All Entries in the "Playoffs" Category

Werth the Wait in Philadelphia

Phillies Win Their 2nd World Series Title

The Philadelphia Phillies have won the 2008 World Series 4 games to 1 over the Tampa Bay Rays, ending their (the Rays’) Cinderella season. 48 hours after the start of Game 5, they resumed it from the bottom of the 6th tied at 2. They won the series 4 games to 1, but it was a much more exciting series than those numbers evoke.…

Game 5 To Resume on Wednesday Night

I just read an article on SI.com by Joe Sheehan also of Baseball Prospectus entitled, “Unconventional Thinking: MLB makes right decision to cancel” that states that game 5 will not resume tonight as was originally planned. Instead, it will be played Wednesday night at Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia. What that does to a possible game 6 or 7 is still to be determined.

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For the First Time in World Series History…

For the first time in the history of the World Series, a game has been suspended due to rain. The game was suspended immediately after the top of the 6th inning, after the Rays tied the game at 2 all in that half inning. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig has since said that the game was never in danger of being called after 5 innings (an official game). He stated that…

Philadelphia is One Win Away from Baseball Euphoria!

After this weekend the Phillies have taken a commanding 3 games to 1 lead over the Rays going into tonight’s game at home at Citizen’s Bank Park.

In game 3, the Phillies 45 year old starter Jamie Moyer pitched better than anyone thought was possible against the Rays Matt Garza (MVP of the ALCS). He pitched 6.1 innings and allowed only 3 runs in a 5-4 9th inning win by the…

Now It’s a Best of 5!

The Tampa Bay Rays Win Game 2

The Series is Now Tied at 1 Game a Piece

The Rays James Shields didn’t pitch great, but all he had to do was pitch better than the Phillies Bret Myers (I know, I know. I spelled Myers wrong yesterday) and he did. He got into trouble at times, but pitched out of them effectively. Myers did not!

Philly also played sloppy baseball. Werth booted a…

My Thoughts on Game 1…

Phillies Take Game 1 with a Score of 3-2

First, I’ll toot my own horn. This was a must win for the Phillies. They needed to win at least 1 out of 2 in Tampa Bay in order to have any chance at winning the series. This was their best chance at doing that with the match up between Kazmir and Hamels. Kazmir showed glimpses of how he pitched in past…

2008 World Series Preview

Tampa Bay Rays (97-65)

Vs.

Philadelphia Phillies (92-70)

This first area of concern I have is how long the Phillies had to wait for the Rays to eliminate the Red Sox (95-67). It has been a week since the Phillies have played against an opponent as they eliminated the Dodgers (84-78) in 5 games while the Rays needed all 7 games to eliminate the Sox.

The second concern is the rotation match ups. Not the…

There’s A New Beast in the AL East

The Tampa Bay Rays Advance to the 2008 World Series

After being beaten in game 6 by Josh Beckett and the Red Sox, a game the Rays should have won, the Rays beat Jon Lester in game 7, a game they should have lost. Bottom line: the Rays played better in 4 of the 7 games played and that’s all that really matters.

Both sides had injuries to key players. Boston was…

ONE STOLEN BASE AT THE 2008 WORLD SERIES® EQUALS MILLIONS OF FREE TACOS FOR AMERICA

Taco Bell®’s “Steal A Base, Steal A Taco” MLB® World Series® Offer Returns to Reward Fans

IRVINE, CALIF., October 20, 2008 – With America hungry for some positive news, Taco Bell® is giving fans an extra tasty incentive to tune into the 2008 Major League Baseball World Series and cheer for action on the base paths as one player will have the opportunity to steal millions of free tacos for America.

Taco…

Boston Forces Game 7 in the ALCS Against the Rays

Josh Beckett out performed James “Big Game” Shields to get the win in game 6 and for the second year in a row, have come back from being down 3 games to 1 and force a deciding game 7.

In tomorrow’s match up we have Boston’s new Ace of the staff, Jon Lester going up against the Rays # 3 starter in Matt Garza who pitched very well in game 3.

But,…

Boston Leads 4-2 Going into the Top of the 9th

RF Drew faces Bradford to lead off the 9th and hits a line drive to LF Crawford. 1 out.

LF Bay is 5 for 8 against Bradford in his career. He grounds out to the SS.

The Rays remove Bradford for Trevor Miller.

I’m not sure about this move. It doesn’t make much sense as Bradford has been doing well and he’s gotten two outs in the inning.

1B Kotsay faces Miller and swings…

Bottom of the 8th

New pitcher for Boston is rookie and former starting pitcher Justin Masterson.

SS Jason Bartlett is leading off the 8th down 4-2. He was hit by a pitch again. No outs, man on first.

2B Iwamura is 0-3 tonight. Masterson looks a bit nervous up there right now, but Varitek, with a 1-0 count goes out to speak with him. The count is now 2-0 and pitching coach John Farrell checks in…

Top of the 8th

CF Crisp faces Balfour and has a leadoff walk.

