Entries Tagged 'ALDS' ↓

The Sox handed themselves a Wild Card entry last night as the rain, some powerful hits against crappy pitching and a long, long night that flipped the clock ended any guess as to where they would be headed on Tuesday. With this season all over except a couple games that mean absolutely nothing –unless someone gets hurt, that is– I look at the playoffs with a few lingering thoughts:

• Mike Lowell is most likely done. As soon as he hit that ball last night you could tell it was over. Thank you, Mikey, you did a great job this year.
• The rotation is looking good, but I’m still nervous about Masterson and Delcarmen “shoring up” the bridge to Pap.
•  The 2008 AL Cy goes to Clifton Phifer Lee. At 22-3, Clif Lee has done an incredible job in the Indians rotation against almost every team he’s faced. Also, it’s excellent that there’s no “close call” this year. I think his record and performance basically leave no question.
• The 2008 AL MVP is a toss-up for me. I like Joe Mauer of the Twins, and I think he’ll get some serious consideration, but how can you not choose either Pedroia or Youkilis? Kevin Youkilis, especially, has stepped into the 4-hole and is bordering on thirty home runs and has over 115 RBIs. He’s become the power-hitting corner infielder that they need him to be.
• The trading deadline and wire waiver deals brought us Kotsay and Bay. I like both of the additions. Kotsay has certainly helped give the team “room for injury” and is able to handle Right and First without embarassing himself.
• Was it just me, or did it bring back all sorts of memories when Casey let the ball go through his glove at first last night? Eeep. That’s the kind of superstitious bullshit that’ll make a ballplayer say the Hail Mary five hundred times.
• The Sox are going to Anaheim and I think it’s going to take all five games if they want to get to the ALCS. The Angels aren’t the same team they’ve seen over the past two series. Don’t let K-Rod out of the gate.
• The Rays have won the AL East and they deserve it. That doesn’t, however, mean they’ll be able to perform as well as they did in the regular season. We shall see how they fair against the AL Central winners (We all know it’s the Twins, right?).
• I’m really, really pulling for the Brewers to get the Wild Card. They haven’t seen the post season since ‘82. And, they have a couple of really fun players to watch.
• I need to say that I am psyched that Don Orsillo is getting some games in as a broadcaster for the ALDS. Don Orsillo is articulate, knows the game and has a fantastic delivery. He’s become one of my favorites over the last few years.

SO! With the Wild Card secured and the Sox headed to Anaheim, I will trust that Tito makes the right calls for the ALDS and let the good times roll.

It appears that it wouldn’t take much to sweep the Yankees, regardless of whether or not it’s the final Sox/Yanks series of the year. I’m sure that the baseball gods were looking at the schedule and Fox television was drooling over the idea of taking the Saturday games as the “must-win battle of the century”!

For the Yankees, it’s just a three-game series that leads to a golf vacation and some possible arm surgery for Mariano Rivera.

IF the Red Sox can do it and IF the Rays fall prey to the “it doesn’t matter because we’re headed to the playoffs” routine, we’ll see a very pumped, in-your-face attitude by the Sox as they head home to meet either the Twins or the “other” Sox.

I assume, however, that we’ll be seeing our first Red Sox playoff game this year in the land of LA. Just a few short miles from where Manny dumped his bags and started to play real baseball for the first time this year.

The forecast calls for a ton of rain right through the weekend which will either put a real strain on the team as they try to wrap up the week and prepare for the ALDS, or will call for the regulars to sit and rest during some part of a double-header while the Rays clinch the division.

Either way, let’s see a sweep. It’d be a nice end to a hard season.

As if you needed further proof that the Rocket’s final (and I REALLY believe it’s his final) game in any uniform happened last night, he is now ineligible for at least the ALCS, if the Yankees were to advance.

Ron Villone will take his place and come from the bullpen, meaning that if the Yankees do move on, they’ll either have Phil Hughes or Mike Mussina picking up the start in the Rocket’s place.

Cheers to the end of a hell of a career. I don’t see him coming back.

A huge eighth inning and a huge pitching performance by Schilling and the Red Sox go to the ALCS, with the first game on Friday night.

BRING … IT … ON.

GAME 3 PREVIEW

Angel Stadium, Sunday, October 7, 2007 — 3:07 PM, EST (TBS Television)

Shilling (9-8)- vs. Jared Weaver (13-7)

The blast from Manny seems eons ago and the Red Sox enter the loudest rally-monkey stadium of the season (aside from NY) where they’ll try to sweep the series against the Angels. The Angels, as I’ve mentioned a few times, have the best home record of any team in the Majors this year, so this will not be anywhere close to being a grand slam.

The Angels will feel a little pressure, but these series can turn ugly in quick fashion. Be glad that the Sox have a veteran pitcher on the hill. Regardless of his JUST over .500 season, this is a guy who has one of the best post season resumes in the history of baseball. If Schilling is on his game, then the Sox will head back home for a few nights as they wait to take on the winners of the Indians / Yankees.

Look for Manny to stay hot now that he has his confidence back (he needed that home run to get back into a groove).