The Chicago Cubs are World Champions after thrilling Game 7 victory

The Chicago Cubs defeated the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday night.  The game took place at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio and the final score was 8-7.  Kyle Hendricks started for the Cubs and pitched very well, the bullpen was shaky.  Corey Kluber started for the Indians and didn't pitch that well and their bullpen also struggled.  Dexter Fowler had a big game for the Cubs and Ben Zobrist was the MVP.  Rajai Davis hit a big two run homerun for the Indians. 

Hendricks pitched 4 2/3 innings giving up four hits and two runs with one of them being earned.  He walked one and struck out two.  Jon Lester pitched three innings giving up three hits and two runs with one of them being earned.  He walked one and struck out four, Aroldis Chapman blew the save but earned the win pitching 1 1/3 innings giving up three hits and two runs.  He walked none and struck out two, Carl Edwards Jr. pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up a hit and a run with a walk and Mike Montgomery retired the only batter that he faced to record the save. 

Kluber pitched four innings giving up six hits and four runs.  Andrew Miller pitched 2 1/3 innings giving up four hits and two runs with a walk and a strikeout, Cody Allen pitched two innings giving up a walk and he struck out two and Bryan Shaw lost the game pitching an inning and giving up three hits and two runs with two walks and a strikeout.  Trevor Bauer pitched 2/3 of an inning with a strikeout. 

Fowler had three hits and an RBI, Kyle Schwarber had three hits and Kris Bryant had a hit and drew a walk.  Anthony Rizzo had a hit, an RBI and drew a walk, Zobrist had a hit and an RBI and Addison Russell had an RBI and drew a walk.  Willson Contreras had a hit and an RBI, David Ross had a hit, an RBI and drew a walk and Miguel Montero had a hit and an RBI.  Javier Baez had a hit and an RBI, Contreras and Zobrist each hit a double.  Fowler, Baez and Ross each hit a homerun and the Cubs were 3-11 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.  Schwarber and Heyward each had a stolen base and Fowler was caught stealing.  Baez and Ross each committed an error.  Hendricks had a pickoff. 

Carlos Santana had a hit, an RBI and drew a walk, Jeff Kipnis had a hit and Jose Ramirez had two hits.  Lonnie Chisenhall had a hit, Brandon Guyer had two hits, an RBI and drew a walk and Davis had two hits and three RBI.  Coco Crisp had two hits, Roberto Perez drew a walk and Crisp and Guyer each hit a double.  Davis hit a homerun and the Indians were 3-6 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.  Ramirez was picked off and Gomes committed an error. 

In the first Fowler led off the game with a solo homerun to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead.  In the third Santana hit an RBI single to tie the game at one.  In the fourth Russell hit a sac fly to give the Cubs a 2-1 lead.  Contreras hit an RBI double to push the lead to 3-1.  In the fifth Baez hit a solo homerun and Rizzo hit an RBI single to extend the lead to 5-1.  In the fifth the Indians scored two runs on a wild pitch to cut the lead to 5-3.  Ross hit a solo homerun in the sixth to push the lead back to three at 6-3.  In the eighth Guyer hit an RBI double to cut the lead to 6-4 and Davis hit a two run homerun to tie the game at six.  In the tenth Zobrist hit an RBI double and Montero hit an RBI single to give the Cubs back the lead at 8-6 and Davis hit an RBI single in the bottom of the tenth to cut the lead to 8-7 but that would be how it ended. 

After 108 years the drought is finally over.  The Chicago Cubs are World Champions as they went wire to wire this year.  They were the best team all year and were able to outlast the Indians in this game and series as they fought back from a 3-1 deficit.  These players and coaches, executives etc will never be forgotten in Chicago.  They are the people that finally ended the jinx.  It was an amazing game, series and scene after the final out.  This was a great way to end the 2016 season. 

The Cleveland Indians take commanding 3-1 series lead with 7-2 victory

The Cleveland Indians defeated the Chicago Cubs on Saturday night.  The game took place at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois and the final score was 7-2.  John Lackey started for the Cubs and didn't pitch very well and Corey Kluber pitched very well for the Indians.  The Cubs bullpen struggled and the Indians bullpen was pretty good.  Dexter Fowler, Jason Heyward and Anthony Rizzo each had two hits to lead the Cubs and Jason Kipnis had three hits and three RBI to lead the Indians offense. 

Lackey took the loss pitching five innings and giving up four hits and three runs with two of them being earned.  He walked one and struck out five.  Mike Montgomery pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up a hit and a run with two walks, Justin Grimm pitched 1/3 of an inning giving up a hit and two runs with a strikeout and Travis Wood pitched an inning giving up two hits and a run with two strikeouts.  Hector Rondon pitched two innings giving up two hits and no runs with a couple of strikeouts. 

Kluber won his second game of the series pitching six innings and giving up five hits and a run.  He walked one and struck out six.  Andrew Miller pitched two innings giving up a hit and a run with two strikeouts and Dan Otero pitched an inning giving up a hit. 

Fowler had two hits and an RBI, Kris Bryant drew a walk and Rizzo had two hits and an RBI.  Addison Russell had a hit, Heyward had two hits and Fowler and Rizzo each hit two doubles.  Fowler hit a homerun and the Cubs were 1-7 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base.  Rizzo had a stolen base and Bryant committed two errors. 

Kipnis had three hits and three RBI, Francisco Lindor had two hits, an RBI and drew a walk and Carlos Santana had three hits and an RBI.  Lonnie Chisenhall had an RBI, Roberto Perez drew a walk and Tyler Naquin drew a walk.  Kluber had a hit, Coco Crisp had a hit and Kipnis and Crisp each hit a double.  Santana and Kipnis each hit a homerun and the Indians were 3-8 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base. 

In the bottom of the first Rizzo hit an RBI single to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead.  In the second Santana hit a solo homerun to tie the game at one.  Kluber hit an RBI single to make it a 2-1 game.  In the third Lindor hit an RBI single to push the lead to 3-1 and in the sixth Chisenhall hit a sac fly to make it 4-1.  In the sevneth Kipnis hit a three run homerun to extend the lead to 7-1.  In the eighth Fowler hit a solo homerun to cut the lead to 7-2 and that would be the final score. 

