Randy CHOKE!
That's how we can describe Game 3 of the NLCS from earlier today as this came down to another extra innings affair for the last 4 NL champions.
On the whole, both of these games were close, but they didn't really have that much going on in them as they may have appeared.
NLCS Game 3 came to be another classic in the form of an error. John Lackey and Tim Hudson were on the mound ready to battle and unfortunately John Lackey showed up late to the duel.
On a windy day in San Francisco, the ball was flying rather pedestrian when it got deep on the outfielders causing Grichuk to misplay a 3 run double by Travis Ishikawa for the Giants making it 4-0 giants in the first inning, right after a Hunter Pence double to open up the scoring to make it 1-0 Giants. All the runs scored in the first inning were all after the first 2 outs were made in the inning, the gritty gutty Giants found a way to stick it to the Cardinals with an early 4-0 lead and looking like they would cruise to a win in Game 3.
Well, hold on. Yes, Tim Hudson pitched great but slowly let the Cardinals chip away at the lead at they cut the deficit in half on a 2 out, 2 run triple by Kolten Wong (which was again another misplay in the outfield this time by Hunter Pence because of the hectic wind) to cut the lead to 4-2 at the beginning of the 4th inning.
A couple innings scooted by until Tim gave up another 2 out, RBI base hit as Johnny Peralta drove in a run during the 6th inning to make it a 4-3 Giants lead. Then came the 7th, where Tim Hudson was starting to show his fatigue as he gave up a hanging breaking ball to Randal Grichuk who blasted one off the foul pole to tie the ball game at 4-4 in the top of the 7th. Hudson didn't throw a pitch the rest of the night and the game then scooted along to extras where Journey played again as it should in San Francisco.
Top of the 10th inning Pablo Sandoval makes a game saving play to keep the scored tied as he kept hard hit ball from gliding down the left field line and he threw an absolute pebble to the first basemen across the diamond to send the game to the bottom of the 10th with still a 4-4 score.
Then came in reliever Randy Choate. A side winding left handed arm that could find a way to eat up some innings unfortunately couldn't quite eat enough. On a bunt by Gregor Blanco, Randy Choate fielded the ball and threw it down the 1st base line. With a man on 2nd heading to 3rd on the sacrifice bunt, the game ended itself. Giants won on this classic Game 3, 5-4 and they now have a 2-1 series lead.
In the ALCS for Game 3, a game that should have been played on Monday but was rained out. The Royals took care of business to take a 3-0 series lead by winning 2-1. The Orioles took an early 1-0 lead, but then the Royals came back by chipping away and scoring a couple non-dramatic runs to make it a 2-1 win. This was a quick 3 hour ballgame with really no major highlights outside of the huge foul ball catch by Mike Moustakas in the 8th inning. Outside of that, it was just the Royals winning their 7th postseason game and potentially could be heading to the World Series after tomorrow night!
I'll see you then!
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Sunday, October 12, 2014
#KoltonWalkOff
This game doesn't need an intro. It was just that incredible. Not the greatest baseball game ever played, but it could be up there with one of the more memorable ones in the history of the game.
Game 2 of the National League Championship Series in 2014 will be remembered for it's ups and downs, it's defiance to end the way we thought it would and how a team in St. Louis who barely hit over 100 homeruns this season hit 4 in one game. We won't remember anything else except for the fact that one man by the name of Kolton Wong, who already had a heroic moment in the NLDS did it again on this Sunday night in October.
On a day filled with promising NFL games and an October sky ready for another baseball blossom, the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants faced off in what could be determined as a must win for the St. Louis Cardinals. The Giants were up 1-0 heading into this game and if the Cardinals gave in to another defeat, then the Giants would head back home with a 2-0 series lead, something few teams have ever come back from.
It looked good as Lance Lynn did his job through the first 5 innings and was handed a lead heading into the second half of the ballgame. In the 3rd inning, Matt Carpenter hit a solo shot to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead and something to build off of as the night progressed. They did so by taking on a bases loaded single by Grichuk to then give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead heading into the 5th.
The Giants threw out their elder ace in Jake Peavy, a guy who was known for his fiery passion out on the mound and he was then handed a couple runs after the Cardinals tacked a couple on him. Pinch Hitter Arias hit into a ground out bringing in a run in the top of the 5th to cut to score to 2-1 Cardinals, then in the 6th Hunter Pence hit one of the more clutch base hits I've seen in a long time. A 2 strike, 2 out single with a man on third to tie the ballgame up at 2-2 heading into the bottom half of the inning.
This is where it got tough for the Cardinals, as Yadier Molina, their captain and anchor of the defense pulled an oblique muscle after hitting into a double play where he couldn't even run out of the box had to be assisted off the field and could not return for the rest of the game. Remember, this was a must win for the Cardinals, and their MVP & Leader was gone for the rest of it with a 2-2 tie heading into the 7th inning.
In the top of the 7th, the Giants then took the lead on a Gregor Blanco RBI single to give the Giants a 3-2 lead without Yadier Molina, seeming to be a devastating blow to the Cardinals as the crowd drew quiet once again.
But that's when the magic came back for the Red Birds and Oscar Taveras hit a solo blast to tie the game back up in the bottom of the 7th making it a 3-3 game heading into the 8th inning. The Cardinals bullpen held it together as Neshek put together a 1-2-3 inning, and Matt Adams came up and cranked a high fastball into the right field seats making it 4-3 Cardinals heading into the 9th inning where it seemed like a 1-1 series tie going back to San Francisco was only 3 outs away.
