Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Free Agent Starting Pitchers
Teams with weak starting pitching:Tampa Bay
Kansas City
Chicago Cubs
Washington
Seattle
Teams with average starting pitching:
Milwaukee
Baltimore
New York Yankees
Philadelphia
Atlanta
Cincinnati
Toronto
Free Agents
(* = possibly good free agent)
Right-Handed Starters
Tony Armas Jr
Pedro Astacio
Miguel Batista
Roger Clemens (retirement possibility)
Adam Eaton
Scott Erickson
Rick Helling
* Orlando Hernandez
Jose Lima
* Greg Maddux
* Jason Marquis
Joe Mays
Gil Meche
Brian Moehler
* Tomo Ohka
Ramon Ortiz
Vicente Padilla
* Chan Ho Park
Sidney Ponson
* Jason Schmidt
Aaron Sele
* Jeff Suppan
* John Thomson
Steve Trachsel
John Wasdin
Jeff Weaver
Kip Wells
* Woody Williams
Jamey Wright
* Daisuke Matsuzaka
Left-Handed Starters
Bruce Chen
Shawn Estes
Ted Lilly
* Mark Mulder
* Andy Pettitte
Mark Redman
David Wells
Randy Wolf
* Barry Zito
Pitchers with ‘07 options
Jason Johnson
Byung-Hyun Kim
* Mike Mussina
Tim Wakefield
Paul Wilson
Kerry Wood
Jaret Wright
* Mark Buerhle
Tom Glavine
The Season in Review- San Diego Padres
Though the San Diego Padres season ended with a disappointing Division Series against the Cardinals, they should be happy about the season and what it could mean for the future. They are N.L. West champions for the 2nd consecutive season.
The reason they won the division was most likely their pitching, with the best team ERA in the N.L. They had a rotation that included Chris Young, Woody Williams, and Clay Hensley, all with ERAs under 4.00, plus Jake Peavy, who had a 3.68 ERA in the 2nd half. Chris Young could have easily been the ace in the rotation, with a 3.46 ERA and 164 strikeouts in 179.1 innings. Twice during the season he took a no-hitter into at least the 8th, once against Colorado, where a double to lead off the 8th inning broke it up, and once against Pittsburgh, broken up by a two-run homer by former Padre Joe Randa with one out in the 9th.
Woody Williams proved that even at 39, he could still be a good pitcher, going 12-5 with a 3.65 ERA in a season shortened by almost 2 months because of a calf injury.
After the first month of the season, Clay Hensley had an ERA of 5.48 in 21.1 innings, and appeared very inconsistent. However, he allowed only 4 runs over his next 20 innings, including a complete game two-hit shutout, and stayed consistent for the rest of the year, finishing with a 3.71 ERA.
In the bullpen, the Padres once again had Trevor Hoffman as their closer. Hoffman tied Lee Smith for first on the all-time saves list on September 23rd against Pittsburgh, and then passed him the next day. Though he was 38 years old this season, he showed that he is still able to handle the 9th inning. He finished with a 2.14 ERA, his lowest since 1999, and 46 saves in 51 chances, his highest total since 1998.
Helping get the lead to the 9th inning for Hoffman was Rookie of the Year candidate Cla Meredith. As if his 1.07 ERA and only 6 walks in 50.2 innings weren’t impressive enough, from July 18th to September 17th, nearly 2 months, he did not allow any earned runs. That was 33.2 innings, breaking the record for a Padres pitcher, either starter or reliever. It also tied Orel Hershiser for the 2nd longest scoreless streak by a rookie pitcher since 1970.
The biggest problem for the Padres was their offense. The San Diego pitching gave the offense a chance in the playoffs, but that chance was ignored. They went 2-for-32 (.063 average) with runners in scoring position in 4 playoff games, including a 1-for-15 in one of the games. The offense wasn’t much of the reason for the Padres’ regular season success, either. Adrian Gonzalez led the team with 24 home runs and a .304 average, and was only 1 RBI behind Brian Giles’ and Mike Cameron’s 83 RBI.
The Padres were one of the top teams in both fielding and speed. They had 3 players that stole at least 20 bases; Dave Roberts (49), Mike Cameron (25), and rookie Josh Barfield (21). Roberts, Cameron, and Barfield combined for 95 stolen bases and only 20 times caught stealing. On defense, their .985 fielding percentage tied them for 5th in the majors and 2nd in the National League. They committed only 92 errors, 9th in the majors and 4th in the National League.
