Saturday, October 13, 2012

Yanks Outlast Orioles

Back and forth all year
Game 5 determines their fates
Yanks outlast the O's

(A Haggy Haiku)

Tied at two after four American League Division Series games and at 11 after 22 season-long matchups, C.C. Sabathia delivered the decisive blow to Baltimore for New York.
The Orioles once again fell one game short of the Bombers just as they did during the regular season. 
Pitching a one-run complete game, Sabathia lifted his team to a 3-1 win Friday against a scrappy, small-time Baltimore squad that went down only when baseball's rules said it had to; there are no more at-bats, no more innings to play for a divisional series Game 5 loser. 
Raul Ibanez, Ichiro and Curtis Granderson provided the offense for New York's workhorse starter, who struck out nine in raising his postseason record with baseball's most storied franchise to 7-1. 



Friday, October 12, 2012

Incredible Cardinals Win Again

The Cardinals are like a spring.
Every time you put pressure on them and seemingly squeeze the air out of them, they recoil with devastating ferocity.
Six elimination games in two years, six victories.
The defending world champs, down to their final strike twice Friday night, scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning to erase a 7-5 deficit and advance to the National League Championship Series.
St. Louis, unfazed, overcame a 6-0 deficit in Washington before a record raucous crowd turned silent at Nationals Park.
The Nationals and closer Drew Storen let their guard down. Inexperience can play dirty tricks on the mind. It instills a false sense of security, a phantom sense of invincibility.
Daniel Descalso provided the game-tying, two out hit, which pinballed off of shortstop Danny Espinosa's glove with the bases loaded. Pete Kozma followed with a two-run single down the right field line.
Calm under fire.
Experience and skillful.
Incredible run.

(A Haggy Haiku)

Notes: St. Louis with the win advances to the LCS for the seventh time in 10 years. The 6-0 deficit is the largest overcome in an elimination game in MLB history. And how about the slate of division series matchups? All of them went the distance. There were multiple walk-off hits and several extra-inning games.
Baseball is at its best this year... so far.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Baseball Playoff Predictions

Play-In Games

St. Louis over Atlanta
Texas over Baltimore

ALDS

Detroit over Oakland in 4
New York over Texas in 5

NLDS

St. Louis over Washington in 4
San Francisco over Cincinnati in 5

ALCS

New York over Detroit in 6

NLCS

San Francisco over St. Louis in 6

World Series

New York over San Francisco in 7

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Cabrera: Baseball's Triple Threat

Effortless success
Rare breed of power, average
Triple Crown Winner

(A Haggy Haiku)

Miguel Cabrera is the newest member of an elite club.
The Tigers slugger won the Triple Crown. He becomes the first hitter to lead the league in average, home runs and RBI in the same season since 1967 when Carl Yastrzemski did it. Only 13 different players have accomplished the milestone.  
Cabrera mashed his way to a .330 average to go with 44 home runs and 139 RBI.
Unlike contenders in recent years past, Cabrera received minimal media attention for his feat.
Granted, Cabrera doesn't seek the spotlight. But those who cover MLB also focused very little on the superlative third baseman.
The market size hasn't been the issue. Baseball writers groveled over Justin Verlander, Cabrera's teammate's body of work a year ago. They questionably gave the pitcher league MVP, an honor Cabrera has never received and likely will not be rewarded for this historical campaign, either.
AL MVP is reserved for rookie Mike Trout.
No matter, Cabrera doesn't mind.
He'll just continue to hit his way into baseball lore.