Category Archives: Sports

Weekend Round Up!

Posted on September 10, 2012 | Leave a comment

Hello baseball fans!

This weekend was a hot one, doing nothing but making the division and wild card races tighter than ever. With nearly 28 games left until the post season begins, you’d think that teams would start to run off with titles, wrong.

The Giants took the three game set in SF over the Dodgers this weekend. I only managed to watch the last two games, in which I have come to the conclusion that LAD maybe dunzo for the division. Unlike the Giants, the Dodgers have a somewhat heftier season ending schedule (I think its four against St. Louis?). The Giants don’t play another team over .500.

The A’s managed to rebound from their being swept by the Angels, by beating up on King Felix and the Mariners. The A’s out scored the M’s 16-4. There were also some heartfelt gestures by the team who hung Brandon McCarthy’s uniform in the dugout, and also wrote his name and number on the mound. #winformccarthy.

The Angels did some work of their own, sweeping the Detroit Tigers at home to kick off their home stand. Mike Trout had the usual highlight reel rolling, both offensively and defensively.The halos have a 6 game win streak heading into this  big 4-game set against the A’s.

The big series this weekend had to be AL East show down between the Yankees and Orioles. The Yankees have watched their 10-game lead in the division wither down to 1 after splitting the series with the O’s this weekend.

Of course, I’ll be watching the A’s, Angels series like a hawk this week. I’ll be back in four days for a wrap of that series, some standings, and some weekend hot and cold!

 

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Get Away Day

Posted on September 7, 2012 | Leave a comment

Hello baseball fans!

Everyone keep Oakland Athletics pitcher Brandon McCarthy and his family in your thoughts and prayers. Yesterday he was hit on the side of the head by a line-drive off the bat of Angels short stop Eric Aybar. According to the A’s beat writers, he was taken to the hospital shortly after for a CT scan, and had surgery last night for a brain contusion and skull fracture. Reports state that he’s awake and alert now, resting in a bay area hospital.

The A’s have the day off after going 3-3 on their home stand which included a sweep of the Red Sox, and being swept by the Angels. Though the Angels series wasn’t their best offensive performance, the A’s entered Thursday tied for AL wild card with the Baltimore Orioles who take on their division rival Yankees this weekend.

Visit the Oakland Athletics website for updates on Brandon McCarthy.

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Hot & Cold : Happy September!

Posted on September 2, 2012 | Leave a comment

Happy September baseball fans! It’s been a while since I can really remember some meaningful September baseball games. The A’s have been stuck in “rebuilding” mode for chunk of my life, so I’m more than excited to be scoreboard watching daily. Whether it’s sitting through nail biters, blowouts, pitching duels, or coming for the baseball & staying for the pie, I know this September will be a memorable one. Though I’m crossing my fingers for something exciting and unexpected, you never know how everything will turn out. Either way, I’m absolutely stoked to watch this team take the field every day.

Sorry I’ve been MIA this week, I’ve had some school stuff to deal with, but that doesn’t mean I was missing out on any baseball action. Today’s post is ‘Hot & Cold’ where I give you my take on which teams are … hot and cold. I’ll also give you my take on a few teams that don’t really make my list, but are either headed for troubled water, or I just want to talk about.

HotHotHot (In No Particular Order):

  • Oakland Athletics
  • Los Angeles Angels
  • Texas Rangers
  • Baltimore Orioles
  • Philadelphia Phillies
  • Milwaukee Brewers
  • San Francisco Giants
  • San Diego Padres

Is it weird that this hot list spotlights ¾ of the AL West? The AL west  is hot right now, and no one can deny it. The Rangers obviously have their powerhouse offense, and jet stream that shoots ball to the moon. The Angels have their money, pitching, and ROY front runner Mike Trout. In all seriousness, who would have thought the A’s would be in the position they are now? They’re hotter than ever right now, smashing on the Bosox, and I mean smashing. They knocked in 20 last night. The AL West is tightening up; making September a big month for all three teams involved who mostly play each other.

Speaking of tight, have you guys seen this Wild Card race? Starting this month, there are truly five teams in it for the long run. Three of which made my list above. Though the A’s hold one spot (+1.5, +2 if they can wrap up the win tonight), the O’s aren’t going anywhere, as they start the month hot. Their loss tonight against a limping NY club, shouldn’t worry anyone. I feel like they’re ready to fight until the end.

