Ah, the Pirate curse. We know it permeates PNC, but a quick look at the playoffs makes it apparent that it covers all of baseball, even and perhaps especially during the post season. Darn that Sid Bream! Here's how the former Corsairs handled their dash for glory:
Jason Kendall, C, Milwaukee Brewers - The ol' backstop started every game and went 2-14 (.143) with 2 RBI.
Jeff Suppan, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers - Mr. Inning Eater started one game and got clobbered, giving up 5 runs in three innings.
Salomon Torres, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers - Solly got into 2 games, and gave up 4 hits in two innings, but no runs. He notched a save in the Brew Crew's lone win.
Brian Shouse, LHP, Milwaukee Brewers - No love, no appearances.
Dale Sveum, manager - Milwaukee Brewers - His thanks for taking over the reins of Milwaukee's sputtering Brewers was to be told to pack his bags and not to let the door hit him, now that the lights are out. That's gratitude for ya!
Aramis Ramirez, 3B, Chicago Cubs - A-Ram was 2-11 (.182) with a double and no RBI. Bobby Hill coulda done that well!
Daryle Ward, PH/1B, Chicago Cubs - The big lefty came off of the bench 3 times and got a hit and RBI as a pinch hitter.
Joe Beimel, LHP, Los Angeles Dodgers - St. Mary's Joe got into three games, lasted 2/3 of an inning, and escaped unscored upon with a couple of walks.
Matt Stairs, 1B/OF, Philadelphia Phillies - The Pirate's first Canuck came off of the bench three times and hit a clutch two-run homer in game four that crushed the come-back hopes of the Dodgers.
Yep, the two NL teams with the fewest ex-Pirates met for the NLCS. Hey, one of them had to win. And Beimel spent three seasons in Pittsburgh while Stairs was only in town for one. Less time, less bad karma to work off.
And now for the AL Bucco brethern:
Jason Bay, LF, Boston - Jay Bay just hit .341 with 3 homers and 9 RBI in his first 11 playoff games. Not Manny, maybe, but pretty dang good. He walked 9 times, too, for an OBP of .471.
Sean Casey, 1B, Boston - The Mayor of Upper St. Clair came up twice and whiffed twice.
David Ross, C, Boston - He made one appearance, with no at bats.
Tim Wakefield, RHP, Boston - The knuckleballer was 2-2, but only lasted 7-1/3 innings and gave up 10 runs. Ouch!
Terry Francona, manager, Boston - One of the promising dudes in the bossman ranks, and this bump in the road won't hurt him. (He's not an old Pirate, but being from New Brighton is close enough for GW!)
Gary Matthews, Jr., CF, Los Angeles Angels - Went 0-5 in the ALDS, and his contract is still a wonderment to us.
Tampa Bay has a clear edge over the Phils - they aren't carrying any extra old-Bucco baggage around with them. Unless, of course, the curse covers coaches - isn't that old Bucco George Hendricks we see in the Tampa Bay first base box?
Could be an interesting series.
Showing posts with label playoffs 2008. Show all posts
Showing posts with label playoffs 2008. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
The Big Boys Battle...
It's time for the wanna-bes to take a seat in front of the TV and watch the big boys battle it out on the road to the 2008 World Series.
The Phils will trot out Cole Hamels (14-10, 3.09), Brett Myers (10-13, 4.55), Jamie Moyer (16-7, 3.71), and Joe Blanton (4-0, 4.20 as a Phil; 9-12, 4.69 overall) on Thursday when they open at home against LA at 8:22 PM, on Fox.
The Dodger's will answer with Derek Lowe (14-11, 3.24), with the rest of the guys "to be announced," though it shouldn't take a crystal ball to see into Joe Torre's future. He'll almost certainly use Chad Billingsley (16-10, 3.14), Hiroki Kuroda (9-10, 3.73), and Clayton Kershaw (5-5, 4.26) or Greg Maddux (8-13, 4.22).
We'd bet on LHP Kershaw to match up against the lefty Philly bats of Ryan Howard and Chase Utley. GW doesn't expect a Brad Penny sighting.
The Dodgers swept a four-game series from the Phillies at Dodger Stadium. The Phillies swept a four-game series from the Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park.
