Carpenter shuts out Phillies 1-0 as Cardinals advance to NLCS!

By Kshell

In big playoff games especially elimination games you tend to have great hype heading into the contest. Then once in a while you have a game like this game where the game actually exceeds the hype. In today's game five elimination game which saw the Philadelphia Phillies who are the heavy favorites to win the World Series take on the St.Louis Cardinals who were left for the dead just two weeks ago. You saw two former Cy Young award pitchers in Roy Halladay for the Phillies take on Chris Carpenter of the Cardinals. Both aces and former teammates were terrific as they combined to pitch 17 innings allowing only one run. Carpenter won the matchup with a complete game three-hit shutout to advance the Cardinals. The Cardinals scored early in this contest and that was all the scoring they would need.

The first inning would begin like the last time Roy Halladay took the hill for the Phillies. With the Cardinals scoring right out of the gate then be shutdown for the next seven innings. Halladay gave up a leadoff triple to Rafael Furcal to start the game. Skip Schumaker followed that up with an RBI double scoring Furcal. The Cardinals with the first two batters of the game already had a 1-0 lead on Halladay. Pujols would ground into a fielders choice as the Phillies recorded the out on Schumaker who tried to go to third. Pujols then moved up on a wild pitch into scoring position. After a fielding error by the Phillies Halladay finally put the scoring threat away. He got Matt Holiday to fly out then had a ground out to end the inning. That was a shaky first inning for the Phillies ace who was fortunate to only allow one run.

This game was a great pitching duel between Halladay and Carpenter. Both pitchers would go back and forth throwing up zero's on the scoreboard. In the fourth inning the Philles finally had a rally against Carpenter. The inning began with Utley being hit by a pitch. Hunter Pence grounded into a fielders choice for the first out. Ryan Howard came up only to line out to right centerfield for the second out. Shane Victorino singled advancing Pence to third base. Raul Ibanez came up to plate against Carpenter hoping to at least tie the game up. Carpenter made a mistake pitch to Ibanez as he smashed the ball to deep right field. The ball hung high up in the air only to be caught by Berkman at the wall as the Cardinals continued to lead 1-0 after four innings.

The game continued to go scoreless as both teams aces brought their best stuff. The Phillies were running out of outs as they were trailing 1-0 heading into the top of the seventh inning. The Phillies had one last chance in the bottom of the seventh inning. Leading off the inning was their slugger Howard who Carpenter fell behind 3-0. Charlie Manuel decided to green light his slugger. Carpenter left a ball over the plate as Howard had a good swing on the ball. The ball was a line drive to right field for the first out. Carpenter would retire the next two batters with ease. Carpenter was set to leadoff the eighth inning which left Tony LaRussa with a tough decision to make. With the Cardinals already up 1-0 so technically they don't have to score anymore LaRussa would stick with his ace and let him hit the in the eighth inning.


In the top half of the eighth inning the Cardinals had a chance to put Halladay and the Phillies away. Carpenter facing his old friend Halladay would actually single to lead off the eighth inning. Furcal tried to bunt and was safe on an error by the Phillies catcher. After a bunt and then Halladay intentionally walked Albert Pujols to face Lance Berkman. The Phillies were down just 1-0 but the Cardinals had the bases loaded with one out. Halladay would show why he is one of the games best pitchers. Halladay went after Berkman with cutters and changup's. On a 2-2 count he busted Berkman inside with a 90 mile per hour cutter for a huge second out for the strikeout. Halladay wasn't out of the jam yet as he still had to face Matt Holliday. Halladay would fall behind in the count 2-0 on Holliday but battled back to pound two more strikes. Then Holliday almost quieted the crowd as he belted the ball to deep left field. Holliday hit it at the end of the bat as Ibanez made the catch in left to keep the game at 1-0. For Halladay who was coming up to bat knew his night was over. Halladay who gave up a run in the first two batters settled down to allow no more runs like he did during game one. His fishing partner Carpenter was pitching so well that Halladay was on the hook for the loss 1-0.

After retiring the Phillies in the eighth inning instead of going to his closer the Cardinals turned to Carpenter to finish the Phillies. Carpenter retired Utley to start off the ninth. Then Pence was robbed of a base hit which set it all up for Howard. Carpenter would finish the Phillies season as Howard grounded out to first base. Howard on the play possibly hurt his MCL and will be evaluated later. The mighty Phillies were eliminated in the first round which was a stunning upset. The Phillies losing pitcher was Halladay who went eight innings, allowed six hits, one run and struck out seven. He was outshined by Carpenter who pitched nine innings, gave up just three hits while striking out three in a 1-0 shutout victory. For the Cardinals who were left for the dead  just two weeks ago to eliminate the "Dream Team" that was huge.

In conclusion, the baseball playoffs had our first stunning upset in years. The Phillies who had four aces were eliminated in the first round. Meanwhile the Cardinals will face off against the Brewers in the NLCS in a battle of the NL central. The Cardinanls led by LaRussa are back in the hunt for yet another championship. This was an incredible first round of playoff baseball. Hopefully the league championship series can follow this up. The Cardinals a team nobody was even talking about just two weeks ago are suddenly just four wins away from the World Series.

Game two LDS recaps

By Kshell

The baseball playoffs continued today as three games were all compelling. In a best of five game series game two is so crucial as teams are trying to even the series stealing homefield or teams are trying to go up 2-0. Today saw two road teams win  to steal homefield advantage while another team took care of business with a big inning to go up 2-0 in the series. One team saw a former Cy Young award winner blow a 4-0 lead. In another game the home team was down early but rallied late in the game with the go ahead man at the plate. In the third game saw a team blow a 4-1 lead only to score five runs to put the game away. In this following post I'll give a short recap of the three playoff games.

Brewers use five run sixth inning to win 9-4 over D-Backs; leads series 2-0:

The Brewers began this critical game two hoping to go up 2-0 in the series to be one game away from their first postseason series victory since 1982. The Brewers sent former Cy Young award winner Zach Greinke to the hill. In this game Greinke couldn't hang onto a 4-1 lead but the Brewers offense rallied in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead for good as the Diamondbacks bullpen imploaded.

The game started off terrific for the Brewers as Ryan Bruan hit a two-run homerun in the bottom of the first inning off of Daniel Hudson to give the Brewers a 2-0 lead. The Diamondbacks would respond in the top of the second inning with a Paul Goldschmidt homerun to cut the lead in half at 2-1.

In the third inning the Brewers would score two more runs as Prince Fielder would single in Ryan Braun with a shallow single. Richie Weeks would triple to deep centerfield scoring the slow footed Fielder from first base to give the Brewers a 4-1 lead. Chris Young of the Diamondbacks in the top of the fourth inning would go yard as the Diamondbacks pulled within 4-2.

In the fifth inning Greinke trying to hold a 4-2 lead couldn't do so. After allowing an Aaron Hill base hit he would make a mistake to all-star Justin Upton who homered to deep left field to tie the game up at 4-4. That would be Greinke's final inning as he last just five innings, allowing eight hits, four earned runs, three homeruns while striking out seven. The Brewers would change the series in the bottom half of the sixth inning.

In the bottom of the sixth inning Daniel Hudson retired the first batter he faced. After allowing a double to Jerry Hariston Jr. that would end Hudson's night as he was pulled for Brad Ziegler. After a walk and a balk the Brewers had first and third with one out with Jonathan Lecroy up. Lecroy had a sacrifice to Ziegler who committed a two base error scoring Hariston Jr. while allowing the Brewers to have second and third with one out while being up 5-4. After an intentional walk with the bases loaded the Brewers saw Corey Hart come up with an RBI single to give the Brewers a 6-4 lead. Nyjer Morgan would put the game away with a two-run RBI single extending the lead to 8-4. Braun would record an RBI single to give the Brewers the 9-4 lead. That is when Ziegler's day was finally over as he allowed four runs while not recording a single out. Hudson would receive the loss allowing five runs in 5.1 innings.

The Brewers were led by their offense and bullpen once again. The bullpen went four shutout innings striking out six Diamondbacks hitters. For the offense they were led by Ryan Braun who was three for four with three RBI's and two runs scored. The Diamondbacks were carried by Chris Young who was three for four with a homerun. For the Brewers they just have to win one game in the next three to win their first playoff series since 1982. For the Diamondbacks they are hoping to avoid being swept for the third time in franchise history in the postseason.

