Detroit 3 - 0 Cleveland (Tigers lead 2-1)
All three games in this series have been shutouts. Cleveland has not scored in the last 20 innings.
N.Y. Mets 4 - Philadelphia (Mets win the series 3-1)
The Mets score a huge victory over their ancient rivals, ending the Phillies season and moving on to the N.L.C.S. for the first time since 2015.
Kansas City 2 - 3 N.Y. Yankees (Yankees lead 2-1)
A huge home run from Giancarlo Stanton in the top of the 8th put the Yankees in the lead and has them in a strong position to win the series.
San Diego 0 - 8 Los Angeles (series tied 2-2)
The Dodgers prove me wrong. Their bullpen pitched a shutout, and they got homers from Mookie Betts, Will Smith, and Gavin Lux. The Padres' decision to start Dylan Cease (14-11, 3.47 ERA) on three days' rest was an absolute disaster, while Dave Roberts's decision to trust his bullpen (and his hitters) was brilliant. This series will be decided at Dodger Stadium on Friday night.
So today we get two Game Fours in the American League (all times Central):
5:08 P.M.: Detroit v. Cleveland (TNT)
7:08 P.M.: Kansas City v. N.Y. Yankees (TBS)
This is probably bad news for Dodgers fans because my teams pretty much always lose, but I am now rooting for the Dodgers.
ReplyDeleteI'm not going to reveal my rooting interests in today's games, however, because I don't want to jinx them. Of course, this probably jinxed them.
ReplyDeleteAfter 20 scoreless innings, Cleveland finally scores a run in the top of the first. Then Detroit scores in the bottom of the second, and we are tied at 1 after 2.
ReplyDeleteIn Detroit, the Tigers have taken a 3-2 lead after 6. Meanwhile, in Kansas City, Gleyber Torres leads off the game with a double for the Yankees. I'm rolling with the Yankees, the Royals, my childhood, and Bob Costas.
ReplyDeleteJuan Soto singles to right, Torres scores, and the Yanks lead 1-0 in the top of the 1st.
ReplyDeleteAfter the top of the first, it's the Yankees 1, the Royals coming up to bat.
ReplyDeleteYanks lead 1-0 after 1. But up in Detroit, Cleveland has taken a 4-3 lead going into the bottom of the 7th.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm switching back to TNT to watch the end of the Detroit/Cleveland game.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, on YouTube, someone called "Sea of Tranquility" is ranking all the studio albums of Saga. When he made this video, there were 22 (!) such albums.
ReplyDeleteHere is the ranking:
ReplyDelete22. Pleasure & the Pain (1997)
21. Steel Umbrellas (1994)
20. The Beginner's Guide to Throwing Shapes (1989)
19. Wildest Dreams (1987)
18. The Security of Illusion (1993)
17. The Human Condition (2009)
16. Network (2004)
15. Trust (2006)
14. Sagacity (2014)
13. 20/20 (2012)
12. Full Circle (1999)
11. House of Cards (2001)
10. 10,000 Days (2007)
9. Behaviour (1985)
8. Marathon (2003)
7. Phase 1 (1998)
6. Generation 13 (1995)
5. Heads or Tales (1983)
4. Images at Twilight (1979)
3. Silent Knight (1980)
2. Saga (1978)
1. Worlds Apart (1981)
This reviewer really loves Saga. He strongly recommended each of the top 17 albums.
No. 1 was the only one I ever bought, so I'm pretty satisfied with my life choices here.
DeleteMeanwhile, the Tigers -- still trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the 8th -- have runners on second and third with two outs.
ReplyDeleteBut the next batter strikes out, and Cleveland still leads 4-3 with one inning to go.
ReplyDeleteIn the top of the 9th, Cleveland adds an insurance run to take a 5-3 lead.
ReplyDeleteJustyn-Henry Malloy, pinch hitting for the Tigers, leads off the bottom of the 9th with a ringing double down the left field line.
ReplyDeleteParker Meadows, the Tigers' leadoff hitter, grounds out to second, sending Malloy to third. One out.
ReplyDeleteJace Jung hits a soft grounder to second, who throws to the pitcher covering first. That's two outs. Malloy scores from third. Cleveland leads 5-4 with two outs. That's why they call them insurance runs.
ReplyDeleteSo it's all up to Matt Vierling, with two outs and the bases empty.
ReplyDeleteEmmanuel Clase, the Cleveland closer (he has 47 saves this year), is trying to seal the win for Cleveland.
ReplyDeleteClase fans Vierling, and Cleveland wins 5-4. The Series is tied at two games apiece, and these two ancient rivals will go back to Cleveland for the fifth and deciding game on Saturday.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, in Kansas City, the Yanks lead 2-0 in the top of the 5th.
ReplyDeleteHere are the top nine Royals by Wins Above Replacement:
ReplyDeleteGeorge Brett: 88.6
Kevin Appier: 47.0
Amos Otis: 44.8
Willie Wilson: 42.5
Bret Saberhagen: 40.7
Mark Gubicza: 38.0
Salvador Perez: 35.5
Frank White: 34.8
Alex Gordon: 34.4
I didn't properly respect Kevin Appier. Bret Saberhagen feels low on this list to me. Among Royals, Doug Bird probably holds my highest-opinion-with-smallest-justification ratio.
DeleteAnd here are the top nine Yankees:
ReplyDeleteBabe Ruth: 142.7
Lou Gehrig: 113.7
Mickey Mantle: 110.2
Joe DiMaggio: 79.1
Derek Jeter: 71.3
Yogi Berra: 59.6
Whitey Ford: 57.1
Red Ruffing: 56.8
Bill Dickey: 56.4
In my head, of course, Reggie Jackson is tied for greatest Yankee of all time with Ruth, and Ron Guidry is probably sixth or seventh. (But, really, I'm just being generous to the old-timers and secretly think Jackson and Guidry are 1-2, with Graig Nettles at about fourth.)
DeleteYankees lead 5-0 after five. Yankees ace Gerrit Cole (8-5, 3.41 ERA in 17 starts) has allowed only two hits so far.
ReplyDeleteAaron Judge leads off the top of the 6th with a double to left. This hit comes as a huge relief to Bob Costas, who has spent much of the last two nights complaining that Judge doesn't hit in the post-season.
ReplyDeleteStanton singles in Judge, and the Yankees lead 3-0.
ReplyDeleteIn the bottom of the sixth, the Royals get a two-out single and two-out double to get on the board. Yankees lead 3-1 after 6.
ReplyDeleteThe Yankees close out the Royals. They win the game 3-1 and they win the series 3-1. The Yankees are back in the A.L.C.S. Since 2009, the Yankees have reached the A.L.C.S. in 2010, 2012, 2017, 2019, 2022. They lost all five times.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time since 2000 that the Mets and the Yankees have both made the Championship Series in the same year.
ReplyDeleteI can now reveal that I was secretly rooting for ...
ReplyDelete...
...
... the Yankees!