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      Holliday’s error in the ninth costs Cardinals in Game 2

      October 9, 2009 /

      Nursing a 2-1 lead with two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the ninth, the Cardinals looked like they had Game 2 of the NLDS wrapped up, especially when Ryan Franklin got Dodgers first baseman James Loney to hit a routine line drive to left field.

      Then Matt Holliday forgot which way to turn his glove.

      Holliday muffed the line drive, which turned into a double and put the tying run in scoring position. Two walks and a Ronnie Belliard RBI single later and pinch-hitter Mark Loretta became a hero by driving in Casey Blake with a single up the middle.

      The Dodgers took Game 2 of the series and the Cardinals’ hopes along with them.

      From MLB.com:

      What the loss did to the Cardinals’ psyche will be determined later. Manager Tony La Russa tried to put it into words.

      “I think it’s about as tough a loss as you can have,” said La Russa, although he noted that at least his club hadn’t been eliminated. “Right now we’re feeling disappointed. But we’re not discouraged. There’s a big difference in the two.”

      People are going to pin this loss squarely on Holliday, which is fair given that he should have caught the ball and had he, the game would have been over and the Cards would be going back to St. Louis tied 1-1 in the series.

      But Holliday wasn’t the only one to make a mistake for the Cards in this game. The biggest (well, the second biggest after Holliday’s plunder) was probably La Russa not allowing Adam Wainwright to come out in the ninth. Wainwright had thrown more pitches in more outings this year than he did last night and came out for the ninth before. So unless Wainwright told La Russa that he was done, the skipper should have allowed his horse to continue throwing his gem.

      Colby Rasmus also made a base running error during the game and was thrown out at third by Loney. Rasmus was hung up in no man’s land on the play and cost his team a runner in scoring position.

      But give credit to the Dodgers – they’ve found a way to make Albert Pujols a non factor and the Cardinals haven’t found a way to make them pay. That said, St. Louis should have won this game and it’ll be interesting to see how La Russa’s club bounces back. (If they can, that is.)

      MLB

      NBA News & Rumors: Nets’ SG, Curry, Delonte and more

      October 8, 2009 /

      Courtney Lee and Chris Douglas-Roberts fighting to be Nets’ starting shooting guard. Courtney Lee is a player. He can shoot, score and defend, and he’s still troubled by Orlando’s decision to trade him away. That layup he missed in the Finals was no gimme. By the time he was in position to release the ball, his entire torso was behind the backboard. It’s a shame that’s what people remember of Lee from last season. This battle may go deeper into camp, but Lee has more talent and should be starting for the Nets this season.

      Replacement refs aren’t up to snuff. Last night in the Rockets-Celtics game, 75 fouls were called and 102 free throws were shot. This is astounding. NBA refs get a bad rap. Basketball is a tough game to officiate because there is so much contact on any given possession. Refs have quite a bit of leeway, which can lead to inconsistency from game to game and from crew to crew.

      HC Don Nelson plans to use Stephen Curry as a starter…at times. He says it’s going to be a matchup thing because Curry is so good. So look for Curry to start when the opponent also has a couple of smallish guards in the starting lineup. But wouldn’t a Monta Ellis/Stephen Curry backcourt create huge matchup problems on the other end of the court? I think most off guards would have a tough time getting back in transition to cover Curry on the wing.

      When will the Milwaukee Bucks get a new arena? I grew up outside of Milwaukee and remember when the Bradley Center was state of the art. Needless to say, that was a while ago. The Bucks are in a tough spot because with the recession, they’re going to have a tough time making money this season unless the team is playoff-caliber. Given the environment, neither the city nor the franchise are going to want to pay for an arena, so there’s a real chance that the Bucks’ owner — Senator Herb Kohl — sells the team in the next few years. It would be a shame, because Bucks fans are great when the team is good (or at least mediocre).

      Delonte West leaves the team…again. Other than maybe the Lakers, the Cavs are probably the best equipped to handle this kind of drama during training camp. With the whole LeBron/Shaq honeymoon, eyes are elsewhere, but West has the potential to become a distraction as the season wears on. He’s too good to cut loose, but not so good that he deserves special treatment. It’s going to be interesting to see how the Cavs handle West if he continues to miss time.

      NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      Rockies even up NLDS with Phillies

      October 8, 2009 /

      Catcher Yorvit Torrealba’s two-run homer helped the Rockies edge the Phillies 5-4 on Tuesday to even up the NLDS at one game apiece.

      From MLB.com:

      Ace Aaron Cook pitched five strong innings before turning the contest over to a bullpen that was constructed solidly, if on the run. Carlos Gonzalez had three hits (after two hits in the first game), Dexter Fowler drove in two runs on sacrifice flies, and Yorvit Torrealba knocked a two-run shot — his first home run in five months.

      What it adds up to is a golden chance for the Rockies to add to an improbable story that started with them going 18-28 out of the gate and replacing manager Clint Hurdle with Jim Tracy. After escaping Philadelphia and its raucous crowds — 46,528, which topped Wednesday’s Citizens Bank Park record — with a split, the Rockies will be greeted by their own wild crowd at Coors Field on Saturday night and Sunday.

