Play Ball! The 2007 season is underway

For some reason the phrase "opening night" doesn't have that same lyrical, wonderful ring that "opening day" enjoys, unless you're referring to a Broadway play, but nevertheless the 2007 Major League Baseball season kicked off this evening when the Mets took on the World Champion Cardinals in St. Louis.

So let's all take a deep breath, kick it down a notch from Final 4 fever to Opening Day mania, and enjoy the poetic, beautiful, glorious sport of baseball.

Remember, every team has a legitimate shot of winning it all beginning tomorrow.

Except the Rays.

Full season preview tomorrow.

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World Series Game 3: Cards take control

SCORE: Cards, 5-0

SERIES: Cards 2-1

WP:Carpenter

LP:Robertson

WHAT HAPPENED:

Cardinals ace (how many times has he been called that lately) Chris Carpenter did just what he has done at new Busch Stadium all year- shut down the opponent. The man with the fiber optic-thin 1.81 home ERA continued his mound mastery tonight as he made the Tiger cubs his latest victims. Shaking off 2 poor NLCS starts Carpenter looked like the soon-to-be 2-time Cy Young winner that he is; he limited Detroit's suddenly struggling lineup to just 3 hits in 8 innings while throwing just 82 pitches, striking out 6 and walking none. In fact the guy didn't even allow a 3-ball count to a Tiger batter all night. How's that for coming out and dominating a game?
Detroit starter Nate Robertson (5IP, 5H, 2ER, 3BBs, 3Ks) wasn't awful, but he was in a couple of jams early and definitely did not look sharp. Chalk it up to yet another Detroit hurler (along with
Verlander & Zumaya) who certainly appeared to be rusty after nearly 2 weeks of inactivity.

Carpenter got all the support he would need in the 4th, when the Cards loaded the bases on a single by Preston Wilson, a ground rule double by Phat Albert and a walk to Scott Rolen. After a fielder's choice by Belliard cut down Wilson at the plate on a nice play by Inge, Jim Edmonds laced a double down the right field line scoring 2 huge runs that set the tone for the rest of the night. That tone would be that St. Louis would not need any more runs in this one, because their best pitcher, and one of the best in the game, was pitching like it again.

Meanwhile the Tiger hitters, especially the trio of Grandy-Polanco-Pudge(less), were toothless again. That threesome is now a combined 0-34 in the series- they are the only things colder in Detroit than the weather. Talk about chocking on the biggest stage; these guys are making E-Rod look like Reggie Jackson. And the Tigers continued to play sloppy defense; the game was officially decided in the 7th inning when flamethrower Joel Zumaya came on in relief. The hard-throwing righty must have been rusty from his 2 week layoff after coming down with wrist trouble in the ALDS. He immediately walked the 1st 2 batters, then had to face Pujols with no outs & 2 on; he pitched Albert well, and got him to hit a comebacker to the mound. But Zumaya wheeled and threw to third, behind Inge, who was scrambling to get to the bag, and the ball went down the leftfield line for a devastating 2-run error that put the game away. It was the 3rd error by a Detroit pitcher in the series, 5th error overall by the normally sure handed Tigers. The Cards,meanwhile, who had made an error in 4 consecutive games, played flawlessly in the field.


Terrific pitching, timely hitting, and a critical error all adds up to a 2-1 Cardinal lead in the series.


KEY PLAY:
Zumaya's error. Although Edmonds' was the deciding hit, the error was a double-edged psychological blow for Detroit: it made a 2-run deficit a 4-run deficit with 2 innings to go, and it proved that the once-unhittable reliever could be scored upon, not to mention what the after-effects of such a blunder on the grand stage of the Series will do to his psyche.



HERO:
Carpenter. Once again Edmonds had the biggest hit of the night, but without Carpenter's performance the Cars might not win that game. Him stepping up at the right moment was the kind of lift a team can use as a springboard to a championship.



GOAT:
Zumaya. He took a workable deficit and turned the game into a near-rout with his horrible performance. His line (1IP, 0H, 2R, 2BBs, 1K, 1 BIG 'E') was awful, and his error was even worse. I am not faulting him for trying to get the lead runner, like McCarve-job was doing (he kept saying that almost every time in that situation the pitcher would go to second base, not third.) Hey, it was a 2-run game and he was trying to get the force at third to keep the man from being 90 ft from home plate- no problem there. But his throw was so bad, wide and behind the helpless Inge, that it made for one of those unforgettable World Series moments.


NOTES: While the Tiger middle of the lineup is 0-34 (including a frigid 0-12 from ALCS MVP Polanco), the supposedly hurting Cards triumvirate of Pujols, Edmonds & Rolen are a combined 11-31 (.354) with 8 runs, 7RBis, 6 BBs & 2 HRs. That's getting it done.


QUOTEs/PIX:
No words necessary for this one.


NEXT: The Tigers will try to regroup behind righty Jeremy Bonderman, who hasn't pitched in 10 days (uh-oh) but brings a 1-0 record and 3.00 ERA to the mound. He will be opposed by Jeff "Big Game" Suppan, who is 1-1 with a 1.86 ERA including his gem (8IP, 3H, no runs) in Game 7 of the NLCS vs. New York. Should be a good one, and one that The Tigers desperately need if they want this thing to go back to Detroit.

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World Series Gm2: Tigers even it up

Score: Tigers 3-1

Series: Tied at 1

WP:Rogers (3-0)

LP:Weaver (2-2)

SV:TJones(4)

HRs:DET: Monroe(5)

WHAT HAPPENED:

The Tigers won a game they had to have in order to keep this Series from getting away from them. But the talk of the night and today is focused the foreign substance on Tiger starter Kenny The Cameraman Clubber Rogers' hand. A foreign substance was detected by Fox cameras on Rogers' left palm in the first inning, which was believed to be seen by Cardinal players in the clubhouse, who then alerted manager Tony LaRussa and the umpires. After much discussion and confusion, Rogers came out for the second inning with the questionable spot removed. But the debate was just beginning: what was it on Rogers' palm, why was he allowed to remove it, and how long has the spot been there? After all, the split screen picture above shows an near-identical spot on the rejuvenated lefty's palm in the ALCS vs. Oakland (left side)as well as last night. Hmmmm. Rogers claims it was "a big clump of dirt" he got on his hand due to the damp ground & resin bag and that when he noticed it he washed it off without being told to do so by home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez.

But Tiger manager Jim Leyland and supervisor of umpires Steve Palermo both said that Rogers was told by Marquez to wash the substance off. Hmmm. And if it truly was a clump of dirt, how was that identical clump of dirt on the hurler's hand in the previous series?

Look, let's get real here and quit pussyfooting around the issue:Rogers cheated. He entered this postseason with the highest ERA of any pitcher in history (8.85) and he has now, after allowing no runs in 8 innings last night, pitched 23 consecutive scoreless innings in this postseason. That streak is the 6th longest in baseball history, 3rd longest in one postseason run. He has been busted with a foreign brown substance on his pitching hand in not one but two playoff series and suddenly gone from pitching like Gerald Ford to Whitey Ford when the calendar turns to autumn. And everyone wants to blow it off and blame it on some dirt? That's a pile of horsecrap. This guy was blatantly cheating and should have been called out for it and tossed from the game, if not the series. Everyone wants to sweep this under the rug because it would ruin a feel-good story, the kind baseball so desperately craves, and divert attention away from an entertaining postseason. It would be yet another black eye for a sport still recovering from steroid scandals, All Star Game fiascos and the recent death of Yankee pitcher Cory Lidle.

But let's call it like it is. I never believed that Rogers had turned himself around to become this grandfatherly leader of men, model citizen and all-around good guy. Is he the first pitcher to use pine tar on his hand, especially in cold weather, in order to grip the ball better? Hell no. But he is the one allegedly doing it now, in the midst of a marvelous postseason run for his Tigers, and by doing so he threatens to wash away all the good things Detroit has worked so hard to accomplish all season. There is no doubt in my mind he is cheating- the guy mauled a cameraman for crying out loud, what's a little pine tar on the hand to him?-and there is also no doubt in my mind that every player on both teams knows he did it. But everyone, including the Cardinal players & manager and MLB officials, appear willing to let it blow over, so what's done is done. The next chapter in this story will be in Game 6 when Rogers is scheduled to take the hill again. And you can travel to Vegas & bet the house that his hands will be cleaner than a surgical instrument.

