ALDS Preview: Yankees have the formula to combat Orioles' magic

[DCPatriot]

ALDS Preview: Yankees have the formula to combat Orioles' magic
INSIDE BASEBALL: Cliff Corcoran


Robinson Cano has been blowing up lately,
just in time as the Yankees begin their quest
for a 28th World Series title.


The Orioles have been relentless and unshakeable this season, but since their last day alone in first place in the American League East on June 7, they one thing they haven't been able to do is get past the Yankees. Baltimore pulled even with New York atop the AL East on six different occasions in September, spending a total of 10 days in first place, but not once was it able to hold first place all on its own.

The division race went down to the final day of the season, with the Yankees ultimately winning by two games after blowing the 10-game lead they held on July 18. Now these two teams, who split their season series 9-9, are back at it in a best-of-five series that will bring one team's season to an end and send the other to the American League Championship Series.

Player To Watch: Robinson Cano

Cano finished the regular season with nine straight multi-hit games, going 24-39 (.615) over that stretch with 10 of those 24 hits going for extra-bases, including three home runs in his final three games. The last time a player had a streak of multi-hit games that long was 2007, and the last time a player put together a longer streak was in 2002. What's more, in the last three seasons, Cano is the only player to have a streak of more than seven multi-hit games, and he's done it twice, an eight-game stretch in 2010 and this year's run. The question now is: How will the three days off the Yankees had between the final day of the season, when Cano went 4-for-4 with a pair of home runs and six RBIs, and the first game of this series impact his hot bat?

One thing seems certain: he won't mind opening this series on the road. Six of the nine games in Cano's season-ending streak were played outside of New York, and he is a career .364/.409/.582 hitter at Camden Yards including a .342/.419/.474 line in 43 plate appearances there this season.

Key Matchup: Yankees switch-hitters vs. Orioles left-handed relievers

The best way to neutralize Cano is with left-handed pitching, something he's been uncharacteristically susceptible to this season. Cano has hit a mere .239/.309/.337 in 269 plate appearances against southpaws this year compared to the solid .300/.343/.475 line he put up against them in his career prior to this season. That Baltimore manager Buck Showalter will try to spot his lefty relievers against Cano is a given. What will be interesting to see is how tempted he is to keep them in the game beyond that one at-bat.


Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/cliff_corcoran/10/06/yankees-orioles-alds-preview/index.html

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[DCPatriot]

The Orioles are dangerous.  The Orioles are loose.   

Their manager, Buck Showalter has said that since nobody expected them to be here, one game out on the last day of the season...that they're essentially playing with house money.

I think the Yankees are going down!!   

[DCPatriot]

Orioles beat Yankees 3-2 to even ALDS at 1-all



BALTIMORE (AP) -- Sometimes, postseason experience isn't all that important.

How else to explain the Baltimore Orioles beating the playoff-tested New York Yankees , and rookie Wei-Yin Chen outpitching 40-year-old Andy Pettitte ?

With Chen leading the way, the Orioles squeezed out a 3-2 victory Monday night to even their AL division series at one game apiece.

Chris Davis drove in two runs for the wild-card Orioles, who used the same formula that got them into the postseason for the first time in 15 years: a magnificent bullpen and an ability to win tight games. Baltimore was 29-9 in one-run decisions during the regular season and 74-0 when leading after seven innings.

Major league saves leader Jim Johnson , roughed up for five runs in a Game 1 loss, came back to pitch a perfect ninth to close it out.

The rest of the best-of-five series is at Yankee Stadium, beginning with Game 3 on Wednesday. Hiroki Kuroda will start for AL East champion New York against rookie Miguel Gonzalez .

"It means everything," Davis said of the win. "You definitely don't want to go into New York in a five-game series down two games. This is big - having the day off tomorrow, hopefully building some momentum, and we can take that into New York."

Chen gave up two runs, one earned, and eight hits over 6 1-3 innings. The Taiwan native, who pitched previously in Japan, was 1-2 with a 5.25 ERA in four outings against New York this season, including two in September in which he yielded a total of 11 runs over 11 1-3 innings.

"I thought he pitched inside pretty effectively tonight to some of our right-handed hitters," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "It seemed like Baltimore and us have kind of gone back and forth all year and that's what we did here."

The teams split the season series 9-9.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/gameflash/2012/10/08/43705/index.html

[DCPatriot]

Experience over youth? Either way, Cards hammer Nats to even NLDS
Ben Reiter

ST. LOUIS -- You have probably seen the photo already. If you haven't, look to your right.



There is Jon Jay, the Cardinals centerfielder, crashing into the outfield wall, in the process of making one of those magical catches -- this one came after an all-out sprint to left center, and then a perfectly timed leap, and robbed Danny Espinosa of a sure double -- that you will see replayed again and again, in high definition on highlight shows, until the next time someone does something similar. It is the image that will define the Cardinals' 12-4 rout of the Nationals on Monday, which tied this NLDS at one game apiece, not just because of what Jay did, but because of where he happened to do it. Mere inches from Jay's glove is a wall-high decal of Tony La Russa, looking pensive and sagacious.

The image, in many ways, nicely encapsulates what has become this series' prevailing narrative: that it is a battle of experience versus youth. That if the Cardinals win, it will be largely because of their exposure last year to the playoff fires -- and all they had instilled in them in so doing, and in winning the World Series, by the now retired La Russa. That if the Nationals do it will be as the irrepressible upstarts, the kingslayers who don't know any better. If you forget for a moment that this is the dichotomy at play, the photo of Jay will be plastered everywhere to remind you.

