All-Purpose 2005 Stretch-Run Thread

[Guest Edgy DC]

Another Ken Griffey season ends prematurely

Well, almost made it this time, Ken.

[Elster88]

Instead of stitching him up afterwards they should just install a zipper.
_____________________________
This post had the designation 147) Jeff Reardon

[Frayed Knot]

Gay Dames - 9/22:


- Houston threatens to make the final week of the NL sked very uninteresting. They beat Pitts again, 2-1 this time as Backe & Lidge combine for the win. Both RBIs by Berkman.


- But Atlanta continues to stumble.
Hudson & Leiber take dueling shut-outs into the 9th ... but Cox stays with his guy just a little bit too long as the Phightins stick him for 4 after 2 were out; RBI PH single by Michael Tucker then a PH 3R HR by Shane Vittorino?? Wagner warming for the bottom of the inning.

Lack of faith (deservedly so) in the pen could cost Atlanta big time in the post-season. Also, their bats have cooled down as their offense is near the league bottom for September. Even wonderboy Francoeur has 2 HRs in his 2nd 100 ABs after tallying 10 in his 1st 100.

[Frayed Knot]

Bottom 9:

Giles - 1B
Chipster - GO
Druw - K
Franco - K

... and the Phils win.


Houston lead in the WC stays at 2, Atlanta's east lead at 4

[Elster88]

Is there any chance of Philly catching the Braves? I don't really think so.
_____________________________
This post had the designation 146) Tsuyoshi Shinjo

[Frayed Knot]

'Specially not since they play us next week and we're gonna kick their cheese-steak eatin' butts back down the turnpike.

[Frayed Knot]

AND DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME ...


NL East

Braves: 86-67, 4.0 GA
3 vs Fla -- 3 vs Col -- 3 @ Fla

Phillies: 82-71, 4.0 GB
3 @ Cinc -- 3 vs METS -- 3 @ Wash

Marlins: 80-73, 6 GB
3 @ Atl -- 3 vs Wash -- 3 vs Atl

Nationals: 78-75, 8 GB
3 vs METS -- 3 @ Florida -- 3 vs Phil


Wild Card

Astros: 84-69, 2 GA
3 @ Chic -- 2 @ StL -- 4 vs Chic

Phillies = 2 GB
Marlins = 4 GB
Nationals = 6 GB


NL West

Padres: 76-76, 5 GA
3 @ Arizona -- 4 vs SF -- 3 vs LA

Giants: 71-81, 5 GB
3 @ Colorado -- 4 @ SD -- 3 vs Ariz




AL East

NYY 89-63, 1 GA
3 vs Toronto -- 4 vs Balt -- 3 @ Boston

Red Sox 88-64, 1 GB
3 @ Baltimore -- 4 vs Toronto -- 3 vs NYY



AL Central

White Sox 91-61, 1.5 GA
3 vs Minnesota -- 4 @ Detroit -- 3 @ Cleveland

Indians 90-63, 1.5 GB
3 @ KC -- 3 vs TB -- 3 vs Chicago



AL West

Angels 87-65, 3 GA
3 vs TB -- 4 @ Oakland -- 3 @ TB

Oakland 84-68, 3 GB
3 vs Texas -- 4 vs LAA -- 3 @ Seattle


Wild Card

Indians
Red Sox - 1.5 GB
Oakland - 5.5 GB

[Zvon]

Ryan Howard with another HUGE homer for the Phils, following a Chase Utley kaboomer, and they are beating Cincy 6-1.

My, they are playing good baseball down this stretch.

[Zvon]

^ Cincy comes back to tie this game.
6-6.In the 6.

[Zvon]

Madson gives up 2 dingers in relief.

Cincy has a 10- 6 lead in the 8th.

[Guest Edgy DC]

And Philadelphia throws up a five in the ninth to go up 11-10.

[Zvon]

Chase Utley (5 rbi game) and David Bell both smack HUGE 9th inning homers and the Phils comeback and win.
Pretty amazing.

[Frayed Knot]

Blown leads & saves all over the place today - not just in D.C.

Marlins take a 3-0 lead into the 8th and - deciding that the save opp isn't always in the 9th inning - go to Todd Jones to shut things down. Only he didn't ... and the Braves scored 4 times and essentially killed whatever slim hope the Marlins still had. That's 2 bad games for Jones this week alone. Wonder if it's because he can't handle the pressure of playing in Florida?

David Weathers was the culprit in the 9th for the Reds after the Phils blew and early 5-run lead. 8 HRs in that game.

Cleveland blew several leads but has now score in the 10th and turn things over to Bob Wickman ... who shuts down the Royals 1-2-3.