In 2007 they will be trying to win their 3rd N.L. West title in a row, and they are hoping they will have a better offense to go along with their great pitching to help.
Friday, October 27, 2006
St. Louis Cardinals World Champions
World Series Game 5
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
World Series Game 4
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
The Season in Review- Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Before the season started, the Devil Rays appeared to have a promising lineup with outfielders Jonny Gomes, Rocco Baldelli, and Carl Crawford at the top of the lineup, followed by Jorge Cantu and Aubrey Huff. Crawford was dependable as usual, hitting .305 with 18 home runs (both career highs) and 58 stolen bases, possibly the best hitter in the lineup. Some could say that Baldelli was actually the best hitter in the lineup, despite missing April, May, and part of June with a hamstring injury. After missing the entire 2005 season, in 2006 he hit a career high .302 with 16 home runs, 57 RBI, and 10 stolen bases in 364 at-bats. The rest of the lineup didn’t turn out as expected, however. Jonny Gomes started the season hot as expected, but suddenly lost it because of a shoulder injury and eventually had to undergo season ending surgery. Second Baseman Jorge Cantu started the year well, hitting .291 with 11 RBI through April 23rd, but suffered a broken foot, sidelining him until June 6th. When he came back, he continued where he left off, raising his batting average to .325 and keeping it around .300 for the rest of the month. Once July started, however, he dropped his batting average below .290, and all the way down to .258 by the end of the month. He lowered the average even more in August, down to .243. He was able to finish at .249, thanks to several multi-hit games in September, with 14 home runs and 62 RBI, much less than was expected from him. Aubrey Huff hit .182 with no home runs and only 1 RBI through the first week and a half of the season before spraining his left knee and being placed on the DL until the first week of May. It wasn’t until June 17th that his average rose to .200. By the All-Star break, he had raised his average to a respectable .286, but with only 8 home runs and 28 RBI, not enough to keep him from being traded to the Astros. By the end of the season, Tampa Bay had Greg Norton, Ty Wigginton, and a struggling Jorge Cantu in the middle of their lineup, far from what was expected at the beginning of the season.
While the Rays’ offense was quite a tragedy, their pitching didn’t offer any support. Scott Kazmir was easily the best pitcher on the team with a 10-8 record, 3.24 ERA and 163 strikeouts in 144.2 innings pitched. Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, his season was shortened by two trips to the DL, one at the end of July and, a few starts later, one at the end of August to end his season. After Kazmir in the rotation was rookie right-hander James Shields, who ended up with a 4.84 ERA in 21 starts, veteran Casey Fossum, with a 5.33 ERA in 25 starts, Tim Corcoran, with a 4.38 ERA in 16 starts, and the 5th spot in the rotation, which was occupied by a mix of several different pitchers.
Any lead that the Rays managed to get was in trouble when the game moved to the late innings and the bullpen got a turn. The Tampa Bay relievers combined to blow 22 leads in 55 chances. They didn’t even have a real closer; Tyler Walker was the only reliever to get double-digits in saves, with 10. Rookie Ruddy Lugo didn’t get any save chances, despite leading the bullpen with a 3.81 ERA in 64 appearances.
Although the Rays looked helpless this season with the worst record in baseball, they have hope for the future, with a decent minor league system that includes Delmon Young and B.J. Upton. They will continue to get chances at great draft picks, each one with a possibility of helping turn the team around. They have a great young offense, and if that offense can avoid injuries and perform up to it’s expectations, and Tampa Bay can manage to get a few good pitchers on their roster, their future could be bright.
Monday, October 23, 2006
World Series Game 3
Sunday, October 22, 2006
The Season in Review- San Francisco Giants
Though their final record might not show it, the San Francisco Giants were in the playoff race for a while until the end of September. They had a decent 74-73 record on September 15th, which put them 4 games out in the NL West and 2.5 games behind in the Wild Card race. Over the last 2 weeks, however, they went 2-12 to end the season at 76-85, 11.5 games back in both the Wild Card and the NL West.
Their main problem in the last 2 weeks of the season was pitching. Over the last 14 games, they were outscored 108-63, an average of nearly 8 runs allowed per game. It wasn’t just the last 2 weeks that their pitching fell apart, as pitching was a problem for them for most of the season, though not quite as bad. They had a team ERA of 4.63, 12th in the National League and 22nd in the majors.
