Meanwhile over in the 'merican league

[Frayed Knot]

... there's nothing much to talk about.
The 4 playoff teams are essentially, even if not offically, set.

The Tiggers lost again this afternoon completing a Cleveland 3-game sweep and pushing Detroit 5 out of the WC chase.


So the only thing which really remains is the seeding.

Boston - 62 losses; 10 games remaining
Anaheim - 62 losses 9 remaining
Cleveland - 62 losses 9 remaining
Yanquis - 64 losses; 11 remaining

And the Boston lead which was once 11.5 games (and even more on the Yanx) and 7 as recently as Sept 4, is now 2.5

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

They've got be just as brickshitty as we are.

[nymr83]

Johnny Dickshot wrote: They've got be just as brickshitty as we are.

they have the playoffs, if not the division, more locked up than we do.

[Frayed Knot]

Yanx win - Boston loses - AL East down to 1.5 games

Last night Gagne put several runners on - and eventually allowed them to score - during the late innings of a close game and Francona took some post-game heat for NOT bringing Papelbon in to quell the fire. Tonight Timlin loaded the bases and Francona DID bring in Papelbon ... and he promptly gave up a Grand Slam.



Both teams have the playoffs pretty much sewn up but losing the division title that looked like a lock from mid-summer til about a week ago seems like it would be a huge ego-blow to Bostonians ... although maybe the fans moreso than the team.

[Willets Point]

I think in general it's always more to the fans than to the team. If the players had that much angst they'd be on the DL with GI disorders.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Well there's home field at stake for the players, which ought to count for a lot.

This is like a horror movie script for Met and Red Sox fans, one that can only end with a 86 WS rematch.

[metirish]

I really need to Mets to heat up and the yankees to cool down.....

[Guest Edgy DC]

I asked a young guy with some ticker device in the men's room the Phillie score and a half dozen guys filled me in on the Yankees. We've got to totally focus on the Mets and let the Yanks carve their own sordid path with destiny.

[seawolf17]

Dude, there is no talking in the men's room.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Did I vioolate another unwritten rule?

We were all on line standing there. It's not like anybody had it out.

[Benjamin Grimm]

You didn't tap anyone's foot or wave your palm, did you? That's really taboo.

[HahnSolo]

Is it just me, or does it seem the Blue Jays always go balls to the wall against the Red Sox but curl up in the fetal position against the Yankees.

Or, maybe I'm blinded by my boiling-over Yankee hatred.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

No, that's entirely true.

The Blue Jays have to be one of the most disappointing teams in the universe.

[Guest holychicken]

Talking very loudly to your friend who is at the urinal to my left while you are at the urinal to my right is certainly a violation of an unwritten rule.

I never suffered from a worse bout of stage-fright.

[Guest sharpie]

Meanwhile the Orioles seem to have given up completely.

[Guest Edgy DC]

The entire city of Baltimore has given up completely. They need to be relegated.

[Frayed Knot]

sharpie wrote: Meanwhile the Orioles seem to have given up completely.

I caught maybe 5 minutes total of the Yanx/Balt game between innings of the real game last night - but it was still enough to see the O's get caught stealing twice where the runner just gave up and was tagged standing up. Yeah at least one was a missed H-&-R and he would have been out anyway but there was zero effort. As a result, Pettitte held them to 1 run despite allowing around 10 baserunners thru 7. Mariano also gave up a hit & two walks in the 9th but they couldn't push anything across.

O's had actually beaten the Yanx 8 of the first 12 this year but have been in free fall for nearly a month now and their one good pitcher, Bredard, has been shut down. Perhaps ironically, their free fall started just as they took the interem tag off the replacement manager.

[Frayed Knot]

The Yanx drive to the AL East was about to take a Halladay as Roy Halladay was shutting them down and shutting them out 4-0 thru 8 innings.

But then a couple of hits combined with a couple of really piss-poor, game-ending plays were NOT made by 2nd baseman Aaron Hill (not sure if they were scored errors) allowed them to tie it so they're going to extras in da Bronx.

BoSox are leading their game late.

[Guest Edgy DC]

That's disappointing to hear.

But whatever. Must focus on Mets.

[Valadius]

Bosox won, 8-1.

Toronto and MFYs in the 13th inning.

[Frayed Knot]

Blue Jays push across a run in the 14th and hold on to the win which should have been theirs 5 innings and 2 hours earlier.
Still counts the same in the standings, it just ruined 8.1 stellar innings from Roy Halladay and screwed with his record.

[Guest Edgy DC]

But gassed the Yankee staff.

[Willets Point]

"It matters to the Red Sox." - Billy Chapel

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Edgy DC wrote: But gassed the Yankee staff.

Yah. No Joba till Monday I think the rules are.

[Frayed Knot]

They have an early day game tomorrow too.

[Willets Point]

The Tiggers won too for what it's worth.

A nice little day dream: The Yankees go into a colossal collapse,Boston, Detroit, and the Mets all go to the playoffs.

[Frayed Knot]

Angels had a chance to clinch last night but lost to the Mariners


Indians: 62 losses - 9 games to go

Angels: 63 losses - 8 games to go

BoSox: 63 losses - 8 games to go

Yanx: 65 losses - 9 games to go

Tiggers: 70 losses - 8 games to go

[Guest Edgy DC]

Tiggs almost have to win out to have any hope at all, don't they?

[Frayed Knot]

- Angels lose again to Mariners and again fail to clinch. Magic number = 1

- Indians lose with a chance to clinch. Magic number = 1

- BoSox rally to win on a Julio Lugo HR. They keep their 2-1/2 game lead in the East and clinch at least a playoff spot

- Yanx win a totally stupid [u:6bd2e643a8]5 HOUR[/u:6bd2e643a8] / 10-inning game, one in which 2nd baseman Aaron Hill botched a game-ending grounder for the 2nd game in a row.

- Tiggers lose



Indians - 63 losses, 8 to go

Angels - 64 losses, 7 to go

Red Sox - 63 losses, 7 to go

Yanquis - 65 losses, 8 to go

Tiggers - 71 losses, 7 to go



Indians, btw, hold the tie-breaker over the Angels for 'top seed' if those two come down to league's best record and the "right" to play the Yanx in the 1st round.

[stevejrogers]

Cleveland wins 6-2 to clinch the AL Central. First team to clinch a division in 2007.