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...And Down the Stretch They Come!
The famous horse racing call is an appropriate description as Major League Baseball winds down its six-month regular season with four division titles and two wild cards still to be determined. The postseason horses are on the board in the American League but there is a stakes race in the East in which the betting public anxiously awaits the finish while holding onto their exacta tickets. In the meantime, the tote board is working overtime in the National League as all three claiming races and the wild card are up for grabs. The Mets, Cubs, and Diamondbacks are in front by a length or two but the Phillies, Brewers, and Padres are going to the whip as they try to overtake the lead pony in each of their respective divisions. AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST TEAM W L PCT GB Comments Red Sox 90 63 .588 - Lug Yankees 88 64 .579 1.5 In the Money Blue Jays 77 75 .507 12.5 Show Orioles 64 87 .424 25 Checked Devil Rays 63 90 .412 27 Untried Red Sox-Yankees. Yankees-Red Sox. Does it really matter? You bet it does. These rivals are playing for first place, possible home-field advantage, and pride. It looked like Boston in a breeze at the clubhouse turn but a sweep at the hands of Toronto has turned this race into what could amount to a photo finish. AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL TEAM W L PCT GB Comments Indians 90 62 .592 - Handily Tigers 83 70 .542 7.5 Hung Twins 75 77 .493 15 Evenly White Sox 66 86 .434 24 Washy Royals 65 86 .430 24.5 Scratch For those of you with blinkers on, the Indians and Angels now possess the best record in the majors. Cleveland effectively put away Detroit during a three-game sweep with C.C. Sabathia, Fausto Carmona, and the bullpen leading the way. With three games in Kansas City on the final weekend, the Tribe may take the opportunity to position its rotation for the ALDS against either the Red Sox or Yankees. AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST TEAM W L PCT GB Comments Angels 90 62 .592 - Lock Mariners 81 70 .536 8.5 Faltered A's 74 80 .481 17 Eased Rangers 70 82 .461 20 Under Wraps The Angels were tested by the Mariners last month but met the challenge head on with a sweep in Seattle. The placing judges have been reassigned to the AL East as the Halos gallop to the finish line. NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST TEAM W L PCT GB Comments Mets 84 67 .556 - Prep Phillies 82 70 .539 2.5 Closer Braves 79 73 .520 5.5 In Hand Nationals 68 84 .447 16.5 All Out Marlins 65 87 .428 19.5 Distanced With 10 of its last 11 games against Washington and Florida (and the other a make-up game at home vs. the Cardinals, who most likely will mail it in), the Mets can thank the stewards for what should be a hand ride over the next one-and-a-half weeks. The Phillies (Fillies?) have a favorable schedule as well, facing the Nationals in seven of their final 10 contests. NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL TEAM W L PCT GB Comments Cubs 80 73 .523 - Blanket Finish Brewers 78 73 .517 1 Extended Cardinals 71 80 .470 8 False Favorite Reds 69 83 .454 10.5 Also Ran Pirates 66 86 .434 13.5 Steadied Astros 66 86 .434 13.5 Breakdown Consider Chicago as the favorite to take the NL Central. The Cubs will not play a playoff-bound team the rest of the regular season while the Brewers will be jockeying for position against the Braves and Padres with the latter running as hard as possible in search of their own postseason berths. NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST TEAM W L PCT GB Comments Diamondbacks 86 67 .562 - Overlay Padres 84 67 .556 1 Stretch Runner Rockies 80 72 .526 5.5 Solid Horse Dodgers 79 73 .520 6.5 Winded Giants 67 85 .441 18.5 Taken Up Only the Giants have been mathematically eliminated but the NL West is really a two-horse race between the Diamondbacks and Padres. Both teams are odds-on choices of making the playoffs, either as the division champ or the wild card representative. With six games remaining against Arizona and San Diego, Colorado is still in control of its own destiny and can't be ruled out quite yet. AMERICAN LEAGUE WILD CARD TEAM W L PCT GB Comments Yankees 88 64 .579 - Romp Tigers 83 70 .542 5.5 Bobble Mariners 81 70 .536 6.5 Pocket Either the Yankees or Red Sox will *win* the wild card in the American League. Think of it as a consolation prize for not winning the AL East. And let's not kid ourselves here that it will be anything more than that. Sure, Boston won the World Series as a wild card in 2004 but capturing a title for the first time since 1995 would be the next best thing for the perennial runners-up in the AL East. NATIONAL LEAGUE WILD CARD TEAM W L PCT GB Comments Padres 84 67 .556 - Front Runner Phillies 82 70 .539 2.5 Place Rockies 80 72 .526 4.5 Maiden Dodgers 79 73 .520 5.5 Lunge Braves 79 73 .520 5.5 Driving If the Padres don't win the NL West, look for them to take the allowance race. San Diego has won six in a row and has a three-game edge over the Phillies. The Rockies, in order to have a realistic shot at the wild card, will need to sweep the Friars when these two division rivals face each other this weekend. The Dodgers and Braves are all but out of it at this point. How would you handicap the AL East, NL East, NL Central, NL West, and NL Wild Card? Let's see who can be the best tout. |
Comments
Carmona pitches today. So Indians swept without his help.
