Ramirez has had an abysmal September, and while other Dodgers like Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp have picked up the slack, they're going to need Manny to revert back to his postseason performance in 2008 where he hit .520 with 4 HRs in the NLDS and NLCS.
If the Dodgers are to survive against the Cardinals, the best shot they have is against St. Louis' iffy middle relief.
My prediction: St. Louis in 5 games.