The thing is, however, that by the time Jay made his game-defining play, the outcome of the game had already very likely been determined. It was the top of the sixth, and the Cardinals led 7-3, putting their probability of winning, according to FanGraphs.com, at a comfortable 92.6 percent. St. Louis had gotten there in large measure by pummeling Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann -- who went 12-8 with a 2.94 ERA this season -- for five runs, on seven hits, over just three innings of work.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/ben_reiter/10/09/cardinals-nationals-jon-jay-nlds-game-2/index.html

[DCPatriot]

My gut feeling is that the Orioles and Nationals will both advance.

Will be very embarrassed if it doesn't work out that way.   

My head says the Nationals will win in FIVE.  My heart says the Orioles will in FIVE.

[famousdayandyear]

Im with you, DC

[Scottftlc]

Was an odd, but good, game in Baltimore tonight.  Some odd errors, but none figured in the scoring.  Should be a series that goes the distance.  What is it about the Cardinals and the post season?  The players change, manager changes and still they play tough.

[Scottftlc]

And what has gotten into Chris Davis this year...he was about to end up on the trash heap and just exploded...he is insanely hot now, has been through August.

[DCPatriot]

Was an odd, but good, game in Baltimore tonight.  Some odd errors, but none figured in the scoring.  Should be a series that goes the distance.  What is it about the Cardinals and the post season?  The players change, manager changes and still they play tough.

I flipped out when J.J. Hardy ignored the 3rd base coach and stopped at 3rd base.

One other thing....a ball that hits an umpire AFTER being touched by a defensive player (1st baseman) should award another base to the batter.  it should be treated as if the throw to first went into the stands.

[DCPatriot]

And what has gotten into Chris Davis this year...he was about to end up on the trash heap and just exploded...he is insanely hot now, has been through August.

Wouldn't it be schweeet if the Orioles could sign Josh Hamilton for next year?  Hamilton, Jones and Markakis.

[DCPatriot]

Ibanez should be deported!

....and Adam Jones should have his bubble gum taken away and shoved up his a$$!

[DCPatriot]

GAME FIVE IT IS!!!   


Hardy, Orioles beat Yankees in 13th, force Game 5

NEW YORK (AP) -- These Birds don't rattle easily.

A day after a demoralizing defeat, the Baltimore Orioles won a test of wills and Game 4 of the AL division series, bouncing back to outlast the New York Yankees 2-1 in 13 innings Thursday night on J.J. Hardy's RBI double.

Now, after playing past midnight to even things, the Orioles will get a chance to finally overtake the Yankees in a winner-take-all Game 5 Friday. The teams have already split 22 games this year, and it all comes down this: a matchup for a spot in the AL championship series against Detroit.

"We just kept telling ourselves, this is not the last night of the season," Hardy said.

Game 1 winner CC Sabathia was set to pitch the deciding game for the Yankees against Jason Hammel .

With the innings and hours piling up, the Orioles were 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position until Hardy doubled off David Phelps with one out to score Manny Machado , who had doubled.

"There hasn't been a whole lot of opportunities to score runs," Hardy said, "so when there are those opportunities, I think we're trying a little bit too hard."

Phelps had relieved in the 12th after Joba Chamberlain was hit by a flying broken bat, forcing him to leave with a bruised right elbow.

Jim Johnson returned from allowing Raul Ibanez 's pinch-hit homer in the ninth inning Wednesday to earn his second save in the series with a perfect 13th.

"I don't take for granted at any time what these guys are accomplishing so far," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "They know that. I have so much respect for our guys."

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/gameflash/2012/10/11/43707/index.html

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[DCPatriot]

Oh well, like my A's, the O's Cinderella Season has come to an end...Sabathia was simply too good today...MUD

BTW...now it's time for the Nationals to knock off the Cards. 
If they can win tonight, I really think they'll whup the Giants to go to the World Series.   

NATS up 6-3 in the 5th inning.  {{{Fingers crossed}}}

[DCPatriot]

 Ninth inning!  Here we go, MUD!     7-5- NATS

[DCPatriot]

Dadgum relievers can't throw strikes.....

[sinkspur]

Four runs in the top of the 9th to lose 9-7...amazing collapse after being up 6-0.

That's going to leave a horrible taste in the mouths of the Nats...CHOKE!!

Sheeesh...great season, but a pathetic ending...MUD

Cardinals did this to the Rangers last year in the World Series.  These guys never quit.

[evadR]

Disaster at black rock. The Nats threw it away. The 0s just didn't have.
The Nats was the hardest to swallow.
The Redskins season might as well be over.
Golf is into the silly season.

Keerist, what's left?

[DCPatriot]

Down to the LAST frigging strike.....TWICE.....with 1-2 counts.


WTF??

[DCPatriot]

Everybody knows that has been watching since the last week of the regular season that Derek Jeter had been foul-tipping more than a dozen pitches off his LEFT foot and ankle.

It's this fan's opinion that THIS is what caused his ankle to break....not the act of fielding a ground ball to his left up the middle.  {NOTE}....you push off your RIGHT foot to move suddenly to your left.

He broke his LEFT ankle.   

The many foul balls he hit on that foot weakened the bone...perhaps there was a hairline fracture.

The need to invent a better protective device that wraps arount the entire lower foot.  An encasement with a liquid center perhaps?

[DCPatriot]

[DCPatriot]