Deadspin
Everything is coming up pinstripes lately, and Boston fans are none too happy, of course. Andy Pettitte earned his 200th win and Mariano Rivera escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth as the Yankees beat Orioles 2-1 Wednesday, New York pulling to within 1½ games of first-place Boston. Do I need to mention at this point that the Red Sox lost to the Blue Jays, 6-1? I thought not.
Hideki Matsui homered and The Dread Pirate Doug Mientkiewicz scored on a wild pitch for New York, which has won four straight and 12 of 14. The Yankees also opened a 5½-game lead over Detroit in the AL wild card race. Although the way things are going, that will be Boston's problem. So exactly how devastating will this be if New York actually wins a division which the Red Sox were leading by 14 games in May? Would it be worse than, well, all the other times?
• Dodgers Fail To Touch 'Em All. The first edition of Alyssa Milano's TBS Hot Corner is here! Come with Alyssa as she takes you on a tour of Dodgers Stadium. Of course it's just as the Dodgers are losing to the Rockies, 6-5, to fall 6 1/2 games back in the NL West, making Alyssa's tour seem like a walk through a graveyard.
• No Place Like Dome. It's been a long time since we've checked in with the Twins, so let's just say that Matt Garza somehow managed to win at home — the first time he's done that in his career — in the Twins' 4-2 victory over the Rangers.
• East Enders. The Mets finally figured out the Nationals, beating them 8-4 behind David Wright's three RBI to end a five-game losing streak. The Phillies lost to the Cardina;s 2-1, so New York has a little breathing room in the NL East at 2 1/2 games.
• Lou Ball. The Cubs beat the Reds 3-2 (Griffey injured! Who could have seen that coming?), and the Astros beat the Brewers 5-4, meaning that Chicago is back in first place in the NL Central by one game. Maybe that will stop the conspiracy nuts for a little while.
Comments
I can't wait until Simmons' head explodes.
Gee, I'm so glad that the O's have been so helpful in gettin the Yanks back on track.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go bang my head against a wall for the next hour or so....
Tito is an evil genius in the disguise of a bumbling idiot. This is a controlled collapse.
If the Indians have the best record in the AL will ESPN make a sound?
To quote myself from last night, "I couldn't be happier. Everything's fine. No, I'm not worried about anything, why would you even ask that. I'm cool. Everything's going to be OK."
This is all your fault Rick.
@Afino:
can he take Dane Cook with him as collateral damage?
If the Sox blow the lead, will Matsuzaka and Okajima commit seppuku?
@Get Him A Body Bag, Yeah!: Is there a French Canadian version of that?
Chipper goes 2/3 to maintain a .001 lead over Renteria and Holiday.
At least I have some reason to watch.
I rather tour Alyssa Milano's nooks and crannies. I'm sure I would find "artifacts" left behind by Brad Penny and Carl Pavano.
@MannysHeadStash: Eating an entire box of Tim Horton's donuts? Either that, or being repeatedly shocked with the Mountie's cattle prod until your heart stops. I'm for either option, though I'd prefer the one involving Jacques Rougeau.
@MannysHeadStash: There is but one uses a sharpened hockey stick instead.
@MannysHeadStash: Poutine?
I'm contemplating going on a crash diet to lose a waist size, so I can fit into the jeans I wore during the '04 ALCS. Lucky hat comes out this weekend. My birthday wish Sunday is set.
I am now... nervous.
Allyssa Milano's TBS Hot Corner
Sounds like someone's been messing around with Pat Burrell again.
@Slothrop:
Absolutely.
@MitchKayak:
It's all Mangini's fault. He caught the Sawx stealing signs.
@Slothrop: I actually do blame Dane Cook for this entire Sox mess. However, I also blame him for cancer, AIDS, the 1988 stock market crash, teenage pregnancy and the Boer War.
Will anyone remember how devestating this was when the Angels and Indians are meeting in the ALCS?
@Scoops:
+1.
I was up in Montreal last winter, and holy shit. I didn't think I'd leave there alive. It's probably the only city where the food's more dangerous than the strip clubs. And in Montreal, that's saying something.
@UkraineNotWeak: Can a virus count as an artifact? It's not really a man-made evidence, I mean.
I'm contemplating naming my first son Carston Charles. In a related story, my fiance is considering pre-marital divorce.
@Afino: I like to combine the two, & eat the poutine right out of her ####.
@Get Him A Body Bag, Yeah!:
I heard a rumor that Dane Cook was actually Typhoid Mary.
@Dr. Michael Mancini: Pfft.. Like ESPN would cover that.
Up next on ESPN: The Sox and Yanks clean out their lockers! Also, a baseball game played somewhere out west.
I pictured Alyssa Milano's Hot Corner a little differently
Scott Hairston > Jerry Hairston Jr.
I pictured Alyssa Milano's Hot Corner just as it is in my dreams, glorious.
Must you mention the Twins?
/Metrodomer
@Scoops: For ESPN's purposes, Cleveland is "out West."
The Marlins pushed back Dontrelle Willis' start a day so he could face Tom Glavine tonight.
The way he's pitched this year, I can't tell if Florida wants to help out the Phillies or the Mets.
Or maybe they just want his bat in the lineup.
Griffey know what it's like to have a g-g-groin injury.
Griffey needs some of that brain tonic if he's to have any chance of seeing the field again this season.
@Hustler of Culture: Scott Moore had the best seat in the house in the ninth inning. Unfortunately, it was HOME PLATE.
@Shea Guevara:
It was strange, last night, to actually be grateful for a Yadier Molina base hit.
@StupidAngelos: The Orioles had the statue of liberty play on
Nice Eastenders reference. Not that I've ever seen the show or anything.
@DannyNoonan: The who?
@LingeringBursitis: You mean they still make that stuff?
@UkraineNotWeak: The only thing harder than rooting for your team to win, is rooting for another team to lose... Course it is Philly, so that helps.
Wouldn't it be fun to see this year's version of the Sox with nasty trucker facial hair like 2004. I can only imagine the women of Boston loving that on Pedroia/Ellsbury/Okajima/Paps... that is if they're old enough to even grow facial hair.
@Scoops:
Poutine references on two posts today? Surely a sign that the apocalypse is imminent.
@UkraineNotWeak: It helps when the team you're "rooting" for poses no potential threat in the playoffs.
Last year I was actually pulling for the Cards to hold on and win the Central Division because I figured they'd be easier prey in the playoffs. That turned out great.
After Alyssa is done with her tour of Dodger Stadium, I'd be happy to give her a tour of my pants.
@Magnakai Haaskivi: So, if the Yanks are out of it, they just call the whole thing off, right? That's the impression I'm getting from TWWL.
@econdave:
La p'tine, c'est bon.
Woo! I went to sleep a littler last night after seeing the Mets win, and the Phillies lose (I love you Extra Innings. Marry me, and let's have many little Game Mix babies.)
Still, it is fun watching Red Sox fans sweat. When I'm not busy watching the Tribe destroy Detroit. Heh.
@Get Him A Body Bag, Yeah!: No, I think they'll just assassinate Gagne in the night.
I love the smell of red sox fan sweat in the morning. It smells like .... pizza.
Is it coincidence that as soon as Belichick gets caught stealing signs the Red Sox start losing their lead even more.
sox magic # to make playoffs: 3