Down the stretch - NL Style

[TransMonk]

The Phils have clinched a playoff spot and have the East all but sown up. (MN=4)

The D-backs have won 18 of their last 22 and should sail to the NL West crown. (MN=6)

The Braves have a 4.5 game lead on the Cards in the WC race. (MN=9)

The Brewers have a 5.5 game lead on the Cards in the Central (MN=8)...but not everything is as right as rain in beer town:

Frustrated K-Road throws heater at Roenicke

"There's been plenty of save opportunities," said Rodriguez, who is 3-0 with a 2.31 ERA in 25 games with the Brewers. "And I've only pitched once in the ninth inning, and it was not even a save opportunity. I'm not happy. It's simple. That's the bottom line. They told me one thing, they haven't done it, and that's pretty much what I said. I stand by what I said. "I'm not lying. I'm not creating something out of nowhere. I'm just stating the facts. That's something I should not be discussing with any of you guys. That's something I should be discussing with the manager in his office."

Brewers' Fielder: This is 'probably the last year' in Milwaukee

Speaking to Brian Anderson, a TBS announcer who is also a Brewers play-by-play man, for a postseason feature, Fielder said, "I'm signed for this year, but being real about it, it is probably the last year." In reference to Ryan Braun, his slugging teammate and fellow NL MVP frontrunner, Fielder said, "It's been great, unfortunately, this is probably the last year of the one-two punch... But I think it's been good, [five] years, him and me. Hopefully, we can go out with a blast."

[Frayed Knot]

In news totally unrelated to any pennant chases, the Astros just lost their 100th game of the year - marking the first time they had ever lost 100 in one season in this their 50th season in MLB.

Their previous worst was 97 losses (several times).
They've won 100 games just once - 102 in 1998 - and won three post-season series.
Their cumulative record sits at 82 games under .500 (.495)

Definitely a more stable history than that of their birth partner.

[Frayed Knot]

The NL WC race is suddenly getting warmer.
Our weekend with the Braves helped to whittle their WC lead to 3.5 over streaking StL, and 4.0 over streaking SF. Also, they can't be happy about the Cards' seemingly soft schedule.

Braves (9): at Florida for 3 -- at Wash for 3 -- Phillies for 3

Cards (10) and winners of 9 of their last 10: one more at Philly (and Holliday) -- 3 with Mets -- 3 with Cubs -- 3 at Houston

Giants (9) and winners of 8 straight: 3 at Dodgers -- [u:1dhsvyq1]3 at Arizona[/u:1dhsvyq1] -- 3 with Rockies

DBacks (9): All home Pitt for 3 -- Giants for 3 -- Dodgers for 3
Still sitting in a nice spot although their 5-game NL West lead over Giants was 9.5 a week ago and they do have a head-to-head coming up.



So either we can lose to the Cards this week and throw a wrench into the Braves plans, or kick some Cardinal hiney and end their season.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Yeah, yeah Brian Wilson rankles some of y'all, and Brian Sabean is kind of a moron who got lucky, and Matt Cain's not getting invites to your backyard BBQs.

But would you really rather hear 3-4 games (I figure that's what they have in 'em) of "they play the right way... and it's all due to Kirk Gibson?" Plus, Lincecum and Cain and Bumgartner are still the best Phillie vaccine baseballin' science can provide, Fat Panda's a miracle of physics... and in the last two weeks, El Esta Aqui is punishing the ball like it insulted his Lord (.375/.421/.659 with 5 home runs).

For Carlos, and out of thanks for Zach Wheeler, I'm putting my hopes in the Beltr-ants Miracle Run 2011, people. Bulee dat.

[Ceetar]

Frayed Knot wrote: The NL WC race is suddenly getting warmer. Our weekend with the Braves helped to whittle their WC lead to 3.5 over streaking StL, and 4.0 over streaking SF. Also, they can't be happy about the Cards' seemingly soft schedule. Braves (9): at Florida for 3 -- at Wash for 3 -- Phillies for 3 Cards (10) and winners of 9 of their last 10: one more at Philly (and Holliday) -- 3 with Mets -- 3 with Cubs -- 3 at Houston Giants (9) and winners of 8 straight: 3 at Dodgers -- 3 at Arizona -- 3 with Rockies DBacks (9): All home Pitt for 3 -- Giants for 3 -- Dodgers for 3 Still sitting in a nice spot although their 5-game NL West lead over Giants was 9.5 a week ago and they do have a head-to-head coming up. So either we can lose to the Cards this week and throw a wrench into the Braves plans, or kick some Cardinal hiney and end their season.

we owe the Cards some season ending don't we? Maybe that's the magical elixir the Mets need.

[Ceetar]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: For Carlos, and out of thanks for Zach Wheeler, I'm putting my hopes in the Beltr-ants Miracle Run 2011, people. Bulee dat.

just for "Well, that's odd" sakes. I want the Giants and Cards to make it and advance to the NLCS so Beltran can play in his third NLCS...against the Cardinals. (In which he's hit better than Babe Ruth and lost each time)

on edit, maybe not. Carlos had a 1.5ish OPS against the Cards in the first series, whereas Ruth had a 1.44, but Carlos only had a 1.054 OPS in the second series, which wasn't even close to Ruth's _SlG_ (1.375) in the '28 WS

[Benjamin Grimm]

All I care about are early exits by both the Phillies and the Yankees.

