Quick Review of Yesterday's Games: NFL and LCS Weekend

What a weekend for sports:

ALCS: It wasn't always pretty but the Yankees are up 2-0, despite the weather, the confident Angles, a poor history with the Angels, a few errors, wintery weather, Nick Adenhart, cold, bad hitting with RISP, rain, too many men left on base, a big chill, second-guessed decisions...and did I mention the cold and the rain? They just found ways to win and had another wild walk-off. It's better to be lucky than good. Alex Rodriguez may have won the weekend with his 3rd game tying home run of the playoffs, each of which have come in the 7th inning or later. He has added his name to the redemption column after he hit a curious 0-2 pitch over the short right field wall. Do they compare to the 1998 team? Maybe not. Only if Robinson Cano is ready to blow a bubble and point at the ball (maybe instead of "Blauch-head", they'll go with "Can-not" or something witty like that). Maybe they could come up with a good one for Ronan Tynan too. Still a 5-0 start to the postseason is impressive. They're reduced a potential Hall-of-Fame player to a gimpy shell of his former self that many are suggesting should be dropped in the lineup. And they're making a supposedly good defensive team look bad. Now the Yanks get to play under the blue, sunny skies of Anaheim (or is it LA? either way the mayor won't bet on the team) and try to end this series before it comes back to New York again, though we all expect the Angels not to go quietly into the night. We know Mariano Rivera is ready to do whatever it takes as is Derek Jeter, but so is David Robertson.

NLCS: Pedro may have been pulled too early in a League Championship Series game. Have you heard that one before? (Paging Grady Little!). The Phillies lost a tough one on Friday that they led late. Chase Utley is pulling his best Chuck Knoublauch impression which is pretty much what I expected when I talked about how great he was defensively previewing this series (oy). It may just be a few games, but it looks like he has the yips. Who would have thought months ago that Pedro Martinez vs. Vincente Padilla would be the pitcher's duel of the NCLS? The Phillies got one back behind Cliff Lee and some serious offense, winning 11-0 yesterday. Maybe the Dodgers need to stop pitching to Ryan Howard. This series is now 2-1 and the pressure falls onto the shoulder of Randy Wolf, who still has a lot of fans in Philly. The other guys who have a lot of fans in Philly? This Cliff Lee fella who is making up for lost time and "Chooooooooch". Think the Dodgers wish they would have paid up for Cliff Lee? The one question for the Phillies: why were they pitching Cliff Lee so late?

NFL: Cliff Lee has more Ks than the Eagles had points as they lost an embarrassing game to the Oakland Raiders.There is no need to worry about Tom Brady as the Patriots won a laugher you probably can't believe. The Saints embarrassed the Giants, who lost a question-mark game. Mark Sanchez was awful for the Jets (and for my fantasy team).

Today:

• Yankees @ Angels Game 3
  
• Dodgers @ Phillies Game 4
• MNF Broncos @ Chargers

Quick Review of Yesterday's Games: NLDS Game 4

Phillies 5, Rockies 4 - Probably the best series out of the bunch. The last three games were all one-run games. And this may have been the best of the bunch. Carlos Gonzalez went absolutely insane for the Rockies and looks like a star in the making. And it looked like the game was going to the Rockies, especially after a huge 8th inning rally where Dexter Fowler leaped over Chase Utley (I give him a 8.5 for the jump, but a 3 for the awkward slide afterward). But the Phillies are never out of it (I was there in July with Joe Biden when they came back from 4 runs down in the 9th to beat Pittsburgh) and they proved once again to be a resilient team with a great combination of fortitude and talent. Brad Lidge still doesn't inspire any confidence, but he got the job done again for his second save. Biggest mistake of the game, in my opinion, was the Rockies not bringing in lefty Joe Beimel against Ryan Howard in the 9th inning. I know that Huston Street is the closer, but isn't that why you have a lefty specialist? Charlie Manuel brought in Ryan Madson when he needed him in Game 3 (the 7th). You're best reliever should be used in your tightest spots. But if you have a specialist in your bullpen, use him! Cliff Lee, who had never pitched in a playoff game before last week, was dominant again. As was Ubaldo Jiminez. But the problems for both teams occurred once the bullpens were used. The Phillies move on to face the Dodgers (again) as they look to continue their title defense.

