Posts Tagged ‘milwaukee brewers’

1972 Dynasty League American League Championship Series Milwaukee at NY Yankees

Posted: October 10, 2024 by datechguy in baseball, dynasty baseball, gaming, online gaming
Tags: , , , , ,

Milwaukee (2nd seed) AL Beta Division title

Divisional Series vs Twins

Game 1 at County Stadium in Milwaukee

The Twins entered their season series vs Milwaukee 0-10 and Last Year’s Cy Young winner Don Wilson turned it up to 11 pitching a complete game shutout allowing only two hits and not letting any Twins runner reach scoring position. Steve Blass was almost as good pitching 1 hit ball over 7 innings allowing only one Brewers runner reach scoring position and be stranded. Alas in the 7th Ron Fairly hit a solo home run to give Milwaukee the lead and then in the 8th after a error by shortstop Dan Monzon put a man on Johnny Edwards (3-4) hit a 2 run shot off the lefty for the final 3-0 score

WP Wilson (1-0) LP (Blass 0-1) HR Fairly (1) Edwards (1)

Game 2: at County Stadium in Milwaukee

Milwaukee jumped right off into a lead in the first inning Johnny Edwards reached with a 1 out walk & Pete Rose with a walk with two down setting up. Ron Fairly singled to left loading the bases for Doug Rader who didn’t manage to hit his 4th grand slam of the year but did single to center scoring Edwards and Rose who beat the throw from Al Oliver. That would be all they would need as Ken Holtzman proved almost as effective as Wilson shutting them out on 4 hits. The Brew crew would score 5 more via RBI’s from Edwards, Geronimo and Bob Heise as each of the three twins pitchers gave up at least two runs before the day was through but Holtzman made sure they were superfluous.

Mil 7 Min 0

WP Holtzman (1-0) LP Bahnsen (0-1) HR none

Game 3 At Metropolitan Stadium Minnesota

The change of scenery didn’t seem to make a big change in results as the Brewers jumped to a 1-0 lead on a Ron Fairly shot in the 1st off of Marty Pattin. In the 3rd the Twins finally managed their first run on the series as Blue Moon Odom loaded the bases in the 3rd on a HBP (Hebner) an Al Oliver walk and a Bobby Darwin single to left, but instead of a big inning Odom managed to coax a pair of ground outs to get out of a jam with only one run (on the Monzon slow grounder) to tie the game at 1.

The tie didn’t last as Pattin hit Ron Hunt, Fairly singled and Pete Rose singled scoring Hunt and putting Milwaukee back up 2-1. There it stayed till the 8th, Richie Hebner singled to center to lead off and moved to 2nd on a grounder to the mound. Milwaukee was two outs away from their 13th straight win vs Minnesota and their 3rd complete game victory when Bobby Darwin put a hanging curve just over the left field fence and suddenly it was a 3-2 Twins lead. and while Pete Rose managed a one out single off closer Sparky Lyle, he would strike out both Jack Hiatt & Doug Rader to give the Twins their first win of the season and playoff life for another day.

Final Min 3 Mil 2

WP Pattin (1-0) LP Odom (0-1) HR Fairly (2) Darwin (1)

Game 4 At Metropolitan Stadium Minnesota

For the 4th time in 4 games the Brewers struck first and early as Cesar Geronimo singled to center, went to 2nd on a grounder and scored on a Ron Hunt single to give them a 1-0 lead. It became 2-0 when Dick Woodson gave up back to back doubles to Rose and Fairly to make it 2-0. That would all that the Brewers would manage as three pitchers would hold them to those two runs. Meanwhile Al Downing kept pulling rabbits out of his hat. In the 2nd after a walk he managed a strike em out throw em out double play. In the 3rd the Twins left a man in scoring position. In the 5th Bobby Darwin led off with a double and a two outs later pinch hitter Bob Watson walked putting the tying runs on for pinch hitter Cito Gaston who struck out looking. ln the 7th a double play erased a lead off single and in the 8th they loaded up the bases with two out but Downing struck out Nate Colbert to get out of it.

In the 9th still down 2-0 the Twins tried again, with one out Angel Mangual doubled to left and after a John Boccabella ground out Downing walked Dan Monzon to put the tying runs on base. Milwaukee Closer Ken Sanders came in with two outs and Ron Blomberg came up as the winning run to either tie the series or end the Twins season. He smoked a line drive but right at second baseman Ron Hunt who didn’t have to move an inch and the game and series was over.

Milwaukee 2 Minnesota 1

WP Downing (1-0) LP Woodson (0-1) SV Sanders (1) HR none.

