A Freeway Series May Be a Long Way Away

Los Angeles had a rough weekend for baseball. Not only did the Dodgers get absolutely creamed last night in Philadelphia, but the Angels lose a heartbreaker in New York the night before (or early that morning, if you prefer) on a Maicer Izturis throwing error in the bottom of the unlucky 13th inning (right). Neither team is out of it yet, but it does appear that the LA thirst for a freeway series may not be quenched in 2009.

Phillies absolutely roll over the Dodgers 11-0. Trouble happened early and often for the Blue, starting with Hiroki Kuroda (below left) in the first inning. Kuroda pitched 1 2/3 innings with 6 earned runs. He was replaced by Elbert in the bottom of the second, but really it wasn’t early enough. It’s tough to watch a starting pitcher get pulled in the 1st, but Kuroda could not find the strike zone. On multiple occasions in the first inning, the count quickly rang to 3-0 or 3-1, and the Phillies made him pay. Like any great major league pitcher, once your team is up, you can really turn on the heat, and Cliff Lee pitched a lights out game.

Many are blaming Joe Torre on the loss once again, and it’s pretty easy to see why. Kuroda had been out for weeks with a herniated cervical vertebra (neck) and had only pitched a few side games against wimpy-batted Arizona. Not to make excuses, but this was a throw away game anyway. Besides the surprising performance from Pedro Martinez in game two, the Phillies don’t really have any great starters besides Cliff Lee. From a long way off, this seemed like the game that Philly would win, regardless of who started for the Dodgers. So why waste a game with someone like Padilla or Wolf when you can try and see if you can get anything from the only pitcher who did anything in last year’s NLCS, Kuroda? It was a gamble yes, but one that had a relatively similar balance on win vs loss.

Unfortunately for LA fans, this isn’t really looking like the year. But after today we’ll really get a chance to see where LA stands in the Championship Series. Both games are must wins for each team. The term “must win” is greatly over used, but a win by the Phillies or Yankees puts each team away from the World Series by one win. Dodgers would be down 3-1, and Angels would be down 3-0. With how Philadelphia and NY are playing right now, that would be an absolutely insurmountable distance to make up.

And Then There Were Four

October is the easily the best month in sports, and the MLB post-season is one of the best things in October. 30 teams started in April, now only 4 remain. Three sweeps and one 4-game series prove that the Yankees, Angels, Dodgers, and Phillies are truly in the right spot.

With incredible comebacks, this has been one of the most exciting first rounds in recent memory. Dodgers 9th inning comeback in game 2 against the Cardinals was the most exciting baseball game I’ve ever seen. Well, maybe the most exciting 9th inning I’ve ever seen. The Dodgers have been railed for having weak pitching, but Wolf, Billingsley, and Padilla held the Cardinals to only 6 runs, easily taking care of Pujols. What’s most impressive is that LA survived arguably the best one-two punch in Major League Baseball in Chris Carpenter & Adam Wainright. Not many thought they’d be able to take one, let alone two games from those two. Even the LA Times picked St. Louis to sweep the Dodgers. But one must remember that the Dodgers had a playoff spot virtually locked up for the last two months. They ended with a terrible road trip which almost knocked them out of a Division Championship, but when you’re on the road, with a 7 or 8 game lead, playing terrible teams, it’s pretty difficult to rise to the challenge and have fun playing baseball. No one really thought that the Dodgers could flip the switch, but it sure seems like they have. Watch out Philly. Dodgers in 6.

The Yankees have been getting a lot of love recently, but it might be the love Kate Hudson is giving ARod that’s changed him for the better. On his show, David Letterman mentioned that there are rumors that Kate Hudson may be pregnant. His response was that it “might be the first time Alex Rodriguez has ever produced in October!” Hey-O! But Dave’s not too far off. However, this year’s a little different. Through controversy and injury, the spotlight isn’t directly on him, and he’s been absolutely on fire with 5 hits, 2 home runs, and 6 RBI. The LA Angels of Anaheim also impressively knocked off their Achilles heel, the Boston Red Sox. The Angels are the only ones who can boast a winning record against the Yankees in the last five years, and they certainly not going to be afraid of them this time around.

Do I dare predict a freeway series between Angels and Dodgers? It’s difficult not to. If it doesn’t happen this year, it probably never will. For me the Yankees just seem too good this year. There’s a different mentality in the locker room that shows on the field, both in the faces of the players and in the box scores. Angels are also riding a very personal wave with the loss of their upstart young starting pitcher Nick Adenhart to a drunk driving accident. Both of these teams have something worth fighting for. It’s very difficult to pick a winner, but I really have to say Yankees win it in the end. As far as the Phillies and Dodgers are concerned, apart from Cliff Lee, Philadelphia’s pitching is atrocious. While they’ve got fantastic bats with Victorino, Utley, and Howard, the Dodger Bullpen has proved itself to be nearly unhittable. But the Dodgers have been as about as inconsistent of a team you’ll find this far into the playoffs, so you never really know. But as far as I can see, I’m looking at a Dodgers v Yankees World Series.