Post-Season Thoughts

American League Divisional Series:

Yankees over Twins in four games.

Rangers over Rays in five games.

ALCS:

Yankees over Rangers in five games.

National League Divisional Series:

Phillies over Reds in four games.

Giants over Braves in four games.

NLCS:

Giants over Phillies in six games.

World Series:

Yankees over Giants in six games.

Divisional Series Roadblocks: The Rangers' starting pitchers have to be better in the postseason than they were during the regular season, when they ranked 25th overall in quality starts.

Can Cliff Lee out-duel Rays pitcher David Price? He'll have to, against a Rays team that ranks third in the league in runs scored.

ALCS Pitfalls: It would be much of the same for the Rangers in a series against the Twins or Yankees. Minnesota and New York absolutely rake at the plate, and a lack of quality starting pitching is a feast in the eyes of these team's hitters.

In all likelihood, Cliff Lee will have to pitch on two days rest, and give two stellar outings.

World Series Issues: I know it seems redundant—and it is—but pitching is the key to any World Series championship team. Lee and the rest of the Rangers staff will have to step up, or Josh Hamilton better bring the lumber.

I’ve talked extensively this year about the conundrum of Lee still not having a long term gig with anyone, even after being traded to Texas.

But it would make sense for Texas to keep Lee, especially if he does for the Rangers what he did for the Phillies.

Furthermore, fellow flame-thrower Rich Harden has basically been a bust, so there is plenty of room to think that they could ink Lee for two years, drop Harden, and perhaps make a move on FA Jorge De La Rosa.

OK, I admit that the Rockies will make De La Rosa a priority this offseason; but hey, anything can happen.

-Bleacher Report

Texas Rangers (82-63) at Seattle Mariners (55-91)

The Rangers are coming into Seattle with a seven game winning streak, looking to make it eight against the Mariners. Texas will clinch the division on the road, as it is currently 10 games over the A's and the magic number is at 8.

What I like about right now with the Rangers is that they have clinched a winning season. I would also like to note that the Rangers have the worst record among the playoff teams, so they will start off on the road, playing the winner of the East, which is just to close to call if it will be either it will be the Ray's or the Yankees. The Wild Card team will play the Twins and also be on the road, irregardless of whether they have a better record than the Twins, if I understand that correctly.

I don't have too much time to really reflect on this game, but I can't see myself picking the Mariners. The Rangers are hot, Wilson is going for his 15th win and even though he has never pitched this many innings in a major league season, I still like him for this one.

King Felix has a solid 2.39 ERA, but only an 11-11 record.

I will  have to say that this could start out a really low scoring game, but being that Hernandez isn't getting run support, he isn't getting the wins that he really should. Tonight will not be any different. Wilson himself has a 3.25 ERA, but the Rangers are really clicking. Look for an 8th straight victory tonight. Magic number to drop to at least 7 games. Prediction: Rangers 5-2, scoring two runs late in the game.

1st Half Cy Young Contenders

Every year, Major League Baseball gives out a Cy Young Award for the best pitcher in both the AL and NL, as voted on by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America. If a comparable award were given in fantasy baseball, the results likely would not match.

Many baseball pools focus primarily on wins, strikeouts and ERA, while others require the versatility and dominance of a flame-thrower who can pile up complete games and shutouts while eating innings.

Here's a look at the frontrunners for this year's Cy Young awards:

The NL contenders

Ubaldo Jimenez (COL - SP)

As discussed among baseball's first-half surprises, Ubaldo Jimenez has easily been the most improved pitcher from last season. He's gone from posting a 15-12 record in the 2008-09 campaign to having a 15-2 record this season through July 26. Jimenez has pitched three complete games, two shutouts and one no-hitter while striking out 120, but his ERA has dropped to 10th in the majors at 2.75 after two recent rough outings. Plus, he has walked 55 batters. Unlike the other NL Cy Young candidates, Jimenez isn't a perennial top draft choice, so he's brought some unexpected fantasy value to his owners as the current league-leader in wins.

Josh Johnson (FLA - SP)

Like Jimenez, Florida's Josh Johnson has been an all-around star pitcher this season, but has been exceptional in one particular category. Johnson leads the majors with a sparkling 1.61 ERA. The only other starter below 2.00 is St. Louis's Adam Wainwright at 1.94. At 10-3 with 141 strikeouts, which is good for second in the NL, just 29 walks allowed and a stellar 0.97 WHIP, Johnson likely has the edge over Jimenez at this point in the NL overall — and in terms of the best NL pitcher in fantasy baseball.

Roy Halladay (PHI - SP)

Roy Halladay doesn't seem to mind pitching in the National League. Although he spent his entire career up until this season in the AL with the Blue Jays, Halladay has shown little need for a learning curve and is still the same dominant pitcher. Case in point: he is first in complete games (seven), shutouts (three) and innings pitched (162). He's fourth in ERA (2.28), seventh in strikeouts (140) and tied for eighth in wins (11). What's even more impressive is that Halladay has allowed the second-fewest walks (20) of any of the top 70 strikeout leaders in the majors, behind Cliff Lee, although Doc also has eight losses.

