The season came to a crashing close for the A’s Sunday at the Coliseum before 32,000 fans.

The Twins hit when they needed it, the A’s didn’t. If the A’s didn’t have a lefty on the mound the Twins eyes light up.

The Twins hit up and down the order, they made use of the eight and nine spots with AJ Pierzyinski and Denny Hocking coming through with key hits in the biggest game of the year.

The Twins got away with their ineffective closer Eddie Guardado, the A’s couldn’t get out of the ninth inning without Billy Koch giving up three runs.

Tim Hudson couldn’t win a game, Brad Radke won two, including game five, the biggest game of his career.

Now the Twins face the Angels. One of those two teams will be in the world series.

Hitting is the common thread of the two teams. They both used a good offense to oust their opponents, two teams, the A’s and the Yankees, that won 103 regular season games.

Now the Giants and Braves play game five in Atlanta.

Here’s what I think. [Read more →]

There is nothing in baseball like the five game playoff format of the division series.

A win in any game and you think you are on your way to the finish line without delay.

A loss in a game and it seems like the world ended and you have no chance to ever get to the next round.

The situation is contrary to everything the fan has endured over the course of the 162 game season, when the mantra is “no problem we’ll get them tomorrow”.

Now, “tomorrow” is the dreaded word for any loser.

In this series, the losses are dissected to the most infinite detail, the wins are glorified beyond the reality of the situation.

There are reasons why a team loses a game, some are more compelling than others, and some will carry over to the next game, if they go to the heart of the team.

Most reasons for a loss do not carry such weight.

You just have to come out and play your game and see what happens.

With that explanation in mind, let’s look at Sunday baseball. [Read more →]

Winning the final game, eliminating your opponent, can be an excruciating experience for any team.

Today, the A’s need to battle through the memory of being 0-4 in games where they had a chance to close out the opposition in a division series.

Last year the Yankees fought off three “I’ll see you later” games, coming back from an 0-2 deficit to beat the A’s in 5.

Game four is the second pivotal game in a five game series (game two was the other).

Either you go home or clinch, those are the options for the two teams, depending on which side you are looking from.

The Angels can clinch, the Yankees are fighting for a game five. The A’s can move on, the Twins want to come to Oakland for game 5.

Arizona fights to keep the series going against St. Louis, while the Cards don’t want to see Randy Johnson or Curt Schilling anymore this year.

Here’s how I see it. [Read more →]

No matter what spin a baseball player puts on seeing his series squared at 1-1, the winner of game two has created momentum for his side as he moves into game three.

The Angels have to feel pretty good about themselves, knowing that two wins at home can avoid the dreaded trip back to NY on Saturday night for game five on Sunday (see Oakland A’s 2001 highlights to refresh your memory).

The Braves showed the Giants that Kevin Millwood is an ace, and now can look to the mystery man, Greg Maddux (blister?) in game three.

The A’s established their pitching dominance in game two behind Mark Mulder, now have their swagger back as Cy Young hopeful Barry Zito carries the mail in game three.

The Cardinals are sitting pretty knowing that only Miguel Batista, Arizona’s game three starter separates them from a trip to the NLCS.

As we are seeing, a teams fortunes in the Division Series can change more quickly than a teen agers romantic feelings.

Just wait until game three is played and watch the spin the winners and losers place on the results.

Here’s what I think about the next game. [Read more →]

Game two was especially sweet to the A’s and Angels.

Anaheim can hit with anyone in the league, we saw that all season long. They made it through their playoff baptism in Yankee Stadium in fine fashion.

Do they have enough pitching to stop the Yanks in the series? Probably not, but they do have enough hitting to upset the defending AL Champs, if they continue to swing the bat like they did the past two nights.

Neither Roger Clemens nor Andy Pettitte distinguished themselves during the first two games. Now the burden falls upon Mike Mussina and David Wells, to try to make sure the series doesn’t come back to NY for a fifth game.

Don’t count on it.

The A’s turned to lefthander Mark Mulder who completely dominated the Twins in game two. It is not only that the Twins have trouble with lefties, but the A’s have two of the best in baseball, in Mulder and Barry Zito.

Zito works game three in Minnesota on Friday against Rick Reed.

The Giants played their opener like they played their last 38 games, with timely hitting from players other than Barry Bonds and with decent pitching for nine innings.

The Braves have their back against the wall in game two Thursday night.

Click below for more. [Read more →]

Every playoff series takes on a life of its own. There is no predicatable pattern to follow. Each game in a five game series is critical, some more so than others.

Games two and four have special significance, especially to the losers of games one and three.

It is one thing to be tied at one and one (if you win game two), everything is even once again, but to go down 2-0 (if you lose game two) in a five game series is a deep hole.

Same logic for game four which is an elimination game, meaning one team has two wins (2-1 series lead), making the fourth game necessary.

So, the A’s and the Angels face the daunting prospect of going down 2-0 today unless they get the job done in game two.

Will they? Let’s see. [Read more →]

The sudden death tournament starts today.

The Angels venture into New York, into the House that Ruth built, the House that has the ghosts of the Babe and the Iron Horse.

Jarrod Washburn is a very capable pitcher. The best argument made on behalf of the Angels is the loss of Paul O’Neil, Tino Martinez, and Scott Brosius will weaken the Bronx Bombers.

Will the replacements be as clutch as the three departed Yankees? Will Roger Clemens continue his mediocre season?

The Angels need game one to have any chance to beat the Yankees.

I think they can get it tonight despite the ghosts and everything else. They can hit Clemens, their bull pen is rested, and Troy Percival can seal the deal, but mainly I think after seeing Washburn and Mark Mulder hook up in a double shut out, that Washburn is good enough to get the job done in the Stadium.

click below for the other games. [Read more →]