Down the Stretch - AL Style

[Frayed Knot]

This whole thing looks like it could get fun over the final month - and my version of 'Triple Happiness' (or more) these days involves NYM wins, MFY losses, and some combination of Tampa wins, Baltimore wins, and Oakland wins.

EAST
Yanx - their one-time 10 game lead has shrunk to 1 over Bal�mer, 2.5 over Tampa
9 games vs Balt & Tampa over the next 12 days
Finish �easy� with final 10 games v Minn, Tor & Bos

CENTRAL
ChiSox1 game lead over Detroit despite just getting swept by Tigers
4 games at Tigers next week

WEST
Texas - 4.0 game lead over Oakland, 8.5 ahead of Angels
7 left v A�s including final 3 of the season

WC
1 - Oakland - tied w/Yanx for 2nd best record in AL:
2 - Baltimore, 1 game back
----------------------------------------
Tampa, currently 1.5 games out of playoffs
Detroit, 3.0 games out

[Ceetar]

In the 'hope they miss the playoffs' bit, Oakland may soon go ahead of the AL East for first WC spot.

I keep hearing the strength of schedule argument for the Yankees. Remind them that the 2007 Mets had the soft Marlins and Nats to finish off with.

The Twins have long been beat upon by the Yankees, just two years ago eliminated in the playoffs. They're gonna just roll over for them? The Red Sox are?

[Frayed Knot]

Ceetar wrote: The [Twins] are gonna just roll over for them? The Red Sox are?

Rollover? - No. Currently suck? - Yes

And while the Yanx are playing those teams the Rays & O's will be playing each other.
And, no, none of that is a guarantee, but it is an advantage.

[Ceetar]

Frayed Knot wrote: Ceetar wrote: The [Twins] are gonna just roll over for them? The Red Sox are? Rollover? - No. Currently suck? - Yes And while the Yanx are playing those teams the Rays & O's will be playing each other. And, no, none of that is a guarantee, but it is an advantage.

right, I'm just saying that it's possible those teams won't have mailed it in already.

sure, they play each other which bodes well for making the playoffs, but it also means one of them will win, which puts the pressure on for the division.

[Frayed Knot]

Interesting mix of teams fighting things out over there.
You've got a couple teams that have trouble scoring, a couple more who aren't as good at preventing, and Baltimore which seemingly isn't very good at either yet has won 20 of their last 31

TEAM	RS	RA
TEX	1st	7th
NYY	4th	4th
CHIW	5th	5th
OAK	9th	2nd
TB	11th	1st
DET	6th	6th
BALT	10th	9th

Those are current ranks among all AL teams.

[HahnSolo]

Frayed Knot wrote: Ceetar wrote: The [Twins] are gonna just roll over for them? The Red Sox are? Rollover? - No. Currently suck? - Yes And while the Yanx are playing those teams the Rays & O's will be playing each other. And, no, none of that is a guarantee, but it is an advantage.

The Twins rolling over and dying for the Yankees is as much a certainty as death, taxes, and a Lindsey Lohan relapse.

[Frayed Knot]

Now what would make you say such a mean thing? -- I mean aside from the whole 20-41 regular season record over the last decade and their four straight 1st round playoff exits (2-12 overall) whenever they see pinstripes.

And those were from mostly Good Twins teams.

[Frayed Knot]

And there's a tie atop the AL East -- with Tampa lurking just 1-1/2 games behind!!

[Frayed Knot]

Yanx and O's got their long weekend started last night so go into Friday tied and with a 1/2 game lead on Oakland and a 2.0 game lead on Tampa for WC spots.
Tampa hosts Texas for a three-gamer

Oakland had been 20-10 since August 1st largely on the strength of their pitching but just gave up 21 runs in getting swept by an Angels team trying to stay in the mix.
That series included Oak pitcher Brandon McCarthy getting a fractured skull courtesy of a liner off his noggin.
On the other side, the Angels are going to be without ace Jered Weaver for at least one start as a result of him taking a liner off his pitching shoulder.
Texas leads West by 5.5 over Oakland and 8.0 over LAA
Oakland now heads to Seattle


In the Central, where neither team seems to want to pull away, the ChiSox and their slim 1-game lead host KC for the weekend while Detroit will post late scores from Anaheim.
Those teams are currently sitting 2 & 3 games out of the 2nd WC spot so winning the division seems to be especially crucial.

[Edgy MD]

Detroit is gonna surge. A lot of manly men there.

[Frayed Knot]

That's what virtually everyone has been predicting for that team since soon after opening day. But instead they sort of just muddled along and took until mid-August to reach 10 games-over .500 and they've spent all of two days alone in 1st place the whole season in a not-exactly tough division.
Doesn't mean a surge from them still won't happen, it's just sort of already considered overdue.

[Frayed Knot]

[u:2a3294to]EAST[/u:2a3294to]
So the big matchup of the weekend contained some exciting ball but, in the end, a 2-2 split and still a 1-game lead for the MFYs

Tampa had the tougher task hosting Texas, but managed to take 2-of-3 with one extra-inning game going each way before a James Shields shut out and three BJ Upton HRs did in the Rangers on Sunday.

