6-4-2 — an Angels/Dodgers double play blog

Despite that change, minor league teams still received advance notice of when testing would occur this season, according to eight people who work in the minor leagues.

In recent interviews, four minor league managers, two team trainers, one general manager and one clubhouse attendant said the manager or trainer for their club was called by a tester the day before drug testing was to be done at the ballpark.

None of them said that they knew of any instances when players were told about the tests ahead of time.

However, one Class A manager who said he received a call from a tester during the season, said that if he believed one of his players was “dirty,” he would have been tempted to tell the player that a tester would be coming the next day and that he should try to flush out any drugs from his system.

Labels: drugs

// posted by Rob @ 8:11 PM link  //  0 comments

Bottom 1st: Minnesota returns the favor with a 4-6-3-6-4 double play, and Jermaine Dye faces Nick Blackburn with the bags empty. Dye bounces out to short to end the frame, and it's still a scoreless tie after one.

Inter alia: The Angels postseason ad comes on between the bottom of the first and top of the second, and how big a star would Torii Hunter be had he started his career in New York or LA?

Top 5th: With Michael Cuddyer at third, Brendan Harris flies out to shallow center. The Twins discover that Ken Griffey, Jr. can still throw it, as Cuddyer is easily out at the plate.

Bottom 7th: Jim Thome belts one over the fence to meke it 1-0 White Sox with nobody out.

Top 9th: Bobby Jenks retires the side in order — with some help with an excellent diving catch from Brian Anderson — and the Twins' season is over. The White Sox and Cubs appear in the postseason at the same time since 1906.

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Labels: live blogging, recaps, twins, white sox

// posted by Rob @ 4:45 PM link  //  0 comments

Via BTF.

Labels: coaches, rangers

// posted by Rob @ 4:27 PM link  //  0 comments

SS Furcal
C Martin
LF Ramirez
RF Ethier
1B Loney
RF Kemp
2B DeWitt
3B Blake
RH Lowe

C Martin
1B Loney
2B/3B DeWitt
SS Furcal
3B Blake
OF Kemp
OF Ethier
OF Ramirez
C Ardoin
SS Berroa
INF Ozuna
OF Pierre
INF Garciaparra
2B Kent
SP Billingsley
SP Lowe
SP Kuroda
P Maddux
P Kershaw
P Park
P Troncoso
P Wade
P Beimel
P Broxton
P Saito

Labels: dodgers, postseason

// posted by Rob @ 4:15 PM link  //  0 comments

a small trivial note but after 3 years i've finally left my mark at BP today it appears!

For the previous two years, i sent off one email once a year criticizing BP's Christina Kahrl, a stated A's fan, for her habitual use of calling the franchise "Anaheim Angels" in her Transaction Analysis reports, but to no avail. Uncharacteristic of BP writers, I didn't even get an email in response in correcting her that the franchise was called "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim".

With the advent of the public comments section the past month or so, i tred again last week - again, no response.

After last nights', i column, i repeated my 'protest' again. This time i got a response for her, and replied! And lo and behold, under her column now, "Anaheim Angels" is no longer there! You have to look a little farther down the AL list now, but there it is "Los Angeles Angels"!

Brian

Labels: angels

// posted by Rob @ 3:25 PM link  //  1 comments

Via BTF.

Labels: dodgers, front office, yankees

// posted by Rob @ 2:21 PM link  //  0 comments

"We never thought anyone would really name a team the Isotopes - we did it as a joke," [Simpsons writer Ken] Levine said of himself and writing partner David Isaacs, who penned an episode of "The Simpsons" that aired way back in its second season, 1990, called "Dancing Homer."

In it, the local minor-league baseball team known as the Springfield Isotopes was born, and Homer became the unofficial good-luck charm and mascot.

An isotope, for those who might have slept through high school science, is simply a description of an unstable atom. It made sense for the show, since Homer works at a rather unstable nuclear power plant in Springfield.

"To be honest, we really didn't give it a whole lot of thought," said Levine, a Taft High and UCLA grad moonlighting these days as the post-game "Dodger Talk" co-host. "That's the value of education, you really don't know what you're going to recall sometimes. To me, it was just a funny word, it was getting close to lunch, we were both hungry, we wrote it, we called the other team the Shelbyville Shelbyvillians, and went to eat."

Labels: dodgers, minors

// posted by Rob @ 1:40 PM link  //  2 comments

A Dodger lineup consisting of Rafael Furcal, Russell Martin, Manny Ramirez, Andre Ethier, James Loney, Matt Kemp, Casey Blake, Blake Dewitt, and some random pitcher will score something like 5.18 runs per game. That figure is the result of current Marcel projections for each those players, assuming an average-hitting pitcher for two plate appearances, and a league-average pinch-hitter for two more.

Labels: dodgers, postseason

// posted by Rob @ 1:10 PM link  //  0 comments

Top 2nd: Floyd settled down and retired the Tigers' 5-6-7 batters in order, two on strikeouts.

Bottom 2nd: Garcia matches Floyd by retiring the Sox on seven pitches. Still 1-0 Chicago.

Top 5th: Ryan Raburn reaches on a leadoff single, steals second in Brandon Inge's at-bat, and Inge whacked him home with a line-drive double against the wall. One of the Sox' outfielders (DeWayne Wise, I believe) hit the wall hard and was on the ground, unmoving for a bit as Ken Griffey, Jr. returned the ball to the infield.

Dusty Ryan singled to put men on the corners, but Curtis Granderson struck out and Gary Sheffield bounced to third to end the threat. Tied 1-1.

Top 6th: Floyd has thrown a lot of pitches, starting the frame with 93. He started to run out of gas, and gave up a one-out double to Miguel Cabrera and a hard-hit lineout to Marcus Thames. The Tigers finally got to him on a bounceout back to the box that should have been the third out. Instead, Floyd picked up and dropped the ball twice, and finally threw it away up the first base line for a two-base error that allowed Raburn to reach and get to second. 2-1 Tigers.

Floyd struck out Ryan to end the inning, but Floyd has thrown 118 pitches.

Bottom 6th: Garcia walked Wise to start the frame, and Wise stole second. Garcia spun around, and as the ball was thrown into center field, he clutched his shoulder. (Wise didn't see the bad throw, and stayed at second.) Jim Leyland called for Armando Galarraga, and that's it for Garcia.

Galarraga uncorked a pair of wild pitches to drive in the scoring run with Jermaine Dye at the plate, one of them ball four, so not only is the game tied but there's still nobody out. Tied 2-2. That's the end of Galarraga's day, and Leyland calls in Bobby Seay to face left-handed Jim Thome.

Seay uncorks a wild pitch that sends Dye to second, but he manages to strike out Jim Thome. He intentionally walks Paul Konerko and unintentionally walks Junior to set up a bases-loaded, one-out scenario that gets Leyland to apply the hook to Seay. In comes 5.30 ERA Gary Glover with one out ... and Alexei Ramirez goes yard on the first pitch to make it 6-2 Sox. It's a rookie record for grand slams, as Ramirez had hit three previous. It's the first run to score on a hit all inning.

