It may not be the best park in the MLB but baseball in San Francisco does provide fans with a picturesque backdrop. Today’s NLCS game 3 was played on a perfect fall day in the Bay Area and Giants fans were treated to another fantastic pitching performance, this time around by Matt Cain who led SF to a 3-0 victory, and 2-1 series lead, against the Philadelphia Phillies. So fans of baseball who have traveled to San Francisco, is the ballpark experience as good as it looks on TV?
ALCS: Cliff Lee Successful in Tryout for 2011 Yankees
At some point this winter, someone is going to construct a formula that will show just how much money Cliff Lee made himself pitching Game 3 of the ALCS. The “soon to be free agent” was simply dominant against an overmatched,aging New York Yankee lineup. It was such a struggle for the Yankees, and their fans, that the entire stadium stood and applauded a full count to Mark Teixeira in the bottom of the 4th inning. More impressive than his final line (8IP, 2H, 1BB, 13K, 0ER) was the way Lee went about carving up the best lineup in baseball. He was not so much overpowering as he was accurate. How many Yankees couldn’t resist swinging at that 2 seamer tailing away from the strike zone?
So where do we go from here? Early word this morning is that AJ Burnett is still scheduled to take the mound in Game 4. We shall see if this actually happens because I’m sure Joe Girardi is feeling the pressure to go with Sabathia in game 4 and 7, if necessary. By the way, I think the Yankees still have a great shot to win this series.
MLB Playoffs: League Championship Series Open
Fans turned out in record numbers to watch Cy Young award winners CC Sabathia, Tim Lincecum, and Roy Halladay take to the mound in the opening weekend of the MLB League Championship series. It comes as a major surprise that, with all this pitching talent, Cody Ross would be the player every fan is talking about this morning. Ross, who came over from the Marlins in a late season trade, belted 3 homeruns this weekend, 2 off of Halladay Saturday night, to lead the Giants to a crucial 1-1 series split in Philadelphia. As the games shift west to San Francisco, expect to see more great pitching as the likes of Matt Cain and Cole Hamels prepare to take their turn.
Sabathia and the Yankees are relatively lucky to leave Arlington with a 1-1 split. Except for the 8th inning of game 1, the Rangers have outhit, outpitched, and outplayed New York. Tonight represents an enormous game for the Yankees, who will face Cliff Lee and his impressive playoff ERA. Yankee fans are hoping that Andy Pettitte can come through tonight because that means that unless Joe Girardi sends Sabathia back to the mound on short days rest, AJ Burnett will start game 4 for NY down 2-1 in the series and that makes all Yankee fans very, very nervous.
NFL Week 6 Recap: The Greatest Show on Turf Revisited
I’m not quite ready to proclaim Sam Bradford the next Kurt Warner, and Danny Amendola is no Isaac Bruce, but people have to be intrigued by the new look Rams. Bradford has brought a pedigree and instant respectability to the quarterback position and the defense is full of young, high draft picks. A 3-3 start to the season doesn’t guarantee the playoffs, or even a winning record for that matter, but the NFC West is so weak that nothing is impossible this year.
We may also want to take a closer look at the San Diego Chargers who continue to mystify their fans with another early season swoon. The Phillip Rivers led offense has plenty of weapons, even without Vincent Jackson, and has shown an ability to dig themselves out of early season setbacks before. But, when you watch a rejuvenated LaDainian Tomlinson carving up defenses left and right for the Jets this year, you’re left wondering if the real problem is the San Diego coaching staff and front office.
View of the Day: Midnight Madness
What an unbelievable weekend in sports! Lincecum/Halladay, Yankees/Rangers Game 2, Badgers/Buckeyes, Arkansas/Auburn, and then a whole bunch of NFL games on Sunday. With everything going on it is probably a surprise to many that the college basketball season began yesterday as many programs held their annual Midnight Madness festivities. One such program was St. John’s, whose hiring of a new coach, Steve Lavin, has renewed optimism for fans of the Red Storm. Can Coach Lavin keep the homegrown high school talent in the city and eventually have a shot at competing in the Big East? One of many storylines heading into the 2010-2011 college basketball season. For now, the MLB playoffs and football take center stage. Enjoy the view!