Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Game 5 - Ortiz Shines Again

David Ortiz has had a legendary World Series. Ortiz is hitting an unconscionable .733 against St. Louis with 2 homers and 6 RBIs. His OPS for the five games is over 2.000. In the first, he doubled home Dustin Pedroia to give the Red Sox a 1-0 lead.

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright settled down and pitched five straight shutout innings. Meanwhile Matt Holliday homered off of Jon Lester in the bottom of the third to tie the game. But int eh seventh, Xander Bogaerts and Stephen Drew began a rally which ended with two runs plated when it was all over. Boston had a 3-1 lead.

In the bottom of the ninth, Koji Uehara struck out two to solidify the victory. Boston take sa 3-2 lead heading into Game Six back east.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

2013-2014 NBA Predictions

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East
Just missing the playoffs: Atlanta
Out in first round: Boston, Brooklyn, Cleveland, Detroit.
Out in East Semis: Miami*, Chicago*
East Finals: Indiana defeats New York*

West
Just missing the playoffs:
Out in first round: Denver, Golden State, Houston, LA Lakers.
Out in West Semis: Oklahoma City*, LA Clippers*.
West Finals: San Antonio* over Memphis.

* Division winner

2014 NBA Finals: San Antonio over Indiana 4-2.

Monday, October 28, 2013

Game 4 - Going Going Gomes

The Cardinals go on the board first when Carlos Beltran singled home Matt Carpenter. The Sox's Clay Buckhholtz only pitched one more inning, but Felix Doubront pitched another 2 and 2/3 innings giving up only one run.

With the score 1-1 in the top of the sixth, Jonny Gomes homered in Dustin Pedoia and David Ortiz. That ended Lance Lynn's day.

In the bottom of the ninth, a banged up Allen Craig pinch hit and laced what normally would be a double off the wall. Instead, he limped to first. Kolten Wong pinch ran. One batter later and with Carlos Beltran up, Wong jumped off first. Boston's closer Koji Uehara picked off Wong and for the second consecutive night, the game ended on a bizarre play.

Boston won 4-2 and tied the series at two.

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Game 3 - An Obstruction of Justice?

Boston's Jake Peavy struggled in the first inning. Everything he threw seemed to be over the plate. He may have been fortunate to get out of the inning only giving up two runs. Matt Holliday and Yadier Molina grabbed the two RBIs that inning.

In the fourth, Peavy had loaded the bases with no one out. Pete Kozma, who has been having a nightmarish World Series came to the plate in hope of redeeming himself. Instead, he struck out looking. The pitcher Joe Kelly popped out next and then so did Matt Carpenter.

After Xander Bogaerts tripled off of Kelly in the fifth, he scored on a ground out. In the top of the sixth, Daniel Nava knocked in Shane Victorino to tie the game at two.

Craig Breslow let two men on in the seventh, even though one reached on a dribbler and the other reached on a dubious hit by pitch. Junichi Tazawa gave up the go-ahead single to Matt Holliday which plated two Cards.

Red Sox Manager John Farrell can be questioned for pinch hitting for Felix Doubrant in the seventh with none on and two out. Doubrant had pitched two dominating innings and the Sox didn't have much going offensively in the inning. The top of the order was due up in the top of the eighth and perhaps it would have made more sense to save Gomes for later. That became especially true when relief pitcher Brandon Workman made his major league debut at the plate in the ninth.

Carlos Martinez gave up two runs in the eighth when Nava hit into a ground out and when Bogaerts singled. The game was tied at four heading into the ninth.

With runners on second and third in the bottom of the ninth, Workman faced John Jay. Jay grounded to second when Dustin Pedroia snatched the ball and fired home. Yadier Molina was out. Then, catcher Jared Saltalamacchia fired down to the third. Will Middlebrooks couldn't get the ball. He was positioned about a foot away from third place in fair territory. When the runner, Allen Craig tried to scamper home, Middlebrooks lifted his legs. Though Craig was gunned out at home, obstruction was called.

The Cardinals won 5-4 in walk off fashion in one of the most bizarre endings to a World Series game. St. Louis is now up 2-1 in the series.

Friday, October 25, 2013

Game 2 - Cards Tie it Up

After a pitchers' duel between Michael Wacha of St. Louis and Jon Lackey of Boston through the first three innings, Matt Holliday tripled to lead off the fourth and later scored. A David Ortiz two-run homer int he sixth gave the Sox the lead.

Only Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia have been hitting well for the Sox thus far in the World Series, despite the eight run outburst in Game 1. As it would turn out, the two runs off of Ortiz's bat weren't enough for Boston to win.

An errant throw the next half inning by Boston's Craig Breslow began a chain that would allow three Cardinal runners to cross the plate in the top of the 7th. Carlos Beltran, playing in spite of aching ribs, went 2 for 4 with an RBI. After two strong innings by Carlos Martinez, Trevor Rosenthal got the save. The Cardnials won 4-2 to tie the series at one.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Game 1 - Sox Blowout Cards

In the first inning, Pete Kozma wasn't able to grab a throw headed towards him, but umpire Dana DeMuth incorrectly called the Dustin Pedroia out. Manager John Farrell raced out to argue and asked DeMuth to get help from his fellow umpire. DeMuth demurred and the call was reversed. That gave the Sox the bases loaded. Mike Napoli cleared the bases with a three-run double.

Things got worse for the Cardinals in the second. Pitcher Adam Wainwright spaced on a little pop up right to him. Kozma committed another error. And though Carlos Beltran saved a David Ortiz grand slam with a catch near the wall in right, he hurt his ribs crashing into the padding and left the game.

Up 5-0 in the second, Jon Lester pitched into the eighth giving up no runs, five hits, and striking out 8. Ortiz hit a two-run homer in the seventh and the Sox added one more in eighth to win 8-1.

Tuesday, October 01, 2013

2013 MLB Playoff Precitions

NL
Reds over Pirates

Dodgers over Braves
Reds over Cardinals

Dodgers over Reds

AL
Tampa Bay over Cleveland

Detroit over Oakland
Boston over Tampa Bay

Detroit over Boston

World Series
Detroit over Dodgers