Dodger Stadium is pitcher-friendly. Citizens Bank Park is hitter-friendly. The Dodgers led the National League in team earned run average. The Phillies led the league in home runs. Think the home field is an advantage in this matchup?
The BoSox have their rotation set for the Tampa Bay series. It's Daisuke Matsuzaka (18-3, 2.90), Josh Beckett (12-10, 4.13), Jon Lester (16-6, 3.21) and Tim Wakefield (10-11, 4.13).
Some local flavor will spice up the games as Pittsburgh watches to see if Jay Bay, who had 2 long balls, 3 RBI and 3 runs scored, including the series-clincher with two out in the ninth, can keep his heroics going in his first-ever playoff campaign.
The Rays will counter with James Shields (14-8, 3.56), Scott Kazmir (12-8, 3.49), Matt Garza (11-9, 3.70) and probably Andy Sonnanstine (13-9, 4.38).
The series opens in Tampa Bay on Friday at 8:37 PM, on TBS. The story line for the ALCS is the new boys on the block, the Rays, versus the been-there, done-that BoSox. Tampa won the regular season series ten games to eight. The Red Sox went 7-2 in Fenway, the Rays 8-1 in The Trop, so home cookin' means something in this match, too.
Let the games begin! Hey, Alfonso, pass the chips. And CC, get me a beer while you're headed to the cooler. Misery so loves company, hehe.
The Phils will trot out Cole Hamels (14-10, 3.09), Brett Myers (10-13, 4.55), Jamie Moyer (16-7, 3.71), and Joe Blanton (4-0, 4.20 as a Phil; 9-12, 4.69 overall) on Thursday when they open at home against LA at 8:22 PM, on Fox.
The Dodger's will answer with Derek Lowe (14-11, 3.24), with the rest of the guys "to be announced," though it shouldn't take a crystal ball to see into Joe Torre's future. He'll almost certainly use Chad Billingsley (16-10, 3.14), Hiroki Kuroda (9-10, 3.73), and Clayton Kershaw (5-5, 4.26) or Greg Maddux (8-13, 4.22).
We'd bet on LHP Kershaw to match up against the lefty Philly bats of Ryan Howard and Chase Utley. GW doesn't expect a Brad Penny sighting.
The Dodgers swept a four-game series from the Phillies at Dodger Stadium. The Phillies swept a four-game series from the Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park.
Dodger Stadium is pitcher-friendly. Citizens Bank Park is hitter-friendly. The Dodgers led the National League in team earned run average. The Phillies led the league in home runs. Think the home field is an advantage in this matchup?
The BoSox have their rotation set for the Tampa Bay series. It's Daisuke Matsuzaka (18-3, 2.90), Josh Beckett (12-10, 4.13), Jon Lester (16-6, 3.21) and Tim Wakefield (10-11, 4.13).
Some local flavor will spice up the games as Pittsburgh watches to see if Jay Bay, who had 2 long balls, 3 RBI and 3 runs scored, including the series-clincher with two out in the ninth, can keep his heroics going in his first-ever playoff campaign.
The Rays will counter with James Shields (14-8, 3.56), Scott Kazmir (12-8, 3.49), Matt Garza (11-9, 3.70) and probably Andy Sonnanstine (13-9, 4.38).
The series opens in Tampa Bay on Friday at 8:37 PM, on TBS. The story line for the ALCS is the new boys on the block, the Rays, versus the been-there, done-that BoSox. Tampa won the regular season series ten games to eight. The Red Sox went 7-2 in Fenway, the Rays 8-1 in The Trop, so home cookin' means something in this match, too.
Let the games begin! Hey, Alfonso, pass the chips. And CC, get me a beer while you're headed to the cooler. Misery so loves company, hehe.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Central Division Blues
"That's life,
That's what all the people say.
You're riding high in April,
Shot down in May..."
Well, Frank Sinatra almost had it right - it took till October for the Central Division to get shot down by the rest of the NL. The Cubs and Brewers can join Pittsburgh in the "wait till next year" rut.
Chicago couldn't exorcise the Billy Goat curse, and the Dodgers under Joe Torre swept them in the NLDS. Never was the old adage "good pitching will stop good hitting" more evident in a series.
