Between the weather and travel, they only played three DS games over the weekend. But that makes sense, because Americans don't usually like to watch sports on the weekend.
On Saturday, it rained all day in Washington (fallout from Hurricane Matthew), so the Nats/Dodgers Game Two was postponed to Sunday.
On Saturday night, the Cubs had one of the most dominant 5-2 wins you will ever see. They scored four quick runs in the first two innings, and when starter Kyle Hendricks got in trouble in the fourth, the Cubs' bullpen threw 5 1/3 innings of shutout ball, allowing only two hits. The high point of this game was that because it was on the MLB Network, we baseball fans got to hear Bob Costas do a post-season game. I will say only that he really beat Joe Buck, and if you can explain why MLB rarely uses good announcers in the post-season -- or ever, really -- you know more about the business world than I do.
On Sunday afternoon, the skies were clear in Washington, and it was a sunny, beautiful day with odd, gusting winds still coming in from time to time thanks to the remnants of Hurricane Matthew. The Nats and the Dodgers played long ball with each other, but this time the Nats got the key blow -- a three-run homer from back-up catcher Jose Lobaton that took Natstown from 2-0 down to 3-2 up. It was a glorious moment for Natstown fans, who had only ever seen their team win one playoff game at home, and who had watched the Nats trail for 12 innings in a row against the Dodgers until Lobaton's big hit. Ironically, Lobaton was only playing because the Nats' regular catcher, Wilson Ramos -- who is one of the best hitters in the team -- tore up his knee a few weeks ago and is out for the year. The Nats live off of home runs and pitching, and inspired by Lobaton's homer, the Nats rolled to a 5-2 win, become the first team in the playoffs to win a game after a loss.
On Sunday night, the folks in Toronto wanted to wrap up their series with Texas so that they could enjoy Canadian Thanksgiving today without worrying about the Rangers. But the Rangers, down to their last chance and trailing 5-2 early on, stormed back to take a 6-5 lead after 5 1/2 innings. But Toronto tied the game in the bottom of the sixth, and then the two teams dueled through three scoreless innings. Finally, in the bottom of the 10th, Josh Donaldson led off for the Blue Jays with a double. The Rangers intentionally walked Edwin Encarnacion, and struck out Jose Bautista. That brought up Russell Martin, who slapped a grounder to short. The Rangers forced Encarnacion, and then second baseman Roughed Odor whipped the ball to first, seeking an inning-ending double play. He didn't get it. The poor throw skipped away from the Rangers' first baseman, and Donaldson -- who never stopped running -- dashed all the way from second, beating a desperate throw from first with the DS-clinching run. It was Toronto's sixth win in a row over Texas in post-season play, and the second consecutive year that the Blue Jays ended the Rangers' year. The Indians and Red Sox were rained out yesterday, so Toronto will have to wait at least one more day to learn who it will meet in the ALCS.
Chicago 5 - 2 San Francisco
Washington 5 - 2 Los Angeles
Toronto 7 - 6 Texas (10 innings)
NATIONAL LEAGUE:
Chicago leads San Francisco 2-0
Washington and Los Angeles are tied 1-1
AMERICAN LEAGUE:
Toronto beats Texas 3-0
Cleveland leads Boston 2-0
The Nats broke open a 4-3 game with four runs in the ninth to beat the Dodgers, 8 to 3.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, in Boston, the Red Sox are facing elimination, trailing 4-2 against Cleveland in the bottom of the 6th.
Hurrah for the Senators!
DeleteHurrah for the Rangers, too, and happy Thanksgiving, Canada.
Ironically, Cleveland and Toronto met in the final of the NBA Eastern Conference back in May. Could that unusual pairing happen again in the ALCS?
ReplyDeleteIt could.
DeleteThe Red Sox are out in the 6th, and they have nine outs left to save their season.
ReplyDeleteThe commercial where Anton is going to sign with Cincinnati, but gets frustrated with the whole signature process and instead signs with San Jose, is one of my new favorites. The guy who plays Anton is great, and the two guys who play his dad (or maybe his agent) and his buddy are also great. I'm pretty sure I would watch a TV show about Anton's life in the NBA.
ReplyDeleteI just saw that commercial again. I'm pretty sure that guy is supposed to be his dad. But where's his agent?
DeleteActually, Anton probably acts as his own agent -- much like Apollo Creed. So his dad is designated as his agent, but Anton makes all the decisions. That makes sense.
DeleteMy made-up show about Anton and his dad may now be my favorite show on TV.
DeleteI've never seen this commercial!