As for the game the Tigers wasted no time in getting to Cards starter Jeff Weaver (5IP, 9H, 3R, 1BB, 5Ks.) Emerging star Craig Monroe, who is making up for spending 6 years in the minors, picked up where he left off in Game 1 when he hit the 1st pitch of the 9th inning for a confidence boosting home run. This time he hit the 1st pitch of the 1st inning for a one-out moon shot off of Weaver the Underachiever to give Detroit that early lead they so badly needed to help erase the memories of the 7-2 Gm 1 beating. Monroe now has 5 homers this postseason, matching Detroit legend Hank Greenberg's record. The more I see of him & Granderson the more I love those guys.

Detroit added another run that inning on an RBI double by Carlos Guillen (3-3, 1R, 1RBI) and that ended up being all The Cheater would need to pick up the win. Detroit added an insurance run in the 5th on a Sean Casey singled, which made it a little easier to stomach the horrendous job Todd Jones did in the 9th. he allowed the only cardinal run on 2 hits, his own error and a HBP, but ended it on a groundout with the bases loaded. he then went into the postgame presser and said the substance on Rogers' hand could have been chocolate cake. Ha ha.

KEY PLAY: Monroe's homer. It set the tempo and gave the Tigers confidence that they could get to Weaver in this one. It also gave Rogers an early lead, and with that loaded up palm, that would be all he needed.

HERO: Guillen. He was a homer short of the cycle, was involved in all the Tigers scoring plays and the natural SS is playing phenomenal defense at first in place of Casey.

GOAT: Rogers. He has taken all the attention away from the Tigers win, the Series, and his own phenomenal run by involving talk of cheating and fair play. Nice job, Dirtman.

NOTES: The last time a pitcher was ejected for an illegal substance in the playoffs was Los Angeles Dodger reliever Jay Howell in the 1988 NLCS. Howell was found to have pine tar on his glove and subsequently suspended for 2 games...The Cheater joined Christy Matthewson as the only pitcher to have 3 scoreless starts in 1 postseason.

QUOTES:

"It was a big clump of dirt, and I wiped it off," Rogers said. "I didn't know it was there, and they told me and I took it off, and it wasn't a big deal."

He better hope the Tigers win it all and he can ride off into the sunset without any more incidents to tarnish his already well-blemished reputation.

UP NEXT:
Game 3 is tomorrow night in St.Louis. Nasty Nate Robertson (1-1, 5.91) will start for Detroit against cards ace (though not in the postseason) Chris Carpenter (2-1, 3.70) Carpenter has allowed 25 hits in 24.1 innings this postseason.Yikes.
MY PICK: Cards ride the strength of exposing the Dirtman as a cheatin' fool and crush the rusty Robertson (he hasn't pitched in 14 days)and Detroit,6-2.

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World Series: Cards take Game 1, 7-2

SCORE: 7-2
SERIES: 1-0, St. Louis
WP: Reyes
LP: Verlander
HRs: DET: Monroe; STL: Rolen, Pujols

WHAT HAPPENED:

Tigers hurler Justin Verlander was not on top of his game in this one. After being handed a 1-run lead in the first on a RBI double by Carlos Guillen Verlander gave the lead up on a Scott Rolen HR in the top of the 2nd. That was the last time the Tigers would be in the game as Verlander's night went from bad to worse in a hurry. In the 3rd inning he gave up a leadoff single to Yadier Molina, and then got two quick outs. But 2 out trouble came back to bite him: he allowed a double to Chris Duncan that scored Molina, and then he had to face Phat Albert with first base open. No brainer, right? You walk Pujols and pitch to Edmonds. Wrong. Verlander decided to challenge Pujols, and we all know what happens when pitchers try to challenge the best player in the game. Albert took the first pitch he saw from the rookie to rightfield for a momentum-swinging 2-run homer that made it 4-1 Cards and effectively ended the night for Verlander & Detroit.

Meanwhile Cardinal rookie Anthony Reyes, sporting old-school striped socks (nice touch) and a flat brim hat looked like the second coming of Cy Young. He shut down the potent Detroit lineup for the next 8 innings, retiring 17 in a row at one point, pitching with a calmness & authority that belied the fact that he was a veteran of only 18 career starts. The Tigers could do nothing with Reyes and the Cards tacked on a few insurance runs in the 6th. After Pujols walked he was moved to third on a botched pickoff by Verlander and scored on a single by Edmonds. Two more would score that inning, one on an interference call, and by the time Verlander exited he had a linescore that was a far cry from his previous postseason outings:5IP, 6H, 7R(6ER),2BBs, 8Ks. Yeah, I don't know how a guy mowing 'em down with strikeouts gives up 7 runs, either.

Speculation will abound that the Tigers were rusty from their long layoff; they committed 3 errors, had the interference call on Brandon Inge cost them a run and generally looked stale all night. But this is a long series and it's only one game.

KEY PLAY:

The decision not to walk Pujols with first base open will come back to haunt Detroit, Leyland & Verlander if the Tigers lose this series. Although it only made the score 4-1 & it was still early, there is something about the combination of a big home run from your MVP & the boneheaded decision by another team not to pitch around him that hurts like a sucker punch to the grill. It was a timely hit from a great player, and it set the tone for the entire night for St. Louis.

HERO:

Anthony Reyes. The Cards couldn't have asked anything more of the youngster, and he didn't disappoint. The kid came through with the game of his (brief) career on the sport's grandest stage and made a name for himself with a performance that could be the stuff of legend. His line:

8IP, 4H, 2ER, 1BB, 4Ks, 1 awesome story to tell the grand kids.

GOAT:

Verlander. The Tigers and their fans had high hopes that he could start them off on the right foot in the series; he proceeded to shoot himself in said foot. After cruising through the postseason up to that point he picked the worst possible time to have a meltdown like this. Oh, and he shouldn't have pitched to Albert (how many times you think he's gonna hear about that one?)

NOTES:
Reyes' string of setting down 17 straight batters was the longest in a World Series game since Cincinnati's Jose Rijo retired 20 in a row in Game 4 against Oakland in 1990...Inge was charged with 2 errors on the interference play, one when he bobbled the grounder in the first place and another when he let Rolen barrel into him allowing the run to score.

QUOTES:

"We didn't play well." Tiger manager Jim Leyland with the understatement of the moment.

UP NEXT:

Game 2 will be played Sunday night in frigid Detroit. Kenny Rogers will take his 15 inning postseason scoreless streak to the hill as he faces former Tiger Jeff Weaver. Weaver has pitched above his head in the playoffs to date, but I'll take my chances with the Gambler over him any day.

MY PICK: Tigers will win Game 2, 4-2.

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WORLD SERIES PREVIEW

St. Louis Cardinals @ Detroit Tigers

Game 1

8PM FOX

Detroit, Michigan

Anthony Reyes (5-8, 5.06ERA; o-1, 4.50 postseason) vs.

Justin Verlander (17-9, 3.63ERA; 1-0, 5.91 postseason)

In the immortal words of Ice Cube in his epic anthem "N***a You Love to Hate": Once again it's on!

The Fall Classic gets underway tonight and it should be a great series if all the telltale signs hold true. On the one hand you have the upstart new kids on the playoff block, Detroit, who have overcome all odds to make it to this point just 3 seasons after losing a mind-boggling, near-record 119 games. The Tigers have a great balance of young guns (Verlander, Bonderman, Zumaya), old horses (Rogers, Jones) and a bunch of talented hitters both young and old (Monroe, Granderson, Rodriguez, Polanco, Ordonez), but this is their first trip to the big dance since 1984 and their first postseason berth since 1987, so needless to say other than the vets like Jones, Rogers & Pudge-less, they are a bit green in this setting.