Adam Wainwright (STL - SP)

You know that the crop of pitchers in the NL is phenomenal when we're talking about Adam Wainwright fourth on this list. He's actually been the best pitcher in the majors over the past month. He's gone 4-0 with a complete game, 29 K's and an unbelievable 0.25 ERA. On the season, Wainwright is second in wins with a record of 14-5, fourth with four complete games, fourth among pitchers with at least 100 innings pitched with a 1.00 WHIP and second with an enviable 1.94 ERA. He's also fifth in the NL with 136 strikeouts.

Chris Carpenter (STL - SP)

The other half of St. Louis's one-two punch is also having a stellar season, as usual. Chris Carpenter is 11-3 with 122 strikeouts and a 3.09 ERA in 22 starts. The 2005 NL Cy Young Award winner has pitched 148.2 innings, good for third in the majors, but he has no complete games through July 26.

Tim Lincecum (SF - SP)

This list wouldn't be complete without two-time reigning Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum. Lincecum has a ways to go if he's to catch the aforementioned contenders or even match his stats from the past two seasons. San Francisco's ace is 10-4 with a 3.12 ERA in 21 starts. He leads the NL with 143 strikeouts, but has already surrendered 53 walks. By comparison, in 2009 Lincecum was 15-7 with a 2.48 ERA and just 68 walks, while in 2008 he went 18-5 with a 2.62 ERA.

The AL contenders

Cliff Lee (TEX - SP)

If you haven't been paying attention to Cliff Lee's stats, you may think he was shipped out of Seattle because he's been underperforming. It's quite the opposite. The Texas Rangers acquired one of the best pitchers in baseball. Yes, he's only 9-4, but that's in just 16 starts. The 2008 Cy Young winner leads the American League with a 2.56 ERA and six complete games. He has also walked a measly seven batters all season, which is the fewest walks allowed among pitchers in the top 70 in strikeouts. Throw in the fact that Lee has the best WHIP among starters at 0.92 to go along with 101 strikeouts and you have yourself a frontrunner for the AL Cy Young Award.

Carl Pavano (MIN - SP)

More than any other pitcher on this list, Carl Pavano is an excellent example of a pitcher who likely won't win the Cy Young, but probably would have won a fantasy baseball version if there was one. He doesn't lead any pitching categories after 20 starts with the Twins, but he's near the top in several of them. More important, though, he went largely undrafted or was a very late steal in Yahoo fantasy leagues. Pavano is tied for fourth in the majors in wins (12-6), tied for third in complete games (five), tied for second in shutouts (two) and is seventh in innings pitched (143.2). He has a respectable 3.26 ERA, 81 strikeouts and just 19 walks. Additionally, Pavano is fifth among pitchers with at least 100 innings pitched with a minuscule 1.01 WHIP and has pitched complete games in his previous two starts.

CC Sabathia (NYY - SP)

Baseball fans have become accustomed to the consistent dominance of CC Sabathia and again this year he's not disappointing. He's tied for first in the AL in wins with 13 and is third with 144.1 innings pitched. Sabathia also has three complete games, two shutouts, a 3.18 ERA, 119 K's and just three losses on the season. More important, he is 9-0 in his last 10 starts for New York.

David Price (TB - SP)

The American League's starter at the 81st all-star game has had an up-and-down month, but David Price is still squarely in the race for the top pitcher award. The Tampa Bay starter is tied for first in the AL in wins with a career-high 13 (to go along with five losses) and, despite being higher up the list until recently, Price finds himself in fifth with a 2.90 ERA. The 2007 first overall pick has also obtained new personal benchmarks in strikeouts (108), complete games (two) and shutouts (one) and will add games started and innings pitched to that list shortly. You couldn't ask for much more from a late-round pick in your draft.

Felix Hernandez (SEA - SP)

With Cliff Lee now in Texas, Felix Hernandez has resumed his role as the Mariners' ace. He's third in the majors in strikeouts with 145, second in innings pitched with 160.2 and tied for third with five complete games. Hernandez is also third in the AL with a 2.86 ERA, but has a record of just 7-7 in 22 starts. Like last year, it seems Hernandez could possibly be on pace for a better second half of the season though. In the past month, he's 2-2 with a 1.88 ERA, 40 strikeouts, three complete games and a shutout.

Jon Lester (BOS - SP)

One fairly surprising candidate for the award this season is Jon Lester. In a stacked Red Sox rotation, which includes another potential contender in Clay Buchholz, Lester has a record of 11-5 with two complete games. He's tied for fourth in the majors with 143 strikeouts and has a 2.92 ERA, which is good for sixth in the AL.

Jered Weaver (LAA - SP)

Though his record and ERA are not leading the league through 21 starts (9-6, 3.22 ERA), Jered Weaver is one of the MLB's top flame-throwers in 2010. Weaver is second in the majors in strikeouts, just two behind his new teammate Dan Haren, with 147 and he has walked just 30 batters. Not bad for a guy who had a career-high 174 punch-outs last season in 33 starts.

