A common media theme in reaction to the early results of the MLB playoffs have been that “there’s no predicting these playoffs.” The fact betting-line underdogs won all four Division Series matchups, and a couple of individual pitching matchups went badly awry is cited as the latest proof that in baseball, a short series, is all about randomness and luck. I disagree completely.
The one-and-done battles of the baseball playoffs go the next two nights, with MLB wild-card games on tap for Tuesday and Wednesday. The Bay Area is going on the road, with the Oakland A’s traveling to Kansas City for Tuesday night, and the San Francisco Giants packing up for Pittsburgh on Wednesday night. Here’s some thoughts on each game…
The end of the road in the National League was anti-climactic last night in San Francisco, but no one in Pac-Bell Park was complaining. The rains pounded the field in the top of the ninth and St. Louis batted, and everyone just hoped the Giants could get the clinching outs without an interminable delay. Finally, Matt Holliday hit a towering pop-up that ended up, appropriately enough, in the glove of Marco Scutaro and San Francisco’s 9-0 win was complete.
For the second game in a row, the San Francisco Giants warded off elimination in the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals and for the second time in a row it wasn’t close. The Giants, back in front of a wild home crowd, jumped Chris Carpenter for five runs in the first two innings, then starting pitcher Ryan Vogelsong took over from there. Vogelsong worked seven strong innings, won his second game of the series 6-1 and put himself atop the list of candidates for NCLS MVP if his team can close it in Game 7 tonight.
It’s been a long time coming for San Francisco Giants fans to see the kind of performance they got from Barry Zito last night in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. Zito, who has been mostly a disappointment since signing a big-money free-agent contract following the 2006 season, reached back and found some of his old self.
The Zito who won the 2002 Cy Young Award or who outdueled Johan Santana back in 2006 when both were still aces in the American League playoffs, made an appearance last night in St. Louis. Zito worked 7.2 IP of shutout baseball with the Giants season on the line and made sure this series will go back to San Francisco thanks to Friday night’s 5-0 win.
Miguel Cabrera came to the plate in the fourth inning with one on and one out, as he faced C.C. Sabathia in a showdown of the stars in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series. It was already looking like Detroit’s day—though their lead was only 2-0, the Tigers had five this and two walks, while the Yanks’ normally reliable Mark Teixeira had committed an error. Not to mention the Yanks had gone 12-up, 12-down and that 2-zip lead looked as solid as it would in hockey.
If the San Francisco Giants are looking for a goat—not just for Game 3 of the National League Championship Series that they lost 3-1 in St. Louis yesterday—but for the entire postseason, the place to start is rightfielder Hunter Pence. If it were possible for a trade deadline acquisition to have gone worse, I can’t imagine what it might be.
Before we get into a recap of Detroit’s Game 3 win in the American League Championship Series last night over New York, let’s be clear on one thing—the Yankees are not dead. Yes, I know they’re in a 3-0 hole in games. Yes, I know their offense shows zero signs of life. But just hear me out.
Ryan Vogelsong has to be enjoying these MLB playoffs. In his first start of the postseason, the veteran pitcher was brilliant in winning a pitcher’s duel in Cincinnati that kept the San Francisco season alive. The stakes weren’t quite as high last night, but they were close. The Giants were a loss away from going […]
A key player who struggled in the Division Series and had to be lifted early saw his chances for redemption in the League Championship Series go by the boards, at least for now. I’m not talking about Alex Rodriguez or anyone in the New York Yankee lineup, but San Francisco Giants’ starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner, who turned in his second straight shaky outing of the playoffs in a Game 1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals that begins our recap of Sunday’s action in the MLB playoffs…
The New York Yankees got a good outing from Andy Pettite. The Detroit Tigers got a disastrous showing from Jose Valverde out of the bullpen. That should have added up to a Yankee win, but instead Detroit wins a 6-4 game in 12 innings, Derek Jeter is done for the year and media types in New York are already talking about a Tiger sweep. Let’s start by saying that’s getting a little carried away and review Game 1 of the American League Championship Series last night in the Bronx…
The most storied franchises of each league won decisive Game 5s on Friday, as the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Yankees broke baseball hearts up and down the Beltway. One was a taut pitcher’s duel, the other dominated by offense and marked by a wild finish, but what they had in common was that both games were fitting conclusions to a Division Series round that’s a runaway winner for best week of playoff baseball ever. Let’s recap the games as we wrap up the first full round of the MLB playoffs…