The Indians took a commanding 3-1 lead in the series with game five on Sunday night and the Indians have a chance to clinch and become World Champions for the first time since 1948.   

The Chicago Cubs even the World Series with game two victory

The Chicago Cubs defeated the Cleveland Indians in game two of the World Series to even the series at 1-1 heading to Chicago.  The game took place at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio on Wednesday night and the final score was 5-1.  Jake Arrieta started for the Cubs and pitched very well and their bullpen shutdown the Indians.  Ben Zobrist and Kyle Schwarber led the offense with two hits each.  Trevor Bauer pitched ok, at least he made it out of the first inning this time and the bullpen was pretty good but not great for the Indians.  Mike Napoli led their offense with a couple of hits. 

Arrieta pitched 5 2/3 innings giving up two hits and a run with three walks and six strikeouts and he earned the win.  Mike Montgomery pitched two innings giving up two hits and no runs with a walk and four strikeouts and Aroldis Chapman pitched 1 1/3 innings giving up a walk and he struck out two. 

Bauer pitched 3 2/3 innings giving up six hits and two runs with two walks and two strikeout and he took the loss.  Zach McAllister pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up a hit and two runs with a walk and two strikeout, Bryan Shaw pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up a hit and an unearned run with two walks and two strikeouts and Danny Salazar pitched an inning walking two batters.  Jeff Manship pitched 1/3 of an inning giving up a hit and he walked one, Dan Otero pitched 1 2/3 innings striking out one and Mike Clevinger pitched an inning with a strikeout. 

Dustin Fowler had a hit, Kris Bryant had a hit and Anthony Rizzo had a hit, an RBI and drew two walks.  Zobrist had two hits, an RBI and drew a walk, Schwarber had two hits, two RBI and drew a walk and Javier Baez had a hit.  Willson Contreras drew two walks, Jorge Soler drew a walk and Addison Russell had a hit, an RBI and drew a walk.  Rizzo hit a double, Zobrist had a triple and the Cubs were 3-12 with runners in scoring position and left 13 men on base. 

Jeff Kipnis had a hit, Francisco Lindor drew a walk and Napoli had two hits and drew a walk.  Jose Ramirez drew a walk, Brandon Guyer had a hit and drew a walk and Roberto Perez drew a walk.  Kipnis hit a double and the Indians were 0-4 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.  Kipnis committed two errors. 

In the first Rizzo hit an RBI double to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead.  In the third Schwarber hit an RBI single to push the Cubs lead to 2-0.  Zobrist hit an RBI triple in the fifth and it was 3-0 Cubs.  Schwarber hit an RBI single and the lead was extended to 4-0.  Russell drew an RBI walk still in the fifth and it was 5-0 Cubs.  In the sixth a wild pitch made it 5-1 but that would be the final score. 

The series is tied at 1-1 with an off day on Thursday.  The series will resume on Friday night in Chicago.  Kyle Hendricks will face off against Josh Tomlin.   

The Cleveland Indians win game one of the World Series

The Cleveland Indians defeated the Chicago Cubs in game one of the World Series on Tuesday night.  The game took place at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio and the final score was 6-0.  Corey Kluber started for the Indians and he was awesome.  Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez led their offense with three hits each.  Ben Zobrist led the Cubs with three hits.  Jon Lester pitched just ok for the Cubs. 

Kluber pitched six innings giving up four hits and no runs with no walks and nine strikeouts and earned the win.  Andrew Miller pitched two innings giving up two hits and two walks and he struck out three and Cody Allen pitched an inning giving up a hit and striking out the side. 

Lester pitched 5 2/3 innings giving up six hits and three runs with three walks and seven strikeouts and he took the loss.  Pedro Strop pitched 2/3 of an inning and had a strikeout, Travis Wood pitched to one batter and retired him and Justin Grimm pitched an inning giving up two hits and two runs with a walk and a strikeout.  Hector Rondon pitched 1/3 of an inning giving up two hits and a run. 

Rajai Davis had a hit, Lindor had three hits and Mike Napoli drew a walk.  Carlos Santana drew two walks, Ramirez had three hits and an RBI and Brandon Guyer had an RBI and drew a walk.  Lonnie Chisenhall had a hit, Roberto Perez had two hits and four RBI and Ramirez, Lindor and Davis each hit a double.  Perez hit two homeruns.  The Indians were 2-9 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.  Lindor had a stolen base and was caught stealing. 

Kris Bryant drew a walk, Zobrist had three hits and Kyle Schwarber had a hit and drew a walk.  Javier Baez had a hit, Willson Contreras had a hit and David Ross had a hit.  Zobrist, Schwarber and Contreras each hit a double and the Cubs were 1-11 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base. 

In the first Ramriez hit an RBI single to give the Indians a 1-0 lead.  Guyer was hit by a pitch and it was 2-0 Indians.  In the fourth Perez hit a solo homerun to extend the Indians lead to 3-0.  Perez hit his second homerun of the game in the eighth to make it 6-0 and that would be the final score of the game. 

The two teams will play game two of the series on Wednesday night before shifting to Chicago for the middle three games of the series over the weekend. 

The 2016 World Series is set

The Cleveland Indians disposed of the Toronto Blue Jays in five games and were waiting for their opponent.  The NLCS went to game six and on Saturday night in game six the Chicago Cubs finally made the World Series.  It had been 71 years since the Cubs last won a NL pennant in 1945.  The Cleveland Indians haven't been there since 1997 but haven't won a title since 1948.  The Chicago Cubs haven't won a title since 1908.  It should be a great World Series. 

