and here come the yankees !!!....

[AR182]

earlier this year i predicted that the red sox would win the series....but now i'm not so sure....yanks are 2.5 games behind...

if the yanks make the playoffs as a wild card & have to play the angels they'll lose...they never beat them....

it will be interesting to see how all of this shakes out....

 

[Destructor D]

Who say the Yankees won't play Cleveland? Tribe currently are 89-62 and Angles are staring at 89-62 with a lead over Tampa Bay in the 7th. Boston could still wind up in the wild card or the #3 team since they're 90-62 after tonight.

Bye-bye Beantown... major pitching problems other than Becket heading into the playoffs. Dice K and Wakefield look terrible in recent starts. Even Papelbon has shown kinks in his armour and Gagne just blew his relief outing big time tonight. Schilling is okay, but he's older than sand on the beach. Becket will win the Cy Young, but one pitcher can't carry a team in post season play.

 

[AR182]

Who say the Yankees won't play Cleveland? Tribe currently are 89-62 and Angles are staring at 89-62 with a lead over Tampa Bay in the 7th. Boston could still wind up in the wild card or the #3 team since they're 90-62 after tonight.

Bye-bye Beantown... major pitching problems other than Becket heading into the playoffs. Dice K and Wakefield look terrible in recent starts. Even Papelbon has shown kinks in his armour and Gagne just blew his relief outing big time tonight. Schilling is okay, but he's older than sand on the beach. Becket will win the Cy Young, but one pitcher can't carry a team in post season play.

don't really follow baseball but i like their starters over the yanks...but don't know who the starters are on the other teams...

 

[ctownguy]

GO ANGELS

 

[Destructor D]

Follow baseball very closely and other than Cleveland, the AL seems wide open. I just can't see Cleveland without a closer and little playoff experience winning one yet two series to make the World Series. Angels also have problems if Escobar doesn't get out of his current funk.

 

[StevieD]

Without Gagne the Bosox would be 6 games up. If they put him on the field again there should be an investigation. Too bad this wasn't a real pennant race though. That would be great fun.

 

[kosar]

Follow baseball very closely and other than Cleveland, the AL seems wide open. I just can't see Cleveland without a closer

Cleveland's closer, Joe Borowski, is the AL leader in saves with 42 (out of 48 chances). He has a high ERA (5.04), especially for a closer, but I think the closers job is to close games.

So not quite sure how you deduce that Cleveland is 'without a closer', regardless of how 'closely you follow baseball.'

Cleveland also has one of the best set-up men in the league with Rafael Betancourt.
(5-1, 1.46 ERA, 74 innings, 49 hits, nine walks, 70 strikeouts, 63 appearances).

They also have 2 Cy Young candidates in Carmona and Sabbathia.

As a Cleveland sports fan, i'm entirely prepared for for a playoff collapse, but the evidence just isn't there to say they don't have a closer and that the AL is wide open 'except for Cleveland.'

 

[Eddie Haskell]

With the Reds out of it and having some affiliation with Cleveland I'd like to see the tribe do well. I like the Indians in a short series with CC, Carmona, and Byrd. However, I do not understand Wedges love for Borowski. This guy scares the living shet out of me.

I think Betencourt should be the closer. Borowski reminds me of Jose Mesa all over again. Oh no Joe in the ninth -- I'm closing my eyes.

Eddie