The MLB thread

[Rusty Shackleford]

Goddamnit. 7-2 loss, Dempster gave up a grand slam in the 5th. We just don't seem to be able to hit the runs at the moment, even if Z puts in a great performance today I fear we simply won't out hit the Dodgers. Not many teams have come back from a losing start to a playoff series, but Lou Pinella's Mariners did it a few years ago so here's hoping he can do it again.

Good luck to the Rays today.

Thanks Johnny. I hope the Cubs come back but right now my predictions are looking pretty good. The Cubs and Angels need to win game two or they are completely done.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

Rays Win! Rays Win!

I haven't been so nervous since extra time in Cardiff - what a victory. When Evan Longoria hit that second homer, he looked better than his near namesake. Bring on the Red Sux!

 

[Jedi Shrimper]

Cubs Lose. Again.

:'( Cubs 3 - 10 Dodgers :(

Last night we were let down by poor fielding (we're usually pretty good), and our batters once again being poor. What's worst is we know we're better than this! We can hit. We can field. We can pitch. You don't get the best record in the NL by fluke.

Miracles can happen though i guess, so I'll still be backing the Cubs this Saturday, still believing they can do it.

(from Jon, sitting at work wearing his Cubs shirt as it's jeans for genes day)

PS. Well done to the Rays & Phillies.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

:'( Cubs 3 - 10 Dodgers :(

Last night we were let down by poor fielding (we're usually pretty good), and our batters once again being poor. What's worst is we know we're better than this! We can hit. We can field. We can pitch. You don't get the best record in the NL by fluke.

Miracles can happen though i guess, so I'll still be backing the Cubs this Saturday, still believing they can do it.

(from Jon, sitting at work wearing his Cubs shirt as it's jeans for genes day)

PS. Well done to the Rays & Phillies.

Last night's game was a sickener Jonny. I would put Bartman in CF, that guy showed he can field. If the Cubs get out of this, it will be a miracle, but stranger things have happened.....

 

[Jedi Shrimper]

Last night's game was a sickener Jonny. I would put Bartman in CF, that guy showed he can field. If the Cubs get out of this, it will be a miracle, but stranger things have happened.....

:D:D:D:nope::D:D:D

 

[Irish_Shrimper]

J.D Drew did the biz for us last night. Who would have thought we'd come away with a 2-0 lead from the west coast.

Wonderful :D

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

J.D Drew did the biz for us last night. Who would have thought we'd come away with a 2-0 lead from the west coast.

Wonderful :D

See you in the ALCS. With both teams up 2-0, the Rays/Red Sox war looks set to go one more round.

Jonny, what can I say? Looks like your guys just froze.

 

[Jedi Shrimper]

Yep. At no point did in the series did we look like NL Central Champs or the team with the best record in the NL. Oh well, there's always next year!

There was alot of pressure on the Cubs, all season everyone has been saying this was the Cubs year, 100 years on from their last WS win, that it was destiny. It's alot of pressure, maybe a bit of that will be releived now we've gone past it. or maybe not. "Someday we'll go all the Way".

:'(:(:(:(

Good luck to the Rays, definately the team I want to see win out of the teams left in.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

Yep. At no point did in the series did we look like NL Central Champs or the team with the best record in the NL. Oh well, there's always next year!

There was alot of pressure on the Cubs, all season everyone has been saying this was the Cubs year, 100 years on from their last WS win, that it was destiny. It's alot of pressure, maybe a bit of that will be releived now we've gone past it. or maybe not. "Someday we'll go all the Way".

:'(:(:(:(

Good luck to the Rays, definately the team I want to see win out of the teams left in.

I don't know if you watch 'Around the Horn' or 'PTI' on NASN but there's been some pretty inciteful stuff coming from Jay Mariotti and Mike Wilbon. one of whom is a top Chicago sports writer and the other a rabid Cubs fan. It looks like the pressure and the weight of expectation got to a group of players who had proven themselves to be easily the best team in the NL. It will happen, we've seen Boston and the White Sox break these long long streaks of futility in the last few years, and once it does, there will probably be more Championships to come.

I'm not panicking from one Rays loss - I thought we would do well to win in Chicago - but I really don't want a game five, even though Shields and home field should win it for us.

 

[loz]

Dear Phillies

Please wander across the car park and have a word with the Eagles about how to win games.

sincerely,
loz.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

Rays Win! Rays Win! Rays Win!

The Rays beat the White Sox 6-2 in Chicago and now play Boston in the ALCS with a realistic shot at a spot in the World Series. The Red Sux have to be regarded as slight favourites as World Series Champions, but the Rays had the edge in the regular season, winning 10 of the 18 games between the clubs, and homefield advantage should be crucial considering how dominant each club was against the other at home. As per my original picks (I don't meant to gloat but I got all of the Division Series Winners right), I take the Rays in 7.

 

[Jedi Shrimper]

Well done old chap, nice to see the White Sux go out too.

 

[Irish_Shrimper]

The Rays beat the White Sox 6-2 in Chicago and now play Boston in the ALCS with a realistic shot at a spot in the World Series. The Red Sux have to be regarded as slight favourites as World Series Champions, but the Rays had the edge in the regular season, winning 10 of the 18 games between the clubs, and homefield advantage should be crucial considering how dominant each club was against the other at home. As per my original picks (I don't meant to gloat but I got all of the Division Series Winners right), I take the Rays in 7.

Don't think that matters at all - Lost more games to the Angels this year and look what happened in the ALDS...

Should be a series of great intrigue. I won't predict however, as when I do, a curse worse than the one of the bambino seems to hover over the team :D

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

Don't think that matters at all - Lost more games to the Angels this year and look what happened in the ALDS...