The Cubs have been the sports best team all year and I still believe they are and will be the favorites.  The Indians though should not be overlooked.  The Cubs have a great manager in Joe Maddon but the Indians Terry Francona  is a master in the postseason for sure.  The pitching of the Cubs is probably a little better because they are healthy and the Indians aren't but the Indians staff has done a good job in the postseason.  I would give the Indians the edge out of the bullpen especially with their X factor Andrew Miller.  The Cubs have Aroldis Chapman who is really good also but is their closer.  They were teammates for most of this year with the New York Yankees until they were both traded at the deadline.  It is very compelling that they will now be meeting again as enemies in the World Series. 

I am going to go with the Chicago Cubs in six games but it should be a good, fun series.  I think with the Cubs the ratings will be up and for the casual fans that don't know that much about either of the teams they will be in for a treat.  Very good young ballplayers on both sides.  Javier Baez for the Cubs and Francisco Lindor for the Indians will be two guys to watch.  Another thing to watch is the rumor has it that Kyle Shwarber who has been out all season will be returning to be the DH in the AL park.  We shall see on Tuesday night in Cleveland if that is true.  I can't wait for this series to get going. 

The Kansas City Royals win the World Series over the New York Mets in extra innings

The New York Mets were defeated by the Kansas City Royals on Sunday night in game five of the World Series.  The game took place at Citi Field in Flushing, New York and the final score was 7-2 in 12 innings.  Matt Harvey started for the Mets and pitched brilliantly but couldn't finish the job as he convinced his manager to let him out for the ninth and then blew the game.  The Mets offense only managed four hits with two of them coming from Michael Conforto. 

Harvey pitched 8+ innings giving up five hits and two runs with two walks and nine strikeouts.  Jeurys Familia pitched two innings with two strikeouts and got charged with his third blown save of the series even though I wouldn't put this one on him.  Jon Niese pitched an inning giving up a hit, Addison Reed pitched 1/3 of an inning giving up three hits and five runs with four of them being earned and he walked one.  Bartolo Colon pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up a hit. 

Edinson Volquez pitched six innings giving up two hits and two runs with one of them being earned.  He walked five and struck out five.  Kelvin Herrera pitched three innings giving up a hit and striking out three, Luke Hochevar won the game pitching two innings and walking one and Wade Davis pitched an inning giving up a hit and striking out three. 

Curtis Granderson had a hit, an RBI and drew a walk, David Wright had a hit and Daniel Murphy drew two walks.  Lucas Duda had an RBI and drew two walks, Conforto had two hits and Wilmer Flores drew a walk.  Granderson hit a homerun and the Mets were 0-5 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base.  Wright and Murphy each committed an error. 

Alcides Escobar had a hit, an RBI, Ben Zobrist had a hit and drew a walk and Lorenzo Cain had two hits and three RBI with a walk.  Eric Hosmer had two hits and an RBI, Mike Moustakas had a hit and Salvador Perez had a hit and an RBI.  Alex Gordon drew a walk, Christian Colon had a hit and an RBI and Volquez had a hit.  Hosmer, Escobar and Cain each hit a double.  The Royals were 4-11 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.  Cain had two stolen bases and Hosmer and Dyson each had one.  Hosmer committed an error. 

In the first Granderson hit a solo homerun giving the Mets a 1-0 lead.  In the sixth Duda hit a sac fly to make it a 2-0 game.  In the ninth Hosmer hit an RBI double to cut the lead to 2-1.  Perez hit an RBI groudnout to tie the game at two.  It was a crazy play as Hosmer sprinted home as Wright threw to first base to get the out, a good throw would of nailed him and won the game for the Mets sending it back to Kansas City but that didn't happen.  In the 12th Colon hit an RBI single to give the Royals their first lead at 3-2, Escobar hit an RBI double to make it 4-2 and Cain hit a three run double to push the lead to 7-2 which would be the final score of the game.  The World Series ended in five games although it was very competitive and the Mets had the lead in every game.  The Kansas City Royals are your 2015 World Series Champions after falling last year in game seven of the World Series.  We put a wrap on another great MLB season and postseason and look forward to spring training 2016.   

The New York Mets go down in a 14 inning epic game one of the World Series

The New York Mets were defeated by the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.  The game took place at Kaufmann Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri and the final score was 5-4 Royals in 14 innings.  Matt Harvey started and he pitched ok but he did blow a 3-1 lead.  David Wright, Daniel Murphy, Lucas Duda and Juan Lagares each had two hits. 

Harvey pitched six innings giving up five hits and three runs with two walks and two strikeouts.  Addison Reed pitched a perfect inning, Tyler Clippard pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up a hit and a walk with two strikeouts, Jeurys Familia blew a save but pitched 1 1/3 innings giving up a hit and a run and Jon Niese pitched two innings giving up a hit and he struck out three.  Bartolo Colon took the loss pitching 2 1/3 innings giving up three hits and an unearned run with three walks. 

Edinson Volquez pitched six innings giving up six hits and three runs with a walk and three strikeouts.  Danny Duffy pitched 2/3 of an inning striking out one, Kelvin Herrera pitched 1 1/3 innings giving up three hits and an unearned run with two strikeouts and Luke Hochevar pitched an inning giving up a hit.  Wade Davis pitched a perfect inning striking out the side, Ryan Madson pitched an inning giving up a hit and a walk with two strikeouts and Chris Young earned the win pitching three scoreless and hitless innings giving up a walk and striking out four batters. 

Curtis Granderson had a hit and an RBI and drew two walks, Wright had two hits and Murphy had two hits.  Yoenis Cespedes had a hit, Duda had two hits and Travis d'Arnaud had a hit and an RBI.  Michael Conforto had an RBI, Lagares had two hits and Wilmer Flores drew a walk.  Granderson hit a homerun and the Mets were 1-10 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base.  Lagares had a stolen base and Wright was caught stealing and Wright committed an error. 

Alcides Escobar had a hit and an RBI, Ben Zobrist had three hits and drew a walk and Lorenzo Cain had a hit and drew a walk.  Eric Hosmer had two RBI and drew two walks, Kendrys Morales drew a walk and Mike Moustakas had two hits and an RBI.  Salvador Perez had two hits, Alex Gordon had a hit, an RBI and drew a walk.  Paulo Orlando had a hit, Zobrist hit two doubles and Escobar hit an inside-the-park homerun and Gordon hit a homerun.  The Royals were 2-11 with runners in scoring position and left 13 men on base.  Cain had a stolen base and Hosmer committed an error. 

