NLDS Game Two: Brewers at Phillies

C.C. Sabathia is decidely not bringining it.

A grand slam by the Pineapple Express- Shane Victorino- puts the fighting Phils up 5-1 in the second, and all but nails the Brewers’ postseason coffin….

ALDS Game One: White Sox at Rays

Tampa Bay Rays.  Postseason home field advantage.  Never thought thsoe words would ever go together.

As it is, the Rays have taken advantage of their home field, and jumped out to a 4-3 lead over Javier Vazquez, who was called out by his manager Ozzie Guillen for failing in clutch games.

NLDS Game One

Lowe v. Dempster.

Or, better yet, Pinella v. Torre, Round 2.

Playoff baseball finally begins!

Well, with a dramatic end to a long 163-game season- with the Chicago White Sox being the first team in major league history to win three must-win games against three different teams to secure the final postseason spot- the playoffs are finally here.

October baseball begins with the start to three League Division Series today.  Yovani Gallardo takes the hill at Citizens Bank Park against Cole Hamels and the Fightin’ Phils.  The four innings tossed by Gallardo last week was the first action since tearing a ligament in his leg May.  Gallardo’s injury may have been abbreviated, but a 1.88 ERA in 24 innings isn’t anything to scoff at.  (Also, is Gallardo the first pitcher in major league history to start a playoff game with no record on the season- no wins and no losses?  Elias?)  Still, unless Milwaukee can clone C.C. Sabathia four times, I don’t like their chances against Philly’s home-field advantage.  I say Phillies in four.

The Dodgers arrive at Wrigleyville for Game #2 of the day, pitting Joe Torre’s boys in blue against Lou Pinella’s Cubs- who seem to be everybody’s sentimental favorite- in a managerial rematch of the 2001 ALCS. This series should be the most epic of the first rounders, but I expect the Cubs to come out on top in five games, with Pinella exacting his revenge over Torre for that 2001 Seattle Mariner postseason flameout after 116 regular season wins.

And the final game pits the banged-up AL Wild Card-winning Boston Red Sox against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of the County of Orange in the State of California in the Country of the United States, who- loathe I am to admit it- are a soundly dominant team and should be the favorite to win the American League pennant.  The Red Sox have done a pretty good job beating up on the Angels in the postseason recently, but this is a different Red Sox team- where’s Manny?- and I see the Angels having little problem sweeping the Red Sox in the first round.

The action starts at 3 pm Eastern/ 12 noon Pacific time….