Trivia: Who was the last Ranger pitcher to get a Cy Young award?

Postgame Alert for the Mariners

Seattle Mariners Postgame Alert
July 31, 2010

Seattle 0, Minnesota 4 at Target Field
Seattle Record: (39-66)
Minnesota Record: (58-46)

Winning pitcher - Kevin Slowey (10-5)
Losing pitcher - Felix Hernandez (7-8)

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
SEA	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	4	2
MIN	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	X		4	9	0

GAME LINKS:
Recap | Full Box Score | Photo Gallery | Highlights

Visit mariners.com for more information »
Standings »
Game Notes »

Next Seattle Game: August 1, 2010 01:10 PM CT vs. Minnesota Twins

Upcoming Seattle Home Games:
vs. Texas Rangers, August 3, 2010 07:10 PM PT Purchase Tickets
vs. Texas Rangers, August 4, 2010 07:10 PM PT Purchase Tickets
vs. Texas Rangers, August 5, 2010 07:10 PM PT Purchase Tickets

Postgame Alert for the Mariners

Seattle Mariners Postgame Alert
July 30, 2010

Seattle 3, Minnesota 5 at Target Field
Seattle Record: (39-65)
Minnesota Record: (57-46)

Winning pitcher - Scott Baker (9-9)
Losing pitcher - Doug Fister (3-7)
SV - Matt Capps (27)

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
SEA	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0		3	9	2
MIN	0	2	1	0	2	0	0	0	X		5	8	0

GAME LINKS:
Recap | Full Box Score | Photo Gallery | Highlights

Visit mariners.com for more information »
Standings »
Game Notes »

Next Seattle Game: July 31, 2010 06:10 PM CT vs. Minnesota Twins

Upcoming Seattle Home Games:
vs. Texas Rangers, August 3, 2010 07:10 PM PT Purchase Tickets
vs. Texas Rangers, August 4, 2010 07:10 PM PT Purchase Tickets
vs. Texas Rangers, August 5, 2010 07:10 PM PT Purchase Tickets

Postgame Alert for the White Sox

Chicago White Sox Postgame Alert
July 18, 2010

Chicago White Sox 6, Minnesota 7 at Target Field
Chicago White Sox Record: (50-41)
Minnesota Record: (49-43)

Winning pitcher - Brian Duensing (3-1)
Losing pitcher - Bobby Jenks (1-2)

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
CWS	0	0	1	0	1	4	0	0	0		6	16	1
MIN	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	4		7	16	0

GAME LINKS:
Recap | Full Box Score | Photo Gallery | Highlights

Visit whitesox.com for more information »
Standings »
Game Notes »

Next Chicago White Sox Game: July 19, 2010 07:10 PM PT vs. Seattle Mariners

Upcoming Chicago White Sox Home Games:
vs. Seattle Mariners, July 26, 2010 07:10 PM CT Purchase Tickets
vs. Seattle Mariners, July 27, 2010 07:10 PM CT Purchase Tickets
vs. Seattle Mariners, July 28, 2010 07:10 PM CT Purchase Tickets

MLB Second Half Preview

When Oakland outfielder Rajai Davis heard the Texas Rangers had acquired Cliff Lee from Seattle late last month, he reacted the same way as many others around baseball.

“They’re trying to make a real run, huh?” Davis said. “They’re not playing around.”

The Rangers may be in the middle of a messy ownership change that includes a rancorous bankruptcy proceeding, but that didn’t stop them from making the first major splash before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. Texas added Lee to a team that will carry a 41/2-game lead in the AL West into the second half of the season, which begins Thursday.

The Rangers are looking for their first playoff appearance since 1999, and adding Lee to a formidable offence lets everyone know they’re serious. Lee was 4-0 with a 1.56 ERA in five postseason starts last year for the Phillies. But more importantly, he was 2-0 against the mighty New York Yankees in the World Series.

So who will be the next team to make a move?

The Los Angeles Angels are looking to add a big bat to stay in contention with Texas, and the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox have similar designs.

“The probability of big guys moving at the deadline is always a risky proposition to try to handicap,” Angels’ manager Mike Scioscia said. “Things can change from week to week.”

One thing we do know is that the winner of the National League pennant will have home-field advantage for the World Series after the NL beat the American League 3-1 on Tuesday night for its first victory in the all-star game since 1996.

With tight races everywhere and the powerful Yankees playing for something bigger than just another title, buckle up for what is shaping to be a wild ride over the next few months.

Here’s a look at some of the keys to the rest of the season:

MOTIVATED YANKEES: The Yankees steamrolled into the all-star break with 30 victories in their final 44 games, looking every bit the favourite that they usually are.

The defending world champions may not even need to make a move after getting all the extra motivation they needed when long-time owner George Steinbrenner died this week.