Yankees (1st seed) AL Alpha Division Title

Divisional series vs Redsox

Game 1 at the Polo Grounds NY

The Red Sox struck first as Carl Yastrzemski took a Wilbur Wood knuckle ball that didn’t knuckle to right for a 1-0 lead. That however would be the extent of The Boston offense and Wood would not give up another run over seven and four other Yankee pitchers would hold the Sox scoreless for the remainder of the game. Claude Osteen managed to keep the Yanks off the board for six innings but in the seventh Thurman Munson and Horace Clarke led off the inning with singles. Phil Roof batted for Wood and singled in Munson to tie the game. After a force out at 3rd Pat Kelly ran for Roof and 2nd and then the bases were loaded on a Ron Santo walk. Osteen managed to retire Clemente on a grounder to short but Kelly scored to give them the lead and with two out John Mayberry and Danny Thompson both singled to score two more and the Yanks were up 4-1. In the 8th they added three more on a Horace Clarke single, a Reggie Smith Triple, a Ron Santo sac fly and a solo shot from Roberto Clemente.

The Sox made one more shot in the 9th. A Santo error put Parker on 1st. After a Petrocelli strike out Carlton Fisk singled chasing Barry Lersch. Yaz greeted reliver Mike Paul to load it up, but Paul got Willie Davis to fly out and Lindy McDaniel came in to face pinch hitter Vada Pinson who struck out swinging for a Yanks victory

Yankees 7 Red Sox 1

WP Wood (1-0) LP (Osteen 0-1) HR Yastrzemski (1), Clemente (1)

Game 2 at the Polo Grounds NYC

The Yankee offense didn’t slow down for game two. In the 2nd Roberto Clemente led off with a single and was driven home on a two out Danny Thompson double who would go to 3rd on the throw and score on a Horace Clarke single off John Curtis. Curtis would give up two more in the 3rd. After getting the first two yanks, Ron Santo, Roberto Clemente and John Mayberry singled to load the bases. Murcer hit what should have been an inning ending grounder to first but it went between the normally sure handed Parker legs scoring two more and just like that it was 4-0. They added two more before the Sox finally got to starter Steve Kline loading the bases on singles by Pinson and Parker and a walk to Carlton Fisk. Yaz came up with the chance to cut the lead in half and hit a drive over Bobby Murcer’s head deep to center but in his best imitation of Willie Mays Murcer managed to track it down turning a sure bases loaded double or triple into a Sac fly and Kline got Rico Petrocelli to ground harmlessly to third to keep it 6-1. But the Bosox didn’t go quietly with one out and Rob Gardner on the mound for NY Ollie Brown and Doug Griffin singled and when the Yanks counted with Barry Lersch pinch hitter Bernie Williams battled for Ken Brett (a slight surprise as Brett is one of the best hitting pitchers in the game) and singled loading the bases . Terry Forster came in to face Pinson and the Redsox countered with switch hitting Don Buford who ripped a ball to third that became a game ending double play to end it.

Yankees 6 Red Sox 1

WP Steve Kline (1-0) LP Curtis (0-1) SV Forster (1)

Game 3 at Fenway Park Boston

With the Red Sox season on the line Ace Gary Nolan holding the Yankee offense to 4 hits and a single 9th inning run as Boston offense produced 11 hits off of three Yank pitchers for a 3-1 win. Carlton Fisk’s first HR of the series and 2nd of the playoffs in the 4th would put the Sox on the board and only a very nice play by Horace Clarke turned a Bud Harrelson smash up the middle into a force at 2nd instead of an RBI single to hold them to one. Meanwhile Nolan not only kept the Bronx bombers grounded but helped his own effort at the plate when Harrelson walked stole second and reached 3rd with nobody out after a Doug Griffin single. Nolan singled to center for the 2nd run and Vada Pinson would do the same scoring Griffin and again it Horace Clarke who stopped the bleeding gloving a Wes Parker liner and doubling Nolan off second that spiked the rally keeping it 3-0 and giving the Yanks their best chance in the 9th when Ed Kirkpatrick started the inning with a pinch single and Ron Santo followed with another with one out. When Bobby Murcer walked to load the bases John Mayberry came up as the go ahead run and waited out a walk of his own to make it 3-1 with at the plate. A single could tie the game but Harrelson quickly came home with Roberto’s grounder for the 2nd out and with everything on the line Nolan coaxed another grounder to short from Thurman Monson allowing the Sox to live to fight another day.

