Hello,
The AL East is shaping up as a race for the ages. In mid-July it looked like the Yankeess were going to run away from the rest of the division. However since then the Yankees have stumbled their way back to the pack. It's been a tight race the last few weeks. Yesterday the Yankees and the Orioles won, both teams have won 8 of their last 10 games. Both teams are both on fire, responding with clutch hitting and pitching. As I started writing this blog, both the Orioles and the Yankees are leading their Saturday afternoon games. Both games started at virtually the same time. Both games ended up going into extra-innings. It seems like they are playing anything you can do, I can do better. Only one thing would make this two team death match better. That is if both teams played each other in the final series of the season. However they've already played all their games against each other this regular season.
Honestly thanks to the AL Wild Card, it looks like both teams will make the playoffs. However the team that doesn't win the AL East most likely will have to host the Oakland A's in the one game AL Wild Card game.
But through the final 11 games, who are you going to cheer for? Cheering for the Yanks would be like cheering for Goliath against David. I don't like seeing my Red Sox not make the playoffs, but it's not all bad. The more Boston loses, the less likely it is for Bobby Valentine to be brought back next season. I'd be very surprised if there's any scenario in which he comes back next season. It's also nice to have some fresh blood in the playoff race, the Orioles haven't made the playoffs in 15 years. My life was much different 15 years ago, how about you? There's probably only a few Orioles diehards that remember the last time the Orioles made the playoffs. In contrast, the Yanks made the playoffs the last couple of years and won the World Series only two years ago. You could say I'm tired of seeing them make the playoffs every year. That was the good thing about Goliath. Once he died we didn't have to hear about him every year going forward.
By the way Baltimore lost in the 1997 ALCS to the Indians. After that season, the Orioles haven't reached the playoffs again. And most of the time, they haven't even got close to the postseason.
The Orioles have struck first, they played in yet another extra-inning game. And they've been gold in extra inning games this season, they've now won 16 straight. Today's game went to 12 innings at Fenway Park. Then in the top of the 12th inning the Orioles came up with 3 runs. Their winning rally was powered by the ageless Jim Thome. He hit a go ahead double in his first game in almost two months. (Thanks again to espn.com.) Orioles closer Jim Johnson broke his own team record by earning his 47th save. The Red Sox showed some heart. But let's be honest at this point, they have nothing to play for. With Baltimore's win that put a little extra pressure on the Yankees. For the time being Baltimore only trails the Yanks by one-half game in the AL East.
The Yankees are playing at home against the A's, a team who are playing for their playoff lives. This game has also gone into the extra innings. Both teams are responding with the heart of champions. I thought the A's had put the game out of reach by scoring 4 home runs in the top of the 13th, they hit 3 home runs in the top of that inning. However the Yankees responded by how they always seem to. They scored 4 runs in the bottom of the 13th to tie the game at 9.
The Yankees loaded the bases with only one out in the bottom of the 14th inning. That proved too much for the A's to overcome. The Yanks were able to push across the winning run.
That means New York remains 1 game ahead of the Orioles in the AL East. Both teams have won 9 of their last 11 games.
Go Orioles!
themusicaddict
No comments:
Post a Comment