Side note: The picture to the right is from Yahoo! Sports. Shane Victor-ino may be one of the best sports names. Also a pretty darn good baseball player. But the best part of him is that he seems to be having a lot of fun out there no matter what the circumstances.

Coming up:

• Phillies @ Dodgers starts Thursday. First preview here.
  
• Angels @ Yankees starts Friday. First preview here.

No baseball until Thursday!??! Painful!

Quick Review of Yesterday's Games: ALDS Weekend

New York Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins
Game 2 - Yankees 4, Twins 3 (11 innings): What more can I say? I was there! So were 50,006 which was a new record for the New Yankee Stadium as the Stadium shook on multiple occasions. Matt Tolbert's oblique strain was the worst thing that happened to the Yankees in the series as Tolbert's replacement, Brendan Harris, almost singlehandedly won Game 2 for the Twins. David Robertson got his due after getting out of an all-time jam in the top of the 11th. Even though the Yankees won a ridiculously dramatic game that will be a Yankee Classic, all anyone could talk about afterward was instant replay. Earth to the reporters who have nothing better to write: it may not have made a difference! Joe Nathan, one of the top 3 closers in the AL, was on the mound for the Twins with a golden chance to tie this series up at 1, but failed. Then Mark Teixeira finally got a piece of the pie. Some more postgame reaction from fans who were there here, here, here, here, and here.

Game 3 - Yankees 4, Twins 1: The comeback kids did it again and produced some memorable images. It took a while for the offensive to get going against Carl Pavano who was seeking redemption but the Yankees came on late (again) and won. A-Rod continued to crush his playoff reputation. The Yankees helped to tear down the Metrodome and will advance to the ALCS to take on their nemesis, the Angels, instead of their archrival. A-Rod is ready for some payback against the Halos after he continues to pass his test with flying colors. It was fitting it was Posada and the "Old Guard" that helped end the ALDS, though it was really a combination of A-Rod and the "Dynasty Boys". It was also some historically awful postseason baserunning by the Twins that did them in, including "fundamentally sound" Nick Punto who may not be such a gamer after all, as shocking as that is to the Minnesota media. Still, their manager had a lot of classy things to say in defeat. The Twins' run is finally over. Bring on the Angels!


Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs. Boston Red Sox
Game 2 - Angels 4, Red Sox 1: For a second game in a row, Boston got out-aced with Jered Weaver out-pitching Josh Beckett. One big inning proved to be too much for the Red Sox. The Angels dominated the Red Sox in Games 1 and 2 wall to wall and put their backs against the Green Monster. The Red Sox just didn't do their part to make Yankees/Red Sox III happen. The bats failed the Red Sox in the first two games. The Red Sox tried to conjure up remembrance of comebacks past to help them out.

Game 3 - Angels 7, Red Sox 6: This was a great scenario for the Red Sox: they got a 12 PM game, at home, against a west coast team that hasn't played well in their ballpark. They got a 5-1 lead and the infamous afternoon shadows started to creep in. There was 4 outs to go and a 5-2 lead so the Red Sox went to Jonathan Papelbon, their lights-out closer. He gave up two runs (allowing two inherited runners to score) in the bottom of the 8th. The Red Sox got an insurance run in the top of the 9th and that looked like it would loom large. In the bottom of the 9th, Papelbon had two outs and an 0-2 count. It's over, right? Not exactly. A total meltdown for Papelbon (and a great job the Angels to expose his flaws) and an ill-conceived intentional walk and the Red Sox are swept in the first round. Well Bostonians can enjoy their cell phones and watching the Yanks and Angels the rest of the postseason. Or there's other ways to get over the Red Sox (H/T Jenn). Jonathan Papelbon may take the blame of Red Sox Nation as they try to fix the team for the future, regroup and figure out what went wrong and why they fell apart as a team. Give credit to Vlad Guerrero for one of the best postseason moments so far (though I won't call it the best) and one of the greatest Angels' victories. The Angels are a tough team.


Los Angeles Dodgers vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Game 3 - Dodgers 5, Cardinals 1: The Cardinals never recovered from Matt Holliday dropping that line drive. What a swing of events (Billy Buckner-esque) as the Cardinals are eliminated in a sweep and the Dodgers move on to the NLCS once again. If the Cards could have won this game, they would have had Carpenter and Wainwright (who was brilliant) pitching in Games 4 and 5. But it never got to that point. The Cards looked flat and dejected and the Dodgers just steamrolled all over them. Vincente Padilla feels at home in Los Angeles. Joe Torre is the toast of the town after guiding Los Angeles back to the NLCS. It almost feels like it will be Joe Torre back in the Bronx at the end of October, a finish baseball needs.


