Rangers Tater Their Way Back Into Series

A three run second inning bomb hit by Mitch Moreland, who wasn't even sure he'd be in the lineup, was more than enough runs to make the Texas Rangers 4-2 winners over the Baltimore Orioles in Friendly (at least to Texas) Arlington, Texas. Josh Hamilton hit a solo shot. Rangers starting pitcher Colby Lewis gave up those two runs in his 7 2/3 innings He was dependable, efficient and smart. The bullpen finished up with goose eggs to make the Series a 2-1 affair with two more in Arlington. Here's Ranger manager Ron Washington...

"We wanted to get back home. We felt comfortable here. We knew we could finally put a good game together, and we did. We're still down one game, but it's shifted."

Hey Ron, if you win the next two at home, you'd be in great shape heading west. That's the only way you'd be in great shape. Tonight's game three begins at 8:20pm edt tonight on Fox and Fox HD. The Giants will start left hander Madison Bumgarner and toiling for the Rangers will be the righty Tommy Hunter. The following profiles of each hurler appear courtesy of this morning's DALLAS MORNING NEWS...

"Rangers RHP Tommy Hunter: In two postseason starts, Hunter is 0-1 with a 6.14 ERA for 7 1/3 innings. Hunter has been unable to slow left-handed hitters with the cut fastball as he did during the regular season. In the regular season, Hunter held left-handed hitters to a .272 average with a .437 slugging percentage. In the postseason, left-handed hitters are batting .307 with a .500 slugging percentage for 26 at-bats against Hunter. He is 7-1 with a 3.14 ERA at home this season. Hunter has never faced San Francisco, and only two Giants have had an at-bat against him. Pat Burrell is 1-for-3, and Cody Ross is 0-for-1."

"Giants LHP Madison Bumgarner: The term "soft-tossing lefty" does not apply to Bumgarner. He has a legitimate mid-90-mph fastball and likes to challenge hitters with it early in games before working in a slider and a changeup. In his last start, against Philadelphia , Bumgarner threw fastballs on 21 of his first 29 pitches. Bumgarner opened the game with four scoreless innings before allowing three runs without finishing the fifth. Bumgarner is 1-0 with a 3.55 ERA for 122/3 innings in the postseason. Bumgarner has never faced the Rangers. Jorge Cantu is the club's only hitter who has hit against him, going 1-for-3."

Enjoy. I'm almost rooting (I AM Rooting) for the Rangers just for the excitement of it all. So have a great Sunday, click on this post's title for more on last night, be safe and as always, be BE WELL. Thanks.

To Tim Wakefield From The Jimmy Fund

I just received this from the Jimmy Fund and I wanted you to see it...

**The Jimmy Fund congratulates Tim Wakefield on Roberto Clemente Award**

"The Jimmy Fund has known for many years that Tim Wakefield truly embodies the essence of the Roberto Clemente Award.
As a pitcher, Tim is a fierce competitor and a proven winner, but his contributions off the field are far more impressive.
We have been fortunate to be the recipient of Tim's support, and in 2010 we honored Tim for his commitment, naming him a Jimmy Fund co-captain.
Whether visiting with our teen patients during their Red Sox Spring Training trip or bringing the World Series trophy to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Tim has the ability to connect with patients of all ages. His kindness and compassion are truly genuine.
We congratulate Tim on this award!
Suzanne Fountain
Director of the Jimmy Fund."

Thank you Suzanne and congratulations to our "old man," Tim Wakefield, a hero in so many ways. We love you Timmy. See you next year on the mound at Fenway Park.

Big Papi Speaks...World Series Game Three

World Series game three starts tonight early...before 7 pm edt. Good job, Bud Selig. Everybody can sleep late on Sunday. I'm not complaining. It'll still be a tossup if I make it to the end of the game, whether I get sleepy or I'm not that interested. But it's still the World Series. Here are the match-ups...

San Francisco at Texas** 6:57 PM FOX ** Sanchez vs Lewis

Big Papi made some of his future intentions known yesterday and he wants more than one year. Here's Papi...

"I'm not comfortable coming back just for one year because it's going to be the same roller-coaster that I had this year. All the question marks. People still don't realize what you're capable of doing even after eight years. I'm the kind of guy who likes to be left alone, play my game and be the best at my position. I just want to cut out all the crap and go back to the guy I was before, a happy guy who doesn't have to be answering questions that have nothing to with anything but controversy. I just want to be able to play baseball and have fun, like I used to."

He sure turned it on after April. I admit I had my doubts about him being able to turn it around after his awful start but he sure did. That's why he'll be back for MORE than one year. I can almost guarantee it. I feel it with every Red Sox fiber of my being.

OK, I promised Wednesday night to explain just what the heck happened to me. What happened was a four day hospital stay. Sunday morning I woke up and (I won't go into specifics) realized I had bled internally at some point during the previous night. When that happens, I don't take any chances. I called an ambulance early Sunday and spent until Wednesday evening at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford. The two major tests they gave me were very uncomfortable and no evidence of bleeding was evident. In one of the tests where I had to be out for ten minutes, guess what they used. Propanolol, Michael Jackson's "milk." I was out in five seconds and spent seven minutes or so in la-la land. When I woke up, I was completely clear headed. The results of that test were great. The nights were what seemed like six weeks long and I wanted to leave SO much. They kept me there until my blood work looked good and I arrived home Wednesday night, tired but happy. There's NO place like home. It's true.

Enjoy the game tonight. I look for the black and orange to take a 3-0 lead but the lawmen are tough at home. You can click on this post's title for more MLB coverage straight from SF. Enjoy your Saturday and as always and now more than ever, BE WELL. Thanks.

Gigantic 9-0 Win For San Francisco

The SF Giants put the Texas Rangers in a huge hole with a 9-0 thumping that put the orange and black up two games to none. They became the first team in MLB history to score twenty runs in the first two games of MLB's showcase series. Matt Cain kept his scoreless streak alive, going 7 1/3 innings. Here he is...

"We've put ourselves in a good situation," said Cain, who hasn't allowed an earned run in the postseason. "We've just got to take that confidence and some of the good approaches that we've had into these last two games and take them down to Texas with us."

Texas manager Ron Washington feels quite differently...

"We certainly don't feel like we're defeated. We're heading home. They took care of us in their ballpark; now we're headed to ours."

