The Sunday Docket: MLB

Quite a bit on today’s docket:

1) Major League Baseball ends its 2007 regular season with four teams struggling to secure the final two spots in the National League Playoffs.
2) Week 4 of NFL action kicks off with several marquee matchups and fantasy showdowns to drool over.
3) The fallout from Look-Ahead Saturday (aka Demolition Saturday) continues.
4) The President’s Cup finishes. Okay, it’s golf. Nevermind.

MVP Candidate Matt Holliday and the Rockies are making a push for the playoffs.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

First on that list may be the best viewing you’re going to see all season long. And wouldn’t you know it, the schedule makers won’t let us enjoy any of it.

Several questions, ala 60 Minutes-style, must be asked. **Tick, tick, tick**

Why aren’t the Mets and Phils playing each other this weekend? Anyone who thought Florida or Washington would be better last-weekend matchups for the two NL East perennial favs is a lunatic.

Why aren’t the Padres clashing with an NL West opponent instead of the Brew Crew?

Why is Cleveland playing KC, the Yanks hosting Baltimore and the Red Sox playing Minnesota? At least, Anaheim drew Oakland. Score one for the schedule makers.

As we enter Sunday, the American League playoff pairings are set. In fact, Boston was even friendly enough to secure homefield advantage with a 4-2 victory over the Twins.

Here’s your ALDS matchups:
#1. Boston vs. #3. Los Angeles
#2. Cleveland vs. #4. New York
[Note: Boston cannot host the Yankees as they are both in the AL East.]

As for the National League, that’s where things get mighty interesting.

Over in the NL East, New York and Philadelphia are tied for first place (both at 88-73). Even though the Phils have dominated the season series, the two would play a tie-breaker,on Monday evening if they ended up with the same record (for the NL East title only, the wild-card will be discussed later).

New York hosts Florida, with the game starting around 1:10 pm, with 300-game winner Tom Glavine dueling with Marlins ace Dontrelle Willis. After Saturday’s 13-0 victory, which included a near all-out brawl between the teams, you had better believe Florida is playing for more than pride.

Philadelphia hosts Washington, with the game starting around 1:35, as 78-year old lefty Jamie Moyer clashes against Nats pitcher Jason Bergmann. Taking only one day to relinquish their newly earned NL East lead, the Phils fans will definitely be doing some scoreboard watching before the first pitch.

Odds: Both teams should win. However, it’ll be interesting to see if it’s the Mets snaking their ways back into the playoffs OR falling face-first into the record books with an unprecedented September choke (up 7 games on September 12^th in the division).

In the NL Central, the Cubbies are your champs. However, they don’t know exactly who they’re playing yet. Odds are it’s Arizona. Although former Central contenders, now relegated to being spoilers, Milwaukee can spoil the Pads season with a victory.

In the NL West, Arizona has locked up the divisional crown. Nevertheless, they’re not exactly sure who their opponents will be just yet. As for the rest of the West? Two teams and one wild-card spot. That scenario is only more clouded when you add in the Mets and Phils potentially.

San Diego concludes its four-game set in Milwaukee at 2:05 pm. After a brutal loss on Saturday evening, much of which came from the bat from Tony Gwynn Jr., the Pads appear ready to replace scheduled starter Brett Tomko with Cy Young favorite Jake Peavy. Jeff Suppan will take the mound for the Brewers. Win and you’re in, Pads fans. It doesn’t get much easier than that

Colorado: Just when you thought they were dead on Friday night after having their 11-game winning streak snapped against Arizona, the Rockies spanked the division champs 11-1 on Saturday afternoon. While they trail the Pads by one game, the math is simple. Beat Arizona, hope for the Padres to lose and you have yourselves locked into a tie-breaker. The game is the latest meaningful launch, with the first pitch starting around 3:05 pm.

Odds: As much as I want to see the Rockies defy all odds, the Padres will spoil their fun.

The scenarios can’t be stopped. Here’s the official explanation. Admit it though; you’d love to see a four-way tie. SAY IT!

More than just the playoff race is up for debate on Sunday (and potentially Monday) as well. The Cy Young race may have a lot to do with what Jake Peavy does on Sunday. He is the likely starter for San Diego.

Also on the radar has to be the NL MVP Race has yet to be decided. Enter the key players:

Brewers 1B Prince Fielder, Mets 3B David Wright, Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins, and Rockies OF Matt Holliday (my selection, by the way). Who will make the play that wins them the award? Better yet…who won’t?

Until next time…

MLB Hot Stove: Catch NL Playoff FEVER!

…as of Wednesday night’s action…

We’re back and we’re still talking about those eighteen teams still lingering within divisional and wild-card races. While the AL got its due first, there’s much more drama to be found within the three divisional and wild-card races in the National League.

Let’s not waste another second and dive head-first into the ruckus that is the Senior Circuit.

NL East

Credit: Art.com

Division Leader – (78-61) New York Mets [5 game lead]
2^nd Place – (73-66) Philadelphia Eagles [trail by 5 games]
3^rd Place – (71-69) Atlanta Braves [trail by 7.5 games]
No other viable division contenders.