On the other side you have the wily veteran playoff squad, St. Louis, who were just in the Series two years ago, albeit with a horrendous result (4-0 Bosox sweep, anyone?) But this is a team that knows its business, and that business is playoff baseball. The Cards have been in the postseason 6 out of the past 7 years and have a number of playoff vets (Rolen, Pujols, Carpenter, Suppan, Eckstein) throughout their roster. Simply put these guys are not about to be intimidated by playing on the game's biggest stage; it remains to be seen if the Tiger cubs will be or not.

There are also some great storylines to watch out for: the friendship between the 2 managers, Detroit's Jim Leyland and St. Louis' Tony LaRussa, who have been buddies for decades, will be beaten to death by FOX and other networks, but it does create an interesting angle. Both of these leaders are considered the best in the game, and what Leyland has done with the Tigers this year is nothing short of managerial brilliance; ironically both are vying to become only the 2nd manager in history to win a Series in 2 Leagues, joining Sparky Anderson, who accomplished the feat with the '75& '76 Big Red Machine & that magical 1984 Tiger team.

Other points of interest will be the heat of the young Tiger pitchers, especially 100mph blowtorch Joel Zumaya; the play of Phat Albert Pujols, who had an off-series in the NLCS, production-wise(1HR, 1RBI) and will be out to show why he is the best player in the game;the leadership of Tiger catcher Ivan Rodriguez, who left the Marlins after their Championship 3 years ago to join this (then) terrible team and bring it to the promised land; and can Chris Carpenter, the probable Cy Young winner this year, bounce back from 2 shaky LCS outings and carry this raw pitching staff on his shoulders?

So who will come out on top? The team with the best record in baseball for 3/4 of the season(DET), or the team that tanked a 7 game lead down the stretch, limped into the playoffs, and became the team with the 2nd worst record (83-78 Cards) to make it to the Series?

Only one way to find out- let's break it down:

PITCHING:

This is the area that the Tigers have the clear advantage, as the Stanks and A's found out in the two previous series. Detroit lead the majors in ERA in the regular season & continues to do so in the postseason(2.92.) The deep starting staff includes hard-throwing Game 1 starter Verlander, tough-as-nails Jeremey Bonderman, nasty Nate Robertson, and old playoff warhorse Kenny Rogers, who has turned around a miserable postseason past with a marvelous 2006 campaign (2-0, 0.00ERA.) The bullpen is spectacular as well, with the double-barrelled shotgun of Fernando Rodney & Joel Zumaya, both capable of hitting triple digits on the gun, and closer Todd Jones, who has been lights-out in the postseason (3 saves, no ERs) and will not wilt under pressure.

The Cards will have to rely on rookie Anthony Reyes to do the job in Game 1 because the last series went the full 7 and their aces, Chris Carpenter & Jeff Suppan, will not be available until Games 3 & 4 back in St. Louie. Reyes becomes the pitcher with the least amount of regular season wins to start a Game 1 (5.) After Reyes the Cards will pin their hopes on the erratic arm of Jeff Weaver. Although he has redeemed his miserable regular season (8-14, 5.76 w/ 2 teams) with a terrific postseason (2-1, 2,16), he still isn't someone I would want to have to win a Game 2, especially if they lose tonight. After those 2 you get to the best St. Louis has to offer, Carpenter (15-8, 3.09; 2-1, 3.70) and Jeff Suppan (12-7, 4.12; 1-1, 1.86), both crafty vets who will not be fazed by either a Cardinal deficit or lead. From there things get shaky: the bull pen is a hodgepodge of kids who have banded together well so far this postseason but could very well crumble under the weight of the WS spotlight. The best of the bunch is newly installed rookie closer Adam Wainwright, who has filled in admirably for Jason Isringhausen and had an awesome outing in the Cards clinching Game 7 vs. New York; ask Carlos Beltran how filthy his breaking ball is.

EDGE: DET

INFIELD:

The Tigers and Cards come into this one with banged up infielders, For Detroit 1B Sean Casey could be back in the lineup after injuring his calf in the ALDS, but possible only as a DH at first.

For St. Louis 3B Scott Rolen has a bad shoulder which has severely hampered his hitting (.188 in playoffs) and his normally steady fielding (1 error, numerous misplays), and SS David Eckstein is also not 100% with various ailments.

-1B: Phat Albert Pujols, last year & this years' probable MVP, against Carlos Guillen, who moves from his natural SS to fill in for Casey. Hmm, wonder who gets that edge?

-2B:Detroit's Placido Polanco was the ALCS MVP and he has had a blistering postseason(.471) and plays a mean second base. The Cards counter with Ronnie Belliard, a midseason pickup from Cleveland who has played well, if not spectacularly in the playoffs. EDGE: DET

-3B: Brandon Inge has been a sparkplug with his bat (big HR in Gm1 of the ALCS) & glove( lunging dive into the stands to shag a foul ball in Gm3.) Rolen has the bigger bat & better glove, WHEN HEALTHY, so this one could be a wash. EDGE: EVEN

-SS: Eckstein is hurting and has that ridiculous windmill motion to first base, but he's a sparkplug who won it all with the Angels 4 years ago, so he's got the know how. With Guillen covering 1st, the Tigers may have to rely on unproven Ramon Santiago- YIKES. EDGE: STL

-C: Yadier Molina won Game 7 for the Cards with his dramatic 9th inning HR on Thursday so he is the man of the hour right now. But Pudge-less Rodriguez has the experience, arm, bat, and intangibles to be the proven leader of this team. No contest. EDGE: DET

OVERALL EDGE: St. Louis

OUTFIELD:

-CF: The Cards' Jim Edmonds hasn't had a great postseason as he recovers from post-concussion syndrome, but when he's healthy he's one of the best in the game. No one can match him on highlight catches in center, not even Torii Hunter. For Detroit they have had a great output from young stud Curtis Granderson(.313, 3HRs, 7RBI), who is emerging as a star for this Tiger team. But he is a youngster, so he may not adjust as well as Edmonds to the intense glare of the Series lights. EDGE: STL

-RF: Juan Encarnacion hasn't delivered the big plays that the Cards were hoping for when they signed him from the Marlins, where he won it all with Pudge & Leyland in '03; so far he is hitting .222 in the playoffs. For Detroit Magglio Ordonez is coming off of that game winning HR in the ALCS GM 4 finale, so he's riding high. Plus he's a better player. EDGE: DET

-LF: A committee approach for LaRussa should have playoff hero So Taguchi (4-4, 2 HRs) in the lineup for Game 1, but Preston Wilson & Chris Duncan will also log time there this series. For Detroit Craig Monroe has taken over for Marcus Thames and has also emerged as a rising star (.300, 3HR, 7RBI) this postseason. The Tigers also have young Alexis Gomez, the hero of their game 2 victory over Oakland. EDGE: DET

OVERALL EDGE: DET

INTANGIBLES:

The managers are pretty much a wash. Both are experienced in these situations and both are considered to be masters of managing a rotation & lineup. Leyland has seemed to make every right decision so far this postseason, while LaRussa seems to be a little off of his usual sharp game handling tactics. EDGE: EVEN

Detroit has the home field and would have even without the stupid All Star Game rule, and 17 of the past 20 teams with homefield advantage have won it all. Not to mention the temps will be in the 30's & 40's with possible snow, so there's another advantage. EDGE: DET

The Tigers may have to contend with some Game 1 rust after not having played since last Sunday. Meanwhile the Cards are fresh off their grueling 7 gamer vs. the Mets and just got into town yesterday. They'll either be jet-lagged, tired & groggy, or ready to keep the momentum from Thursday night going. EDGE: EVEN

And last but not least the Tigers seem to be that destined team that comes along every once in awhile that defies logic, wins in numerous ways, and always seems to make the right moves. They have that something special that is reminding everyone of what it was like when the team with the English script 'D' on their unis ruled the game. And

MY PICK: DETROIT IN 6

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NLCS Game 7: A Classic

Cards ride stellar pitching & clutch hitting to their 17th World Series berth Cards 3, Mets 1

Cards win series, 4-3

WP: Flores

LP: Heilman

SV: Wainwright

HR: STL:Molina

It was a Game 7 classic that will go down in the history books because it had all the elements of great Shakespearean theater: fantastic pitching, an eye-popping defensive play, and 9th inning theatrics that produced both a hero & a goat. The St. Louis Cardinals & New York Mets were deadlocked at 3 games apiece in the series and at 1-1 in Game 7 for more than 7 innings before an unlikely hero provided a 9th inning blast that would catapult the Cards back into the World Series for the second time in 3 years. (You might remember the first time-2004, the Year of the Sawx.)