Alex Rodriguez shared a story about a handwritten note Steinbrenner had delivered to him in 2004 that read “I’m counting on you” with capital letters and exclamation point.

“So I think to this day, we are still playing for him, not to let him down,” A-Rod said.

TIGHT RACES: No team is running away with anything. The biggest lead in any division is the Rangers’ 4 1 / 2 games over the Angels in the AL West.

A few of the more intriguing races:

—AL East: Arguably the three best teams in baseball – the Yankees (56-32), Rays (54-34) and Red Sox (51-37) – are fighting for the title and likely the AL wild card. The Atlanta Braves (52-36) are the only other team in baseball with a better record than third-place Boston.

—NL West: Can Mat Latos, Heath Bell and the remarkably successful San Diego Padres make their two-game lead over the Rockies and Dodgers stand up for another few months?

—NL Central: The Cincinnati Reds (49-41) have been the other big surprise, one game in front of star-studded St. Louis at the break.

KEY INJURIES: They always play a big part in who makes it in and who falls short in the playoff race. This year, several teams have been ravaged, including:

—Boston Red Sox: pitcher Clay Buchholz, catcher Victor Martinez, second baseman Dustin Pedroia (fractured left foot), outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury (broken ribs), catcher Jason Varitek (fractured right foot), third baseman Mike Lowell (right hip) and pitcher Josh Beckett (back) have all missed significant time. Yet the Red Sox still trail the Yankees by only five games in the AL East.

—Philadelphia Phillies: The two-time defending NL champs, and the 2008 World Series champs, are off to a slower start this year after injuries to second baseman Chase Utley (right thumb), pitcher J.A. Happ (left forearm) and third baseman Placido Polanco (left elbow). Utley isn’t expected back any time soon, and key relievers Ryan Madson and Chad Durbin have also been hurt.

—New York Mets: Shortstop Jose Reyes aggravated his sore right side and missed the all-star game, but centre fielder Carlos Beltran is set to make his season debut Thursday after right knee surgery.

—Minnesota Twins: First baseman Justin Morneau (concussion) has been out a week, shortstop J.J. Hardy and second baseman Orlando Hudson have made trips to the disabled list, and catcher Joe Mauer’s shoulder is hurting for the stumbling Twins, who have fallen to third place in the AL Central.

YOUNG GUNS: It’s not just the year of the pitcher, it’s the year of the young pitcher.

“It seemed like 15 years ago, it was a time of young shortstops, and other times, it seems there’s an influx of great, young talent in outfielders,” Yankees’ manager Joe Girardi said. “But right now the influx of young pitching in baseball is incredible, and not just guys with stuff; guys that know how to pitch in tough division series at a young age.”

Can these young guns hold up through hot pennant races?

—Tampa Bay Rays: David Price (24) started the all-star game, and Matt Garza (26) was the MVP of the ALCS two years ago. James Shields (28), Jeff Niemann (27) and Wade Davis (24) give the second-place Rays a battle-tested young staff.

—Ubaldo Jimenez, Rockies: The 26-year-old Dominican is chasing history at 15-1 at the break, and he has the Rockies two games back of San Diego in second place in the NL West.

—Cincinnati Reds: Johnny Cueto (24) and Mike Leake (22) were a combined 14-3 at the break, and Travis Wood (23) nearly tossed a perfect game last Saturday against Philadelphia.

—Stephen Strasburg, Nationals (pictured): The Nationals may be out of it, but it’s going to be fun watching how baseball’s newest rock star responds to all the attention that has turned each of the rookie’s starts into an event.

The Associated Press

Knocking it Around: Ranking the AL Lineups from 14 To 1

2. Texas Rangers

Is there a lineup hotter than the Texas Rangers right now in all of baseball?

A team that just got off an 11-game winning streak, the Rangers are rolling right now in the AL West and own a 4.5 game lead in the division over the Angels.

Josh Hamilton is hitting near .500 in his 20-game hitting streak and the rest of the lineup around him is responding.

For the first time all year, the Rangers lineup (seen below) is completely healthy and all playing together and the results show that.

Dallas Braden Ready to Put Perfect Game Behind Him

By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Sports Writer

A few hours after throwing his perfect game, Dallas Braden was back to being the kid from Stockton, Calif., hanging out with his dog and fish.

"I went home and chipped around on my putting green, watched my dog chase the balls around because none of them went in the hole," Braden said Tuesday before the Oakland Athletics played their first game since the left-hander's gem. "Fed the fish and went over to a family's house and had a Mother's Day barbecue."

Braden grew up in Stockton, the son of a single, working mother who died of skin cancer when he was a high school senior. But he did get to share the 19th perfect game in major league history with his beloved grandmother, who was in the stands Sunday, and his teammates, who knew how special it was for him.

Instead of jubilant screaming and jumping around, there was heartfelt emotion in the clubhouse after Braden threw the A's first perfect game since Hall of Famer Jim "Catfish" Hunter accomplished the feat on May 8, 1968, against the Minnesota Twins.