Bottom 8th: After holding the Tigers scoreless for two more frames, the Sox face Aquilino Lopez, who gets two quick outs in Paul Konerko and Brian Anderson. Ramirez, who hit the slam earlier, reached on a single, stole second, and went home easily on a long double by A.J. Pierzynski. 7-2 Sox.

Pierzynski takes third in Juan Uribe's at-bat, on a wild pitch. Uribe's swinging bunt knocks in a run as the same problem that afflicted Detroit in the 2006 postseason, poor pitcher fielding, bites them again, allowing Uribe to reach on what is scored a fielding error against the pitcher. Orlando Cabrera strikes out to end the frame, but it's now 8-2 Sox in a laugher.

Top 9th: D.J. Carrasco easily retires Jeff Larrish, Matt Joyce, and Curtis Granderson (the first two on strikeouts) to seal the game. The White Sox finish the season 88-74, tied with the Twins, and they will play a one-game playoff tomorrow in Chicago.

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Labels: live blogging, recaps, tigers, white sox

// posted by Rob @ 2:32 PM link  //  0 comments

• Looks like an oblique strain has sidelined Josh Beckett until ALDS Game 3. I heard about this on XM as I was tuning in to channel 175 (usually Charlie Steiner's Baseball Beat show), and thought for a second it was John Lackey. Whew.

  An earlier report in the Boston Herald indicated Beckett might miss the ALDS altogether.

  Update: Via BTF, Terry Francona says Beckett will pitch in a confusing interview:

  Q: Oblique injuries can be tricky. How confident are you Josh will pitch Game 3?
  A: I don’t think we would slot him in. Now certainly, if it goes the wrong way, we’re going to use pretty good, hopefully very good, judgment. But I think that we’re slotting him in there because we think he can pitch there. I don’t think – Friday was actually discussed. I think after Theo [Epstein] and I and John Farrell talked about it more and more and more, we thought that was pushing it. Because then you’re messing around with maybe cutting short a side session. It’s not just health, but it’s competing also. He has to be able to go out there and execute his pitches. I think he’s going to be OK.

• The Pirates fired their pitching and first base coaches after tying the major league record for consecutive losing seasons with 16.
• Yankees closer Mariano Rivera is having shoulder surgery to remove calcification of his A.C. joint (whatever that is, the AP article don't say). The surgery is considered minor, and he should be on course to pitch in spring training.
• Ben Sheets is likely done for the year and may not make the Brewers' postseason roster.

  “I’m going to be a cheerleader for a while,” Sheets said. “I ain’t got no choice. It doesn’t look good (to pitch again this year) but you never know. I won’t stop trying.”

• The White Sox' Jose Contreras won't be back until July or August next year at the earliest. He has a torn Achilles' tendon.

Labels: brewers, injuries, red sox, white sox, yankees

// posted by Rob @ 1:23 PM link  //  1 comments

Or not.

Labels: cubs, dodgers, twins

// posted by Rob @ 8:51 AM link  //  0 comments

Also winning spots in the bullpen for the first round of the playoffs were right-handers Jon Garland and Jered Weaver, who were in the starting rotation during the regular season.

The rest of the roster selections went pretty much to form with Brandon Wood and Robb Quinlan making the team as backup infielders, Reggie Willits and Gary Matthews Jr. as backup outfielders and switch-hitting Kendry Morales as a utility player and pinch-hitter.

In addition, Dustin Moseley, Shane Loux and Jason Bulger will pitch in the Arizona Instructional League.

Still waiting for the Dodgers' postseason roster, but in the interim, Jon's got a long-form analysis of the Dodgers' scenario.

Labels: angels, dodgers, postseason

// posted by Rob @ 8:41 AM link  //  0 comments

Win Number 100 Nailed, Angels Look Forward: Angels 7, Rangers 0

The offense managed to scratch out a run in the second despite Howie Kendrick's lineout double play to right; the whole of the two-out rally got started with Gary Matthews, Jr.'s single, and ended with Mike Napoli's ensuing two-run double. In fact, the game may as well be dropped into Napoli's lap, for he drove in four of the Angels' seven runs, including a monster leadoff homer in dead center in the fifth.

The one hundredth win set a franchise mark; the real work starts Wednesday.

Yahoo box • Angels recap

Lincecum Stymies Dodgers: Giants 3, Dodgers 1

Nomar Garciaparra got to be the manager for the day, a custom Joe Torre carried over from the Yankees.

Yahoo box • Dodgers recap

Other Races

• NL Wildcard: C.C. Sabathia beat the Cubs 3-1 in a complete game, while the Mets bullpen imploded once again in an Oliver Perez start, losing 4-2 to the Marlins. The Phillies will face the Brewers and the Cubs will face the Dodgers in the first round of the playoffs.
• AL Central: Minnesota blanked the Royals 6-0, and the White Sox beat the Tribe 5-1, setting up a mandatory makeup game 162 with Detroit tomorrow. If Chicago wins, they host to a one-game playoff against Minnesota on Tuesday; otherwise, the Twins go to the ALDS and face the Rays.

Postseason Schedules

Labels: brewers, cubs, dodgers, phillies, rangers, recaps

// posted by Rob @ 12:03 AM link  //  2 comments

Slumping Into The Playoffs: Rangers 8, Angels 4

Yahoo box • Angels recap

Maddux Pitches A Gem, Passes Clemens On The All-Time Wins List With 355: Dodgers 2, Giants 1

Yahoo box • Dodgers recap

Bullety Stuff

• The Dodgers announced their starting rotation for the NLDS will consist of Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley, and Hiroki Kuroda. Greg Maddux may or may not get a start, and may not even appear on the postseason roster.
• Hong-Chih Kuo will not be on the 11-man roster, and will get his elbow examined.
• The Cubs' Carlos Zambrano will not start today's game against Milwaukee. Angel Guzman will toe the rubber instead.
• With the Phillies' clinch yesterday, they became the first Phillies teams to win back-to-back division titles since the 1980-81 clubs.

Postseason Schedule Gets Clearer

Date     Matchup
====================
10/1  BOS @ LAA
10/2  MIN/CWS @ TB
10/3  MIN/CWS @ TB
10/3  BOS @ LAA
10/5  LAA @ BOS
10/5  TB @ MIN/CWS
10/6  LAA @ BOS*
10/6  TB @ MIN/CWS*
10/8  BOS @ LAA*
10/8  MIN/CWS @ TB*

* If necessary

Other Races

• NL Wild Card: The Cubs beat the Brewers 7-3, and the Mets finished off the Marlins 2-0, bringing both teams to a tie. The Mets will start the inconsistent Oliver Perez; after yesterday's complete-game shutout by Johan Santana (on short rest, no less), he's got a hard act to follow.
• AL Central: As crazy and at times self-defeating as the Angels have been, one constant I have been grateful for 99% of the time has been Mike Scioscia. Scioscia rarely makes a questionable on-field move, is an excellent rules lawyer, and has a good sense of when to argue a call and how loudly. But most of all he never — and I mean never — calls out his underperforming players in public. The same cannot be said of Ozzie Guillen, who only two starts ago slagged on Javier Vazquez for his weak starts:

  ... [M]anager Ozzie Guillen acknowledged that Vazquez hasn't emerged as a big-game pitcher since leaving Montreal for the Yankees, Arizona and now in his three seasons with the Sox.