That's where the Giants did what the Giants usually do, they got gritty, and grinded away at the inning. Two back to back singles to lead off the 9th for the Giants and Matt Duffy came on to pinch run on second base after the second hit in the inning. The next thing you know, there's a wild ball four in the dirt and you see Matt Duffy flying around third base and he scores on an incredible base running read as he went from second to home on a Wild Pitch by Rosenthal tying the game at 4-4. The Giants...Just...Won't...Go...Away. They get the bases loaded with two outs in the inning and they somehow manage to come away empty handed at taking the lead, but they still tied it giving themselves a chance to push the game to another extra innings marathon.
2 pitches into the bottom of the 9th. Kolton Wong sent the NLCS to San Francisco with a 1-1 series tie hitting the Cardinals 4th homerun of the night into the right field seats winning the game for the Cardinals 5-4.
An instant classic. A game where if you watched it and you weren't a fan of either team (Like myself) you truly were on the edge of your seat. The drama, the intensity, the passion, and the significance of the win for a team that desperately needed it; they got it done. Wow, what a ball game. Seriously, if you can, go watch the highlights, it was a spectacular ballgame!
I'll see you tomorrow for Game 3 of the ALCS!
Game 2 of the National League Championship Series in 2014 will be remembered for it's ups and downs, it's defiance to end the way we thought it would and how a team in St. Louis who barely hit over 100 homeruns this season hit 4 in one game. We won't remember anything else except for the fact that one man by the name of Kolton Wong, who already had a heroic moment in the NLDS did it again on this Sunday night in October.
On a day filled with promising NFL games and an October sky ready for another baseball blossom, the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants faced off in what could be determined as a must win for the St. Louis Cardinals. The Giants were up 1-0 heading into this game and if the Cardinals gave in to another defeat, then the Giants would head back home with a 2-0 series lead, something few teams have ever come back from.
It looked good as Lance Lynn did his job through the first 5 innings and was handed a lead heading into the second half of the ballgame. In the 3rd inning, Matt Carpenter hit a solo shot to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead and something to build off of as the night progressed. They did so by taking on a bases loaded single by Grichuk to then give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead heading into the 5th.
The Giants threw out their elder ace in Jake Peavy, a guy who was known for his fiery passion out on the mound and he was then handed a couple runs after the Cardinals tacked a couple on him. Pinch Hitter Arias hit into a ground out bringing in a run in the top of the 5th to cut to score to 2-1 Cardinals, then in the 6th Hunter Pence hit one of the more clutch base hits I've seen in a long time. A 2 strike, 2 out single with a man on third to tie the ballgame up at 2-2 heading into the bottom half of the inning.
This is where it got tough for the Cardinals, as Yadier Molina, their captain and anchor of the defense pulled an oblique muscle after hitting into a double play where he couldn't even run out of the box had to be assisted off the field and could not return for the rest of the game. Remember, this was a must win for the Cardinals, and their MVP & Leader was gone for the rest of it with a 2-2 tie heading into the 7th inning.
In the top of the 7th, the Giants then took the lead on a Gregor Blanco RBI single to give the Giants a 3-2 lead without Yadier Molina, seeming to be a devastating blow to the Cardinals as the crowd drew quiet once again.
But that's when the magic came back for the Red Birds and Oscar Taveras hit a solo blast to tie the game back up in the bottom of the 7th making it a 3-3 game heading into the 8th inning. The Cardinals bullpen held it together as Neshek put together a 1-2-3 inning, and Matt Adams came up and cranked a high fastball into the right field seats making it 4-3 Cardinals heading into the 9th inning where it seemed like a 1-1 series tie going back to San Francisco was only 3 outs away.
That's where the Giants did what the Giants usually do, they got gritty, and grinded away at the inning. Two back to back singles to lead off the 9th for the Giants and Matt Duffy came on to pinch run on second base after the second hit in the inning. The next thing you know, there's a wild ball four in the dirt and you see Matt Duffy flying around third base and he scores on an incredible base running read as he went from second to home on a Wild Pitch by Rosenthal tying the game at 4-4. The Giants...Just...Won't...Go...Away. They get the bases loaded with two outs in the inning and they somehow manage to come away empty handed at taking the lead, but they still tied it giving themselves a chance to push the game to another extra innings marathon.
2 pitches into the bottom of the 9th. Kolton Wong sent the NLCS to San Francisco with a 1-1 series tie hitting the Cardinals 4th homerun of the night into the right field seats winning the game for the Cardinals 5-4.
An instant classic. A game where if you watched it and you weren't a fan of either team (Like myself) you truly were on the edge of your seat. The drama, the intensity, the passion, and the significance of the win for a team that desperately needed it; they got it done. Wow, what a ball game. Seriously, if you can, go watch the highlights, it was a spectacular ballgame!
I'll see you tomorrow for Game 3 of the ALCS!
Saturday, October 11, 2014
A Double Dip Saturday League Championship Edition
Well outside of a bunch of college football going the way towards the state of Mississippi, we had quite a night on the diamond. We had one really long drawn out ballgame, to a quick slick game with another gem by MadBum.
Let me start off by saying this Royals ball club has some serious spark to them and they haven't lost a game all of October heading into Game 2 of the ALCS. Well, they kept that trend going after tonight.
