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Baseball playoffs offer little drama

Posted by: THernes on October 12, 2009 at 2:47PM EST

Excuse me as I wake up from my long nap after a week, quite frankly, of mostly boring baseball and football games, as the Bears enjoyed a bye week and both the Cubs and White Sox traded in their bats and gloves for golf clubs and fishing rods.
Here's some quick hits from yours truly:
• The Minnesota Twins have earned the reputation as a fundamentally sound team, but two baserunning blunders cost the Twinkies prime opportunities to win games 2 and 3, with New York sweeping Minnesota 3-0 in the American League Divisional Series. Nick Punto was foolishly thrown out trying to scramble back to third base after an infield hit off the bat of Denard Span in the eighth inning of Game 3, with the Twins trailing only 2-1. Punto told the media after the game the roar of the crowd led him to believe the ball went to the outfield. Sorry Nick. Derek Jeter gloved it, threw home, then catcher Jorge Posada gunned it to 3B Alex Rodriguez, who slapped the tag on Punto. So instead of runners on first and third with nobody out, now it was runner on first and one out. Minnesota would not score, and the Yankees went on to win 4-1. In Game 2, Carlos Gomez slipped aggressively rounding second base on a hit that would have plated a run. But instead of at least getting in a rundown to make sure the run did score, Gomez was easily tagged out by Jeter. If that run scored, Minnesota might have won the game in regulation instead of losing in extra innings. So Minnesota's reputation under Manager Ron Gardenhire of a team that grinds its way to the playoffs, then quickly folds in postseason against the big boys continues.
• One team that did change its playoff reputation was Anaheim. The Angels had lost three ALDS series to Boston since 2004, but that changed with a convincing sweep of the Red Sox. Anaheim starting pitchers John Lackey and Jared Weaver dominated Boston in the first two games of the series. Boston appeared to have Game 3 in good shape with a 6-4 lead entering the ninth. But shutdown closer Jonathan Paplebon didn't have it on this day, yielding three in the ninth for a quick Boston exit from the playoffs. There's even speculation Paplebon could be replaced by Daniel Bard as the Red Sox closer next season.
• Will this be it for Tony LaRussa as manager in St. Louis? That decision could be made in the next few days as the longtime Cardinals skipper meets with upper management to decide his future. A season that appeared so promising for the Redbirds quickly slid down the wrong path with the team stumbling into the playoffs and then being swept by Los Angeles in the National League Division Series. I wouldn't be surprised if LaRussa left, took a year off, then returned to managing somewhere else.
• A great sign for Philadelphia was closer Brad Lidge saving a one-run game early Monday morning, giving the Phillies a 2-1 advantage heading into Game 4 in Colorado later today. Lidge has blown an alarming 11 saves this season, but if he returns to his form of last season, when he did not blow a single save, Philadelphia has an excellent opportunity to repeat as World Series champs.
• OK Bears fans, does that Atlanta 45, San Francisco 10 score have you a little more concerned about Sunday evening's game? It certainly has my full attention. Of course, most of us still have last season's game at Atlanta on the mind as well. Bears grab a two-point lead on a Kyle Orton touchdown pass in the final seconds. But a poorly executed squib kick, followed up by inexcusably allowing Falcons QB Matt Ryan to complete a long pass, and the receiver getting out of bounds before the clock runs out, allows Atlanta to make a game-winning FG.
• And speaking of Orton, he has led Denver to a 5-0 start after a turbulent offseason that had most prognosticators wondering if the Broncos could win five games all season. Orton doesn't have the talent of a Jay Cutler, or the other elite quarterbacks in the league, but the guy keeps winning. Of course, a much-improved defense and running game have helped, but his knack for winning games cannot be overlooked.

- Tom

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(1) Comments

Posted by: Big Cat on October 18, 2009 2:52PM EST

Boring baseball??
Outside of Chip Caray's screams and inaccurate commentary, I've enjoyed the baseball. The AL Central playoff was a four-plus hour roller coaster ride. Game 2 of the Cards-Dodgers series had a dramatic bottom of the ninth (Those darn white towels). The Angels' top-nine rally against Boston in game three was equally exciting. A-Rod's late-inning homers ("an A-Bomb From A-Rod"). I know some Sox fans tired of "Pie Fest", but it appears to be a hit in the Bronx.
I plan on switching back and forth from the Bears game and Philly-LA Game 3 tonight.

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