Eight different pitchers made starts for the Giants throughout the season:
Matt Morris: 10-15, 4.98, 117 strikeouts in 33 starts
Jason Schmidt: 11-9, 3.59, 180 strikeouts in 32 starts
Matt Cain: 13-12, 4.15, 179 strikeouts in 31 starts and 1 relief appearance
Noah Lowry: 7-10, 4.74, 84 strikeouts in 27 starts
Jamey Wright: 6-10, 5.19, 79 strikeouts in 21 starts and 13 relief appearances
Brad Hennessey: 5-6, 4.26, 42 strikeouts in 12 starts and 22 relief appearances
Jonathan Sanchez: 3-1, 4.95, 33 strikeouts in 4 starts and 23 relief appearances
Jeff Fassero: 1-1, 7.80, 7 strikeouts in 1 start and 9 relief appearances
Jason Schmidt was the obvious leader of the rotation, but after him, it was ugly. Rookie Matt Cain was decent with a 4.15 ERA in his 31 starts, and the Giants are hoping he will improve greatly from there. Finding a 5th starter was also a problem for the Giants. Jamey Wright seemed to have filled that spot, but with a 6-10 record and a 5.19 ERA.
The offense could be in trouble over the next few years as well, as most of their big hitters, including Barry Bonds, a free agent after the season, Moises Alou, and Steve Finley. They have some minor league talent in Kevin Frandsen, Todd Linden, and Chad Santos, but not enough to rebuild the offense without going to free agency and trades.
Nobody on the team hit more than 30 home runs. Ray Durham (also getting older) and Barry Bonds led the team with 26, followed by Moises Alou and Pedro Feliz who hit 22 each. Also, nobody on the team had more than 100 RBI. Pedro Feliz led with 98 runs driven in.
Overall, the Giants were a below average team and could continue to be a losing team until they either go to free agency soon for good offense and pitching, or build up a good minor league system.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
World Series Game 2
Friday, October 20, 2006
World Series Game 1
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Playoff Game 10/19/06
NLCS
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Playoff Game 10/15/06
NLCS
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Playoff Games 10/14/06
ALCS
NLCS
Saturday, October 07, 2006
The Season in Review- Texas Rangers
The Rangers’ season started out with hope, with a lineup featuring Michael Young, Mark Teixeira, and Hank Blalock. Texas couldn’t even finish with a .500 record, though, let alone make the playoffs.
It was one of Michael Young’s worst power years, hitting only 14 home runs, but as usual, he was able to reach the 200 hits mark and finished with 217 hits and a .314 average. He played in all 162 games for the first time and set a new personal record with 103 RBI. His 52 doubles put him 2nd in the American League, only behind Grady Sizemore’s 53 doubles.
Mark Teixeira also had a slight power outage, at least for the first half of the season. He finished with 33 home runs, an impressive total, but only 9 of them came in the first half. He was on pace for less than 20 home runs for the first time ever, before hitting .291 with 24 home runs after the All-Star break.
Hank Blalock was yet another power disappointment. He had hit at least 25 home runs in each of the past 3 years, and was expected to do so again this year, but ended up with only 16 homers. He hit .287 with 12 home runs and 60 RBI before the All-Star break, but after the break hit only .237 with 4 home runs and 29 RBI.
Their starting pitching, once again, was reason for concern. Their best starters were Vicente Padilla and Kevin Millwood, both of their ERAs just over 4.50. Adam Eaton came back from the DL, where he spent most of the season with finger issues, only to post a 5.12 ERA. In the bullpen, they had Akinori Otsuka as the closer saving 32 of 36 with a 2.11 ERA. Rookie Wes Littleton ended up leading the rest of the bullpen with a 1.73 in 36.1 innings. Control is an issue for him, however, as he walked 13 compared to 17 strikeouts.
If Teixeira, Young, and Blalock get their power back and Carlos Lee keeps hitting well, the Rangers have a shot at a playoff spot next season. Better pitching would also help, but in the run-scoring stadium that Ameriquest Field is, you can’t ask for much.
