KOD26 - Playoffs are now set

After the wild and crazy play in scenario we are finally set for the post season.  

Before we get to that I want to give a special shout out to Brian Stokes (KCR) and Isaac Corey (MIN).  While their teams didn't make the post season, they both have the heart of champions.  With the season over for both of their teams and nothing to play for in regards to the post season they turned down my offer to sim their series.  Both guys wanted to play out their season to it's conclusion, because they are true sportsman who play for the love of playing the game.  Gr8 job guys !

Here is the Wild Card Round:
NLWC - SFG (Reeves) @ PIT (Schneider)
ALWC - DET (Kaufman) @ BOS (Daly)

AL:

1. CLE - HFA throughout the playoffs
2. CHW (lost 2 of 3 to CLE)
3. CAL
4. BOS
5. DET (lost 3 of 4 to DET)

NL:

1. LAD
2. STL
3. HOU
4. PIT (lost 2 of 3 to HOU)
5. SFG

NL Play In Game Final - Jints move on

NL Play in Game 3
Candlestick Park
Hands vs Torres
Giants 6, Cubs 2

Randy Hundley led off the top of the second with a walk and was quickly tripled home by Art Spangler.  Don Young's Sac Fly gave Bill Hands, who was 8-2 entering the game, a 2-0 lead, which would hold up for just 2 innings.  A one out 2 run single by Matt Williams tied the game at 2 all.  An inning later Royce Clayton led off with a double.  After Robby Thompson hit one to the track Barry Bonds singled home Clayton for to give the Jints a 3-2 lead that they would build upon the following inning.  In the bottom of the 6th Hands issued a boat load of walks and Barry Bonds singled home two.  Rogers and Burba would shut the door on the Cubbies and their season as the Jints survived the play in games to earn a spot in the Wild Card Game in Steel-town.

NL Play in Game - Jint's defeat Phightin's 5-2

NL Play in Game
Candlestick Park
Bennett vs Sanderson
Giants 5, Phillies 2

Giants get to Bennett early with 3 in 1st and 2 in 2nd then. Hang on to win 5 - 2.  After Robby Thompson led off the bottom of the 1st with a 3 bagger.  Todd Benzinger and Matt Williams both worked out walks to load the bases.  An error by Phillies SS, Ruben Amaro, off a hard smash from Barry Bonds scored Thompson.  Mark Carreon walked to score Benzinger and when Bennett uncorked a WP Williams came rambling home to make it 3-0.  The aforementioned Williams (2-2, 2 walks, HR) ripped a 2 run shot with one out to make it 5-2.

Philly scratched out runs in the 3rd (HR by Tony Gonzalez) and the 4th off of an error by Will Clark, but the Giants got 4 scoreless innings to finish off the game from the bullpen trio of Brantley, Minutelli and Beck (9th save).  The Giants will host the Cubs in the play in final.  Winner goes on to the Wild Card game at Pittsburgh.

Jim's Phils faded at the end of the season. Looks like the theme was matched. They smacked us around earlier in the season winning 2 of 3.

Merry Christmas everyone,
Larry

NL Play in Game - Cubbies slam Amazin's 15-4.

NL Play in Game
Shea Stadium
Selma vs Seaver
Cubs 15, Mets 4

To sum this one up in one sentence:  "The Franchise was not terrific".  To expand, Tom Seaver (6-3,4.15) gave up 9 runs in 6 innings.  The Met offense supplied him with 4 runs, which 90% of the time would have been more than enough for the powerful righty from Fresno, CA.  Everyone in Cub universe got a hit.  The first 4 batters in the lineup went a collective 9-19 with 9 runs scored and 8 RBI.  The biggest bat of them all was 3rd sacker Ron Santo, who jumped up and clicked his heels to the tun of 2-4 with 3 runs scored and 5 RBI's.  Santo's hits were both homers.  The first was a 2 run shot in the 4th and the second a 3 run shot in the 6th that broke a 3-3 tie and chased the Franchise from the hill.  Chicago will play the winner of the Phillies/Giants play in game matchup.