The World Series resumes in Texas for games three, four and five on Saturday. Arlington Stadium is a place where the lawmen play quite well. SF has a losing road record. Is that enough of an advantage for Texas? I don't think so. I'm thinking orange and black all the way. Their fans are hungry (ravenous) for their first world championship. I think they'll be quite hapy in the next few days. I really do.

As you probably already know, our very own Tim Wakefield was awarded the Roberto Clemente Humanitarian honor last night before the game. This is from SI dot com...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- "Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield knew all about Roberto Clemente's legacy coming up in the Pittsburgh organization. Wakefield vowed to be an example of Clemente's commitment to giving back.
Wakefield received the 2010 Roberto Clemente Award on Thursday night, given annually to a major league player who gives back through community service and also excels on the field.
Wakefield was presented the award by commissioner Bud Selig and Vera Clemente, Roberto's widow, before Game 2 of the World Series at AT&T Park between the Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants.
"He deserved this award a long time ago," Mrs. Clemente said."

How great was that! I've always loved our knuckleballer and much of what he does off the playing field is unseen. He's the best and I hope he comes back next year. Mrs. Clemente's comment brought tears to my eyes. Literally. Great job, Timmy.

Please click on this post's title for more on everything last night. Thanks for stopping by. I'm feeling much better but I'm still not in the "swing of things" quite yet. I'll get there. I know I will. As always, my friends, BE WELL. I love you guys. GO ORANGE!

11-7 Giants With Lincecum & Lee? Yes

What was supposed to be a tremendous pitcher's duel became a run scoring extravaganza for the Texas Rangers and the SF Giants, with the Giants winning it. Texas is now in a very tough situation. Game two will be tonight at 8pm EDT on Fox and Fox HD.

This is going to be a short post.Today I had so much to do and so little time to do it and it's too soon for me to overdue anything. So I'll see you tomorrow morning with a more Peter-like entry. I'm happy you stuck with me. Hasta manana, mi amigos.

I'm Back Just In Time For WS Baseball

Phew, what a long, strange trip it's been. I'm feeling great (thank God), by the way. My first after-illness post will have all the details of the 2010 World Series game 1 and where the hell I was. There's no place like home! See you first thing tomorrow.

The Giants Win The Pennant, The Giants Win The Pennant!

Do those words sound familiar? Think Bobby Thompson and his historic home run. Well, last night the SF Giants did indeed win the pennant...again. Juan Uribe smashed an eighth inning home run and SF made the lead hold up in the ninth. The final score was
3-2 and it was a tense ninth inning for everybody. Here's the Giant's manager, Bruce Bochy...

"We had such a diversity of contributions from everybody. Not bad for a bunch of castoffs and misfits."

And their GM, Brian Sabean...

"I'm speechless, just breathless. It's a great opportunity to see what we can do on a bigger stage."

The 2010 World Series of Baseball begins Wednesday. So we wait until then to continue the process of picking a world champion. My congratulations go out to the Giants and the Rangers. May the best team win.

I hope you have a great Sunday. Thanks for stopping in, click on this post's title for all you need to know and as always, BE WELL.
I hate to say this but I might have to go to the hospital via 911 soon. I hope I don't. Wish me luck. I'm bleeding somewhere inside my body. I'll see you soon (God willing). Promise.

Yankees Down & Out In Arlington, Texas...Bye Bye Pinstriped BUMS

The New York Yankees are out, losing last night to the Texas Rangers by a score of 6-1. Derek Jeter, the overrated NY shortstop, summed it up to perfection...

"They hit better, they pitched better, they played better. What else can you say?"

Derek, you hit the nail on the proverbial head. I'm a Boston Red Sox fan so it's nice to see them go down with such a resounding THUD. Phil Hughes lost his second game of this six game wipeout series and for the first time ever, the Texas Rangers are going to the World Series while the pinstripers slink home with their tails curled between their legs. Hey, they had a good season but Texas annihilated them. We had a great Friday night here in Connecticut, a state divided by Red Sox and Yankee fans. The north half of this small state is strictly Red Sox Nation, at least for the most part. The opposite is true for the south and southwest parts of this land. I'm smiling as I type this. Sorry bums.

Tonight, game six between the SF Giants and the heavily favored but lagging Philadelphia Phillies begins shortly after 8pm EDT. Here are the details...

San Francisco at Philadelphia** 7:57 PM FOX** Sanchez vs Oswalt

It's a 3-2 series lead for San Francisco so each game, much like the Yankees, will be a "do or die" situation for the cheesesteak team. I think this time we're headed for a game seven but until everything is clearer, enjoy this Saturday night battle. I know we will. I expect more than a few neighbors and friends to enjoy the Fox HD telecast with an adult beverage or two and a blazing fireplace fire. Yes, it will be cold enough here after dark to do that and my firewood has been aging in the garage for just about four years. A wad of newspaers underneath the split logs coupled with one small piece of "wetwood" and wow, the blaze starts. Wetwood is a resin saturated piece of lumber that weighs just a couple of ounces but burns long enough to start the fire. C'mon baby, LIGHT MY FIRE, as the Doors wrote and recorded in the year of SGT. PEPPER, 1967.

I hope your weekend will be tremendous. Please click on this post's title for more on the Yankee's inaction and elimination and as always, BE WELL. See ya.

Boston's Farrell Might Be Toronto Bound

This would be a loss for the Red Sox, a big one. Peter Gammons reported earlier today that Toronto's first choice for manager would be just about the best pitching coach in all of MLB. That would be Boston's John Farrell. Here you go...

"The Toronto Blue Jays continue to reduce their list of managerial candidates, inching closer to making a final decision on who will replace Cito Gaston. According to one report, Toronto may be ready to reveal its choice by next week. A report by Comcast Sportsnet New England's Sean McAdam on Wednesday indicated that the Blue Jays have narrowed their list of contenders down to three: Indians first-base coach Sandy Alomar Jr., Red Sox bench coach DeMarlo Hale and Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell."

If John goes, we should all thank him for his magical and positive attempts, mostly successful, to harness the Red Sox talented starters. In fact, he will be sorely missed. I hope every one of you has a great weekend. Hey, the pinstripers are in another "do or die" situation out in Arlington. The game will be televised on TBS and TBS HD beginning at 7:30pm EDT. Go Rangers! That would make this weekend a GREAT ONE. If not today, Cliff Lee tomorrow. I hope he won't be needed until game one of the upcoming World Series.