The Ten Most Overrated Players in Major League Baseball

There are plenty of baseball players that are not given due. To contrast, there are plenty of players that are given far too much credit, and those players will be mentioned in this article.

The criteria to make this list is simple. Fans and media alike talk about this player far too much for how little they actually produce, and while some of these players are very productive, they are still given too much praise.

A player cannot make the list if he is simply too old, so despite everyone in baseball still loving Ken Griffey Jr., he won't make the list simple due to him being in the twilight of his career.

Some on this list may surprise you on impact, you will see that the numbers do not agree with the love these players get.

Enjoy!

Blue Jays Building a Winner from the Ground Up

By Morgan Campbell Sports Reporter

DUNEDIN, Fla.–If you think the crowds at the Rogers Centre are small, try a game in the Dominican Summer League, bottom rung of the Blue Jays' minor-league ladder.

Pitching prospect Luis Perez, who played there in 2005 and '06, says he has never seen fewer spectators as a pro.

"When I would pitch, there would be, like, 30 fans," said Perez, who went 9-11 at Double-A New Hampshire last season. "Maybe 25."

In the DSL, kids as young as 16 compete to move one step closer to the majors and Florida's Gulf Coast League prospects fresh out of high school also toil in front of similarly miniscule crowds.

Those destinations aren't sexy, but they're essential, the entry points to a minor-league system Toronto general manager Alex Anthopoulos and his staff hope will help propel the Jays back to major-league glory.

Game 88: Rangers vs. Twins

Gosh, I really haven't done much posting on here in a good while. Harper's Island is done. All but four characters died. The killer was revealed. I won't spoil it for those who read this. It's a good watch. I recommend getting the season on DVD and watching it all the way through. Very cool series. The top set is from a month ago. The bottom is coming into today. The Rangers are 11-12 over the last month. The Angels are 15-8 during that same stretch. Seattle is 14-10. And who cares about Oakland.

This is a three game series. The scheduled starters for the series are:

• Game 1: Padilla vs. Perkins
• Game 2: Feldman vs. Baker
• Game 3: Holland vs. Liriano

And then the next series against the Red Sox:

• Game 1: Millwood vs. Smoltz
• Game 2: Undecided vs. Beckett
• Game 3: Padilla vs. Buchholz

Matt Harrison could be starting the second game against the BoSox, although it really is undecided.

Scouting Report (from MLB.com - additions mine):

Twins: A high fever pushed Perkins' most recent start back three days and he came out looking a bit rusty after the extra time off. Perkins lasted just 4 1/3 on Saturday against the White Sox, giving up five runs on eight Chicago hits. The loss came after a pair of quality starts where Perkins went seven innings and notched wins against St. Louis and Kansas City on the road. Perkins is 2-0 with a 1.12 ERA lifetime against the Rangers.

Rangers to Watch:

• Marlon Byrd is 2-6 with a double.
• Jarrod Saltalamacchia is 1-3 with a RBI.

The current Ranger roster is 5-39 off Perkins with a double and a RBI. Young and Hamilton both have hits in six at bats against Perkins. This could be bad.

Rangers: Padilla will be making his first start since July 8, marking just his second outing in 17 days. He went eight days in between his last two starts due to shoulder soreness. Padilla allowed one run on eight hits in six innings his last time out, but had to leave when he tried to barehand a one-hopper. The ball bruised his palm a little bit, but he's fine and should be good to go against the Twins. The right-hander is 3-2 lifetime against Minnesota with a 2.63 ERA.

The Rangers are 7-3 in his last ten starts, while Padilla is 6-2 during that stretch.

Twins to Watch:

• Michael Cuddyer is 5-14 (.357) with a HR and RBI.
• Delmon Young is 4-12 with three RBIs.
• Carlos Gomez is 3-6 with a HR and three RBIs.

The Twins as a whole are 30-124 (.242 - current roster), with five doubles, two HRs, and twelve RBIs.

Forecast: Dang it, I like the Twins in this game. Padilla is a strong point for the Rangers rotation, but Perkins really does own the Rangers, which is why they are starting him against Padilla. You can look at Padilla's numbers historically and it won't give you a realistic indication of what he will do tonight, simply because he is having a better season that what he has does in previous years. Even knowing that Padilla is doing better than normal, Perkins still owns the Rangers, so my prediction is based solely on Perkins and not what Padilla will do. Padilla will more than likely keep things interesting, but Perkins will be the pitcher of the night. Rangers drop this one, 3-1.

And as a side note, I wasn't able to ask my question to Chris Davis. Sorry. I tried. The next "Meet the Rangers" should be coming up pretty soon, and I will post that as soon as the information comes in to me.

Home Plate

Game 163: White Sox vs. Twins

The game that decides it all... who goes home and who moves on into the playoffs.
Scouting Report:

Twins: Blackburn will take the hill for Tuesday's one-game tiebreaker in place of injured right-hander Kevin Slowey. Blackburn started the year 9-6 with a 3.60 ERA but he is 2-4 in his past nine starts with a 5.74 ERA. He's only gone more than five innings in four of those nine starts. However, he received the win in the Twins' 3-2 victory over the White Sox on Wednesday when he gave up two runs on eight hits and two walks over five innings. Blackburn is 2-2 with a 5.67 ERA in five starts against Chicago in 2008.