  "That's the bottom line," Guillen said of Vazquez, who is scheduled to pitch Tuesday night against Minnesota to open a pivotal three-game series. "Javy is a consistent pitcher sometimes, and we haven't scored enough runs for him. [But] sometimes he hasn't pitched well enough. I don't have an ace here.

  "I have a good pitching staff. I don't have the guy who is going to step it up and fight for a Cy Young and win 20. I've got a good enough pitching staff to compete, and that's all I have."

  Seriously: how would you like to be reading quotes like that in the paper before you go into a big stretch against your nearest opponent in a tight division race? Sure enough, Vazquez imploded in his next start against the Twins, and did the same yesterday, giving up seven runs, all earned, in a 12-6 drubbing by Cleveland. (In fairness to Guillen, it should be noted that Vazquez also humiliated himself against the Yankees in his previous September 18 start that resulted in a 9-2 loss.) But at what point does that become self-fulfilling prophesy?

  The Twins lost to Kansas City 4-2 in a game blown by their lately-leaky bullpen, with Matt Guerrier taking the loss, so there was no movement in the AL Wild Card race.

If Bill Plaschke Thinks Re-Signing Manny Is A Bad Idea, Maybe There's Some Merit To It

Acquiring Ramirez for prospects is already one of the best trades in Dodgers history.

But if the Dodgers allow these two months to sucker them into signing him to the rich long-term deal he will demand, the trade will be one of their worst.

For the long-term future of the organization, Manny Ramirez is not Mr. Right, he is only Mr. Right Now.

He is a brilliant, Hall of Fame hitter. He is also a 36-year-old man with aching knees who will want the Dodgers to pay him until he is beyond 40.

He has feasted on National League pitching, loved National League ballparks. But because of his fielding problems, he will soon be needing the comfort of an American League designated-hitter role.

He has generated enough ticket and merchandise sales in two months to earn the Dodgers more than $10 million. But he is going to be asking for at least twice that much per season.

"The first time I stepped foot in Boston, I said to myself, 'Whoa.' I told Pedro Martinez, 'Damn, man, I just want to get traded and get out of here; this place is not me.' I was unhappy for eight years in Boston but still put up great numbers."

He signed a contract with Boston for $160 million, a deal with options that could've swelled to $200 million. And he was unhappy -- so unhappy he walked away from $40 million over the next two years.

"Baseball in Boston is like a Sunday football game, but played every day," he says. "We lose in L.A., I go to breakfast and people say, 'Well, you'll get them tomorrow.' In Boston, it's 'Hey, what's going on, the Yankees are coming.'

"It's just a different atmosphere. The fans in Boston got your back no matter what, but I'm talking about the people who write all this bull because it means so much to them. If your happiness depends on Boston winning or losing, you have to get a life."

Labels: angels, dodgers, indians, marlins, mets, recaps, royals, twins, white sox, yankees

// posted by Rob @ 8:45 AM link  //  0 comments

Though the Brewers got a look at the game by scratching out three runs against the Cubs' relief corps, the Cubs answered with a three-run ninth-inning rally that included a rare Kosuke Fukudome home run put the game away. The Brewers are now tied — again — for the NL Wild Card lead, as the Mets blanked the Marlins 2-0 behind Johan Santana.

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Labels: brewers, cubs, marlins, mets, recaps

// posted by Rob @ 4:10 PM link  //  0 comments

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Labels: nationals, phillies, recaps

// posted by Rob @ 3:50 PM link  //  0 comments

Obliteration: Rangers 12, Angels 1

The game had a couple good moments, though. After it became obvious the Angels weren't going to win this one, Mike Scioscia replaced all the starters, among whom Reggie Willits got the call to center field. He made a spectacular catch at the angle in dead center to rob Nelson Cruz of a home run. And Shane Loux and Jason Bulger actually pitched well against a potent offense, allowing only two runs the rest of the way.

But other than that and the regularly scheduled fireworks, there was little to cheer for. The crowd was in a surly mood, booing Lackey off the mound when Scioscia finally yanked him in the third. The Angels' recent history of getting knocked out in the first round by Boston weighed heavy on everyone's mind, and to see Lackey whipped badly was a dreadful omen. Looking at his 2008 game log, Lackey has thrown 120 pitches or more twice this year, and one of those times it took him three games to recover his form to at least a quality start (June 29 against the Dodgers, followed by two rough starts and a quality start, finally, on July 18 against the Red Sox). Let's hope three time's the charm this time, too.

Yahoo box • Angels recap

Dodgers Collapse Late: Giants 6, Dodgers 5 (10 Innings)

For those watching all the way through, the story apparently was about the use of instant replay that ended up with Benjie Molina getting a home run where before there was none. That brought up an odd scenario where Bochy had assumed the initial call was correct, and pinch-ran for Molina:

In the sixth, Molina lined the first pitch from Scott Proctor to the roof in right and the ball ricocheted onto the grass below. Molina stayed at first and Emmanuel Burriss rushed out to pinch run before anybody could stop him, while Bochy hustled out to argue. After a brief discussion, the umpiring crew headed to the replay booth in the hidden umpire room behind home plate.

After about two minutes, they returned and crew chief Tim Welke signaled the home run—the second time since baseball began using instant replay that an on-field call was overturned. Dodgers manager Joe Torre came out for an explanation.

...

“We conferred and decided to use the replay. We took a look and the ball clearly hit the green part of the wall, which is part of the ground rules that a ball hitting any part of the green thing it’s a home run,” Welke said. “Bochy wanted to reinsert Molina into the game but he doesn’t get another bite at that. We know the rules. Once a pinch-runner touches a base he’s in the game whether he’s put in or not. Bochy wanted to protest the game. You can’t go back and revisit history.

“We informed the official scorer that the game was being protested. In retrospect, he should have come out and discussed it before the pinch-runner. There is a rule that covers pinch-runners and that’s the one we went by. … The system worked and we got it right.”

Yahoo box • Dodgers recap

Other Races

• AL East, Wild Card: As mentioned above, the Rays are the East division winners and the Red Sox are the Wild Card.
• AL Central: Cleveland beat the Chisox 11-8, and even though Kansas City whipped Minnesota 8-1, the Twins' magic number goes down to three in what is liable to be a photo finish. Chicago has played 159 games, and have a possible makeup game on September 29 against Detroit at home.
• NL East: Philadelphia beat Washington 8-4 while the Mets lost 6-2 to the Marlins with Chris Volstad on the mound. The Phils' magic number is one.
• NL Wild Card: The Brewers beat the Iowa Cubs 6-1, with the Cubs trotting out a mostly AAA lineup to rest the regulars. The victory combined with the Mets' loss put the Brewers in the lead for the Wild Card for the first time since September 15.