Starters Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley and Hiroki Kuroda combined to limit the Cubs to three runs in 19 innings, a 1.42 ERA, and the Dodgers outscored them, 20-6, in the three games. LA held the top of the Chicago order to 2-24 (.083), and the big guns simply had no one to bring home.
And Ned Colletti has a Cheshire Cat grin that's impossible to erase today.
As for the Brew Crew, the way that they and the Mets stumbled, bumbled, and fumbled down the stretch must have made baseball wonder if there was any point to inviting a wild-card to the party, at least in the NL.
The Phils showed their muscle and used the long ball to oust Milwaukee today and take the NLDS three games to one.
For the Brewers, it was a bitter if not totally unexpected pill to swallow. And with CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets ready to hit the market, their window as a playoff caliber club may be shut for at least the short-term future.
Now the two hottest teams in the NL will play for all the marbles, starting in Philadelphia on Thursday.
What's it mean for next year's Central Division race? Well, the Cubs are almost certain to join the FA lottery and open the purse strings to find a partner for the Big Z. The Brewers will have to retool. It's time for them to shop Prince Fielder for the player haul he should bring in for Milwaukee.
Houston and Cincy have new life, although the Cubs still seem too talented to catch in the standings. The Pirates? Same ol', same ol'. Wait till next year. They have it down to a science.
And if you want to use the playoff teams as a measuring stick, the Pirates were 10-42 against the clubs that made it, a .192 winning percentage. They were 4-14 against the Cubs, 1-14 against the Brewers, 2-5 against LA, 2-4 against the Phils, 0-3 against the White Sox, and 1-2 against the Rays. (The Bucs were 3-4 against the Mets, driving a stake in their playoff heart, hehe).
Against the hoi polloi of baseball, Pittsburgh actually had a winning 57-53 record. So the Bucs can hang with the crowd. They just get hammered when they step out of class.
That's what all the people say.
You're riding high in April,
Shot down in May..."
Well, Frank Sinatra almost had it right - it took till October for the Central Division to get shot down by the rest of the NL. The Cubs and Brewers can join Pittsburgh in the "wait till next year" rut.
Chicago couldn't exorcise the Billy Goat curse, and the Dodgers under Joe Torre swept them in the NLDS. Never was the old adage "good pitching will stop good hitting" more evident in a series.
Starters Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley and Hiroki Kuroda combined to limit the Cubs to three runs in 19 innings, a 1.42 ERA, and the Dodgers outscored them, 20-6, in the three games. LA held the top of the Chicago order to 2-24 (.083), and the big guns simply had no one to bring home.
And Ned Colletti has a Cheshire Cat grin that's impossible to erase today.
As for the Brew Crew, the way that they and the Mets stumbled, bumbled, and fumbled down the stretch must have made baseball wonder if there was any point to inviting a wild-card to the party, at least in the NL.
The Phils showed their muscle and used the long ball to oust Milwaukee today and take the NLDS three games to one.
For the Brewers, it was a bitter if not totally unexpected pill to swallow. And with CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets ready to hit the market, their window as a playoff caliber club may be shut for at least the short-term future.
Now the two hottest teams in the NL will play for all the marbles, starting in Philadelphia on Thursday.
What's it mean for next year's Central Division race? Well, the Cubs are almost certain to join the FA lottery and open the purse strings to find a partner for the Big Z. The Brewers will have to retool. It's time for them to shop Prince Fielder for the player haul he should bring in for Milwaukee.
Houston and Cincy have new life, although the Cubs still seem too talented to catch in the standings. The Pirates? Same ol', same ol'. Wait till next year. They have it down to a science.
And if you want to use the playoff teams as a measuring stick, the Pirates were 10-42 against the clubs that made it, a .192 winning percentage. They were 4-14 against the Cubs, 1-14 against the Brewers, 2-5 against LA, 2-4 against the Phils, 0-3 against the White Sox, and 1-2 against the Rays. (The Bucs were 3-4 against the Mets, driving a stake in their playoff heart, hehe).