 Cabrera has huge game for Tigers as they even up the series with a 5-3 win over Yankees:

The Detroit Tigers earned the road split that they wanted as they return home hoping to finish the Yankees off in four games like they did in 2006. The Tigers received a lights out performance from Max Scherzer and fended off a late rally by the Yankees to tie the series up at 1-1.

Going up against veteran playoff pitcher Freddy Garcia the Tigers jumped on the board in the first inning. Miguel Cabrera hit a two-run home run opposite field scoring Miguel Ordanez to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead which is all Scherzer would need.

In the sixth inning after Garcia had settled down the Tigers got to Garcia again. Cabrera would single scoring former Yankees top prospect Austin Jackson to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead. Victor Martinez would also single giving the Tigers a 4-0 lead. That was all for Garcia as he went 5.1 innings, allowing four runs, three earned while striking out seven.

Curtis Granderson finally got the Yankees on the board with a homerun in the bottom of the eighth inning to cut the lead to 4-1. In the top of the ninth Don Kelly who came in as a defensive replacement would single to shallow center scoring Brandon Inge giving the Tigers a 5-1 lead. The ball was then handed to their closer Jose Valverde who hadn't blown a save all season long.

Yankees made the ninth inning interesting as Nick Swisher led the inning off with a homer cutting the lead to 5-2. Jorge Posada would triple to deep center and then Valverde would walk Russell Martin would brought the tying run at the plate. Andrew Jones recorded a sacrifice fly scoring Posada cutting the lead to 5-3. Valverde then struck out Derek Jeter for the second out but would walk Granderson. Robinson Cano the go ahead runner at the plate who had six RBI's the previous game was the batter. Valverde got Cano to ground out to end the game as the Tigers held on.

The Tigers were led by Cabrera who was three for four with a homerun and three RBI's. Magglio Ordonez was three for three with a run scored. Scherzer went six shutout innings striking out five Yankees batters. Now the series will resume in Detroit as both aces will be taking the hill in what is now a best of three series. The Tigers recorded the split they wanted and now for the Yankees they must have at least a split or their season will end in disappointment.

Cardinals rally from 4-0 deficit to Lee to even series up:

The Cardinals who rallied just to make the postseason were asked to rally again. After blowing a 3-0 lead in game one it was the Cardinals who rallied this game. The Cardinals sent their ace Chris Carpenter on three days rest in game two. Carpenter was blown up but the bullpen kept the Cardinals in the game. After falling behind 4-0 to Cy Young award winner and postseason legend Cliff Lee the Cardinals rallied to beat the Phillies 5-4.

The game began horribly for Carpenter and the Cardinals. He loaded the bases with nobody out for Ryan Howard who had burned the Cardinals in game one. Howard then recorded a two-run RBI single to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead. Raul Ibanez would single scoring Hunter Pence to give the Phillies a commanding 3-0 lead in the first inning. The Phillies would tack on another run in the second inning on a Hunter Pence RBI single scoring Jimmy Rollins. With Cliff Lee on the mound the 4-0 lead seemed untouchable.

The mighty Lee would finally start to show signs of being human in October in the fourth inning. The inning would begin with a rare walk by Lee followed up by a strikeout. Lee would allow a base hit to set up first and second with one man down. Ryan Theriot doubled to right scoring Berkman while Molina advanced to third base to pull the Cardinals within 4-1. Jon Jay singles to right cutting the lead to 4-2.  Lee would record another strikeout only to allow an RBI base hit to Rafael Furcal scoring Theriot but Jay was gunned out at the plate by Raul Ibanez to keep the lead at 4-3. Carpenter was lifted for a pinch hitter lasting only three innings giving up four runs striking out just two.

In the sixth inning the Cardinals would finally tie the game up on Lee. After recording two quick outs Lee would allow a double to Theriot. The game would be tied up as Jay singled in Theriot. Allen Craig would lead off the seventh inning with a triple off of Lee. Setting up Albert Pujols who singled in the go ahead run to give the Cardinals a 5-4 lead. Lee would be finished going six innings, allowing 12 hits, five runs while striking out nine.

The Cardinals would hang on for the 5-4 win sending the series back to St.Louis tied up at one game apiece. The Cardinals were led by Jon Jay who was two for three with two RBI's. Pujols was two for five with an RBI while the Cardinals bullpen went six shutout innings striking out six batters. For the Phillies who were the "dream team" they have lost their homefield advantage in a game they had to feel they let go.

In conclusion, the baseball playoffs at least had some drama and we have three of the four series tied up at one game apiece which is good. Baseball needs these series to go pretty far because too many times in the past the series have been short lived. I love the baseball postseason and hopefully this week when not competing with football others will enjoy them as well. October baseball nothing beats it. We saw two road teams rally to even up the series which is what playoff baseball is all about.

Game one LDS recap; game two ALDS recap Texas-Tampa Bay

By Kshell

The baseball playoffs on day two saw a rare moment in baseball playoffs. All four home teams won as there was plenty of offense to go around in these games. You saw Texas-Tampa Bay battle to see if this will be a series or if the Rays will control the series. The Yankees-Tigers resumed play after the game was postponed at 1-1 tie in the bottom of the second inning which proved to have a wild inning. In the Phillies-Cardinals game two great franchises saw Roy Halladay get roughed up early on but then return to form. Then the fourth game saw two teams who aren't in the playoffs very much in the Brewers and Diamondbacks. That game was your typical playoff game where there was no big innings but instead death by papercuts. In this following post I'll give a quick recap of each playoff game.


Robinson Cano drives in six runs as Yankees win 9-3 to take 1-0 series lead:

The game resumed at 1-1 in the second inning as both teams lost their ace pitchers. The Yankees went with Ian Nova while the Tigers went with Doug Fister. The game remained 1-1 until the fifth inning when Robinson Cano drove in former Tiger Curtis Granderson with an RBI double to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead.

In the six inning that is when Doug Fister would fall apart. Brett Gardner would have a two-run single driving in Mark Teixeira and Jorge Posada to give the Yankees a 4-1 lead. The Yankees would put the game away when Cano would hit a grand slam off of Al Aburquerque to give the Yankees an 8-1 lead.

The Yankees would win 9-3 as Cano would finish the game three for five with a home run, two doubles and six RBI's. Yankees "reliever" Ian Nova would get the win going 6.1 innings, allowing just two earned runs while striking out five. For the Tigers Doug Fister had a rough outing lasting only 4.2 innings giving up six runs while striking out six. For both teams losing their aces really hurt but the Yankees took advantage to take a 1-0 series lead.

Rangers use five run inning to even series with 8-6 win:

After being embarassed in game one at home the Texas Rangers bounced back in game two. After trailing 3-0 the Rangers exploded in the fourth inning scoring five runs off of James Shields. The Rangers also saw young pitcher Derek Holland step up when his team needed them most.

Leading 1-0, Matt Joyce hit a two-run homerun driving in Casey Kotchman to give the Rays a 3-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning. That is when the Rangers offense finally woke up after being outscored 12-0 through the first 12 and a half innings of play in the playoffs.

With the bases loaded former Mariners third baseman Adrian Beltre was hit by a pitch to make the game 3-1. Mike Napoli came up with a big two-run base hit which tied up the game up at 3-3. Then Beltre would score on a wild pitch giving the Rangers a 4-3 lead. Mitch  Moreland would ground out which allowed Napoli to score. When the inning was over the Rangers held a 5-3 lead over the Rays.

In the sixth inning Ian Kinsler would add to the Rangers lead with a two-run double giving the Rangers a 7-3 lead over the Rays. In the top of the seventh the Rays would strike back as Eva Longoria would hit a three-run homerun to cut the lead to 7-6.  Mitch Moreland would homer in the bottom of the eighth to give the Rangers an 8-6 lead. The Rangers would hang on for the 8-6 win which would tie the series up at 1-1.

The Rangers offense exploded today unlike yesterday getting shutout. The Rangers would pound out 10 hits while scoring eight runs. The Rangers were led by several guys including Ian Kinsler who was two for five with two RBI's, Mike Napoli was two for four with two RBI's and two runs, and Mitch Moreland who was one for three with a homerun and two RBI's. Starting pitcher Derek Holland went five innings allowing one earned run with two strikeouts. The Rays didn't receive a good outing from James Shields who lasted five innings allowing seven runs while striking out six.

Phillies erupt late to win 11-6 behind Howard's key homerun:

The game started off rocky for the Phillies ace Roy Halladay unlike last year. Last year in the NLDS Halladay threw a perfect game against the Reds. This year he began the playoffs by allowing a three-run home run to Lance Berkman in the first inning as the Cardinals took a 3-0 lead.