Phillies 4 Giants 2

An injured Roy Halladay bested San Francisco ace Tim Lincecum and his team won game five by a score of 4-2. The three runs Philadelphia scored in the third inning were enough to do the deed. But it was Roy Halladay, injured right groin and all, who gutted it out for six innings and propelled his beleaguered team to a crucial victory. The SF Giants are still up three games to two. Here's the main man himself...

"It was just something to deal with (groin injury). You make adjustments and pitch your way through it. We know we can win. It's a matter of going out and doing it. We continue to plug away."

There's an off day today for this NL matchup while the teams travel back to Philadelphia where everybody knows the Phillies' names. Lincecum rarely loses but that's how good the one-legged Doc was.

On the other side of the MLB coin, the Yankees and the Rangers face each other tonight back in Arlington, Texas. Here are all the the details...

NY Yankees at Texas **8:07 PM TBS **Hughes vs Lewis

I like Texas to wrap it up tonight and go to their first ever World Series. That would be huge. If Lewis can't do it tonight, well, the Rangers have Cliff Lee ready to go tomorrow. For the pinstripers to win two straight with one of the games pitched by Cliff Lee would totally surprise me. SHOCK ME, in fact. It ain't going to happen. Hey Texas...get this over tonight and you'll have Lee fresh and ready for the big one. Game one of the 2010 World Series of baseball. How good does it get? Do it!!

Again, I thank you for stopping in. If you'd like all the details and highlights from last night's game, simply click on this post's title for all that SI can offer. As always, BE WELL.

Yanks Win Game 5...SF In Walk Off Victory

The NY Yankees bumped off the Texas Rangers 7-2 and both teams are going back west for a crucial game six tomorrow. CC Sabathia earned the win with six innings of work. He allowed eleven hits but only two runs while striking out seven. Kerry Wood took over in the seventh and Mo Rivera pitched a one hit ninth. Here's the NY manager, Joe Girardi, before the game talking about his team's perilous situation...

"Before we lost the three games in a row, we won four in a row. Just look at tomorrow. Win a game tomorrow."

The two clubs resume play on Friday with Texas still holding a game seven (if needed) killer weapon. That would be Cliff Lee. The Rangers sure would like to wrap it up in six and have a fresh Lee for game one of the World Series. Bring it on! Tomorrow.

On the National League side, the San Francisco Giants beat the Philadelphia Philles with a dramatic 6-5 ninth inning victory. They have a huge three games to one lead in the best of seven series. Game five comes up tonight. Here's the Giant's Aubrey Huff, who scored the final Giants run...

"It seems like all the baseball talk is all East Coast," said Aubrey Huff, who slid home with the final run. "Everybody watching tonight saw exactly how we've played all year."

Philadelphia, the pre-post season favorite, has done little right. Last night it was ALL west coast with excitement down to the last at bat. My goodness! I hope you caught the final few innings. You can see all the highlights by clicking on this post's title. I thank you for stopping in to my little corner of the "blue nowhere" and as always, BE WELL. I mean that.

I Couldn't Resist...

This is from the NY Post (today) and I couldn't resist running it...

"New York is now well versed with AJ Burnett. No one could think it was a good idea to have him on the mound at that moment: tying run in scoring position, go-ahead run on first, season on the brink. Burnett has spent a career breaking hearts, throwing the pitch he absolutely could not at the wrong time.
And he did here. He talked about the masterly control he had of his fastball, especially spotting it away to righties. But he is A.J. Burnett, so the one time that the ball did not obey, the one time it leaked over the plate, was the moment that would crush an entire team’s spirit. Molina, a noted first-ball, fastball hitter, did not miss that faulty pitch, driving it inside the left-field foul pole. Three-run homer. Rangers lead. Girardi had given a baseball arsonist matches and the Yankees season went up in flames."

Ouch, Joey. You're on fire.

Rest In Peace, Mr. C

Tom Bosley passed away Tuesday and so many of us already miss him. Tom Bosley & Barbara Billingsley, Howard Cunningham and June Cleaver. My goodness. Thank you for everything. This is from the AP...

"Whether he played a small-town sheriff, a murder-solving priest or the father of 50s teens that made him famous, Tom Bosley was a warm and comforting presence on American TV sets for decades.
Bosley, best known as the often flustered but always fatherly Howard Cunningham on "Happy Days," died Tuesday in Palm Springs. He was 83.
Bosley earned a place as one of the most memorable dads in TV history as the hardware store owner, father to Richie and Joanie Cunningham and landlord to Arthur "Fonzi" Fonzarelli on the long-running sitcom.
Bosley died suffering heart failure at a hospital, his agent Sheryl Abrams said. He was also had lung cancer.
His death brought fond remembrances of the nostalgic ABC show, which ran from 1974 to 1984. On Saturday, TV viewers lost another surrogate parent, Barbara Billingsley, who portrayed June Cleaver in "Leave It To Beaver."
Both shows showcased life in the 1950s — before Vietnam, Watergate and other tumultuous events of the '60s and '70s.
"Kids were watching their parents grow up, and parents were watching themselves grow up. And that was the key to success of that show," Bosley said in a 2000 interview."

Barbara and Tom, thanks for all the very special memories. You're in my heart strings forever.

Yankees Lose..Giants Win

The NY Yankees are in a 3-1 hole after last night's 10-3 loss. They also have to remember that even if they win the next two, starting tonight in NYC, Cliff Lee awaits them for game seven. Yankees pitcher AJ Burnett gave up five runs in his six innings of work and that was all she wrote. There's more bad news for the pinstripers. Mark Teixeira felt his hamstring "pop" and likely has played his last 2010 inning. The two go at it again in game five this afternoon. Here are the game times for the AL and the NL...

Texas at NY Yankees** 4:07 PM TBS ** Wilson vs Sabathia
Philadelphia at San Francisco ** 7:57 PM FOX** Blanton vs Bumgarner

The SF Giants beat the Philadelphia Phillies by a score of 3-0 behind the pitching of Matt Cain, who was great. SF leads this series 2-1. Here's the man himself...

"I think this is probably the top one I've ever pitched. To be able to pitch in the postseason is great, and to be able to throw the ball well and help your team win is a great feeling."

So the Yankee's season might be over around seven pm edt. One can only hope. I do not see them winning three games in a row. No way, no how, especially with Cliff Lee ready to pitch game seven (if needed). The Phillies, in my opinion, will tie their series tonight. At least I hope so. Hey Rangers, bury dem bums!

You can click on this post's title for more on yesterday's action. I thank you for stopping by and as always, BE WELL. See ya.

Cliff Lee And Texas Whitewash Yankees.