[Frayed Knot]

- Braves tally 4 in the 7th to take a 5-4 lead against the Fishies in Florida, then go into their late game formula of O'Flaherty in the 7th, Venters in the 8th, and Kimbrel in the 9th.
The first 8 outs of that rotation worked just fine ... then, with two outs, Kimbrel gave up an infield single followed by a walk-off 2R HR to Omar Infante (nice to know he hits against other teams too).


- Phils also tally 2 in the 9th, but the Cards had enough foresight to go into that inning with a 3-run lead. Octavio Dotel eventually got the final out/save in the inning which featured a very LaRussa-ish 4 mound visits and 3 different pitchers.



As a result the Braves WC lead, once looking oh so secure, is down to just 2.5 games over StL, 4.0 over the Giants.
How ironic, Braves fans are now temporary Mets fans for the week.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Congrats to the Mets for showing the chinks in the armour of the Atlanta pen, after it seemed all invulnerable the second half.

Believing you need three guys to close a game is absolutely irrational.

[metirish]

I like it , makes this series in St.Louis a bit more appetizing.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I guess we have to TC o' B and root root root for the Giants. Because I don't think the Braves would make a very good representation of our league and I just fucking flat-out hate the Cardinals.

[Guest Edgy DC]

It'd be nice to see Beltran ripping the playoffs open again.

[Vic Sage]

go Gints!

[Frayed Knot]

At the start of the day:
Cards = 2.0 out of WC (5.0 out in Central)
Giants = 4.0 out of WC (6.0 out of West)


Braves travel to Washington and get Strasburg tonight. Hudson starts for Braves

Cards host Cubbies -- Carpenter v Dempster

Giants in Arizona -- Cain and Saunders

[metsmarathon]

damned wild card, robbing us of exciting divisional races.

[TransMonk]

Excitement increasing to frenzy around me as the Brewers can clinch tonight with a win and a Cardinal loss.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Tell Ryan Braun to go 0 for 5.

[metsmarathon]

anyone notice that matt kemp is incredibly close to the triple crown this year?

he basically just needs to have two hits more than jose and ryan in the same number of at bats to get the average, and is one homer shy of the lead there.

oh, and he's also got the best WAR in the league according to both fangraphs and bbref, which has him at a silly 2 wins better than the next guy (teammate clayton kershaw).

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Brewers climnch as Braun (1-for-4, .329) hits a tiebreaking HR in the 8th vs. Florida

Atl wins over Strassburg/Nats and Stl loses to Cubs (!), magical number of 3.

[Frayed Knot]

D'Backs win West by beating Gints 3-1 with 1 in the 7th then a 2-run eighth (via a Paul Goldschmidt 2-out/2-run triple) then backed up by another Putz save.

Defending champs virtually dead for 2011 -- 5 out of WC with 5 to play.

Cards 3 out and teetering badly.

[Ceetar]

It's looking less likely any of these 'races' that suddenly popped up will change what we thought 3 weeks ago.

And yet none of the postseason matchups are set yet.

[Frayed Knot]

Braves fall to CM Wang and the Nats 4-1

While over in St Louie, the Cards score twice in the 9th for a 2-1 win over the Cubs.
Sounds like it was a typical Carlos Marmol melt-down: FO - 1B (Holliday - finger healed I guess) and then the PR steals 2nd and takes 3rd on an error
So with the tying run on 3rd and one out he Ks David Freese (who I don't think we got out all week) and things aren't looking too bad.
So now with two outs and one on:
Walk to Yadier (OK maybe he was pitching around him) - Walk to Schumaker (are you sure you want to do this Carlos?) - Game-tying Walk to PH Theriot (now we know it's not on purpose) ... and then a Freakin' Wild Pitch to end the game


Back to a 2.0 game gap.

[Frayed Knot]

Atlanta takes its [u:3ojoc6ww]1 Game Lead[/u:3ojoc6ww] home to face 99-win Philly
- Rookie Randall Delgado starts against Cliff Lee tonight
- Lowe v Oswalt tomorrow
- Hudson v TBA (was to have been Hamels) on Wednesday, although presumably if they've clinched they'll sit Hudson


Cards have a decided advantage in getting the 104-loss (and counting) Astros in Houston
- Jamie Garcia faces Wandy Rodriguez tonight
- Tuesday's game sees Jake Westbrook and Henry Sosa
- Wednesday: Carpenter v Brett Myers

I'm rooting for some Thursday baseball (and ultimately the Braves)




In side news:
- Giants were eliminated over the weekend
- Brewers have a one-game lead over Snakes in race for 2nd best record. Arizona holds that tie-breaker if they end with matching records (I think on account of more rushing yards).

[Frayed Knot]

And the Cards lose in the 10th via a double followed by two bunts - neither one of which was fielded well by Dotel as he didn't even get an out from either of them.

So the Braves both continue to suck and continue to lead.

[ashie62]

Giants were fine til Beltran showed up..

[Frayed Knot]

Ashie62 wrote: Giants were fine til Beltran showed up..

Yeah, that was their problem.

[Ceetar]

Ashie62 wrote: Giants were fine til Beltran showed up..

Beltran as a Giant: .335/.379/.576 OPS .955

[Guest attgig]

when was the last time we had 1 game elimination playoff in both the NL and AL? ever??? everybody lose or everybody win!

[stevejrogers]

attgig wrote: when was the last time we had 1 game elimination playoff in both the NL and AL? ever??? everybody lose or everybody win!

Never.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Well, if things go according to plan, we'll have one every year, starting next season.