Skanks now head to Boston for a three-gamer starting Tuesday.
Teixeira not only ended the game the other night and got robbed doing it - but he re-injured his calf on that play and is likely out for the week, and maybe longer.
Rays also get today off but then go to Baltimore and then to the Bronx for three games each - and will at least start the week with David Price questionable as to his next start


[u:2a3294to]WEST[/u:2a3294to]
The West got a bit more interesting this weekend as, while the Rangers were losing 2-of-3 in Tampa, both the A's & Angels got out their brooms.
A's took care of Seattle including a Saturday thumping of King Felix. And the Angels took all three from Detroit including a Saturday thumping of Verlander.
Oakland now just 3 games behind Texas; LAA 6.5



[u:2a3294to]CENTRAL[/u:2a3294to]
And while Detroit was getting swept out west, the ChiSox took full advantage of that situation by ... losing 2 of 3 to Kansas City and only upping their lead from 1 game to 2
A four-game head-to-head starts in Detroit tonight and the loser of this division has lots of WC competition ahead of them.
Adam Dunn 'day to day' with strained oblique (cue Keith rant about too much exercise)



[u:2a3294to]WILD CARD[/u:2a3294to]
#1 - A's
#2 - Baltimore 1.5 games back
-------------------------
Tampa & LAA both 1 game behind Baltimore
Detroit 4.5 games back

[Edgy MD]

Detroit is delaying their surge.

[Fman99]

Edgy DC wrote: Detroit is delaying their surge.

I find it helps to think about baseball.

[Fman99]

Markakis out for the rest of 2012 due to a broken thumb. Weak.

[Frayed Knot]

Tigers delayed their surge for at least one more night by getting stomped 6-1 by the ChiSox - now are 3 full games back.
Rick Procello of Detroit seemed to be cruising along with a 1-0 lead until a 6th inning error set up back-to-back HRs by Rios (3R) and Pierzynski (Solo)



I neglected to note yesterday that the A's & Angels started their 2nd head-to-head September series last night.
Angels swept last week in Oakland handing the A's (43-18 since July 1) their only 3 losses in the last 16 games
In Anaheim this time, Oakland draws first blood by beating Dan Haren 3-1

[Frayed Knot]

Yanquis lose, Thuuuuuuuu Yanquis lose!!

Walk-off RBI single by Ellsbury in bottom 9

Baltimore beat Tampa so there's a tie back in the East. Tampa stays 2 games back, only behind two teams instead of one

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Watching the MFYs lose to the Sawx just never gets old. Michael Kay can barely contain the tears.

[Ceetar]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Watching the MFYs lose to the Sawx just never gets old. Michael Kay can barely contain the tears.

I love it. They were pretty much guaranteed a little breathing room on someone if they win 2/3, and they drop the first one.

The Angels are tied with the Rays, so it's actually two teams putting on the pressure.

[bmfc1]

Kay's 5 PM essay/speech/monologue was something like it's time for the MFYs to step up, they're playing a team that isn't trying, no excuses, they have to take at least 2 of 3 in this series.

[Guest The Second Spitter]

Real playoff atmosphere in Baltimore. 2-2 Bot 8th.

[Frayed Knot]

5-3 Yanx in the 8th in Fenway -- but Jeter out of the game after hitting into a GiDP and then limping awkwardly past 1st with a bad ankle / foot / leg??

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Bullshit call goes MFY way. I wonder if Texiera will ask about Alfonzo Marquez' plans for later.

[Frayed Knot]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Bullshit call goes MFY way. I wonder if Texiera will ask about Alfonzo Marquez' plans for later.

Think Ross was mad enough?

I first saw the ump's dark hair and, matched with the bad call, assumed it was Angel Hernandez.

oe: and now Bobby gets tossed too.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Frayed Knot wrote: John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Bullshit call goes MFY way. I wonder if Texiera will ask about Alfonzo Marquez' plans for later. Think Ross was mad enough? I first saw the ump's dark hair and, matched with the bad call, assumed it was Angel Hernandez.

BobbyV's out, too, for yelling from the dugout... that Marquez was staring into the dugout is a pretty big Ump-trying-to-make-this-an-Umpshow tipoff.

Edited September 12, 2012 by Guest

[Frayed Knot]

All five Yanx runs tonight via HRs
I wonder how many of their fans are going to complain after the game about their one-dimensional offense?

[Guest The Second Spitter]

Machado fakes out Thompson who gets caught in a run down between 3rd and Home. 2-2, Bot 9th. Watch-out for this play on Baseball Tonight.

Go Birds!

[Guest The Second Spitter]

More heroics by Machado, who gets a lead off hit.

Now sacrificed to 2nd.

[Frayed Knot]

Great play by the 20 y/o !!

I don't even know who to root for in this series.
Tampa winning tonight could tighten it all up and they have the Yanx next.

[Guest The Second Spitter]

O's win, O's win, O's win!