Philadelphia Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies Game 3 - Phillies 6, Rockies 5: After being snowed out, the Phillies and Rockies played a great, cold one in Colorado. The game went back-and-forth and back-and-forth but the Phillies proved to be more resilient. Give MAJOR props to Charlie Manuel who used his best reliever, Ryan Madson, when it counted the most instead of waiting for the traditional save situation. Brad Lidge got a little redemption for a day as he got the save. Lidge came in one of the worst closers in recent NL history and came out of it with the save after throwing a pitch he hadn't thrown in a very long time. It felt like the Phillies had turned back the clock a year when the game was over. That all being said, Lidge put two runners on base in the 9th so you can't feel that comfortable with him. But it's baby steps. Maybe it was the Colorado pitching. And maybe another bad umpiring decision. Either way, 2-1 lead for the Phillies (who are now in the driver's seat), though it was over way too late for me to stay up and see the end of the game. In fact, it was the longest 9-inning postseason game in NL (NLDS or NLCS) history. With Cliff Lee going tonight, this one could be over.

Today:

• 6 PM game - Phillies @ Rockies: Cliff Lee vs. Jose Jiminez
  
• Dodgers off until NLCS starts Thursday
  
• Yankees and Angels off until ALCS starts Friday

Quick Review of Yesterday's Games: ALDS Day 2

Rockies 5, Phillies 4: Cole Hamels didn't pitch well and then ran to the hospital to be with his wife who was in labor. One of the pitches hit out? A Cole Hamels curveball by Yorvit Torrealba (who took inspiration from his son) which was a first for both of them this season. Then Charlie Manuel decided to dump out the starters out of the bullpen, pitching possible Game 3 starters JA Happ (who got hurt) and Joe Blanton (as well as my favorite-named pitcher, BASTARDO!). Some liked this move, others did not. The Phillies weren't able to come back despite rallying to make it a one-run game and putting two on in the 9th. There was a little role reversal in Philly and the Rockies offense looked revitalized. Now they're heading back to Colorado where it looks like it will snow, tied at 1 game a piece and Pedro Martinez will be on the mound (unless he decides to move Blanton into the rotation after throwing the inning in relief or use Happ coming back from injury). Charlie Manuel intends to keep everyone guessing on who his Game 3 starter will be. That could spell trouble for the Phillies. Also could doom the Phillies? Putting star starting pitchers in to pinch run. After Matt Stairs got on base, the Phillies pinch ran Cliff Lee for him. I know Cliff Lee had a stolen base the day before, but why take the chance? Now Philly goes from being in the driver's seat to needing to pull at least one game out of their hat in Colorado.

Dodgers 3, Cardinals 2: My roommate Ari, a Mets fan, said to me "it seems like Matt Holliday already thinks he's on the Mets." Let's be fair, the reason that the Cardinals had the lead in the first place was because of Holliday's home run and Ryan Franklin didn't have to give up another run. So there is blame to go around. But I don't think that will diminish the pain as the image is rebroadcasted of the catch (and maybe some Dewey-Truman-esque headlines). The one person who is probably happy? Luis Castillo who's dropped pop-up against the Yankees pales in comparison and significance. Adam Wainwright (who pitched brilliantly in a wasted effort) said it was the towels, but Matt Holliday said it was the light. I guess that's manning up, but it's still a loss. Let's see how the "best fans in baseball" react to him down 2-0. The Cards are indeed playing like their division rivals, the Cubs. Although victory dropped into the Dodgers' laps, let's give some credit to the Dodgers for not giving up and also their depth as they are on the cusp of another NLCS.

Angels 5, Red Sox 0: Red Sox fans, C.B. Bucknor did not lose this game for you; John Lackey just shut you down. Even if "Constantly Bad" Bucknor didn't make that call, they still would have had to score off of Lackey who out-aced Jon Lester. Lackey is making a play for a big free agent contract after a dominating performance, mixed with some revenge. Big Papi's 3rd strikeout of the game ended things in SoCal and, for one night, seemed to put an end to a hex, shifted the psychology, and made people believe that the Angels may be able to beat the Red Sox. Torii Hunter, a classic bad ball hitter, crushed a bad pitch by Lester (who was not great) and that was that. Now Josh Beckett has a lot of weight on his shoulders after being injured during last year's postseason as he tries to overcome the Angels, the Thunderstix and the Rally Monkey to salvage a split in Anaheim . If the Red Sox can get a game here, it may be tough for the Angels to win in Boston.