On to the National League. Milwaukee has been on fire lately. They’re 8-2 in their last ten, and in my opinion should have been playing this well since day one. They’re one of those teams that I feel should be in the running for a playoff position, but aren’t. Let’s see if they can make it to .500. The Phillies have finally woken up! Too bad they’re 16.5 GB …. I really don’t like talking about the San Francisco Giants, but you can’t knock ‘em if they’re playing well. Maybe loosing Cabrera was the best thing that ever happened to them? Not to mention Posey has been dynamite since the ASB. The San Diego Padres are taking on the role of a hot spoiler. Like the Brew Crew, they’re 8-2 in their last ten, and looking to break some hearts.

ColdColdCold (In No Particular Order):

  • Houston Astros
  • Los Angeles Dodgers
  • Pittsburg Pirates
  • Cleveland Indians
  • Boston Red Sox

Poor, poor Astros. I’m thinking about moving to Houston and trying out. Anyone know what my chances would be? The Dodgers were looking for a nice pick-me-up when they took on their new Yankee status payroll, but poor guys have been slipping in the standings. They can’t seem to put away the sub-.500 teams like their Nor-Cal rivals can. They need to pick it up, or they’re going to be grilling some burgers in October. Everyone see the sad paper bags in Cleveland the other night? Hilarious. They did however beat Texas tonight. The Pirates aren’t playing like they were playing pre- ASB. Which is bad for them, but good for the Reds & Cards.

The Red Sox deserve their own paragraph. The poor guys are falling apart. There was even some friction in the dugout tonight. There doesn’t seem to be much chemistry over there. All bad.

Mayra’s Hot Corner Spotlight:

  • New York Yankees
  • Tampa Bay Rays
  • Kansas City Royals
  • Washington Nationals

Though I don’t like to see teams fall apart, I feel like the Yankees are going to be the team this year that does. Every one’s hurt, and they’re losing their Yankee-swag. (I can’t believe I just said swag.) Both Tampa and the Nationals aren’t playing as well as they had been earlier in July, I definitely see them sticking around, but they need to get their mojos back. As for the Royals, like the Padres they’re really taking on the role of hot spoiler. They have a good young offense that’s really going to beat up on the front-runners of the AL Central.

This is all obviously what’s going through my mind, now what’s going on in yours? Leave a comment, send me a message, subscribe, and follow me on twitter. I’m interesting, I swear!

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Spilling the Beans?

Posted on August 25, 2012 | Leave a comment

Rumor has it the there is a blockbuster trade in the works that would send Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, and Nick Punto from the Boston Red Sox to the Los Angeles Dodgers for  a handful of prospects and first baseman James Loney. While I’m not one to talk about a trade until it’s a done deal, I could resist with this one. To raise some more eye brows, Gonzalez and Loney were both scratched from their lineups.

If this trade does end up being true, what does it mean for the Red Sox? It’s not necessarily that they’ve thrown in the towel for this season, though they are 8.5 GB in the WC race, it just means that they’re looking to dump some money, and go in a different direction. I don’t know the exact numbers, but I know that all of the contracts combined are in the ballpark of are $270 million.

While Boston is really shipping people off, the Dodgers are truly making a run for the West. Though the Giants did sweep LA earlier this week, it did open the doors for this trade to go down. (Giants don’t have the ability to block the trade.)

How do I feel about the possible trade? I think it’s great! Not just because I like to watch the Giants squirm, but because it’s giving some attention to west coast baseball. There isn’t really a hot shot, high payroll, high profile team on the west coast. Maybe all this hoopla will give the AL & NL west a bit more attention. Who knows?

Well, we just have to sit and wait. This might not even happen! Tell me your thoughts on this possible trade, the AL & NL west, and what you think is going on in Boston down below!

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Something in the Water?

Posted on August 24, 2012 | Leave a comment

Happy Thursday baseball fans! It’s been a somewhat eventful week, so here are a few of my quick thoughts as teams get ready open their weekend series.

Unlike I predicted, the Giants managed to sweep LA, taking a 2.5 game lead in the NL West. The Giants, who currently lead the Braves 1-0 heading to the bottom of the fourth, managed to out pitch and out play LAD. Do I see a hot streak in the future? I think so. As much as an anti-Giant as I am, I can really see players like Belt, Sanchez, and Blanco really stepping up in the Melky aftermath.

The Nats/Braves series was just as juicy as I expected. Monday’s walk-off truly sparked the series win. Washington is in it to win it. Downside? The inning limit on Strasburg. He’s 15-5, and pitching on team pushing for a pennant. This team has a great pitching staff, but taking out Strasburg isn’t fair to the team. I understand that he’s a young pitcher, and they want to protect his future, but you’re never guaranteed a playoff spot. They might not be in this position next year. Why blow it?

