October Baseball (The Divisional Series):

Unlike the weekly football forecasts, when it comes to baseball in October, there are no predictions to be found around here. Most years, the team that is hottest coming into the postseason generally has had an edge. As Red Sox fans painfully remember, in ’05 they ran into a buzz saw on the South Side and the series was over in the blink of an eye. Last year may have been an exception with the Cardinals, but this year the team to watch is Colorado. They’ve been on fire coming down the stretch and having won a dramatic wild-card playoff in extra innings on Monday, they maintained the hot hand with a 4-2 win at Philly on Wednesday afternoon. Jeff Francis held the potent Phillies’ hitters at bay. The “meat of the order” went 0-15 on the day

NLDS:
Congratulations to Arizona and Colorado for their sweeps. It was rather surprising to see both teams steamroll their opponents, though the Rockies have been on a frightening roll. The Cubs and Phils both appear to have rolled over. Since National League baseball is really looked at in much detail around here, I couldn’t hazard a guess as to who will win the Pennant.

ALDS:

Cleveland – New York:
The Tribe had the Yankees on the hook heading into Yankee Stadium, taking the first two at home. Game 1 was a 12-3 blowout, as Wang was hammered for 8 earned runs over 4⅔. Sabathia really struggled as well, walking six, but the offense really bailed him out in a big way. Game 2 was a thriller that went to extra innings before Cleveland pulled it out. It will be known evermore as the “Infamous Bug Game”. Carmona and Pettitte started and both pitchers were really on their game. Carmona’s only mistake was a homer by Melky Cabrera in the third. The game stayed 1-0 until the later innings. Around the seventh inning, a swarm of “Canadian Flies” attacked the players with a vengeance. First, they were an inconvenience to be swatted away. Then, they were attracted to the warmth of the players’ bodies and decided to attach themselves. In the bottom of the eighth, the flies set upon poor Joba Chamberlain like moths to a flame. At one point the game had to be stopped while the trainer sprayed ol’ Joba with bug repellant and wiped about 500 of them off of the back of his neck. The distraction affected the outcome of the game. Sizemore walked and went to second on Chamberlain's wild pitch, Cabrera sacrificed him over to third and he scored the tying run on another wild pitch. The Tribe had a golden shot in the 10th when they loaded the bases, but failed to capitalize. But their bullpen held the Yanks in check and in the bottom of the 11th they pushed across the winning run. Lofton walked leading off and Gutierrez singled. Blake sacrificed both runners into scoring position and Sizemore received an intentional pass. With two outs and the bases loaded (crunch time if ever there was) Hafner smacked a base hit to right and Lofton came in with the inning run.

The scene shifted to the Bronx on Sunday night where Cleveland called on Jake Westbrook to seal the deal. It was a big mistake. Wedge left him in there way too long as the Yanks scored seven runs in the fifth and sixth en route to an 8-4 drubbing. Clemens got the start for the Yanks, but he just didn’t have it as he left in the third with Cleveland up 3-0. But the lead vanished on Cano’s based loaded base hit in the fifth. Nixon misplayed the ball and everyone gleefully came home.

Prior to the game, the Mighty King decreed that if the Yankees were to lose the series, Torre would not be back as manager. What an idiot. Other than Jeter, if there has been one constant in the success the Yankees have enjoyed over the last twelve years it is Joe Torre. The guy is held in the highest respect in Boston and is a Hall of Fame manager (eighth winningest in history). Among his peers, probably Jim Leyland is in the same class. He is second to Joe McCarthy more wins as Yankee manager and recently surpassed the Ol’ Perfesser. He brought stability to a franchise that was disarray before he took over because the Mighty King would hire and fire managers like changing his socks. How many times did he hire and fire Billy Martin? At least five? During the period 1979-1995, there were 12 different managers and one pennant.

As a Red Sox fan, there would be nothing sweeter than to see a return to the days when the Yankees were also-rans. But that’s never going to happen again, as the Yanks will be moving into their new billion-dollar home in ’09 and will have even greater financial wherewithal than they do now. So Boston fans ought to enjoy the good times now because they may be hard pressed in the future to compete over the long run. The only thing that could mess things up for New York is if their meddling owner decides to go for a ride down Memory Lane…

The big news heading into Game 4 was the announcement that Clemens’ spot on the roster was taken by Ron Villone, which means the only way Clemens pitches again this year is if the Yanks make it to the Series. After the way in which Philip Hughes sawed the Indians’ bats in two last night, starting pitching may not be such a huge problem for New York.