Against the hoi polloi of baseball, Pittsburgh actually had a winning 57-53 record. So the Bucs can hang with the crowd. They just get hammered when they step out of class.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Old Buccos in the ALDS
And hey, there are some old Bucs that took their game to the big boy's league and caught on with some championship AL teams. Watch the tube for:
Jason Bay, LF, Boston - Bay took his booming bat to Boston at the deadline as part of the Manny menange a trois. The Bosox sent Pittsburgh Brandon Moss and Craig Hansen, while the Dodgers chipped in Andy LaRoche and Bryan Morris. Please come home, Jay.
Bay's Boston line is .293-9-37 in 49 games; overall, it's .286-31-101.
Pittsburgh landed him in 2003, along with Ollie Perez, for Brian Giles. Bay hit .281-139-452 as a Bucco.
Sean Casey, 1B, Boston - Casey signed as a free agent this year with the Bosox. As a back-up to Kevin Youkilis, his line was .322-0-17.
"The Mayor" is an Upper St. Clair grad, and played for the home town team in 2006, with a .296-3-29 line until traded to Detroit for Brian Rogers.
David Ross, C, Boston - He was released by the Reds late in the year, and picked up by Beantown to a minor-league deal. He joined the roster in September, and isn't eligible for the playoffs.
The slick-fielding backstop hit .125 in 8 at bats for the Red Sox.
The Bucs purchased him from the Dodgers in 2005, and he hit .222-3-15 for them, until he was sent to San Diego in July for JJ Furmaniak.
Tim Wakefield, RHP, Boston - The knuckleballer was inked by the Pirates as an 8th round draftee in 1988, and spent his first two MLB seasons, 1992-1993, with Pittsburgh. The Pirates released him and he signed with Boston, where he found a home to this day.
The 16-year hurler was 10-11 with a 4.13 ERA this season.
Wakefield was 14-12 as a Pirate, and had a 4.17 ERA.
And though Bosox skipper Terry Francona never suited up for the Pirates, he's a New Brighton guy, the son of Aliquippa's Tito Francona. Terry played in the MLB for a decade; his dad for sixteen years. How'd they miss a home town stop?
Boston is practically the Beantown BucSox!
Gary Matthews, Jr., CF, Los Angeles Angels - Matthews joined the Halos in 2006 as a free agent. His 2008 line for LA is .242-8-46.
The Pirates plucked him off of waivers from the Cubs in 2001. His Buc line was .245-5-14 in 46 games before he was sold in August to the NY Mets.
As far as a quick scan of the rosters tell us, the Tampa Bay Devils, Minnesota Twins, and Chicago White Sox are Pirate-free clubs.
Jason Bay, LF, Boston - Bay took his booming bat to Boston at the deadline as part of the Manny menange a trois. The Bosox sent Pittsburgh Brandon Moss and Craig Hansen, while the Dodgers chipped in Andy LaRoche and Bryan Morris. Please come home, Jay.
Bay's Boston line is .293-9-37 in 49 games; overall, it's .286-31-101.
Pittsburgh landed him in 2003, along with Ollie Perez, for Brian Giles. Bay hit .281-139-452 as a Bucco.
Sean Casey, 1B, Boston - Casey signed as a free agent this year with the Bosox. As a back-up to Kevin Youkilis, his line was .322-0-17.
"The Mayor" is an Upper St. Clair grad, and played for the home town team in 2006, with a .296-3-29 line until traded to Detroit for Brian Rogers.
David Ross, C, Boston - He was released by the Reds late in the year, and picked up by Beantown to a minor-league deal. He joined the roster in September, and isn't eligible for the playoffs.
The slick-fielding backstop hit .125 in 8 at bats for the Red Sox.
The Bucs purchased him from the Dodgers in 2005, and he hit .222-3-15 for them, until he was sent to San Diego in July for JJ Furmaniak.
Tim Wakefield, RHP, Boston - The knuckleballer was inked by the Pirates as an 8th round draftee in 1988, and spent his first two MLB seasons, 1992-1993, with Pittsburgh. The Pirates released him and he signed with Boston, where he found a home to this day.
The 16-year hurler was 10-11 with a 4.13 ERA this season.
Wakefield was 14-12 as a Pirate, and had a 4.17 ERA.
And though Bosox skipper Terry Francona never suited up for the Pirates, he's a New Brighton guy, the son of Aliquippa's Tito Francona. Terry played in the MLB for a decade; his dad for sixteen years. How'd they miss a home town stop?
