Category: MLB (Page 414 of 448)

Mets SMASH! Carlos Beltran homered twice and Carlos Delgado hit a clutch three-run homer (along with a 2-RBI ground rule double) to break a 2-2 tie. After that, the Mets never looked back, blowing it open in the sixth inning when the first seven batters reached safely. Single, single, walk, double, walk, single, double. Three outs later, this game was over.

The Mets needed this in the biggest way imaginable. They were staring down elimination in Game 5, and having to bring Tom Glavine back on three days’ rest to not just keep them alive but save the series. This way, they get some semblance of momentum as both teams head back to New York.

Either way, the Motor City Kitties are relaxing in Day-trois awaiting whichever NL team decides to attend the slaughter.

And just like that, the Mets are in big, big trouble. The Mets’ bullpen threw about four times as many pitches last night as the Cardinals pen, and tonight, starter Steve Trachsel had to leave after loading the bases without recording an out in the second inning. He even started the second by giving up a solo home run to Cardinals pitcher Jeff Suppan (!). Two more runs scored on a wild pitch and a fielder’s choice, and that was more than enough for the wheeling and dealing Suppan, who would scatter five hits over eight innings. Not that there was any need to watch after the second inning. Oh, and who knocked in those two runs in the first? Scott Spezio, with another 2-RBI triple. Think he’s playing for a fat new contract?

After four innings of sluggish hitting on the part of the Mets, I started to drift toward my TiVo queue, so I watched the back halves of the first two “SNL” episodes from this season. Man, is that show in a bad way. All of that talent in the cast, and they can’t write a skit to save their lives. Come back Tina Fey. You’re sorely missed.

The Mets send the erratic Oliver Perez (3-13, 6.55, 102K/68 BB) to the mound for Game 4. And at once it hits me that the Mets may not play another game in Flushing this year. Good pitching always beats good hitting. Go ask the AL champion Detroit Tigers about that one.

Congratulations to the Detroit Tigers on winning their first American League pennant since 1984.

What an absolute bomb that Magglio Ordonez hit to end the game in the bottom of the ninth. Ordonez hit a shot over the left field wall with two out and two on in the bottom of the ninth to break a 3-3 tie and send the Tigers to the 2006 World Series. The game’s action doesn’t matter much now since the series is over, but what does matter is what an incredible job Jim Leyland did in turning around this organization. Consider this, a lot of the ballplayers that the Tigers won with this year, were part of one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball history just three years ago. It’s not like Detroit did it with a lot of free agent pickups or lofty dollar signs, either. The Tigers won with homegrown talent, great cohesiveness and a manager who put it all together. Don’t forget that Detroit was pronounced dead on arrival just two weeks ago after getting swept by the Kansas City Royals. They lost the division title, limped into the playoffs, and were heavy underdogs against the New York Yankees. Despite facing all of that, the Tigers have emerged winners of seven straight in the playoffs and are now on the verge of facing either the Mets or Cardinals in the World Series.

Motown has been on a great ride this season and the train doesn’t stop here either.

As for Oakland – what are you going to say? Blown opportunities and lack of hitting killed this team for four straight games. You can’t lose two games at home and expect to turn things around on the road. They won a lot of games in the regular season with smoke and mirrors as far as their hitting is concerned and it was no more evident against the Tigers. They’ll have a big decision to make this offseason with the future of Barry Zito, but Oakland still should have a solid pitching staff for ’07 and undoubtedly will be in the race again next year in the AL West. Nice season A’s.

I guess my prediction of Tigers in six came up two games short, huh? Once again, congratulations to the Tigers and the city of Detroit.

Sorry, I went out, had dinner with friends, and actually had a life for a change. Did I miss anything?

Hmmm, I missed two home runs from Carlos Delgado, which means Chris Carpenter got knocked around. I came home in the top of the seventh, only to watch New York blow a two run lead by giving up a single and a walk to Albert Pujols and Jim Edmonds with two outs, only to watch Scott Spezio – the same Scott Spezio that was cut by Seattle last year – drill an 0-2 pitch over the right field wall, but Shawn Green got enough glove on it to keep it in play and limit him to a triple. Boom, tie game.

Cut to the top of the ninth and the Sandman, Billy Wagner. He falls behind to So Taguchi (2006 postseason stats: 1-1, HR, RBI) with Pujols on deck, so he grooves him a high fastball with a 3-2 count. Pow. So Taguchi, who had two home runs all year, has two more home runs in the playoffs. His slugging percentage at the moment is 2.000. Not too shabby.

The wheels would fall off Wagner after that. Pujols would double (it was actually a single, but Endy Chavez’s throw was so wide that Pujols took an extra base), Edmonds would knock him over on a grounder to second, and then Spezio – again, Spezio – drilled a double past Delgado down the first base line. Juan Encarnacion would then knock a base hit up the middle, scoring Spezio. Ball game.

Tony LaRussa had the luck of the Leyland tonight. Every person Leyland has inserted into the game has come through for him. LaRussa puts Taguchi in as a defensive replacement, and he hits a home run. Yeah, that’ll work.

Gamer 3: Steve Trachsel vs. Jeff Suppan

Sayonara Oakland – thanks for playing.

If the A’s don’t get swept right out of Detroit on Saturday, I’ll be shocked.

Pitching, pitching, pitching – is the way you win in the playoffs and it should not come as a surprise to anyone that the team with the best pitching staff in the regular season is now blowing through the postseason. Kenny Rogers (2-0) is pitching out of his mind and there’s no doubt that he has been the best starter in all of the postseason thus far. Rogers pitched 7.1 innings of scoreless baseball and now hasn’t surrendered a run in over 14-straight playoff innings. He gave up a miniscule two hits, only walked two and struck out six in an absolute dominating performance.

Two of the Tigers total three runs came in the first inning. Placido Polanco (2 for 4, one RBI) drove in Curtis Granderson (0 for 1, three walks) with a single to center to give Detroit a 1-0 lead. Magglio Ordonez followed up with a fielder’s choice on the very next at bat to score Craig Monroe, who had moved to third on Polcanco’s single. The only other run scored by both teams came on a Monroe (2 for 3, two runs scored and a RBI) home run to left in the fifth inning.

There wasn’t much the A’s could do to counter Rogers and now face elimination Saturday in Detroit. Starter Rich Harden (0-1) had a decent outing despite not pitching in over four months. Harden went 5.2 innings, gave up all three runs on five hits, but obviously got no support from his offense and was pulled for reliever Chad Gaudin.

It’s no secret why the A’s are on the verge of getting swept by Detroit and why Oakland is now facing elimination. The A’s have squandered scoring opportunities in this series by grounding into multiple double plays and not having a force in the lineup that can do more than hit seeing-eye singles. Frank Thomas, after a fantastic regular season and an excellent divisional round against Minnesota, has completely gotten manhandled by the Tigers pitchers. He is now 0 for 9 in this series and has contemplated changing his nickname officially, to the “Big Skirt.”

I will say this about the A’s, however: Mark Kotsay played a tremendous centerfield in this contest. Kotsay kept the game at 2-0 in the fourth inning with back to back excellent catches. Kotsay made a diving play right in front of him to take away potential extra bases from Roman Santiago. Then on the very next play, Kotsay ran hard to deep left-center and made a backhanded grab to take away a Granderson base hit and end the inning with no harm done.

For the elimination game in Detroit tomorrow (Saturday at 4pm ET), Oakland will try and save its season by sending Dan Haren (1-0) to the mound. The Tigers will counter with Jeremy Bonderman (1-0), who eliminated the Yankees in the ALDS.