Posted by: matt at September 20, 2007 7:25 AM
Perhaps I worded that sentence wrongly. I just meant to say that Sabathia, Carmona, and the bullpen have been the driving forces behind Cleveland pulling away from Detroit down the stretch.
Posted by: Rich Lederer at September 20, 2007 7:28 AM
I adventurously picked Yankees, Red Sox, Toronto, Baltimore and Tampa Bay as the order of finish in the AL East, and I am sticking to my story.
Posted by: Mike Green at September 20, 2007 9:35 AM
When I was in high school, there was an award for Teacher of the Year. Every year, before I started going, even, the same teacher won it, and deserved to. However, the whole affair got to be so lopsided that finally they amended the voting rules and limited the number of times you receive the honor.
That's kind of how I feel about the Wild Card and the Red Sox right about now. Boston has gotten in to the postseason by the Wild Card berth in three of the past four postseasons, and if they keep slipping the way they have lately, it'll be four of five. Jeez, give somebody else a shot, wouldja?
Posted by: Rob McMillin at September 20, 2007 5:01 PM
..."a teacher was eligible to receive the honor."
Posted by: Rob McMillin at September 20, 2007 5:02 PM
There's been quite alot of speculation that the Sox have just been playing out the string and setting up for the postseason for weeks. Extra rest for Manny and now the Oki "injury" etc. Do you think there is any merit in this?
Posted by: Hugh Jorgan at September 20, 2007 6:14 PM
I don't see that the Red Sox were figuring to just play for the post season. A division win would be a big thing for them.
Their bullpen is a bit beaten up. Gagne has been really poor. Okajima was touched up a lot lately, and he was over used early in the season. Many games he was in instead of the closer. Papelbon's velocity is down.
Manny was obviously hurting. Youkilis is hurt, and some may be that he is more sensitive to pain than other players, IMHO.
The talk about just setting up for the playoffs is an excuse for poor offense, even when they are pitching well. Schilling can't seem to buy a win, he is something like 2-8 since his injury and has pitched pretty well.
Offensively, the RS have Ortiz (who is talking of sitting down for the Tampa opening game), Lowell and Pedroia. Pedroia is in a little bit of a slump right now. Who else is really hitting big?
Pitching is a key component to a winning team, but you have to have some kick to the offense, and the Sox are lacking that right now.
Posted by: Old Goat at September 20, 2007 7:06 PM
Who holds the various tiebreakers between the Sox, Yankees, Angels, and Indians. If the Indians and Angels finish tied, who holds that tiebreaker. The AL matchup possibilities are SO confusing!
Posted by: Brad Taylor at September 21, 2007 5:58 AM
The Brewers will probably have to go something like 7-3 the rest of the way to have a shot. While their playoff chances are slim, the Rockies win the award as the surprise team of the year.
Posted by: Al Doyle at September 21, 2007 7:17 AM