I wrote the following line in my Monday post directly below this one. Take a gander...

"I predict that Lee will stymie the pinstripers, pitch at least eight innings and move his post season record to 7-0."

Bingo! Not bad, Peter. The way Cliff has been throwing the ball is just so dominating but he was pitching against the Yankees lineup. Didn't make a whit of difference to him. His stats were staggering. He gave up only two hits, walked one and struck out 13 pinstripers. Unfortunately, he becomes a free agent after the 2010 season is over and the Yankees are sure to be in the middle of the bidding war. Here's New York's skipper, Joe Girardi...

"I don't think we're in trouble. We're a very good club. We're down 2-1; we're not down 3-0 and losing in the bottom of the ninth. If we go out and play a good game tomorrow, we'll feel a lot different. Tomorrow is a new day. The sun will come up and we'll play a game."

Hey Joe, if Burnett can't do it tonight, you're in serious trouble. After all, Mr. Lee has one more start left in this series. AJ, the pressure is squarely on you. Can you handle it??

The Phillies and Giants resume their tied series at 4:19 PM on TBS. The Texas at NY Yankees game will be televised at 8:07 PM on FOX. The pitching match-ups are just a few posts below this one. So enjoy and if you're like me, you'll be rooting for the Texas lawmen to arrest those damn Yankees two more times. Put 'em in the hoosegow.

Click on this post's title for all the details from last night's Yankee Stadium dud (at least for the Yankee fans) and as always, BE WELL. I'm going to the extended highlights right now so click away on that title and join me! See ya.

Phillies Win..Both Series Tied At 1

The Philadelphia Phillies, behind the stellar pitching of Roy Oswalt, defeated the SF Giants by a score of 6-1. He was able to go eight full innings and only gave up that lone run. He allowed three hits, walked three and struck out nine. In a word, he was immense. Here's what the Giants manager, Bruce Bochy, thought of him...

"He threw really great," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "He was on and he had his stuff."

His fastball was virtually unhittable with momentum and movement. He relied on that pitch more than any other in his repertoire. The two teams take the day off today and will resume their series in California tomorrow.

On the other side of the coin, the Texas Rangers face off against the Yankees in game three of their set. Andy Pettitte, the winningest pitcher in the history of the post season playoffs (19-9) will face Cliff Lee, who has never lost in the fall (6-0). I predict that Lee will stymie the pinstripers, pitch at least eight innings and move his post season record to 7-0. How sweet would that be!

Enjoy your Monday and watch those Rangers take it to the Yankees tonight. The full game schedules can be found if you scroll down to my Wednesday post. Thanks for being here, click on this post's title for everything about the Phillies victory last night and as always, BE WELL. See ya.

Rangers Whup Yankees..Lincecum Bests Halladay & SF Giants Go UP 1-0..Cablevision A Major No-Show For NYC

The Texas Rangers left for the Big Apple with big smiles on their faces after besting the NY Yankees by a score of 7-2 last night. Now, none other than their ultra ace, Cliff Lee, will be pitted against Andy Pettitte on Monday. On the National League side, game one featured a tight 4-3 victory for the Giants. It was ace versus ace as Roy Halladay was pitted against SF ace Tim Lincecum. The Rangers' Cody Ross provided much of the offense with two taters off of Halladay. San Francisco's Aubrey Huff said this after the exciting contest..

"It seems like that happens every year, Or it seems like it's happened every year while I've been home watching the postseason for the last nine years, anyway. Somebody always gets the big hit, and it's not always somebody you expect. And tonight it was him."

There's another Philly/Giants game tonight. Enjoy. Enjoy was something many people could not do in the NYC area last night. Cablevision, in all their "infinite wisdom", BLEW IT. Read this below statement, please...

NEW YORK (AP) -- "Cablevision, the service provider for 3 million customers in the New York area, and Fox parent News Corp. failed to solve a dispute over rates Saturday, leaving baseball fans who wanted to watch the opener of the National League Championship Series with a blank screen instead of a marquee pitching matchup.
Both sides met throughout the afternoon Saturday but adjourned before the start of the playoff game between the Phillies and the San Francisco Giants, said Cablevision spokesman Jim Maiella. Negotiators plan to meet again Sunday.

Idiots.Wait, I can put that a little differently. IDIOTS. Sorry, that's the only word that came quickly to mind. And yes, when I think of it, it describes those whores perfectly. Cablevision NY gets into so many disputes it's almost as if they don't give a whit about their paying customers. If any of you were deprived of the game last night, you have my sympathies. What if that was a Red Sox game! Holy you know what!!

That's it for this early Sunday morning. If any of you were deprived of watching the NL game, I'd love to hear about it via a comment. Thanks, click on this post's title for more, have a terrific Sunday and as always, BE WELL.

Yankees Storm Back To Shock Rangers

I bailed out of the ALCS after six full innings last night. The Texas Rangers had a 5-0 lead with only three to go. The Yankee starter, CC Sabathia, was yanked in the fourth inning. But the pinstripers scored one in the seventh and five in the eighth while the Rangers were forever stuck at five. Poof. Yankees win. Here's their manager, Joe Girardi...

"I'm never surprised at what our guys do. Maybe thrilled, but never surprised. There's a talented group in there that plays with a lot of passion."

And here's the scoop from Texas manager Ron Washington...

"It got away from us. But gave it away? No. We just didn't execute."

That's for sure. The eighth frame was bizarre and I'm glad I wasn't awake to see it. I just did on the ESPN dot com site that the title is linked to. Check it out. A four run lead with six outs to go. Damn Yankees. Tonight the two teams go at it once again along with the Phillies and Giants. THAT should be a great one with Halladay versus Lincecum. Here's the schedule and pitching match-ups for both contests from me to you...

NY Yankees at Texas **4:00 PM TBS **Hughes vs Lewis
San Francisco at Philadelphia **7:30 PM FOX** Lincecum vs Halladay

I would like to see the Rangers knot up the series but it might not happen. As for the late game, Halladay all the way in an extremely low-scoring game. Now that's exciting! Have a great Saturday, click on this post's title for all you'd want to know about last night's rumble and as always, BE WELL. Thanks for being here. See ya. Don't forget to click away. Hi ho Silver!