Boston is practically the Beantown BucSox!
Gary Matthews, Jr., CF, Los Angeles Angels - Matthews joined the Halos in 2006 as a free agent. His 2008 line for LA is .242-8-46.
The Pirates plucked him off of waivers from the Cubs in 2001. His Buc line was .245-5-14 in 46 games before he was sold in August to the NY Mets.
As far as a quick scan of the rosters tell us, the Tampa Bay Devils, Minnesota Twins, and Chicago White Sox are Pirate-free clubs.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Pirates In the NLDS
Pittsburgh won't be entirely shut out of the playoffs. As a popular refuge for the MLB's tired, poor, huddled masses, there are old Bucco's scattered all over baseball's landscape. Here's some guys that wore the Pirate colors that made it to the post season (though we can't guarantee they all make the roster):
Jason Kendall, C, Milwaukee Brewers - The Pirates traded Kendall to the A's in 2004 for Mark Redman, Arthur Rhodes, and cash. He signed with the Brew Crew as a free agent in 2008, and became their starting catcher, with a .248-2-49 line.
A number one draft pick in 1992, he played in Pittsburgh from 1996-2004. Kendall became the Pirates all-time leader in games caught, with over 1,200, and hit .306-67-471 in his nine year Buc career.
Jeff Suppan, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers - In one of their better deals, the Bucs shipped the dependable Suppan to Boston in 2003 at the deadline with two minor leaguers for Mike Gonzalez, Freddie Sanchez, and cash. He joined the Brewer staff in 2006 as a free agent. This year, he was 10-10 with a 4.96 ERA.
Suppan was 10-7 with a 3.57 ERA for Pittsburgh in 2003.
Solly Torres, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers - Torres, upset that the Pirates didn't pick his new camp for it's Latin America baseball academy, disgruntled his way into becoming the new suits first trade, getting sent to Miller Field for Marino Salas and Kevin Roberts. Sometimes it pays to rock the boat.
He became the Brewer closer by default, and put together a 7-5-28 record with a 3.49 ERA.
Torres was a Pirate from 2002-2007, compiling a 26-28-21, 3.40 line.
Brian Shouse, LHP, Milwaukee Brewers - Shouse was drafted by Pittsburgh in 1990, and pitched 4 innings in 1993 for the team. He was released in 1996.
He's a regular out of Milwaukee's bullpen, mostly as a match-up guy, with 69 appearances, a 5-1 record with 2 saves, and a 4.34 ERA.
Shouse came to the Brew Crew in 2006 from the Rangers in exchange for Enrique Cruz.
And let's not forget Milwaukee skipper Dale Sveum, who was part of 1997's Pirate "Freak Show."
Aramis Ramirez, 3B, Chicago Cubs - A-Ram's trade in 2003, along with Kenny Lofton and cash for Bobby Hill and Jose Hernandez was the darkest day of Pittsburgh's lurid salary-dumping history. The big guy kept mashing along the lakefront, hitting .287-27-111 this season.
He played in the 'Burgh from 1998-2003, and had a line of .261-76-309 in those six seasons.
Daryle Ward, 1B/OF, Chicago Cubs - Ward became a free agent in 2006, and signed on with Chicago in 2007 as their left-handed bat off the bench. He hit .216-4-17 in a pinch hitting role this season.
He was a platoon guy in Pittsburgh from 2004-2005, and got his fair share of AB's, putting together a .255-27-120 line during those two years.
Matt Stairs, 1B/OF, Philadelphia Phillies - The Pirates let Stairs go in 2003. The 16-year vet ended up with the Phils last month in a trade from Toronto, just in time to qualify for the playoff roster, for 23-year old LHP Fabio Castro. He hit a combined .252-13-49 for the Phils and Jays this year.
Stairs was solid for the Pirates in 2003, hitting .292-21-57 in 300 AB's.
Joe Beimel, LHP, Los Angeles Dodgers - Beimel, Duquesne's only MLB player, was released by the hometown Bucs in 2004. He signed as a FA with LA in 2006, and has been their left-handed specialist since. The Bluff grad was 5-1 with a 2.03 ERA.