Giants score 5 in the 8th against Colorado - and mostly against Mike DeJean.

[Frayed Knot]

AL:

Yanx lose -- BoSox win -- ChiSox win -- seriously, I just used a racist word when I really meant "Guardians" win

So the Bostons make up the game they lost the other day and there's a dead tie in the ALEast. Both those teams are 1.5 games behind the WC-leader Cleveland who themselves are 1.5 behind the PaleHose.

- Cleveland's won 17 of 19
- Boston's Foulke won't pitch again this year
- Jaret Wright likely pitched himself out of a rotation spot - and managed to *Yet Again* get nailed with another comebacker. That's 3 times this month!

Oakland won today after being the only contender to lose yesterday. Angels have won 7 straight plus are winning tonight. Oakland's gonna need a sweep this week to have a chance.



NL:
Houston wins on the day Rocket sits out w/a hammy. Zeke Astacio out-duels C. Zambrano

Phils get skunked by Eric Milton of all folks and lose to the Reds. Jimmy Rollins keeps his hit streak going at 29!

'Lanta beats the Marlins again. Marlins have lost 10 of 12 after briefly leading the WC chase.

And, oh yeah, the Mets beat the Nats!!!!

Houston leads WC - Phils back to 2 back - Marlins at -5



Shockingly, ESPN is showing a bunch of these games tomorrow. NYC will get Phils/Reds at 1:00, Angels/Rays at 4:00, then the national TV game a A's/Rangers at 8:00.
Nice day for FOX to decide [u:4dcc397ca9]not[/u:4dcc397ca9] to show a GotW huh?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Astacio coming through gets the Mets down to a one game elimination number. It would be a challenge to hang onto that for one more day. I'm at tomorry's game, so hold out, Mets.

[Zvon]

Phils lost yesterday, but are kickin it 2day.
Up 6-1.

Rollins lead of the game with a kaboom and that lil sparkplug Chase Utley smacks an inside the park homer.

[Zvon]

Phils won that game....
Houstons losing 1-0 to the Cubbies in the 5th.
Atlanta drys up the Fish at 5-3.

Its still quite an interesting race.

[Frayed Knot]

NL:

Braves win - but Smoltz hurting
Phils win - Rollins now at 30 straight games w/hit
Giants win
Marlins lose
Astros lose
Padres lose

Houston leads Phils by 1 for the WC. No one else realistically in it.

Braves 'magic number' for the East is 2

Pads still lead West by 4 and face the Gints 4 times this week




AL:
Yanx win
BoSox win
ChiSox win
seriously, I just used a racist word when I really meant "Guardians" lose (in extras when their CFer loses a ball in the sun)
Angels lose
A's lose


East in a flat tie

Native Americans down in the Central by 2.5 and up in WC by only 1/2 over whoever loses the East race.

A's down by 4 to Angels and will butt heads w/them this week. Like their cross bay compatriots, they'll essentially need a sweep.

[Frayed Knot]

BP Playoff Odds Report - as of Monday morning:

RedSox: Division = 57.65%, Wild Card = 6.26%, Total = 63.91%
Yanx: 42.35%, WC = 7.23%, Total = 49.58%

Sox have Blue Jays while Yanx get O's (advantage MFY) but Boston is at home/MFY on the road (ad Boston) and then the weekend head-to-head is also in Beantown.

ChiSox: Division = 71.14%, WC = 26.56%, Total = 97.70%
seriously, I just used a racist word when I really meant "Guardians": Division = 26.86%, WC = 59.95%, Total = 88.81%

Indians host Tampa (3) while Sox go to Detroit (4) before finishing w/3 head-to-head in Cleveland.



Angels: Division = 90.69%, WC = 0.00%
A's: Division = 9.31%

Like I said, the A's virtually need a sweep - 4 games in Oakland starting tonight.





Braves: Division = 99.88%, WC = 0.11%, Total = 99.982% (magic number = 2)
Phils: Division = 0.123%, WC = 33.35%, Total = 33.48% (this is where we can really muck things up)
Marlins: WC = 0.03968%
Mets: WC = 0.00342% ("I'm not dead yet!")

Astros: WC = 66.50%


Padres: Division = 97.39% (C'mon, finish .500+ and stop embarassing the league)
Giants: Division = 2.59% (they need a sweep - 4 in SD starting today - plus maybe an earthquake)
D'Backs: Division = 0.01713% (Really? - I thought they were eliminated in July!)