Comments: It seemed like the Mets would maintain a five to six game lead throughout the season. Note: the key word in that last sentence is seemed. Despite some major deadline deals from Atlanta (Texiera/Dotel), the Braves-bullpen has become engulfed in turmoil and their bats have become far too inconsistent against NL East pitching [Tim Hudson has also fallen fast out of the AL Cy Young race subsequently]. Despite losing 4 straight in Philly, in as bad a fashion as one could imagine each night, the Mets rebounded as best they could with a three-game sweep against the Braves. The Phillies, who got as close as two games to the division leaders, struggled this weekend by dropping 2 of 3 to the lowly Marlins. A disastrous defeat, via an improbably late-inning Atlanta comeback this past Wednesday, may have sucked the morale out of the Phils. The Mets maintain a 1-game lead currently for best-record in the NL East and continue in Cincy for 3 relatively easy games (or so you might think). As for the second and third place teams, they meet at Turner Field in what may become the last stand for Bobby Cox’s crew this season. With Cole Hamels rehabing still, the Phillies will have to rely on their big MVP-caliber hitters (Utley, Rollins, and Howard) and whatever stability they can find from their rotation/bullpen as they hope to continue on their divisional and wild-card run late into September. While the Braves seem a lost cause, they could actually help the Shea-faithful by snatching a series victory this upcoming week against Philly. Each team sees each other again, but after this week, too much damage may already have been inflicted.

NL Central














Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Division Leader – (70-67) Chicago Cubs [.5 game lead]
2^nd Place – (70-68) Milwaukee Brewers [trail by .5 games]
3^rd Place – (68-67) St. Louis Cardinals [trail by 1 game]
No other viable division contenders.

Comments: Wow, talk about a logjam. In a division that nobody seems to want to claim, each team is going through more than a few issues. Whether it’s pitching, hitting, or attitude, each team is struggling mightily down the stretch. Even St. Louis, who has rebounded quite nicely during the second half of the season, realizes that it should’ve been able to surge past the Brew Crew and their arch-nemesis Cubbies. With Chris Carpenter out, who will be the stable back end of the Cardinal rotation down the stretch? The Cubs may be asking similar questions of their ace, a healthy Carlos Zambrano, who dashed any realistic Cy Young hopes with an 0-5 August campaign. As for the Brewers, Prince Fielder hitting home runs can’t win this division outright for them. Ben Sheets, and a starter to be named later, will be heavily relied upon as the inexperienced Brewers continue their surprising late season postseason push. As ESPN’s Woody Paige might say, it’s time to “Look at the Schedule!” Without getting in too deep, the Cubs (4 more w/ St. Louis, 0 w/ Milwaukee, and a friendly 15 w/ Fla, Pit, and Cincy combined). Meanwhile, the Lou has tough matchups with the Mets as well as a 3-game series out west in Arizona. A key series will go down Sept. 24-26 in Milwaukee when they visit the Brewers with both teams potentially staring up at the Cubbies. Closing out with a crucial four hosting San Diego, Milwaukee will have to dodge bullets from spoilers (Houston) and pretend contenders (Atlanta) along the way. Point is: this divisional race is the most likely to go down to the final out on the final day. That is unless you consider the…

NL West

Credit: Raisport

Division Leader – (76-62) San Diego Padres [tied, percentage point leader]
Division Leader – (77-63) Arizona Diamondbacks [tied]
3^rd Place – (73-65) Los Angeles Dodgers [trail by 3 games]
4^th Place – (72-66) Colorado Rockies [trail by 4 games]
No other viable division contenders.

Comments: Wow. A lot can be said, but I don’t want to drive myself – via countless scenarios – too crazy. So instead, I’ll take the easy way out and LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE! San Diego, with Jake Peavy anchoring a Cy Young run, has 10 easier games between San Fran & Pittsburgh. However, they fall into potential landmines with 6 against Colorado and that aforementioned closing series in Milwaukee. Oh yeah, they travel to play those Dodgers for 3 games as well in the middle of the month. As for Arizona, don’t sleep on them. They get 9 against the San Fran/Pitt combo. Add six more against the Dodgers and two crucial series (at home vs. St. Louis and closing the season out on the road in Colorado). They control their own destiny, but it won’t be easy. Speaking of such, the Dodgers and Rockies can’t be forgotten. Each see the teams ahead of them more than enough. Memo to Matt Holliday: get Colorado into the post-season, and you’ll be rewarded with an MVP award.

Predictions and Prognostications
1) The Mets, despite a disastrous four game sweep from the Phils, will right the ship and claim a second straight NL East crown.
2) Here we go again. I’m taking the Cubbies. I did it before the season and I’m doing it again. Sue me!
3) While I hate on them far too much, the Diamondbacks may be the team to beat. Except,I’m still taking the Padres.

NL Wild Card











Credit: EmptytheBench.com

Current Leader – (77-63) Arizona Diamondbacks [3 game lead]
2^nd Place – (73-65) Los Angeles Dodgers [trail by 3 games]
3^rd Place – (73-66) Philadelphia Phillies [trail by 3.5 games]
4^th Place – (72-66) Colorado Rockies [trail by 4 games]
5th Place – (71-69) Atlanta Braves [trail by 6 games]
6^th Place – (70-68) Milwaukee Brewers [trail by 6 games]
7^th Place – (68-67) St. Louis Cardinals [trail by 6.5 games]
No other viable wild-card contenders.

Comments: It’s impossible to detect. Except that the Diamondbacks, technically, control their own destiny. However, while teams in the West seem to have an advantage, they play each other so much that they could easily each drop a few games in the standings. Watching the standings each and every day is a must. Don’t count out a veteran ball club like St. Louis. Don’t sleep on the overachieving Rockies. And don’t underestimate the talent of the Phillies. We’ll check back soon, but for now…it’s impossible.

Then again, just remember how awfully mediocre last year’s World Series champion Cardinals appeared at this time. In fact, they seemed that way just about until the opening pitch of the playoffs.

Until next time…