The astros sounded negative and started pointing fingers after the first loss, and it will only get worse from here. Lugo has lost all confidence and should be replaced in game three, the killer B's have wiltled in the playoffs and even the manager seems to have abandoned all hope. Well, I don't feel good about going on the road 0-2," Astros manager Larry Dierker said. "I wouldn't feel good about staying here 0-2. I mean, it's very difficult to get down this far to a good team in a five-game playoff and still win."
The Braves on the other hand have all the confidence and are showing the experience of a team that has won ten straight divisional titles. When asked about why pitcher Kevin Millwood was scratched, coach Bobby Cox said that Millwood would be ready for the NCLS. How is that for confidence. The Braves have two things going for them now that they may have lacked in the past. 1) Hitting, although they only managed one run today they are hitting better than they have all season. 2) Closer. The braves have tried every closer imaginable but none have the presenc of John Smoltz. He has looked perfect in both games and could just be the piece this atlanta team has been missing. Attitude alone is an advantage to have smoltz in the game every chance possible. "We want to take care of business right away," John Smoltz said.
For most visiting teams in the playoffs all you hope for is a split, but for the cardinals it means so much more. The cards beat Randy Johnson to break up the great D-back one-two punch, and this is big as the cards head home, and the D-backs now take a serious drop off in starting pitching. The pitching is not the only problem for Arizona who now can not hit the ball of late.If you don't score, you don't win," said Arizona manager Bob Brenly. "I think it's unfair to point at that record and infer somehow it's all Randy's doing." When asked about the struggles at the plate of two of his big guns, Gonzalez and Matt Williams - a combined 0-for-15 in two games, manager Bob Brenly said, "I can sum it up in a couple of words: Matt Morris (first-game pitcher) and Woody Williams."
The starters for the cards have handcuffed the D-back batters while impressing the cardinal teammates.Cardinals center fielder Jim Edmonds, marveling at Williams' total game, said, "He's one of the best athletes I've ever seen for a pitcher."
The final straw in this game was the defenseive blunders by the D-backs, led by Batista late in the game. The Cardinals' last run scored in the ninth when reliever Miguel Batista fielded a chopper by pinch-hitter Kerry Robinson and managed to get nobody out even though he had three chances.
With runners at first and third and one out, Batista first looked home. Edmonds, running from third, stopped halfway down the baseline and could easily have been thrown out. But Batista whirled as though he was going to throw to second. However, J. D. Drew had nearly arrived. Batista wheeled and threw to first, but his throw was high for an error. Edmonds scored.
Brenly said Batista should have gone after Edmonds: "We had Edmonds trapped off third base. Take the out there, keep the run from scoring and take your chances with the next hitter."
The A's did what the mariners could not do, take the momentum they had in the second half and bring it to the playoffs. Although there was some questionable calls eliminating base runners for the yankees, you could almost here the dynasty crumbling.The last team the yankees wanted to face in the post season was the A's and they did what they have been doing the entire season, winning with solid pitching and the longball.
The yankees on the other hand seemed to take the loss hard, and will try thier best to prepare for tomorrow's game. "We had high hopes for this first game," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. 'We're going to have to dig down and even it up tomorrow."
JT