This was a long, and I mean really long, 4 1/2 ballgame that felt like an 8 hour ballgame. This game felt longer than the 18 inning game from last Saturday and this went only 9 innings. Just don't tell that to Bud Norris and Yordano Ventura who pitched good enough on a night where both offenses came to mash. Yes, if you consider mashing scoring 4+ runs, that's what the MLB has turned into this decade where we are truly now in a new dead ball era.
Royals started off the ball game with a bloop 2 RBI double by Eric Hosmer to give the young 23 Ventura a 2-0 nothing lead early in Camden Yards. He would need it considering the Orioles responded in the 2nd inning with a bases loaded sacrifice fly to make it 2-1 Royals and fortunately no more than that heading into the 3rd inning. The Royals responded scratching across another run with a 2 out RBI double by Billy Butler to hand back a 2 run lead for Ventura at 3-1 Kansas City heading into the bottom of the 3rd. Well, the Orioles decided to make it a brand new ballgame with literally a bloop by De Aza and a blast by Adam Jones making it 3-3 at the end of 3.
Royals again respond in the top of the 4th inning getting another 2 out run in Mike Moustakas hitting a solo homerun with 2 strikes making it 4-3 Royals. Baltimore again responded as the game trudged to the 5th inning and the Orioles tied it back up at 4-4 with a Nelson Cruz RBI Fielders Choice.
This is where Lorenzo Cain stole the show. He made one of the most spectacular grabs with his outstanding strides heading towards a ball in the gap that saved an extra base hit for the Orioles. There was no major significance towards the play other then that it was that incredible. The sad part was when in the same inning, Yordano Ventura was pulled shortly after because of tightness in his right arm. That's never a good sign as a pitcher. Hopefully he'll be ok and won't have to miss much time.
The game trudged again from the bottom of the 6th when Lorenzo Cain made that amazing catch to the top of the 9th and that's where the Royals put their foot down once again. The Royals put together a two run inning to seal the deal for the Royals grabbing a 2-0 series lead in the ALCS winning 6-4 in Baltimore. They head back to Kansas City and play Monday afternoon where they could ultimately end the series and head to the World Series!
The other game on Saturday, the one that was highly anticipated because it was on FOX with Joe Buck and the gang, became a quick game to forget as a Cardinals fan.
This was a rather pedestrian 3 1/2 hour game with very little action as Madison Bumgarner lulled me to sleep as he absolutely shut down the Cardinals. Adam Wainwright wasn't himself on this day but he also wasn't awful. MadBum was just that spectacular once again!
The Giants did what they seem to usually do in the postseason which is put together some runs, and steal a win. That's exactly how this game went.
The 2nd inning is where all the action took place as the Giants loaded the bases rather quickly and grabbed 2 runs to take a 2-0 lead heading into the 3rd inning, where they again grabbed one more run on a Brandon Belt Sacrifice Fly to knock in Buster Posey giving the Giants a 3-0 lead early. That was all they would need, because that's all Madison Bumgarner seemed to care about as he went into the 8th inning with a shutout, handed it off to the bullpen in the 9th, and walked away with another historically silly performance in the postseason. The Giants have a 1-0 series lead in the NLCS and it feels as though they robbed a bank because that's what it looked like in that game and it looked rather quick too.
The NLCS will continue tomorrow, I'll be looking forward to hopefully a more entertaining game than tonight.
Let me start off by saying this Royals ball club has some serious spark to them and they haven't lost a game all of October heading into Game 2 of the ALCS. Well, they kept that trend going after tonight.
This was a long, and I mean really long, 4 1/2 ballgame that felt like an 8 hour ballgame. This game felt longer than the 18 inning game from last Saturday and this went only 9 innings. Just don't tell that to Bud Norris and Yordano Ventura who pitched good enough on a night where both offenses came to mash. Yes, if you consider mashing scoring 4+ runs, that's what the MLB has turned into this decade where we are truly now in a new dead ball era.
Royals started off the ball game with a bloop 2 RBI double by Eric Hosmer to give the young 23 Ventura a 2-0 nothing lead early in Camden Yards. He would need it considering the Orioles responded in the 2nd inning with a bases loaded sacrifice fly to make it 2-1 Royals and fortunately no more than that heading into the 3rd inning. The Royals responded scratching across another run with a 2 out RBI double by Billy Butler to hand back a 2 run lead for Ventura at 3-1 Kansas City heading into the bottom of the 3rd. Well, the Orioles decided to make it a brand new ballgame with literally a bloop by De Aza and a blast by Adam Jones making it 3-3 at the end of 3.
Royals again respond in the top of the 4th inning getting another 2 out run in Mike Moustakas hitting a solo homerun with 2 strikes making it 4-3 Royals. Baltimore again responded as the game trudged to the 5th inning and the Orioles tied it back up at 4-4 with a Nelson Cruz RBI Fielders Choice.
This is where Lorenzo Cain stole the show. He made one of the most spectacular grabs with his outstanding strides heading towards a ball in the gap that saved an extra base hit for the Orioles. There was no major significance towards the play other then that it was that incredible. The sad part was when in the same inning, Yordano Ventura was pulled shortly after because of tightness in his right arm. That's never a good sign as a pitcher. Hopefully he'll be ok and won't have to miss much time.