THE PITCHERS:

Proven Game 7 vet Jeff Suppan (see his win in the 2004 NLCS vs. 'Roid-ger Clemens for proof) was all business when he took the mound for the visitors. With his Jeff Reardon-like beard, steely glaze and profound confidence Suppan had the calming effect of Mr. Rodgers as he had the Mets hitters baffled most of the night. He allowed a first inning run after getting the first two out on a double by Beltran, walk to Delagado and the first clutch hit of the series by David Wright (.160, 1HR, 2RBI), but was lights-out from there. He ended up going 7 innings, allowing 2 hits and the 1 run with 5 walks and 2Ks. But it was his demeanor, approach, and attitude that the Cards seemed to thrive off of all night long.

On the other side Mets starter Oliver Perez matched his mound mate in confidence & ability if not experience & statistics. Perez had a disappointing 2006 campaign with 2 teams, the Pirates (2-10, 6.63ERA) and Mets (1-3, 6.63) for a combined 3-13, 6.55 season, and he had been tagged for 5 runs and 9 hits (including 3 HRs) in the Mets 12-5 Game 4 win. But managers & analysts rave about his "stuff" and tonight he showed the world why. Pitching with a nervous coolness Perez matched Suppan stride for stride; he gave the short-lived 1-run lead right back in the 2nd on singles by Edmonds & C Yadier Molina (more on him soon) and a safety squeeze bunt by Raphael Belliard that tied the game at 1. But it would remain that way as Perez turned in 6 innings of 4 hit ball with 2BBs & 4 Ks. It was a much needed shot in the arm for a team that had been nervous about their Game 7 pitching options, but a guy that Mets manager had the utmost confidence in when naming him the starter. Willie instincts were right on this call.

The starters gave way to their bullpens in the late innings to take over in a tie game, but if not for those two outstanding performances this game would never have been the classic it ended up becoming.

THE EYE-POPPING, SHOW-STOPPING CATCH:

Endy Chavez had been a little-known utility player with a .269 career average in 569 games covering 6 seasons and 5 teams. Now he will be forever known as a playoff (near) hero, as his spectacular, home run-robbing catch in the 6th inning was one of the more clutch, and unbelievable, catches you will ever see in the postseason. With Perez in his first jam since the 2nd inning, Edmonds on first and Rolen coming up, Randolph went to the mound to chat with his pitcher. After the pep talk, Rolen (bad shoulder & all) promptly took the next pitch to deep left for what appeared to be a momentum-swinging 2-run homer. Not so fast my friend; Chavez watched the ball all the way, timed his leap, and at the precise moment the ball was coming down, leapt up, stretched his arm & glove to the fullest extent and snagged the ball as it was coming down on the other side of the wall. As it popped to the top of his glove and Chavez came down into the padded wall with a thud the silent stadium erupted in cheers. But then Chavez had the presence of mind to throw back to the infield to double Edmonds off first; Jimbo was already well around second when Chavez caught it. Guess he thought it was gone, too. As Chavez came off the field to thunderous applause from the fans and numerous celebrations from his teammates, it appeared to be one of those history-making catches that would propel a team to a victory and then be talked about for decades to come as the turning point of the game.

Alas for Mets fans, that play was not to be the turning point in this masterpiece.

THE 9TH INNING:

By now there was a steady drizzle falling, the fans were nervous and everyone was wondering what would come first: extra innings or a rain delay? Luckily for all of us the answer was neither. It turns out that the 9th inning would provide the closure this long, strange series needed, and it would come in grand style. as is so often the case in these types of games, one man had to be the hero, rendering the other the goat.

Aaron Heilman, a dead ringer for a young Al Leiter, had taken over for Chad Bradford in the 8th and got 3 quick outs (sandwiched around a Pujols IBB, his 2nd of the game.) To start the 9th Heilman got Edmonds to strike out while making him look silly in the process and it looked like either bottom of the 9th or extra inning dramatics were imminent possibilities. But then Scott Rolen took the 8th pitch he saw from Heilman to left for his 2nd 9th inning single in 2 games. GULP. This is where Mets fans began sweating profusely and looking more worried than an expectant father. In an instant they knew why they were worried. Light hitting (6 HRs all year) catcher Yadier Molina instantly injected his name into the lore of postseaon baseball when he took the next pitch from Heilman deep over the wall in left for a monstrous 2-run, game deciding home run that left the stadium so silent you could hear every Card player & coach congratulate the youngest member of the Catching Molina Brothers (Bengie & Jose are the others.) It was a postseason moment that appeared to be frozen in time: the fans waving their white hankys, the rain & mist shrouding the stadium, Endy Chavez leaping, this time futilely, to try and bring the ball back again, and the Cards celebrating with jubilation as if they had just lifted an enormous weight off of their shoulders.

They had; it was the weight of disappointment and unfulfilled expectations after a 2nd half swoon left the Cards as the team with the worst record in this postseason and a heavy underdog in this series.

The Mets still had a chance in the bottom of the 9th and gave their tortured (oh, boo hoo, it's been since 1986 since you won it all-waaaaaaaa) fans a glimmer of hope when Jose Valentin & Chavez singled off rookie Cardinal closer Adam Wainwright. But the kid, who took over for injured Jason Isringhausen near the end of the season, got tough from there. Foregoing the bunt opportunity and playing for the win (2nd guesses, anyone?) Randolph sent out gimpy Cliff Floyd in an attempt to get an extra base hit to tie or win the game right there. Bad move, Willie, as Floyd struck out on a NASTY breaking ball from Wainwright that said "this game is mine." Jose Reyes then lined out to Edmonds in center, and after a walk to LoDuca loaded the bases, Wainwright caught Cardinal Killer Carlos Beltran looking at another filthy yakker to end the game and the season for New York.

So the Cards will meet the Tigers (remember them) in the World Series beginning Saturday night in frigid Motown. Suppan was named the NLCS MVP for his 2 outstanding performances, not to mention his 1 home run, and a jubilant Cardinal team will have very little time to celebrate & enjoy this magnificent win.

For the Mets is yet another heartbreaking ending to the team that hasn't been able to capture a title since that putrid 1986 crown. Maybe, with all the stupid "1986/2006" signs smattered all over the place, and numerous references to Mookie Wilson, Bill Buckner, the Mets have got a little curse of their own going on here.

But if this game was part of a curse, then so be it.

Because I do live for this.

But what baseball fan doesn't?

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Let's play 7: Mets force Cards into the Ultimate Showdown in Sports

Rookie pitcher John Maine tosses 6 scoreless innings and Jose Reyes' leadoff HR helps the Mets force a Game 7 tomorrow night.

Mets, 4-2
WP: Maine
LP: Carpenter
HR: Reyes

WHAT HAPPENED:
As I said yesterday, this Series has followed a bizarre pattern- that is, there is no pattern. Other than St. Louis winning 2 games in a row (2 & 3) this series has had more surprise outcomes & hidden twists than an episode of Prison Break. Star pitchers have pitched badly (Carpenter in Gm 2), and bad pitchers have shone like stars (Weaver in Gm5); green rookies have pitched like seasoned veterans (John Maine tonight) and playoff veterans have pitched like AA prospects (Billy Wagner in Gms 1 & 6.) The only things that have been predictable is that a no-name has made himself a playoff hero (So Taguchi) and the superstars (Beltran, Delgado, Pujols, & Edmonds) have come through in the clutch.

