Tag: 2008 MLB Playoffs (Page 9 of 10)

      MLB Playoffs Quick Reads

      October 3, 2008 /

      – Rick Telander of the Chicago Sun-Times writes that the Cubs are a tragedy of errors right now.

      – Chris DeLuca of the Times notes that the Cubs aren’t the only ones in a slump – manager Lou Piniella is, too.

      – Joey Johnston of the Tampa Tribune gushes over Rays’ rookie Evan Longoria’s cool after the third basemen hit two home runs in Game 1 of ALDS against the White Sox.

      – Todd Zolecki of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes that Phils manager Charlie Manuel has succeeded with juggling the club’s lineup so far against the Brewers in the NLDS.

      – John Romano of the St. Petersburg Times likes the fire that Rays’ RP Grant Balfour shows, but also writes how the young pitcher invites trouble along with his success.

      – Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer waxes poetically about Shane Victorino, the “little Philly” who came up with a huge grand slam against Brewers’ ace CC Sabathia in Game 2 of the NLDS.

      MLB

      Dodgers proving playoffs truly are MLB’s second season

      October 3, 2008 /

      Alfonso SorianoThe Dodgers lost 14 more regular season games, won their division by a significantly less margin, and finished with a team batting average 14 points lower. And yet it’s the Cubs that are one more loss away from playoff elimination, and not the boys in blue.

      You hear players and coaches say how the regular season truly doesn’t matter when the playoffs start. But the Dodgers-Cubs series is actual proof. L.A. is making Chicago look like a completely different team. Granted the Cubs have a large hand in that, but Joe Torre’s bunch is beating their opponent in every phase of the game and their dominance was once again on display in a 10-3 rout in Game 2 Thursday night.

      The NL West was largely a laughing stock this year. Not only did the division champion Dodgers finish with only 84 wins, but only two clubs (L.A. and Arizona) finished above .500. Meanwhile, the NL Central had four teams finish above .500 (Chicago, Milwaukee, Houston, St. Louis), and yet two of those clubs are about to get swept right out of their respective divisional series.

      The Cubs are proving that a league-best record in the regular season means nothing in October. A team’s level of play has to rise in the playoffs and clearly Chicago’s hasn’t. In fact, the Cubs’ production has once again dipped below even respectability. And unless they have a miracle up their sleeves, the Dodgers are moving on to the NLCS.

      MLB

      Did Brewers ask too much of CC Sabathia?

      October 2, 2008 /

      CC SabathiaSince being acquired from the Cleveland Indians in late June, there haven’t been many starting pitchers better than Brewers’ ace CC Sabathia in the National League. But after only lasting 3 2/3 innings Thursday in the Phillies’ 5-2 win in Game 2 of the NLDS, maybe Milwaukee asked too much out of Sabathia just to get into the playoffs.

      Sabathia (2-3, 7.92 earned run average in five career post-season starts) fought his command from the outset and exited after 3 2/3 innings, by far his shortest outing with the Brewers. The big lefty allowed six hits and four walks, throwing only 55 of 98 pitches for strikes.

      But nobody in the visiting clubhouse was about to pin the discouraging defeat on Sabathia, not after what he did to get the Brewers to October baseball. Beyond going 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA in 17 outings, he pitched on short rest in his last three regular-season starts, including a four-hitter Sunday against Chicago that sealed the deal.

      “The man left everything out there on the field,” said reliever Seth McClung, who tossed two scoreless innings. “I don’t think he ran out of gas. You can’t question anything he has done. He’s the man we needed out there today.”

      Some will be quick to note that Sabathia once again continues to struggle in the postseason. But the guy was making his fourth consecutive start on only three days of rest. Without Sabathia’s phenomenal pitching in the second half of the regular season, the Brewers wouldn’t even be playing right now. Milwaukee’s players have it right – they need more offense or else Philadelphia is going to cruise into the NLCS. (And probably face the Dodgers with the way the Cubs are playing right now.)

      MLB

      Rays fans have a fever. And the only prescription is more cowbell.

      October 2, 2008 /

      Grant BalfourFor the past couple years, no prop has ever been more annoying than those obnoxious “thunder sticks” that Los Angeles Angels fans used during the 2002 World Series.

      Until now.

      During Game 1 of the Rays-White Sox ALDS (a 6-4 TB win), the home crowd in Tampa actually broke out cowbells…and used them the entire game. Nothing is more soothing during exciting MLB playoff game than to hear the constant ding of a freaking cowbell. Glad to see Rays fans actually knew where Tropicana Field was after leaving the place largely deserted during the regular season as the club won its first ever AL East Division title.

      Regardless of how annoying the cowbells were, the game was exciting and it’s nice to see a young franchise win their first postseason game. Rookie Evan Longoria (3-3, 2 HRs, 3 runs, 3 RBI) is a stud and James Shields deserves a lot of credit for going almost seven innings after it appeared that he wasn’t going to make it past the third or fourth. The two teams even provided a little fireworks when Rays’ relief pitcher Grant Balfour and Sox infielder Orlando Cabrera started throwing profanities at each other during a heated at bat in the seventh inning. Balfour eventually got the best of the matchup, striking out Cabrera to end the inning with the bases loaded.

      Tampa has a built a nice team over the years and true Rays fans deserve to finally see a winner. They also apparently have a fever. And the only prescription is…

      MLB

      Red Sox own Angels in postseason

      October 2, 2008 /

      Vladimir GuerreroAs Bill Plunkett of the OC Register writes in the wake of Boston’s 4-1 win in Game 1 of the ALDS, the Red Sox own the Angels in the postseason.

      In their past nine playoff games (four against the Red Sox, five against the White Sox), the Angels have scored a total of 16 runs while batting .190 as a team. They had nine hits Wednesday, all singles, and haven’t hit a post-season home run since Game 3 of that ’05 ALCS (Orlando Cabrera).

      “I don’t know nothing about that,” first-year Angel Hunter said when asked about the Angels’ growing trail of October failures against the Red Sox. “Whatever happened in the past happened. We’re going to come out on Friday (for Game 2). We intend to win on Friday, I can tell you that.

      “Have amnesia. Come back. Let’s go.”

      The Angels seem to suffer from the same alignment as the Cubs do in that they fail to convert what they did in the regular season to the postseason. The Halos arguably have the best overall team in the entire MLB playoffs, but winning in the postseason is obviously different from just making the postseason. And the BoSox have experience winning in the postseason, which continues to show in games like Wednesday night.

      MLB

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