Thursday, October 11, 2007
No Guts League Championship
Well this was a battle of a great pitching staff with a decent offense going against a great offense with a decent pitching staff.
Game 1 was Johan Santana vs. Josh Beckett. During the season, Santana and Beckett were about even as pitchers. Beckett had a slightly better ERA. Santana had a better WHIP. But for whatever reason, Santana seemed to get continually ritzed in Scoresheet and taken out early, so I didn't expect that to suddenly stop in the playoffs. I wasn't disappointed. Two two-out rallies in the third and fourth knocked him out of the game with a line of 3.2IP, 5 hits, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, 3 earned runs. Beckett went 8 innings, giving up 2 runs. For some reason, my lineup bypassed my fifth starter, Javier Vazquez, and went with Jake Westbrook for the middle relief when the default should have been to insert Vazquez as the fourth rated reliever with inning of 1, at least that's how it used to be. My fault for not doing a playoff-only lineup. 5-2 Cursed Bambinos with clutch two-out rbis from David Ortiz, Vlad Guerrero, and Grady Sizemore.
Game 2 was John Lackey vs. Dice-K Matsuzaka. Lackey had about a run-and-a-half better ERA than Dice-K plus he was amazing the last month of the season so I liked this matchup. Lackey indeed went 7.2 giving up 2 runs for a 3-2 victory to the Burninators. Both of Ken's team's runs, as were the 5 in game 1, were with two out.
Game 3 was another matchup in my favor: Fausto Carmona vs. Chien-Ming Wang. Carmona had an ERA of almost a run lower and was also the fire in the last month. Carmona goes 8 and gives up two runs on a single by Ortiz and the Burninators squeak another win 3-2.
Game 4 was a machup of Roy Halladay and Joe Blanton. Halladay was only marginally better than Blanton for the season. Two two-out rbi by Ortiz and Guerrero in the 3rd and two-out singles from Ortiz and Sizemore and a two-0ut walk by Guerrero in the 5th chase Halladay. 4.2 IP, 3 ER. Despite my team hitting their 4th and 5th solo homers in the 5th, a two-out 3-run jack by Ortiz against the ever-present Jake Westbrook seals a 7-5 victory for the Bambinos.
Game 5 is a rematch of Santana and Beckett. Both pitchers are still in after 7 with Santana having given up 3 runs and Beckett 4. It looks good for the team with the lights-out combo of Rafael Betancourt and J.J. Putz but Santana - still in the game - gives up a homer to Guererro to tie it. If he had given up a single or walk, he'd have been pulled. In the 9th, still tied, Torii Hunter saves the tie with an outstanding catch with two outs and a runner on third. But the Burninators can't score off Rafael Perez. In the 10th, a tiring Betancourt in his 3rd inning gives up a homer to Sizemore and Jonathan Papelbon makes it hold up for a 5-4 win.
Game 6 sees Lackey leave the game in the 5th with a 5-4 lead. J.J. Putz this time shows up in the 8th and an insurance run later has the series tied at 3 going to game 7.
Game 7 I had high hopes. My best pitcher, Fausto Carmona, was going to take the hill. A 3.06 ERA for the season plus an incredible September in which he'd given up only 7 runs. Alas after 5.2 IP and 4 runs he was gone as another two-out rally drove him from the game. Oddly, he left after getting an out. Brandon Morrow gave up another run and the Burninators were down 5-3. After pulling to 5-4, Jake Westbrook was still in the game -- Vazquez and Jamie Shields were never seen in the series -- and he made it no longer close. 7-4 win to Bambinos and the series. Note to self: Don't trust the auto-Scoresheet playoff lineup!
No Glory League Championship
Boy was Slave mad about losing out to Ken in both leagues. In the AL, he seemed to have a much better Pythagorean team yet lost by 15 games or so. In the NL, they were pretty similar, but Ken beat him by a game.
My team probably should have lost to Jeff if Jeff had made an effort. But, be that as it may, the Dancin' Homers took home the division title with a shambles of a pitching staff. I didn't think I had much of a chance.
Game 1 saw Billy Wagner pull a magic act 1.2 inning save for Brandon Webb despite 4 base runners. An outstanding play by Carlos Beltran won the day. 4-3 Homers.
Game 2 Wagner and Jose Valverde put out the 8th inning fire and save another 4-3 victory.
Game 3 again sees Valverde preserve a 4-3 victory in the 8th and 9th.
Dumbfounded we arrive at Game 4 where the Homers again get out to an early lead. 6-1 heading into the 9th and Chad Billingsley going strong in relief since the 4th inning. Wagner comes in with 1 out, 1 run in, and first and second. He gives up a homer on the first pitch to Jose Reyes to make it a one-run lead and then allows the tying run, Derek Lee to single with the Gas House Gang's best hitter coming up... who promptly grounds into a double-play.
Sweep?!
Billy Wagner, longest-tenured of the Dancin' Homers and only remaining member of the original squad, and now least-deserving series MVP ever!