DeleteIt's great.
DeleteOK, this commercial is very good. I'm not sure how these sorts of transactions work, but is it possible that the agent is one of the other men around the table--and that Anton and his dad and friend walk out on him, as well? Would the agent be doing any signing in the contract, or would Anton be doing all of the signing? I definitely think the older guy sitting next to Anton has to be Anton's dad.
DeleteIf there's an agent for Anton anywhere in the room, he's going to be as close to Anton as possible. So I'm pretty sure that what Anton does is that he has designated his dad as his "agent," but he makes all the real decisions himself. So he doesn't have to check with anyone before he signs with San Jose -- he just does it.
DeleteI actually feel bad for the guy who's making everybody sign all the different documents, because after all that is his job. It's not like he wrote the contracts himself -- he's just someone's clerk.
DeleteI feel bad for him, too. I would probably watch a show about him.
DeleteThe Tribe doesn't score in the top of the 7th, and it's still 4-2.
ReplyDeleteWith one out in the bottom of the 7th, Boston pinch hitter Chris Young draws a walk. But the Bostons can't do anything more, and they are now six outs from elimination.
ReplyDeleteOK, so it's the bottom of the 8th, the score is still 4-2 Cleveland, there are two outs, the Red Sox have a runner on first, and David Ortiz is coming to the plate. This could very well be the final at-bat of his career. The Indians bring in Cody Allen, their closer, to face the Big Man:
ReplyDeleteAllen v. Ortiz:
Pitch 1: Ball (1-0)
Pitch 2: Ball (2-0)
Pitch 3: Ball (3-0)
Pitch 4: Ball. Ortiz walks on four pitches.
Good for David Ortiz, who is probably my third-favorite Red Sock of all time, behind Luis Tiant and Denny Doyle.
DeleteNow the Bostons have the tying runs on base, and it's up to Hanley Ramirez:
ReplyDeleteAllen v. Ramirez:
Pitch 1: Ball (1-0). Allen has now thrown 5 balls in a row.
Pitch 2: Ball (2-0). 6 in a row.
Pitch 3: Ramirez singles to left, Mookie Betts races home from second, Ortiz trots to second.
Boston is now going to pinch-run for Ortiz, who leaves the proceedings to a thunderous ovation. With the score 4-3 Cleveland, Xander Bogaerts comes to bat.
ReplyDeleteAllen v. Bogaerts:
Pitch 1: Ball (1-0)
Pitch 2: Called strike (1-1)
Pitch 3: Foul (1-2)
Pitch 4: Foul (1-2)
Pitch 5: Line drive CAUGHT by the second baseman. The side is retired.
After eight, Cleveland leads 4 to 3.
Good for David Ortiz.
DeleteWith two outs in the bottom of the 9th, Jackie Bradley, Jr., the Red Sox 9th-place batter, whacks a single to right. Now it's up to Dustin Pedroia.
ReplyDeleteAllen v. Pedroia:
ReplyDeletePitch 1: Ball (1-0)
Pitch 2: Foul (1-1)
Pitch 3: Ball (2-1)
Pitch 4: Ball (3-1)
Pitch 5: Swinging strike (3-2)
Pitch 6: Ball Four. Pedroia draws a walk, and the Bosox have runners on first and second. That brings up Travis Shaw.
Fenway Park is getting very loud now, with the tying run at second and the winning run at first. On the other hand, Cleveland just needs one more out to end Boston's season.
ReplyDeleteAllen v. Shaw:
Pitch 1: Ball (1-0)
Pitch 2: Swinging strike (1-1)
Pitch 3: Ball (2-1)
Pitch 4: Ball (3-1). Allen is getting no help from the plate umpire here.
Pitch 5: Swinging strike (3-2)
Pitch 6: Shaw flies out to right. THE INDIANS HAVE ELIMINATED THE BOSOX IN THREE STRAIGHT GAMES.
Cleveland: City of Champions?
Sure. I'll now be for Cleveland in the American League against Toronto.
DeleteOh, my! Jake Arrieta -- the Cubs' PITCHER -- just hit a THREE-RUN HOMER in the top of the second against Giants' ace Madison Bumgarner. It breaks Bumgarner's streak of 24 2/3 scoreless innings in elimination games. It gives the Cubs a 3-0 lead. And it means that the Giants, who already trail 2 games to 0, are in very big trouble.
ReplyDeleteIn the bottom of the third, the Giants get a double from former Nat Denard Span and a single from Buster Posey to make the score 3 to 1.
ReplyDeleteThe Giants are tough.
ReplyDelete