In the first Escobar hit an inside-the-park homerun to give the Royals a 1-0 lead.  In the fourth d'Arnaud hit an RBI single to tie the game at one.  In the fifth Granderson hit a solo homerun to give the Mets a 2-1 lead and in the sixth Conforto hit a sac fly to make it 3-1 Mets.  In the bottom of the sixth Hosmer hit a sac fly to cut the lead to 3-2.  Moustakas hit an RBI single to tie the game at three and in the eighth Flores reached on an error and a run scored giving them the 4-3 lead.  In the ninth Gordon hit a solo homerun to tie the game at four.  In the 14th inning Hosmer hit a walk-off sac fly to give the Royals the 5-4 victory and 1-0 series lead.  The two teams will play game two on Wednesday night in Kansas City before heading to New York for the next three games. 

The Kansas City Royals even the World Series with a 7-2 win

The Kansas City Royals defeated the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night.  The game took place at Kaufmann Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri and the final score was 7-2.  Jake Peavy started for the Giants and was ok and Yordano Ventura started for the Royals and was also ok, he was better than Peavy though.  The Royals offense had one big inning which carried them.  The Giants offense had nine hits but no player had more than one hit. 

Peavy pitched five innings giving up six hits and four runs.  He walked two and struck out one.  Jean Machi pitched and didn't record an out.  He gave up a hit and a run, Javier Lopez pitched to one batter and retired him, Hunter Strickland didn't record an out and gave up two hits and two runs.  Jeremy Affeldt pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up a hit, Tim Lincecum pitched 1 2/3 innings and struck out two and Santiago Casilla pitched to one batter and struck him out. 

Ventura pitched 5 1/3 innings giving up eight hits and two runs with two strikeouts.  Kelvin Herrera pitched 1 2/3 innings and picked up the win.  He walked two and struck out one, Wade Davis pitched a perfect inning with a couple of strikeouts and Greg Holland pitched an inning giving up a hit and striking out the sides. 

Gregor Blanco had a hit and an RBI and drew a walk, Joe Panik had a hit and Buster Posey had a hit.  Pablo Sandoval had a hit, Hunter Pence had a hit and Brandon Belt had a hit and an RBI.  Michael Morse had a hit, Travis Ishikawa had a hit, Brandon Crawford had a hit and drew a walk and Sandoval and Belt each hit a double.  Blanco hit a homerun and the Giants were 1-8 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base. 

Alcides Escobar had two hits and an RBI, Lorenzo Cain had two hits and Eric Hosmer drew two walks.  Billy Butler had two hits and two RBI, Salvador Perez had a hit and two RBI and Omar Infante had two hits and two RBI.  Mike Moustakas had a hit, Cain, Infante, Escobar and Perez each hit a double and Infante hit a homerun.  The Royals were 5-9 with runners in scoring position and left three men on base.  Escobar was caught stealing. 

In the first Blanco led off the game with a solo homerun to give the Giants a 1-0 lead.  The Royals tied the game in the bottom of the first.  Butler hit an RBI single and Escobar hit an RBI double in the second to give the Royals a 2-1 lead.  Belt hit an RBI double in the fourth to tie the game at two.  In the sixth the Royals opened up the game with five runs to take a 7-2 lead and that would be the final score.  Butler hit an RBI single, Perez hit a two run double and Infante hit a two run homerun.  The series is now even at one game each as the series shifts to San Francisco for the next three games.   

World Series Game One goes to the San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants defeated the Kansas City Royals in game one of the World Series on Tuesday night.  The game took place at Kaufmann Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri and the final score was 7-1.  Madison Bumgarner started for the Giants and was great as usual and James Shields was not very good for the Royals.  Pablo Sandoval and Hunter Pence led the Giants offense. 

Bumgarner pitched seven innings giving up three hits and one run.  He walked one and struck out five.  Javier Lopez pitched an inning giving up a hit and Strickland pitched an inning with two strikeouts. 

James Shields pitched three innings giving up seven hits and five runs.  He walked one and struck out one.  Danny Duffy pitched three innings giving up a hit and two runs with three walks and three strikeouts, Tim Collins pitched two innings giving up two hits and a walk and he struck out two and Jason Frasor pitched an inning with a walk and a strikeout. 

Gregor Blanco had a hit, an RBI and drew two walks, Joe Panik had a hit and an RBI and Buster Posey had a hit.  Sandoval had two hits and two RBI, Pence had two hits, two RBI and drew two walks and Brandon Belt had a hit and drew a walk.  Michael Morse had a hit and an RBI and Brandon Crawford had a hit and drew a walk.  Sandoval and Pence each hit a double, Panik hit a triple and Pence hit a homerun.  The Giants were 5-12 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base.  Crawford committed an error. 

Alcides Escobar had a hit, Lorenzo Cain drew a walk and Billy Butler had a hit.  Salvador Perez had a hit and an RBI, Mike Moustakas had a hit which was a double and Perez hit a homerun.  The Royals were 0-3 with runners in scoring position and left four men on base.  Moustakas committed an error and Aoki had an outfield assist. 

In the first Sandoval hit an RBI double and Pence hit a two run homerun to give the Giants a 3-0 lead.  In the fourth they increased the lead to 5-0.  Morse hit an RBI single, Blanco had an RBI walk.  In the seventh the Giants scored two more runs to make it 7-0.  Panik hit an RBI triple, Sandoval hit an RBI single.  In the seventh the Royals scored their only run on a Perez solo homerun.  The final score was 7-1 and game two of the series will be on Wednesday night. 

