2014 Baseball Post Season

[eagle eye]

I can't believe baseball fans like Big T and KABrother88 haven't posted something about the baseball playoffs.

First, isn't it refreshing NOT having the Yankees and Red Sox to talk about?

Next, the Wild Card play-in games in the AL and NL were pretty good. Yeah, I know that San Fran whooped up on Pittsburgh pretty good in the end but it was a pretty good game until the 4th inning when San Fran got a grand slam from Giants SS Brandon Crawford. BTW, that was the first slam in post season history by a SS.
The AL game was a nail biter with Kansas City edging Oakland 9-8 in 12 innings.

The AL is ready for the Championship Series. Huh? Yep, I didn't stutter. The Division series is best of 5 but neither of the series lasted more than 3. In the east the Orioles swept the Tigers which is shocking considering Detroit trots out a starting pitching rotation of Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander and David Price. It's one of those rare occasions when good pitching didn't win out over good hitting.

The other AL series featured the team with the best record in the AL and posted the season's best turnaround from the previous season by 20 games, the Los Angeles Angels facing off against the upstart Kansas City Royals making their first appearance in the post season since winning the World Series---in 1985. The Royals are the hottest team in the playoffs so far and the sentimental favorite after being a bit of a laughing stock since that '85 WS win. The Royals beat the Angels with good pitching, timely hitting and some down right killer defense that broke the Angels spirit by Game 3.

It's like a flashback to the 1980s with Baltimore and KC relevant again. It's a lot of fun and it should be a great series.

The NL side is more complicated. These teams are in street fights with each other. In the Giants-Nats series the Giants are up 2-1. They won the first two games in Washington 3-2 and 2-1 but lost at home 4-1. The Nats are going
for a tie in the series tonight with Gonzalez (10-10) on the hill for the Nats and Vogelsang (8-13) going for the Giants.

In the other series the Dodgers and the Cardinals have squared off with St Louis leading the series 2-1. The biggest surprise was how the Cards got to Clayton Kershaw late in Game 1 and tagged him with the loss in a 10-9 game that saw Kershaw's career post season record fall to 1-4. Surprising when you realize Kershaw is considered by many to be the best pitcher in baseball. And considering the fact the Dodgers were at home and lost the game. The Dodgers came back in Game 2 and won 3-2. The series shifted to St Louis where John Lackey pitched a one run gem beating LA 3-1 to take the series lead. Game 4 is tonight with Clayton Kershaw (21-3) back on the hill facing Shelby Miller, who is better than his 10-9 record would lead you to believe.

The Dodgers-Cardinals game is first beginning at 4:00 PM CDT.
The Nationals-Giants game begins at 8:00 PM CDT.

[Big T]

So far, it's been a pretty boring post season. I am really hoping that the NLCS and the ALCS are going to be much more entertaining that the ALDS and the NLDS. Even the one game playoffs for the wildcard spot were slightly boring. IDK... KC is looking very good though. I swear, STL better not win another.

[eagle eye]

Both of the NL Divisional Series is over. The Giants ousted the Nationals yesterday and the Cardinals gave the Dodgers the boot beating Clayton Kershaw for the 2nd time in this series.

Kershaw, Steven Strasberg and pretty much the whole Detroit starting rotation all gone. What the heck is going on here? I thought great pitching was supposed to beat great hitting and really all of the teams in the league championship finals aren't really great hitting teams.

So, Friday night it's the Royals travelling to Baltimore to face the Orioles and the Giants go to face the Cardinals in St Louis. The AL is going retro with the Royals and O's bringing back ghosts of the 3 decades ago. George Brett vs Cal Ripkin, Jr. Naaah. But I bet they will be watching. The NL is getting old with the Cards and Giants. You sort of wish it was the Pirates and Dodgers. Anyway, I'll bet the sentimental fave will be the Royals. Won't it? After all, the Royals have been SOOOOOO bad for SOOOOOOO long you can't help but root for them. It's kind of unfair to the Orioles who have been on a comeback of their own the last few years.
I have to root Royals because they are where Houston wants to be and it gives us hope for our team's future. I'm tired of the Giants and Cardinals. Yep, it's the Royals for me. Where's my pine tar?