Trailing 3-1 entering the sixth inning the Phillies erupted off of Kyle Lohse. With two men on Ryan Howard did what he does best which is hit a home run to give the Phillies a 4-3 lead. Then Raul Ibanez followed that up with a two-run blast to give the Phillies a 6-3 lead.

The Phillies would score three more runs in the seventh innings. Howard would have a sacrifice fly to give the Phillies a 7-3 lead. Shane Victorino had a single scoring Chase Utley to give the Phillies a 8-3 lead. Raul Ibanez followed that with an RBI single to give the Phillies a commanding 9-3 lead.

The Phillies would hang on to win 11-6. Roy Halladay would earn the win going eight innings, allowing just three hits, three runs and eight strikeouts. The Phillies were led by their bats which saw Ryan Howard go one for three with a homerun and four RBI's. Raul Ibanez would go two for four with a homerun and three RBI's. For the Cardinals Lohse went 5.1 innings allowing six runs, five earned while striking out five.

Gallardo shuts down big D-Backs bats to lift Brew Crew to a 4-1 victory:

In a game which many expected to feature a ton of scoring instead was the low scoring game of the day. Led by Yovani Gallardo who pitched eight terrific innings for the Brewers. While the offense did just enough for the Brewers to earn the win.

There was no scoring until the fourth inning when Jerry Hariston had a sacrifice fly scoring Ryan Braun. The Brewers would score again in the sixth when Jonathan Lucroy drove in Yuniesky Betancourt to give the Brewers a 2-0 lead.

The game would be put away in the seventh inning when Prince Fielder hit a big two-run homerun off of Ian Kennedy to give the Brew Crew a 4-0 lead. Gallardo would allow a homerun in the eighth inning but that didn't matter as the Brewers won 4-1.

The Brewers were led by Gallardo who pitched eight innings, four hits, one run and struck out nine guys. While the Diamondbacks ace Ian Kennedy went 6.2 innings allowing four runs with three strikeouts. The Brewers were led by their stud hitter Fielder who was 2-4 with a homerun and two RBI's.

In conclusion, this was a good day for baseball as the home teams won so the crowd was exciting. I love this time of the year with the baseball playoffs. Expect to see more pitching as the playoffs go on as high scoring games only happen in the LDS while the playoffs go on pitching becomes more dominant.

Seattle Mariners weekly review: June 13th-June 19th edition

By Kshell

This week saw the beginning of hopefully a new era for the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners finally called up highly rated prospect Dustin Ackley when they took on the Philadelphia Phillies who came into this series with a seven game winning streak. The Mariners partly because of Ackley's bat defeated the Phillies two out of three. The called up Ackley after losing two out of three to division rival the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. This week saw plenty of great pitching for the Mariners and once again the hitting slumped this week. This was a tough week hitting wise for any team as the Mariners went up against Jered Weaver, Dan Haren, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels. So for the Mariners to go 3-3 this week was pretty incredible. The Mariners are also just a half game back of first place of the Texas Rangers in the closely tight AL West race. The Mariners went 3-3 this week but I'll keep things positive so I'll go with the good(pitching as usual), the bad(two call ups in Left Field) and the awesome(more on two specific pitchers). The Mariners under first year manager Eric Wedge are playing some good baseball and with the addition of Ackley look for the offense to improve.

The Good:

Well there was plenty of good to talk about this week for the Mariners. The Mariners saw two prospects hit their first career major league home run this week. The fans packed the house this weekend including selling out Fathers Day for only the second sell out of the season. The Mariners also saw Justin Smoak break out of his slump last week and now this week saw Ichiro come alive. Ichiro who had been slumping badly for about six weeks broke out of his slump this week. Was it because he finally got a day off? Who knows but all I know is it was nice to see Ichiro on base. When on base Ichiro was stealing some bases this week as well. Another bright spot was the pitching especially by Jason Vargas who if not for a bad break against the Angels would have went 2-0 this week. As is Vargas threw a complete shutout to outpitch Cole Hamels and win 2-0 over the Phillies. There was indeed plenty of good things to talk about this week which was nice to see for the Mariners.

Good Hitting:

Ichiro: 12-25(.480), 6 runs, 4 SB's
Greg Halman: 3-10(.300), HR(first career), Run, RBI, SB
Justin Smoak: 6-17(.352), 2 RBI's, 6 BB's(.521 OB%)
Dustin Ackley: 3-11(.273), HR(first career), RBI, 2 runs. Hit .273/.273/.727 for the week

Good Pitching:

Michael Pineda: 1-0, 6 IP, 1.50 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 5 K's
Erik Bedard: 1-0, 7 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.43 WHIP, 5 K's
Brandon League: 2 saves, 2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.50 WHIP
Jason Vargas: 1-1, 16 IP, 2.81 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 12 K's

The Bad:

Well the Mariners still aren't scoring runs despite all the hype about the young kids being up. The offense like it has all year has been hurting this ball club. In particular the left field and DH positions plus third base the Mariners have received zero from those positions this season. You can also throw center field into the mix as well which is 44% of the lineup is giving the Mariners absolutely nothing. It appears Jack Cust is in Eric Wedge's dog house as he is playing the younger guys of Mike Carp and Carlos Peguero both of which struggled this week. Now this is going to come off as me picking on Peguero but I simply don't do that. I let the stats do the talking and right now he simply isn't getting the job done. The Mariners were hoping the return of Franklin Gutierrez would solve the centerfield problems but instead he is struggling badly at the plate. The pitching was once again good as I had to stretch to find some guys to make the slumping list.

Slumping Hitting:

Carlos Peguero: 2-15(.133), 2 RBI's, run, 6 K's
Mike Carp: 3-15(.200), 7 K's
Miguel Olivo: 3-23(.130), HR, RBI, run, 8 K's
Franklin Gutierrez: 2-16(.125), RBI 4 K's

Slumping Pitching:

Doug Fister: 0-1, 7 IP, 5.14 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 5 K's
Jamey Wright: 2 IP, 9.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 2 K's

Mike Carp on the year is hitting .217/.357/.261 in limited playing time.
Carolos Peguero on the year is hitting .208/.266/.426 with 33 K's to just 6 BB's.
Miguel Olivo on the year is hitting .230/.276/.410 but leads all catchers with 11 HR's.
Franklin Gutierrez on the year is hitting .187/.221/.253 which is behind Chone Figgins in all three categories.

The Mariners need some of these hitters to step up or make a trade ASAP if they wish to win this division. You can't expect to keep winning games 3-2 or 2-1 eventually you'll lose games like Saturday 3-1.

The Awesome:

Not just this week but for a while now you are seeing two guys emerge from two unpopular trades. Now I'm not going to defend those trades as I'd still rather not do either trade but you are starting to see what our GM's were thinking. The first trade was done by Jack Zduriencik who traded away high draft pick Brandon Morrow to the Toronto Blue Jays for reliever Brandon League. League who had one rough week has been lights out and peole aren't exactly asking for David Aardsma back anytime soon. The other trade which was extremely unpopular was of course done by Bill Bavasi when he traded away Adam Jones, George Sherrill and two prospects for Erik Bedard. Bedard up to this point had been injured so hard to call him a bust when injuries are things you can't predict. While Bedard this year especially in his last nine starts has been the best pitcher for the Mariners. On a staff that includes Cy Young award winner Felix Hernandez and Rookie of the year candidate Michael Pineda he has been the best. The Mariners are getting a lot back on two guys heading into the season the fan base wasn't really happy with.

Awsome Pitching:

Erik Bedard: 4-4, 77.0 IP, 3.16 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 70 K's, .233 BAA.
In his last 9 starts he is 4-0, 58.1 IP, 1.69 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 53 K's.

Bedard has been terrific for the Mariners rebounding from his rough first four starts which feels like a decade ago. Bedard for all the crap he's taken from our media(Softy Mahler, Steve Kelly, etc), he is owed an apology. He was injured not hurt the last three seasons this isn't a matter of being "wimpy" at all. He is also giving the team innings this season as well as he has just 12 walks in his last nine starts. Bedard is going after hitters and hopefully for his career the injuries are a thing of the past. I think people are finally seeing what Bavasi saw in him and while losing Adam Jones hurts the other prospects never materialized. For a guy the Mariners didn't expect much from this season he has been fantastic for them and is a huge reason why the Mariners are fighting for the playoffs.

