Houston still alive

[Zeno]

Did not see the game but the Astros busted up the Giants and ruined a great pitching effort by Jason Schmidt. Some great extra activity also.

The Dodgers finally came alive and hit well. Should be a good Dodgers/Giants series in SF this weekend.

-Zeno

[GuyOnTilt]

My motto's this weekend include: Go Dodgers, Go Mets, and (as always) Go Houston.

GoT

[andyfox]

Houston gets to play the Seligs this weekend, so they should do well. Clemens goes tonight. They still have two teams ahead of them, though, so it's an uphill battle.

The Giants need a closer better than who they have, but there's nothing to be done at this point but hope.

Tracy left Gagne in last night in the 9th despite a 9-4 lead. (He had come in in the 8th with the score 7-4). He threw a lot of pitches and got banged around a bit, giving up two runs. The pitch count could come back to bite the Dodgers in the butt if, as a result, Gagne is ineffective tonight. Every manager, of course, would have done the same thing, since it was an easy save oppotunity for Gagne with the five run lead.

I note that Smoltz got knocked around the other night, and Rivera seems a bit shaky lately too. (Torre has used Rivera only twice in the last 10 days, and he gave up runs in each appearance.) Perhaps they're all wearing down a bit, or maybe it's just we're so used to seeing them do well, when they struggle a bit, as all pitchers do, it's such a surprise.

Everyone would have thunk the Yankees/Red Sox series would be the big one this weekend, but with the Yankees assured of a playoff spot, and the Red Sox virtually assured of one, and the spread four-and-a-half, it's not that big a deal. Which team they'll play in the first round depends more on how many games Oakland, Anaheim, Texas and Minnesota win the rest of the way. The Anaheim/Oakland and Dodgers/Giants series are more important.

Good stuff. Should be a fun weekend.

[ThaSaltCracka]

[ QUOTE ]
Everyone would have thunk the Yankees/Red Sox series would be the big one this weekend, but with the Yankees assured of a playoff spot, and the Red Sox virtually assured of one, and the spread four-and-a-half, it's not that big a deal.

[/ QUOTE ] It is still a big deal for Boston. If they lose atleast two games to NY and if Texas or Anaheim wins any of their upcoming games, it will be very close for the wildcard.

[andyfox]

They're six up in the wild card with ten to go. If they lose two out of three to New York, and Texas or Anaheim sweeps, they'll still be 4 up with 7 to go. Of course, any New York/Boston series is big, especially this late in the season with nothing set in stone as yet.

[offTopic]

[ QUOTE ]

The Giants need a closer better than who they have, but there's nothing to be done at this point but hope.


[/ QUOTE ]

Nen used to drive me absolutely effin' crazy when they had a 1-run lead, because if the leadoff man got on base, it was a foregone conclusion that he'd be facing, at minimum, a 1-out, tying-run-on-third situation. However, looking back, the numbers, as Nick Bakay says, don't lie WRT Nen's overall effectiveness.

This multi-headed monster of a closer situation will ultimately lead to the Giants' demise, either by not making the postseason, or exiting prematurely due to some other team's late-inning heroics.

God I love baseball.
God I hate baseball.

[Cubswin]

GO LA... GO MILWAUKEE... AND BUCK THE FRAVES....

I want LA to finish with a better record then Atlanta so my cubbies have a nice soft opponet for the first round /images/graemlins/smile.gif

PS... i cant believe that next week i will be cheering on the Tards