Should be a series of great intrigue. I won't predict however, as when I do, a curse worse than the one of the bambino seems to hover over the team :D

It matters when the Rays won the last two games at Fenway, the win over Papelbon (including Dan Johnson's pinch hit homer) and the 14 inning epic must give the Rays a psychological edge, especially when there is no play-off hoodoo that the Sux hold over TB the way they did over the Halos.

 

[Irish_Shrimper]

It matters when the Rays won the last two games at Fenway, the win over Papelbon (including Dan Johnson's pinch hit homer) and the 14 inning epic must give the Rays a psychological edge, especially when there is no play-off hoodoo that the Sux hold over TB the way they did over the Halos.

I don't think it matters as much as you think. The playoffs no doubt bring a different set of pressures onto the field - and I expect the big players like Papelbon, Big Papi, Youk and co. to really step it up in the attempt to retain the AL and World Series Championships. What happened towards the end of the regular season should, I hope, be in distant memory now.

The question I would pose is, can the Rays handle the pressure of a possible 7 gamer against the defending champs, and all the hype, media, fan expectation that comes with it?

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

I don't think it matters as much as you think. The playoffs no doubt bring a different set of pressures onto the field - and I expect the big players like Papelbon, Big Papi, Youk and co. to really step it up in the attempt to retain the AL and World Series Championships. What happened towards the end of the regular season should, I hope, be in distant memory now.

The question I would pose is, can the Rays handle the pressure of a possible 7 gamer against the defending champs, and all the hype, media, fan expectation that comes with it?

It's a fair question fella, but they've passed every other test so far. When they first started to look like making a play-off run, everyone asked 'Can the Rays handle the pressure of a pennant race?'. Then it was 'Can the Rays go to Fenway and win?'; 'Can the Rays hold on and win the division?'; 'Will the young pitching staff freeze in the postseason?'; 'Can they bounce back from a play-off loss?'.

They have defied the doubters and the critics all year. These guys are the real deal. I have no illusions that winning the ALCS will be easy - Boston are the World Champions and have some phenomenal talent, many of whom are proven play-off performers. Lester has owned the Rays when he has pitched against them (2 runs scored in twenty innings) and Boston has shut down BJ Upton (he's batting .128 against them) - these are crucial stats - especially with Upton hitting three HRs in his last two outings and the possibility that Shields or Kaz will get no run support.

The major factor for me is that the Rays are now able to put their best starting line-up out on the field for the first time in three months. Longoria and Crawford were missing from much of the stretch run but have both come up big in the play-offs. This gives the Rays great depth both offensively and defensively when they can call on guys like Baldelli, Floyd, Hinske and Perez off the bench.

I'm not buying pressure or the size of the occasion as reasons why the Rays will struggle anymore. They have come up big too many times and overcome too many king-sized obstacles for there to be any fear of a club they have already beaten 10 times. Both teams can win this series - the first one to 'break serve' as in winning at the other team's ballpark will have a huge advantage. It's going to be an incredible ride - I fear the World Series may be an anti-climax after this one.

 

[Jedi Shrimper]

I don't think it matters as much as you think. The playoffs no doubt bring a different set of pressures onto the field - and I expect the big players like Papelbon, Big Papi, Youk and co. to really step it up in the attempt to retain the AL and World Series Championships. What happened towards the end of the regular season should, I hope, be in distant memory now.

The question I would pose is, can the Rays handle the pressure of a possible 7 gamer against the defending champs, and all the hype, media, fan expectation that comes with it?

Exactly. The pressure is on the Red Sox more. As you yourself say you expect your big players to step up. Despite being the AL East Champs, the Rays are still the underdogs in many people's eyes so there is less pressure on them than there is on the Red Sox.

 

[Irish_Shrimper]

It's a fair question fella, but they've passed every other test so far. When they first started to look like making a play-off run, everyone asked 'Can the Rays handle the pressure of a pennant race?'. Then it was 'Can the Rays go to Fenway and win?'; 'Can the Rays hold on and win the division?'; 'Will the young pitching staff freeze in the postseason?'; 'Can they bounce back from a play-off loss?'.

They have defied the doubters and the critics all year. These guys are the real deal. I have no illusions that winning the ALCS will be easy - Boston are the World Champions and have some phenomenal talent, many of whom are proven play-off performers. Lester has owned the Rays when he has pitched against them (2 runs scored in twenty innings) and Boston has shut down BJ Upton (he's batting .128 against them) - these are crucial stats - especially with Upton hitting three HRs in his last two outings and the possibility that Shields or Kaz will get no run support.

The major factor for me is that the Rays are now able to put their best starting line-up out on the field for the first time in three months. Longoria and Crawford were missing from much of the stretch run but have both come up big in the play-offs. This gives the Rays great depth both offensively and defensively when they can call on guys like Baldelli, Floyd, Hinske and Perez off the bench.

I'm not buying pressure or the size of the occasion as reasons why the Rays will struggle anymore. They have come up big too many times and overcome too many king-sized obstacles for there to be any fear of a club they have already beaten 10 times. Both teams can win this series - the first one to 'break serve' as in winning at the other team's ballpark will have a huge advantage. It's going to be an incredible ride - I fear the World Series may be an anti-climax after this one.

Some very good points sir. It will no doubt at the very least, go back to the Trop for a game 6/7, and that shall be absolutely intense. Especially if we can work it out for Mr Lester to be pitching the possible game 7.

With regards your final point, I hope so - but just not as much of a stomach churner as the 0-3 ALCS comeback against the Yanks a couple years back. Think I lost 10 years of life expectancy that week.

 

[dashman]

Bring on the BoSox - Go Rays!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/rosenblog/2008/10/a-sox-fan-reven.html