The St. Mary's native pitched in Pittsburgh from 2001-2003, where they changed him from a starter to a bullpen arm when someone noticed he was getting clobbered the second time around in the order. He was 10-19 with a 4.93 ERA in his Pirate career.
Jason Kendall, C, Milwaukee Brewers - The Pirates traded Kendall to the A's in 2004 for Mark Redman, Arthur Rhodes, and cash. He signed with the Brew Crew as a free agent in 2008, and became their starting catcher, with a .248-2-49 line.
A number one draft pick in 1992, he played in Pittsburgh from 1996-2004. Kendall became the Pirates all-time leader in games caught, with over 1,200, and hit .306-67-471 in his nine year Buc career.
Jeff Suppan, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers - In one of their better deals, the Bucs shipped the dependable Suppan to Boston in 2003 at the deadline with two minor leaguers for Mike Gonzalez, Freddie Sanchez, and cash. He joined the Brewer staff in 2006 as a free agent. This year, he was 10-10 with a 4.96 ERA.
Suppan was 10-7 with a 3.57 ERA for Pittsburgh in 2003.
Solly Torres, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers - Torres, upset that the Pirates didn't pick his new camp for it's Latin America baseball academy, disgruntled his way into becoming the new suits first trade, getting sent to Miller Field for Marino Salas and Kevin Roberts. Sometimes it pays to rock the boat.
He became the Brewer closer by default, and put together a 7-5-28 record with a 3.49 ERA.
Torres was a Pirate from 2002-2007, compiling a 26-28-21, 3.40 line.
Brian Shouse, LHP, Milwaukee Brewers - Shouse was drafted by Pittsburgh in 1990, and pitched 4 innings in 1993 for the team. He was released in 1996.
He's a regular out of Milwaukee's bullpen, mostly as a match-up guy, with 69 appearances, a 5-1 record with 2 saves, and a 4.34 ERA.
Shouse came to the Brew Crew in 2006 from the Rangers in exchange for Enrique Cruz.
And let's not forget Milwaukee skipper Dale Sveum, who was part of 1997's Pirate "Freak Show."
Aramis Ramirez, 3B, Chicago Cubs - A-Ram's trade in 2003, along with Kenny Lofton and cash for Bobby Hill and Jose Hernandez was the darkest day of Pittsburgh's lurid salary-dumping history. The big guy kept mashing along the lakefront, hitting .287-27-111 this season.
He played in the 'Burgh from 1998-2003, and had a line of .261-76-309 in those six seasons.
Daryle Ward, 1B/OF, Chicago Cubs - Ward became a free agent in 2006, and signed on with Chicago in 2007 as their left-handed bat off the bench. He hit .216-4-17 in a pinch hitting role this season.
He was a platoon guy in Pittsburgh from 2004-2005, and got his fair share of AB's, putting together a .255-27-120 line during those two years.
Matt Stairs, 1B/OF, Philadelphia Phillies - The Pirates let Stairs go in 2003. The 16-year vet ended up with the Phils last month in a trade from Toronto, just in time to qualify for the playoff roster, for 23-year old LHP Fabio Castro. He hit a combined .252-13-49 for the Phils and Jays this year.
Stairs was solid for the Pirates in 2003, hitting .292-21-57 in 300 AB's.
Joe Beimel, LHP, Los Angeles Dodgers - Beimel, Duquesne's only MLB player, was released by the hometown Bucs in 2004. He signed as a FA with LA in 2006, and has been their left-handed specialist since. The Bluff grad was 5-1 with a 2.03 ERA.
The St. Mary's native pitched in Pittsburgh from 2001-2003, where they changed him from a starter to a bullpen arm when someone noticed he was getting clobbered the second time around in the order. He was 10-19 with a 4.93 ERA in his Pirate career.
The Playoff Chase
The playoffs seemed pretty cut and dried on Labor Day, but there's a couple of sizzling races heading for the wire.
The final NL berth comes down to the the Milwaukee Brewers or New York Mets, both teams stumblin' and bumblin' their way to the finish line.
CC Sabathia starts at home against the Cubs in what could be a preview of the NLCS matchup. The Cubbies are starting *snicker* Angel Guzman, 0-0 with a 7.04 ERA.