[eagle eye]

ALCS and NLCS series didn't hold much tension. The Royals swept the Orioles and the Giants took St Louis in 5. All games were competitive but in the end the Cinderella Royals just could not be stopped while despite the fact the Cardinals starting pitching looked better on paper they didn't perform up to their standards. It didn't hurt that the Giants pitchers are pretty good too.
So, now we have the most interesting World Series that we've had for a good while especially when, as Astros fans, we are looking at a team who has been where we are and have been since 2006, on the bottom clawing their way to the top. We should be rooting for the Royals because we are rooting for the Astros by proxy. After all, Sports Illustrated said in print that this time in 2017 Houston will be in this very spot anticipating the beginning of the fall classic as the American League representative.

Who: San Francisco Giants vs Kansas City Royals
Where: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
When: Tuesday, October 21, 2014 at 7 PM CDT
TV: Fox 4

[eagle eye]

San Fran did something the other two opponents of Kansas City were not able to do and that's win a game. The actually smacked the Royals around but KC came back last night and returned the favor. The Giants winning 7-1 in Game 1 with KC coming back with a 7-2 victory in Game 2. Parry and thrust. The Giants did what is the main goal to begin a best of 7 series and that's earn a split and take home field advantage back to their home city. Conceivably the Giants could complete a series win but you just don't get the feeling they will, or even can. KC is for real and they won't go away quietly. Game 3 is tomorrow night so we don't have to wait long for the next act in this play. You hope that the series gets a little more even score-wise. It's been fun though and I don't see this changing anytime soon.

[eagle eye]

There was a baseball game last night, you might have heard of it. Game 3 of the World Series? Yeah, with the series tied at 1 game each the Kansas City Royals and the San Francisco Giants moved to the City by the Bay for the first of 3 games. The Royals took the early lead and never really looked back but they did feel some heat. The Royals scored first with a run in the first and they added 2 more in the top of the 6th. But, San Fran wasn't going quietly as they scored twice in the bottom of the 6th to make the score tight at 3-2. From there it was a pitcher's duel between the two bullpens. Both did their job through the rest of the game and with the final out in the bottom of the 9th the Royals had hung on for a 3-2 win and retook the home field advantage in the series. They did it the same way they've won all season, with timely hitting and good pitching.

Tonight is Game 4 on Fox at 7 PM. The Royals will send lefty Jason Vargas to the mound and San Fran will counter with righty Ryan Vogelsong. Should be a good game, one I'm looking forward to seeing.

[eagle eye]

It don't look good for KC right now in Game 5. They are down to their last at-bat and they are down in the score 2-0. Madison Bumgarner has been almost untouchable. He's gone 8 innings giving up only 4 hits, no walks and 8 K's. Bumgarner has thrown 107 pitches so I'm not sure if they let him finish the game but he deserves to go the distance. James Shields went 6 innings for the Royals giving up 2 Giants runs on 8 hits with a walk and 4 K's.

Oh crap, it's all come apart for KC. Relievers Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis have combined to give up 3 runs in the bottom of the 8ths to extend the Giants lead to 5-0. Davis just struck out Gregor Blanco for the final out. You have to say the fat lady hasn't sung yet but she's ready to. I'm going to hang on with this post until I can see who is going to close for San Fran.

[eagle eye]

Bumgarner is on the mound for the 9th. I'm glad. I'm not rooting for the Giants or anything but Bumgarner deserves to finish this game.

First out in. Alex Gordon flies out to right field.
Out #2 is a ground out by Lorenzo Cain to 1B.
Alex Hosner is the last chance. Hosner tried his best but he grounds out to 3B on a 5-3 play.

Bumgarner got his complete game and his final pitch count was 117 pitches as it only took 10 pitches to retire the side in order.

Giants win 5-0 and take the series lead of 3-2 back to Kansas City where Game 6 will be Tuesday night.

[eagle eye]

The Royals and Giants went scoreless in the 1st. The Giants were retired after a one out double by Hunter Pence (remember him Astros fans?) with no runs.
Bottom 2 KC has something going. 2 singles and a double give the Royals a 1-0 lead with men on 2nd and 3rd. Omar Infante struck out and the top of the order is coming up. San Fran starter Jake Peavy is struggling in a post season game yet again.
Alceides Escobar hits a dribbler up the 1st base line and the first baseman expected the man on 3rd to be going and he wasn't. By the time he went to get Escobar he had run past him for an infield single. Bases loaded with one out.
Nori Aoki singles after fouling off several pitches scoring one run. Bases loaded, one out and Jake Peavey is done after 1-1/3 innings and 42 pitches. Yusmiero Petit is coming on for Peavy.

Royals lead 2-0 with the bases loaded on one out in the bottom of the 2nd.