ALCS Begins...Yankees At Texas...Bob Uecker Needs Another Open Heart Surgery

Tonight in Arlington, Texas, the American League Championship series, a best of seven affair between the defending champion NY Yankees and the Texas Rangers, begins. Tomorrow, the National League teams begin play. For the air times of both, just look at the second post directly beneath this one. It will be the "C" men starting tonight. CC Sabathia will face off against rookie CJ Wilson. Here's Yankee first baseman Mark Teixeira on the importance of Sabathia...

“CC is our ace and we have leaned on him for two years now. Game 1 is very important. We are expecting a lot out of CC.”

Enjoy game one, my Constant Readers. On a more somber note, the doctors who put a new valve in Bob Uecker's heart have found a tear and he will have open heart surgery shortly...again. He said this yesterday...

"I'm approaching this with the same optimism that I had the first time, and I appreciate all of the kind thoughts and well wishes from Brewers fans and everyone who has reached out to me. I look forward to being ready to go well before Spring Training in Arizona."

We wish you the best, Bob. You are a legend in all of our hearts and you can make it through this. YES, YOU CAN. God bless you. Baseball would not be the same without you and your voice behind the mike.

You can click on this post's title for all the details of tonight's game (from somewhere in enemy territory) and as always, BE WELL.

Yankees Shuffle Lineup

The New York Yankees, on the eve of their first 2010 postseason meeting with the Texas Rangers, have decided to alter their starting pitching rotation. CC Sabathia will start Friday night's opener in Texas, with Phil Hughes now set to pitch Game 2 on Saturday. Andy Pettitte moves back to Game 3 and A.J. Burnett will pitch Game 4 in New York on Tuesday. The reason Joe Girardi is pushing Pettitte back to game number three is that Andy will be able to go against the Rangers' ace, Cliff Lee. It might be a good move but I really don't think Lee will give up many runs...if any at all. My pick? I hate to say it but the Yankees in six.

My other pick between the Phillies and the Giants is Philly in six (if not five). I say six because SF will have Lincecum going twice, each time against Roy Halladay. They might cancel each other out but the games are sure to be low scoring and tense. Philly is just too strong up and down their lineup to NOT go all the way to a world championship. Hey, a Yankees-Phillies World Series would be awesome, at least on paper. When the players are in between the lines, playing ball, anything can happen and usually does. That's baseball, America's game! My game. Our game.

It's nippy here in north central Connecticut with a 6am EDT temperature of 34.5 degrees F. That's normal for this time of year. It's a good thing the pinstripers are out west because the weather will not be good through the early part of Friday with inches and inches of the wet stuff. I want to say good luck to three teams and nothing to the fourth. You know who they are. Please click on this post's title if you wish for more on the upcoming ALCS & NLCS. As always, BE WELL. Have a great Thursday and God bless those Chilean miners.

Cliff Lee Completely Dominant...Rangers Thump & Bump Rays And Advance To The ALCS To Play NY...My Goodness!

Cliff Lee pitched his Texas Rangers to continuing glory with a complete game 5-1 victory over the now-dead and buried Tampa Bay Rays. Lee was dominating but since he threw 120 pitches in his complete game effort, he won't pitch again until his Rangers meet the Yankees for game three on Monday. He put on a pitching clinic. Here's the no-hitter master, Nolan Ryan (thanks BFW)...

"Cliff Lee is as confident as any pitcher I've ever seen and the thing that makes you marvel is, he doesn't have a put-away pitch. He doesn't have a devastating slider, or velocity that blows people away, or a sinker that eats hitters up. But he's so confident in his ability to throw the ball where he wants it, and he pitches to both sides of the plate. It's unbelievable. This was as outstanding a performance in a pressure situation as I've ever seen.''

He was THAT good. So it'll be San Francisco At Philadelphia in game one of the NLCS on Saturday and the Yankees at Texas Friday night. Here is the complete schedule for both series...

NLCS

Game 1: Sat. Oct. 16: San Francisco (Lincecum) at Philadelphia (Halladay), 7:57 p.m., FOX
Game 2: Sun. Oct. 17: San Francisco (Cain) at Philadelphia (Oswalt), 8:19 p.m., FOX
Game 3: Tue. Oct. 19: Philadelphia (Hamels) at San Francisco (Sanchez), 4:19 p.m., FOX
Game 4: Wed. Oct. 20: Philadelphia at San Francisco, 7:57 p.m., FOX
Game 5:* Thur. Oct. 21: Philadelphia at San Francisco, 7:57 p.m., FOX
Game 6:* Sat. Oct. 23: San Francisco at Philadelphia, 3:57 p.m., FOX
Game 7:* Sun. Oct. 24: San Francisco at Philadelphia, 7:57 p.m., FOX

ALCS

Game 1: Fri. Oct. 15: Yankees at Rangers, 8:07 p.m., TBS
Game 2: Sat. Oct. 16: Yankees at Rangers, 4:07 p.m., TBS
Game 3: Mon. Oct. 18: Rangers at Yankees, 8:07 p.m., TBS
Game 4: Tue. Oct. 19: Rangers at Yankees, 8:07 p.m., TBS
Game 5:* Wed. Oct. 20: Rangers at Yankees, 4:07 p.m., TBS
Game 6:* Fri. Oct. 22: Yankees at Rangers, 8:07 p.m., TBS
Game 7:* Sat. Oct. 23: Yankees at Rangers, 8:07 p.m., TBS

Print it out and you'll know when to watch and where to tune in. You can also click on this post's title for more on last night's game. As always, BE WELL. Make the most out of your Hump Day Wednesday.

Texas & Tampa Bay Game 5 Tonight

Baseball fans will have their eyes glued to the Tuesday night Tropicana Field game five contest between the Texas Rangers and the Tampa Bay Rays, winners of two straight. Now the Rays have the advantage because they're playing at home. It'll be nineteen game winner David Price going for TB and Cliff Lee taking the mound for the Texans. It will be a rematch of game one. Here is the Rays' manager, Joe Maddon...

“The first three games we just did not show up. Definitely there’s a difference in the dugout and within the clubhouse. It’s back to where it had been, and that’s where we need to be. We play off our internal emotions pretty well, and we didn’t have any.”

Internal, external, none. Whatever. Each team needs to win only one game to advance to the ALCS and play those NY Yankees. The Yankees are primed, rested and ready with their compact three (see below) man rotation. I think the tougher team for the pinstripers would be the Rays. We'll find out tonight in the last game of the American League Division Series. Should be fun.

This just in...it looks like the Yankees WILL add AJ Burnett to their rotation in the upcoming ALCS. Here's their GM, Brian Cashman...