White Sox to Watch:

• Jim Thome: 4-12 with 2 doubles and 2 RBIs
• AJ Pierzynski: 5-10 with a double and 2 RBIs
• Joe Crede: 4-10 with a double, a HR, and a RBI

The Chicago roster is 37-116 (.319 BA) with 6 doubles, 4 HRs and 14 RBIs.

White Sox: Danks will be pitching on short rest, but he did not work very long on Friday against Cleveland, lasting four innings and allowing seven runs on seven hits. He threw 80 pitches in that game, which means he should still be relatively fresh come Tuesday. He's struggled since late August, posting a 4.91 ERA over his past seven starts. He earned a win in only one of those starts. Danks is 1-1 with a 7.91 in four starts against Minnesota this season.

I don't think Danks is the best choice, but the White Sox have to go with what is available. The Twins have a day off and will be refreshed, while the Sox are once against forced in a must win situation for the third straight day.

Twins to Watch:

• Justin Morneau: 7-16 (.438 BA) with 2 doubles, 3 HRs, and 8 RBIs
• Joe Mauer: 8-12 (.667 BA) with a RBI
• Michael Cuddyer: 7-12 (.583 BA) with 2 doubles and 3 RBIs
• Jason Kubel: 3-7 with a double, a HR and 6 RBIs

The Twins are 41-113 (.363 BA) with 8 doubles, 4 HRs, and 21 RBIs off Danks.
Forecast: My greatest concern is how tight a leash are the Sox going to have on Danks. I would hope that it is a very, very tight one. He doesn't have too much success on the Twins. This is a game today that will be defined on its coaching. Both teams are relatively hot... but I think that the Sox will win mainly on how well they play when they are hungry and the main intangible of better players, better coach. I am not a fan of Ozzie, by the way, but he does play a tough game. Score: 6-4, White Sox.

Home Plate

The Twins and White Sox Games

Game 160: The Twins have the inside track with a fairly easy opponent in the Royals. Still, this is the majors and one shouldn't count the other out until they have a 20 run lead...Scouting Report:

Royals: Davies has burst into prominence in his last two starts. After throwing eight shutout innings against the Mariners, he got through the opening seven innings on Saturday against the White Sox without surrendering a run. Davies faced the minimum over that span and wound up surrendering just two runs and taking his second victory of the week. Davies has cited a quick tempo as the key to his recent success. He's challenging the strike zone with his best stuff and therefore has gotten away from his earlier penchant for high pitch counts.

Twins: Liriano rebounded from his roughest start since being recalled on Aug. 1 to deliver a gem against the Rays at Tropicana Field. The left-hander allowed just one run over seven innings to the playoff-bound Rays. Liriano struck out seven but found some trouble, issuing four walks. He is 6-0 with a 2.05 ERA in 10 starts since returning to the Majors. He’ll face the Royals for the fourth time this season. Two of those have come during his second stint with the Twins, and in those, Liriano has allowed just five earned runs over a combined 13 2/3 innings.

Game 159: The White Sox and Twins are neck and neck, with the Twins having a 1/2 game edge. The Sox have a tougher opponent in the Indians... and then one game against Detroit, should it be needed.

Scouting Report:

Indians: Lewis showed that he is, in fact, human in his third career start on Sunday, though he was still able to pick up his third win in as many opportunities. Lewis worked five innings and gave up three runs in the Indians' big win over the Tigers. His 15-inning scoreless inning streak was snapped in the second inning, when he allowed a run in on a double play. Lewis was finally touched up for his first career home run when Edgar Renteria launched one in his final inning of work. Surprisingly, though, Lewis, not known for his velocity or nasty stuff, picked up six strikeouts to go along with three walks. This will be Lewis' first career start against the White Sox.

White Sox: Danks responded to the challenge of what Ozzie Guillen dubbed as the team's biggest game of the year by throwing seven scoreless innings during the White Sox 3-0 victory Sunday at Kauffman Stadium. Danks allowed four hits in seven-plus innings, striking out three and walking one, extending his scoreless innings streak to 13 straight. He threw 62 of his 90 pitches for strikes and will come back Friday on regular rest in a start that could lock down the American League Central title. Danks has a 0-1 record and 2.89 ERA in three starts against the Indians this season and is 4-5 with a 3.46 ERA at U.S. Cellular Field.

Forecast: Here's the thing. The Twins should just be given two of these next three games, meaning that the White Sox need to win three out of their next four to force a tie. Well... I do like the Royals chances in this one, but the Twins will take it with a score of 4-2. For the Sox, they are sending Danks, who should be a Ranger... (bitter much?)... and has great enough numbers, that he should take this one for the Sox... with a score of 3-2.

