Here’s
your daily baseball briefing:
Game of
the Day for Monday Sept. 9:
Houston Astros 6, Seattle Mariners 4
I visited
Seattle a few weeks ago, and toured Safeco Field
for the first time on a sunny Monday afternoon. The open-aired waterfront
park was empty, but it had a cozy somewhat friendly appeal to it, but no
obvious history or even significance.
They’re the only current team never to have reached the World Series,
and they cling to their 2001 ALCS appearance against the Yankees with banners everywhere. A few days before my tour, the Mariners
honored Ken Griffey with an on-field tribute, but other than his Hall of Fame
career, sadly Seattle has been irrelevant for most of their history. The stadium has a Museum and Hall of Fame,
but my tour guide said we couldn’t go in there for time purposes. I mumbled something back like “time purposes or
there’s nothing to see in there?”
Instead he talked for ten minutes on the weather. The city and their fans deserve a good
team. Only 9,908 showed up on Monday
night, the smallest crowd in Safeco history, and sadly they witnessed the home
team blow a ninth-inning lead, so maybe they have a reason to stay home.
Trailing 3-2 and down to their last two outs, baseball’s
worst team Houston, scored four runs on two walks, three singles and two
errors, prompting the fans that remained to head for the parking lots. It was supposed to be a memorable game for a
few young Seattle players, as outfielder Abraham Almonte hit his first career
home run, and starting pitcher Taijuan Walker, in his last start of the season,
struck out eight in five innings, and was in line for the win before the
bullpen blew it.
I can see why fans didn’t come out, but if you’re a baseball
fan, exciting games come in all forms, and this one ended wildly. Good thing nobody in Seattle saw it.
News &
Notes: Detroit pitcher Max Scherzer (19-3) failed to win his 20th
game for the third start in a row, losing 5-1 to the Chicago White Sox.
Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Juan Uribe hit three home runs
in their 9-1 win against Arizona.
Pittsburgh (82-61) clinched their first winning season since
1992 with a 1-0 win against Texas.
Walk-Off
Win Streak:
6 The San Francisco Giants walked-off
winners last night on first baseman Brandon Belt’s tenth inning RBI single that
beat Colorado 3-2.
Longest
Winning Streak - 4
Cincinnati Reds
Longest
Losing Streak -
3 Toronto, Oakland, Pittsburgh,
San Diego, St. Louis, Washington, Philadelphia
League
Leaders
American
League
Batting
Average- .353 Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
Home Runs
- 48
Chris Davis, Baltimore Orioles
RBI - 133 Miguel Cabrera,
Detroit Tigers
Pitching
Wins – 19 Max Scherzer, Detroit Tigers
Strikeouts
- 240
Yu Darvish, Texas Rangers
E.R.A. - 2.61
Anibal Sanchez, Detroit Tigers
National
League
Batting
Average- .330 Chris Johnson, Atlanta Braves
Home Runs
- 32
Pedro Alvarez, Pittsburgh Pirates
RBI - 107
Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks
Pitching
Wins – 16 Zimmerman (WAS), De La Rosa (COL),
& Wainwright (STL)
Strikeouts
– 208 Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles
Dodgers
E.R.A. - 1.92 Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
MVP
Watch
American
League: Mike
Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels
Yesterday:
1-4,
1 RBI, 1 run, and 1 walk
Season: .338, 23 HRs, 84 RBI, 97 runs scored and 32
stolen bases
On pace
for: .338,
26 HRs, 95 RBI, 110 runs scored and 36 stolen bases
National
League: Hanley Ramirez, 3B, Los Angeles Dodgers
Yesterday:
2-3,
1 HR, 1 RBI and 3 runs scored
Season: .343, 18 HRs, 53 RBI
On pace
for: .344, 20 HRs, 60 RBI
Cy
Young Watch
American
League: Chris Tillman, Baltimore Orioles
Yesterday:
7 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs and 9 K’s in a win vs. NY
Yankees
Season: 16-5, 153 K’s, and a
3.67 ERA
On pace
for: 18-5, 174 K’s, and a 3.66 ERA
National
League: Gio Gonzalez, Washington Nationals
Yesterday:
9 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, and 8 K’s in a complete
game win vs. NY Mets
Season: 10-6, 178 K’s, and a 3.31
ERA
On pace
for: 11-6,
204 K’s and a 3.29 ERA
History
1984 World
Series – Detroit Tigers vs. San Diego Padres
The Tigers and Padres won their divisions handily with
impressive double-digit leads, and veteran managers Sparky Anderson (Detroit,
fifth World Series appearance) and Dick Williams (San Diego, fourth World
Series appearance) met for the second time as opposing World Series managers,
with Williams’ Oakland Athletics defeating Anderson’s Cincinnati Reds in seven
games in 1972.
The series had a fast phone theme hovering over it as it
featured Dominos Pizza founder and Tigers’ owner Tom Monaghan against McDonald’s
founder and Padres owner Ray Croc.