The game trudged again from the bottom of the 6th when Lorenzo Cain made that amazing catch to the top of the 9th and that's where the Royals put their foot down once again. The Royals put together a two run inning to seal the deal for the Royals grabbing a 2-0 series lead in the ALCS winning 6-4 in Baltimore. They head back to Kansas City and play Monday afternoon where they could ultimately end the series and head to the World Series!
The other game on Saturday, the one that was highly anticipated because it was on FOX with Joe Buck and the gang, became a quick game to forget as a Cardinals fan.
This was a rather pedestrian 3 1/2 hour game with very little action as Madison Bumgarner lulled me to sleep as he absolutely shut down the Cardinals. Adam Wainwright wasn't himself on this day but he also wasn't awful. MadBum was just that spectacular once again!
The Giants did what they seem to usually do in the postseason which is put together some runs, and steal a win. That's exactly how this game went.
The 2nd inning is where all the action took place as the Giants loaded the bases rather quickly and grabbed 2 runs to take a 2-0 lead heading into the 3rd inning, where they again grabbed one more run on a Brandon Belt Sacrifice Fly to knock in Buster Posey giving the Giants a 3-0 lead early. That was all they would need, because that's all Madison Bumgarner seemed to care about as he went into the 8th inning with a shutout, handed it off to the bullpen in the 9th, and walked away with another historically silly performance in the postseason. The Giants have a 1-0 series lead in the NLCS and it feels as though they robbed a bank because that's what it looked like in that game and it looked rather quick too.
The NLCS will continue tomorrow, I'll be looking forward to hopefully a more entertaining game than tonight.
Friday, October 10, 2014
Blues Raining in Baltimore; Game 1 ALCS
It wasn't just the rain that showed up late in Baltimore as the Kansas City Royals brought their drama act to town. The Royals proved why they won't be stopped and why their hot bats will not cool off anytime soon.
In Game 1 of the ALCS, James Shields and Chris Tillman were the starters and both were clearly the aces of their squads heading into this matchup. The funny thing is, somebody forgot to tell the Royals offense to play their part.
The Orioles threatened early in the ballgame. In the second inning they had the bases loaded and could not cash in. Granted, there were two outs when the Orioles finally loaded the bases, but still, it's the ALCS and runs come at a premium this time of year. The worst part, when the Orioles didn't cash in during the bottom of the 2nd, the Royals struck in the next half inning from an unlikely source. Alcides Escobar hits a solo blast in the 3rd inning to give the Royals an early 1-0 lead in Baltimore. An already glancing blow considering the previous inning, but no, the Royals weren't done. How about adding an extra 3 runs when Alex Gordan hits a bases loaded, bases clearing broken bat bloop triple down the right field line. The Royals were then up 4-0. Some serious work needed to be done to get back into this one if you were an Orioles fan.
Well they started the ground work with an Adam Jones RBI single in the next half inning to make it 4-1 Kansas City. The Royals added another run in the top of the 5th with a Billy Butler sacrifice fly to make it 5-1 Royals. But, that is when the Orioles started getting to work. Next half inning, Nelson Cruz hits an RBI double to make it 5-2 Kansas City. Then Ryan Flaherty with 2 outs, hits a 2 run RBI single to make it 5-4 Kansas City in the bottom of the 5th. Suddenly, we have ourselves a ballgame.
The next inning, the Orioles spark some magic with a De Aza soft infield popup that lands in front of Alcides Escobar (Who in fact caused there to be men on second and third with an errand throw) which allows the tying run to score making it 5-5 heading into the 7th.
Nobody scores until they get close in the top of the 9th for the Royals. Bases loaded, nobody out, looking like the Royals were going to spread the gap rather quickly with what they had. Ball hit to Pearce, throws to home, out at the plate. 1 man out. The next man up hits into a inning ending double play. Unfortunately the Orioles don't score in the 9th, so we head to the tenth where the rain starts to fall.
Alex Gordan hits a solo shot in the beginning of the 10th to make it 6-5 Royals. Then a man gets on and Mike Moustakas hit's a 2 run bomb to center field and gives the Royals the final blow they needed to win Game 1 of the ALCS. They led 8-5 heading into the bottom of the 10th, where Delmon Young had an RBI single to make it 8-6, but the Orioles couldn't do anymore as the Royals win in a 4 1/2 hour ballgame and take a 1-0 series lead in the best of 7 ALCS.
There's a double header tomorrow, I'll be watching both games as I weave through the college football schedule on a busy Saturday sports afternoon!
In Game 1 of the ALCS, James Shields and Chris Tillman were the starters and both were clearly the aces of their squads heading into this matchup. The funny thing is, somebody forgot to tell the Royals offense to play their part.
The Orioles threatened early in the ballgame. In the second inning they had the bases loaded and could not cash in. Granted, there were two outs when the Orioles finally loaded the bases, but still, it's the ALCS and runs come at a premium this time of year. The worst part, when the Orioles didn't cash in during the bottom of the 2nd, the Royals struck in the next half inning from an unlikely source. Alcides Escobar hits a solo blast in the 3rd inning to give the Royals an early 1-0 lead in Baltimore. An already glancing blow considering the previous inning, but no, the Royals weren't done. How about adding an extra 3 runs when Alex Gordan hits a bases loaded, bases clearing broken bat bloop triple down the right field line. The Royals were then up 4-0. Some serious work needed to be done to get back into this one if you were an Orioles fan.
