As we enter the final week of the 2009 season, only three teams have secured play-off places so far, but expect the picture to become a lot more clear over the coming days. Meanwhile, there’s still a few races going on, and for some teams their post-season hopes may really go down to the wire.
In the AL East, New York has already secured a place in the play-offs. The Yankees were the first team to earn a post-season berth and also achieved a new home-run record at Yankee Stadium for the season on Friday evening. Currently playing three games against Boston, with a win today, New York will clinch the division title. CC Sabathia pitched majestically on Saturday to become the first pitcher to snag 19 wins this year. Boston are still looking good for the AL wild card spot, now six games up over Texas, so barring any kind of disaster with just eight games to play, the Red Sox should be in the post-season.
The Phillies are still holding a five game lead in the NL East, but haven’t secured their play-off place just yet, mainly because of the surging Atlanta Braves behind them. Atlanta have won five straight and are just 2.5 games behind the Rockies in the NL wild card right now, so their progress over the coming week will be one of the more interesting races to follow. The Braves also learned that long-time manager Bobby Cox will remain in charge for 2010, but probably retire after that. The Marlins remain four games behind in the wild card, so also still have a chance to make it to the post-season this year.
The race in the AL Central is probably garnering the most attention right now. Detroit’s grip on the division seemed pretty strong up to a week or two ago, but now they are just two games ahead of the Minnesota Twins. The Tigers swept Cleveland midweek, but the Twins’ late-season surge continues, as Minnesota have lost just once in 12 games. Still, it’s clearly Detroit who are under the most pressure, and they definitely hold the upper hand. With four games between the two teams Monday to Thursday, this division could be wrapped up within a few days, or go right down to the wire. Further down from the contenders, the Indians snapped an 11-game losing streak with a win over the Orioles, and Zach Greinke secured his 15th win of the year over the Red Sox (and will be going for number 16 today against the Twins), as the Royals continue to play well despite being eliminated.
In the NL Central, St. Louis have already been crowned the divisional champions with an 8.5 game advantage over the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs have been playing well lately, and mathematically still have a shot at obtaining a wild card place, but only if other results go their way. Despite suspending Milton Bradley for the rest of the season (expect him to be traded soon), Carlos Zambrano pitched a complete game two-hitter against San Francisco the other day, certainly no mean achievement with Tim Lincecum on the mound for the Giants. The Brewers were eliminated this week, but perhaps Prince Fielder will play in all 162 games: the only player in the Majors to achieve that feat this year. Earlier this week, the Houston Astros fired their manager Cecil Cooper with just 13 more games to play, with third-base coach Dave Clark named interim manager for the rest of the season.
In the AL West, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are close, but haven’t yet clinched their play-off berth. They’re still five games up over Texas but are on a four-game losing streak. The Rangers are still keeping their hopes alive and playing a little better after stumbling last week, but they’re a long way back in the wild card standings, and will still need to rely on the Halos really screwing things up to win the division. In Seattle, Felix Hernandez secured his 17th win of the year to keep his Cy Young hopes alive, and the normally quiet and assured Ichiro Suzuki found himself ejected for the very first time in his career. Meanwhile, the Oakland A’s are continuing to stack up the victories in September, and are currently making life a lot harder for the Angels this weekend.
The Los Angeles Dodgers finally clinched a play-off place last night with a victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, and it probably won’t be too long before they secure the NL West divisional title. The Rockies are still out front in the NL wild card, though they’re only 2.5 games ahead of the Atlanta Braves. Things are not looking good for the San Francisco Giants nowadays. Eliminated from the division race, the Giants are five games back in the NL wild card standings, falling behind the Marlins, and it would take a miracle for them to clinch a play-off spot. With three consecutive losses to the Chicago Cubs this weekend, and Edgar Renteira out for the rest of the season due to elbow surgery, the Giants will be disappointed that they didn’t make it, despite boasting the league’s best pitching staff.
Well, that wraps up another eventful week in the MLB. Matt will continue to guide you through the post-season and 2009 World Series, so see you in April next year.
Thanks again for providing these weekly updates Marty. Maybe the Twins’ 2009 could still extend beyond the regular season?
Thanks Matt. I think the Twins have a chance, but the ball is still very much in Detroit’s court, what with them being two games up with seven to play. But you never know. Minnesota has been playing its best baseball of the season, however, the Tigers are always dangerous.