The World Series begins on Tuesday night

The World Series features two opposite teams although they were both wild cards.  It seems like two unlikely teams but I see it different.  It is kind of David vs. Goliath although not exactly.  The San Francisco Giants surprised a lot of people by winning the National League as a wild card team.  The thing about them is though they have had a lot of success in recent years.  The Giants are now in their third World Series in the last five years and they have won two of them.  The Giants won it all in 2010 and also in 2012 which bodes well for them since this is an even year as well.  The Kansas City Royals haven't even made the playoffs since 1985 when they won their last World Championship. 

The Royals are the hottest team, they played great baseball after the All Star Break and then came back from a 7-3 deficit in the wild card game and haven't lost a game.  They swept through the Anaheim Angels and the Baltimore Orioles and are 8-0 in the postseason.  They are a young, athletic team that is acting like they have been here before.  The Royals play great defense and have a great bullpen. 

The San Francisco Giants have very good pitching from top to bottom.  They have more experience and maybe a little better offense.  There isn't really too much difference on paper between the two teams.  The biggest thing in my estimation would be the experience of the Giants.  The Royals do have the home field advantage though.  I see this being a very good and evenly matched series.  I think it will be along one but I think the Giants will come out winning their third title in five years.  I am going to pick the Giants in six to win it.  If you are a baseball fan buckle up as this should be a good one.  If you aren't you may want to check this out as everyone has been drawn into the story of the Royals.  It all begins on Tuesday night. 

Masahiro Tanaka signs with the New York Yankees

Masahiro Tanaka signs with the New York Yankees


I don’t know about you but I really am not surprised at all. I expected the New York Yankees to sign him all along because of their great interest in him and great need for him. I normally wouldn’t have been so confident with the Los Angeles Dodgers showing interest. They really didn’t have a great need for him though; they already have the highest payroll by a lot. They also just signed Clayton Kershaw to a huge extension and are working on one for Hanley Ramirez. There were sources saying it came down to the Yankees and Cubs. Is that really a choice, the Cubs??

The Yankees missed the postseason for just the second time in the last 18 years. They responded last time with a splurge on CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixiera. They ended up winning the World Series the very next season. The Yankees had been talking about a 189 million cap. Hal Steinbrenner though in the last year has been adamant in saying it is a goal and not a mandate. I don’t think many people believed him especially the Yankee fans. They kept dreaming of the days of the father George running the team. They kept saying how the sons would never be like the father and nothing is the same. I don’t hear much of that going on now. I think the combination of missing the postseason and the Red Sox winning the World Series pushed the Yankees. They chose the importance of winning over saving some money on the luxury tax. They understand that you have to spend money to make money. The Yankees have always been great at that and with the big market and the Yankees name that philosophy really can’t change. The owners did want to try and reduce payroll but when the farm system just wasn’t producing then last year is what happened. The Yankees couldn’t stand for missing the postseason and having their attendance and television ratings go down.

Tanaka signed for seven years and 155 million, which is a huge amount of money. He is also costing g175 million total due to the 20 million-release fee the Yankees have to pay Rakuten his old team. He has never thrown a pitch in the United States. There are a couple of things to consider though. There were at least four other teams seriously involved. Those teams all bid at least 20 million a year for him, the market dictated that he was worth that much. The Yankees also had scouted him extensively since 2007 and were at every single home game of this past season. They also watched him closely during the 2009 World Baseball Classic. They sent a contingent of nine people to visit with him when he was in California last week. This is a player they feel very strongly about and he is also just 25 years old. He has pitched a lot of innings in Japan but I would argue they are getting his prime years 25-28. He can opt out after year four and try to seek a new contract.

The Yankees really had to take this risk for a couple of reasons. They need the pitching and they also need to show the rest of the baseball world that they are back to being the big bad Yankees. I think this is good for the team, ratings, and sponsorships. Tanaka also has Hiroki Kuroda and Ichiro Suzuki as teammates he can hang around with and learn from. He can also lean on Hideki Matsui if need be. Matsui was the star of stars in Japan and then with the Yankees.

The Yankees will pay him 22 million a year for the first six years and then 23 million for the final year of his contract. He is a guy that will be the number three of four starter to start out but eventually the Yankees feel will be their ace. He seems to have the stuff and the makeup to handle that. It will be interesting to see him in action come spring training and especially the regular season. The Yankees are banking on this being a worthy investment and I believe it will be. If it doesn’t work out exactly as they had hoped I still won’t blame the Yankees for making this move. I really think it is worth the risk for them and expect it to pay off big time.

Hideki Matsui retires from baseball and the Yankees react

Hideki Matsui announced his retirement from professional baseball today. Matsui played in the United States for ten years after coming over from Japan where he played for ten years. Matsui was nicknamed Godzilla, he played with the New York Yankees from 2003-2009 after playing for the Tokyo Giants which is Japans version of the Yankees. He was a very good player, very clutch and also very classy.. He batted 292 with the Yankees, scoring 536 runs, hitting 196 doubles, 140 homeruns and driving in 597 runs. He became the first player in Yankees franchise history to hit a grand slam in his Yankee Stadium debut. He accomplished that feat against the Minnesota Twins on April 8, 2003. He was a two time all star who didn’t miss a game in his first three years, 518 consecutive games which is a record still today for longest streak to start a career. Matsui always had a flair for the dramatic and in his final game as a Yankee he went 3-4 and drove in six runs to clinch World Series Game 6 on November 4, 2009 against the Philadelphia Phillies. He was loved by everyone and that came out today upon the news of his retirement. Here are some of the Yankees reacting to the news. 
Hal Steinbrenner: “Hideki Matsui in many ways , embodied what this organization stands for. He was dedicated to his craft, embraced his responsibilities to his team and fans, and elevated his play when he was needed the most. He did all these things with a humility that was distinctly his own, which is why he was such a big part of our success and why he will always be a cherished member of the Yankees family.”

Brian Cashman: “Hideki is proof that baseball is an international attraction that brings people from all over the world together in their passion for the game. He was the type of player and person you want young fans of this game to emulate. He played with pride, discipline and of course talent, and flourished when the lights were at their brightest. People naturally gravitated towards him, and that’s a direct reflection of his character. He was a true professional in every sense of the word and it feels good knowing he was able to raise the championship trophy as a member of the Yankees.”