Well they started the ground work with an Adam Jones RBI single in the next half inning to make it 4-1 Kansas City. The Royals added another run in the top of the 5th with a Billy Butler sacrifice fly to make it 5-1 Royals. But, that is when the Orioles started getting to work. Next half inning, Nelson Cruz hits an RBI double to make it 5-2 Kansas City. Then Ryan Flaherty with 2 outs, hits a 2 run RBI single to make it 5-4 Kansas City in the bottom of the 5th. Suddenly, we have ourselves a ballgame.
The next inning, the Orioles spark some magic with a De Aza soft infield popup that lands in front of Alcides Escobar (Who in fact caused there to be men on second and third with an errand throw) which allows the tying run to score making it 5-5 heading into the 7th.
Nobody scores until they get close in the top of the 9th for the Royals. Bases loaded, nobody out, looking like the Royals were going to spread the gap rather quickly with what they had. Ball hit to Pearce, throws to home, out at the plate. 1 man out. The next man up hits into a inning ending double play. Unfortunately the Orioles don't score in the 9th, so we head to the tenth where the rain starts to fall.
Alex Gordan hits a solo shot in the beginning of the 10th to make it 6-5 Royals. Then a man gets on and Mike Moustakas hit's a 2 run bomb to center field and gives the Royals the final blow they needed to win Game 1 of the ALCS. They led 8-5 heading into the bottom of the 10th, where Delmon Young had an RBI single to make it 8-6, but the Orioles couldn't do anymore as the Royals win in a 4 1/2 hour ballgame and take a 1-0 series lead in the best of 7 ALCS.
There's a double header tomorrow, I'll be watching both games as I weave through the college football schedule on a busy Saturday sports afternoon!
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
NLCS Set; Baseball's Final Four Set
Another night of dramatic scenery late and it couldn't have been more set for a team in St. Louis.
The Dodgers and Cardinals once again put together a dramatic finish that will go down in October lore once again with the eventual Cy Young winner and should-be MVP in Clayton Kershaw in the National League. All he had to do was be himself and it would have been another amazing night in St. Louis and a Game 5 would have been waiting in Los Angeles on Thursday night. Instead the Red Birds stole the show.
First of all, the umpires in this series and both the National League Divisional Series were absolute garbage. I can't remember the last time I saw this bad of umpire in the playoffs. The strike zones were inconsistent, the reviews were flaky and the check swing appeals were lack luster at best. Technicalities were missed on multiple occasions and numerous times I had to tweet the hash-tag SMH on my iPhone to numerous online chat goers. At the same time, it made for dramatic television and proves why baseball lives on and why the human element is much more fascinating than the perfection of the right call.
But let's pick it up in the 6th inning in St. Louis. The Dodgers struck first with two runs in the 6th inning to make it 2-0 giving Clayton Kershaw a lead heading late into the ball game. But that proved to be another relapse in the 7th inning when the Cardinals struck again with a 3 run homerun by Matt Adams making it 3-2 Cardinals. The Cardinals would ultimately win the game as they shut down the Dodgers in the final 6 outs and got themselves back to another NLCS.
Out in California there was a Gio Gonzalez sighting as he was out to attempt to save the Nationals from extinction for the rest of the 2014 season. But, the Giants had other ideas. The Giants scored 2 early runs in the 2nd inning to grab an early 2-0 forcing the Nationals to pick up their game. Well, Bryce Harper wasn't going to go down without a fight. Top of the 5th, RBI Double to cut the lead to 2-1 Giants, and a solo blast into the water to tie the score at 2-2 in the top of the 7th. He also cursed up a storm that bleeped out the sound on live air for about 5 seconds. Talk about intensity, Bryce Harper brought to pine to the park on Tuesday.
The Giants though, they had reservations as they beat around the Nationals in the 7th, and the Nationals were truly lucky they only gave up one run and that it was on a wild pitch. The Nationals also had an Intentional Walk goof as they threw the ball over the catchers head in an attempt to walk Pablo Sandoval to re-load the bases, Buster Posey (who again was the prime example of the no blocking the plate law that came into effect the past couple seasons) had a pitcher block the plate and tag him out. The Umpires ruled the pitcher didn't block the plate and Posey was out and the Giants ultimately came out of the 7th with only 1 run which is truly incredible.
The Giants got the next 6 outs and won 3-2 over the Nationals winning their NLDS 3-1 meeting up with the Cardinals and another year where it will either be the Giants or Cardinals representing the National League in the World Series. This will be the 5th straight year that either the Cardinals or Giants will be representing the National League.
There is also 2 days of no baseball, which means there will be 2 days of no blogs to write. I will more than likely write a blog on Thursday morning to predict what will happen in the NLCS & ALCS to give you an idea of what to expect. It should be an awesome Final Four in the world of Baseball!
The Dodgers and Cardinals once again put together a dramatic finish that will go down in October lore once again with the eventual Cy Young winner and should-be MVP in Clayton Kershaw in the National League. All he had to do was be himself and it would have been another amazing night in St. Louis and a Game 5 would have been waiting in Los Angeles on Thursday night. Instead the Red Birds stole the show.
First of all, the umpires in this series and both the National League Divisional Series were absolute garbage. I can't remember the last time I saw this bad of umpire in the playoffs. The strike zones were inconsistent, the reviews were flaky and the check swing appeals were lack luster at best. Technicalities were missed on multiple occasions and numerous times I had to tweet the hash-tag SMH on my iPhone to numerous online chat goers. At the same time, it made for dramatic television and proves why baseball lives on and why the human element is much more fascinating than the perfection of the right call.