How To Behave When You Clinch But Don't Win?

"Do we pop the bottles before or after the game?" Ethier asked with a grin. "I guess we'll wait until after the game, because nobody wants to see a bunch of drunk guys out there."

It was understandable if many of the Dodgers did not know how to act. They have rarely been down this road. It is their first playoff appearance since 2004, and they have won one playoff game since winning the World Series 20 years ago.

Or perhaps the Dodgers were simply taking a cue from their newest leader, the what-me-worry Ramírez.

Ramírez found out he would be back in the playoffs as he was riding the elevator at Dodger Stadium with his teammate Pablo Ozuna. Asked what he had said at the time, Ramírez - wearing shorts and flip-flops and pulling a rolling suitcase - shrugged and replied, "Nothing."

Man Accused Of Posing As Dodger

Labels: angels, dodgers, giants, rangers, recaps, rules, weird

// posted by Rob @ 12:12 PM link  //  2 comments

4. THERE'S MORE THAN ONE WAY TO GET TO THE PEN.
"Some guys are seen as closers when they're drafted, but most relief pitchers are failed starters like me. I was on the Pirates when they moved me to the pen. It turned out that was a lot better than failing as a starter every other time out. I don't know if closing is in my future. That's okay—being a reliever isn't about glory. If you're after awards, you're in the wrong profession."

Labels: dodgers

// posted by Rob @ 3:38 PM link  //  0 comments

Vlad's Blast Makes Angels Winners For The 99th Time: Angels 6, Mariners 4

I did tune in late, just in time to see Vlad's game-winning two-run homer, his second blast of the game; I confess, though, I found the drama in dome far more compelling watching. Looking at the box score, I take some amazement away that the Angels got their 99th win, Scot Shields got his fourth save (yeah, I was kinda amazed when he was put in to finish things up), and Dustin Moseley didn't lose. The Angels might have to call on Moseley next year, scary as that prospect is; I suppose it beats a year of Jon Garland at free agent prices, but only just.

But speaking of surprises, Jose Arredondo coughed up his seventh blown save of the year, but notched his tenth win thanks to the randomness of baseball scoring.

Yahoo box • Angels recap

Post-Clinch Letdown: Padres 7, Dodgers 5

Maddux, in case you weren't looking, is 1-4 in six starts with a 5.71 ERA, good for a 78 ERA+; he's scarcely helped Los Angeles, and in fact appears to be all but done. Eric Stults, who got the start in this one and didn't last five innings and took the loss, too, has been all but forgotten by a Dodgers team so desperate for a fifth starter that they felt obliged to ship out more prospects for a washed-up Name rather than use the one they actually had in-house, but such is life with Ned. There is the sense now that the Dodgers need Manny, and if they don't re-sign him (and probably Casey Blake), they're in for a disappointing 2009.

Yet at the same time, it's hard, looking at the competitive landscape, to say that the Manny-fied Dodgers aren't the equal of the faltering Mets, the sputtering Phillies, or the wannabe Brewers, each of whom has serious problems; the Mets' Achilles' heel is their bullpen, the Phils', their streaky offense, and the Brewers is their rotation and bullpen (not to mention their now-fired manager). The Dodgers, at least, have the pitching to compete with any of these clubs (nobody uses fifth starters in the postseason), and if Andre Ethier keeps his hot streak going, a Hall-of-fame bat followed by at least a very good one. The rest of the lineup has its problems — and no, I don't think Rafael Furcal will be in game shape by the postseason, but he could surprise me — but considering the junk that's out there, the Dodgers have a reasonable shot at at least a first-round series win.

Yahoo box • Dodgers recap

Other Pennant Chases

• NL East: The Mets edged the Cubs 7-6 on a Carlos Beltran walkoff single in the bottom of the ninth. The win brought the Mets to a game back of the Phillies, with three to play. Both teams finish their seasons at home, with the Mets facing the Marlins and the Phillies taking on the Nationals.
• NL Wild Card: Ryan Braun's walkoff grand slam propelled Milwaukee to a 5-1 win over Pittsburgh to keep the Brew Crew tied with the Mets for the Wild Card lead. Milwaukee wraps up the season with three against the Cubs in Wrigley, meaningless games for the Tiny Bears but very meaningful for the Brewers.
• AL East, Wild Card: Boston pounded Cleveland 6-1, while Tampa Bay fell to Detroit 7-5. The Rays have a magic number of one to clinch the division over Boston.

  Boston finishes the season with three at home against the Yankees, while the Rays will continue their season-ending four-game set tonight at Detroit.

• AL Central: I already mentioned yesterday's thrilling Twins 6-5 walkoff victory over the White Sox in extras. The rest of the way: the Twinks play the Royals for three at home, while the White Sox play Cleveland at home, also for three.

Labels: angels, brewers, cubs, dodgers, indians, mariners, mets, nationals, padres, phillies, postseason, rays, recaps, red sox, royals, twins, white sox

// posted by Rob @ 9:20 AM link  //  0 comments

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Labels: ex-angels, recaps, twins, white sox

// posted by Rob @ 8:43 PM link  //  0 comments

Update: BTF snark observes that the Yankees and their 87 AL wins won't make the postseason, but the Dodgers and their 83 NL wins will.

Update 2: Mark Reynolds struck out a major league record 200th time in this game. Woo hoo.

Yahoo box

Labels: cardinals, diamondbacks, recaps

// posted by Rob @ 4:40 PM link  //  4 comments

Now Entering Clinch City Limits: Dodgers 12, Padres 4

Kershaw got the win, one out away from a quality start, and had his stuff working well most of the night; you do wonder what a better offense might do against him, and so perhaps it's best if he's put on the shelf for the postseason.

With a 4-2 Arizona loss to St. Louis, the Dodgers' magic number is one, and if you'd told me they would be on the verge of winning this division at the All-Star break, I'd have sent you to Fairview.

Yahoo box • Dodgers box

Garland's Last Stand, Frankie's #62: Angels 6, Mariners 5

Mark Teixeira untied the game in the top of the eighth, and Scot Shields did his damndest let the M's tie it up again, but managed to wriggle out of a bases-loaded, one-out situation without a run scoring; that included a strikeout of Ichiro. K-Rod notched his 62nd save, so yay for him.

Yahoo box • Angels recap

Labels: angels, dodgers, mariners, padres, recaps

// posted by Rob @ 12:04 AM link  //  4 comments

Labels: dodgers, injuries, transactions

// posted by Rob @ 7:05 PM link  //  0 comments

Labels: dodgers, injuries

// posted by Rob @ 4:16 PM link  //  0 comments

Mandatory followup:

The Hollywood-Ending Cautionary Tale Award
When Josh Hamilton stole the show at the Home Run Derby, it spawned another round of "comeback from the depths" stories, which are fantastic, buuut… Hamilton is still young, and talented, and at least in a baseball sense, all the way back. In all seriousness, we wonder about the effect this has on a kid who is 18 and doing drugs. Does he think, "Hey, I still got time to hit rock-bottom with this stuff, because look at him!" Bless Hamilton, but sometimes the best examples of what drugs can do to kids are the guys who never make it back. Just saying.

