Baseball Update

Today the Yankees lost to the Orioles again, this time 6-3. Mo Rivera, for the second time in this series, could not hold his own against the O's who have been hot since the break. The Yanks are now tied for the wild card lead in the American League. With the pitching the way it's been, things don't look bright for New York. Today, Phil Hughes only went five innings and gave up two earned runs although all three were scored when he was in the game. Shelly Duncan hit a three run home run in the ninth inning to put the Yankees back in the game but Mo blew it in the tenth after a Miguel Tejada doubled and Aubrey Huff hit another home run. New York will have to man up against teams like the O's because they have a tough stretch coming up against the Tigers and Angels. This is not going to be easy.

The Mariners also lost tonight, this time to the Twins. The final was 6-1 in Seattle. Jarrod Washburn couldn't have been better, going seven innings and giving up one earned run, although two were scored while he was in. The Mariners bullpen blew it, giving up four runs in the final two innings. Hey, this bullpen has been excellent all season long, give them a brake. However, this offense hasn't been excellent but I think it will be good enough to win the wild card. Guys like Ichiro and Jose Guillen have been carrying this team all season long and they need to step it up now. The pitching has been better, as this is the time of year that Jeff Weaver usually heats it up so lets expect it. Also, the King hasn't had a bad year. He has an ERA under four and eight wins. He doesn't have more simply because of the injury earlier this season. If Seattle can stay consistent and keep it going, I think they will win the wild card.

Meanwhile, in the National League, the Diamondbacks have been doing excellent as they are currently on top in the National League West. Tonight, they beat the Marlins and remain in first. Who ever thought that Arizona would do this. The big story on this club so far has been Justin Upton, the number one draft pick in 2005. The guy has really been getting on base and has an OBP of .319 and a slugging percentage of .535. They have won four out of their last six games, folks and that has put them on top for a while. They have been great since the break and are 20-10. Their biggest streak came in July when they won eight straight games. This has clearly been the feel good/comeback story of the year wrapped in one. Keep it going D-Backs.

Here are your updated standings from the A.L. Wild Card:
Mariners and Yankees tied in first place. Yanks: 67-53 M's: 66-52
Indians and Tigers in second with a record of 66-54. Both are one game out.
Toronto is in fourth place with a record of 61-58. They are 5.5 games back.

Have a good one and keep rooting for your team!

7/13 World Series Top Ten

1. Angels- I just think they have more hitting and more underlying talent the Red Sox. Plus if John Lackey's healthy, expect 15-18 wins.
2. Red Sox- Pitching is key and with a staff that looks like Beckett (at least 13 wins), Schilling (at least 10 wins), and Matsusaka (at least 14 wins), things don't look bad. And Manny and Papi still haven't even heated up yet.
3. Tigers- Very intriguing lineup includes scrappy ballplayers like Curtis Granderson and Placido Palanco. Magglio Ordonez will be an MVP favorite and Justin Verlander could win the Cy Young.
4. Mets- Hey, Pedro's coming back as well as Moises Alou who I believe can be a huge difference maker when healthy. And Reyes and Wright will keep going.
5. Indians- The lineup will feature Travis Hafner for the next five years. Hopefully he will make the most of the first year of the new contract. He can.
6. Braves- John Smoltz will need to stay consistent as will the ball club in general to have a shot.
7. Padres- Jake Peavy and this pitching staff that leads the sport in ERA can do it, but will the lineup continue to decline?
8. Brewers- The pitching is better then expected, with Ben Sheets making an appearance in the All-Star game and showing everyone he still is healthy. Prince Fielder can hit home runs!!
9. Cubs- Hey, I like what they've done in the last couple of weeks before the All-Star break and hope they can continue to be a powerhouse. They've got a chance, but they'll have to remain poised and consistent throughout.
10. Mariners- The way their season has gone, they're certainly not out of it and don't expect them to lose it anytime soon as long as everything stays the way it has been. Ichiro will lead this club in the end.