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Race Day: A Look at the A.L. Playoff Races

Posted on September 2nd, 2009 10:18am by Jeff Miller
Filed under AL West race, Baseball, Texas Rangers

AL Wild Card Race
Team	W-L	Pct.	GB	Yesterday	Yesterday
Boston	77-54	.588	-	W, at TB 8-4	@ Tampa Bay, 6:08
Rangers	74-57	.561	3.5	W 5-2, W 5-2	vs. Toronto, 7:05
Tampa Bay	70-61	.542	6	L, vs. Bos. 8-4	vs. Boston, 6:08

About the Wild Card Race

Boston: CF Jacoby Ellsbury’s sliding catch plus spin and throw home to leave the bases loaded in the eighth was the key play in the Red Sox’s win. Before LHP Jon Lester left after 95 pitches because of an aggravated groin problem, he broke Bruce Hurst’s club record for strikeouts in a season for a lefty.

RHP Josh Beckett will start Wednesday night. In his last three starts, he has an ERA of 9.82 and has allowed 10 home runs. Ellsbury is 9-for-26 career hitting against Rays starter, RHP Matt Garza. Appears C Jason Varitek will start, moving Victor Martinez (.381 career vs. Tampa Bay) to 1B and Kevin Youkilis to 3B, Mike Lowell sits.

Tampa Bay: Tuesday night’s 17,692 was the smallest at Tropicana Field for a Red Sox game in two years. The Rays committed three errors and allowed three unearned runs. With RHP Andy Sonnanstine lasting only two batters into the fifth inning, Joe Madden used eight pitchers. 1B Carlos Pena his his A.L.-leading 39th home run.

RHP Matt Garza, Wednesday night’s starter, is winless in his last six outings. Career record against Boston is 5-1 with a 2.93 ERA in 10 appearance. LF Carl Crawford is 10-for-30 career against Beckett.

AL West Race
Team	W-L	Pct.	GB	Yesterday	Today
Los Angeles	77-53	.595	-	L, at Sea. 2-1	@ Seattle, 5:40
Rangers	74-57	.561	4.5	W 5-2, W 5-2	vs. Toronto 7:05

About the AL West Race

Los Angeles: Angels were held in check by 6-foot-8 Mariners rookie Doug Fister. RHP Ervin Santana had his best start in three weeks, allowing a run on five hits and a walk in six innings.

LHP Scott Kazmir will make his Angels debut on Wednesday afternoon. As a Ray this year, 8-7 with a 5.92 ERA and opponents batting average of .273 (career .246). He pitched at Seattle on Aug. 9 and lost, giving up seven earned in 4.1 innings. When Mariners RHP Felix Hernandez (13-5) beat the Royals last Friday, it marked his first victory since winning in Arlington on Aug. 1. He has pitched against the Angels once this season, losing on May 19 when he gave up six earned on 11 hits and three walks in 5.2 innings.

If The Playoffs Started Today

Detroit @New York; Boston @Los Angeles

4 Comments to “Race Day: A Look at the A.L. Playoff Races”

Jon @ September 2nd, 2009 at 1:30 pm

Update to Previous Post (Below).

Act of God! Rangers go from 6 GB to 4.5 GB in one day! God bless the Mariners!

Previous Post:

“The Ranger’s best shot was the wild card. Between those mighty powers the Twins and the Blue Jays, you can kiss off the wild card. Bottom line: Boston beats bottom feeders; the Rangers do not. Didn’t Boston take like six games from Toronto? The Rangers give up 18; yes 18 freakin’ runs at home in a critical game. The starting pitcher and two relievers melt down.

Next best shot is that somehow (Act of God)the gap between the Rangers and Halos narrows to where the Rangers can continue their current domination and sneak into the division title.”
JustSaying @ September 2nd, 2009 at 1:58 pm

need to get within 3 so the 7 vs the angels makes the west winnable…….still think our best chance is to overtake the angels……they hear our footsteps and it’s a wonderful sound……..
Jack Daddy @ September 2nd, 2009 at 4:16 pm

20-10 puts us at 94 wins. We play LAA in a 4 game sets starting Sept. 28th. We have 22 games to make up 2.5 games in the standing so that we enter that series 2 back. Take 3 of 4 and we’re tied with 3 games to go (us vs. Sea, them vs. Oak).

Take 2 of 3 against Sea and it sets it up for a 1 game playoff — to be held in Arlington. That’s right, rule change this winter and home field goes to the team with the best Head to Head record.

So, the next 22 games are important. That’s 3 1/2 weeks of baseball. 2.5 games in 3.5 weeks.

Can we do it? Why not?
The Depot: Rangers-Blue Jays Live Game Blog, News, Notes and Blood Platelet Injections « wire2 @ September 2nd, 2009 at 8:40 pm

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