I’m still trying to figure out whether Kershaw’s behind-the-back grab or Puig’s 360-degree and put-out was the better defensive gem last night, but Kershaw gets the player of the game/season award without question.
I just have this strange sense, though, that we’re going to be seeing the Giants again before 2014 is over.
Crawford’s batting average for the month of September? A very cool .433, with 3 dingers and 16 RBIs in 60 at bats.
Which would be fine with me. We’ve got a better record against the Nationals over the last 5 years, but playing the Giants for the pennant makes winning all the sweeter, and if we lose, at least we make the bastards earn it. 
I’d be OK with that. And the Giants just took their first necessary step, backing their way into the postseason with the Brewers’ loss today. If they can get past the Pirates on Wednesday, anything is possible.
Ditto! A-Gon is the same.
Gonzalez in September: 6 HRs, 5 doubles, and 21 RBIs. 
Truman: Don’t confuse us with facts! 
We’re just bitter Red Sox fans.
I was thinking about how this would be a more exciting end of season without the extra wildcard spot.
Kansas City and Oakland would be battling to make the American League playoffs, with the loser going home. Similar with Pittsburgh and San Francisco in the National League. All their games would matter a lot.
Instead, they’re all four going to the wildcard play-in games, and mostly just playing for home field in that one game. Not that exciting.
(Yeah, at the moment, they have small chances to catch Detroit or St. Louis, but that would be more interesting as well, if Detroit or St. Louis could still miss the playoffs entirely.)
The 2nd half nightmare that was Milwaukee’s season is now officially over. Obviously they need to find a stray dog that’s twice as cute at next year’s camp to make the karma last a full season. #HankNeedsAGirlfriend
Maybe it would help if I mentioned Beckett?
While that’s true, there are also going to be years when the extra spot adds excitement.
It is inevitably the case no matter how you structure it that some years there just won’t be many interesting playoff runs, and some years will end in flat out insanity. Prior to the creation of wild cards there were years when there wasn’t much of a race in any division. And some years were nuts. It happens.
Anyway, Seattle isn’t dead yet.
And Jeter gets a walk-off single for the win in his final at-bat in Yankee stadium. Is this stuff scripted?
If I hadn’t seen it I wouldn’t have believed it. A movie writer wouldn’t do it because it’s too perfect. What a finish. Glad I watched it. Probably the first time in my life I’ve rooted for the New York Yankees.
Hey Olberman? Go fuck yourself.
After the Yankees give up a 3 run lead in the top of the 9th in order to give him the opportunity. The fix is in, I tells ya!
Yup. Soon as I saw the meatballs Cruz was getting I saw exactly how it would end.
Hunter Pence made a speech in the locker room after the game last night; Comcast broadcast almost 30 seconds of it before someone in the control room decided to dump out of it.
Hah! The good news for Comcast is that there probably wasn’t anyone watching who would actually complain to the FCC for that one.
Giant or no, it’s nice to hear a player say something other than, “Well, I was just looking for a pitch I could drive.”
He was still right though ;).
I’m not so sure about that. I think what the Royals are fighting for is a lot more than just home-field for the play-in game. They’re 2 games out of the division lead, which means WAY more than it used to, because it means a free pass to the 7-game series, rather than the 1-game playoff of the wild card. And I don’t think a Pittsburgh v. San Francisco race would be more exciting than the current Pittsburgh v. St. Louis race, because there’s more on the line.
Nitpick: the first “full” round is only a best-of-five series.