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

]Padres: Division = 97.39% (C'mon, finish .500+ and stop embarassing the league)

I don't mind the embarrassment. In fact, I kind of enjoy it. I'd like to see the Padres win the World Series with a losing record. It's the downside of having too many divisions and I'd love to see Bud Selig try to justify it.

Anything that embarrasses MLB is fine by me.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Good point, Yance! Count me in as someone who'd like to see that as well!

[Zvon]

So i guess you all realize the Mets can make or break the Phils chances for the playoffs, and the Phils can make or break the Mets chances for .500.

This should be a good series coming up.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Yancy Street Gang wrote: I'd like to see the Padres win the World Series with a losing record. It's the downside of having too many divisions and I'd love to see Bud Selig try to justify it.

The Diamond Knights were considering that possibility the other day - we thought it would be hysterical if the Pads won the WS with a losing record.

[Guest Edgy DC]

A triple by Randy Winn and a single by J.T. Snow and San Francisco turns a 2-1 ninth-inning deficit into a 3-2 win over San Diego, pulling within three games.

And they're guaranteed to finish below .500.

[Frayed Knot]

Yanx romp (geez, just watch Bal'mer for an inning and you can see how much they suck)
BoSox rained out
ChiSox lose to Detroit
Angels beat A's

Braves lose - haven't clinched yet.
Nats beat Fish

And Giants beat Pads -- Funny how a certain NY radio duo have been assuring thier audience that one Armando Benitez was sure to blow a game here cuz, y'know, that's what he does this time of year. 'Cept that it was Hoffman who failed tonight while Armando took care of the save 1-2-3 on 11 pitches.
This example will of course be ignored in future pronouncements that he can't save this kind of game at this time of year.


Oh yeah, and the Mets beat the Phils.

[Frayed Knot]

A whole lotta stumblin' goin on in the AL:

seriously, I just used a racist word when I really meant "Guardians" lose to Tampa - down by 2 they scored once in the 9th and had 1st & 3rd w/1 out ... when Belliard GiDP'd to end the game

ChiSox lose to Tiggers - another 1 run game. They also were down by 2 then scored 1 in the 9th and left 2 on as Jermaine Dye flied out to end the game

BoSox split - Won the gay dame, but then blew 3-0 & 5-2 leads to lose 7-5. Schilling still having his problems

Yanx about to lose - despite a 2R & GS HRs by Sheffield. Mussina didn't last the 2nd despite having a 5-1 lead early. O's lead 17-9 heading for the 9th. Even THEY couldn't blow that one!!!!


So it looks like the 3-way tie - NY/Bos/Cleve will live on another day. ChiSox aren't exactly steaming towards the finish line but they take another day off the schedule.

In the West the Angels lead the A's early





NL:

Braves clinch east

Mets & Florida eliminated from post-season. Mets grab 3rd place.

Houston takes a 2-1/2 game lead in the WC chase. Magic number = 3

Giants & Padres tied at 4 - Bonds w/#708

[Frayed Knot]

AL:

Angels won late last night and clinched the West, so now it's just a question of how 4 will fit into 3.

BP's 'Playoff Odds' report has it as:
Boston: Division = 55.71%, WC = 10.45%, Total = 66.16%
Yanquis: Division = 44.29%, WC = 11.66%, Total = 55.95%

ChiSox: Division = 67.15%, WC = 28.19%, Total = 95.34%
seriously, I just used a racist word when I really meant "Guardians": Division = 33.85, WC = 49.70%, Total = 82.55%


btw, for all the gloating about how the Wild Card "saved" baseball and made this season in particular, wouldn't it be even more fun if BOTH divisions were in a win or go home mode and not have the WC to fall back on? And then imagine if you go back to the old 2-division set-up and Cleveland/Boston/NYY are locked in a 3-way tie for one crown ... oh Baby!




NL:

It ain't over yet ... but just about.

Astros WC = 94.29%
Phils WC = 5.71%

We can't kill the Phintings tonight, but we can put them in the position of getting last rites.


In the West, Ramon Hernandez's Grand Slam + 7 RBIs (hmmmm?) just about put an end to things out there too:

Padres Division = 98.92%
Giants Division = 1.06%
D'Backs Division = 0.0145% ... Now THAT would be funny!

Next Padre win ends things.

[Guest Edgy DC]

The National League West champ? Your 79-79 San Diego Padres.

[Elster88]

ChiSox need one win to clinch the AL Central. BoSox and seriously, I just used a racist word when I really meant "Guardians" tied for the Wild Card, one game behind the Yanx.

[smg58]

After all the offense the Indians have generated the past couple of weeks, they lose 1-0 to a guy who came into the game with a 7.11 ERA. Baseball can be a funny sport sometimes.