Home Plate

Game 158: White Sox at Twins

How many baseball games have I covered this season that are not related to the Texas Rangers? ZERO. But I was looking at today's games and couldn't help be interested in this one. My wife claims the ChiSox as her favorite team, so I always tend to keep an eye on them as it is...
This game means first place and the front runner for the division title. No pressure. The White Sox send Floyd and Minnesota responds with Slowey.

Scouting Report:

White Sox: The official White Sox ledger concerning starters pitching on three days' rest this week fell to 1-2 as Floyd suffered the loss against the Royals on Saturday night. The right-hander actually kept the White Sox in contention, but was victimized by three long balls, including David DeJesus' inside-the-park homer. Floyd yielded five runs on eight hits over 6 1/3 innings, although he didn't get any bullpen help to keep that run total down, striking out four and not issuing a walk. Floyd has dominated the Twins this season, posting a 3-1 record with a 1.86 ERA in four starts. Minnesota has just 17 hits over 29 innings in 2008 against Floyd, who also has a 1-1 mark at the Metrodome.

Twins: Slowey looked to be locked in early during his last start, but like many of the other Twins starters lately, he could not make it through the fifth inning. Slowey allowed five runs over 4 1/3 innings, taking his third loss in his last four starts. That lone win came at the Metrodome, where Slowey has found most of his success this season. The right-hander is 7-4 with a 3.04 ERA in 11 starts there. This will be Slowey's fourth start vs. Chicago this season. In his lone outing against them at the Metrodome, he pitched a shutout.

Slowey is 1-3 in his last four starts, with his win coming at home and the the three losses coming on the road. In his last ten starts, the Twins are 5-5. He is 1-2 against Chicago this season, with both losses coming in Chicago and the win coming at home. He has given up 11 runs to them at Chicago, with three homeruns.

ChiSox to Watch:

• Jermaine Dye: 4-11 (.364 BA) with a double, a HR, and 2 RBIs
• Orlando Cabrera: 4-10
• AJ Pierzynski: 3-7
• Juan Uribe: 4-7 with 2 doubles, a HR, and 3 RBIs

As a team, the White Sox are 29-97 (.299 BA) with 9 doubles, a triple, 3 HRs, and 12 RBIs off Slowey.

Floyd has enjoyed success this season, as he is 16-8 with a 3.84 ERA. He has four starts against the Twins this season, with going 3-1 in those games. He had lost the first of those four games and has gone six or more innings in every one of those starts. The Sox have won nine of his last twelve starts and he has gone six or more in his seven starts.

Floyd is 3-3 in his career against the Twins, but 3-0 in his last three starts... so that is really the trend to look at, not so much the 3-3, but the 3-0. The current roster is 27-122 (.221 BA) off him with 5 doubles, a triple, 5 HRs and 14 RBIs.

Notable Twins:

• Justin Morneau: 4-17 (.235 BA) with a double, 2 HRs, and 6 RBIs
• Jason Kubel: 5-16 (.313 BA) with 2 HRs and 4 RBIs
• Michael Cuddyer: 4-14 (.286 BA) with a double, a HR, and 3 RBIs

Forecast: I like the White Sox in this one. I could go with the hotter team in the Twins, but I really don't feel it. Now, I am willing to bet that the Twins are going to be watching the starter closer that a hungry dog does his food bowl, so if anything looks to go wrong, they will quickly pull the guy for someone else. This WILL be a close game, to say the least, with both teams putting every ounce they have to make sure they walk away tonight a winner. ChiSox still win: 5-3.

Home Plate

Game 49: Texas at Twins

Sidney Ponson going 9 on only 110 pitches. It's always nice to let the bullpen have a rest. And with the Rangers snagging the record of most consecutive games in a row without a complete game, the Rangers have knocked down three long distance rides since taking the record. If I am not mistaken, Millwood and Padilla have the other two.

And speaking of Padilla, he's on the hill this afternoon against Livan Hernandez. Livan seems to change teams quicker than most people can change their underwear. And oddly enouogh, I couldn't find a good headshot of him in his current uniform. So, you get that picture above.

Padilla looks to win his fifth straight decision for the first time in his career Thursday when the Rangers close out a four-game series at the Metrodome against the Minnesota Twins.

Hernandez and Padilla both have a 6-2 record coming into today's game. Hernandez got HAMMERED in his previous start against the Rangers, taking the first of his two loses. He also lost a game in his last start to the Rockies. Hernandez has gone six innings or more in all but his start against the Rangers. He has a 3.88 ERA this season and a career 8.75 ERA against the Rangers. Despite the high ERA, he is still 3-1 in four starts. The Rangers hold a .353 batting average on Livan. Based on numbers, the Rangers roster doesn't hit well, even despite the romping handed out last time. As a team, the Rangers are 23-97 making up a .237 batting average.

Players to Watch for:

• Marlon Byrd: 7-18 (389 BA); 1 double
• Michael Young: 2-6 (333 BA); 1 RBI

I've got to tell you... I do not know where the numbers came from on that 10-0 trounce earlier this season. It's a bit strange to be looking at these numbers and the game earlier and it doesn't add up to well.

