Tag: 2011 MLB Playoffs

The series is tied.

ST. PETERSBURG — Considering it’s the home of the Rays, Tropicana Field has been very hospitable to the Rangers.

All three Texas wins in last year’s American League Division Series came at the Trop, and on Monday, the Rangers and Rays continue this year’s ALDS here with the series tied at 1. But during Sunday’s workout day, about 24 hours ahead of Game 3’s scheduled 5 p.m. ET first pitch, the Rangers weren’t looking to the memory of last year for a boost.

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The Rays’ ace, Price makes his first start of this year’s postseason on Monday against Rangers right-hander Colby Lewis, who also gets the ball for the first time this October. Last year, Lewis went 3-0 with a 1.71 ERA in the Rangers’ run to the World Series, and was the only Texas starter to go undefeated in the playoffs. . . .

Price’s ERA in six September starts was 4.01.

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Despite Texas’ success at the Trop last year, the Rays are still looking at their home park as, well, just that. Not known for the largest attendance figures, Tropicana Field can still pack a wallop audibly when the stadium is filled.  

Well things seemed to be going ok until the bottom of the 6th when Lohse sort of fell apart.  I can’t say I question the Cardinals’ decision to leave him in as long as they did because their bullpen did them no favors, but I do sort of question the decision not to start Garcia on full rest especially since he matches up better against the Phillies left handed line up.

Tonight they’re going with Carpenter against Lee which means Garcia will get a single start at best.  Or worst, these are best 3 of 5 so they can’t possibly get eliminated until they get back to St. Louis.

They came back with 3 in the 9th which is an encouraging sign if you’re rooting for the Cardinals and Lee is not invulnerable so we shall see what we shall see.

That’s why they play the games.

Coverage starts at 8:30 pm ET on TBS.

I won’t say I’m not happy with the way Game 1 turned out, though a soul destroying crushing defeat would have been better.

The Diamondbacks were not especially impressive, but the Brewers were not much better.  Today they pitch Greinke, their ace, on 3 days rest.  In Miller (named for the beer mate, you know, the one that made Mel Famey walk us) Park he’s nearly perfect with 11 wins in 15 starts.

The Diamondbacks must make do with Hudson, who doesn’t match up on paper and has lost his last 3 starts, to avoid going back to Arizona facing elimination in their home park.

I wonder if the Jumbotron will zoom in on Jan or Joe’s face?

Coverage on TBS starts at 5 pm.

Pardon me if I seem a mite grumpy.  If we didn’t have this make up game I could have slept in until 4 which is one of my very favorite things to do.

So last night we not only got to finish the whole game, but the great Mariano Rivera came in for the last out.  I really wonder about the direction of the Yankees after he retires, he makes the rest of the team look good.

The Tigers have more potential than I initially gave them credit for and threatened enough late to get that call to the bullpen.  I think they’re making a managing error by not moving Verlander away from head to head matchups against Sabathia because what does that get you?  A scoreless game until Rivera comes in and shuts you down.

But anything can happen, that’s why you play the games.

Coverage starts on TNT at 3 pm ET.

As I mentioned in my previous post the Phillies suffer under a Republican governor so my pick of the Cardinals has nothing at all to do with the fact they are division rivals of my Metropolitans.

Nothing at all.

You see, they also Taser their fans-

I had promised TheMomCat I’d go afternoon/evening on the DCS games, but apparently that’s not the way the schedule is working out and since I’m at wits end with my now totally non-functional upgrade I can hardly give you more than a few lines of distraction in any event.

I do know that I hate the thought of watching a World Series and World Series money going to the bigoted against brown people State of Arizona and its racist leaders like Jan Brewer and Joe Arpaio, so I’m hoping the Diamondbacks wash out as soon as possible.

Wisconsin under Walker is not much better so it’s tough to root for the Brewers either, but hopefully they’ll get knocked off by the Cardinals in the LCS.

‘But ek,’ you whine, ‘isn’t it incredibly shallow to make your picks based on political correctness?’

No shallower than basing it on the color of their uniforms.