Game 4 at Fenway Park Boston

The Yanks scored first thanks to Redsox mistakes, a rare error by Doug Griffin put Pat Kelly on first and a balk by Rick Wise put him on 2nd to be doubled in by Bobby Murcer and added a 2nd run in the 6th off a Ron Santo shot way over the green monster. Meanwhile the Sox got the lead off man on in both the 1st and second and runners in scoring position with less than two outs in the first three innings without getting them vs Bob Moose. In the bottom of the 6th Moose coaxed a double play off of Carlton Fisk after a leadoff single but then had to leave with a bad arm. Willie Davis immediately doubled to center but Yaz was unable to deliver him. In the 7th with one out Petrocelli singled and stole 2nd but again the Sox couldn’t plate the run so when Bobby Murcer hit a solo shot deep into the right field bleachers in the 8th and Ed Kirpatrick singled in John Mayberry who doubled directly after Murcer’s shot it appeared to be curtains. Yaz managed to put one over the wall in the last of the 9th with one out but it was too little too late.

Final New York 4 Boston 1

WP Bob Moose (1-0) LP Rick Wise (0-1) HR Yazstrzemski (2) Murcer (1)

Season Series

Series 1

April at the Polo Grounds in NY

The Yanks already with a 16-8 record began a five game winning streak with a sweep of the Brew Crew. Game one the teams traded runs for a 2-2 game going into the ninth when John Edwards hit a two run two out shot off reliever Fred Beene. Milwaukee brought in their closer Ken Sanders with one out in the 9th who promptly gave up back to back homers to Phil Roof and Reggie Smith to tie the game and gave up his third solo shot in the bottom of the 10th to John Mayberry to lose it 5-4. The homer parade continued off Blue Moon Odem in game two as he gave up two run shots from Bobby Murcer and Roberto Clemente as Steve Kline and three relivers gave up only six hits the only run on a Doug Rader homer in the 2nd for a 6-1 win. In Game three Mike Torrez only gave up a single run over 6 but Wilbur Wood shut out the Brewers who went 1-6 with runners in scoring position Wood himself added the final scoring with a two run double of his own in the 7th for a 3-0 shutout taking over the best record in the AL from Milwaukee

Series 2 June at Country Stadium Milwaukee

Milwaukee proved to be a less friendly venue for the Yankees as Don Wilson who had held them to two runs in their first meeting over seven held them to one over 9 a Clemente double doing the damage in the 6th. Meanwhile Caesar Geronimo went 2-4 scoring Milwaukee’s first run in the 3rd and driving in 2 in the 4th and one in the fifth for the 4-1 final. In Game 2 a three run shot by Doug Rader in the 3rd off Wood answered a Clemente RBI in the first answered a the Brew Crew struck for 3 vs Wilbur Wood in the 2nd and an Earl Williams doubled made it 4-1 in the fifth when starter Ken Holtzman drilled Clemente in the 6th (possibly in retaliation for Wood hitting Mike Jorgenson in the 4th). While Roberto was unhurt the benches cleared. Holtzman would be ejected and eventually suspended for seven games but he would still get the win as Rader would homer again in the 6th and a two run shot by Pat Kelly in the 8th would bring NY no closer than the 5-3 Final. The Yanks would get their revenge in game three when a 1-1 tie after six was broken open against Al Downing with a 6 run 7th including a Bobby Murcer Grand Slam with 2 outs leading to an 8-1 rout.

Series 3 July at the Polo Grounds New York

The Yanks would get their 4th straight win vs the Brewers at home in another wild afair that went into extras as a 3-0 Milwaukee lead after 4 1/2 was squandered thanks to a solo shot by Clemente in the 5th and a two run rally in the 9th with one out Clemente tying the game on a fielder’s choice after John Mayberry singled in Ron Santo. Torrez managed to get out of that inning and was relieved by the hated Ken Holtzman in the 10th. Both teams traded runs in the 11th Geronimo and Clemente driving in the runs. The Brewers waisted a bases loaded nobody out situation in he 12th and loaded them again in the 13th but failed to score when the Yanks loaded the bases with none out off Holtzman in the 13 and Roberto Clemente drove in his 3 third run on a warning track out deep enough to win the game 5-4. The Brewers earned a split as Don Wilson held the Bronx Bombers to 2 runs in 6 2/3 innings and Ray Lamb shut them out for the final 2 1/3 while Earl Williams hit two Homers driving in three, Caesar Geronimo slammed a two run triple and Jack Hiatt added a solo shot for the 7-2 final