"What I'm communicating to our fans is they need to be prepared for a four-man rotation and that probably includes A.J. Burnett. He was a big part of why we were successful last year and he can be a big part of why we are successful this year, too. I do have confidence in him."

I think it's a good idea. Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Tuesday will be terrific. Please, if you wish, click on this post's title for more coverage of tonight's exciting game five and as always, BE WELL.

Phillies Sweep..Rays Knot..Giants Up

The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Reds by a score of 2-0, getting a complete game from Cole Hamels. It was a three game sweep. The Tampa Bay Rays have knotted their series with the Texas Rangers after yesterday's 5-2 victory. They rode Evan Longoria's home run and two doubles to force a game five and a possible meeting with the NY Yankees. Here's Longoria...

"We've really battled to get back to even," Longoria said. "And I think we have a lot of confidence going home, and being able to finish the series in our home ballpark."

I was literally surprised when the lawmen went up two zip but things have returned to normal, so to speak. The final game yesterday featured the Braves and the Giants. The Giants went up two games to one with a 3-2 victory. Brooks Conrad of the Braves had three errors, one of which plated the go-ahead run. He was despondent...

"It's a whole lot to swallow, but I'll do my best to get over it. I probably won't for a long time. If ever."

Believe me, it was ugly. So two series are over and two remain. Enjoy them! You can click on this post's title for more playoff coverage and as always, be well. Make the most of your Monday.

Yankees Advance...Tony Gwynn Has Cancer

The New York Yankees stormed into the American League Championship series by whipping the outclassed Minnesota Twins by a score of 6-1. It was their third straight victory over the Twinkies. Here's the Minnesota manager, Ron Gardenhire...

"They kept puttin' the pressure on, and puttin' the pressure on, and ..." Ron Gardenhire

His voice trailed off after that but there was nothing else left to say. Phil Hughes pitched a tremendous game, as did Andy Pettitte. Sabathia was a little off his game but the bats were there to bail him out. Next up on Friday? Texas leads their series with Tampa Bay two games to one after last night's 6-3 comeback win by the Rays. They were down 3-1 but came back with two runs in the eighth and three in the ninth to prevent an unexpected sweep. Here's the Rays' manager, Joe Maddon...

"The fight showed up again, and that's a good sign."

They needed it or they would be gone. Poof! That would have been quite an upset but it ain't over yet. Again, they still trail the series 2-1. I think TB wins the next two. What do you think?

One of my favorite players, Tony Gwynn, has been diagnosed with cancer. This is from Yahoo sports just this morning...

"Former San Diego Padres great Tony Gwynn revealed he has cancer of the parotid salivary gland, and he suspects linkage between the disease and his use of chewing tobacco. This is stunning news, even if you already knew that Gwynn — who's just 50 years old — had surgery for a non-malignant parotid tumor in 1997 and 2007. Neither of those times did doctors find cancer, but when Gwynn went back for another surgery in September, it was a different story. This time they found a malignancy. They took out three lymph nodes and did all the tests and the results showed cancer in the parotid. The doctors say they feel they caught the cancer early and there was not much of it there."

Lymph nodes. Ouch. Good luck, Tony. We love you. My readers, enjoy your Sunday and please click on this post's title for more on the playoffs. Just go to the MLB homepage on the SI web page. That's where you'll be when you click on that title. As always, BE WELL. See you tomorrow.

John Winston Ono Lennon October 9, 1940-December 8, 1980

Happy 70th birthday, John Winston Ono Lennon. Yes, it's October 9th. You would have been 70 years old today. It's been so long since your murder but I remember it like it was yesterday. You are truly missed. Rest in peace. That's what you always pleaded for. Peace. We all do. I wish we could just stop fighting. Impossible? Just IMAGINE. Everyone. It's easy if you try. No hell below us. Above us only sky. You may say John was a dreamer, but he wasn't the only one. And we're all the better for it.

To my readers, thanks for being here once again. I really appreciate every one of you. There are two especially sad dates for me each year. Today, John Lennon's birthday, and that hideous Monday night, December 8th when the world found out that John was gone. I recoiled when I heard Howard Cosell read the press release live on Monday Night Football. Tears were followed by anger. His passing didn't really sink in for a couple days. In many ways, it still hasn't. I invite you to click on this post's title for a wonderful pictorial with music. Please put your sound on and as always, BE WELL. Do it for John. Peace. What else is more important?

Yankees & Rangers In Charge...Giant's Lincecum Brilliant

Both the NY Yankees and the Texas Rangers (surprisingly) have two games to none leads and are clearly in charge of their respective series. They would have to lose three in a row to bow out. That would be called a choke (think Yankees circa 2007). The San Francisco Giants, behind Tim Lincecum's two hit one walk complete game, defeated the Atlanta Braves 1-0 in game one of their series. Lincecum was immense and unhittable. He struck out fourteen Braves.

Get set for more baseball later today. New York will have the day off. They were buoyed by Andy Pettitte's stellar performance. I hope you have a great Friday and a terrific weekend. Click on this post's title for more of the playoff details and as always, BE WELL. Thanks.

Haladay No-No...Teixeira Rescues Yanks...Lee And Rangers Topple Rays

The best will come first on this nippy Thursday morning here in north central Connecticut. Roy Halladay accomplished something only one other pitcher in MLB history has done and he led his favored Philadelphia Phillies to a 4-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. What did he do? He threw a one walk NO HITTER, a feat only Don Larson has done in the post season. He had complete command of every one of his pitches and didn't throw one pitch that was straight. It was one of the best nine innings I've ever seen. Here he is...

"It's surreal, it really is. I just wanted to pitch here, to pitch in the postseason. To go out and have a game like that, it's a dream come true."

Next up is the NY Yankees 6-4 win over the Minnesota Twins. Mark Teixeira, who has been hampered by a hand injury, came through when the pinstripers needed him the most. He said this about his tater...

"Game-winning homers. There's nothing better. It's just bad luck for Minnesota. We just keep fighting. That's a great team over there. We've played a lot of tough games against them.

And lastly, Cliff Lee led his Texas Rangers to a 5-1 upset win over the Tampa Bay Rays. The quality of the remaining Ranger starting pitchers drops off drastically after Cliff. He said this after the game...

"I like pitching on a big stage. Just pitching in the big leagues alone is an honor, but when you get an opportunity to make it to the postseason that's what it's all about. That's what you play all year for."