Playoff Games 10/07/06
National League
American League
Friday, October 06, 2006
Playoff Games 10/06/06
American League
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Playoff Games 10/05/06
National League
American League
Playoff Game 10/04/06
National League
American League
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
The Season in Review- Washington Nationals
The Nationals had a very frustrating season in their 2nd year in Washington. They fell to the bottom of the NL East early, and stayed below 3rd place for the entire season. This was one year after finishing at exactly .500 with an 81-81 record, but the hope for a good 2006 team that last year created was quickly thrown away.
Without Alfonso Soriano, though, things could have been much worse. Soriano had a great year, slugging 46 home runs, driving in 95 runs, and stealing 41 bases. He had a decent outfield debut, finishing with a league-leading 22 outfield assists. The downside to his move to the outfield was that he was tied for 2nd in the majors with 11 outfield errors. Only Cincinnati Reds’ Adam Dunn had more errors in the outfield, with 12. While his errors have cost the Nationals at times, his 22 outfield assists and explosive offense have definitely made up for it.
The only one who could really compare with Soriano’s offense was rookie 3rd baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who hit .287 with 20 homers and 110 RBI. Zimmerman, who showed great promise last year with a .397 average in 58 at bats, is one of the top candidates for the National League Rookie of the Year Award.
What really hurt Washingon was their pitching, which combined for a 5.03 ERA, last in the National League and 28th in the majors. They didn’t even have a true ace; John Patterson was supposed to be the leader of the rotation, but he spent most of the year injured, and had a 4.43 ERA in 40.2 innings. Besides him, their best starters were Michael O’Connor (3-8, 4.80 ERA) and Tony Armas (9-12, 5.03 ERA). Their bullpen was decent, but not certainly not one of the top bullpens in the majors. Their closer was Chad Cordero, who picked up 29 saves in 33 chances, but with an ERA of 3.19. John Rauch (3.35 ERA) and Saul Rivera (3.43 ERA) showed promise as well.
Unfortunately for the Nationals, they don’t have much to look forward to, especially in pitching prospects. The only way they are going to put together a decent rotation is through free agency and trades, and not from their minor league system.
If Ryan Zimmerman keeps getting better and Nick Johnson stays with the team, they can have a pretty decent lineup. Picking up a key batter in the off season to replace Soriano is also important to the Nationals success in 2007.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Playoff Games 10/03/06
National League
American League
The Season in Review- Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays went into 2006 hoping to compete for a playoff spot. They end the season happy to be in 2nd. They have reason to be happy about 2nd, though, as it was the first time since 1993 that they finished above 3rd. It was also the first time since 2003 that the Jays finished with a winning record.
For the most part, their offense was led by center fielder Vernon Wells and 3rd baseman Troy Glaus, who each hit over 30 home runs and drove in at least 100 runs. They also received help from 1st baseman Lyle Overbay, who they acquired from Milwaukee in a trade before the season started. Overbay hit .312 with 22 home runs and 92 RBI.
Roy Halladay pitched like a true ace once again, finishing the season with a 3.19 ERA and a 16-5 record. A.J. Burnett, when he wasn’t on the DL, was a bit inconsistent. He ended up with a 10-8 record and a 3.98 ERA. All the Jays pitchers got help from a strong bullpen that featured B.J. Ryan and his 1.37 ERA. Ryan saved 38 games, while blowing only 4 saves. Also coming up big in the bullpen for Toronto was 23-year old right-hander Brandon League. League had an ERA of 2.53 through 42.2 innings, a 1.01 WHIP, and 12 holds.
The Blue Jays strong season was not because of quick runners. Toronto runners stole only 65 bases all season, ranking them 9th in the American League and 22nd in the majors. Just over half of those 65 steals came from outfielders Vernon Wells and Alex Rios.
The Jays could be competing to make the playoffs in 2007 if Rios and Wells continue to improve, Glaus doesn’t get hurt, their bullpen stays consistent, and Halladay has another great year. They also have hope that 2nd baseman Aaron Hill and outfielder Adam Lind will develop into great players at some point in the next few years.
Overall, it was a good season for the Jays, and their future looks good, as well. Their fans can be hopeful that in 2007, playoff baseball will be returning to Canada for the first time since 1993.
