Upon The Start of the Playoffs
The Colorado Rockies stayed hot yesterday in taking Game 1 in Philadelphia. It must feel comforting for the Rocks to play in another hitters ballpark, but yesterday's game was about the pitching. Jeff Francis and Cole Hammels both gave their team "Game 1 Starter" starts. Money stays on the Rockies until they start to cool. Big HR from MVP Matt Holliday to put the game to bed.
Josh Beckett has officially begun to earn his money in Boston. In a slightly painful flashback, Beckett shutout the Angels last night, and made them look like a pretty average club in the process. LAAoA have never been a thunder team by any stretch, and with Garrett Anderson battling pink-eye, Vlad gimping around, and Gary Math"juice" Jr. out for the series, Beckett was all over them. Ortiz did his Ortiz thing, and the Sox are off to a good start. Better start than usual for Lackey at Fenway, but his boys didn't have much of a chance with Josh dealing like he was.
In Arizona, Sweet Lou over-planned for the NLDS, opting to lift ace Carlos Zambrano after 6 strong innings, only 85 pitches, and in a 1-1 tie. When the pitcher brough in to replace Los promptly surrendered a HR to a rookie, saving Zambrano's arm for game 4(the apparent motivation for Lou's yanking him) is now a huge issue. Zambrano will need to be fresh, as his next start now figures to be a must-win. Brandon Webb looked goodas did the D-backs bullpen, but this was a pitchers duel that wasn't allowed to play out. Is Pinella simply not a playoff manager?
In my realm of primary focus, The Yankees behind Chien Ming Wang do battle with The Cleveland Indians and CC Sabbathia. This game will be a good indicator for the series (as Game 1's usually are) because CC is the Tribe's biggest gun, and if he excells, it could get the ball rolling for his club. However, if the Yankee bats keep up their barrage, and Wang is dealing, a big mountain of pressure goes onto the largely untested Fausto Carmona, as he would need to prevent the Yankees from going home up 2-0.
Baseball playoffs are just a good time. Early October has an energy that only March Madness can hope to match.
posted by Charlie at 9:25 AM
8 Comments:
Yesterday is when the Mets loss really hurt. The finality of the collapse set in while tracking the Fillie game online and tuning in to the BoSox on the radio on the way home. Pinella is a complete and utter moron. The Big Z is a horse who can throw all night. To remove him from a tie game to save him for later in the series was inexcusable. You don't worry about future games until the game you are playing is secured. Just hope my boy CC is up to the task tonight. The Tribe will be in big trouble if they can't win with the big guy on the mound at home.
Quick question, who are your lefties in the pen for the playoffs? Surprised Villone didn't make the roster and was wondering who else you had at there.
Trick question. I don't think we took one. Should be Mo, joba, Vizciano, Farnsworth, Ross Ohlendorf, Jose Veras, Wang, Pettite, Clemens, Moose.
The Tribe has some lefties like Trot, Hafner, Lofton and Grady, but I think Torre like the young righties better than Igawa, or Chase Wright, or henn.
Wow. That's what I thought, but I wasn't sure. I would have kept Villone over Veras. Lofton cannot touch a lefty at this stage of his career, and I would much rather have Villone against Pronk or Grady in a big spot in the 6th or 7th rather than Vizciano or Farnsworth. Once you get to Joba and Mariano -- who cares.
Good point, except that Villone sucks, and I'd prefer a good righty over a spotty lefty who was sent down once this year.
Remember, Ohlendorf can as a key part of the Unit deal. He was hurt, but he can deal.
How about Holliday leading Rollins 2 HR to 1 in the series. MVP anyone? LOL
They'll activate Villone for the Red Sox series so they have a lefty for Papi. By then, Villone should be fresh and mostly recovered from his bad case of second-half Torreitis.
Not here to gloat -- too much baseball left. Just give ya some thoughts on the series.
6-3 game, bottom of the 5th, Lofton at the plate, 2 outs, man on second, and I'm thinking to myself, bet they wish they had a lefty in the pen right now. As I'm thinking that, Lofton singles up the middle and the flood gates open.
No way Moose pitches game four. Gotta go with Wang at home on short rest so you have Petitte on the road for game 5 (if necessary) against this lineup of lefties. Petitte would be on regular rest in game 5.
Well, first of all, it in no way should have been 6-3. How they come out of that ining not at least tied 4-4 is beyond me. I know his lefty numbers aren't great, but Torre's pen moves have never been fantastic anyway.
Seriously though, Kenny Fucking Lofton, whose journeyman status is lampooned in a Fed-Ex Commercial, is hitting in clutch spots in the playoffs? Wasn't he on the 97 Indians, on the downside of his prowess?
I think Moose might get a shot if it is a closeout game, on a short rope with Phil warming up from the first sign of trouble. though he is not himself, the first inning or two you can tell if he is going to have one of those 1 in 7 Mussina-dominant starts. He is surprisingly effective vs lefties with his breaking ball.
Think the Mets would be down 0-2 to the Rocks?
No I don't. And thanks for the rubbing the proverbial salt in the wound. I hate this 5:00 start today. Not sure if I should leave early and catch the 5th inning on at home, or work late and track the game online.
Don't sweat last night. Game 1 is meaningless. Game 2 is the big one in these short series.
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