3 out of 4 Division Series Wrapped Up

We thought the crazy Twins-Tigers game was going to be an omen for a great opening round of baseball playoffs.

Well, at least it's been great for the favorites' fans.

The only series that hasn't ended in a sweep is the Phillies-Rockies, who play tonight in the freezing cold of Colorado. Other than that, it's been a lot of brooms.

A lot of people thought the Cardinals were a better team than the Dodgers coming in; the Dodgers put that to rest in 3.

The Red Sox were supposed to have the Angels number, right? Surely this was going to be a great series. If anything, it was going to be a Red Sox sweep. Oops.

The only thing that's gone according to plan is the Yankees crushing the spirits - one A-Rod homer at a time - of the Twins.

Don't get me wrong, there's been at least one good game on every day of the postseason thus far. On Thursday, the Dodgers beat the Cardinals 5-3. Thursday saw the Rockies pulling off the upset in Philadelphia 5-4 and the most memorable play of the postseason so far in Matt Holliday's error (brutal still image sequence here). The play extended the game and gave the Dodgers the opportunity to go up 2 games to 0. Friday had the first extra inning game of the series, culminated by Mark Teixeira's walk-off (pictured right) for the Bombers. Saturday we all watched in disbelief as the Dodgers just pounded the Cardinals in St. Louis to complete the sweep. And, finally, the Yanks were just better than Minnesota in their quest to sweep the Twins at the Metrodome.

So while there have been good games, there's only been one (and we don't know how that will end up) good series. One has to assume the championship series will be different. Yanks-Angels especially should be great drama.

Wild Wild West - AL Edition

I talked earlier in the week about how listless the playoff races have been in baseball so far; four spots are all but clinched by the Yankees, Tigers, Phillies, and Cardinals.

That, of course, leaves two spots in each league. Here's a look at the American League.

American League

Team 1: Boston Red Sox

- Initial reaction: When Boston's playoff chances aren't 100% by this time, you have to be a little surprised. It's not exactly like they're slumping either, as they're on pace for a win total in the mid-90's. There are a lot of good teams in the American League this year.

- Why they are they here: Injuries have really hurt a pitching staff that's usually top 5 in pitching. This year, they're only 6th in the AL in ERA, 6th in BAA, and 7th in WHIP. That's average, not excellent. Their hitting has made up for it, though, landing in the top 3 in the league in most major categories.

- Will they make it? Yes. They have some tough series remaining - a Tampa team that's more than desperate to make this list, the always-strong Angels and a trip up to New York - but make up for it with enough cupcakes to finish in a wild card position.

Team 2: Texas Rangers

- Initial reaction: Texas has always been a team you want to play with when you're playing XBox. After all, winning 10-8 is always so much more fun than 4-2. Sadly, that's not practical in today's game. However, this year the Rangers appear to have the pitching to match their always potent hitting.

- Why they are here: A terrific lineup, top to bottom - their BA, HR, OPS and RBI leaders are four different guys, none named Josh Hamilton (pictured, right) - is joined by a staff ranking 4th in the AL in wins.

- Will that make it? Yes. They have six home games against the out-of-it Mariners and A's. Then they have a home series against the Angels, before going on the road against basically the same set of teams.

Team 3: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

- Initial reaction: Similar to the Red Sox, a team you would expect to basically be locked up by now. The Angles sport a good team every year, with good pitching, great base running, great fielding and timely hitting. This year is the same.

- Why they are here: See above. Great hitting, great base running, except this year without the fielding and the pitching - to the tune of 12th in the AL in BAA and 12th in errors.

- Will they make it: No. Yeah, I said it. 22 games left and 5.5 games in the lead, but I don't see this team in the playoffs. They're getting hot at the right time, but their schedule (at NY, at Boston) should cool them off. Not to mention, they still have seven games left against the Rangers, who they are 3-9 against.

Image Source: http://betweenthepoles.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/josh-hamilton.jpg

Weekend Watch

Hey guys, sorry I haven't been on here for a little while. In any case, here's what I (and you, of course) should be watching for this weekend.

1. Whether the Rays can punch momentum in the face. They were up 7-0 in the 7th inning. The Red Sox couldn't get an out while they were in the field, and the Rays were pretty much doing whatever they wanted. Then came Big Papi, and we all know where that went from there. 

Of course, none of that will matter if the Rays take game 6, which will be tomorrow at 8:07 p.m. If it goes to 7, though, it will be a miracle if the Rays take it.

2. Whether Maryland can become consistent with their inconsistency. If everything goes according to plan with the season, they will beat number 21 Wake Forest. Things wont be easy, though, even if the "good" Maryland shows up. (We're going to assume they do because if the "bad" Maryland shows up, they will be beaten by 50.) Wake Forest boasts one of the top defenses in the country, and specializes in getting turnovers. If Chris Turner can throw one interception or less, however, Maryland will win. 

3. The NFL's contenders will continue to separate themselves from the pretenders.

Games to keep an eye on include:

MIN at CHI (for control of the NFC North); BAL at MIA (the winner will be back in the wild card chase, the loser won't); NO at CAR (for a leg-up in the NFC South); IND at GB (GB needs this because of the earlier NFC North game, IND needs to get rolling on a streak); CLE at WAS (we'll know a lot more about CLE after this week); DEN at NE (I've hated on them both, but the winner will impress me)

Next week, I will hit upon all these and more when I look back upon the weekend. Other things to look forward to include the power rankings, and the inaugural MVP/LVP for the NFL.

I won't be at Maryland Madness tonight due to a prior commitment; someone let me know how it is and how the team looks. Basketball preview will certainly come soon. Have a good weekend everyone.

And I hate to say "I told you so" about the Phillies while I was on air, but ...