Derek Jeter: “I’ve said numerous times over the years, but it’s worth repeating now. I’ve had a lot of teammates over the years with the Yankees, but I will always consider Hideki one of my favorites. The way he went about his business day in and day out was impressive. Despite being overshadowed by a large group of reporters, having the pressures of performing for both his fans both in New York and Japan and becoming acclimated to the bright lights of New York City, he always remained focused and committed to his job and to those of us he shared the clubhouse with. I have a lot of respect for Hideki. He was someone we counted on a great deal and he’s a big reason why we became World Champions in 2009.”

I was at that first game in 2003 and he became an instant fan favorite. He always had a flair for the dramatic and was so clutch and that is why he was loved in New York. The Yankees today don’t really have guys like that and that is why they have struggled in the postseason. I like what they have done this off-season because I feel like they are going back to what made them successful, not so much guys that just hit homeruns but guys who can do a lot and be clutch players. I wish Hideki all the best and I am sure his fans and the Yankees look forward to seeing him at future Old Timers day celebrations.

San Francisco Giants take Game 2 of the World Series and lead 2-0

The San Francisco Giants defeated the Detroit Tigers by the score of 2-0 on Thursday night in the World Series. The game took place at AT+T Park in San Francisco, California. It was game two of the 2012 World Series. The Giants won and took a commanding 2-0 lead in the best of seven series. The next three games will be played in Detroit. Madison Bumgarner started for the Giants and was great and Doug Fister was also very good for the Tigers. The offense for the Giants had a sacrifice fly and a groundout, they didn’t exactly kill the ball. Blanco led the offense with a couple of hits and Hunter Pence had the only RBI of the game. The Tigers only managed two hits, the bullpens of each team were also good. 
Bumgarner earned the win in this game pitching seven innings giving up two hits and no runs with two walks and eight strikeouts. Santiago Casilla pitched one perfect inning and Sergio Romo earned the save with a perfect inning. Fister suffered the loss pitching six innings giving up four hits and a run with a walk and three strikeouts. Drew Smyly pitched 1 1/3 innings giving up a hit and a run with three walks and two strikeouts, Octavio Dotel pitched 1/3 of an inning walking one and Phil Coke struck out the only batter that he faced.

Angel Pagan drew a walk and more importantly a stolen base which secured a free taco for all of America. Tuesday October 30^th between 2-6PM you can stop in any Taco Bell store and get your free Doritos Locos Taco. Pablo Sandoval had a hit and drew a walk, Buster Posey had a hit and drew a walk and Pence had a hit and an RBI. Brandon Belt drew a walk, Blanco had two hits and Crawford drew a walk. The Giants were 1-5 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base. Blanco had an outfield assist and Bumgarner had a pickoff.

Austin Jackson drew a walk, Omar Infante had a hit and Miguel Cabrera drew a walk. Delmon Young had a hit, Young hit a double and the Tigers were 0-2 with runners in scoring position and they left two men on base. Infante was caught stealing.

In the seventh the Giants took a 1-0 lead on a groundout. It was bases loaded no outs and they took a double play instead of playing the infield in, it was a controversial move to say the least. In the eighth Pence hit a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0 Giants and that would be the final score.

The Giants took the first two games of the series at home. The two teams had the day off on Friday and will resume on Saturday night in Detroit. They will play the next two there and then if there is a game five it will also be in Detroit before shifting back to San Francisco if need be.

The Cardinals one strike away from losing the World Series come back twice and force a Game 7

The Texas Rangers who twice were one strike away from winning their first World Series Title were stunned on Thursday night by the St. Louis Cardinals who survived and have forced a winner take all Game 7. Game 7 will take place on Friday night in St. Louis where the baseball season will come to a close and we will have a World Champion on Friday night. This game had so many layers to it and so many good and bad things that happened but in the end it became an instant classic. This is the kind of game that people will talk about for years, that you can tell your kids and grandkids about. This World Series game ranks right up there with the greatest of all-time. 1975, 1986 and 1992 all come to mind and this game is right there with all of them. The Rangers at least in the amount of hits dominated early and Jaime Garcia the St. Louis starter was pulled early but they could never put the Cardinals away although they had their opportunities. There were a few bad defensive plays including two dropped fly balls by the Cardinals. In the end a walk-off homerun decided the game.
Garcia started for the Cardinals and he pitched three innings giving up five hits and two runs with two walks and three strikeouts. The Cardinals used six pitchers after their starter was pulled and Jake Westbrook got the win pitching one scoreless inning and giving up one hit. Jason Motte the closer threw two innings in the game but gave up two runs on two hits and a walk. He came into a tie game because they were at home. The other relievers had good and bad outings, it was a mixed bag for the Cardinals.

Colby Lewis started for the Rangers and pitched much better then his opponent but he also got a no decision. Lewis pitched 5 1/3 innings giving up three hits and four runs with only two of them being earned. He walked three and struck out four. Alexi Ogando got charged with a blow save, he pitched 1/3 of an inning giving up two walks. Derek Holland a starter pitched two innings in this game and gave up only a run on two hits. The Rangers used five other pitchers and there was a mixed bag with them also. Neftali Feliz the closer blew the save giving up two hits and two runs in an inning. He also walked one and struck out two, he had the Cardinals down to their last strike but couldn’t put them away. Scott Feldman also got charged with a blown save giving up a hit and a walk in 2/3 of an inning. Mark Lowe took the loss, facing one batter and giving up a homerun.

Lance Berkman and David Freese were the offensive stars for the Cardinals. Berkman had three hits, three RBI and a walk. Skip Schumaker had a hit, Albert Pujols had a hit and a walk and Matt Holliday had two walks. Allen Craig had a hit and an RBI, Freese had two hits, three RBI and a walk and Yadier Molina had a hit, two RBI and a walk. Nick Punto had a walk, Daniel Descalso had two hits and John Jay had two hits. Pujols had a double, Freese had a triple and Berkman, Craig and Freese each had a homerun. The Cardinals were 3-12 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base. Holliday got picked off of third base. Holliday, Salas and Freese all made errors in the game. The Holliday and Freese errors were both botched pop ups.