[eagle eye]

Lorenzo Cain hits a 2-2 bloop single to right center scoring two runs. Royals lead 4 zip. Men on 1st and 3rd still just one out.

[eagle eye]

Eric Hosmer hits a high chopper over the draughn in infield for a single that turned into a double with the throw to the plate. 2 runs score extending the Royals lead to 6-0. Man on second with one out and Billy Butler at the plate.
Butler doubles into the right-center gap scoring the Royals 7th run in the inning.
Alex Gordon, who began the inning with a single is up. He hits a ball down the first base line fielded by the 1st baseman for out No 2. Butler advances to 3rd.
Salvador Perez pops out in foul territory on the outfield side of 3rd base to end the inning but the Royals, whose fans a LOUD are pumped up.

Royals 7 Giants 0 but a long, long way to go.

[Big T]

10-0 Royals! Game seven coming up!

[eagle eye]

It must have seemed like a long way to go for the Giants. The game lasted a long time and it never got any better for the Giants. The Royals added 3 more runs in the game, one in the 3rd, one in the 5th and the last one in the 7th to make the final score 10-0. Yordano Ventura pitched 7 innings giving up 3 hits, 5 walks and getting 4 K's to get the win for the Royals while Jason Frasor and Tim Collins each pitched an inning to close out the game for KC. The Royals banged out 15 hits in the game, 8 hits coming in the 7 run outburst in the 2nd inning. The Giants sent 5 pitchers to the hill last night and none of them lasted more than the 3 innings that Jean Machi pitched. The game, for all intents and purposes, was over in the bottom of the 2nd but it was still going on at 10 o'clock when I needed to go to bed. It was only the 8th inning and I just couldn't hang any more.

So, it's on to a Game 7. That will take place tonight around 7-ish on Fox. The pitchers will be Jeremy Guthrie for KC and Tim Hudson for the Giants. Nothing is sports compares to a Game 7 in the World Series. It's weird but Game 7's in the NHL and NBA are exciting but there's just something about the pageantry of a Game 7 in baseball that makes it so special. Tonight is THE last game of the 2014 season and all-in-all it's been a pretty good year for the National Pastime. Go Royals!

[eagle eye]

It was a helluva ride and a really good World Series but the wrong damn team won. No worries, KC will be in the mix for a while if they continue to ride the bulk of this roster. The Giants and Royals were both wild card entries in the playoffs and they battled for the right to be in the biggest show in baseball. Last night's game was a nail biter, a game really worth watching. The difference was Series MVP Madison Bumgarner who came into the game in the 5th inning and went the distance on only 2 days rest. Because starter Tim Hudson only lasted 1.2 innings and the first reliever Jeremy Affeldt pitched only 2.1 innings neither pitched enough innings to qualify for the win so it fell on the shoulders of Bumgarner. He was up to the task going 5 innings giving up 2 hits with no walks and 4 K's. For the series he was 3-0 with a micro ERA of 0.25 which is the best of all time for pitchers in the post season with at least 20 innings of work. The series win gives the Giants 3 wins in 5 years. Smells like a dynasty to me. If Bumgarner didn't win the MVP of the series it had to go to former Astro Hunter Pence. In the series he hit .444 with a .500 OBP and a .667 slugging percentage and a 1.167 OPS.
During the post game interview of Giants manager Bruce Bochy on Fox you could clearly hear the Royals fans chanting "Let's go Roy-als!" (clap-clap-clapclapclap) over and over. It was clear as a bell in the background. I got a little choked up thinking about how it must've made the Royals feel with the fans reacting like that after LOSING the World Series. To me it was an awesome thing for the KC fans to do in appreciation of the season their team had. It made me think that Houston should be the same way when the Astros climb back on top. The 2005 playoff run was amazing and the noise at the Juice Box was such that MLB refused to allow Houston to close the roof of the stadium. The good days are coming and I just hope Houston shows the same type of support to the Astros that Kansas City's fans showed the Royals even in defeat. Damn, I got choked up again during this post. Go Astros!

[KABrother88]

I can't believe baseball fans like Big T and KABrother88 haven't posted something about the baseball playoffs.


Ha...a combination of bad reception at work and crazy busy work and life have slowed my posting down/viewing down...plus a lot of time when I go to the LU forum, it marks this forum as read and I forget I was gonna look here lol. I followed the playoffs pretty closely...really wanted KC to pull it out...many of those fans deserved to have a championship after dealing with what they have for the last 20+ years.