But tonight's non-pattern/pattern made perhaps the least sense of all. The Cardinals had their ace,Chris Carpenter, the 2005 Cy Young Award winner and the likely winner this season as well, on the hill going up against the Mets rookie righthander John Maine. The kid was thrust into the playoff rotation when El Duque Hernandez went down with a calf injury before his start in the NLDS against the Dodgers. All he has done since then is provide solid starts (other than a small meltdown in Gm 2 when he allowed 5 BBs & 3 ERs) and a steady, calming presence on the mound that allows everyone around him to relax as well. Tonight all he did was shut down the potent Cardinal hitters with a masterful 5.1 innings of 2-hit shutout ball. He's a rookie.

Maine event, Maine man, Maine-iac, whatever you call him the kid is cool

It helps relax a pitcher when your stud SS starts off the game with a nerve- calming home run to take the edge off of everyone. This kid is using his time in the postseaon spotlight to show the whole world what a phenomenal player he tryly is. He's beginning to resemble a Rickey Henderson-type catalyst- homeruns, triples, stolen bases. After tonight's 3-4, 2R, 1RBI, 1SB, numerous terrific defensive play performance, the 23 year-old from the Dominican is hitting .282 (11-39) with 1-2B 1-3B, 1-HR, 7R, 5RBI & 3SB. Talk about making a name for yourself when it counts. The Mets would get another off of Carpenter(6IP, 7H, 2ER) in the 4th on a Shawn Green single, and when Paulie LoDuca tacked on 2 more with a single off Braden looper it looked like the Mets would cruise into Game 7.

Look, up in the sky, it's a superstar being born

But wait- the ninth inning was yet to be played. And the second coming of Brad Lidge, Billy Wagner, got the call to nail down the 4-run win. Wrong. Wagner and his shrinking confidence got into immediate trouble, allowing a single to Encarnacion, then a single to Rolen, who can barely life his arm above his shoulder and had been 0-3 w/ 4 men LOB (bases loaded in the 1st) in the game. After getting the next 2 out, up stepped Wagner's nemesis, So Taguchi. Taguchi had tagged Wagner for the game-winning HR in Game 2, and this time he got the closer for a 2-run, confidence-crushing double to break the shutout and the good feelings the Mets had been having up to that point. Wagner then induced a game ending groundout, but a lot of people in Met land will be losing sleep over the fact that this guy might have to be called on to save a Game 7.

So tonight we are all treated to a spectacular sporting event-Game 7 of a League Championship Series. The only thing better is a Game 7 of a World Series, but we;ll take this for now. It will be Jeff Suppan for the Cards, himself a veteran of an NLCS Game 7 two years ago against Roger Clemens & Houston for the right to go to the World Series. If you recall the Cards were in that series , so guess who won the Game 7. he will be opposed by either Darren Oliver or Oliver Perez. Right now the Mets don't care if it's Oliver Twist on the mound. They forced the ultimate showdown; now all we have to do is sit back & enjoy it.

MY PICK: With all the momentum going with New York, plus the decided advantage of playing a Game 7 at home, I'm going with... The Cards. Logic says the opposite of what should happen will happen, therefore I look for the Cards boppers, especially Pujols, to come through, and who knows, maybe we;ll even get to see So Taguchi take Wagner deep again for the Series winner.

Cards 6-4

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Cards bounce back from rainout & beating to take 3-2 series lead

St. Louis, behind another quality start from Jeff Weaver & a

Phat Albert HR defeat New York, 4-2

Cards lead series, 3-2

WP: Weaver (2-1)

LP: Glavine(1-1)

SV: Wainwright

HRs:STL:Pujols, Duncan

WHAT HAPPENED:

This series is really getting bizarre now. Momentum, what momentum? Each team has appeared to steal 'Uncle Mo' from the other, like New York's emphatic 12-5 Cardinal clubbing in Game 4 after St. Louis's 5-0 smack talk-silencer in Game 3. But just when you think you got this NLCS figured out, it comes back to surprise you again.

Tom Playoff Vet Glavine was taking on Jeff the Underachiever Weaver and all the odds seemed to be in New York's favor, coming off of that Game 4 win plus the rain-induced off day, which allowed Tommy G. to pitch on his normal 5 days rest. But then a funny thing happened: they played the game. And wouldn't you know the Bust beat the Best with superior pitching and timely hitting. Perfect formula for a Series-winning team.

Weaver baffled the formerly unstoppable Met hitters with 6 innings of 6 hit, 2-run ball; even though he allowed 3 doubles, the only time it hurt him was when Jose Valentin doubled in 2 in the 4th for the Mets short-lived 2 -o lead.

Before they could think about building on that lead Albert Pujols came up with one out and promptly torched a Glavine(4IP, 7H, 3ER) offering into the leftfield seats for a momentum-swinging HR. Bad hammy, huh Albert? The Cards tacked on another after a walk to Rolen and singles by Belliard & Edmonds to leave the 4th with the score tied at 2 and Uncle Mo clearly swaying towards the home dugout.

The next inning the Cards stole the momentum and the series advantage by knocking Glavine out of the game. After losing the lead on a single, double & a walk, he was relieved by Chad Bradford. The hard-throwing sidearmer combined with Pedro don't call me Jose Feliciano to get out of the inning without allowing another run, but the damage was done. Chris Son of Dave Duncan added a solo shot in the 6th off of Feliciano for the final margin.

So the series goes back to the Big Apple for the do-or-die (for the Mets) Game 6 tonight at 8 on FOX. The hopes for New York will reside on the arm of rookie John Maine against Cardinal ace Chris Carpenter-GULP. But the Mets roughed up Carpenter in Game 2 (6H, 5R), and my instinct tell me that although they might not beat him up again, they will score enough runs to force a Game 7.

MY PICK: Mets 3-2

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Mets even Series with 12-5 bludgeoning of Cards

The New York Lumber Co. made a much-needed appearance as the Mets slug 4 HRs in rout

Mets 12-5

Series: tied at 2
WP:Perez
LP: Thompson
HRs: STL:Eckstein, Molina, Edmonds: NYM: Beltran(2), Wright, Delgado

WHAT HAPPENED
Call it the Carlos & Carlos Show. Or the Wright Brigade. How about the 'Queens Crushers', as a yang to the Bronx Bombers? Whatever you want to call them the New York Mets got right back into this NLCS by doing what many experts, and myself, thought they would do: outslug the Cards with their superior firepower.

It took 4 games but that finally happened as Carlos Beltran (2), Carlos Delgado and David Wright each went deep off of 4 St. Louis hurlers. The vaunted New York offense, which had been averaging under 3runs/game finally had the breakout game everyone was waiting for, especially the Two Carlos'. Beltran continued his single-handed demolition of the Cards with his 2 HR performance; he has 7 HRs against St. Louis in 11 NLCS games against them. I'd say it's about time to give the Pujols/Papi treatment to this guy and walk him in every situation lest he beat your behinds yet again. I mean can any St. Louis pitcher, past or present, get this guy out? Why not bring in Bruce Sutter, Bob Gibson or John Tudor to try and stop this maniac?

The Cards actually jumped out to a 1-run lead against Mets starter Oliver Perez (5.2, 9H, 5R, 3HRs) but that was quickly erased by Beltran's first homer and one out later Wright followed with his homer, his first hit of the series. After the Cards tied it in the 3rd, Delgado (2-4, 5RBIs) untied it with a massive 3-run bomb off of reliever Brad Thompson, who had just come on for starter Anthony Reyes. That swing turned a tight tie game into a rout as it opened the floodgates for a 6-run outburst in the 6th inning that made it 12-3 before St. Louis tacked on a couple more to make it (somewhat) respectable.

So the Mets tied the series at 2, and with major rain scheduled for tonight might be able to have Tom Glavine back on his normal rest for Game 5 .It's now a short (3 game) series, and if the Mets bats stay red-hot, it could be a quick, bitter 3 games for St. Louis.