The Rangers had several hitting stars but their biggest star Josh Hamilton had three hits and three RBI. Ian Kinsler had two hits, two RBI and a walk, Elvis Andrus had two hits and Michael Young had two hits and an RBI. Adrian Beltre had a hit and an RBI, Nelson Cruz had a hit and an RBI and Mike Napoli had two hits an RBI and three walks. Craig Gentry had a hit and David Murphy had a hit and a walk. Kinsler and Young had doubles. Beltre, Cruz and Hamilton each hit a homerun. The Rangers were 4-15 with runners in scoring position and they left 12 men on base. Young made two errors and Napoli picked off a runner at third base.

In the first inning Hamilton had an RBI single to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the first Berkman hit a two run homerun to give the Cardinals a 2-1 lead. Kinsler hit an RBI double in the second to tie the game at two. Napoli hit an RBI single in the fourth to give the Rangers a 3-2 lead. In the bottom of the fourth Molina hit a ground ball and a run scored to tie the game at three. Young hit an RBI double in the fifth to give Texas a 4-3 lead. In the sixth the Cardinals tied the game again, this time on a Molina RBI walk. In the seventh inning Beltre and Cruz hit back-to-back homeruns to give Texas a 6-4 lead. Kinsler hit an RBI single to extend the lead to 7-4. In the bottom of the eighth Craig hit a solo homerun to bring the Cardinals closer, making it a 7-5 game. At the time that seemed insignificant but it wasn’t. In the ninth the Cardinals were down to their last strike and Freese hit a two run triple to tie the game at seven. In the tenth inning Hamilton hit a two run homerun to give the Rangers a 9-7 lead and then in the bottom of the tenth the Cardinals tied it again. Ryan Theriot hit an RBI groundout to make it 9-8 and once again down to their last strike Berkman hit an RBI single to tie the game at nine. The Rangers went quietly in the 11th and Freese hit a walk-off homerun to give the Cardinals the 10-9 win in the bottom of the 11th inning.

This game became an instant classic and unless you were there or witnessed it on T.V. you would never believe it. It had so much in one game and now sets up a dramatic end to the baseball season. Game 7 is winner take all and anything can happen, it is amazing that a long crazy baseball season can come down to one last game. I would expect another good game because this has been a great World Series, it will be hard to top Game Six but they will try their best. The Rangers are searching for their first World Title and the Cardinals are looking for their 11th. The Cardinals last won it all in 2006 and the Rangers never as first the Washington Senators and then the Texas Rangers. The Cardinals have won the second most titles behind the New York Yankees 27. The starters for Game Seven will be Matt Harrison for the Rangers and Chris Carpenter for the Cardinals. There may be a lot of pitching changes in this game because there is no tomorrow and all hands are on deck. You can see anyone pitch in this game and any position player get into the game. There is no reason to leave anything on the table when you don’t have another day to worry about. It will be interesting to see how Game 7 measures up to Game 6, it will be hard to top but these two teams will try and close out a memorable World Series with another memorable game.

Derek Holland pitches the game of his life as the Rangers even the series at Two

The Texas Rangers defeated the St. Louis Cardinals by the score of 4-0 on Sunday night. The Best of seven World Series is now tied at two games each and ensures at least a six game series. Derek Holland started for the Rangers and was outstanding, Edwin Jackson pitched a pretty good game for the Cardinals but was wild. The big hit in the game came off the bat of Mike Napoli. Albert Pujols after going 5-5 with three homeruns was hitless in this game.
Holland pitched 8 1/3 innings giving up two hits and no runs with two walks and seven strikeouts. Neftali Feliz pitched 2/3 of an inning, walking one and striking out one. Holland won the game, he pitched the best game of his life. Edwin Jackson pitched 5 1/3 innings for the Cardinals giving up three hits and three runs. He walked seven and struck out three. He took the loss in the game. Brandon Boggs pitched 1 2/3 innings giving up two hits and one run with three strikeouts. Jake Westbrook pitched one inning giving up one hit and he walked one.

Ian Kinsler pitched one hit and one walk, Elvis Andrus had two hits and Josh Hamilton had a hit and an RBI. Michael Young had a walk, Nelson Cruz had a hit and two walks and David Murphy had two walks. Napoli had a hit, three RBI and two walks. Hamilton and Andrus had a double. Napoli hit a homerun and the Rangers were 1-8 with runners in scoring position. The Rangers left eight men on base. Kinsler was caught stealing.

Lance Berkman had the only two hits of the game for the Cardinals. Rafael Furcal had a walk, Allen Craig had a walk and Nick Punto had a walk. Berkman had a double. The Cardinals were 0-4 with runners in scoring position and they left four men on base.

The Rangers got on the board first in the first inning with an RBI double from Hamilton. The Rangers had a 1-0 lead until the sixth inning when they scored three more to take a 4-0 lead. Napoli hit a three run homerun in the sixth and that would complete the scoring in the game as the Rangers won the game 4-0.

The World Series is now tied at two games each and there will be at least a sixth game. Game Five will be on Monday night in Texas with C.J. Wilson and Chris Carpenter starting the game. The story of this series so far has been the pitching. Game Three became an offensive game and Pujols was the story with the three homeruns but other then that game the pitching has been up to the task in the other three games. If Holland had completed the shutout he would have been only the third lefty to throw a two-hit shutout in World Series history. Warren Spahn and Whitey Ford are the only two that have done it. Ron Washington the Rangers manager said “We needed him to go out there and pitch well, and he did, and he showed the world what he’s capable of doing.” The Series will conclude in St. Louis on Wednesday in Game Six or Thursday in Game Seven if necessary. This World Series has been very entertaining and now it becomes a best of three.

