It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the final day of the 2010 regular season, subject to any 163 or even 164 games depending on how the National League shakes out.\u00c2\u00a0 All of today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s contests are being played in the daytime in the States, so they are all \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcearly\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 games for us in the UK.<\/p>\n
The one problem you sometimes find on the final day is that MLB.com\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s servers can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t cope with the traffic, and that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s just in trying to look at the scoreboard, nevermind trying to follow any games via their multimedia content.\u00c2\u00a0 Here\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hoping it all goes smoothly.<\/p>\n
BBC 5 Live Sports Extra<\/strong><\/p>\n Ideally, BBC 5 Live Sports Extra would be broadcasting the Padres-Giants game at 21.05, but the NFL game takes precedence at that point.\u00c2\u00a0 Therefore, the team was left with a choice between Brewers-Reds, Nationals-Mets or Pirates-Marlins at 18.10.\u00c2\u00a0 They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve plumped for the game involving the team heading to the playoffs.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/p>\n The main point of note about the contest is that the Reds have shifted Edinson Volquez from his rotation schedule so that he can start Game One of their NLDS.\u00c2\u00a0 Aaron Harang will pitch for Cincinnati today instead and he has plenty to play for because unless he puts in a very strong performance, there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a good chance he could be left off the NLDS roster.<\/p>\n As for the Brewers, Randy Wolf should take the ball to round out his first season in Milwaukee.\u00c2\u00a0 He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been an ever-present in the rotation and has a 4.18 ERA this year, which is roughly what you would expect from him, although is that what you should expect from a guy signed to a 3 year\/$29.75m deal over the offseason?<\/p>\n The Brewers had little choice but to buy from the free agent market after their rotation, Yovani Gallardo excepted, was so terrible in 2009.\u00c2\u00a0 However, adding in a dependable starter doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t help much if you fail to fill most of the other holes in your pitching staff as well.\u00c2\u00a0 Despite good seasons from Ryan Braun, Rickie Weeks and Prince Fielder (and this may well be his last game for Milwaukee if he does get traded over the winter as many expect), it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been a very disappointing campaign.<\/p>\n The other early games<\/strong><\/p>\n There is a full slate of games, but really there are two that everyone will be keeping an eye (or ear) on.\u00c2\u00a0 Atlanta will send Tim Hudson to the mound, while their opponents are simply getting ready for the postseason by giving Cole Hamels a couple of innings and then Roy Oswalt will pitch a frame at some point as well.<\/p>\n There will be no such fiddling around in the other main game. Mat Latos looks to turn around some iffy recent form just when the Padres need it most; Jonathan Sanchez tries to help the Giants avert a series sweep and to put his team into the playoffs.<\/p>\n All times are in BST.<\/p>\n 18.10. Milwaukee at Cincinnati (Wolf vs Harang) * BBC 5 Live Sports Extra<\/strong>
\n18.10. Washington at NY Mets (Hernandez vs Pelfrey)
\n18.10. Pittsburgh at Florida (Burres vs Sanchez)
\n18.35. Detroit at Baltimore (Coke vs Bergesen)
\n18.35. NY Yankees at Boston (Moseley vs Lackey)
\n18.35. Philadelphia at Atlanta (Hamels vs Hudson) * ESPN America<\/strong>
\n19.05. Cleveland at Chicago White Sox (Germano vs Jackson)
\n19.05. Chicago Cubs at Houston (Dempster vs Figueroa)
\n19.10. Tampa Bay at Kansas City (Davis vs O’Sullivan)
\n19.10. Toronto at Minnesota (Rzepczynski vs Blackburn)
\n19.15. Colorado at St. Louis (Rogers vs Suppan)
\n20.05. LA Angels at Texas (Haren vs Lewis)
\n21.05. San Diego at San Francisco (Latos vs Sanchez) * ESPN America<\/strong>
\n21.10. Oakland at Seattle (Braden vs Rowland-Smith)
\n21.10. Arizona at LA Dodgers (Lopez vs Lilly)<\/p>\n