Manager Joe Maddon, probably this year’s manager of the year has just taken out Balfour, replaced by Chad Bradford, the knuckelscrapping submarine pitcher to face 2B Pedroia.

2B Pedroia faces Bradford with Crisp on 1B without any outs. Will Crisp take off to remove the possible DP? Pedroia is 4 for 6 against Bradford and hits it off Bradford who knocked the ball…

Bottom of the 7th as Boston Leads 4-2

Willie Aybar is pinch hitting for DH Cliff Floyd, but he pops up in foul ground to 3B Kevin Youkilis. 1 out.

C Navarro is up and the count is 0-2 then he hits a towering pop up in foul ground to LF Jason Bay. 2 outs.

RF Zobrist flies out to the warning track in CF as Crisp makes the catch for the third out.

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Top of the 7th as Boston Leads 4-2

RF J.D. Drew leads off and popped up for the first out.

LF Bay is hit by a pitch on the hip.

1B Kotsay is 1-3 in the game, a single in the second inning. He hits a high chopper to Howell, the pitcher and is thrown out at 1B. Bay moves onto 2B.

Howell comes out of the game with Grant Balfour coming into the game. By the way, this is not…

Rays Half of the 6th Inning

Okajima is now pitching for the Red Sox. The Red Sox are leading 4-2

CF B.J. Upton and he lines out to 3B Youkilis. 1 out.

1B Pena, whos is hitting .350 with 3 HRs and 6 RBIs in this series is now up with 1 out. Full count. It was a late call, but Pena strikes out looking. 2 outs.

3B Longoria is 0-2 tonight and is hitting .125 in his last…

Red Sox Half of the 6th Inning

Ben Zobrist stays in the game playing RF for the Rays!

1B Kotsay leads off for the Sox. What an amazing leaping stab by 2B Iwamura with that alligator glove of his! Wow! What a play! He has definately adjusted to his move to 2B as his whole career, even in Japan, he was a third baseman. 1 out.

SS Lowrie struck out for out number 2.

C Varitek is up with 2…

5th Inning – Rays

The commentators are saying that Beckett is pitching in pain and is taking some extra time warming up before the start of this half inning.

C Navarro ropes a single to RF.

PH Ben Zobrist is hitting for RF Gabe Gross. Count is 1-2 then Zobrist pops out to CF and is now 0-3 this post season.

SS Jason Bartlett is up with Navarro on first. Navarro has become a leader on this…

5th Inning – Boston

DH Ortiz, who’s hitting .143 with 1 HR and 3 RBI leads off…who hits Shields’ 91st pitch as a pop fly to LF. 1 out.

Youkilis lines out to the next rookie of the year, 3B Evan Longoria. 2 outs.

Drew hits another 2-out line drive double over the head of RF Gabe Gross.

Bay pops out to RF for the last out of the inning.

Shields has calmed down after his earlier struggles,…

Bottom of the 4th Inning

Former Sox 1B and Northeastern University graduate from Haverhill, MA, Carlos Pena pops up to 3B Kevin Youkilis for the first out of the inning.

3B Evan Longoria flied out to CF. 2 outs.

LF Crawford is 0-5 after going 5 for 5 in a previous game in this series. On Beckett’s 54th pitch of the game, Crawford practically threw the bat at the ball for a bloop hit into LF.

DH Floyd…

Bottom of the 3rd

RF Gabe Gross leads off the Rays third inning. Beckett’s fastball is a few mph slower than usual, but he’s pitching well as Gross strikesout looking. 1 out.

SS Jason Bartlett is clipped by a pitch. Bartlett didn’t even attempt to get out of the way. He barely moved.

2B Iwamura, who struckout in the first. The Rays have not been thrown out yet in this post season (16 for 16). There’s…

Top of the 3rd

CF Coco Crisp leads off and is hitting .462 in the ALCS so far. Coco was a key part to the other nights second best comeback in playoff history. He had a bunt single in the first, but was picked off 1B soon after. The count is 2-2 and Crisp flies out to his counterpart in CF, Upton. 1 out.

2B Dustin Pedroia is up next. He walks and is the…

Bottom of the 2nd

While TBS is recapping the missed first inning, I’d like to take this time to show my dislike of that 9 feet graphic when a runner takes a 9 foot lead from first base. What do you all think about this graphic?

Crawford grounds the first pitch he sees to Pedroia (2B). 1 out.

DH Cliff Floyd is caught looking. 2 out, nice framing by Varitek.

Catcher Dioner Navarro lines the first pitch…

Game 6 in progress…

1st Inning

Due to technical difficulties, TBS has finally brought us the game, only to find the Sox on the field and after BJ Upton had hit a HR off the 3rd catwalk.

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