Labels: dodgers, rumors

// posted by Rob @ 3:49 PM link  //  0 comments

And A Tardy Shout-Out To The Sons

Bob Keisser Salutes George And Rich Lederer

"I'm doing something I love, and the advertising I get just covers the cost of running the Web site," he said. "I imagine if I wanted to make a profit off it I could sell it to some media company that wants to buy traffic and readership. But I've never looked it at as anything more than a hobby, an avocation.

The Mariners' 2009 Rebuilding Job

Wally Joyner Resigns As Padres Hitting Coach

[Joyner's agent Barry] Axelrod said Joyner resigned due to "the frustration level with realizing that his philosophy, his approach, the way he wants to teach hitting just didn't coincide with what they like to see in the organization. He was hoping as time went by that they could somehow coincide or overcome that, but it became evident that was not going to happen."

Spring Training To Expand Six Days

Labels: blogs, coaches, mariners, padres, spring training

// posted by Rob @ 1:35 PM link  //  0 comments

Weaver Cruises, Then Collapses: Mariners 9, Angels 6

And yet, Kevin Jepsen took the loss, his first major league decision. It don't seem fair.

The good news: more longball power from Mike Napoli, a gift dinger from Gary Matthews, Jr., and Howie Kendrick going 2-for-3 in a brief "rehab" appearance.

The Angels' five-game winning streak ended, while the Mariners staved off being a 100-loss team for another day.

Yahoo box • Angels recap

Other Races

• AL East, Wild Card: Despite beating Toronto 3-1, the Yankees were eliminated from the postseason thanks to a pair of wins by the Rays (sweeping a doubleheader against the Orioles 5-2 and 7-5 in Baltimore) and a 5-4 win by Boston over Cleveland. Boston has now clinched a postseason spot with their win.
• AL Central: The Twins kept their postseason hopes alive with a 9-3 drubbing of the Chisox. Javier Vazquez took the loss, going four innings and giving up five runs. Ozzie Guillen called Vazquez out yesterday for his inability to pitch well when the heat is on, leading to the interesting question of why Ozzie started him), too.
• NL East, Wild Card: The Phillies lost 3-2 to the Braves, with Casey Kotchman's solo homer providing the margin of victory. The Brewers came back from an early 3-2 deficit and beat the Pirates 7-5. The Mets beat the Cubs 6-2, eliminating the Cardinals and Marlins from the postseason. Per Bob Timmermann, the Astros will now have to win out all their remaining five games and get help from the Cubs (who must beat the Mets) to stay in the Wild Card race.

Billy Beane Looks Up At The Angels

What must disturb Beane is that the Angels, unlike such wildly fluctuating entities as Detroit, Colorado or Houston, aren't going away. They easily could be the runaway favorite in the AL West for the next 10 years.

In terms of management, no team can match the Angels' combination of Arte Moreno, the wealthy and beloved owner; Tony Reagins, the aggressive general manager (and one of baseball's few African Americans holding an upper-level job), and manager Mike Scioscia.

Labels: angels, astros, athletics, blue jays, braves, brewers, cardinals, mariners, orioles, phillies, pirates, postseason, rays, recaps, red sox, reds, twins, white sox, yankees

// posted by Rob @ 9:45 AM link  //  1 comments

In fact, LeBlanc only lasted two and a third painful innings, but so it was for the Pads, who never really put up a fight; their lone run came in the second, with Ed Gonzalez cashing in baby brother Adrian Gonzalez' leadoff walk with two out. It's not as if the Padres did absolutely nothing against Chad Billingsley, who in fact failed to retire the side in order in any frame, but he never was in any serious trouble, either.

It was a night of multiple substitutions, one of the things that drives me crazy about the National League game, especially double switches. This year I've been scoring with Patrick A. McGovern's modified vertical scorecard, which has the advantages of being free and printable when I need them, as opposed to the Rawlings 17SB scorebook I had been using previously; the downside, of course, is that now I have a half-ream of spent scoresheets that I need to either digitize, file, or discard on my desk. Both have only three name slots for each batting position, and in a major league game, that's ridiculous. The two spot in the Padres lineup suffered four substitutions alone, as did Casey Blake's six-hole. I have something else against double switches, and that is they're inevitably impossible to decode in the stadium over the general din of the crowd; if it wasn't for my phone's ability to pick up play-by-play, I'd be totally lost most of the time.

So, a glorious and easy Dodger victory, combined with the Cards taking care of the Snakes 7-4 in St. Louis, dragged the Dodgers' magic number to three. Jake Peavy has had his start moved to Thursday, which means Shawn Estes vs. Clayton Kershaw tonight. The Dodgers can't clinch until Thursday at the earliest; if they don't, it will have to happen on the road in San Francisco, which would undoubtedly bring thoughts of revenge for the Solomon Torres game to mind for the Giants.

Postscriptum: Thanks to the Sons for the ticket vouchers; I've got a ridiculous record on other people's tickets.

Yahoo box • Dodgers recap

Labels: dodgers, padres, recaps

// posted by Rob @ 9:03 AM link  //  0 comments

One final and vital point, though: Manny may be here today. Will he be in Dodger blue come spring training 2009? The Angels could certainly use Mark Teixeira. The Dodgers need Manny. Good as Manny is, the cost of acquiring him as a two-month rental has been rather steep (and getting Casey Blake was rather steeper). If that is how the team is run, it's hard to see how the Dodgers will compete beyond 2008 without squandering the fruits of Logan White's labors. Over the longer haul, fielding a winner is what counts.

Quasi-related: This is what passes for quality editorial content on latimes.com:

Times alumnus Matt Welch:

The whole “But that’s not the team that’s REALLY captured L.A.’s imagination!” thing is a marvelous bit of self-fulfilling prophecy, not hard to do when you can walk from your office to Dodger Stadium (if, in fact, you ever got yr ass out of the building, or ever — shudder — walked up a hill).

I was at the Dodger playoff game in 2004 (back when the Times was saying the same stupid thing), and there was no contest between the fan buzz (and knowledge) inside the stadium, compared to that at the Big A.

The Times has chased off nearly every halfway decent writer in that section, and kept all the self-important losers. They deserve to fail.

Labels: angels, dodgers, stupid ideas

// posted by Rob @ 7:36 AM link  //  4 comments

• In a short day today, not much going on, but Arizona took care of St. Louis 4-2 and edged to within two games of the NL West.
• In a bizarre night, the Cubs walloped the Mets 9-5 in a game that included a grand slam by Chicago starting pitcher Jason Marquis, who drove in five of the Cubs' runs. The Cubs clinched home-field advantage in the first two rounds of the playoffs with the victory.
• Philadelphia beat the Braves 6-2 to extend their lead in the NL East to 2.5 games with six to go.
• Here's Bob Timmermann's wrap on the other fun going on.