      The Phils cracked Cook in the sixth when Shane Victorino and Chase Utley singled, and Ryan Howard doubled for one run. Jose Contreras replaced Cook, fanned Jayson Werth and gave up Raul Ibanez’s two-run single. Pedro Feliz singled, but Contreras worked Carlos Ruiz into a double-play grounder.

      Ryan Spilborghs led off the seventh with a double, and would score on Fowler’s one-out fly ball. The Rockies missed a chance to add to the lead in the eighth, when Phils lefty reliever Antonio Bastardo fanned pinch-hitter Jason Giambi with the bases loaded to end the inning.
      However, the Rockies’ bullpen kept the lead. Matt Belisle, who spent most of the season in the Minors but earned a playoff roster spot with a strong final three weeks, threw a perfect seventh. Rafael Betancourt, acquired from the Indians in July, gave up a Werth two-out homer in the eighth. But Franklin Morales, who also spent time in the Minors, ended the threat by coaxing an Ibanez grounder.

      This was a huge win for the Rockies because they’ve played so well at home this year, and rather inconsistent on the road at times. To earn a split (especially in the second game) on the road was big, because now the momentum favors Colorado and puts pressure on Philadelphia to go cross-country and play well on the road.

      Torrealba has been a nice role player over the years and it’s nice to see a guy that plays the game the right way get some recognition for his efforts. He’s a tough-nosed player and a fierce competitor. His play today no doubt lifted he and his team’s confidence.

      MLB

      Joba Chamberlain to remain in bullpen if Yanks reach ALCS

      October 8, 2009 /

      The New York Post reports that should the Yankees advance to the ALCS, they are leaning toward using Chad Gaudin rather than Job Chamberlain to be their Game 4 starter. Chamberlain would then remain in the bullpen.

      The Yankees would not finalize plans unless they beat Minnesota. But in informal planning sessions there is a growing consensus to keep Chamberlain in the pen throughout the playoffs.

      That reflects how precious each win is in the postseason, and that Chamberlain could be used in nearly every winnable game as part of a late-game lockdown trio with Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera. But it also has to do with the Yankees’ internal belief that Gaudin outperformed Chamberlain as a starter down the stretch.

      The Yankees were 6-0 in Gaudin’s starts and he had a 3.19 ERA. Chamberlain had a 7.75 ERA in his final 10 starts with a .324 batting average against. Chamberlain’s lone strong start in that period was a six-inning, three-run effort against Boston. So, if the Yankees and Red Sox met in the ALCS, the Yankees might reconsider. But even under that scenario the sentiment is to start Gaudin.

      This makes sense. Joba could essentially make an impact in every close game the Yankees play in, rather than just six or seven innings of one start. And with the Bombers’ record in Gaudin’s starts being 6-0, they have the opportunity to keep Joba in the pen and not sacrifice their starting pitching.

      The Yankees are always dangerous because of their offense, but this marks a different season because they now have the pitching to make a World Series run.

      MLB

      Love ‘Em & Leave ‘Em: Week 5

      October 8, 2009 /

      Every week, I will highlight a few players to start and a few players to sit at each position. I’m a firm believer in starting your studs, so I won’t tell you about how Drew Brees or Adrian Peterson has a tough matchup – just go ahead and keep them in your lineup. Instead, I’ll focus on the borderline guys – players you’ll only start under the right circumstances. It’s important to note that depending on your roster and situation, you may not be able to follow these recommendations. For example, if I suggest you bench a solid starter like Tony Romo, only do so if you have a clearly better option on your bench.

      The “love ‘em” players are listed in the order that I’d start them this week.

      love-em

      Tony Romo has a tasty matchup against a Chiefs defense that is 28th in the league against the pass. They have allowed an average of 251 yards and 2.0 TD through the air, so even if Roy Williams is out, Romo should have a nice day…Matt Schaub has a favorable matchup with the Cardinals, who own the league’s 30th-ranked pass defense, yielding 280 yards and 2.3 pass TD through the first three games. Neither defense is stout, so this could turn into a high-scoring affair…Ben Roethlisberger looks like a must-start this week against the Lions. The only worry is that the Steelers get the running game going and Detroit can’t score enough to keep it close…Matt Cassel has his first favorable matchup this season. He faces the Cowboys, who have yielded 256 yards and 1.5 pass TD per game. Dallas got off to a rough start defensively, but has come on the last two weeks. Still this one looks like it could be a high scoring affair, and Cassel will likely have to throw a lot in the second half…Donovan McNabb should start on Sunday against a Bucs defense that has given up nine pass TD in four games…Brett Favre is coming on and he has the Rams this week. It’s possible that Minny will dominate in the ground game, but Favre should throw at least 1-2 TD if St. Louis can muster enough points to keep it somewhat close…Joe Flacco looks like a nice start against the Bengals, who gave up 269 yards and a TD to Derek Anderson and the Browns last week. Cincy’s defense is a little underrated, but Baltimore should be able to move the ball this week…Looking for a sleeper? Shaun Hill (vs. ATL), Seneca Wallace (vs. JAX) and Derek Anderson (@ BUF) all have above average matchups this week.

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