Time for some A’s talk. Prior to Wednesday’s win against the Twins it was announced that Bartolo Colon was receiving a 50 game suspension for the use of PEDs. Testosterone to be specific. I would never have guessed it based on his hefty frame, but it is what it is. As I said last week, I could not be more disappointed in guys who do this stuff. They let their team down, and screw their careers over. Not to mention what they do to baseball as a whole. Little leaguers grow up wanting to play in the bigs, be just like their favorite player. Is this really the example they want to set? I think a tweet I read by former pitcher and current CSN analyst Greg Caderet sums it up:

@cads32 “Cheaters diminish the accomplishment of all of us that made it. If you aren’t good enough without cheating then you shouldn’t be there!”

Also on twitter, a tweet by Susan Slusser of the SF Chronicle was discussing a conversation with pitcher Travis Blackley. Apparently in Austraila if you get caught once, your career is dunzo.

Taking Colons place in the rotation for tonight was Tyson Ross. The Bay Area native started out strong, but come the fifth inning seemed less than excited to be on the mound. While I do believe he has the stuff for the big leagues, I don’t think he has the stuff to be a starter. As I was mumbling that to myself in the car, they sent him back down to AAA as a relief pitcher.

Stephen Drew, who was acquired on Tuesday night (for basically nothing), had a great game for the A’s tonight. I’m not sure how everyone else feels, but I really like Cliff Pennington at 2nd. There’s a big debate about whether Jemile Weeks should have been sent down, and I’m on board with the decision. I was actually thinking about it right after the trade was complete. Weeks needed a reality check, it’s not about getting to the big leagues, it’s maintaining your position there. He was playing a decent game defensively, but at the plate he was trying to hit balls out, when he should have been trying to get them on the ground and utilize his speed. What I like about Pennington? He’s playing his game, not trying to do too much … he just happens to be in a slump.

Yankees swept in Chicago.

Three teams tied for the second wild card.

Boston blew a heft lead, and lost the game.

All for now!

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Perfecto, and not so perfecto.

Posted on August 17, 2012 | Leave a comment

Better late than never right? Well, first off, MASSIVE amounts of congratulations of Felix Hernandez on his perfect game yesterday. In reality, what took him so long? Being and A’s fan, I get to see him more than I would like to, but watching him dominate (even my team) is magical. I just wish he played for a team that was going to give him more than just moral support. Soak it in Lord Felix, because so far perfection hasn’t exactly brought good things. The last six pitchers to throw perfect games aren’t exactly tossing their best games as of late. Hell, Dallas Braden (May 9th 2010), is going under the knife for the second time in two years. Wish you the best Felix!

Now for the not so hot news of yesterday. Melky Cabrera of the SF Giants was suspended 50 games for the use of PEDs (Testosterone). ** While having my cross bay rivals loose their hottest hitter and top RBI guy did leave me chuckling a bit, I can’t help but be completely disappointed in the guy. What is this, the 80s? I guess I can understand the reasoning behind wanting to take PEDs, but seriously, guys can make it big staying clean,  so for the sanctity of the game, keep it clean boys. You’re letting your team down. The Giants are in the playoff hunt, let’s see how the loss of Melky effects them.

That’s all for now! Comments, and questions below!

**The Giants have less than 50 games left in the season, meaning that if they do make past the first round the post season, and the Melkman finds a way to stay in shape without baseball activity, the Giants ultimately have the option of bringing him back.

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Giants/Nationals Play by Play, and Monday Wraps

Posted on August 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

Off day for my home team, so what’s there to do? Scoreboard watch of course. My TV game of choice happens to be the Giants/Nationals, just because I carry a soft spot for Gio Gonzalez. Also because I’ve had the Nats as my NL post season favorite since sending Gio over in December (it was December right?).  We’re just wrapping up the 2nd, two on two out. (1-0 Nats). As I bolded that score the inning ended.

Today’s Finals:

Phillies/Marlins:4-0 Phillies, Cole Hamels with his second straight complete     game.

Dodgers/Pirates: 5-4 LAD, Putting some serious pressure on SF (.5 GB ). Hell of a year for Pittsburg though.

Texas/Yankees: 8-2 New York, Breezy chance for OAK & LAA to nudge forward. Also, Congrats to “Swishalicious” on his 200th career home run (Grand slam).

Toronto/Chicago: 3-2 Jays, Seems like the blue birds are trying to find a way out of their funk.

Padres/Braves: 4-1 SD, Beware of the Padres NL they’re ready to play spoiler and are smoking hot right now.