Labels: cardinals, cubs, diamondbacks, mets, postseason

// posted by Rob @ 11:08 PM link  //  2 comments

The difference in this game was the outfield screwup between Raul Ibanez and Mariners center fielder Jeremy Reed; both were late getting the ball in, and as a consequence, Reggie Willits' single cashed in catcher (yes, it needs emphasizing) Jeff Mathis from first. Upon championships are such trivialities built. Willits went 3-for-4, his best day in a long, long time, and a wonderful thing to see him back like that.

Vlad homered, the Angels' only other run in the contest. Ervin Santana limited the M's to a single run through eight, and Frankie nailed down the ninth without too much fuss.

The Angels got their 97th win to make a winner of Ervin Santana, while the Mariners took their 99th loss; let us give credit along the way to Ryan Rowland-Smith, who pitched well, got the L, but will probably be in the Seattle rotation come next year.

Yahoo box • Angels recap

Labels: angels, mariners, recaps

// posted by Rob @ 10:50 PM link  //  5 comments

It's not looking like the Cubs and Astros will need to play game 162, either.

Labels: astros, athletics, cubs, orioles

// posted by Rob @ 3:24 PM link  //  0 comments

But one source indicated that a signed contract between the Pirates and Alvarez likely will quash a related grievance filed by the union against commissioner Bud Selig's office, offering a sign that all concerned have been duly informed of this development.

Labels: draft, pirates, scott boras, scumbags

// posted by Rob @ 12:46 PM link  //  0 comments

The wrecking ball can't come fast enough. The rest of us have a postseason to look forward to that, mercifully, doesn't contain the most overfed and annoying team in baseball. Even if it's only for one season, that is an event I've been anticipating for years.

Update: Let's Go Tribe has a wonderfully apropros piece on this gratuitous event, including a review of this delightful outcome.

Also: ex-Angel Jose Molina was the last man to hit a home run at Yankee Stadium in yesterday's 7-3 win over Baltimore. Hat tip to the Rev.

Labels: stfu, yankees

// posted by Rob @ 11:14 PM link  //  4 comments

• Toronto was eliminated from all postseason races following a 3-0 loss to Boston.
• Atlanta edged the Mets 7-6, thanks in part to a Casey Kotchman RBI single in the bottom of the eighth that sparked a four-run rally against the leaky New York bullpen. Scott Schoeneweis took the loss, his fifth. The Mets will next see the Cubs for four in New York.
• Jamie Moyer and a surprising five relievers stymied the Marlins as the Phillies best Florida 5-2, extending the Phils' lead to a game and a half in the NL East.
• After losing two contests in a row to the fifth-place Reds (losing Saturday with C.C. Sabathia on the mound, no less), the Brewers finally found a way to beat Cincinnati, though it took a string of relievers to make up for a short-leashed Seth McClung, who only lasted 3.1 innings. Eric Gagne and Guillermo Mota did it in the reverse order of the way they used to for the Dodgers, and thanks in part to a big three-run fourth, Milwaukee beat Cincinnati 8-1. The Brewers advance to 1.5 games back of the Mets in the Wild Card.

  Incidentally, somebody at BCB has a frame capture of Prince Fielder punching the Reds catcher in Saturday's game. Most unsportsmanlike.

• The Twins beat the Rays 4-1 but the White Sox cruised to a 3-0 win over the Royals. Minnesota was eliminated from the Wild Card, and now go home to battle the White Sox for a shot at the postseason; a sweep would leave them on top of the division with three to play against the Royals. The White Sox' magic number for the division is five.
• The Cubs beat St. Louis 5-1, whittling their magic number for home-field advantage in the postseason to one.

Labels: brewers, ex-dodgers, mets, phillies, postseason, red sox, reds, royals, toronto, white sox

// posted by Rob @ 11:01 PM link  //  1 comments

Unless, yeah, they're not really that good a team. But I figured, hey, having swept the Snakes Sep. 5-7, that should have been enough, right?

Eh, not so much. The D'Backs crushed the Rockies 13-4, and the Dodgers' magic number remains stalled at five, while the Snakes edge back into the NL West, only 2.5 games back now.

The Dodgers failed to score in the first with the bases loaded in the first and nobody out. The Dodgers only had one other opportunity the whole game, and Angel Berroa was thrown out at the plate in the fifth on Andre Ethier's would-be RBI single. Ouch.

Yahoo box • Dodgers recap

Labels: blecch, dodgers, giants, recaps

// posted by Rob @ 10:22 PM link  //  0 comments

It was hardly a concern. Lackey clearly had his A stuff, fanning a career-high twelve batters over six frames, his pitch count going far too high to let him stay in any longer. The rest of the Angels' pitching staff did their jobs without too much difficulty, Jose Arredondo with a pair of scoreless innings, and Jason Bulger with an all-too-predictable three-run homer in the ninth that made me wonder whether he's ever going to be a useful major league pitcher.

But beyond today's game — beyond perhaps even this postseason — it's vital that the Angels know they can count on Rodriguez to produce. As happy as I have been to see Howie Kendrick in the lineup, his injury history has left his 2008 something of a disappointment. He has yet to have 400 or more at-bats in a season, and he really needs to show he can stay healthy over a whole year. Unless Howie starts facing live pitching, and this week, he's a scratch for the postseason. More, Howie really fell apart in August with a .236/.277/.270 line. S-Rod's September is actually out-slugging Howie's August (.215/.268/.354), so it's not like the drop-off is quite as steep, especially when you consider that S-Rod is on much better terms with Mr. Ball Four.

Not that I'm trying to cast aspersions on Howie's future value; far from it. At his best, Howie was slugging .694 (in April), which is somewhat over his full-season PCL numbers by about .200, but no one expected him to carry that through the whole year. Hopefully, the lesson he takes from 2008 is how hard he can push himself and when to back off. As for S-Rod, the Angels have discovered a useful replacement for, at the very least, one of Maicer Izturis and/or Robb Quinlan.

Yahoo box • Angels recap

Labels: angels, rangers, recaps

// posted by Rob @ 9:46 PM link  //  0 comments

Angels Batter Padilla, K-Rod Notches #60: Angels 7, Rangers 3

That brought in Justin Speier, and despite all indications to the contrary, he managed a clean sixth without either of his inherited baserunners scoring, and that with men on second and third and one out. He got himself into a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the bottom of the seventh, but Kevin Jepsen got Nelson Cruz to make a routine fly out to right to end the threat.

The Angels beat Vicente Padilla slowly but steadily. There has been talk from some quarters, perhaps the Angels broadcast booth, that Padilla has changed his stripes and he's stopped hitting so many batters; but he's about in line with his recent career, with 15 on the season after this game, and he might have another one or two in him yet. He plunked Erick Aybar in the second, and Garrett Anderson made him pay for it with a two-run jack that gave the Angels an early 2-0 lead.

