None of the four starters in these two games with everything on the line — Lohse, Medlen, Saunders and Yu Darvish — have1 ever won a postseason game. Medlen and Darvish will be making their first such appearances. Saunders is 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA in four postseason games. Lohse is 0-4 with a 5.54 ERA in nine postseason games.
So writes Tom Verducci in this morning’s electronic Sports Illustrated. There are other analyses of these two games around, but Verducci’s is a good big picture view. Here’s Jay Jaffe of SI on the Atlanta – St. Louis matchup, and here’s Rany Jazayerli of Grantland on the Baltimore – Texas game.
Me? In the NL game I’m rooting for the Braves. I’d like to see Chipper Jones get back into the playoffs for the first time since 2005, and Furcal’s out for the year for the Cardinals; I have no other sentimental attachment to them.
In the AL game I’m rooting for the Orioles because they’ve been a forgotten team (and deservedly so) for the past 15 years or so. Besides, I’d like to see a Nationals – Orioles World Series. The Rangers aren’t playing well and blew a five-game lead with ten to play.
Both games are on TBS. Brian Anderson, Ron Darling and Joe Simpson will do the St. Louis at Atlanta game at 4 p.m. (Eastern). Ernie Johnson, John Smoltz and Cal Ripken will call the Baltimore at Texas game at 7:30 p.m. (Eastern).
If you want to comment as the games go along, this will be the game thread.
1 “None . . . has,” Tom.
Update: And the Cardinals win 6 – 3 in a game that is under protest by the Braves due to a bizarre infield fly call on a ball 50 feet deep into left field.
Update #2: The Orioles continue their winning ways and the Rangers continue to slump. The Os beat them 5 – 1, and it really wasn’t much of a game.
And the first WC shows the absurdity of a one game playoff.
Unfairness, anyway. I remember Yaz popping up to end a one-game playoff in 1978 with the Yankees.
And Ron Cey popping up to end the 1978 WS 🙁
Not a chance in the world that should have been called an infield fly.
I agree, especially when the umpire who called it was not one of the infield umpires to begin with.
The whole point of that rule is to prevent an unfair advantage. The umpire assumed that the Cards would have been able to turn a double play on a ball that fell that far from the infield? Wow!!
Ouch. The Braves, one of the best fielding teams in the league all year, have 3 errors, one each at third, short and second.
Blast you, Holliday.
I’ll bet that kid doesn’t run inside the baseline 1 time in a 100, but he did today at exactly the wrong time.
I agree with you link, a Nationals v Orioles world series would be great!
MLB and Fox would hate a Nationals-Orioles series. Especially if preceded by a Reds-Nats and O’s-A’s LCS. Viewers would stay away in droves.
Yeah, but they (meaning MLB and Fox) are New York-based. I went all through high school in the DC metro area when the Os were good and the expansion Senators (the pre-Rangers team) were awful. I’d love to see a Series there.
Looks like Ross over McCann was the right move.
Go Braves (for this round)! And go Orioles!
World Series match-ups that I would enjoy seeing:
Detroit vs Cincinnati
Baltimore vs Washington
Atlanta vs Texas
Cincinnati vs Texas
Ahh, who am I kidding. Anybody but NY vs San Francisco will be fine. Yankees vs Giants is a World Series nightmare of epic proportions. A’s vs Giants would be bad enough, but the other one doesn’t even bare mentioning. In fact, I’m pretty sure it is the Rule 13 violation.
The radio guys keep calling Medlen a “little guy.” He’s 5’10” tall and 190 lbs!
That’s little by pitcher’s standards. Not dee Gordon little, but Aaron Harang little.
By comparison, I’m 5’10” and 145.
Yep, compared to Jon, you are a little blogger, if only physically.