Today:

• 6 PM game: Twins @ Yankees - Blackburn vs. Burnett. I've written about the catching situation for AJ, but a few others have their opinion as well. Ian O'Connor considers this an "E-2" for Girardi. Jack Curry says that Posada is a spectator with AJ pitching. The Hartford Courant's Jeff Jacobs says that Posada needs to settle down and I agree with him; there's a fine line between being vocal about wanting to play and being a whiny cancer in the clubhouse by making this awkward for everyone involved. Sam Borden has Jose Molina's take and Joe Girardi's take on the situation. More in a little bit on this game before I head down to the Stadium
• Late game: Red Sox @ Angels - Josh Beckett vs. Jered Weaver. One totally legit criticism I heard about last night's game was that TBS couldn't get anything right as FanGraphs talks about: they went to commercial at the wrong times, they missed replays and graphics, and they just seemed a bit off, especially coming back from commercial late. Between that and Chip Caray's "verbal slump" as The New York Times calls it, TBS has had a worse playoff start than Matt Holliday and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Back later with more...

Quick Review of Yesterday's Games: ALDS Day 1

I'll try to do this every day (if I can) during the playoffs. Get you caught up on the games from the day before with lots of links to accompany it. Here we go on Day 1:

Yankees 7, Twins 2: As we said before, The Yankees won a vintage Yankees playoff game. They followed their blueprint for success, exactly the way they drew it up, and took apart a bad pitcher on a groggy and gassed team. Derek Jeter continued to lead the march and christened the New Yankee Stadium. CC was great and enjoyed the love. A-Rod looked horrible in his first two at-bats and instead of letting bad get worse, he got himself back on track and off the snide. Maybe it was Mr. October who finally helped A-Rod. The question is now can A-Rod build on his solid start (because, as we all know, he still has work to do)? Can the Yankees continue to pound the Twins? If A.J. Burnett is on tomorrow night, it may not matter and it may equal short trip to the playoffs for the Twinkies, especially with the American Idle himself, Carl Pavano, going in Game 3 for Minnesota.

Phillies 5, Rockies 1: When I picked the Phillies to just sneak by the Rockies, it was because I was worried about the Phillies having to go to their bullpen, knowing full-well that their starting pitching and hitting was superior. Well I can see Charlie Manuel's game plan now: Cliff Lee pitched a complete game (and savored the moment) and every player in Manuel's lineup got a hit, including Lee. That's one way not to use your bullpen. Lee's strategy was clear too: throw first-pitch strikes and pitch off the fastball. This was a good way to start a title defense and quiet the critics who wanted Cole Hamels to start Game 1 over Lee. The Phillies didn't lose at home last postseason and they're now 1-0 there. Some are suggesting that the Rockies change up their lineup, maybe benching Brad Hawpe. But this could be over fairly quickly if Hamels does his thing in Game 2.

Dodgers 5, Cardinals 3: Well that was a shocker, no? The Cardinals took a Cy Young candidate into a pitchers park and he didn't pitch very well at all. Matt Kemp's home run to center field was an absolute blast. It all worked out for the best for the Dodgers as the swagger is back, along with the big hits (though they did, amazingly, still strand 16 runners). In total, the teams set a division series record leaving 30 runners on base. For the Cardinals, the big hits were elusive (maybe that had to do with Albert Pujols being walked intentionally in his first two ABs). The winners escape the scrutiny when men are left on base, the losers do not.In the end, it was the longest game in division series history. The Dodgers relief stood out as well. The good news for the Cardinals? They get to throw out their other Cy Young candidate, Adam Wainwright, in Game 2.

Today:

• Early game: Colorado @ Philadelphia Game 2 (Cook vs. Hamels)
  
• 6 PM game: St. Louis @ Los Angeles NL Game 2 (Wainwright vs. Kershaw)
  
• Late game: Red Sox @ Los Angeles AL Game 1 (Lester vs. Lackey) - Baseball Musings has a preview
• Yankees and Twins have a workout day