Brandon League: 0-4, 20 saves in 23 opportunities, 30.0 IP, 3.90 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 20 K's, .246 BAA.

Since May 13th League has pitched 14 innings with 11 saves, has a 0.00 ERA, 0.64 WHIP, 7 K's.

League is currently leading the American League with 20 saves and is tied for first place in all of baseball with 20 saves. League was involved in another unpopular trade and struggled last year. The fans of Seattle wanted to throw him out of town after his horrible week despite nobody on the roster capable of outproducing him. I'll give Wedge credit for sticking with his closer not because of his title but instead he is the Mariners best reliever. The other relievers are pitching great but none of them have the stuff that League has. League a guy who heading into the year was a shaky setup man has been a lights out closer to date. He is also a huge reason why the Mariners are contending for the division title.

Just goes to show that you can't freak out over trades and give the trade some time. Now I still think the Mariners will end up on the short end of both deals but neither seem as lopsided as they did just a year ago. The Mariners are getting big time production from two guys who were involved in popular trades. To acquire talent you must give up talent which the Mariners did. The Mariners however did receive some talent back in those trades and it's finally paying off for the ball club.

AL West Standings:

Texas Rangers: 38-35, First Place
Seattle Mariners: 37-35, 0.5 GB
L.A. Angels: 35-38, 3.0 GB
Oakland A's: 33-40, 5.0 GB

In conclusion, the Mariners are right in the thick of this playoff race in a season many including myself thought would be a rebuilding season. Like I pointed out though the Mariners are getting production from two pitchers who were very capable but they weren't counting on. If the Mariners can just score some runs they can run away with this division as they are 25-5(.833) when scoring just 4+ runs. Which means the Mariners are 12-30(.285) when they don't score four runs. So over half their games to date the team isn't scoring runs yet the pitching like yesterday found a way to get the win. With the call up of Ackley that is another hitter for the Mariners that can actually contribute. I have a feeling Zduriencik will be working on a trade even if that is a minor trade the Mariners need some bats in left field and DH. The Mariners are winning which is a surprise and hopefully Wedge moves Ackley up in the order sooner rather than later. I'm just happy that we are three weeks from the All-Star game and the Mariners are just a half game back of first place. The ride has been good and hopefully can last a few more months.

Let the Dustin Ackley era finally begin!

By Kshell

The wait is finally over Dustin Ackley will be making his major league debut tonight as the Seattle Mariners take on the Philadelphia Phillies. Ackley the #2 pick overall in the 2009 baseball draft out of North Carolina will bring a buzz to Safeco Field. The Mariners are hoping the young second baseman will be a mainstay in their lineup for a decade. The hope is the Mariners can have a consistent all-star at a tough position to find offense. Ackley was rated the 11th best prospect in baseball going into the 2010 season and was the 12th best prospect in baseball heading into the 2011 season. Ackley isn't your normal call up like a Greg Halman or Carlos Peguero. Instead Ackley is on the same level as Justin Smoak or Michael Pineda and in fact was regarded as the better prospect than those two. Ackley needed just two years in the minor leagues and 118 games in triple A. Ackley didn't even play in single A jumping right to double A to make his debut. Now Ackley will add a nice buzz to the Mariners and a much needed stick as he is already their third best hitter. I'll break down what Ackley has done in the minors, how his ovation will be the loudest anyone has heard at Safeco in two years and who he is compared to in this following post.

While in the minor leagues Ackley has improved his average each stop of the way which is what you want to see in a prospect. The numbers in the minors don't matter as much as the improvement does. In double A West Tennessee last year Ackley hit .263/.389/.384 with two home runs, 28 RBI's and eight stolen bases. Plus he had 55 walks to 41 strikeouts in 82 games before being called up to Triple A Tacoma. Ackley was a big part of Rainiers PCL championship team the first for the city of Tacoma since the late 1960's. Last year in Tacoma Ackley hit .274/.338/.439 with five home runs and 23 RBI's. He also had 20 walks but 38 strikeouts in 52 games in triple A. Then this year he started off slow for the Rainiers again but destroyed Tacoma the last two months. Ackley finished his Rainiers career this season hitting .303/.421/.487 with nine home runs, 35 RBI's and seven steals. He also had 55 walks to just 38 K's in 66 games. Ackley as you can see isn't being rushed up here. Some think the Mariners might have waited a little bit too long. So for his minor league career which got better as he went along in only 200 games he hit .280/.387/.435 with 130 walks to 117 strikeouts. The guy is an on base machine and walks more than he strikes out. I don't know where manager Eric Wedge will hit him in the order but by the time this season ends he'll be batting second. There is a reason why the fans will be excited to see Dustin Ackley when he steps to the plate for the first time at Safeco.

I imagine Ackley will receive the loudest standing ovation by a Mariner since Ken Griffey Jr made his return to Safeco Field as a Mariner in 2009. Now Ackley won't receive an ovation close to what Griffey had but still the loudest one since then. Ackley will be facing a tough pitcher in his debut Roy Oswalt which Griffey did back in 1989 when he faced Dave Stewart of the Oakland A's. In Griffey's first at bat he hit a double off of Stewart. Then in Griffey's first ever home game in his first at bat in Seattle he hit a home run. I'm not holding Ackley up to that standard but it will be a magical moment when he steps to the plate. Very rare when you have the #2 pick overall in a baseball draft make his debut for your team. Ackley's debut will give the Mariners a shot in the arm and I'm sure the fans will give a loud standing ovation for Ackley. Regardless of what Ackley does tonight it will just feel nice to see Ackley up for the Mariners as him and Justin Smoak are the future of the Mariners offense. Ackley will be making his debut against a player he is often compared to.

The Mariners will be playing the Phillies which means they'll be facing perennial all-star Chase Utley. The talented second baseman is who many guys compare Ackley to and Peter Gammons went as far as saying it's an insult to Ackley to compare him to Utley. Now Utley is a five-time all-star and four-time silver slugger award winner as well. For his career he is hitting .293/.380/.513 with 180 home runs and 662 RBI's in 3,815 career at bats. Utley like Ackley was a former first round pick himself. Now I think Ackley will never have the power that Utley has but it does feel nice knowing the Mariners have a second baseman who can live at the All-Star game. Ackley will be a high on base percentage guy who is good at the plate as he rarely strikes out. The Mariners are hoping Ackley can eventually develope some more power and become their third hitter like Utley has been for the Phillies. It does feel good that on the fantasy homepage they are writing articles about Ackley being called up. He is a big time prospect with high expectations the buzz for tomorrow's game will be pretty special.

In conclusion, you'll be witnessing the future tomorrow as Michael Pineda takes the hill for the Mariners. Justin Smoak will be hitting third for the Mariners and Ackley will be making his debut. The Mariners are just a half game out of first place and Wedge is hoping Ackley can have the same impact that Buster Possey had last year for the San Francisco Giants. Adding Ackley will give Wedge more flexibility with his lineup as Adam Kennedy can come off the bench in late innings or Chone Figgins can come in as a pinch runner. Ackley realistictally is the Mariners third best hitter behind Ichiro and Smoak so adding him is a huge plus for this team. With the way the pitching has been if the Mariners get any offense at all they can make the playoffs. I'm happy that Ackley is making his debut as the team is playing well and there is some excitement. This isn't your typical top prospect being called up to sell tickets. Instead he is being called up to help this team right now and in the future. The game is going to be exciting and I'm happy to finally see Dustin Ackley in a Mariners uniform. Hopefully the Dustin Ackley era when it's all said and done includes multiple all-star games plus championship banners.

2011 MLB season preview and predictions

By Kshell

With spring training finally coming to an end the start of the Major League Baseball season has finally arrived. Baseball is unique unlike any other sport where you have a six month grind in the season which spans over 162 games. Then to determine the best team in the sport the postseason is condensed to just who can get hot for three weeks and win 11 games. Typically in baseball the team with the best record doesn't win the World Series. The baseball playoffs is a crapshoot much like the NCAA mens basketball tournament. So while many will predict the two best teams to meet in the World Series that often doesn't happen.

In this following post I'll catch you up on the offseason by breaking down each division. I'll talk about each team although some teams don't have much to talk about. Some teams made some noise this offseason and like usual the rich got richer while the small market teams took a hit. That is how baseball works in the regular season but in the playoffs still comes down to timely hitting and great pitching. At the bottom several other people will give their predictions along with myself. Hopefully in six months from now my predictions weren't totally off. Now I'll breakdown each division in order of last years standings starting with the National League East.

