MLB Thread menage a trois: The Stretch Run

[Lemon Meringue]

Tigers really are ahead in the division even though it's tied....if that makes sense.

 

[popacrobat]

looks like that cards/giants game on monday will be happening. unless of course the cardinals roll over and play dead completly (as if they haven't already.)

 

[phillyfan26]

Phillies started at 11:30, I'm gonna try to watch the whole thing.

 

[Hewson]

baseball prospectus Postseason Odds still gives the Cardinals a 97.91238% chance of winning the division. its a lock.

The Astros have their bobby pins out, they are working quite well on picking that lock.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

the phillies are all but dead... so it appears as if it'll be houston/st. louis at san diego/los angeles on tuesday, and san diego/los angeles at the mets on wednesday.

 

[Hewson]

With everything going on, it seems no team looks like they are going to win the WS this year. Mets lose Pedro, Yanks have Unit and Moose issues, Twinkies lose Liriano, Dodgers lost their Penny, Tiggers are just floundering, Stros are hot, but one misstep and they won't even make the playoffs, Cards are toast.
San Diego may be the team to beat, certainly playing well, and its only major issue is Boomer's gout.

 

[Numb1075]

Yes, Pete Martinez is done this season. But, I'm glad that they were able to determine the extent of the injury and rule him out. Can you imagine if they said "Ok, Pedro, you've been sucking, so we'll slide you back to game 3 to give you some time to work out the kinks".

Then, the pivital game 3 comes, and he gets shelled. Season over.

At least you know you'll get trachsel and perhaps maine in there. At least you know you'll get someone healthy and who will last more than 2 and 2/3rds innings.

 

[phillyfan26]

This seems awfully familiar. The Phillies do it again.

 

[Numb1075]

Oh, that silly Boomer. here's a little from a recent ESPN article covering David Wells:

Boomer on the art of keeping teammates loose: "I like messing around and playing practical jokes. Walking through the dugout and laying a stinky old fart and crop-dusting the whole bench. To me, that's funny. You just have to get some hard-boiled eggs in you to get the stench."

 

[DaveC]

Go Phils!

 

[phanan]

If Houston gets in, I think they make a very strong run. The hottest teams always do.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

there is something to be said about the teams that have to play important games right up to the last day of the season... and then maybe even past the last day, which may very well be the case with houston & st. louis...

as for san diego... ummm no.

 

[Numb1075]

Houston's pitching will scare anyone. But their hitting isn't on par w/ teams such as the Mets. Any team can just intentionally walk Lance Berkman and let the rest of the line up try to beat you.

 

[Hewson]

And as the White Sox demonstrated last year, dominating starting pitching is not nearly as important as hitting in the post season.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

the astros getting into the playoffs should be downright frightening to any team, regardless of their mediocre at best offense.

their pitching is unbelievable.

thank's again, st. louis... how many times do the cards have to fold like a cheap suit in a big spot before "genius" tony larusa gets the can?

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

question... with the phillies inability to get the job done, and ryan howard's production slowing down down the stretch (all be it he's getting nothign to hit)... is howard's strangle hold on the NL MVP slipping?

if Pujols carries the cards this weekend, does he jump back into it?
if the phills and cards both tank, does jose reyes or carlos beltran sneak in the backdoor?

 

[Hewson]

I think its gonna be hard to overlook Howard's numbers regardless of the outcome of this weekend's games. He did almost single handedly keep the Phils in the race until game 160 when even the owner gave up and shipped its 3rd best position player and 2nd best starter to the Yanks for a bag of balls just so he could have an extra $17 mil in his pocket in 2007 (You don't expect him to spend that money elsewhere Cheesesteakheads, do you?).
Thurs proved how important Poo Holes is to the Cards, without him, they finish 4th in their division, but I think Howard's monster numbers will win out.

The Mets were on cruise control for so long that their players won't get as much consideration as they deserve.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i probably agree with ya... although reyes hasn't stopped hitting, even though the rest of the team has.

tough to pull for a leadoff hitter for MVP, though... the power numbers just overshadow whatever he does.

122 runs scored, 194 hits, 30 doubles, 17 triples, 19 homeruns, 81 RBIs, 64 stolen bases, .301 average, .354 on base, .489 slugging, .844 ops, 23 years old

not to mention the fact that paul lo duca is hitting .318 this year largely because reyes' speed means pitchers throw a large number of fastballs to the guy in the 2 hole

 

[Numb1075]

if the cards make it to the post season, i think it's poo holes award. if neither the phils or cards make it, i do not see reyes/beltran sneaking in and getting the award. the award would go to howard.

 

[phanan]

I think Howard will win it regardless. Philly was in it to the end, and even if the Cards get in, they get in barely. I don't think it helps that much.

 

[DaveC]

Phew, I think I can breathe a sigh of relief, for now - it's 13-1 Phils in the 5th.

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

Sorry but the Dodgers pulled out a H-U-G-E win in SF and now are tied with the Padres!!!! One more win and we're in!!! Two more (with a Padres loss) and we're division champs!!! GO BLUE!!!!

 

[Chizip]

sorry, Pujols is the mvp

he has a higher average, OBP, slugging percentage, OPS, more runs scored, and 130 less strikeouts.

the only stat Howard has on Pujols is homeruns, yet Pujols still has a higher slugging percentage. you may say he has more RBI's too, but that is a team dependent stat, and Howard has had a lot more opportunities, check this out:

RISP - Pujols .402 avg Howard .247 avg
RISP 2 outs - Pujols .455 avg Howard .237 avg

thats a huge difference.

pujols has also broken the record for most game winning RBI's, thats clutch.

add in that pujols will win the gold glove at first base, the cardinals are going to the playoffs and the phillies arent, its gotta be pujols.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

one more plug for senor' reyes...

he is the catalyst in the best offense in the national league... his team hasn't let go of 1st place since game three... he may not win the gold glove, but he is a stellar fielder in his own right... and to top it off... no one in the history of major league baseball has had a season with as many runs scored, as many hits, as many homers and as many steals as jose reyes has this season. no one. ever. not willie mays, not ricky henderson, not lou brock. no one.

that said, it's gonna be a close race between howard and pujols, with howard probably coming out on top.

 

[Imarocker]

Pujols is the mvp

no Pedro, No Johnson=no championship for NY this year.

It looks like whatever team gets hot could win it all.

congrats to laangels for probably winning the fantasy

 

[popacrobat]

The Mets Saturday that Pedro Martinez has a tear in the rotator cuff of his right shoulder and will require surgery to repair it. The prognosis is that he could be pitching again in eight months, meaning he is lost to the Mets until after the All-Star break next season.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

and so ends the career of the great pedro martinez.

 

[popacrobat]

and hopefully tonight ends the season of the houston astros so that carpenter doesn't have to pitch tomorrow.

 

[Chizip]

didnt everybody pretty much predict this happening with pedro when he signed the 4 year contract?

how much of that 56 million is still owed to him?

 

[phanan]

I guess the Red Sox not re-signing him wasn't such a bad move after all...