Wang got the start in Game 4 on short rest. Sizemore took him deep leading off the ballgame. Hafner singled with one out and scored on Peralta’s looping single into short center, and the Tribe were up 2-0 heading into the Yanks’ half. Wang threw 24 pitches in the inning. Cleveland pinned their hopes on Paul Byrd, which may not be the wisest choice as the Yankees hammered him twice this year (though Byrd always bedevils the Red Sox). Cleveland may rue their decision because the third time isn’t always a charm. Wedge better not wait too long tonight. Jeter singled with one out and Abreu followed. A-Rod whiffed, leaving things up to Posada, who’s a big game player. This time, he flied out to left and Byrd escaped (for now).

Blake and Gutierrez both singled leading off the second. Shoppach was hit by a pitch, loading the bases and Sizemore heading to the plate, and Torre wasted no time pulling the plug on Wang. He elected to call on Mussina, who was able to induce a double-play ball from Sizemore with Blake coming in the back door. Cabrera hit a single up the middle scoring Blake to put Cleveland up 4-0. A deficit like that so early is nothing to New York. In the bottom half, Matsui led off with a walk and Cano followed with a single. After Cabrera hit a pop to third, Mientkiewicz walked to load the bases for Damon (who popped out to short). Up came Jeter, who it always seems comes up as the hero in these situations. He singled, driving in Matsui with the Yanks’ first run. Abreu flied out to center and the Yanks have left five runners on in the first two. Wedge ought to seriously consider making a call to the bullpen, as it looks as if Byrd has gotten by using smoke and mirrors. 47 pitches in two innings, he’ll be lucky to last five. Peralta walked leading off Cleveland’s third, but Mussina settled down and retired the next three batters in order. A-Rod struck out looking to open the bottom of the third. Posada doubled, and there he stayed…Shoppach led of the fourth with a ground-rule double to left and Sizemore walked. Cabrera sacrificed both runners over with a bunt and Hafner received an intentional pass. Victor Martinez singled, driving in two more to make it 6-1. In the end, the Yanks put up a few runs to make things interesting, but the Tribe held on and prevailed 6-4. It ought to be a very interesting off-season for the Dreaded Pinstripers.

ALDS: LA Angels at Boston:

This would be a tough series notwithstanding most of the yahoos around who predicted that Boston would blow through the Angels like a Mack Truck through tin foil. The Angels are a solid, well balanced team though they presently have a couple of nagging injuries. Matthews is out of the lineup and Guerrero is only available as a DH (which is a pretty good consolation prize).

In Game 1 (10/3/07), the Sox started 20-game winner Josh Beckett against John Lackey. The Angels definitely have the speed advantage, and Scoscia will have his team running at the drop of a hat. Figgins led off the ball game by lining a base hit up the middle that skidded off Pedroia’s glove. This is a guy who burns opponents when he reaches base. Cabrera hit into a 6-3 ground out on a hit-and-run play putting Figgins in scoring position. Guerrero grounded out to Lowell and Figgins moved to third. Anderson went down swinging, and Beckett was able to leave the runner stranded at third.

Pedroia grounded out to third leading off. Then Youkilis followed with a towering home that came to rest in the Monster Seats, Sox up 1-0. Ortiz followed by lining a base hit to left. Manny ripped a grounder to third that Izturis couldn’t handle. The ball ricocheted off the grandstand area that juts out and Manny was held to one base. Lowell fouled out to Izturis and Drew…hit an infield grounder to end the inning. He’s gotten a free pass pretty much this year, but if he fails to come through in crunch time the fans will turn on him like a pack of ravenous dogs.

Beckett retired the Angels in order in the second. In the bottom half, Varitek singled but Crisp hit into a made-to-order double play. Lugo singled but was thrown out trying to steal on a highly questionable call. Beckett set down the Angels in order again in the third. This time Figgins never took the bat off his shoulder. He was frozen like an icicle (something they don’t have in The OC) on an inside fastball to end the inning.

Youkilis doubled down the line in left with one out in the third then Big Papí uncorked a bomb to right that curled around the foul pole and the Sox were ahead by three. Manny walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Lowell looped a single into short center and Manny came around standing up, 4-0 Red Sox. Drew…bounced into a 4-6-3 double play.

It was quiet over the course of the next five innings. Lackey was finished after six innings. He allowed nine hits, four runs, walked two and struck out four before turning things over to Ervin Santana. Heading into the ninth, Beckett was painting a masterpiece, allowing only three hits, walking none and striking out eight. Ellsbury (defensive replacement) made a nice diving catch in left to retire Figgins. Guerrero singled up the middle with two outs before Anderson hit a can of corn to Crisp to end the ballgame. Beckett was simply awesome on this night. That’s one down and eleven to go.

In Game 2 (10/3/07), Daisuke got the start against Kelvim Escobar. Folks were somewhat surprised that Francona elected not to put Schilling in this spot fearing that Matsuzaka-san would not be up to the heat of a big playoff game. Maybe they were right, as Daisuke struggled, not even getting out of the fifth inning.