New Teams
Click an image to view full sizeEx-Marlins/Rays
Ex-Athletics/Giants
Ex-Angels/Dodgers
League Leaders
AL PitchingWins- Johan Santana, MIN/Chien-Ming Wang, NYY- 19
ERA- Johan Santana, MIN- 2.77
K's- Johan Santana, MIN- 245
Saves- Francisco Rodriguez, LAA- 47
Holds- Scott Shields, LAA- 31
Pickoffs- Mark Buehrle, CHW- 10
Special Mention- Jon Lester, BOS- 5 pickoffs in 81.1 innings
Pitches per Inning (lowest)- Wes Littleton, TEX- 13.21
Wild Pitches- Daniel Cabrera, BAL- 17
Balks- Ted Lilly, TOR- 4
Pitches per Inning (highest)- Chad Orvella, TB- 22.03
AL Batting
Home Runs- David Ortiz, BOS- 54
RBI- David Ortiz, BOS- 137
Average- Joe Mauer, MIN- .347
Hits- Ichiro, SEA- 224
Runs- Grady Sizemore, CLE- 134
Stolen Bases- Carl Crawford, TB- 58
Sacrifice Flies- O. Cabrera, LAA/J. Morneau, MIN/K. Youkilis, BOS- 11
Number of Pitches Seen- Grady Sizemore, CLE- 3,018
K's- Curtis Granderson, DET- 178
Caught Stealing- Scott Podsednik, CHW- 19
Hit by Pitch- Reed Johnson, TOR- 21
Grounded into Double Play- Miguel Tejada, BAL- 28
NL Pitching
Wins- A. Harang, CIN/ D. Lowe, LAD/B. Penny, LAD/
J. Smoltz, ATL/C. Zambrano, CHC/B. Webb, ARZ- 16
ERA- Roy Oswalt, HOU- 2.98
K's- Aaron Harang, CIN- 216
Saves- Trevor Hoffman, SD- 46
Holds- Scott Linebrink, SD- 36
Pickoffs- Paul Maholm, PIT- 8
Pitches per Inning (lowest)- Chris Sampson, HOU- 12.68
Wild Pitches- Miguel Batista, ARZ- 14
Balks- R. Ortiz, WSH/E. Ramirez, CIN/
M. Morris, SF/O. Hernandez, NYM- 3
Pitches per Inning (highest)- Ramon Ortiz, WSH- 20.29
NL Batting
Home Runs- Ryan Howard, PHI- 58
RBI- Ryan Howard, PHI- 149
Average- Freddy Sanchez, PIT- .344
Hits- Juan Pierre, CHC- 204
Runs- Chase Utley, PHI- 131
Stolen Bases- Jose Reyes, NYM- 64
Sacrifice Flies- Carlos Delgado, NYM- 10
Number of Pitches Seen- Felipe Lopez, WSH- 2,950
K's- Adam Dunn, CIN- 194
Caught Stealing- Juan Pierre, CHC- 20
Hit by Pitch- Ricky Weeks, MIL- 19
Grounded into Double Play- G. Atkins, COL/A. Gonzalez, SD- 24
Players of the Day 10/01/06
Batter of the Day: Chad Tracy, D-Backs: 3-for-4, 2 HR, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 3 RunsPitcher of the Day: Carlos Villanueva, Brewers: 8.1 Innings Pitched, 2 Runs, 5 Hits, 4 K's, shutout through 8.1
Worst Batter of the Day: Matt Holliday, Rockies: 0-for-5, 4 K's, 7 Left on Base, 1 Error
Worst Pitcher of the Day: Hayden Penn, Orioles: 2.2 Innings Pitched, 7 Runs, 5 Hits, 3 BB, 1 HR
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Best Matchups for 10/01/06
Padres at Diamond-Backs; Dodgers at GiantsThe NL West will be decided today. If the Dodgers and Padres finish in a tie, it is the Padres that will be named division champions.
Brewers at Cardinals; Astros at Braves
For the Astros to win the NL Central, they must combine a win today with a Cardinals loss, and then the Cardinals must lose the makeup game to create a tie, which would then result in the two teams playing a game to decide who wins the division.
9/30/06 recap
American LeagueThe AL Central has still not been decided, and it will come down to the last day. Both the Twins and Tigers were defeated and the division is still tied. If the teams finish tied, it would be the Tigers that took the AL Central crown. When two teams are tied for the lead of the division and both are going to the playoffs anyways, it is the winner of the season series between the tied teams that wins the division. The Tigers are 10-8 against the Twins this year, so they would be the AL Central champions. Any Tigers win or Twins loss gives the Tigers the division.