QUOTES: "When you have good hitters like we do, you're not going to hold us down too often." Mets manager Willie Randolph on his powerful lineup.

NOTES:
-Game 5 tonight has been cancelled due to rain and will be played Tuesday night at 8 on FOX. It is the second game of the NLCS to be postponed by rain; the first, Game 2, benefited St. Louis as it allowed them to use ace Chris Carpenter in Game 2 instead of Game 3. This time the precipitation favors the Mets as they will be able to use their ace, Tom Glavine, on his normal days rest instead of a day early. The flip side is he will not be able for a crucial Game 6 or 7 start, but the Mets can't look that far ahead now.
-Glavine(2-0, 0.00) will be opposed by Jeff Weaver (1-1, 1.69).
-There are questions about the health of Phat Albert's hammy. Suck it up son, it's the NLCS.

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Cards ride game 1 momentum to game 2 victory

Jeff Suppan does in the Mets with his bat & his arm

in an impressive 5-0 winSuppan's HR was the first by a pitcher in the playoffs since Kerry Wood's in the 2003 NLCS

Cards, 5-0
WP: Suppan
LP; Traschel
HR: STL:Suppan

WHAT HAPPENED:
As predicted here the Cards rode the momentum gained from their Game 1 9th inning win right into this game. And they started immediately by scoring 2 in the first inning off of Steve Traschel when the Man in the Red Soul Patch, Scott Speizio, hit his 2nd 2-RBI triple in as many games that bounced off of Shawn Green; what the hell are the odds of that? I mean Speiz isn't exactly Jose Reyes (who also coasted to a three-bagger in this one.) After gettitng out of a bases loaded situation after that (thanks to 2 BBs; Traschel walked 5 and gave up 5 hits & 5 runs in his 1 inning of work), the Cards went right back to work, beginning with starter Jeff Suppan nailing a Traschel offering over the wall in right for a leadoff blast and a 3-0 lead. Although that would be all the veteran would need (8IP, 3H) the Cards tacked on a couple more on a hit, 2 walks, WP and FC. In that onslaught Traschel was nailed by a line drive off his shin and soon had to exit the game. But the damage was done, literally & figuratively, and the Cards have the momentum back heading into Game 3 tonight at 8 on FOX.

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Tigers Return to Series 22 Years Later

On the anniversary of their 1984 World Series-clinching victory Maggs Ordonez leads the Tigers back to the promised land.

Tigers 6, A's 3
WP:Ledezma
LP:Street
HRs:OAK: Payton; DET: Ordonez (2)
Tigers win series, 4-games to-none

WHAT HAPPENED:

Magglio Ordonez happened, that's what. He happened to hit a leadoff home run in the 6th of Danny Haren that tied the score at 3, and then he happened to become a postseason hero when he nailed a 3-run bomb off of Oakland closer Huston Street with 2 outs in the 9th inning to propel Detroit to their first World Series since 1984; that magical year the Tigers broke out to a 35-5 start en route to a Series victory over the Padres.

This year's edition of the Tigers has had that same kind of magical aura around them all season, save for the final month when the long grind, and the hot Twins, caught up to a team that was 40 games over .500 at one point (76-36 on Aug. 7th.) Despite tanking in the final weekend,getting swept by the Royals which forced them into the Wild Card against the Stankees, the Tigers never gave up or or caved in- a direct extension of their take-no-prisoners manager, Jim Leyland. To a man these Tiger players have credited Leyland with changing the culture of losing in Motown and being accountable for the actions between the white lines. It's freakin' amazing when you remember that THIS TEAM LOST 119 GAMES JUST 3 YEARS AGO.

The game stared off ominously for Detroit as Oakland starter Haren had his way with the Tiger hitters for the first 4 innings, allowing only 2 hits while striking out 7. Plus the A's offense decided to make an early appearance, courtesy of RBI doubles by Milton Bradley (7-14 in the series while gutting it out with a wounded hammy) and Eric Chavez. When Jay Payton hit a one-out solo shot off of shaky Tiger starter Jeremy Bonderman (6.2, 6H, 3R) to push it to 3-0 in the 4th, there weren't worries on the faces of the Tiger faithful, but the small seed of "uh-oh, we might have to go back to Oakland" could be found stirring in their minds.

But that doubt was quickly put to rest when the Tigers pounced on Haren for 2 runs in the 5th. Sparkplug Brandon Inge led off by forcing an error by the Gold Glove king Chavez. Granderson $ Monroe (how clutch are those 2) then hit back to back doubles to make it 3-2, and if it weren't for Monroe getting doubled off second on a lineout by ALCS MVP Placido Polanco ( 9-17, .529) the Tigers might have tied it in that inning.

As it was they only had to wait until the first batter of the next inning, when Maggs popped on into the rightfield bleachers for a game-tying, momentum-swinging homer that must have left Oakland & their fans thinking "what do we have to do to kill these beasts?!"

The answer, obviously, is nothing, because these cats don't just have 9 lives, they may have 99 lives. They just keep comin at ya until there's nothing left but a carcass, and that's all that was left of the A's after the devastating 9th inning.

Things started out innocently enough when Marcus Thames & Grandy both flew out off of A's closer Huston Street. But then something happened: Craig Monroe reached on a single. "Rally time" I said to my wife, who was ignoring me as usual when it comes to these things. But then another thing happened: a single by MVPolanco. Two on and tow out. "Rally time" I said a little louder. And next came the moment every kid, player, and fan dreams of. Ordonez stepped to the plate with a chance to put his team in the World Series with one swing of the bat. And with one swing of the bat, he crushed the offering from Street deep into the rightfield seats and even deeper into Tiger & baseball lore: it was only the 8th time an LCS has been decided by a walk-off home run. We won't mention when the last time was (ahemAaron Boone.)

"You're right, I am the man!"

So the Tigers will celebrate like it's 1984 for a few days while the NLCS plays out. That Tiger team had heroes like Jack Morris, Kirk Gibson and manager Sparky Anderson. But this squad has heroes like Ordonez, Monroe, Polanco, Grandy, Bonderman, Verlander, Zumaya, and manager of the Year shoo-in Jim Leyland, who with another series win will become only the 3nd manager to win a Series in both leagues. The first: Sparky.

Karma, baby, karma. And the Tigers got it in spades.

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Cards slug their way back to even series

A see-saw slugfest ends with St. Louis scoring 3 in the 9th off Billy Wagner to win Game 2, 9-6

Say it ain't So! Taguchi's 9th inning HR provided winning margin for Cards

WP: Kinney
LP: Wagner
HRs: STL: Taguchi, Edmonds; NYM: Delgado (2)

WHAT HAPPENED:
I'm still not sure as this one was what everyone expected of most games in this series due to lack of pitching depth, but not with St. Louis ace Chris Carpenter on the mound. New York jumped all over Cy Carpenter early and often, starting with a Carlos Delgado 3-run bomb in the 1st inning and ending with another Delgado shot in the 5th. With his line(5IP, 6H, 5R, 4BB), you would think the high scoring Mets would have had a "W" for sure. Ah, but not on this wacky night, because that lack of pitching depth caught up to New York as well; rookie starter John Maine had an awful outing (4IP, 4R, 5BB, 88 pitches) including a 2run double to Yadier Molina in the 2nd and a 2-run HR to Jim Edmonds in the 3rd that knotted the game at 4. It would remain that way until the 5th, when the Mets got the lead run on Delgado's 2nd HR, then added another in the 6th when Paulie LoDuca doubled in Jose Reyes(3-4, 2R, 1RBI, 1BB) to take the 6-4 lead.

But the Cardinals would strike back against Guillermo Mota in the 7th. Scott Soulpatch Spieizio, a hero from the Angels World Series winning club 3 years ago, hit a deep flyball to rightfield with Pujols and Edmonds aboard. As the ball appeared to go over the fence, rightfielder Shawn Green knocked it back off the top of the wall and back onto the field. Meanwhile Pujols and Edmonds had motored around for a 2-run triple and the contest, or circus, was tied again, 6-6.