'73 Dodgers clinch NL West Flag and HFA

With the Cardinals dropping 3 of 4 the Dodgers needed to take 2 vs Houston for the Division and 3 if they wanted Home Field Advantage until the World Series.  Mission accomplished on both accounts.

GAME 1 - A two out double by Joe Ferguson followed up by an RBI single from Bill Buckner broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the 8th.  A 2 out RBI single by Willie Davis in the 9th gave LA an insurance run to work with.  Tommy John, who went 6.2 was poised for the win, but reliever Charlie Hough got that win after he allowed the game to be tied on a WP.

GAME 2 - Tied 2-2 after 6 LA thought they blew it open with 3 runs in the top of the 7th thanks to a bases loaded walk, a well timed ground out and a 2 our RBI single by Bill Russell.  Al Downing was cruising, but lost his edge in the 9th as the 'Stros rallied to score 2 before veteran southpaw Jim Brewer (7th save) came on to get the final 2 outs (Biggio and Zaun).

GAME 3 - Having clinched the division and still thinking there was no shot for best overall record the Dodgers blew a stinker at home in front of a packed house looking to celebrate the divisional flag.  Houston got a solid 3 hit performance from Biggio out of the leadoff spot and a great 7+ innings of work from spot starter Tommy Villone.  The game was played in a crisp 2 hours and 31 minutes.  The "killer B's" combined for 5 RBI's.

GAME 4 - The Dodgers tapped Osteen to start over Messersmith thinking it would be a good idea to save the latter for the NLDS opener.  Osteen, having felt slighted, turned in a magnificent performance giving up just 1 run in 8+ innings on the hill.  Doug Rau came on to get the final 2 outs when it looked like Osteen had hit the wall.  Seldom used utility infielder Lee Lacy was 3-4 with a run scored.  3rd string catcher Chris Cannizzaro was the only Dodger, besides Osteen, not to get a hit.  After the game the Dodgers found out the results of the Cardinals/Mets game and realized that they not only clinched the division title, but they also wound up with the best record (24-14) in the NL.

Amazin's Upset Cards

The 1949 St. Louis Cardinals one win out of four against the 1970 New York Mets, coupled with a loss by the 1964 Philadelphia Phillies clinched the National League East Division title. However, the Cardinals looked like anything but a post season team in the series, with poor defensive play, a weak offense that did not hit in the clutch, and so-so pitching.

The first inning of game one was a predictor of things to come, as the Cardinals made three “poor” plays, committed an error and surrendered a walk to aid the Mets in taking a 3-0 lead. The Cardinals went on to commit two more errors in the game, and the Mets cruised to an 8-3 win behind Tom Seaver.

Game two saw the Redbirds bounce back to look more like themselves, winning a tight 4-3 contest despite being outhit 11-7. Red Munger earned his sixth win of the year, striking out 8 and walking only 1. Relief help from Howie Pollet and Gerry Staley nailed down the win.

The Mets took control again in games three and four. Jerry Koosman, Ron Taylor and Cal Koonce combined on a five hitter as the Mets took game three 5-1. Donn Clendenon drove in three of the Mets tallies.

In game four Cards manager Bike Mike used a mostly makeshift lineup to close out the campaign, resting most of his starters. The Mets had all the fun with a 16-3 laugher. Clendenon again was a big stick, homering his first two times up and driving in 4. Tommie Agee added a home run and another 4 RBI.

A concern for the Cardinals is a prolonged slump by star Stan Musial. The Man was hitting .427 on September 8, but went just 15 for 73 over the remainder of the season, a .205 pace. And he got worse at the end, going only 2 for his last 21, both hits singles. He had a league leading 39 RBI with six games left to get into the 40s, but did not drive in another run. Stan will need to get hot again if the Cardinals expect to advance in the post season.

Bike Mike