The Tigers fell behind early, as Zach Miner allowed 7 runs in just 0.1 innings. They rallied back to make it a 9-6 game, but were unable to emerge victorious.
The Twins had just as little success against the White Sox. Minnesota allowed 4 runs in the 3rd and 6 runs total to a lineup that featured no Paul Konerko, Jermaine
Dye, Jim Thome, or Joe Crede. Michael Cuddyer hit a 3-run homer in the 9th for the Twins only runs, his 6th RBI in 2 games, and his 108th RBI of the season.
The Jays came back from a 4-1 deficit with 4 runs in the 7th, with the tying and go-ahead runs scoring on a 2 out Alex Rios triple. The Jays scored again in the 8th when Lyle Overbay hit a slow roller to the right side that allowed Vernon Wells to score from 3rd. Though the Yankees threatened a rally in the 8th, their offense was contained and the Jays once again took a 1 game lead on Boston with a 6-4 win.
Manny Ramirez did not take long to get back on track after several weeks on the bench. He went 2 for 3 with a 6th inning home run that sparked a Red Sox comeback, but the Sox bullpen continues to struggle without Jonathan Papelbon and blew the lead.
The Mariners’ Felix Hernandez has struggled for most of the season, but was still able to end it in a good way. He held the Texas Rangers to just 1 run on 4 hits and struck out 5, lowering his ERA to 4.52. He was backed up by 3rd baseman Adrian Beltre’s 2 home runs, which scored Seattle’s only 3 runs of the game.
The Rays lost their 100th game of the season, 6-1, as Jae Seo’s record fell to 1-8 since moving to Tampa. The Indians’ Jake Westbrook put a good finish on a below average season and Casey Blake hit his 18th and 19th homers of the season to contribute to the victory, Cleveland’s 77th of the season.
National League
After putting so much effort into playoff hopes, the Phillies have been eliminated. They did all they could do by defeating the Marlins 4-3, but both the Dodgers and Padres clinched the available playoff spots with their own victories.
The game between the Phillies and Marlins featured 7 combined runs through the first 3 innings, but after that, the scoring was done. Scott Olsen put the finishing touches on a decent rookie season, although his ERA rose above 4.00. In 6 innings, he allowed 4 runs and struck out 6, while allowing 5 hits and 4 walks. The scoring started with back-to-back home runs by Marlins’ Josh Willingham and Miguel Cabrera in the 1st, but the lead did not last long as the Phillies rallied for 3 runs of their own in the 2nd. The Marlins tied the game in the bottom of the 2nd on an RBI single by pitcher Scott Olsen, but the Phillies would regain the lead for good on Ryan Howard’s 1 out double in the 3rd. The Marlins were able to get a runner to 3rd with 1 out in the 9th, but were unable to score against Tom Gordon, who picked up his 34th save of the season.
Unfortunately for Philadelphia, the Padres were also victorious. Mike Cameron’s 5th inning 2 run homer gave the Padres a 2-0 lead, and Josh Bard drove in a 3rd run with an RBI infield single in the 6th. Stephen Drew homered in the 7th to give the D-Backs their only run of the game. Trevor Hoffman pitched a scoreless 9th for San Diego to clinch them a playoff spot for back-to-back seasons for the first time.
The Dodgers are trying desperately to avoid playing the Mets in the first round too, however, and won their 6th in a row, 4-2 over the Giants. Greg Maddux was great on the mound and on offense as well. He pitched 7 innings, allowing only 2 runs on 3 hits and struck out 4. At the plate he was 1 for 2 with a single and stole his 2nd base of the season.
If the Padres and Dodgers finish in a tie at the top of the NL West, the Padres would be the team named the winner, because they won the season series with the Dodgers.
The Astros, after such an amazing comeback, may finish just short. The Cardinals defeated the Brewers again, while the Astros were able to hang on by defeating the Braves. For the Astros to win the division, they must combine a win with a Cardinals loss, and then the Cardinals would have to lose the makeup game on Monday.
The Padres and Dodgers were reminded of why they want to win the division and play the Cardinals, rather than win the Wild Card and play at Shea Stadium. The Mets defeated the Nationals 13-0, a scoring outburst which included 5 RBIs and a home run from now 48 year old Julio Franco. Tom Glavine held Washington to just 3 hits and didn’t allow any runs in the 6 innings he pitched.
