In the MLB playoffs, it will be the St. Louis Cardinals taking on the LA Dodgers in the National League Championship series. The Cards eliminated the Pittsburgh Pirates yesterday 6-1, behind a complete game dominating performance by Adam Wainwright. In his last six starts at home, Wainwright is now 5-0 with a 1.25 ERA. David Freese and Matt Adams both connected two-run homers. The Cardinals reach the NLCS for the third consecutive year.
The Detroit Tigers and Oakland A’s are tied at 2 games apiece, and will face each other tonight in the deciding game 5 in Oakland. For the second time in the series, it will be rookie Sonny Gray vs Justin Verlander Neither of them gave up a run in their first encounter last friday, a 1-0 Oakland win. Verlander has thrown 22 consecutive scoreless innings in the playoffs against Oakland, and has 33 strikeouts in the last three games vs. the A’s. Gray allowed the Tigers only four hits in eight innings in game 2, striking out 9. Should be a good one tonight, first pitch will be at 8:07 pm. You can watch it on TBS on your cable or satellite system. The winner moves on to Boston to take on the Red Sox in the American League Championship series. The ALCS starts on Saturday.
Today
Tigers @ A’s (Series tied 2-2)
Justin Verlander vs Sonny Gray 8:00 pm TBS
Here is the complete MLB post season schedule and results so far:
In other baseball news,
The Yankees and Joe Girardi agreed to terms on a new four-year contract. Good decision by the Yankees. Girardi good enough for the Yankees, not good enough for the Marlins, I guess.
Wallace Matthews of ESPN.com also agrees with the decision to bring Girardi back:
Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild close to re-signing with the team:
Staying on the subject of managers,
The Braves’ Fredi Gonzalez talks about his decision not to bring in closer Craig Kimbrel in the eighth inning against the Dodgers:
MY TAKE: In his career, Kimbrel only recorded more than four outs in a game was in April of 2011, a game he blew the save in. He also pitched two full innings in a 12-inning loss against the Dodgers in Los Angeles earlier this season. He only has three four-out saves in his career. Since 1995, when the wild card era began, Mariano Rivera had 14 two-inning saves in the post season. All other pitchers in baseball had a total of 13. It’s also not like Fredi put me in to pitch the eighth inning. David Carpenter pitched in 56 games this season and was 4-1 with a 1.78 ERA. In 65 2/3 innings, he gave up only 45 hits, struck out 74 batters, and only gave up 5 home runs.
The Dodgers aren’t talking about Don Mattingly’s status for next season:
Is Dusty Baker the guy for the Washington Nationals?
Former Reds and Yankees outfielder Paul O’Neill is interested in the Cincinnati Reds managerial opening:
Let’s go to the gridiron:
Here is this week’s schedule in the NFL, along with the early point spreads. The Dolphins and the Atlanta Falcons are off this week.
THURSDAY
NY Giants @ Chicago -5 1/2 8:25 pm NFL Network
The Giants come in to Chicago trying to avoid their first 0-6 start in 37 years, but they have beaten the Bears at Soldier field four straight times. I do not think that this historical fact is going to help the Giants. They have given up 36.4 points per game this season, the worst in the NFL, and have given up at least 31 points in their five games. Eli Manning has thrown 12 interceptions so far this year, and has been sacked 15 times. The Bears defense is always aggressive and very opportunistic, and last week held the powerful offense of the New Orleans Saints to a season-low 347 yards. The Giants are due to snap out of their season-long funk, but I can’t find a reason to pick them over da’ Bears. I’ll take the Bears and give the 5 1/2 points.
Here is this week’s schedule. I’ll have the rest of my picks tomorrow. The games I’m looking at are highlighted in yellow. My season numbers so far are: 19-14-2 against the spread, and 24-11 straight up. Good, but not good enough.
SUNDAY
Cincinnati @ Buffalo +5 1/2 1:00 pm CBS
Oakland @ Kansas City -9 1/2 1:00 pm CBS
Pittsburgh @ NY Jets -2 1:00 pm CBS
Detroit @ Cleveland +2 1:00 pm FOX
Carolina @ Minnesota -1 1:00 pm FOX
Philadelphia @ Tampa Bay +1 1:00 pm FOX
St. Louis @ Houston -9 1:00 pm FOX
Jacksonville @ Denver -27 4:05 pm CBS
Tennessee @ Seattle -13 4:05 pm CBS
New Orleans @ New England -3 4:25 pm FOX
Arizona @ San Francisco -13 4:25 pm FOX
Washington @ Dallas -6 8:30 pm NBC
MONDAY
Indianapolis @ San Diego -2 8:30 pm ESPN
The Fins and the Atlanta Falcons have their bye week this week.
In other Dolphin news:
The Dolphins passing game is struggling because of their inability to protect QB Ryan Tannehill, and they also can’t run the ball:
In other NFL news,
Here’s ESPN’s NFL Nation Blog, with more news from all around the league:
Of course, we can all continue to sleep at night, knowing full well that Aaron Hernandez remains in jail, where he belongs.
TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION: Houston Texans QB Matt Schaub became the first QB to have interceptions returned for touchdowns in four consecutive games. He was tied with three other QB’s with three. I’ll give you Ty Detmer as one of them. Who are the other two? The answers comes later, alligator.
In college football, the Canes are off this week. Manny Navarro and Susan Miller Degnan have all the latest from Coral Gables:
Here’s the latest from FIU, courtesy of David J. Neal:
Here’s the latest from Tallahassee and FSU:
From Gainesville and the University of Florida:
Here are the NCAA Football rankings for this week. Florida State is #6, Miami is #13, and the Gators are #17.
Here is the complete schedule in College Football for week 7, including TV listings:
Let’s talk hoops. The Heat’s next preseason game is tonight, in Detroit, against the Pistons. Dwyane Wade is expected to play for Miami. Here is the Heat’s complete preseason schedule:
In other Heat news,
George Richards has all the latest on the Florida Panthers:
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I’m selling three lots totaling a little over five acres in the beautiful North Carolina mountains, overlooking the New River, a quick 35-minute drive from Boone and Blowing Rock. Click here to see some photos and feel free to contact me if you have any questions:
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THE ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION: Let’s jump to a pro football question today. Houston Texans QB Matt Schaub became the first QB to have interceptions returned for touchdowns in four consecutive games. He was tied with three other QB’s with three. I’ll give you Ty Detmer as one of them. Who are the other two?
John Elway with the Denver Broncos in 1994 and Payton Manning with the Colts in 2001. BTW, Detmer did it while with the Eagles in 1996.
Behave yourselves, and always remember that tomorrow will bring us a brand new day.
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