Series 4 September at County Stadium Milwaukee

The fact that both teams had clinched seemed to change nothing in terms of the rivalry as Yanks finally got the better of Don Wilson with a 6 run 3rd including another Bobby Murcer grand slam chasing him after 2 2/3 Milwaukee refused to go quietly however added two in the 3rd and 4th to the getting two their single run in the bottom of the first to make it 6-5 The bombers seemingly put it out of reach in the 8th adding another for to the run they scored in the fifth with Reggie Smith hitting a solo shot and Murcer hitting a three run shot for 7 RBI’s on the day but in the 9th the Brewers rallied with two outs in the 9th off of three pitchers with a bases loaded walk to make it 11-6 followed by a Doug Rader’s 3rd grand slam of the season to make it a one run game but that would be it as Skip Lockwood got Bob Heise to ground out and leave a comeback a run shot. In game 2 Steve Kline would outduel Al Downing giving up 2 over 8 while Downing would give up 3 over 7. Terry Forster came in to close and for the 2nd time in two days the Brewers would mount a 9th inning rally but this one though smaller would prove more successful as Ken Berry’s lead off double would be followed one out later by a pinch hit double by Mike Jorgenson to tie things up. Clines was intentionally walked and Fred Beene was brought into face pinch hitter Tim Foli whose sacrifice bunt turned into a single allowing Ron Hunt to single to center to win their final meeting

Season Series. Yankees 6-4

This looks like it is going to be a great series that will be decided by pitching. If Don Wilson and Ken Holtzman can pitch as they did early in the year Milwaukee can pull it off but the Yanks have home field advantage and were 4-1 vs the Brew Crew at home. As the Manager of Milwaukee I fully intend to win this series but as the person doing the write up objectively while Milwaukee has a better pitching staff the Yankees offense is far stronger and add to that home field advantage I have to give them the advantage at least on paper.

Yanks in 7

1972 Dynasty League Playoffs Divisional Round Minnesota at Milwaukee

Posted: October 3, 2024 by datechguy in baseball, dynasty baseball, gaming, online gaming
Tags: , , , ,

Minnesota Twins 87-75 13 GB 2nd AL Beta Division 3rd seed (1st Wildcard)

Offense: One Word Power. The Twins were 2nd only to the Yankess in HR with 148 as a team and six players with double digit dingers. Their offense begins with Nate Colbert whose 35 HR and 118 RBI’s were by far both career bests. He was ably supported by Richie Hebner ( .288 25HR 85 RBI 101 Runs scored) and Bobby Darwin (.262 24 HR 68 RBI). Young Bobby Grich despite a .233 avg and a .304 OBP managed to hit 28 doubles and score 85 runs. Bob Watson led the team in hitting at .310 and managed 18 Homers of his own. Al Oliver and Catcher Ray Fossie rounded out the double digit brigade.

Defense: The Twins didn’t skimp on defense 3rd in the AL and 5th overall Ray Fossie led a Catching staff that threw out over 50% of those trying to run. The infield of Colbert (1b), Grich (2b), Hebner (3B) and Metzer was one of the best in the game. Oliver and Darwin were solid in left and right while the Centerfield by Committee (Jim Northrup, Al Oliver, Angel Mangual and Bobby Darwin combined to throw out 26 runners and turn 7 double plays.

Pitching: While the twins were proficient in hitting home runs their 101 allowed was 3rd fewest in the AL. Furthermore they 8 blown saves in 39 chances was 4th best in the majors and 3rd best in the AL. The rotation has an ace starter with Steve Blass (22-11 2.82 ERA) and an ace closer in Sparky Lyle (1-2 20 SV in 24 chances 2.59 ERA) and four relivers with at least 26 appearances who have a WHIP below 1.20

Milwaukee Brewers 100-62 1st place AL Beta (2nd Seed)

Offense: Only California had fewer HR in the AL than Milwaukee’s 82 yet their .358 slugging percentage was 4th in the league and their .324 OBP was 3rd in the AL as was their .255 batting avg (5th in majors). Pete Rose was all over the AL leader boards 2nd in AVG, 2B, BB & OBP, 3rd in hits (199) & triples and 6th in OPS. #1 pick Doug Rader only hit 22 HR but 3 were grand slams, 8 were with Runners in Scoreing position and 5 with RISP & 2 outs. Ron Fairly only played 140 games but hit 19 HR drove in 83 and had a .341 OBP. In short there always seems to be someone on via hit or walk or in Ron Hunt’s case HBP and From Pete Rose (77 RBI) To Earl Williams (70 RBI 17 HR) there always seems to be someone to drive them in.