It went like that for a while; the Angels would get a small lead, and Texas would whittle it back down on scoring groundouts and the odd RBI single that followed Moseley's self-inflicted pain; for the most part, Texas mounted a dull offense against Moseley, and for that he deserves some credit. Moseley is probably going to have a marginal career in the Show, and his staying power with the Angels is directly proportional to the Halos' ability to keep pitching depth stocked at Salt Lake, but it's good to see him do well in tough circumstances like this.

The Halos finally broke through in the seventh, converting Sean Rodriguez's leadoff walk into a run on a couple wild pitches, and a GA single that drove in Erick Aybar. Kendry Morales, inserted as a pinch-runner for Vlad after the latter reached in the sixth on a leadoff double, himself doubled in the ninth to cash in Erick Aybar. (It was Vlad's first appearance since September 12.) Bill White, the reliever who gave up Morales' double, did himself no favors, loaded the bases, and walked the hacktastic Gary Matthews, Jr. to drive in a run, a Grabowski Principle moment if ever there was one.

The Angels have had a run where they can't seem to sustain a big lead in late innings with non-save situations, and Jason Bulger managed to bollix this opportunity, too, making two outs but presenting Frankie with a by-the-book one out save opportunity. He got it without too much difficulty, a reminder of how deceptive the save state is.

Yahoo box • Angels recap

Manny Goes Yard Twice: Dodgers 10, Giants 7

That bit of grumbling out of the way, the Dodgers offense did what you'd hope it would against Brad Hennessey, knocking him out in the third; the Dodgers drew 11 free passes, two of them run-scoring. The award for not only weirdest play of the game but perhaps of the year came in the top of the fourth, when Nate Schierholz struck out swinging on a wild pitch. At first Omar Vizquel broke for home and appeared to score easily as the ball evaded Russell Martin, but he was later called back and the run was erased; apparently, there is a rule (which I have been unable to find) that on a wild-pitch strikeout where the ball hits the batter, the ball is immediately dead and no baserunners may advance. At the time it appeared to be a critical ruling, but the subsequent scoring probably nullified any effect it had on the game.

Manny homered twice, which was really the game's highlight, though; he had been on a little longball slump of late, and so it was really good to see him go yard, one of them an opposite-field shot.

Yahoo box • Dodgers recap

Postseason Races

• The Cubs clinched the NL Central at home with a 5-4 victory over the Cards, marking the first time since 1907-08 that the Cubs have had consecutive postseason appearances.
• Likewise, the Devil-less Rays clinched a playoff berth with a 7-2 win over the Twins, becoming one of two teams in major league history to reach the playoffs after owning baseball's worst record.
• The Diamondbacks beat Colorado 5-3 with a pair in the top of the ninth, meaning the Dodgers' magic number was only reduced to five.
• Something I missed Friday: Tampa Bay's 11-1 victory over the Twins eliminated the Yankees from the division race.
• Philly and New York once again traded places in the NL East, as the Mets lost 4-2 to the Braves and Philadelphia edged Florida 3-2.
• The Brewers continue their long September stumble, losing to the Reds 4-3. They're still 2.5 games back of the NL East leading Phils, and not taking advantage of their opportunity to beat up on the fifth-place Reds.
• Toronto beat Boston 6-3, but with a 6.5 game lead in the Wild Card over the Yankees, it would take a catastrophic collapse for them to lose.

Joe Saunder's Kidney Stones May Keep Him From His Tuesday Start

Update: Joe Saunders will miss his next start, per today's TV broadcast. Also in the Times.

Labels: angels, blue jays, brewers, diamondbacks, dodgers, giants, injuries, mets, phillies, rangers, recaps, red sox, reds, rockies, twins

// posted by Rob @ 10:25 AM link  //  5 comments

I arrived at the stadium at 4:55 — okay, that was my bad, but as I discovered presently, it wouldn't have mattered anyway. After reaching the upper deck ticket office, I discovered that it had already closed, and more, that the ticket office that was open wouldn't sell me tickets to a future game.

So, I got to stand in line, at first with just the people who wanted tickets to a future Dodger game, to the right of the line of people waiting to get in for the night's game. Later, the guy in the day ticket booth — who were actually selling tickets for today's game despite the "SOLD OUT" signs at the parking lot gates — told me that we actually needed to be in the line with all the game day ticket holders.

Okay.

So by this point I'm getting pretty sore: first, the Dodgers have open ticket windows but they can't sell me tickets, and then, they make me wait in not one but two lines, one of those because the people at the window were unclear as to where we needed to be. What I found after I got in line was even more appalling, though; the people in line ahead of me told me they got in to the park at 4:00 pm but were unable to buy tickets at the upper deck advance window because of a power outage. They were told to go downstairs to buy their tickets, but this proved impossible and they were redirected back up to the upper deck. So they waited an hour and forty minutes just to get to the ticket window.

It was more irritating at the time, of course, and the fact that I eventually ended up with a pair of tickets that cost me, basically, $15 parking made it sting that much less. (I was told at the gate I had 20 minutes to get my tickets and get back through the gate, a ludicrously small time as it turned out.) But if Frank McCourt is worried about getting butts in the seats, he really needs to rethink his stadium operations.

Labels: dodger stadium, dodgers, stupid ideas

// posted by Rob @ 7:34 PM link  //  2 comments

Labels: ex-angels, red sox

// posted by Rob @ 2:46 PM link  //  0 comments

As Scioscia preps his team for October, question marks abound. Vladimir Guerrero hasn’t played since the Angels clinched, sitting out with a bum knee in the last days of the worst season of his professional career. John Lackey has battled arm problems, has a 4.92 ERA since the start of July and skipped his turn in the rotation before the Angels clinched. Francisco Rodriguez has had a nice year, setting a record for pitching in the final inning of the game when his team has led by three runs or less, but he’s appeared in a career high 71 games and his strikeouts are down while his walks are up.

In the weak AL West (like the ’99 Indians in the AL Central), almost a third of the Angels' wins have come against the Athletics, Mariners and Rangers.

With Lackey needing extra rest, it would make sense if Ervin Santana opened the postseason for the Angels. Santana has been great this year with a 3.33 ERA and 3.27 FIP and has emerged as a quality starter. The problem is, Joe Saunders, Jered Weaver and Jon Garland all have struggled in the second half. However, all three have shown signs of snapping out of their collective funk. In his last three starts, Weaver has a 2.12 ERA while Saunders is at 3.48 over his last three and Garland has posted a 3.79 during that same stretch. With Lackey struggling, the Angels will need someone from this group to step forward.

The ’75 Reds, ’98 Yankees and ’95 and ’99 Indians all led their league in scoring. With an offense that scores only 4.6 runs per game, the Angels currently rank 10th in the AL. But the Angels limit the opposition to 4.2 runs per game, the third best in the league, which is how the '98 Padres and '02 Braves found success. With their lack of offensive firepower, they will need their starters to continue their recent form if they hope to advance through the postseason.