Remeber back in my NLCS preview to what I said about the Mets bullpen: "The Mets enjoy a decided advantage in the bullpen. Hard throwing closer Billy Wagner has lost some gas but can still be unhittable- when he isn't allowing game-winning bombs."
Okay, call me Nostradamus if you must, because as soon as you can say Armageddon, Wagner allowed a leadoff solo shot to light-hitting, seldom-used utility outfielder So Taguchi, who now has 2 hits, both HRs in this postseason after not hitting one since June 21st. Only in the playoffs, man. Just to make sure the Mets weren't coming back again, Wagner gave up another big hit to Spiezio (RBI 2B) and a run-scoring single to Juan Encarnacion for the final losing margin of 9-6.
I know Wagner has given up some big, game-blowing meltdown bombs before, but in this situation, when the Mets would have had a commanding 2-0 series lead, this one has got Brad Lidge Breakdown written all over it.

NOTES:
The only other multihomer game for the Mets in the NLCS was by Rusty Staub in Game 3 in 1973 against Cincinnati.
The Mets were 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position, dropping to 2-for-15 in the series.
Delgado is making the most of his first postseason appearance:10-22 (.455),3HRs,6RBI.
Albert Pujols finally had a decent game (2-4, 3R)perhaps feeling the pressure to perform after his embarrassing comments regarding Glavine after Game 1-very out of character for the normally likable Phat Albert-hopefully it was a motivational ploy, as some analysts have suggested.

QUOTES:
"I can't explain. It's unbelievable," he said. "Who expected that I would hit a home run? Maybe nobody. Even me." Taguchi on being the unlikely homer hero

UP NEXT:
Game 3 switches to St. Louis tonight at 8Pm on FOX. The matchup will be Steve Traschel (15-8, 4.97) for the Mets vs. Jeff Suppan (12-7, 4.12) for the Cards. Thanks to the rainout, even though Carpenter didn't get the win, the Cards now have the rotation in their favor, being tied going home with their 2nd best pitcher on the mound. Look for the Cards to ride some of that momentum, plus the noise of all those mad Redbird fans, to another thrilling win.

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Tigers put choke hold on A's

Detroit earns near-insurmountable 3-0 series lead with 3-0 victory in Game 3 The Gambler was dealin' again as Rogers threw 7.1 scoreless innings

WP:Rogers
LP: Harden
SV: Jones(3)
HRs: DET: Monroe

WHAT HAPPENED:
Call it karma. Call it fate. Call it getting the monkey off a city's back after 19 years of frustration.
But whatever you wanna call it, it's now apparent that Detroit has got it, and it's riding that special something right into the World Series.

Neither cold nor (threat of) snow nor Oakland's pitchers could stop the runaway train, sorry, GM automobile, that is this Tiger team. They set the tempo right off the bat when, despite the opening pitch temp of 44 degrees, Game 1 hero Brandon Inge made a headlong dive into the stands to snag Mark Kotsay's foul ball. Total disregard for his body, the weather, the circumstances, just pure determination to make the play. That's how the Tigers have been playing ever since the Game 1 blowout loss to New York in the ALDS. And that's why they are on the verge of their first Series birth since that magical 1984 season.
Kenny the Cameraman Clubber made another brilliant playoff start, continuing to erase memories of his early career postseason failures (FOX showed the classic footage of him giving up the bases loaded walk to Andruw Jones in the 1999 NLCS.) The Gambler tossed 7.1 innings of 2-hit shutout ball, and you just knew that after rusty Oakland starter Rich Harden (5.2, 5H, 3R, 5BBs) gave up 2 in the first that might be all Rogers would need today. And it was.

Detroit put the deuce on the board in the opening frame when Harden couldn't get acclimated to either the weather or big league players after getting battered in a Fall Ball tuneup start in Arizona Monday. Harden missed 3 1/2 months with elbow problems this year, and the call to give him the start instead of rested & healthy Danny Haren will be second, third & quadruple-guessed in the Bay area for months. He was behind on every batter and started the game by walking Grandy (3BBs, 1 SB, 1R) and gave up singles to Monroe & Polanco (6-6 career off Harden) for the 1-0 lead. A fielders choice scored another run, but Harden escaped further damage with an inning ending DP.

"Man that is a pretty shot I just hit right there."

But it turns out that there would only be 1 more run scored in the game- Monroe's majestic shot to left field off of Harden leading off the 5th- and Kenny made sure that he wasn't going to blow this one. Fernando Rodney, who is replacing Zumaya while the blowtorch rests his sore wrist, relieved Rogers in the 8th and escaped a mini-jam, then gave way to Todd Jones in the 9th, who recorded his 3rd save of the series. Talk about a complete team victory.

WHY OAKLAND LOST:
Why did the A's lose, let us count the ways: questionable starter Rich Harden wasn't sharp, they couldn't retire the leadoff man Granderson (3BBs after striking out 174 times this year), they couldn't get any hits (2 total), they made mental mistakes (no one covering 2nd on a steal, couldn't turn a routine DP- again) and they were just completely outplayed in all facets of the game for the third straight game by the suddenly supreme Tigers. When the 2 big guns, Frank Thomas & Nick Swisher, are throwing up a combined 0-17 you are gonna be in trouble. Like 'down 0-3 with a Game 4 tomorrow at 4 in frigid Motown against Yankee-killer Bonderman' trouble.

NOTES:
King Leyland's hunches paid off again. He switched Carlos Guillen to 1st in place of injured Mayor Casey and Guillen made a great play to stay on the bag and escape that 8th inning jam. He also gave 1st career playoff starts to Omar Enfane at DH (1 hit, 1 BB) and Ramon Santiago at SS, who made a beautiful play on a ball hit to the hole for an out that Guillen would never have reached. Trust the Midas touch.
Oakland 2B Mark Kiger became the 1st Major League player to make his MLB debut in a playoff game. Kiger replaced D'Angelo Jimenez in the 8th; Jimenez has not been effective in replacing regular second sacker Mark Ellis, who was lost to a broken finger in the ALDS vs. Minnesota.

QUOTES:
"It's like finding a wallet on Friday night and then looking for another one on Saturday and Sunday." Analyst Lou Pinella on why surprise ALDS hero, light-hitting Marco Scutaro, has not produced in the ALCS.

LAST WORD:

Bust out the "Grillies" cause Detroit's going to the Series!

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Mets down Cards behind Beltran & Glavine

Tommy G's pitching and Carlos Beltran's hitting provide all New York would need to take 1-0 series lead.

Carlos Beltran's 6th inning blast was all the Mets would need

WP: Glavine
LP: Weaver
SV:Wagner
HR: NY:Beltran

WHAT HAPPENED:
Cardinals starter Jeff Weaver and Mets lefty Tom Glavine combined for 5+ innings of exciting, pitching dominant playoff baseball. The two hurlers combined to allow only 5 hits thru 5 1/2, and had the hitters off balance the whole time. Then came the bottom of the 6th, and Weaver made the kind of mistake that you CANNOT afford to make in a tight playoff game like this one. After 2 quick outs Paulie LoDuca lined a single to left. No problem, right? Wrong, because the Mets power-hitting center fielder Carlos Beltran was up next, and he hit the 4th pitch he saw from Weaver so hard and far it almost put a hole in the giant scoreboard beyond the center field wall. The shot went an estimated 430 ft, but would've gone about 500 if the board didn't interrupt its flight.Beltran is making a living off of postseason HRs, especially against the Cards: it was his 11th career playoff homer and astonishing 5th vs. St' Louis in just 3 series against them. Ouch. Might want to walk that guy next time.