Padilla. In 10 starts he has 4 beanballs this season. What that means is he is already one short entering today's game. Could he be saving up to use two or three in a game later? Maybe. Or maybe he's just in a good mood. Padilla has better numbers on the surface than Hernandez. His 3.18 ERA and his four wins over his last five starts show that he is solid and consistent (he has one no-decision in there). Over his ten starts this year, the Rangers are 8-2 and seven have been for 6 innings or more. He averages 6.22 innings per start. And he was opposite Hernandez on the 10-0 Ranger win. Padilla also got his complete game that day. Padilla is a career 2-2 against the Twins, whom he has some walk trouble (12 walks in 25.2 innings). He has a career 2.81 ERA and Minnesota bats .200 against Padilla. The current roster is batting .259 with 2 HRs and 16 RBIs.

Players to Look Out for:

• Mike Lamb: 4-13 (308 BA); 1 HR and 4 RBIs
• Adam Everett: 4-12 (333 BA); 3 RBIs
• Brendan Harris: 4-5 (800 BA); 1 RBI (BEANBALL CANDIDATE)
• Delmon Young: 3-7 (429 BA); 3 RBIs

If Harris is in the lineup, consider him hit. Seriously, 4 out of 5? Hit. Maybe Young if Harris is out.

Forecast: What trend to go with? It is the same matchup from back on April 27th. The Rangers need to win this game to earn a split on the series, the first time they haven't won a series since Being swept in Detroit (April 22-24). I still like the Rangers chances. I think it is wise to take the better pitcher in this case, simply because Padilla has taken this team and is carrying it on his shoulders right now. Rangers win it 7-4.

Home Plate

Game 48: Texas at Twins

You know... the pink thing isn't working for the Twins. Maybe I need to take it a step further.
Man, Ponson looks like he's hurting himself in that picture. And I think the pink lipstick on Miguel is a nice touch. I even used a font called "hole-hearted" on Batista's name. Now, onto the important stuff. Wait. I think we have the wrong starter for today... yeah, it's not Batista. It's Blackburn to start. OK. So Pink is NOT Blackburn's color. But he is 4-2 with a 3.77 ERA for the season. He has one career start against the Rangers, going six innings for a no-decision. The Rangers won that game on April 25th 6-5. He did give up 11 hits and five earned runs. the Rangers ended up hitting .423 for that game.

Ponson is 2-0 coming into this game. His ERA of 3.52 is still impressive, at the very least for me. Ponson did not take the loss on his first start of the year, which was to Minnesota. The Rangers lost 12-6 on that April 26th game. Ponson won his first two starts of the Month of May but hasn't picked up a win since. he is a career 9-2 against the Twins, with one complete game shutout. His career ERA is 2.56 against Minnesota.

Players to Watch Out for:

• Craig Monroe 4-11 (364 BA); 1 double, 1 HR and 3 RBIs
• Mike Lamb 7-20 (350 BA); 4 doubles, 1 HR and 2 RBIs
• Delmon Young: 4-8 (500BA); 1 double, 1 HR and 1 RBI

As a team, Minnesota has a .277 batting average against Ponson. That's 28-101 with 8 doubles, 4 HRs, and 11 RBIs.
Forecast: The Rangers finally get things going on the road. Ponson knows how to win against the Twins, proving that once again today. Score: 5-3.

Home Plate

Game 47: Texas at Twins

Well. Yesterday. It went extra innings. And the better team lost. And, as I need to remind anyone out there, even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and again.
Today, the Rangers send Doug Mathis out to the hill to work a miracle. The kid is about as green as money, at least what money used to look like before the makers of Monopoly took over the Mint. Mathis has three shutout innings in the Majors to complete his whole Major League repertoire. At least he's used to putting up some zeros. His fourth appearance and first ML start, it should be entertaining. At least I hope it will be. I kind of get skeptical on the first start. You don't know how many butterflies are working up in the guy... hopefully by the third start (should he get that far), he'll have worked it out some.

Today, I hate the Twins. And that will also be the case for tomorrow and Thursday, just to cue you all in. I am not going to put up any numbers on Mathis, because I already know there isn't any between him and Minnesota. And it is almost not worth mentioning Perkins, either.

Perkins was originally a bullpen guy and began to start this season for the Twins. He is 0-1 with a 3.75 ERA in two starts this season. And that's where we stand. He has 3.2 career innings against the Rangers. That's 11 outs. And he has not given up a run to the Rangers. Now, this can be a good thing or a bad thing... but I have ZERO clue as to what to think. I like Mathis' chances. Perkins has 43.1 career innings more than Mathis. Perkins career ERA is 3.11 higher that Mathis' ERA (which is 0).

Forecast: This is truly a shot in the dark. I'm going with the less greener of the two, Perkins. It will still be a strange game, probably tight: 5-3 Twins.

Home Plate