Labels: angels, history, postseason

// posted by Rob @ 2:35 PM link  //  0 comments

Free-agent right-hander Russ Ortiz, last seen pitching for the Giants in 2007, auditioned for about 10 clubs in Arizona last Friday, according to his agent, John Boggs. Ortiz, 34, threw 90-91 mph, Boggs said, topping out at 93. He is willing to start or relieve next season -- and yes, his four-year, $33 million contract with the Diamondbacks finally is about to expire.

Labels: diamondbacks, giants, injuries

// posted by Rob @ 8:31 AM link  //  0 comments

Slam! Bang! Clank! Angels 15, Rangers 13

Since the Angels had to face Texas pitching, that wasn't an insuperable problem. The Angels had a lot of offensive fireworks of their own, including homers by Kendry Morales and Mike Napoli, their second in as many games. In fact, Napoli was only a single away from the cycle at the end of the game. Torii Hunter led the team with four RBIs including a first-inning three-run homer. Annoying as it was to see the team let the lead slip through their fingers, they didn't entirely choke it away, though Scot Shields looked more relieved than happy after he wiggled out of a ninth inning jam for the save. Darren Oliver, who pitched the middle innings in relief of the ineffective Garland, got the win, the 100th of his career.

Yahoo box • Angels recap

Giants Crush Maddux, Zito Cruises: Giants 7, Dodgers 1

Yahoo box • Dodgers recap

And Other Important Games

• Colorado sank the Snakes 3-2 to whittle the Dodgers' magic number to six.
• The Mets pounded the Braves 9-5 and Florida wailed on Philadelphia 14-8 in a slugfest, with the net result that the NL East lead changed hands, Mets back on top by a half game.
• The Cubs fell in a 12-6 slaughter to St. Louis as Carlos Zambrano had nothing against the Redbirds, leaving the game after recording only five outs, the second shortest outing of his career. Luckily for him, Cincinnati jumped on Jeff Suppan and the Brewers 11-2 to whittle Chicago's magic number by one. With the NL East trading hands, the Brewers stay two games back in the wild card, this time of Philadelphia.
• Tampa Bay mauled Minnesota 11-1, pushing them further back of the White Sox, who beat Kansas City 9-4. Chicago ended the day 2.5 games up in the division with a magic number of seven.
• Boston edged Toronto 4-3 to keep pace in the AL East, 1.5 games back of Tampa Bay.

Labels: angels, brewers, cardinals, cubs, diamondbacks, dodgers, giants, marlins, mets, rangers, recaps, rockies, twins, white sox

// posted by Rob @ 11:37 PM link  //  0 comments

• The Halos would have a better record than any AL Central team
• If the wild card comes out of the East, the Angels would play the wild card team, and the wild card team never gets home-field advantage.
• If the wild card came out of the Central, even if the Angels had a worse record than the AL East winner, the Angels would still have a better record than the Central winner, meaning the Angels would have home-field in the first round.

Labels: angels, postseason

// posted by Rob @ 5:47 PM link  //  0 comments

A clear threat to society

"Before you know it, I was sitting on the curb," Martin said. "It's funny. It's 12:15 a.m., and I'm trying to get to the hotel to get some rest.

"Fancy car. Young, African-American driver. We fit the description pretty good. We're in Pittsburgh.

"It was embarrassing."

Labels: dodgers, stupid ideas

// posted by Rob @ 9:21 AM link  //  16 comments

Labels: postseason

// posted by Rob @ 11:31 PM link  //  0 comments

Magic Number Seven: Dodgers 4, Pirates 3 (12 Innings)

The Dodgers' magic number is seven. With this win, the Rockies have been eliminated from the division and the postseason altogether.

Yahoo box • Dodgers recap

Frankie Stumbles To A Win: Angels 6, A's 4

Yahoo box • Angels recap

Mariners First $100M Payroll Team To 100 Losses? Royals 12, Mariners 0

Yahoo box

Labels: angels, athletics, dodgers, mariners, pirates, recaps, royals

// posted by Rob @ 11:30 PM link  //  0 comments

The reason it is necessary to reopen the wound now, [Bostock's widow Youvene] Whistler feels, is that three decades after his last breath, far too few people remember Bostock at all. When he was murdered that chilly fall night in Gary, the news went worldwide. Reporters from Brazil and Australia, England and Japan telephoned Tom Harbrecht, the Gary Police Department's public information officer, desperate for details. "I probably worked 20 straight hours fielding all the requests for information," Harbrecht says. "It was a huge story." And yet, as suddenly as the word of Bostock's death exploded, it just as quickly seemed to disappear. Oh, the ongoing murder trial kept his name in small, bottom-of-the-page AP updates here and there. But five days after Bostock was killed, Pope John Paul died of a heart attack following a mere 33 days as pontiff, news that seemed to wipe Bostock's name from print. By the time, less than a year later, New York Yankees catcher Thurman Munson died in a plane crash, Bostock was an afterthought, reduced to little more than a notch in Gary's ever-mounting homicide rate.

"People sort of moved on," says Vic Harris, a former major league outfielder and Bostock's longtime friend. "But Lyman -- he was different, special. He deserves to be remembered."

Labels: angels, history

// posted by Rob @ 7:15 PM link  //  0 comments

• Nomar Garciaparra may return to the lineup in only a few days after all; his knee injury isn't as bad as expected, and he was able to sleep through the night without pain.
• Hong-Chih Kuo played catch without pain today, and could throw from a mound on Friday.
• Howie Kendrick's hamstring still has him sidelined, and it's looking decreasingly likely that he'll make the postseason roster.

  "If he's not playing in a Major League game by next Wednesday," Scioscia said, "then it's questionable [he'll be ready for the ALDS]. Right now, too many things can happen in another week that could change what his status is. We're optimistic he'll be with us."

• Ben Sheets left yesterday's Brewers/Cubs game after only two innings. At the time, the problem was supposed to be a tight groin, but Milwaukee later acknowledged there is a problem with his elbow.
• Erik Bedard has a torn labrum and a cyst in his pitching shoulder. It's entirely possible that the Mariners may allow him to walk after this season, especially if he requires surgery.
• Milton Bradley is sidelined with a wrist injury, and might be available as early as Friday to kick off the series against the Angels, though that's unlikely.
• Curt Schilling spouts off about Manny Ramirez:

  Speaking on a Boston radio station Wednesday, Schilling said Ramirez's "level of disrespect to teammates and people was unfathomable."

  ...

  "I was a teammate, a member of this family, and I saw it," Schilling said after acknowledging that he has been away from the team most of the season because of a shoulder injury. "And to me, it was always those guys, the guys who played a crucial role on teams that weren't the marquee players, are the ones that were disrespected the most."

  ...

  "He was very kind, and well-mannered, but there were spurts and times when you didn't know who he was," Schilling said. "You know, he was always kind and nice for the most part, but he'd show up the next day and say, 'I'm through with this team, I want out now."

• The Mariners have shut down Jarrod Washburn for the balance of the season with a strained abdominal muscle.

Labels: angels, brewers, dodgers, injuries, mariners, red sox

// posted by Rob @ 4:56 PM link  //  0 comments