But let's pick it up in the 6th inning in St. Louis. The Dodgers struck first with two runs in the 6th inning to make it 2-0 giving Clayton Kershaw a lead heading late into the ball game. But that proved to be another relapse in the 7th inning when the Cardinals struck again with a 3 run homerun by Matt Adams making it 3-2 Cardinals. The Cardinals would ultimately win the game as they shut down the Dodgers in the final 6 outs and got themselves back to another NLCS.
Out in California there was a Gio Gonzalez sighting as he was out to attempt to save the Nationals from extinction for the rest of the 2014 season. But, the Giants had other ideas. The Giants scored 2 early runs in the 2nd inning to grab an early 2-0 forcing the Nationals to pick up their game. Well, Bryce Harper wasn't going to go down without a fight. Top of the 5th, RBI Double to cut the lead to 2-1 Giants, and a solo blast into the water to tie the score at 2-2 in the top of the 7th. He also cursed up a storm that bleeped out the sound on live air for about 5 seconds. Talk about intensity, Bryce Harper brought to pine to the park on Tuesday.
The Giants though, they had reservations as they beat around the Nationals in the 7th, and the Nationals were truly lucky they only gave up one run and that it was on a wild pitch. The Nationals also had an Intentional Walk goof as they threw the ball over the catchers head in an attempt to walk Pablo Sandoval to re-load the bases, Buster Posey (who again was the prime example of the no blocking the plate law that came into effect the past couple seasons) had a pitcher block the plate and tag him out. The Umpires ruled the pitcher didn't block the plate and Posey was out and the Giants ultimately came out of the 7th with only 1 run which is truly incredible.
The Giants got the next 6 outs and won 3-2 over the Nationals winning their NLDS 3-1 meeting up with the Cardinals and another year where it will either be the Giants or Cardinals representing the National League in the World Series. This will be the 5th straight year that either the Cardinals or Giants will be representing the National League.
There is also 2 days of no baseball, which means there will be 2 days of no blogs to write. I will more than likely write a blog on Thursday morning to predict what will happen in the NLCS & ALCS to give you an idea of what to expect. It should be an awesome Final Four in the world of Baseball!
Monday, October 6, 2014
NLDS Survival
There will be two game 4's tomorrow as both NLDS's were extended today.
The Nationals had Doug Fister on the mound to attempt to save their season as they were facing a 2-0 deficit in the series against the San Francisco Giants. AT&T park was the place of game 3, and Madison Bumgarner was the pitcher going for the Giants. This looked like it was going to be another sweep in the world of October baseball for 2014. That was far from the case.
From the beginning, Bumgarner couldn't find the consistency of the strikezone and he seemed frustrated especially in the 1st inning. Eventually he settled down though and Fister looked just as good matching up with him eye to eye until the 7th inning when finally the Nationals broke out the bats and Madison made a game costing error that would dictate what would happen next in the series. Wilson Ramos laid down a sacrifice bunt in the top of the 7th and Ian Desmond was heading for 3rd as Bumgarner decided to throw to third to get the force. He threw wildly and both Desmond and Harper, who was on first, came into score to give the Nationals a 2-0 lead. Wilson Ramos went to 2nd on the error and Asdrubal Cabrera eventually knocked him in to make it 3-0 Nationals heading into the 7th inning stretch.
A shocker considering how well Bumgarner had played in his previous appearance in Pittsburgh. The came would cruise to the 9th where the door was finally slammed on the Giants as Bryce Harper hit a solo smash to make it 4-0 Nationals. The Giants made a 9th inning rally scoring 1 run in the process, but the lead was just too much as the Nationals ultimately won 4-1 cutting the series to 2-1 with San Francisco leading. Both teams play tomorrow at 6 pm pacific time (9 pm eastern) on Fox Sports 1.
The other game was similar in that there was little action but there was definitely more drama. The Los Angeles Dodgers headed to St. Louis to play the Cardinals where the NLDS had been knotted up at 1 win a piece and Ryu was pitching for the Dodgers for the first time in nearly a month where as Lackey was ready to get the party started for the Cardinals. It definitely was a nerves party, but, it was another fantastic finish.
The action started in the Bottom of the 3rd inning where Matt Carpenter (that guy again) hit a solo shot to make it 1-0 Cardinals. The game would cruise until the 6th inning when the Dodgers answered with a Puig triple (to end his 7 strikeout streak) and a Hanley Ramirez base hit to tie the score up at 1-1.
The game would again slowly move into the 7th where the magic happened for the Cardinals once again. Yadier Molina started off the inning with a leadoff double, and then came up Kolten Wong. A young man who's 24th birthday is in 4 days and is from the beautiful islands of Hawaii hits a 2 run homerun to give the Cardinals a 3-1 lead ultimately sealing the victory for the Cardinals. The Cardinals now lead the series 2-1 and they play tomorrow afternoon at 2 pm pacific (5 pm pacific) on Fox Sports 1.
We'll see tomorrow if Game 5's will be afoot or if the NLCS will be determined after nights end. But for now, another October night is in the books.
The Nationals had Doug Fister on the mound to attempt to save their season as they were facing a 2-0 deficit in the series against the San Francisco Giants. AT&T park was the place of game 3, and Madison Bumgarner was the pitcher going for the Giants. This looked like it was going to be another sweep in the world of October baseball for 2014. That was far from the case.
