Blessing in disguise??

[DBAHO]

Playoff pitching seems to always favor those with power pitching...

Well we'll just have to wait and see how the likes of Buerhle do IF we make it to October. Of course the main power guys like RJ etc. do turn it up then, so hopefully Mark and Jon will be able to do the same if the situation arises.

[Steff]

Well we'll just have to wait and see how the likes of Buerhle do IF we make it to October. Of course the main power guys like RJ etc. do turn it up then, so hopefully Mark and Jon will be able to do the same if the situation arises.

 

 

Making October is a sure thing. Got games 10/1 and 10/2.

[DBAHO]

Making October is a sure thing. Got games 10/1 and 10/2.   

Bah, I knew someone would say that. But at Cleveland, possibly the division on the line, that's pretty much a playoff series right there.

[Controlled Chaos]

Bah, I knew someone would say that. But at Cleveland, possibly the division on the line, that's pretty much a playoff series right there.

 

Exactly....and IMO there's something to be said about playing in a tight race. In the last 3 years, 4 out of the 6 teams in the world series were wild card teams and in all 3 the wild card team won it. Now the Sox don't have to be a wild card team, but if they have the same kind of intensity that a wild card team has at the end, it can be beneficial.

[ZoomSlowik]

It's conceivable that the last series against Cleveland won't mean anything though. If we still have a 4 game lead or more, then we could play the Birmingham team and it wouldn't matter. If we take 2 of 3 or sweep Cleveland in the series starting this Monday, it would be difficult for Cleveland to have a real shot because we'll probably be up 5 or 6 games. This means they would have to gain 2 or 3 in less than two weeks. Even then, if they cut the lead to 3 they'd have to sweep us just to force a playoff. If they cut it to 2, they'd have to sweep to win or take 2 of 3 to force a playoff.

[Balta1701]

The Angels hit better than us.  They do the things we are supposed to do.  Colon is also a shutdown type pitcher.

The Angels do not hit better than us. They have a higher average, hit more singles and doubles (and triples!) than us, but we have 54 more long balls than them. In terms of total offense, the 2 teams are almost identical - we have scored exactly 7 more runs than them this season. We are 12th in runs scored, they are 13th.

 

Yes, they have the gigantic, awesome, amazing bat of Vlad the Impaler. But they also have even bigger holes with the bats than we do. They have no DH. Their 3rd baseman has been hurt all year. Finley has been a complete bust. And a few of their other people are in their lineup as much for defense as for offense.

 

The LA Press has been just as frustrated with the Angels offense as we have been. There have been at least a baker's dozen articles this year out here in the LA Times thinking "Maybe this is when the Angels bats will wake up" and then they go into another hitting slump.

 

The Angels are a mirror image of us. They score exactly as many runs. They do so with fewer long balls, but they have their runs more concentrated in the lineup than we do. They have great starting pitching and so do we. They have a great end to their bullpen, but their bullpen is not as deep as ours.

[Balta1701]

It's conceivable that the last series against Cleveland won't mean anything though. If we still have a 4 game lead or more, then we could play the Birmingham team and it wouldn't matter. If we take 2 of 3 or sweep Cleveland in the series starting this Monday, it would be difficult for Cleveland to have a real shot because we'll probably be up 5 or 6 games. This means they would have to gain 2 or 3 in less than two weeks. Even then, if they cut the lead to 3 they'd have to sweep us just to force a playoff. If they cut it to 2, they'd have to sweep to win or take 2 of 3 to force a playoff.

That only counts if our lead is not down to 2 or 3 by the time we meet Cleveland...in other words, we have to get the job done against Minny and K.C. today in order for that to be the case.

[ZoomSlowik]

That only counts if our lead is not down to 2 or 3 by the time we meet Cleveland...in other words, we have to get the job done against Minny and K.C. today in order for that to be the case.

 

Not really. If it's 3, they have to sweep us to force a playoff. If it's 2, then they have to sweep us to win. If they win two of three with that lead, they'd only gain one game and still lose the division. If it's 1 game, they still win with a sweep, they tie and force a playoff if they take two of three, and they obviously lose if they take one or none. So basically, if it's 3 games going in they'd have to win 4 in a row including the playoff, if it's two they have to win 3 in a row. If it's one, then they'd either have to win 3 in a row or 3 of 4 including a playoff.

 

Edit- I misunderstood, you're referring to this Cleveland series coming up, not the last one. You're really assuming the worst here. If we win two of four leading up and Cleveland sweeps KC, we'd lose a game and a half. That's a reasonable expectation (win today and one against the Twins). We'd have a 3 1/2 lead going in, then a 4 1/2 if we take two of three, 5 1/2 with a sweep.

Edited September 15, 2005 by ZoomSlowik

[Balta1701]

Not really. If it's 3, they have to sweep us to force a playoff. If it's 2, then they have to sweep us to win. If they win two of three with that lead, they'd only gain one game and still lose the division. If it's 1 game, they still win with a sweep, they tie and force a playoff if they take two of three, and they obviously lose if they take one or none. So basically, if it's 3 games going in they'd have to win 4 in a row including the playoff, if it's two they have to win 3 in a row. If it's one, then they'd either have to win 3 in a row or 3 of 4 including a playoff.

I meant if it's down to 3 by the time we face Cleveland...next Monday.