National League:

National League East:

Philadelphia Phillies:

The four time division champions Philadelphia Phillies won the offseason World Series. The Phillies brought back Cliff Lee this offseason signing the ace to a five year 120 million dollar deal. The Phillies even though they lost Jayson Werth are the heavy favorites to return to the World Series like they did in 2008 and 2009. The Phillies hope to avoid what happened to them last year when they were upset to the San Francisco Giants in six games. The signing of Lee has brought comparisons to the Atlanta Braves of the 1990's. The Phillies feature Cy Young award winners Roy Halladay(21-10,2.44 ERA, 1.04 WHIP with 219 K's) and Cliff Lee(12-9,3.18 ERA, 1.00 WHIP with 185 K's) along with Roy Oswalt(13-13,2.76 ERA, 1.03 WHIP with 193 K's) and their fourth starter is 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels(12-11,3.06 ERA, 1.18 WHIP with 211 K's). Safe to say the Phillies will be a tough draw in October.

Atlanta Braves:

This will be an interesting year for the Atlanta Braves as manager Bobby Cox retired after the Braves were eliminated in four games in the NLDS. The Braves a franchise who was in the postseason 14 years in a row made it last year for the first time since 2005 last year. The Braves a busy offseason trading for second baseman Dan Uggla(.287/33/105 with 100 runs scored) which helps a lineup which features mostly left handed hitters. The Braves feature a young pitching staff with Tommy Hansen(10-11,3.33 ERA,1.17 WHIP with 173 K's) and Jair Jurrjens to go with veterans Tim Hudson(17-9,2.83 ERA,1.15 WHIP) and Derek Lowe(16-12, 4.00 ERA, 1.37 WHIP). The Braves lineup is strong with Uggla, Jason Heyward(.277/18/72 with 83 runs scored), and Brian McCann(.269/21/77). In any other division in the National League the Braves would be the huge favorites to win their division.

Florida Marlins:

The Florida Marlins once again slashed payroll by trading away Dan Uggla. The Marlins do feature a nice pitching staff in staff ace Josh Johnson(11-6, 2.30 ERA, 1.11 WHIP) along with young superstar Hanley Ramirez(.300/21 Hr's/76 RBI's/92 runs/32 steals). The Marlins do have some young talent and went 80-82 last year. They could be a sleeper team this year but are just in the wrong division.

New York Mets:

Look up mess in the dictionary and you'll find a picture of the New York Mets. The Mets despite being in the biggest market in the United States haven't won a World Series since 1986. The Mets lost Johan Santana(11-9,2.98 ERA,1.18 WHIP with 144 K's) before the season even began. The Mets are hoping for a bounce back year from Jose Reyes. The Mets still feature David Wright who is an elite player in the game. The Mets pitching staff is troublesome and look for them to miss the playoffs yet again.

Washington Nationals:

The Washington Nationals were horrible last season yet again. The bad news for the Nationals was pitching franchise Stephen Strasburg(5-3,2.91 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 92 K's in just 68 innings) going down for 18 months. The Nationals did sign Jayson Werth(.296/27/85 with 106 runs scored) in the offseason to give the fans some excitement. With Ryan Zimmerman(.307/25/85 with 85 runs), Werth, Ian Desmond and #1 pick overall Bryce Harper on the horizon the Nationals could be a factor in a year or two down the road.

National League Central:

Cincinnati Reds:

The Cincinnati Reds surprised everyone by winning the NL central for the first time since 1995. When the Reds made the playoffs however they were given a rude welcome when Roy Halladay no-hit them in game one. The Reds were eventually swept by the Phillies in three games having been shutout in two of those games. The Reds feature a nice young core on their roster. The young stars are Jay Bruce(.281/25/70 with 80 runs score) and MVP Joey Votto(.324/37/113 with 106 runs and 16 stolen bases). The Reds also feature the electric Aroldis Chapman who has thrown over 100 miles per hour than any pitcher in baseball last season combined. Chapman only pitched for a month by the way. Chapman struck out 19 batters in just 13 1/3 innings, he'll most likely start the year in the bullpen. People sleeping on the Reds are making a mistake as they are primed for a run.

St.Louis Cardinals:

No team had a more disasterous offseason than the St.Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals lost ace pitcher Adam Wainwright(20-11, 2.42 ERA, 213 K's, 1.05 WHIP) for the entire season. You think that was bad what followed up next was even worse for the Cardinals. The Cardinals failed to reach an extension for Albert Pujols(.312/42/118 with 115 runs and 14 steals) meaning Pujols will be a free agent at the end of the season. There is no way a mid market like the Cardinals will be able to compete with some of the bigger markets. So the moment the Cardinals start to slump there will be whispers about Pujols possibly being traded. This will be a season long distraction. If the Cardinals can get past that distraction they still have Pujols the best hitter in the game along with Matt Holliday(.312/28/103 with 95 runs) and Lance Berkman. They still have Chris Carpenter(16-9,3.22 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) as the staff ace. The Cardinals will definately be a team everyone will be keeping their eye on.

Milwaukee Brewers:

The Milwaukee Brewers are looking to return to the postseason for the first time since 2008. The Brewers made two pitching moves in the offseason trading for Shaun Marcum(13-8,3.64 ERA, 1.15 WHIP) from the Toronto Blue Jays then traded for 2009 Cy Young award winner Zach Greinke(10-14,4.17 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) from the Kansas City Royals. The Brewers are hoping Greinke can be like he was in 2009 where he went 16-8 with a 2.16 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. The Brewers have always had the hitters with Prince Fielder(.261/32/83 with 94 runs) and Ryan Braun(.304/25/103 with 101 runs scored). The Brewers finally have the right mix of pitching and hitting. The Brewers are my sleeper in the National League.

Houston Astros:

The Houston Astros are quickly becoming an irrelevant franchise. The Astro's feature no stars on their roster. The one brightspot is staff ace Brett Myers(14-8,3.14 ERA, 1.24 WHIP with 180 K's) who in his first 32 starts of the year pitched six innings or more. That is the defination of a horse pitcher.

Chicago Cubs:

The Chicago Cubs still looking to break the over century hump of winning a World Series. The Cubs haven't won he World Series since 1908 and it's not looking like that streak is going to end anytime soon. The Cubs were a huge disappointment last season and are hoping for some bounce back years from Carlos Zambrano, Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez and free agent signing Carlos Pena. The lovable losers seem destined to have yet another disappointing season.

Pittsburgh Pirates:

If you are depressed about your current baseball team be thankful you aren't a Pittsburgh Pirates fan. A once proud franchise that has featured such greats as Honus Wagner, Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell and Barry Bonds(pre-steroids) has fallen off a cliff. The Pirates haven't had a winning season since 1992 when Sid Bream's memorable dash home eliminated them from the NLCS for the third straight year. The Pirates had the worst record last year at 57-105 and look for them to be terrible once again. The one bright spot is Andrew McCutchen(.286/16/56 with 94 runs and 33 SB's).

National League West:

San Francisco Giants:

The San Francisco Giants last season won the division title on the last game of the season. Then the Giants won their first World Series in San Francisco during that playoff stretch upsetting the Phillies and then Texas Rangers. The Giants still feature a strong pitching staff with two-time Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum(16-10,3.43 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 231 K's), Matt Cain(13-11,3.14 ERA, 1.08 WHIP with 177 K's), Jonathan Sanchez(13-9, 3.07 ERA, 1.23 WHIP with 205 K's) and youngster Madison Bumgarnger who went 2-0 with a 2.18 ERA with a 1.11 WHIP in the postseason last year. The Giants once again are the only team who can go toe to toe with the Phillies in the playoffs when it comes to pitching. The Giants once again will struggle with the offense losing World Series MVP Edgar Renteria in the offseason. The Giants will still be the favorites to win this tough division which features four quality teams.

San Diego Padres:

The San Diego Padres surprised everyone last season winning 90 games which saw manager Bud Black take home the manager of the year award. The Padres like most small market teams have to do traded away superstar Adrian Gonzalez to the Boston Red Sox. The Padres already have a poor offense and without Gonzalez one has to wonder where are they going to get their runs from? The Padres will feature a strong pitching staff which as a team had a 3.39 ERA. The Padres are hoping the pitching staff can carry them once again and this time not fall apart down the stretch.