From the beginning, Bumgarner couldn't find the consistency of the strikezone and he seemed frustrated especially in the 1st inning. Eventually he settled down though and Fister looked just as good matching up with him eye to eye until the 7th inning when finally the Nationals broke out the bats and Madison made a game costing error that would dictate what would happen next in the series. Wilson Ramos laid down a sacrifice bunt in the top of the 7th and Ian Desmond was heading for 3rd as Bumgarner decided to throw to third to get the force. He threw wildly and both Desmond and Harper, who was on first, came into score to give the Nationals a 2-0 lead. Wilson Ramos went to 2nd on the error and Asdrubal Cabrera eventually knocked him in to make it 3-0 Nationals heading into the 7th inning stretch.
A shocker considering how well Bumgarner had played in his previous appearance in Pittsburgh. The came would cruise to the 9th where the door was finally slammed on the Giants as Bryce Harper hit a solo smash to make it 4-0 Nationals. The Giants made a 9th inning rally scoring 1 run in the process, but the lead was just too much as the Nationals ultimately won 4-1 cutting the series to 2-1 with San Francisco leading. Both teams play tomorrow at 6 pm pacific time (9 pm eastern) on Fox Sports 1.
The other game was similar in that there was little action but there was definitely more drama. The Los Angeles Dodgers headed to St. Louis to play the Cardinals where the NLDS had been knotted up at 1 win a piece and Ryu was pitching for the Dodgers for the first time in nearly a month where as Lackey was ready to get the party started for the Cardinals. It definitely was a nerves party, but, it was another fantastic finish.
The action started in the Bottom of the 3rd inning where Matt Carpenter (that guy again) hit a solo shot to make it 1-0 Cardinals. The game would cruise until the 6th inning when the Dodgers answered with a Puig triple (to end his 7 strikeout streak) and a Hanley Ramirez base hit to tie the score up at 1-1.
The game would again slowly move into the 7th where the magic happened for the Cardinals once again. Yadier Molina started off the inning with a leadoff double, and then came up Kolten Wong. A young man who's 24th birthday is in 4 days and is from the beautiful islands of Hawaii hits a 2 run homerun to give the Cardinals a 3-1 lead ultimately sealing the victory for the Cardinals. The Cardinals now lead the series 2-1 and they play tomorrow afternoon at 2 pm pacific (5 pm pacific) on Fox Sports 1.
We'll see tomorrow if Game 5's will be afoot or if the NLCS will be determined after nights end. But for now, another October night is in the books.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Swept into the ALCS
On a day that saw two potential sweeps, they both came through and answered the door. One team did it on one swing of the bat, the other did it on multiples swings. We'll be seeing two teams battling for an AL Pennant for the first time since the mid 80's and it truly has been a long time coming. Let's break down how they did it on this lovely Sunday shall we?
The Tigers went back home looking to get back into the series as they started David Price who is known to be a game saver as he did his job the entire night. The only problem? His competitor Bud Norris of the Orioles matched him step for step if not a step better.
Everything was going rather smoothly until Nelson Cruz came up in the top of the 6th where unfortunately Alex Avila (Catcher for the Tigers) had to be pulled for a foul ball caroming of his mask which shook him up enough to have him leave the ballgame. This is where the feathers were ruffled for the Tigers, and they let Adam Jones get on base with a single, and Nelson Cruz hit's an up and out fastball to the shortest part of the outfield wall in fair territory down the right field line for a home run giving the Orioles a 2-0 lead and putting Nelson Cruz 9th on the all time postseason homerun list. This pretty much did the Tigers in as they had zero offense the rest of the game.
The Tigers answered in the 9th with a rally to put one run on the board but no more as the Orioles win 2-1, and sweep the Tigers in the best of 5 ALDS 3-0. First time the Orioles have been to the ALCS since 1997 when they faced the eventual world champions in the New York Yankees. I will admit, there were a couple seriously questionable calls that the umpires made regarding the Tigers behalf at certain points in this game. The 2nd inning is a pretty good place to start as Andrew Romine hit a ground out that would have ended the inning but the play was so close that a review came up and the review showed that he was safe. This cost the Tigers a 1-0 lead and a chance to inch their way that much closer to getting back into the series. There was another blown call in the 3rd inning where Kelly was at 2nd base and the shortstop grabbed a ground ball, threw it over to the second basemen (Schoop) who was covering the bag, blocked Kelly from sliding back in, dropped the ball, and while the ball was loose holding Kelly off the bag, Schoop eventually tag him out and the umps called the runner out. It was a terrible call and the whole world saw it and nothing could be done by review. Those two outs could have given the Tigers a better shot at making this a 2-1 series instead of a 3-0 sweep, but we are here now with the Orioles in the ALCS for the first time since 1983.
We go a little further south now as the Angels were taking on the Royals in Kansas City and the Angels were trying to keep themselves alive and it looked highly likely after the top of the first. Mike Trout broke out of his 0-8 slump and hit a solo shot to left field giving the Angels an early 1-0 lead to start the ball game. The Royals had other plans.
They came out in the next half inning, had the bases loaded with two outs, and Alex Gordan hit a bases clearing 3 run triple to give the Royals a 3-1 lead after the first inning. What also helped the Royals cause is they managed to get C.J. Wilson (The Angels starting pitcher) pulled after Alex Gordan hit the triple. This was when the Angels bullpen became used as a battering ram the rest of the game instead of being used as a weapon.