There are three more games today including the prime time game one between Atlanta and San Francisco. The starters will be old friend Derrick Lowe and Lincecum. Pettitte and Pavano will go, respectfully, for the Yanks and the Twinkies at 6:07pm and lastly, in the early game, Wilson and Garza will take the hill for the Rangers and the Rays. So there's a full slate for you. I hope you enjoy them. I'll start picking the games in the championship round, which will be here before we know it. The pinstripers need a great start by Andy Pettitte to bolster their three man starting staff. I think they'll beat the Twins but the road to the World Series gets tougher from there. May the best teams (and the Twins) win.

Enjoy the action, have a great Thursday, click on this post's title to be zapped to ESPN dot com for all the coverage of each of yesterday's games and as always, BE WELL. Thanks. Happy autumn to one and all.

AL & NL Playoff Pitching Match Ups

There are three playoff games today and I'd like to give you the pitching matchups for all six teams that play. First up are the Reds and the Phillies...

Reds: RH Edinson Volquez (4-3, 4.31 ERA in 12 starts after returning from elbow ligament replacement surgery in July), RH Bronson Arroyo (17-10, 3.88), RH Johnny Cueto (12-7, 3.64).

Phillies: RH Roy Halladay (21-10, 2.44, 9 CGs), RH Roy Oswalt (7-1, 1.74 in 13 games with Phillies after trade from Houston; 13-13, 2.76 overall), LH Cole Hamels (12-11, 3.06).

OK, number two are the Rangers and the Rays

Rangers: LH Cliff Lee (12-9, 3.18 ERA, 7 CGs in 28 starts, 185 Ks, 18 walks, 212 1-3 innings; 4-6, 3.98 in 15 starts since acquired from Seattle on July 9), LH C.J. Wilson (15-8, 3.35, 3 CGs in 33 starts), RH Colby Lewis (12-13, 3.72 in career-high 201 innings), RH Tommy Hunter (13-4, 3.73).

Rays: LH David Price (19-6, 2.72 ERA), RH James Shields (13-15, 5.18), RH Matt Garza (15-10, 3.91), RH Wade Davis (12-10, 4.07).

And lastly, the late game today features NY at Minnesota...

Yankees: LH CC Sabathia (21-7, 3.18 ERA, 237 2-3 innings), LH Andy Pettitte (11-3, 3.28), RH Phil Hughes (18-8, 4.19).

Twins: LH Francisco Liriano (14-10, 3.62), RH Carl Pavano (17-11, 3.75), LH Brian Duensing (10-3, 2.62 in 53 games, including 13 starts), RH Nick Blackburn


I hope you enjoy today's action. I'll be paying the most attention to the primetime contest. GO TWINS! Thanks for popping in and as always, BE WELL. Oh! If you didn't see the ESPN special FOUR DAYS IN OCTOBER, which features the four games the pinstripers and the Red Sox played in 2004 after the Yanks went up three zip, look for a repeat of it. It was one amazing hour. I DVR-ed it and I plan to watch it again. Find it and watch it. See you soon. P.S. BFW, I left a link for you in the comment section. Copy and paste it if you please. "Nowhere Boy" trailers galore.

Red Sox Owner's Statement To Fans...Mets Shake It Up...Yanks Announce Playoff Rotation

John Henry, Larry Lucchino and Tom Werner took out a full page ad in the Boston Globe saying that they will do a better job next year. Here is the entire ad...

************************************************************************

"There's nothing like "October Baseball" at Fenway Park. You miss it. We miss it. We want it back.
While we fell short of our annual goal of reaching the postseason, we are proud nonetheless of the way this team conducted itself through serious adversity — showing grit, determination and a team-first attitude.

We are also proud of you, our loyal fans. Through injury (and more injuries) and after hard-to-swallow losses, you continued to fill Fenway Park and support the team. When
the kids were called up, you learned their names, their stories, and applauded them as your own. When you saw our veterans playing though their bodies weren't cooperating, you took note and appreciated their heart and spirit. When we were struggling, you were there. When we had walk-off wins, you were there.

We work for you. Our players play for you. It gives us immense pride to do so. You are the rock on which this franchise is built.

We know the best way to honor you is not merely to thank you, but to go out and honor our fundamental commitment to field an excellent team in 2011, another one worthy of your avid support.

We can do better. We will do better. We are committed to winning. For you, for us, for the whole of Red Sox Nation.

Once more, we say "Thank You."

Pitchers and catchers report in 132 days."

****************************************************************************
Guys, there's a lot of room for improvement (think bullpen) and preparations for next year begin today. In another piece of news, this one major, the NY Mets have decided to jettison Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel. Most baseball fans are saying it's about time. Does this open the door a small crack for Joe Torre's return to the Big Apple? Only the Shadow knows and the Shadow is a Red Sox fan. We'll find out soon enough.

And lastly, the Yankees are not going to make the struggling AJ Burnett a part of their post season rotation. It'll be Sabathia, Pettitte and Hughes. If there is a fifth game, Sabathia will be pitching on regular rest. That's a scary thought for the other team. Sabathia will be the Cy Young Award winner, deservedly so, I must add. The pinstripers will play the Twins during primetime tonight. In all, three games are scheduled. Check your local listings.

That's a wrap for this Tuesday. I hope you have a great one, click on this post's title for more Sox stuff and as always, BE WELL. I thank you for being here.

Game Ovah! Season Ovah. Red Sox Banish Yankees To Wild Card With 8-4 Victory

The NY Yankees will be the 2010 American League wild card team after they again lost to the Boston Red Sox on Sunday. The final was 8-4 Good Guys. For the Yankees, who stumbled through September, there's a tough road ahead. For Boston, there is much off season work for Theo & company to do. Number one would be to buy (yes, buy) the services of a first class reliever, one who can be counted on. Number two would be to retain the services of Adrian Beltre and Victor Martinez. Our team is still strong, deep down, but the Red Sox were depleted by unfortunate mishaps. Here's Kevin Youkilis...

“I don’t feel like we’re that far away. The core of this team is very strong. It could have been a lot different for us this year.’’

I feel the exact same way. Hey, I'm glad we beat the Yankees on Sunday. They will not have ANY kind of home field advantage. Look for them to bow out early in the AL playoffs. I know I'll be watching every pitch.

I had a great time typing to you this season of 2010. I'll do it again next year and I'll be back with daily posts about the upcoming off season manipulations the Red Sox must complete. Click on this post's title for more on our favorite team and as always, BE WELL. Hey, it was fun, wasn't it? As always, BE WELL.

That's All, Folks...2010

From the AP, just two minutes ago...