The Sox grabbed a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. With one out Youkilis and Ortiz singled. With two outs, Lowell walked to load the bases and Drew followed with a line drive base hit that drove in Youkilis and Ortiz. But Daisuke gave it right back in the second. Kotchman walked leading off and Kendry Morales singled. With one out, Mathis’ 5-3 grounder scored Kotchman. Figgins’ double drove in Morales and Cabrera’s double scored Figgins.

The Sox got lucky in the third when Anderson’s baserunning blunder most likely cost the Angels a run. Anderson doubled leading off, and tried to make it to third on Izturis’ grounder to short. Lugo calmly threw to third and Anderson was out by half a mile. Daisuke was pulled with two outs in the fifth after Izturis and Kotchman were standing on third and first. Javier Lopez came on and was able to get Kendry Morales to ground out.

The Sox tied the score in the bottom of the fifth when Pedroia doubled leading off and moved to third on Youkilis’s 1-3 grounder. Ortiz was intentionally walked then Manny walked. Lowell hit a sacrifice fly to center and Pedroia came in to make it 3-3.

Delcarmen entered in the sixth and lasted until he hit Guerrero with one out in the seventh. Okajima came on in relief and slammed things tight until Papelbon came on with two outs in the eighth. Then things got a little scary. Kendrick reached on Lowell’s throwing error then stole second and third. Juan Rivera came on as a pinch-hitter and walked, then was replaced by Willits at first. Willits then stole second, putting two in scoring position and Chone Figgins at the plate. Papelbon froze Figgins like an ice pop on a called third strike and the house went ballistic. Other than allowing a two out walk to Anderson in the Angels’ ninth, Papelbon had no difficulty.

By the bottom of the ninth, Justin Speier was still pitching. Lugo singled leading off and made it to second on Pedroia’s 6-3 grounder. At that point, Scoscia rung the bell for K-Rod. The move seemed to work as Youkilis struck out swinging. Ortiz then received another intentional pass, in order to face Manny with two outs, and that idea proved to be a fatal blunder. Manny responded by hitting a mammoth walkoff three-run homer, over the Monster Seats, over Lansdowne Street, maybe even over the Turnpike for that matter, and the Sox were one win away from the ALCS with a 6-3 win. Red Sox fans haven’t seen Manny hit one like that in ages. Tonight he came through in a big way…but don’t forget the contributions made by the bullpen.

The game ran in excess of four hours and ended past midnight. Baseball wonders why many youngsters aren’t getting into the sport. How can they expect otherwise when its most exciting moments occur well past bedtime? (That goes for us old fogies, too). It was a thrilling win, but Daisuke’s struggles were a cause for concern. It’s on to Anaheim for what Sox fans hope is a quick kill. And who better to apply the coup de grace than the Big Hoss?

After a day of travel west, the Sox looked to put away the Angels in three straight as they did in ’04. Game 3 (10/6/07) featured the wily old vet Curt Schilling against the young stud Jared Weaver. The Sox had runners on second and third in the second, but Crisp whiffed and that ended that threat. In the Angels’ third, they put two runners aboard before Willits popped out to Varitek.

That failure turned into a nice break for Boston as Ortiz and Manny started the fourth with back-to-back homers. Meanwhile Schilling was simply mowing through the Angels’ order. Things stayed quiet until the bottom of the seventh when Izturis led off with a double and made it to third, but Napoli struck out swinging to end the inning and ending Schilling’s afternoon with an exclamation point. He was awesome on this day, going seven, allowing six hits, walking one and striking out four. Other than the one-hitter he pitched in Oakland, this was his best outing of the year. Now it was time for the offense to create a little breathing room…and they did, hanging a big-ass crooked number up on the board and blowing the Angels away for good.

Lugo walked leading off the eighth. Speier relieved Shields and Pedroia doubled to left, driving in Lugo. Pedroia went to third on the throw home scored on Youkilis’ sacrifice fly to center, 4-0 Sox. Ortiz singled and Manny walked and Ellsbury came on as a pinch-runner. Lowell followed with a double to drive in Ortiz. The well-traveled Darren Oliver came on in relief. Drew’s ground out scored Ellsbury. Varitek then doubled to the gap in left-center bringing home Lowell. Crisp ripped a base hit up the middle driving in Drew and Varitek. When the smoke cleared, it was 9-0 Red Sox and it was a matter of getting six more outs and getting out of town. Okajima had a bit of a struggle in the eighth but got through unscathed. In the ninth, it was “Game Over” time, just like in the good ol’ days up there in Chavez Ravine. Only now, the only time that it’s safe for Gagné to toe the rubber is with a nine run lead. Par for the course, he allowed a garbage run, but got Quinlan to fly out to Drew in right and the Sox swept the series. While it was cause for celebration, the tenor was far more sublime than when they won the divisional crown. All they knew for certain was that Game 1 of the LCS starts on Friday.