In the bottom of the 3rd, Eric Hosmer hit a 2 run homerun to make it 5-1 Kansas City. Then the ultimate dagger in the hearts of Angels fans was when Billy Butler got aboard via walk and then stole 2nd base, which was his first steal since July of 2012. That's when you knew the Angels were out of it mentally.
Albert Pujols hit a solo shot in the top of the 4th to cut it to 5-2, but the Royals again responded in the bottom of the 4th when the Angels couldn't add anymore when threatening in the top of the 4th. Mike Moustakas hit another crank shot to respond to Albert's solo blast making it 6-2, then Escobar tagged up from 3rd on a Lorenzo Cain fly ball to make it 7-2 Kansas City. Cain also provided in the next half inning (Top 5th) two of the most energizing catches Kansas City has ever seen.
The writing was on the wall at this point, Nori Aoki added and RBI Single in the bottom of the 6th making it 8-2 Royals, and the Angels picked up another run in the 7th to make it 8-3 Royals which would ultimately be the final score as the Royals are now heading to Baltimore for Game 1 of the ALCS on Friday October 10th to battle for the American League Pennant.
Two sweeps. On a Sunday ready to see a continuance, two teams seasons ended and a long awaited Pennant chase by two franchises who havn't been their in a long time will get to dust off their playoff swagger for yet another opportunity to get back to the World Series. It all starts on Friday the 10th!
I'll see you tomorrow!
The Tigers went back home looking to get back into the series as they started David Price who is known to be a game saver as he did his job the entire night. The only problem? His competitor Bud Norris of the Orioles matched him step for step if not a step better.
Everything was going rather smoothly until Nelson Cruz came up in the top of the 6th where unfortunately Alex Avila (Catcher for the Tigers) had to be pulled for a foul ball caroming of his mask which shook him up enough to have him leave the ballgame. This is where the feathers were ruffled for the Tigers, and they let Adam Jones get on base with a single, and Nelson Cruz hit's an up and out fastball to the shortest part of the outfield wall in fair territory down the right field line for a home run giving the Orioles a 2-0 lead and putting Nelson Cruz 9th on the all time postseason homerun list. This pretty much did the Tigers in as they had zero offense the rest of the game.
The Tigers answered in the 9th with a rally to put one run on the board but no more as the Orioles win 2-1, and sweep the Tigers in the best of 5 ALDS 3-0. First time the Orioles have been to the ALCS since 1997 when they faced the eventual world champions in the New York Yankees. I will admit, there were a couple seriously questionable calls that the umpires made regarding the Tigers behalf at certain points in this game. The 2nd inning is a pretty good place to start as Andrew Romine hit a ground out that would have ended the inning but the play was so close that a review came up and the review showed that he was safe. This cost the Tigers a 1-0 lead and a chance to inch their way that much closer to getting back into the series. There was another blown call in the 3rd inning where Kelly was at 2nd base and the shortstop grabbed a ground ball, threw it over to the second basemen (Schoop) who was covering the bag, blocked Kelly from sliding back in, dropped the ball, and while the ball was loose holding Kelly off the bag, Schoop eventually tag him out and the umps called the runner out. It was a terrible call and the whole world saw it and nothing could be done by review. Those two outs could have given the Tigers a better shot at making this a 2-1 series instead of a 3-0 sweep, but we are here now with the Orioles in the ALCS for the first time since 1983.
We go a little further south now as the Angels were taking on the Royals in Kansas City and the Angels were trying to keep themselves alive and it looked highly likely after the top of the first. Mike Trout broke out of his 0-8 slump and hit a solo shot to left field giving the Angels an early 1-0 lead to start the ball game. The Royals had other plans.
They came out in the next half inning, had the bases loaded with two outs, and Alex Gordan hit a bases clearing 3 run triple to give the Royals a 3-1 lead after the first inning. What also helped the Royals cause is they managed to get C.J. Wilson (The Angels starting pitcher) pulled after Alex Gordan hit the triple. This was when the Angels bullpen became used as a battering ram the rest of the game instead of being used as a weapon.
In the bottom of the 3rd, Eric Hosmer hit a 2 run homerun to make it 5-1 Kansas City. Then the ultimate dagger in the hearts of Angels fans was when Billy Butler got aboard via walk and then stole 2nd base, which was his first steal since July of 2012. That's when you knew the Angels were out of it mentally.
Albert Pujols hit a solo shot in the top of the 4th to cut it to 5-2, but the Royals again responded in the bottom of the 4th when the Angels couldn't add anymore when threatening in the top of the 4th. Mike Moustakas hit another crank shot to respond to Albert's solo blast making it 6-2, then Escobar tagged up from 3rd on a Lorenzo Cain fly ball to make it 7-2 Kansas City. Cain also provided in the next half inning (Top 5th) two of the most energizing catches Kansas City has ever seen.
The writing was on the wall at this point, Nori Aoki added and RBI Single in the bottom of the 6th making it 8-2 Royals, and the Angels picked up another run in the 7th to make it 8-3 Royals which would ultimately be the final score as the Royals are now heading to Baltimore for Game 1 of the ALCS on Friday October 10th to battle for the American League Pennant.
Two sweeps. On a Sunday ready to see a continuance, two teams seasons ended and a long awaited Pennant chase by two franchises who havn't been their in a long time will get to dust off their playoff swagger for yet another opportunity to get back to the World Series. It all starts on Friday the 10th!
I'll see you tomorrow!
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