The Cubs, wisely, opted to rest Carlos Zambrano, the scheduled starter, and save his arm for the upcoming playoffs.
The Mets play the last regular season game in the history of Shea Stadium, with Ollie Perez starting for New York against Scott Olsen of the Marlins. The Mets start an hour ahead of the Brewers, so expect some serious scoreboard watching by the players and fans alike at Miller Field.
If the Brewers and Mets are still tied after today, they will play a one-game tiebreaker at Shea Stadium on Monday with the NL Wild Card berth to the winner.
If the Mets win and the Brewers lose, the Mets win the NL wild card and will travel to Chicago to face the Cubs in the Division Series. The Phillies would then host the Dodgers in the other series.
If the Brewers win and the Mets lose, the Brewers win the NL wild card and will travel to Philadlephia to face the Phillies in the Division Series. The Cubs would then host the Dodgers in the other series.
In the AL, the Twins retain a half-game lead over the White Sox. Scott Baker gets the call against Kansas City's Brandon Duckworth in today's game at the Metrodome.
Mark Buehrle will try to keep Chicago's hopes alive as the probable starter at home against Cleveland's Bryan Bullington. And whoever thought Bullington would be involved in a meaningful MLB game on the last day of the season?
He's 0-1 since being called up, with a 5.59 ERA. Bullington's pitched 9-2/3 innings for the Tribe in two appearances, one a start. Cliff Lee was scratched from his scheduled start because of a stiff neck, and BB got the nod to replace him.
Chicago may have to make up a rain out against Detroit. If the White Sox and Twins are still within a half-game of one another following today's games, the Tigers would play the White Sox on Monday at U.S. Cellular Field.
Following that game, if the Twins and White Sox are tied, the teams would play a one-game tiebreaker on Tuesday at Chicago for the division crown and a postseason playoff date with Tampa Bay.
The Angels host the Bosox in the other opening AL playoff series. And that should be a tremendous set of games.
The final NL berth comes down to the the Milwaukee Brewers or New York Mets, both teams stumblin' and bumblin' their way to the finish line.
CC Sabathia starts at home against the Cubs in what could be a preview of the NLCS matchup. The Cubbies are starting *snicker* Angel Guzman, 0-0 with a 7.04 ERA.
The Cubs, wisely, opted to rest Carlos Zambrano, the scheduled starter, and save his arm for the upcoming playoffs.
The Mets play the last regular season game in the history of Shea Stadium, with Ollie Perez starting for New York against Scott Olsen of the Marlins. The Mets start an hour ahead of the Brewers, so expect some serious scoreboard watching by the players and fans alike at Miller Field.
If the Brewers and Mets are still tied after today, they will play a one-game tiebreaker at Shea Stadium on Monday with the NL Wild Card berth to the winner.
If the Mets win and the Brewers lose, the Mets win the NL wild card and will travel to Chicago to face the Cubs in the Division Series. The Phillies would then host the Dodgers in the other series.
If the Brewers win and the Mets lose, the Brewers win the NL wild card and will travel to Philadlephia to face the Phillies in the Division Series. The Cubs would then host the Dodgers in the other series.
In the AL, the Twins retain a half-game lead over the White Sox. Scott Baker gets the call against Kansas City's Brandon Duckworth in today's game at the Metrodome.
Mark Buehrle will try to keep Chicago's hopes alive as the probable starter at home against Cleveland's Bryan Bullington. And whoever thought Bullington would be involved in a meaningful MLB game on the last day of the season?
He's 0-1 since being called up, with a 5.59 ERA. Bullington's pitched 9-2/3 innings for the Tribe in two appearances, one a start. Cliff Lee was scratched from his scheduled start because of a stiff neck, and BB got the nod to replace him.
Chicago may have to make up a rain out against Detroit. If the White Sox and Twins are still within a half-game of one another following today's games, the Tigers would play the White Sox on Monday at U.S. Cellular Field.
Following that game, if the Twins and White Sox are tied, the teams would play a one-game tiebreaker on Tuesday at Chicago for the division crown and a postseason playoff date with Tampa Bay.
The Angels host the Bosox in the other opening AL playoff series. And that should be a tremendous set of games.
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