Defense:

Milwaukee was the top defense in the league committing only 81 errors in 6450 chances. Ken Berry and Gene Clines were perfect in the OF, Caesar Geronimo only committed 2 errors all season and Rose but one. The infield of Fairly, Hunt, Michaels and Raider were zipper tight. The only weakness was in throwing out baserunners as Earl Williams managed to get only 3 of 17 and Johnny Edwards 3 of 13

Pitching: With an avg against of .237 (1st in AL) and team ERA of 3.07 2nd in AL the Brewers were one of the top pitching staffs in the league. Furthermore they were one of the stingiest in giving up the long ball surrendering only 88 HR (2nd in AL 4th in MLB) the entire season) Last Years Cy Young winner Don Wilson won 20 as did Lefty Ken Holtzman while Ken Sanders who had be reacquired after being dealt away last year came back to save 20 as well. If there was one weakness it was bases on balls. The 517 free passes allowed was more than any team in the AL except for the Senators the chief culprits being Blue Moon Odem and Mike Torrez in that regard.

Season Series

Opening day at Milwaukee April

The season didn’t start well for Minnesota as their 3 game series in Milwaukee was the start of a 5 game losing streak to open the year. The teams traded runs in the 1st of game one but in the 5th Don Wilson Singled with two outs as did Caesar Geronimo when Earl Williams produced a pinch hit double to score them both.. Each team would add a pair late a two run Triple by Rose and two solo shots from Grinch and Watson for the Twins but Wilson would double up Blass 6-3. In game 2 Ken Holtzman was even stinger giving up only an RBI double in the 7th while Ron Fairly and Doug Rader would both launch solo shots and a Ken Berry double and a pass ball would make up the rest of the 4-1 win. In the finale Mike Torrez would establish a pattern for the season by getting a 2 run lead and losing it late. Both he and Dick Woodson would go 9 but the game would be decided in the bottom of the 11th when Rose led the inning off with a double and winning pitcher Blue Moon Odem singled him in.

Series 2 May at Minnesota

The short two game series started with Don Wilson shutting out the twins on four hits. The Brew crew took a 1-0 lead in the 4th on a Geronimo double and broke it open with 5 in the 7th on their way to the 7-0 win. In Game two Milwaukee starter Al Downing gave up 10 hits but only one run as the twins went 1-6 with runners in scoring position. Meanwhile Milwaukee went 4-8 with Pete Rose, Ron Fairly, Ken Berry and Gene Michael all driving in runs for a 4-1 win

Series 3 June at Milwaukee

Another short series this time in Milwaukee but the same result. Blue Moon Odem only gave up a single run over six and Jerry Bell scattered two walks and a pair of hits for the final 2 to get the save, meanwhile four different Brewers drove in runs off Marty Patten & Dave Goltz for the 5-1 victory. In game two Al Downing gave up one more hit (11) and one more run (12) than his previous start thanks to RBI’s by Hebner and Mangual but an Al Oliver error led to the Brewers first run in the 2nd and doubles by Fairly, Rose and Williams off of Blass in the 3rd led to 4 more runs accounting for the 5-1 final.

Series 4 at Minnesota August

The final series began with Ken Holtzman and Stan Bahnsen locked in an epic battle Milwaukee scored three (1 in the 1st 2 in the 3rd) and the Twins tied it. The Brewers would score single runs in the 5th, 6th and 7th and the Twins answered in the 7th and 8th but could not push in one last run to save the day. In game two the regular Mike Torrez pattern repeated. He was staked to a 5-0 run lead after 3 but the twins kept nibbling back with solo shots from Fosse & Watson and a Nate Colbert double. In the 9th Odem came in with a man on 3rd and the tying run at the plate. Williams allowed one via a passed ball but after walking the tying run he managed to secure the 2nd of his 3 saves with a swinging strikeout of Colbert. Game three wasn’t as close as Milwaukee managed 8 runs off of three different Twins Pitchers while Downing earned his 3rd win vs the Twins giving up only a solo shot to John Boccabella in the 5th and 3 in the 9th when he was already up 8-1 for a 8-4 final.

Season Series 10-0 Milwaukee

Milwaukee is a stronger team on both Defense and Pitching but not by all that much. The real difference here is power. The Twins have a lot of it and live by the long ball, Milwaukee lives by pitching double, triples and the hit and run. Only the 57-105 Cubs (0-10 vs Atlanta) joined the Twins in being out in a season series of 10 games or more against an opponent so there is no team more due than the Twins for a win against Milwaukee and having gone 13-4 in their last 17 to go from iffy wild card to 3rd seed now would be the time to do it. If their long ball can break threw the Brew crew’s rotation then an upset could be in order but it’s hard to see how they will manage to win 3 of 5 against a team they couldn’t win 1 of 10 against. I see them breaking the shutout but I can’t see them managing 3 of 5.

Brewers in 4.