Unfortunately, Croc passed away months before the series. This series would also feature the first
World Series game at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, and the last World
Series game at Tiger Stadium.
Detroit became just the third team in MLB history to lead their
division wire-to-wire, on their way to a franchise record 104 wins, while San
Diego also set a franchise record for wins with 92, setting up a great World
Series matchup.
The Tigers had home field advantage and split the first two
games in San Diego, but were dominant when they returned home. They wouldn’t lose another game, leading all
the games from the beginning, winning 5-2, 4-2 and 8-4 in the deciding Game 5. Detroit outfielder Kirk Gibson broke the last
game open with a three-run home run off San Diego reliever Goose Gossage in the
eighth, and Motown celebrated their fourth World Series title in franchise
history (’35, ‘45’ & ’68). Manager
Sparky Anderson became the first manager to win the World Series in both the
American and National Leagues.
Detroit
Wins 4-1
For the series, Detroit outscored San Diego 23-15, but were
outhit by San Diego 44-40.
Hall of Famers included for the Tigers: manager Sparky
Anderson; and for the Padres: manager Dick Williams, shortstop outfielder Tony
Gwynn, and pitcher Goose Gossage.
Tomorrow:
1985 World Series – Kansas City Royals vs. S. Louis Cardinals
Trivia
Today’s
Question: The 1984 World Series between Detroit and San Diego was
played at Tiger Stadium and Jack Murphy Stadium, but have been replaced with
more modern stadiums since. Name them.
Yesterday’s
Question: In Game 3 of the 1983 World
Series, three Cy Young winners pitched in game for the first time in World
Series. It has happened just once
since. When and who were the pitchers?
Answer: In Game 1 of the 2012 World Series when
Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum pitched for San Francisco and Justin Verlander
pitched for Detroit.
House
Bet
Today: Over/Under
5 hits by the Mets tonight against
Washington starter Jordan Zimmerman (16-8).
Yesterday: Over/Under 4 runs
allowed by Yankees pitcher C.C. Sabathia in his start at Baltimore.
Result: Under. Sabathia
allowed 3 runs.
Standings
| American League | National League | |||||||||
| EAST | W | L | GB | STRK | EAST | W | L | GB | STRK | |
| Boston | 87 | 58 | - | Lost 1 | Atlanta | 86 | 57 | - | Won 1 | |
| Tampa Bay | 78 | 64 | 7.5 | Won 1 | Washington | 74 | 69 | 12 | Won 3 | |
| Baltimore | 77 | 66 | 9 | Won 1 | Philadelphia | 66 | 77 | 20 | Won 3 | |
| NY Yankees | 76 | 68 | 10.5 | Lost 1 | NY Mets | 64 | 78 | 21.5 | Lost 1 | |
| Toronto | 67 | 76 | 19 | Won 3 | Miami | 53 | 89 | 32.5 | Lost 3 | |
| CENTRAL | W | L | GB | STRK | CENTRAL | W | L | GB | STRK | |
| Detroit | 82 | 62 | - | Lost 3 | St. Louis | 83 | 60 | - | Won 3 | |
| Cleveland | 77 | 66 | 4.5 | Won 1 | Pittsburgh | 82 | 61 | 1 | Won 1 | |
| Kansas City | 75 | 69 | 7 | Lost 1 | Cincinnati | 82 | 63 | 2 | Lost 1 | |
| Minnesota | 62 | 80 | 19 | Won 1 | Milwaukee | 62 | 80 | 20.5 | Won 2 | |
| Chicago Sox | 58 | 85 | 23.5 | Won 2 | Chicago Cubs | 61 | 82 | 22 | Won 1 | |
| WEST | W | L | GB | STRK | WEST | W | L | GB | STRK | |
| Oakland | 83 | 60 | - | Won 3 | LA Dodgers | 84 | 59 | - | Won 1 | |
| Texas | 81 | 62 | 2 | Lost 1 | Arizona | 72 | 71 | 12 | Lost 2 | |
| LA Angels | 67 | 76 | 16 | Lost 2 | San Diego | 65 | 77 | 18.5 | Won 3 | |
| Seattle | 65 | 79 | 18.5 | Lost 2 | Colorado | 66 | 79 | 19 | Lost 4 | |
| Houston | 48 | 96 | 35.5 | Won 1 | San Francisco | 65 | 79 | 19.5 | Won 2 | |
Schedule –
Tuesday September
10th
Probable pitchers in parentheses, with my picks to win highlighted.
Yesterday's Picks: 7-4 Overall: 865-665
Times EST
| @ | |||||
| @ | |||||
| @ | |||||
| @ | |||||
| @ | |||||
| @ | |||||
| @ | |||||
| @ | |||||
| @ | |||||
| @ | |||||
| @ | |||||
| @ | |||||
| @ | |||||
| @ | |||||
| @ |
No comments:
Post a Comment