Colorado Rockies:

The Colorado Rockies had a strange season for them. Normally the Rockies catch fire down the stretch but last year they were 83-79 finishing the year 1-9 in their last 10 games. The Rockies are another team primed to make a splash this season. The Rockies feature stud hitters in Carlos Gonzalez(.336/34/117 with 111 runs and 26 SB's) and Troy Tulowitzki(.315/27/95 with 89 runs scored and 11 SB's). The Rockies also feature staff ace Ubaldo Jimenez(19-8,2.88 ERA,1.15 WHIP with 214 K's) who started last years All-Star game. The Rockies have a staff ace and dominant hitters which makes them a dangerous club.

Los Angeles Dodgers:

The Los Angeles Dodgers are replacing hall of fame manager Joe Torre with hitting coach Don Mattingly. The Dodgers coming off a disappointing 80-82 season still feature a strong pitching staff. The Dodgers feature staff ace Clayton Kershaw(13-10,2.91 ERA,1.18 WHIP with 212 K's) who is followed by Chad Billingsley(12-11,3.57 ERA, 1.28 WHIP with 171 K's) and Tedd Lilly(10-12, 3.62 ERA, 1.08 WHIP with 166 K's). As you can see the Dodgers have a good pitching staff to compete in this division. The Dodgers are hoping Andrew Eithier can have a big breakout season for them to carry the offense. This division features four good teams and any of these four teams wouldn't surprise me if they won the division.

Arizona Diamondbacks:

It was just four years ago the D-backs had the best record in the national league and appeared to be the team destined to go on a run. Flash forward to 2010 where they went 65-97 you have to wonder what happened to this team. The D-backs even tried to trade away young superstar Justin Upton who is only 23 years old and is already an all-star. The D-backs with the strength of this division appear headed for another long season.

American League:

American League East:

Tampa Bay Rays:

The Tampa Bay Rays fresh off their second division title in franchise history saw some major shakeups on their team. The Rays lost closer Rafael Soriano in division to the New York Yankees, long time all-star Carl Crawford in division to the Boston Red Sox, Matt Garza and Carlos Pena to the Chicago Cubs. In fact the Rays bullpen will be entirely different from last season. So after all that it would be easy to assume this is going to be a bad team which would be a mistake. The Rays went out and signed two veterans Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez. Both guys will be motivated going against their old teams the Red Sox and Yankees. The Rays also feature staff ace David Price(19-6,2.72 ERA,1.19 WHIP with 188 K's) along with star hitters such as Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton. The Rays should still be able to compete in this division.

New York Yankees:

The New York Yankees were surprisingly quiet this offseason failing to land any of the big free agents. You add in the fact they didn't add Cliff Lee last year at the trade deadline one has to wonder what is going on in the Bronx. Even with the quiet moves the Yankees still feature a strong offense if not the best offense in baseball. The Yankees still have Mark Teixeira(.256/33/108 with 113 runs), Robinson Cano(.319/29/109 with 103 runs), Derek Jeter the Yankees captain(.270/10/67 with 111 runs) and Alex Rodriguez(.270/30/125 with 74 runs) which is pretty amazing for an infield who with the exception of Cano had "down" years. The Yankees still feature a staff ace and former Cy Young award winner in C.C. Sabathia(21-7,3.18 ERA,1.19 with 197 K's) at the top of the rotation. Outside of Sabathia the Yankees staff is pretty weak with A.J. Burnett as the second starter, Ian Nova is the fourth and Freddy Garcia(yes that Freddy Garcia) as the fifth starter. The Yankees bullpen should be strong with Soriano and Mariano Rivera. The Yankees aren't built for the playoffs unless they can somehow trade for another front line starter.

Boston Red Sox:

The favorites of the American League the Boston Red Sox had a big offseason. Had the Red Sox made no moves at all they would be in good shape as they won 89 games last year despite Kevin Youkilis missing 60 games, Dustin Pedroia missing 87 games, and Jacoby Ellsbury missing all but 18 games last season. The Red Sox basically acquired three all-star bats for nothing. Now you add in the free agent signings of Carl Crawford(.307/19/90 with 110 runs scored and 47 stolen bases) and Adrian Gonzalez(.298/31/101 with 87 runs scored). The Red Sox lineup will make pitchers work this season as they basically went out and snagged five all-star calibar bats to a team that won 89 games last season. The Red Sox also feature a strong pitching staff in Jon Lester(19-9,3.25 ERA, 1.20 WHIP with 225 K's), Clay Buchholz(17-7,2.33 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) along with veterans John Lackey and Josh Beckett. Pretty easy to see why despite being in a strong division the Red Sox stand out amongst everyone in the American League let alone the East.

Toronto Blue Jays:

The Toronto Blue Jays are coming off an 85 win season despite trading away staff ace Roy Halladay in the offseason. Nobody hit more home runs last season than the Blue Jays who hit 257 home runs. The Blue Jays were led by Jose Bautista(.260/54/124 with 109 runs) last season as Bautista had just 59 career home runs entering the season. The Blue Jays feature a young pitching staff led by Ricky Romero(14-9,3.73 ERA,1.29 WHIP with 174 K's) who will be the staff ace. The Blue Jays will once again be a good team stuck in the wrong division which has hurt them this whole decade.

Baltimore Orioles:

The good news for the Baltimore Orioles is that they finally have a quality manager in Buck Showalter. The better news is the Orioles once they get rid of Showalter will make the World Series as the three previous teams who have fired Showalter have gone on to the World Series shortly after. The Orioles this offseason made some nice moves picking up Derek Lee, J.J. Hardy, and Vladimir Guerrero to go with their young core. The Orioles will put up some runs but the problem is they won't be able to get anybody out.

American League Central:

Minnesota Twins:

The Minnesota Twins won the divison last year and for the fourth time since 2003 were eliminated in the ALDS to the New York Yankees. The Twins losing streak has gone to 12 games against the Yankees as they were once again swept in the first round last year. The Twins once again will try and get over the Yankees hurdle this season. The Twins return all-star closer Joe Nathan. The Twins still have a solid offense featuring former MVP's Justin Morneau(.345/18/56 in just 81 games) and Joe Mauer(.327/9/75 with 88 runs). The Twins feature staff ace Francisco Liriano(14-10,3.62 ERA, 1.26 WHIP with 201 K's). The Twins are hoping this is finally the year for them to get by the mighty Yankees.

Chicago White Sox:

The Chicago White Sox who has missed the postseason the last two years are hoping to return back to October. The White Sox resigned Paul Konerko(.312/39/111 with 89 runs) and signed power hitter Adam Dunn(.260/38/105 with 85 runs). Dunn has hit 38+ homeruns the past seven seasons in a row and will be going to a launching pad. The White Sox also traded for Edwin Jackson who threw a no-hitter last season. The White Sox made some moves in a winnable division. Look for the White Sox to light up the scoreboard this season.

Detroit Tigers:

The Tigers are coming off an 81-81 disappointing season. The Tigers did make a big signing bringing in Victor Martinez(.302/20/79 with 64 runs) to go with slugger Miguel Cabrera(.328/38/126 with 111 runs score) who has had some offseason problems but can still hit. The Tigers still feature flame thrower Justin Verlander(18-9,3.37 ERA,1.16 WHIP with 219 K's) to go with their young staff. The Tigers who haven't been to the postseason since they made the World Series since 2006 will be hoping to end that streak.

Cleveland Indians:

Like the Arizona Diamondbacks the Indians fortunes have change quite a bit in four years. The Indians were just one game away from the World Series in 2007 but blew a 3-1 series lead against the eventual World Series Champions Boston Red Sox. The Indians have since traded away two Cy Young award winning pitchers(Sabathia and Lee) and seen two young promising stars nosedive(Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner). The Indians who haven't won a World Series since 1948 appear to continue the sports trend of Cleveland sports sucking.

Kansas City Royals:

The Pittsburgh Pirates of the American League the Royals who once were a great team from 1976-1985 haven't been to the postseason since that 1985 World Championship season. The Royals have had just one winning season(2003) since 1995. During that time the Royals have finished last place in their division nine times in probably the weakest division in the American League too. The Royals after trading away staff ace Zach Greinke appear headed for another losing season and if not for the Cleveland Indians would finish in last place.