WHY ST.LOUIS LOST:
Weaver & Glavine. Although he pitched brilliantly for 5 2/3 innings,Weaver absolutely cannot make a mistake like that to a hitter like Beltran in that spot. Walk him if you must, but don't allow him to beat you like that. But that's why Weaver is a 15-loss pitcher and Beltran is one of the best hitters in the game. Also Tommy G. has quietly (as hew usually does)put the depleted Mets pitching staff on his shoulders since the loss of Pedro & El Duque and given them 2 consecutive brilliant performances, not allowing a run so far in the postseason (13 IP);it's the first time in his 34 career playoff starts that he has gone back-to-back games without allowing a run. A lot of people forget about this guy for the Mets- Tommy is making sure no one will forget about him again. Another factor in the loss was poor Cardinal base running. Twice the Redbirds had base runners caught napping and picked off base, including an embarrassing play by Pujols when he was almost at second base on a liner to center in the 4th; Beltran fired back to first to easily nail Pujols for a rally-killing DP.

NOTES:
Mets LF Cliff Floyd got the start despite his badly injured achilles tendon. After making an out in the 2nd Floyd was removed from the game, saying he "felt 2 pops" in there. He is listed as day-to-day. My question to Willie Randolph- with games on 5 consecutive days following the rain out, why start the already hobbled Floyd in Game 1 and now potentially lose him for the other 3 or 4?

Due to the postponement of Game 1 LaRussa announced that ace Chris Carpenter will start Game 2 tonight in New York on his normal rest instead of his original schedule to be the Game 3 starter when the series resumed in St. Louie. Makes sense, 'cause if the Cards lose tonight Game 3 won't matter too much. Rookie John Maine will go for the Mets. The game is tonight at 8PM on FOX.

QUOTES:
"He wasn't good. He wasn't good at all," Pujols said of Glavine, who threw seven innings of four-hit ball for the victory. "I think we hit the ball hard, we didn't get some breaks.
"I say he wasn't good at all. We just didn't get some opportunities and that's it.. .. (Glavine did the) same thing that he always does. Throw a changeup, fastball and that was it. I just think we should've done a better job than we did." Sour Grapes Albert following his terrible 0-3, 1 baserunning blunder performance. Way to give credit where credit is due, Al.

ALCS: Game 3 switches the series to Detroit, but cold & possible snowy conditions make the completion of the game dicey. It was moved to 4PM to accommodate various interests, one of them possibly being the weather. But since it was already flurrying last night I don't see what moving it to today will accomplish. If the game goes off it will be Kenny Rogers for the Tigers facing Rich Harden for the A's, who desperately need this game or face the prospects of yet another disappointing playoff series loss. Harden missed 3 1/2 months with arm troubles this year, but he is a native Canadian, so if anyone should thrive on the conditions it would be him.

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Comeback Cats claw out 2 game advantage

Tigers take Game 2, 8-5, to go up 2-0 heading back to Detroit.

Seldom- used Alexis Gomez rapped 2 hits(1 HR) & 4 RBI

Game 2: Tigers 8-5

WP: Verlander

LP: Loaiza

SV: Jones

HR: DET: Gomez, Granderson; OAK: Bradley (2), Chavez

WHAT HAPPENED:

The longer this season goes on the more Jim Leyland looks like a managerial genius. I'm talkin' LaRussa-type genius. How else do you explain Leyland's latest 'questionable? no,brilliant' move of inserting twice-released outfielder Alexis Gomez in the DH spot in place of Marcus Thames?

The hunch paid off as the lefty DH smacked a 2-run single in the 4th to give Detroit the lead, then added a 2-run bomb off of Esteban Loiaza in the 6th that gave the Tigers a little cushion at 7-3. The A's would scrape back thanks to 2 homers from Milton Bradley and had a chance to win it after loading the bases off Todd Jones in the 9th. But Jones got Frank Thomas to fly out to deep right to end it, and now Detroit is the team putting a 'big hurt' on the A's with a 2-0 series lead heading back to Motown. And it seems like every move Leyland makes turns into managerial gold. Talk about a Midas touch.

WHY OAKLAND LOST:

Esteban Loiaza. Oakland had an early lead in this one thanks to a single run in the 1st and 2 more in the 3rd on Bradley's first HR off Tiger starter Justin Verlander. But almost immediately the Tigers struck back, touching up Loiaza for 4 in the 4th and chasing him with 2 more in the 6th; his line score was a horrendous 6IP, 9H, 7ER and 1 monumental playoff "L."

Milton the Madman's 2 jacks weren't enough for Oakland

This is what happens to teams in the playoffs when they are forced to rely on piss-poor starting pitching (see Yankees, New York) and it a 7 game series that flaw often proves to be fatal, which it will be for Oakland.

WHAT's NEXT:

The series shifts to Motown and gorgeous Comerica Park. My good friend Adam who works at the luxurious Tiger Club restaurant behind home plate tells me that the starting time has been changed from 8:00PM to 4:14 PM so the Cards/Mets game can be seen in prime time- IN JAPAN. Evidently the Japanese invest quite a few bucks in MLB. The "official" cause was said to be possible inclement weather in the Detroit area Friday night, but if so why have the other 2 games been moved as well? Either way the Tigers will roll out ALDS hero Kenny Cameraman Clubber Rogers and Oakland will counter with Rich Harden, a kid who has terrific stuff, but missed a huge chunk of the season with elbow problems. Uh-oh. Can you say 3-0? Adam, tell the chefs to start preparing the World Series menu.

QUOTES:

"He does have big-time power," Leyland said. "Unfortunately, he showed most of it in batting practice." Leyland on Alexis Gomez

NOTES:

Tiger first baseman and all-around nice guy Sean Casey suffered a calf injury in Gm 1 and was unavailable for Game 2; his status for the rest of the series is in question. Also for Detroit, flamethrowing reliever Joel Zumaya injured his wrist and is listed as day-to-day; he injured the same wrist a month ago and missed a week. That's what happens when you throw 103 freakin miles per hour!

NLCS NOTES:

Rain forced the postponement of Game 1 of the NLCS between the Cardinals and the Mets last night. It was rescheduled for Friday day, then switched to the night to "accomodate the weather in Detroit". Just as well with the sudden death of Yankee pitcher reverberating throughout the greater New York area as well as the rest of the country. Mets coach Manny Acta and a team doctor actually lived in the building that Lidle's plane crashed into. Talk about a goosebump-inducing coincidence. Game 1 is Thursday night at 8 on FOX (with an "O") , Jeff Weaver for St.L vs. Tom Glavine for the Mets.

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Tigers take Gm 1 of ALCS, 5-1

Robertson, Inge & Co. rip Oakland in the ALCS opener

There may be a higher power guiding Pudge & the Tigers

GAME 1: Tigers 5-1

WP- Nate Robertson

LP- Barry Zito

HR- DET: Inge, Rodriguez

WHAT HAPPENED:

It looked like Barry Zito was going to reprise his ALDS Game 1 performance when he out pitched Johan Santan for the win. Zito retired the first 8 batters he faced on a variety of pitches, including his nasty yakker. But then Brandon Inge came up with 2 outs in the 3rd. Boom, with tone crack of the bat and one missile-shot HR, the Tigers got back on that roll that helped them off the Stankees. They would add 1 more that inning and then hang a 3-spot on the former Cy winner, started by a Pudge-less solo shot and chased Zito from the game. It was smooth sailing from there for Detroit, well except for a few 2 men on situations.

WHY OAKLAND LOST:

How about these numbers: 3-22 with men on base, 0-13 with RISP, 9 men left on and a whopping ALCS record 4 double plays grounded into. The A's had a chance to get back in it in the 4th. Down 5-0 they put the first 2 men on against Detroit starter Nate Robertson. But Nasty Nate went on to fan the next 3 hitters, pumping his fist after a filthy heater caught Marc Scutaro looking as if to say "This game is ours, boys." Although Oakland actually put pressure on the Tigers terrific pen, actually scoring a run off of Joel 103mph Zumaya,they were never seriously challenged.

INTERESTING FACT:

The last 4 teams to lose Game 1 of the ALCS went on to win the Series (Chisox, Bosox, Stanks, Angels.)

WHAT's NEXT:

Tonight the Tigers send equally nasty rookie Justin Verlander against Esteban Loiaza. Not good for Oakland when one of your most important games of the season is trusted to that 1-Year Wonder. Look for Detroit to ride the wave of a 2-o lead back to Motown.

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