The Rangers turn the tables on the Cardinals and win Game Two by One Run

The Texas Rangers defeated the St. Louis Cardinals by the score of 2-1 in Game Two of the World Series on Thursday night. Jaime Garcia and Colby Lewis started and they were both great. The Rangers bullpen was a little better though and that is what decided the game. Jason Motte has been so good for St. Louis but not in this game and he took the loss. The offense once again was not there for either of the teams. It is amazing how everyone thought it would be an offensive series and so far that hasn’t been the case at all.
Lewis pitched 6 2/3 innings for the Rangers. He gave up four hits and one run with two walks and four strikeouts. Alexi Ogando pitched 1/3 of an inning giving up a hit, Mike Adams who got the win pitched an inning giving up a hit and a walk but no runs and Neftali Feliz got the save pitching an inning and giving up a walk with two strikeouts.

Garcia pitched seven innings for the Cardinals. He gave up three hits and no runs with a walk and seven strikeouts. Fernando Salas struck out the one batter he faced, Marc Rzepczynski pitched 2/3 of an inning with a strikeout and Motte took the loss giving up two hits and two runs without recording an out. Arthur Rhodes got credit with a blown save, he pitched 1/3 of an inning getting an out and Lance Lynn retired both batters that he faced.

Ian Kinsler was the star of the offense for the Rangers. He had two hits and a walk. Elvis Andrus had a hit, Josh Hamilton had an RBI and Michael Young had a hit and an RBI. Adrian Beltre had a hit, the Rangers were 1-2 with runners in scoring position and they left three men on base. Kinsler had a stolen base and he made an error.

Nick Punto was the only player on the Cardinals with a multi-hit game. Punto had two hits, Rafael Furcal had a hit and Lance Berkman had a hit. David Freese had a hit and Allen Craig had a hit and an RBI. Furcal had a double and the Cardinals were 1-5 with runners in scoring position and they left nine men on base.

There was no scoring in the game until the seventh inning. The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead on an RBI single from Craig. In the ninth the Rangers scored two runs to take the lead. Hamilton hit a sacrifice fly and Young hit a sacrifice fly. Kinsler hit a bloop single and stole second just beating the throw to start the inning. Andrus singled and it was first and third no outs. Rhodes came on to replace Motte at that point which was a little peculiar considering Motte is the closer and has been so good in the postseason. The two sac flies followed and that was how the game would end after Feliz walked the leadoff hitter in the ninth and then got the next three batters out.

The World Series is tied at one game each with the series shifting to Texas now. The two teams will have an off day on Friday and then resume play on Saturday. The third game will be at 8:05PM Eastern time, 7:05 Central time. The win by the Rangers was the first win in the World Series by a team trailing in the ninth inning since Game Seven of the 2001 World Series by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Matt Harrison vs. Kyle Lohse will be the pitching matchup for Game Three. Young had this to say “For us to come back in the ninth there and win this ballgame, it’s huge for us. Going back home, we know what our ballpark’s like with 50,000 people, it goes crazy in the postseason. So we’re looking forward to being back there and I know we’re going to feed off of it.”

Are you ready for some football?

The football season starts today locally with the Jets and Giants both in action. This blog is called Yanks and More so I have to start covering the football as well although my main focus will be the Yanks and baseball as we are nearing the playoffs and hopefully a world series run for the New York Yankees. I am going to do a quick preview. The Giants take on the Redskins at home and I would expect a tough defensive battle. The Giants will run the ball as lot and try to control the clock. I would expect the Giants to win 17-10 somewhere in that range. The Jets start a new era with Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez. I would expect the Jets to be competitive this season but don't get too excited. This is going to be about growth and the future. I think Sanchez could be very good and should be the franchise quarterback for a long time but lets see how he develops. The game today in Texas against the Texans will be very e tough. I would say then Texans win 24-21. I will start going more in depth next week with the games and tonight or tomorrow will have the postgame recaps and reaction.

Some random baseball notes

Congratulations go out to the Big Unit Randy Johnson who won his 300th game tonight. There were a couple of good articles on Austin Jackson and Jesus Montero the 2 top yankees prospects. It is worth reading at nytimes.com or the Bats blog by Tyler Kepner. Austin Jackson is tearing up AAA and it will be interesting to see if he is given a real chance next year to make the team and if he gets a September callup this year. Jesus Montero was just promoted to AA-Trenton yesterday and I hope to get out there to check him out, it would definitely be worth the trip. I will be going to AAA-Scranton over the 4th of July weekend and will get to see Austin Jackson which I am looking forward too. Cody Ransom just started rehabbing in Scranton and had a homerun tonight in his first game. The MLB draft is coming up later this month and for the first time will be fully broadcast on the MLB Network. The Nationals have the first pick and will draft Steven Strasburg but the money he is looking for is ridiculous. The thing is there are no trades in the baseball draft and he doesn't have much leverage unless he wants to go to Japan for a year and then come back as a free agent but I doubt it. The Mets are really resembling a AAA team with all their injuries and illnesses. It doesn't look good for Jose Reyes as he may have a tear in his calf. The Dodgers have the best record in baseball, wouldn't it be something to have Yankees/Dodgers in the World Series the way it used to be and Joe vs Joe and Manny/A-rod the two tainted sluggers. Nate McClouth getting traded to the Braves should setoff a flurry of trades in the next month or so, it will be interesting to see if Peavy, Heath Bell, Matt Holliday, Victor Martinez etc get traded and to who, how this can really change the races.

Baseball Predictions

The baseball season started tonight and it is time for the season predictions. AL East AL Central AL West Yankees Minnesota Anaheim Boston Cleveland Oakland Tampa K.C Texas Baltimore Chicago Seattle Toronto Detroit NL East NL Central NL West Philadelphia Chicago Los Angeles Mets St Louis Arizona Atlanta Cincinatti San Francisco Florida Milwaukee Colorado Washington Pittsburgh San Diego Houston I am going to go with the Yankees over the Red Sox in the ALCS and the Dodgers over the Cubs in the NLCS The Yankees will defeat Joe Torre and the Dodgers in the World Series Houston