Dynasty Baseball All Futility League West Divisions

Posted: June 1, 2020 by datechguy in baseball, dynasty baseball, entertainment, fun, gaming, online gaming, Sports
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

The latest in our series of write-ups of the various leagues I am running. If you wish to inquire about future openings (all current spots are filled) contact me via the Dynasty system or leave a request in comments.

This weekend the All Futility 100 loss league West divisions. These results and standings were all current at the time of this writing

American League West

2008 Seattle Mariners 86-65 1st place

With three games to go and a two game lead Seattle has control of their own destiny. Will they be able to hold off the final late surge?

Heroes: Jose Lopez in addition to leading the league in hits & doubles is 4th in batting. Ichrio Suzuki is 3rd in runs and stolen bases and is top ten in the league in hits & triples with 9 OF assists thrown in. Seattle Closer Brandon Morrow is 3rd is saves (25) but more importantly has only blown 5 in 30 chances which makes all the difference.

Zeros: If Starter Miguel Batista had managed better than a 6.26 ERA and a 1.79 WHIP in 21 starts Seattle would already be resting starters for the playoffs. The same goes for Carlos Silva who with 30 starts is just under .500 thanks to a 5.58 ERA a .312 avg against plus almost 50 more hits given up than innings pitched

Wild Cards: There is no better illustration of the difference between getting good defense & run support and not than the contrast between starters Jarrod Washburn & Felix Hernandez both have a .260 avg against but Washburn is 13-7 despite a 4.63 ERA while Hernandez leads the league with a 2.96 ERA but is 10-14 with a full dozen unearned runs scored off him vs only 2 vs Washburn.

Coming Attractions. Seattle heads home to finish their season vs the 1982 Minnesota Twins. If they can win sweep the twins it’s a clinch no matter what.

Injury Report: Erik Bedard who has been out since July will not play again this season but if Seattle hangs on will be recovered in time for the playoffs.

1973 Texas Rangers 83-66 2nd place 2 GB

The Texas comeback from the bottom of the standings to within 2 games (and only one behind in the loss column) with 5 to play is one of the great stories of the season.

Heroes: Jeff Burroughs & Bill Sudakis are 1 & 3 in HR in the AL and in a 4 way tie for the RBI lead going into the final four games. Meanwhile the starting pitching duo of Jim Bibby & Jim Merritt are in a 4 way tie for the lead in wins & are sitting at 2-3 in League ERA. Bibby is also 1st in Avg against while Merritt is 2nd in WHIP.

Zeros: Jim Mason’s .212 avg with 0 HR & 18 RBI in over 200 ab isn’t impressive but if you want to know why Texas is still 2nd look no further than starter David Clyde (6-11 6.16 ERA ) in 25 starts and Charlie Hudson whose 6-4 record and 3.70 ERA in 43 appearance (4 starts) look good but six blown saves vs 7 converted saves is the difference between being 2 behind in the loss column and 0.

Wild Card: Texas has feasted off of AL East teams a full 20 games over .500 against them but they have not been so successful against left handed pitchers against whom their record is just below .500.

Coming Attractions: Texas Season is going to come down to their final two home games vs the 2005 Kansas City Royals and then a trip to Tampa Bay to finish their season with 3 games against the big bats of the 2002 Devil Rays.

Injury Report: Texas makes its dash with nobody on the DL but with a pitching staff desperately in need of a rest particularly Sonny Siebert.

1982 Minnesota Twins 79-72 3rd place 7 GB ELIMINATED

When last we left the Twins they were battling Seattle neck and neck, however a late 4-6 run has been just enough to put them five to go a single game too far back.

Heroes: There may be recriminations in Minnesota over their finish but Kent Hrbek Certainly did his part .343 (3rd) with 36 HR (6th) and 128 RBI’s (2nd) plus top 7 in Triples, Hits, Runs OBP, Slugging and OPS. On the Mound Robert Castillo is 1st in WHIP, tied for the league lead in wins 6th in ERA 3rd in Innings pitched 5th in strikeouts and 2nd in best avg against (.242) And Ron Davis’ 28 Saves vs 3 blows is pretty solid.

Zeros: Frank Viola may have a great future but his 7-11 record with a .325 avg against and 5.45 ERA is a big reason why Minnesota is eliminated today. It also doesn’t help that Terry Felton (5 saves in 9 chances) and Jeff Little (4 saves in 8 chances) couldn’t do the job when Davis wasn’t available.

Wild Cards: Nobody closed out games like Minnesota. They were 1st in the majors in saves while tied for the fewest blown saves in the AL. Unfortunately it’s a little tough to get to that save situation when you lead the league in both walks and Home Runs allowed.