"BOSTON (AP)—The New York Yankees missed a chance for their second straight AL East title and wound up with a wild-card berth in the playoffs, completing a rare late-season fade with an 8-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox 8-4 Sunday.
The Yankees open the postseason at Minnesota on Wednesday, while Tampa Bay wins the AL East and starts at home against Texas. New York was 66-37 at the start of play on Aug. 1, but went just 29-30 the rest of the way. It was just the second time the Yankees led through games of Labor Day and failed to finish first, according to STATS LLC. The others were in 1906 and 1944."

I'll be back Monday morning. Click on this post's title for all the Red Sox highlights. It was a great ending to an injured but sometimes bright season.

Final Game Fenway Park Sunday...Our captain, Jason Varitek, Cries...4 Days In October On ESPN Tuesday Night

Big Papi came out for a curtain call when he was taken out in the fifth inning. Varitek is in there, too, and the ovation when he's lifted will be loud & sweet. I love it! Boston up 6-2. Wait! 7-2 Red Sox as I type. Now 8-2 bottom of the ninth with (gulp) Paps on the hill. Too little, too late, but I'm smiling. I hope the pinstripers will be the wild card team. Varitek comes out in the ninth amid a thundering ovation and he (and I) had tears flowing. We love you, 'Tek. One out to go. 8-2 Red Sox. And the Tampa Bay Rays will be AL East champs. YES!!!!!


**Important** Tuesday night from 8pm to 9pm EDT is a much more elongated look at the greatest comeback in the history of baseball. It will be on ESPN and ESPN HD. It's a "not miss" show. That's right. Red Sox Nation gets to have a little (a lot) of October fun. Thank you ESPN. In case you forgot, it's Yankees-Red Sox again. DO NOT MISS IT. My DVR is ready, willing and able.

Red Sox Lose One, Win One In Saturday Marathon

I have to be honest. I only was able to watch the first three innings of game two between the NY Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. The Good Guys won the second game 7-6 but lost to the pinstripers in game one 6-5. The teams were on the field for what seemed like forever and game two ended AFTER 2am. Here's the Boston skipper, Terry "Tito" Francona...

"You spend that much time at the ballpark, it's nice to have a win.

He's right. Spending twelve hours on the field and losing two games would have been disheartening, to say the least. Tim Wakefield started game one in place of Clay Buchholz. Clay's back was a little stiff and the powers that be wisely didn't take any chances. Wakes gave up five runs in a mediocre start and the bullpen held on until (gulp) Jonathon Papelbon (another gulp) came on and lost the game in the tenth. He has to get his "stuff" (I could have used another word) together for the 2011 season. Game two began around 9:30 and also was an extra inning game. The Red Sox prevailed despite a labored outing by Daisuke Matsuzaka. My goodness, he throws WAY WAY too many pitches. The Boston bullpen in the form of Okajima and Manuel put up goose eggs for the last three and one third innings, allowing the Red Sox to win the second to last game of the season. The teams battle one more time this afternoon with Lackey (13-11) ready for his last start against Moseley (4-3). The contest begins shortly after one pm edt. ESPN is carrying the most important pennant race games on their national telecast so the turn around time for NY and Boston will be a quick one. Remember, they probably didn't get back to their homes or their hotels until the wee hours of the morning. The last day of the 2010 regular season will be a hard day's night...or a hard night's day. There, that's better.

I've enjoyed writing to you and I'll be back with another post tomorrow describing John Lackey's dominant (?) Sunday performance. Click on this post's title to see all the highlights from yesterday and especially Mike Lowell's heartfelt speech to the fans. His family was there and it was a great moment. You'll find it on the Red Sox site. Click on "video." Put your sound on and as always, BE WELL. I'll be here tomorrow, same time, same channel. Holy Batman! As always, BE WELL.

A Wall Of Rain At Fenway Park..Mike Lowell Day Today

The Friday night game between the Yankees and the Red Sox was postponed because of rain...a ton of it. I know. We had the same copious amount of the wet stuff here in north central Connecticut. There was absolutely no way for the two teams to get a game in, much less a single pitch, and they will play two today. Here are the details...Game 1: Andy Pettitte vs. Tim Wakefield, 4:10 p.m., FOX. Game 2: A.J. Burnett vs. Daisuke Matsuzaka, 9:05 p.m. Enjoy them if you can. The sun should show it's shiny face by the time game 1 begins. The Fenway Faithful will stand as one and honor Mike Lowell, who will be playing the last three games of his career. We'll miss you, Mikey. Terribly.

Click on this post's title for more on Mike. You'll be glad you did. As always, BE WELL.

Lester Doesn't Have His Fastball Control

Jon Lester gave up eight runs on nine hits in only four innings and the Chicago White Sox beat the Boston Red Sox by a score of 8-3, denying him a twenty win season. Lester did not have command of his fastball and that, I believe, threw off his entire repertoire. Here's Jon himself...

“One of those days. Bad day to have one of them. It’s more disappointing not making the playoffs,’’ he said. “Would it have been nice? Yeah, I’m not going to lie to you. But regardless of all that we didn’t make the playoffs. We didn’t meet our goal this year and that’s more disappointing.’’

Hey Jon, you had a tremendous season. Do not hang your head in shame. When you're on (which is most of the time), you're the best left handed pitcher in all of Major League Baseball. We'll see you next year along with all the "missing due to injuries" players.

There is only one series, three games to go and it will be with the NY Yankees. They are tied with the Rays. Both have a record of 94-65 so these games matter a whole lot. One team will be the division winner who will earn home field advantage and the other will be the wild card entry with NO home field advantage. I'm sure the Red Sox players and coaches would love to relegate those pinstripers to a wild card berth. The Yankees do much better at home, by the way. Here are the final pitching match-ups for these two hated rivals...

Fri. 1 *NYY 7:10 PM ET* WWOR/NESN **Matsuzaka (9-6) vs. Pettitte (11-3)
Sat. 2 *NYY 4:10 PM ET* FOX **Buchholz (17-7) vs. Burnett (10-15)
Sun. 3 *NYY 1:35 PM ET* YES/NESN** Lackey (13-11)8 TBA

Enjoy your Friday and your weekend. I hope you saw part two of the new Ken Burns baseball film last night. I was too busy to see it last night on my DVR (I love my DVR) so I plan to watch all two and a half hours of it as soon as I proofread this post. Thank you for stopping by, click on this post's title for more on the Sox and as always, BE WELL.