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Well this was a battle of a great pitching staff with a decent offense going against a great offense with a decent pitching staff.
Game 1 was Johan Santana vs. Josh Beckett. During the season, Santana and Beckett were about even as pitchers. Beckett had a slightly better ERA. Santana had a better WHIP. But for whatever reason, Santana seemed to get continually ritzed in Scoresheet and taken out early, so I didn't expect that to suddenly stop in the playoffs. I wasn't disappointed. Two two-out rallies in the third and fourth knocked him out of the game with a line of 3.2IP, 5 hits, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, 3 earned runs. Beckett went 8 innings, giving up 2 runs. For some reason, my lineup bypassed my fifth starter, Javier Vazquez, and went with Jake Westbrook for the middle relief when the default should have been to insert Vazquez as the fourth rated reliever with inning of 1, at least that's how it used to be. My fault for not doing a playoff-only lineup. 5-2 Cursed Bambinos with clutch two-out rbis from David Ortiz, Vlad Guerrero, and Grady Sizemore.
Game 2 was John Lackey vs. Dice-K Matsuzaka. Lackey had about a run-and-a-half better ERA than Dice-K plus he was amazing the last month of the season so I liked this matchup. Lackey indeed went 7.2 giving up 2 runs for a 3-2 victory to the Burninators. Both of Ken's team's runs, as were the 5 in game 1, were with two out.
Game 3 was another matchup in my favor: Fausto Carmona vs. Chien-Ming Wang. Carmona had an ERA of almost a run lower and was also the fire in the last month. Carmona goes 8 and gives up two runs on a single by Ortiz and the Burninators squeak another win 3-2.
Game 4 was a machup of Roy Halladay and Joe Blanton. Halladay was only marginally better than Blanton for the season. Two two-out rbi by Ortiz and Guerrero in the 3rd and two-out singles from Ortiz and Sizemore and a two-0ut walk by Guerrero in the 5th chase Halladay. 4.2 IP, 3 ER. Despite my team hitting their 4th and 5th solo homers in the 5th, a two-out 3-run jack by Ortiz against the ever-present Jake Westbrook seals a 7-5 victory for the Bambinos.
Game 5 is a rematch of Santana and Beckett. Both pitchers are still in after 7 with Santana having given up 3 runs and Beckett 4. It looks good for the team with the lights-out combo of Rafael Betancourt and J.J. Putz but Santana - still in the game - gives up a homer to Guererro to tie it. If he had given up a single or walk, he'd have been pulled. In the 9th, still tied, Torii Hunter saves the tie with an outstanding catch with two outs and a runner on third. But the Burninators can't score off Rafael Perez. In the 10th, a tiring Betancourt in his 3rd inning gives up a homer to Sizemore and Jonathan Papelbon makes it hold up for a 5-4 win.
Game 6 sees Lackey leave the game in the 5th with a 5-4 lead. J.J. Putz this time shows up in the 8th and an insurance run later has the series tied at 3 going to game 7.
Game 7 I had high hopes. My best pitcher, Fausto Carmona, was going to take the hill. A 3.06 ERA for the season plus an incredible September in which he'd given up only 7 runs. Alas after 5.2 IP and 4 runs he was gone as another two-out rally drove him from the game. Oddly, he left after getting an out. Brandon Morrow gave up another run and the Burninators were down 5-3. After pulling to 5-4, Jake Westbrook was still in the game -- Vazquez and Jamie Shields were never seen in the series -- and he made it no longer close. 7-4 win to Bambinos and the series. Note to self: Don't trust the auto-Scoresheet playoff lineup!
No Glory League Championship
Boy was Slave mad about losing out to Ken in both leagues. In the AL, he seemed to have a much better Pythagorean team yet lost by 15 games or so. In the NL, they were pretty similar, but Ken beat him by a game.
My team probably should have lost to Jeff if Jeff had made an effort. But, be that as it may, the Dancin' Homers took home the division title with a shambles of a pitching staff. I didn't think I had much of a chance.
Game 1 saw Billy Wagner pull a magic act 1.2 inning save for Brandon Webb despite 4 base runners. An outstanding play by Carlos Beltran won the day. 4-3 Homers.
Game 2 Wagner and Jose Valverde put out the 8th inning fire and save another 4-3 victory.
Game 3 again sees Valverde preserve a 4-3 victory in the 8th and 9th.
Dumbfounded we arrive at Game 4 where the Homers again get out to an early lead. 6-1 heading into the 9th and Chad Billingsley going strong in relief since the 4th inning. Wagner comes in with 1 out, 1 run in, and first and second. He gives up a homer on the first pitch to Jose Reyes to make it a one-run lead and then allows the tying run, Derek Lee to single with the Gas House Gang's best hitter coming up... who promptly grounds into a double-play.
Sweep?!
Billy Wagner, longest-tenured of the Dancin' Homers and only remaining member of the original squad, and now least-deserving series MVP ever!