Coming Attractions: Minnesota might be out of it but with their season finishing in Seattle against the 1st place 2008 Mariners they hold the destiny of the division in their hands.

2005 Kansas City Royals 76-73 4th place 8 GB ELIMINATED

Kansas City is playing for pride. One win secures at least a .500 record and they are but a single game behind Minnesota in the loss column. Can they manage to get out of the cellar in their final five games?

Heroes: David DeJesus is currently tied for the AL lead in doubles 4th in triples 10th in OBP & 7th in walks. Matt Stairs is 2nd in OBP 4th in Slugging and only injuries kept him out of bigger categories and Mike Sweeny’s .309 avg 33 HR & 122 RBI’s are nothing to sneeze at. Andy Sisco in 51 games out of the pen went 8-2 with 3 saves in as many chances & a 2.85 ERA

Zeros: Practically the entire Royals starting rotation can quality with only one starter managing an ERA under 5 but the worst offenders of the lot have to be Runelvys Hernandez (3-15 6.72 ERA .321 avg against & over 50 more hits than innings in 32 starts) and Jose Lima (8-12 7.03 ERA .315 avg against in 26 starts)

Wild Card: It certainly wasn’t offense that put Kansas City in last. They led the league in Runs, doubles, RBI’s OBP and OPS and led the majors in Avg and Slugging. However while they hit .290 as a team they also allowed their opponent to hit .290 against and converted the fewest saves in the AL while being near the bottom of almost every AL pitching category.

Coming Attractions: Kansas City’s offense will have a chance to decide how the division finishes as they play a pair in Texas against the 1973 Rangers before closing out their season against the AL East champion Chicago White Sox.

Injury report: The good news for KC is all of their potent bats are available for the close of the season, the good news for their opponents is so is all their pitching.

National League West

2012 Houston Astros 77-74 1st place

Houston won their two biggest games of the season sweeping Arizona for a pair giving them a 2 game lead with three to play. But with both San Diego and Arizona still alive with 3 to go they’ll have to go all out to guarantee a playdate against the 100 win Nationals.

Heroes: You won’t find a lot of Astros on the various leader boards but one is Wilson Lopez whose 16 saves are 2nd in the league. Another is Scott Moore whose .327 avg is 2nd in the league But Justin Maxwell’s 32 HR and steady pitching from folks like starter Jordan Lyles (14-8 1 sv 3.93 ERA 1.32 WHIP) and reliever Fernando Rodriguez (10-4 3.85 ERA in relief) played their part.

Zeros: If Xavier Cedeno (52 games 1 start 4-3 2 saves in 8 chances 5.58 ERA) .292 avg vs) Fernando Abad (33 games 6 starts 3-8 1 save in 4 chances 6.64 ERA .323 avg vs) & Rhiner Cruz (43 games 3 starts 3-5 0 saves in 2 chances .7.76 ERA .327 avg vs) had been even slightly better the NL West would be sown up today.

Wild Cards: Despite a -58 run differential (No team with a record better than 25 games under .500 has worse) and the worst fielding percentage in the majors (.977) the 2nd most blown saves in the NL and more of their batters striking on than on any other team they are two wins from a division title. Perhaps being 2nd in HR & RBI, in the NL have something to do with it.

Coming Attractions: It all comes down to a three games series in Milwaukee vs the 2002 Brewers. Win two and Houston punches their ticket to a series vs the Nationals.

Injury Report: Fortunately for Houston all three zeros on their list Fernando Abad, Rhiner Cruz and Xavier Cedeno are out till next year along with Buck Travis are out for the season and playoffs although there is a Tiny chance that Cedeno could be well enough to play before the end of the World Series. Francisco Cordero won’t be available vs Milwaukee but if Houston makes the Playoffs he might be able to be activated late in the Washington series if another Astro is injured.

2004 Arizona Diamondbacks 75-76 2nd 2 GB

Arizona managed to climb all the way from last to a tie for first with five games to go only to lose 2 straight to Houston. Can they pull off one final miracle in their last series?

Heroes: The question isn’t if Randy Johnson will win the NL CY Young. With the exception of Home Runs per 9 Innings (4th in majors 2nd in NL) and Innings Pitched (1st in NL 2nd in Majors likely to be 1st soon) he leads leads the majors in every non relieving pitching Category and by a lot. His 1.88 ERA is a full run better than the #2 his 335 K’s is 85 better than the 2nd best and he’s hte only pitcher with a WHIP under 1.00 (0.80) the question is does he win MVP too? Luis Gonzalez Brandon Webb and reliever Mike Koplove did their part but Johnson is the best in the majors period!