Astros/Cubs: 7-1 Cubbies, Poor Astros.

Brewers/Rockies: 9-6 Rockies, I feel like the Brewers should be playing somewhat better baseball this season.

Tigers/Twins: 9-3 Twins, Rookies worked it for Minnesota tonight

Rays/Mariners: 4-1 Rays, Longo gets the night off, Rays still hot.

Indians/Angels: 6-2 Cleveland, Angels continue to falter

Nationals/Giants: 14-2 Nats, Read below!

In Game Observations:

  • Vogelsong is struggling. In reality, the Nats are stringing together some good at bats, and the Giants just aren’t playing sexy defense. Also, Ryan Theriot looks a lot like Barry Zito. (5-0 Nats) Bochy Tossed.
  • Kurt Suzuki with a bases clearing double silences the SF crowd. (8-0 Nats)
  • Vogelsong pulled after 2 2/3 insert Brad Penny
  • Nationals are at it again, Espinoza with an infield hit to load the bases.
  • 2 – Run Double (10-0 Nats)
  • Base hit by Zuk, (11-0 Nats)
  • Posey Singles to lead off the Bottom 4th, crowd erupts
  • Pence strikes out, I think I just heard someone cry
  • Bryce Harper leads off the 5th with a base hit. Nats at it again.
  • No one was covering 3rd, so Harper went over. Wild Pitch, (12-0 Nats)
  • Danny Espinoza homers, straight away center field (14-0 Nats)
  • Penny pulled, not a very good outing.
  • Another double by Kurt Suzuki. 17 hits by the Nats.
  • Gio down swinging to end the inning.
  • Bottom 7, 2 Out, Brandon Crawford 2 – Run homer (14-2 Nats)
  • I’m not into the “melkman” hats every one is wearing. Irrelevant to the game, i know.

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Does Having a Dislocated Shoulder Make Doing the Bernie Any Easier?

Posted on August 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

It’s weird how one person can have such an impact on a team, and by one person I obviously mean Evan Longoria. Not to completely disregard what the Rays have done with him out, but since he made his way back this week the Rays have clicked. They’ve won six straight, are in second place in the AL East (5 GB), and hold the top wild card spot. Can never count this team out, remember last season? The most exciting last day ever, when Longo walked off seconds after Baltimore knocked out Boston. The Rays take advantage of other teams mistakes, their losses, and then pounce. They love themselves a playoff push.

Let’s talk some AL West, my favorite. The first place Rangers were hosting Detroit this weekend. Detroit is 2 GB of the White Sox (who took 2 of three at home over Oakland), and are 1 GB of the second wild card spot.I didn’t really watch much of the series, but what I did catch was that the Rangers might not exactly have as easy of a ride this season. The managed to take the series, but they don’t have the pitching. And hey the Angels and the A’s do. The Angels however, don’t have the bullpen. Advantage, A’s. While of course I am pushing for the A’s, I do understand that this group of rookies might not be able to handle the post season pressure. Then again, they’ve already knocked over pre-season predictions by playing over .500 ball and not sucking, so any prediction I make on their part obviously won’t matter. They’re a fun team to watch, period.

My thoughts on the A’s/White Sox Series: It’s really unfortunate to get walked off on. Also blowing leads blow. Up until Sundays game, our defense was killer. It was a tough series to loose, and if Inge ends up on the DL we’re going to be stumped on third base. (Donaldson, Sogie, GREEN!?) What came to my mind after I heard about his injury was “Does having a dislocated shoulder make doing the Bernie any easier?”

What the hell is going on with the Halos? Not that I in anyway care that their faltering, because the totally benefits the A’s (when we win obvs), but homeboys just lost 2 of 3 to Seattle. The game they did win was somehow against King Felix, even though he had five runs to work with. Is their pitching staff going to hold up? They’re 8 GB of the Rangers and 2 GB of the second wild card spot.

Some nifty National League thoughts:

  • Hunter Pence finally showed up in SF (joke, get it? I know, I’m not very funny)
  • Reds are still red hot (another one, HA) , even though they’re 5-5 in last ten
  • What in the world is going on with Colorado? And the NL West!? The other day ESPN (hilarity) was talking about how crappy the AL West was, and that was when both the A’s and Angels had a WC spot. Did they not look into how the NL West was playing? Seriously, one of the worst divisions in my opinion.
  • I wonder if the Astros will let me play with them. Poor, poor Astros.
  • Totally pulling for the Nationals this season, but I’m not into the announced inning limit on Strausburg though.

 

All for now I guess, comments and questions are always welcome!

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