In a weird kind of way, I’m pleased I’m following the team that has the ground to make up rather than the team out in front: the Twins have nothing to lose, in many ways the pressure is off them, and that might help them clinch it. These four games from Monday to Thursday sure will be tense affairs, and even with victories for Minnesota, there will still be work to be done and results might need to go their way.
The weakness of this division is all the more apparent, seeing as how average the Twins have been this year, and I think either team will likely get decimated by the Yankees in a play-off… But this is baseball, and anything can happen, so that’s why we keep watching through all the agony!
Sorry, but the pressure is on the Twins. When you are 2 out this late, you are the team that HAS to win. Minnesota has to sweep Detroit. They won’t simply because they are not playing the games in the protection of their MLB best home field advantage of the baggiedome. They can’t expect help from the most underachieving team in the Central, the White Sox next weekend in Detroit either. Most agree the Sox should have run away with the division. Detroit has a lot more to play for next weekend. Detroit wins the Central and goes no further than the first round of the AL Playoffs.
Look for Kenny Williams to make some major deals over the winter. The White Sox were a monumental disappointment. With probably the best starting 5 next season (Peavy, Buehrle, Danks, Floyd and Garcia), a revamped bullpen, and a bunch of youngsters with another year of experience, a healthy Carlos Quentin, a much closer to his average season Alex Rios and continued production from A.J. Pierzynski and Paul Konerko, look for the Sox to thake back their 2008 Central crown.
Chico, thanks for your comments. Your predictions may turn out to be correct, but I think we’re all aware that baseball can be a notoriously difficult game to read and anything can (and usually does) happen.
Many ‘experts’ also predicted the Indians to be a shoo-in for the AL Central this year, more so than the White Sox perhaps, and looked what happened. At the same time, it’d seem the Yankees are all set for another World Series after a truly dominant season, but history reveals that the team with the best record doesn’t always win the title. For example, the Cardinals had the best record in 2004 and 2005, but only won the the World Series when they had the poorest record in 2006: http://bit.ly/4dAikd
I like what the White Sox are doing right now with their roster changes, and it’s likely they’ll be a far stronger team next year.
Then again, my predictions are often wrong. 🙂
Add me to that list of ‘experts’ who had the Indians down as AL Central winners this year!
The short series format of the playoffs really does make things much more open than win totals over the regular season can sometimes lead you to think. So long as you’re one of those eight teams, however you get there, you’ve got a real chance.
Marty: If I am wrong and the Twins win the Central I will be pulling for them to go all the way and bring a WS back to the Central and the Twin Cities. I am from Chicago and now live about 50 minutes from the Dome. I am a Sox fan, but most of my baseball coaching colleagues are Twins fans. We have a lot of fun with it. I get to 12 to 15 Sox games at the Cell and also when they play at the Metrodome. I have coached a dozen High School games at the Dome, so I am very familiar with it, In fact, our HS Fall Ball team is playing now on Sundays in the Gopher State Fall League and the games are played mostly in the Cities with a few in Western Wisconsin. The games starting tonight will be fun and tense. I’ll be watchung them. Good luck to your team. Chico
Thanks Chico. Maybe next year I’ll see you at the new Target Field next time I’m out in the Twin Cities! Interestingly enough, it’s wet and rainy today in Detroit, so the Twins better get damn used to inclement weather. So far, their performances when there have been rain delays have been pitiful this year.
Marty: It’s raining here and the NW wind is blowing at about 40 miles an hour at times. Our game yesterday was played in White Bear Lake. Game one started at noon, sunny and 74 degrees. We finished game two at 4pm with it cloudy, windy and 60 degrees! A blast has hit the upper midwest out of Canada. I agree the Twins had better get used to it. Next season at this time it could be beautiful or awful weatherwise. Maybe we could meet up at a game next season. My son and I are looking forward to going to Target Field. What a beautiful ballyard. I’m already bugging my friends with season tickets to share them with a couple of Sox fans!You being in SF do not have to worry about this weather. Enjoy the game. Chico
Sheesh…the Red Sox look to grab the AL Wildcard but they certainly aren’t making us Boston fans feel especially confident. Regardless, it looks to be a fun post-season!
Oh, hi Blue! Didn’t peg you as a Red Sox fan, what a terrible affliction to have to deal with. 😉
Boston is always so strong in pressure situations so I’m sure they’ll have a good post-season, but I think this year’s competition should be fascinating, and I bet there will be a few surprises along the way.
I will probably be rooting for the Tigers seeing as they’ve probably dealt the Twins a huge blow by winning last night.