Zeros: To say that reliever Randy Choate (58 gm 3-10 1 sv in 3 chances) and starter Edgar Gonzalez (12 starts in 13 games 3-7 6.36 ERA .301 avg against 11 HR in 58 innings) have been bad is true but Casey Fossum line of 29 starts, .337 avg against 8.38 ERA 1.82 WHIP and a 5-13 record takes the cake. If they had collectively been 2 games better over their 41 starts and 59 relief appearances the Diamondbacks would control their own destiny.

Wild Card: If Arizona makes the playoffs Randy Johnson is the wildest card there is capable of beating any team at any time. Arizona as been a doubles machine leading the majors and it’s a good thing too because their 13 steal attempts (10 sb) are the fewest in the NL. On the mound they lead the majors in ERA (3.97) WHIP (1.33) avg against (.246) K’s (1259) fewest Runs & Earned runs (674/600) fewest hits (1282) and lead the NL in completed games. One guess why.

Coming Attractions: It comes down to a 3 game series vs the 1973 San Diego Padres. at home. Johnson will pitch once so it will come down to if the remainder of the staff can come through. Two wins forces Houston to win one. 3 forces them to win two

Injury Report: Danny Bautista will not be available for the SD series but if the team makes the playoff he’ll be recovered sufficiently to make the roster.

1973 San Diego Padres 74-77 3rd place 3 GB

It’s a credit to the relevancy of this Padres team that with a single series to play they are still in the playoff hunt but they not only need Houston to be swept they will need to beat Randy Johnson. Can they do it?

Heroes: Willie McCovery still has an excellent batters eye leading the league in walks and OBP. while hitting a solid .298 with 25 HR & 99 RBI. Young Dave Winfield has been a liability in the field (10 OF errors) & doesn’t have McCovey’s patience at the plate (31 BB vs 139K’s) but with 25 HR & 105 RBI he’ll do. On the Mound Dan Spillner has been the best of a good rotation 11-8 with a 3.78 ERA and a save in his only chance.

Zeros: Of all the teams I’ve written this is the hardest to pick out zeros because while many have performed below avg, no regulars stats have been horrible, but it’s fair to say that while their numbers aren’t horrible the inability of Padres relievers to convert saves like Bill Laxton (7 of 12 ) Lowell Palmer (4 of 8) and Mike Corkins (6 of 10) are a big reason why SD is a game away from elimination.

Wild Cards: No team has a more consistent set of starters 1-4. Spillner, Randy Jones (.261 avg 4.52 ERA) Dave Freisleben 4.72 ERA, and Bill Grief (4.91 ERA) have consistently kept SD in games. If only their manager’s health has been as consistent as their rotation.

Coming Attractions: It all comes down to the final three games against the 2004 Arizona Diamondbacks. One loss (or one Houston win) and they’re done.

Injury Report: San Diego goes into their final Do or die series with all hands healthy and on deck.

2002 Milwaukee Brewers 61-90 4th place 16 GB Eliminated

It’s been a disappointing season for Milwaukee which started strong but now could finish with the worst record in the majors. However they will play the deciding series for their division.

Heroes: Eric Young has been a runs machine scoring 104 while stealing 56 bases (3rd in the league) Despite 200 k’s Jose Hernandez 32 HR (4th in the league) & 94 runs makes him feared but not as feared as Rickie Sexton whose 25 HR 53 doubles (2nd in league) 112 RBI’s and 90 runs scored means he’s a danger both at the plate and when he’s on base.

Zeros: Ruben Quevedo’s 3-18 record in 34 starts is well earned with a 7.14 ERA a .291 avg against and a WHIP of 1.67. Nick Neugebauer 2-11 record .279 avg against 6.84 ERA & 1.86 ERA is only better because he’s had just 18 starts to do it. At the plate Ronnie Belliard at .218 2 HR 24 RBI & only 23 runs & a .281 OBP inspires little fear for a 3rd baseman.

Wild Cards: Milwaukee has earned their place in the league. They have the worst batting avg in the majors and the fewest hits which is trouble. Perhaps if they were on base more they’d be a tad more careful as they also lead the majors in being caught stealing. However in the field they don’t make such mistakes their fielding percentage of .985 leads the NL but it’s not enough to overcome NL’s worst ERA (5.07).

Coming Attractions: Milwaukee final three games at home will not only decide if they finish with the worst record in the majors but will also decide the fate of the NL West as they finish against the 2012 Houston Astros who need w wins to clinch without help.

Injury Report: Geoff Jenkins, Valerio de los Santos and Mike Matthews will all miss the final series of the season. Slugger Matt Stairs just might be healthy in time to play in the last game of the year