American League West:

Texas Rangers:

The Texas Rangers who prior to last season had never won a postseason series found themselves winning the American League Pennant over the New York Yankees. The Rangers lost Vladimir Guerrero to free agency and most importantly staff ace Cliff Lee as well. The Rangers did sign Adrian Beltre(.321/28/102 with 84 runs) to help offset the loss of Guerrero. The Rangers feature MVP Josh Hamilton(.359/32/100 with 95 runs), Ian Kinsler and Michael Young. The Rangers will still have C.J. Wilson(15-8,3.35 ERA,1.25 WHIP with 170 K's) who stepped up big time last season and will now be the staff ace. The Rangers are hoping their hitters can carry them throughout the season as the pitching behind Wilson appears to be thin.

Oakland A's:

The Oakland A's finished last season at 81-81 and is kind of everyone's sleeper pick to win the west. The reason for that is once again in the Billy Beane era the A's feature a strong pitching staff led by Trevor Cahill(18-8,2.97 ERA, 1.11 WHIP) behind Cahill you have Brett Anderson(7-6, 2.80 ERA, 1.19 WHIP), Gio Gonzalez(15-9,3.23 ERA, 1.31 WHIP) and Dallas Braden(11-14,3.50 ERA, 1.16 WHIP) who threw a perfect game last year. The A's also have Rich Harden on the DL who could be their fifth starter. The A's on offense went out and signed Hideki Matsui, Josh Willingham and David DeJesus. The A's are the exact opposite of the Texas Rangers which should make this AL West race interesting.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim:

Many are sleeping on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim who prior to last season had won the American League West five of the previous six seasons. The Angels went out and acquired Vernon Wells(.273/31/88 with 79 runs) to bolster their offense. Like the A's the Angels will be led by their pitching which saw a breakout season last year from Jered Weaver(13-12,3.01 ERA, 1.07 WHIP with 233 K's) who will be joined with Dan Haren who was 5-4 with a 2.87 ERA and 1.16 WHIP while he was with the Angels. The Angels have the 1-2 punch in their rotation so if they make the playoffs that is a team that nobody wants to draw in the first round. The AL West will have a terrific three team race that will come down to the last week.

Seattle Mariners:

The Seattle Mariners who I previewed earlier in the week look to be rebuilding this season. The Mariners feature Cy Young award pitcher Felix Hernandez and appear to be going in a youth movement. The Mariners have had just two winning seasons since 2004. If you want to read more about the Mariners just read my season preview where I give an in depth look at the Mariners.

Well that is all for my previewing on all the teams in baseball. Now here comes the fun part where several people including myself will make our predictions. Should be interesting whose predictions turn out the closest and whose predictions turn out way off.

Predictions:

Patton Richard: Contributer to Seattle Sports Blog

AL East: Tampa Bay Rays
AL Central: Detroit Tigers
AL West: Texas Rangers
AL Wild Card: Boston Red Sox
ALCS: Rays over Red Sox

NL East: Philadelphia Phillies
NL Central: Cincinnati Reds
NL West: Colorado Rockies
NL Wild Card: Florida Marlins
NLCS: Phillies over Marlins

World Series Champ: Tampa Bay Rays

NL MVP: Hanley Ramirez
AL MVP: Evan Longoria
AL Cy Young: Felix Hernandez
NL Cy Young: Cliff Lee
AL Rookie Of The Year: J.P. Arencibia, Catcher, Toronto
NL Rookie Of The Year: Freddie Freeman, 1B, Braves

Korey Payne: Blogger and contributer to SSB

AL EAST- New York Yankees
AL CENTRAL- Chicago White Sox
AL WEST- Los Angeles Angels

NL EAST- Philadelphia Phillies
NL CENTRAL- St. Louis Cardinals
NL WEST- San Diego Padres

AL WILD CARD TEAM- Boston Red Sox

NL WILD CARD TEAM- San Francisco Giants

ALCS- New York Yankees Vs. Boston Red Sox

NLCS- Philadelphia Phillies Vs. San Diego Padres

WORLD SERIES- New York Yankees winning against Philadelphia Phillies

AL Cy Young- Felix Hernandez
NL Cy Young- Roy Halladay
AL MVP- Alex Rodriguez
NL MVP- Albert Pujols

100 Loss Teams- Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Indians

Michael Hourigan: Contributer to SSB

AL East - Red Sox
AL Central - Twins
AL West - Angels

NL East - Phillies
NL Central - Brewers
NL West - Dodgers

AL Wild Card - Yankees

NL Wild Card - Braves

ALCS - Red Sox vs. Yankees

NLCS - Dodgers vs. Phillies

World Series - Red Sox vs. Phillies, Phillies win

Mark A. Miller: Contributer to SSB and leader of FANS!

NL LEAST:

1. Philthydelphia Phullies
2. Notlanta Native American Ax Wielders
3. New Yawk Muttsb
4. Florida Marlints
5. Washington Gnats

NL SUCKTREL:
1. Shitcocko Flubs
2. St. Loser Crudinals
3. Milwaukee Boozehounds
4. Ho'stown Assholes
5. Cincinnati Commies
6. Pissburgh Buttpirates

NL WEAK:
1. San Fransicko Gay-ants
2. Los Angeles Doogers of Los Angeles
3. San Diego Fathers
4. Colorado Rookies
5. Arizona Gardnersnakes

AL LEAST:
1. Baaaawston Deadsox
2. New Yawk Spankers
3. Toronto BlowJays
4. Tampax Bay D-Gays
5. Baltimoh Oreos

AL SUCKTREL:
1. Minnehaha Twinks
2. Shitcago Whitesux
3. Det-riot Le Tigres
4. Kansas Shitty Royal Pains
5. Cleveland Native Americans

AL WEAK:
1. Los Angeles Angels of Anahiem of Orange County of California of the United States of North America of Earth of the Milkey Way of the Universe of Infinity
2. Texass Lamegers
3. Cokeland Asslickics
4. Seattle eMbarrassers

AL Jokers: New Yawk Spankers
NL Jokers: Los Angeles Doogers of Los Angeles

NL CHAMPIONS: Philthydelphia Phullies
AL CHAMPIONS: Minnehaha Twinks

World Series Champions: Minnehaha Twinks

AL Cy Young: David Price
NL Cy Young: Tim Licksthecum

NL MVP: Ryan Howard
AL MVP: Gay Roid

AL MOY: Gardenhire
NL MOY: Mattingly

AL ROY: Ackley
NL ROY: Chapman

AL HR LEADER: Gay-Roid
NL HR LEADER: Fielder

Adam Lispie: Moderator of Seahawks Huddle

NL:

East-
Phillies
Braves
Mets
Nats
Marlins

Central-
Brewers
Cards
Reds
Astros
Cubs
Pirates

West-
Rockies
Giants
Dodgers
Diamondbacks
Padres

Wild Card: Braves

AL:

East-
Red Sox
Yankees
Blue Jays
Rays
Orioles

Central-
White Sox
Twins
Tigers
Indians
Royals

West-
Rangers
A's
Angels
Mariners

Wild Card- Yankees

AL champs- Red Sox
NL champs- Phillies

WS champs- Red Sox


MVP:
NL- Pujols
AL- Adrian Gonzalez

Cy Young:
NL- Ubaldo Jimenez
AL- Jon Lester

MOY:
NL- Fredi Gonzalez
AL- Terry Francona

ROY
NL- Bryce Harper
AL- Michael Piñeda

HR leader:
NL- Pujols
AL- Adam Dunn

Michael Clouse: Friend of SSB and poster on SSB group page

AL East: Red Sox
AL Central: White Sox
AL West: Angels
AL Wild Card: Twins
ALCS: Red Sox over White Sox

NL East: Phillies
NL Central: Reds
NL West: Rockies
NL Wild Card: Braves
NLCS: Rockies over Phillies

World Series champ: Red Sox

AL MVP: Adrian Gonzalez
NL MVP: Carlos Gonzalez
AL Cy: Lester
NL Cy: Lincecum

Jonah Hobson: Standout outfielder for LCC Red Devils(2005-06) and HPU(07-09)

AL East: Red Sox
AL Central: White Sox
AL West: A's
AL Wild Card: Twins
ALCS: Red Sox over A's

NL East: Braves
NL Central: Reds
NL West: Dodgers
NL Wild Card: Phillies
NLCS: Braves over Phillies

World Series Champion: Red Sox

AL MVP: Adrian Gonzalez
NL MVP: Joey Votto
AL CY: David Price
NL CY: Cliff Lee
AL ROY: Jeremy Hellickson
NL ROY: Freddie Freeman

Three crazy predictions:
1. Pirates and Royals both finish within five games of .500
2. No one hits more than 43 HR's
3. At LEAST four 20 game winners this season

Kris Shellenbarger: The owner, gm and coach of Seattle SportsBlog

AL East: Red Sox( Too much hitting and pitching)
AL Central: Tigers( Verlander is a horse, Love the Victor signing)
AL West: A's(Amazing pitching plus I think Rangers fall back)
AL Wild Card: Yankees(Pitching is terrible but still great offense)
ALCS: Red Sox over Tigers(Sox are head and shoulders better than everyone in AL)

NL East: Phillies(Great starting staff although keep an eye on early injuries)
NL Central: Brewers(When Greinke comes back look out!)
NL West: Giants(The Champs still have a great staff, will clinch on last day)
NL Wild Card: Braves(will have second best record in NL)
NLCS: Braves over Phillies(payback from 1993 when Phillies upset the Braves)

World Series Champ: Boston Red Sox(Unless they get bitten by the injury bug they are going to be very tough).

