The Giants fans await Barry Bonds next home run with desperation, but the games the team has pulled out lately are very big in the standings, bigger than home run number 600.

The Giants have struggled and needed come from behind wins to beat the Pirates and Cubs this week. The Dodgers continue to look like a wounded animal just waiting for a stronger team to take them out.

So, while everyone waits for the historic homer, knowledgeable baseball fans are lauding the gritty victories posted by the SF nine, which stopped the team from falling out of the NL West race. The wild Card is there for the taking, but Arizona could have opened up an insurmountable lead if the Giants didn’t play some clutch ball this week.

On the other side of the Bay, the A’s took two of three in Boston and now head to NY.

Other contenders have tough tests this weekend too.

Let’s look. [Read more →]

Today’s match up of Barry Zito versus Vida blue reminds me of the tremendous battle Vida Blue and Red Sox right hander Sonny Seibert waged in 1971.

Blue reeled off ten wins in a row to start his fabulous 1971 season. Seibert had been just as dominating for Boston winning his first eight decisions. 35,174 jammed Fenway to see this epic battle of unbeaten pitchers. They weren’t disappointed.

The baseball world couldn’t wait for these two to pitch against each other in Fenway Park on May 28th, 1971.

The Red Sox have struggled lately against left handed pitching. Zito is one of the best. Lowe is throwing well in the second half after a shaky start or two.

What do you think will happen tonight?

The Angels and White Sox play tonight as well as the other contenders all over baseball.

Let’s look.

[Read more →]

Baseball fans couldn’t have asked for a better start to the grind of the August schedule as the scores unfolded Tuesday night.

What’s up with Mike Mussina? The righty got whacked around again last night by the Kansas City Royals. Yes, the same Royals who haven’t shown signs of life for the past month.

Whenever a strong pitcher like Mussina gets hit the way he has been getting hit, I suspect physical ailments are lurking.

The A’s and Giants play important games tonight for different reasons.

I’ll explain below. [Read more →]

We finally made it to the Dog Days of August where the pitchers now move to the head of the class.

If a team has five good starters watch out, four plus a decent bull pen and it’s OK, three starters and some question marks, and I’ll see you later.

The August schedule shows stretches of six to twenty games without a day off for most teams. Couple the schedule with some hot weather back East and you can see why a deep staff is a necessity for success.

With that in mind let’s see who will benefit from the first tough fortnight (two weeks) in what is the stepping stone to September baseball.

[Read more →]

As the manuvering continues today in the trading market, the idea remains to get players who can make a difference over the last four weeks of the season.

September is precisely the time when the pennants are won or lost.

Will Cliff Floyd be enough to counter the Yankees, who are hitting homers and scoring runs at a record pace?

Will Scott Rolen be the glue in the Cardinals line up to bring the Central home?

Now that August and the Dog Days are just around the corner let’s look at the possibilities. [Read more →]

Nomar Garciaparra had a shot to tie the record of five homers in one day after hitting three in the morning game yesterday, I thought he would get it.

Instead he didn’t hit any in the second game and the Devil Rays struck for five in the ninth inning and erased a 4-0 Boston lead, once again proving to me that the Red Sox bull pen is a sore spot for the team and two, you never have enough runs.

The A’s won, the Giants lost, Seattle won, and believe it, the Mets won again.

Here’s today’s scoop. [Read more →]

Now the schedule plays a part in how the AL leader board may take shape this week.

The A’s and Angels play three in Anaheim, Boston has a doubleheader at home against the near bankrupt Devil Rays, and the Mariners take on Texas in Seattle.

Oh, the Yankees play Cleveland, a team trying to divest itself of every asset above the price of one million dollars (sounds strange doesn’t it).

The Dodgers haven’t had a rally in weeks, the Giants are injured, and the Diamondbacks are counting on Junior Spivey to hit third.

I’ll also comment on Amaury Pi-Gonzalez and his article listed below on the home page.

Click read more. [Read more →]

The Angels answered the doubters with a very convincing three game sweep over the Mariners. Now, they face the A’s starting Tuesday night in Anaheim.

The Giants survived the weekend without Barry Bonds.

The Red Sox showed once again that their bull pen woes will drag them down. Jeff Weaver’s performances have got to give the Yankees some concern.

The A’s lack of that one big bat and an umpires call that went in their favor prevented them from sweeping the sleeping Rangers.

All in all, some entertaining baseball was played and more of the same is forthcoming this week.

Click Read More and we’ll talk. [Read more →]

Many interesting stories developed Friday night leading me to believe in the baseball axiom that you never know what you will see when you come to the park.

Cory Lidle threw the game of his life when all appeared lost in his baseball career. Tom Goodwin, banished to the minors by the Giants and earlier by the Dodgers, won the game in the 12th when he got a hit after replacing Barry Bonds. Freddy Garcia self destructed leading me to the conclusion that Jamie Moyer is the ace of the Seattle staff, a scary thought for Lou Piniella.

How about today? [Read more →]

I have said many times over that for the Athletics to win the AL West and unseat one of the soundest teams in the American League, they must get help.

For the road to the championship on the left coast goes directly through the beautiful Emerald City of Seattle.

Tonight the Angels get their first chance to put up or shut up, to show their three month run is not a fluke but the real deal.

The Angels first game hopes rest squarely on the shoulders of Ramon Ortiz, a pitcher they told to grow up when he pouted on the mound last Sunday in Kansas City.

With all that in mind, here’s what I think. [Read more →]