AL MVP: Adrian Gonzalez(Look at his numbers last few years. He was at Petco with no protection. Now in Fenway)
NL MVP: Dan Uggla(He is exactly what the Braves need and will have a monster season)
AL CY: Verlander(He'll have a monster year to carry the Tigers)
NL CY: Lee(He'll announce being back to the NL with a CY Young award)

Well guys that is all for the predictions. I hope you enjoyed the predictions I'm sure some you disagree with. Keep in mind that in baseball not everything is played according to paper so each of us took some risks in our picks. I'll be looking forward to seeing how we all did on our predictions come October.

Game six NLCS recap

By Kshell

With one team already punching their ticket to the World Series in a game six another team was looking to do the same. The San Francisco Giants were hoping for the first time in franchise history to win a postseason series when up 3-2 on the road. The Giants missed a great chance losing game five at home with ace Tim Lincecum on the mound. The Philadelphia Phillies won game five behind their ace Roy Halladay gave the ball to game four loser Roy Oswalt. Oswalt won game two but lost game four out of the bullpen. The Giants bullpen who has been shaky this series came up huge in today's contest.

Giants win NLCS 3-2 over Phillies; Bullpen pitches 7 shutout innings

The San Francisco Giants had their season rest on the shoulders of their all-star closer Brian Wilson. With the Giants holding a one run lead in the ninth Wilson had first and second two outs for former NL MVP Ryan Howard. He was a bit wild and had Howard on a full count then Wilson froze Howard for strike three to end the game which capped the greatest bullpen outing during this playoffs. The Giants had advanced to the World Series with a 3-2 win at Philadelphia.

The two time defending National League champion Phillies got off to a great start off Giants starting pitcher Jonathan Sanchez. In the very first inning the Phillies got to Sanchez early. Chase Utley hit a double scoring Polanco then after a Howard base hit, Jason Werth hit the ball to deep left field just missing a home run to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead on the sacrifice fly. With the Giants struggling to hit and Roy Oswalt on the mound the situation didn't look good for the Giants at all.

The game completely changed in the third inning. First in the top third with the Giants finally having a rally with second and third and only out Huff singled up the middle to score the pitcher Sanchez but Torres was thrown out at the plate for the second out. The Giants cut the game to 2-1 and Huff advanced to second on the play. Then catcher Buster Posey was safe on Ryan Howard's fielding error scoring Huff from second on the play to tie the score at 2-2. Then in the bottom half of the inning the game really got crazy and a managerial decision might have saved the game for the Giants.

In the bottom of the third Sanchez was continueing to be wild. Sanchez walked the leadoff hitter Polanco then he hit Utley in the back. Utley as he was running to first tossed the ball gently back to the pitchers mound. Sanchez then took that as an insult and started to bark at Utley. The benches cleared and nothing had happened as there were no player ejections. Sanchez was hot and livid which is why Bochy despite being up 3-2 in the series and the game was tied at just 2-2 in the third inning he pulled Sanchez and brought in lefty set up man Jerramy Affeldt. It was a gutsy call by Bochy knowing he was putting his bullpen in a tough spot especially if there was a game seven. Bochy was playing agressive which most managers who are up in the series do not. Why worry about a game seven? If you win today the series is over. Affeldt struck out Howard then retired the next two batters to escape the jam. Bochy's gamble appeared to have paid off.

The Giants bullpen were asked to carry the team as their manager made a strong statement to win the game today and not even wait until a game seven. Affeldt gave him two shutout innings then Bochy brought in game four starter Madison Bumgarner to pitch the fifth inning. Bumgarner found himself in a jam with bases loaded and two outs facing Shane Victorino who Bumgarner got to ground out to him to end the threat. Bumgarner would also give Bochy two shutout innings of relief.

The Phillies received great pitching from Roy Oswalt who battled. Oswalt who shut down the Giants in game two but received the loss in relief in game four pitched six innings, allowed two runs only one was earned and struck out five. Then Charlie Manuel turned the game over to his bullpen Ryan Madson who was great all postseason. Madson would make just one mistake and it was costly. With two outs in the top of the eighth inning and having already struck out two Giants hitters Madson allowed a home run to Juan Uribe. Uribe who is typically a pull hitter went the other way for only his second career home run to give the Giants a 3-2 lead.

Even though Lincecum threw in game five Bochy was managing this game like this was a game seven and he went with his ace in the eighth inning. Lincecum struck out the first batter he would face. After Lincecum gave up back to back hits Bochy again didn't waste any time and went with his closer Brian Wilson to get the five out save. Last time he asked Wilson to get a multi inning save Wilson blew the save in game two of the NLDS. This time Wilson on the first pitch would get Carlos Ruiz to line out to first base for the double play as Huff threw the ball to second since Victorino was running.

The Giants who had never won a clinching game six on the road in franchise history were just three outs away. In typical Brian Wilson fasion the game got pretty intense in the ninth. Wilson would get the leadoff hitter but then walk Jimmy Rollins. Wilson got Polanco to ground out in a fielders choice with his hustle he beat out the throw to first base. Wilson then had Utley 2-2 but lost him and walked him. Now came up former MVP Ryan Howard who had zero RBI's on the series and struck out 11 times. A base hit and the game is tied, a double in the gap and the Phillies win. Wilson had yet another full count but struck out Howard on a back door slider that froze Howard for his 12th strikeout of the series. The Giants are champions of the National League. The team that clinched the division on the very last day of the season is going to the World Series.

The Giants are an unlikely team but they are a team who is advancing in the World Series. Since the National League won the All-star game for the first time since 1996 the Giants will host game one of the World Series on Wednesday by clinching today Lincecum should be ready to pitch the game one against Cliff Lee and Texas. Cody Ross who was let go on waivers by the Florida Marlins was NLCS MVP hitting 7 for 20(.350) having an OBP of (.409) belting three home runs and driving in five guys while scoring four runs on the series. The Giants also had great work from their closer Brian Wilson who was 1-0 with three saves in the series and gave up zero runs.

I must hand it to Giants manager Bruce Bochy for finding a way to win all these close games. The Giants in seven playoff wins have won by one run in six of those games. Those close wins are because Bochy knows how to use his bullpen. I also love the fact that Bochy was agressive today when he didn't need to win this game. Most managers would have left Sanchez in there to bury the team and save the bullpen for a must win game seven. Most managers wouldn't have used Lincecum or their closer for five outs with a possible game the next day. I like that Bochy treated today like a game seven which is smart. When you are up 3-1 you don't want to let Philly win two in a row and face a must win in Philly. Bochy took a mid market team the Padres to the World Series in 1998 and I know his record isn't great but he also doesn't manage teams who have high payrolls. Bochy is proving time and time again he is one of the better managers in the game.

This upcoming World Series should be fun. First of all this World Series will feature a first time champion to that teams city. The fans of San Francisco and Texas have never tasted a World Championship in baseball before. This series will feature Tim Lincecum against Cliff Lee in one of the better game one World Series pitching matchups we have seen. Unlike the World Series from 2004-2008 I expect this series to be a great one. The Giants-Phillies was one of the best league championship series I've ever seen. With the exception of game two which was closer than the score indicates the series came down to the ninth every game. I expect this World Series to be the same. The betting line in game one should be interesting can Tim Lincecum really be an underdog at home?! Well when Cliff Lee is on the mound I think he can. Ultimately I think Texas has to much offense for the Giants and look for the offense to come through. Then again I picked against both these teams so what do I know. Should be a great World Series and congrats to the Giants and mainly manager Bruce Bochy for going for the throat.