Pavano will try to save the season for the Twins today and Dr. Andrews waits patiently.

Wade Davis has a 2.69 FIP? That’s impressive.

Is anyone else excited about Joba instantly becoming 2007 Joba today?

[3] Yeah, I would have been more excited for him becoming 2008 Joba a month of go more though.

[3] Yeah, I would have been more excited for him becoming 2008 Joba a month of go more though.

Or 2010 Joba.

[5] That too.

If Joba becomes 2007 Joba today, the MSM is going to have a really hard time this offseason writing their ‘Hughes should stay in the bullpen’ articles.  Do you keep Hughes in the bullpen, or do you put Joba in the bullpen?  Maybe you put both in there, and ask MLB if you can play the eighth inning twice?

What are they going to do with Joba for now?

[7] Well, we’ve learned that the 3rd out of the 8th is the most important. They can split up the 8th.

And the world laughed at the guy who proposed the twin-mound design for NYS…

So I guess if there is a one game playoff for the central it will be Porcello against Baker.

Wade Davis has a 2.69 FIP? That’s impressive.

Looks like his HR/FB rate is probably unsustainably low (3.4%), but his peripherals are pretty good, 31 K and 11 BBs in 31.3 innings, with only one HR allowed.  His xFIP (adjusting HR rate to league average HR/FB) is 3.53, which is still very good.

Then again, he’s made five starts.  Four came against Detroit, Baltimore (twice) and Seattle, none of whom are good offenses.  In his lone game against a good offense (Boston) he got torched for eight runs in in 2.2 innings.

What are they going to do with Joba for now?

Wait and watch. Prediction as to what they are going to do with Joba is pretty meaningless. From their actions it is clear they view him as a starter long term, and that part seems settled. Maybe they are trying to give him every chance to make the post-season roster, but who knows?

Tigers take a 1-0 lead.

So I guess if there is a one game playoff for the central it will be Porcello against Baker.

Who would pitch the eighth in a one game playoff for eacg team?  That seems more important than who the starters are.

Nice start by Danks.

Assuming Verlander doesn’t pitch on Tuesday he’ll still be available to pitch games 2 and 5.  Is this an argument for opting for the shorter series or is Joba just too scary.

Who would pitch the eighth in a one game playoff for eacg team?

Both teams have petitioned the commissioner’s office for permission to use vintage 2001 Randy Johnson to pitch the eighth.  It’s just a question of which fax arrived first, and whether the thrust capacitors can be fixed by Tuesday.

Is this an argument for opting for the shorter series or is Joba Gaudin just too scary.

Assuming Verlander doesn’t pitch on Tuesday he’ll still be available to pitch games 2 and 5.  Is this an argument for opting for the shorter series or is Joba just too scary.

Verlander is pitching right now.  It seems pretty unlikely that they’d use him on Tuesday.  But anyway, I don’t see how that enters into the calculus for shorter or longer series.  If Verlander is penciled in for 2 and 5 either way, then isn’t it all about Jackson and the Yankees fourth starter options?

If you’ve swallowed poison and need to vomit, just take a quick look at the Indians starting lineup.

Assuming no playoffs who do we root for?

[21] I thought the spectacle of Ortiz getting an award from Jim “Jeter, A-Rod and Manny ruined the game” Rice for setting a meaningless record was enough to induce that.

Laptop looter giving up dingers already.

[23] That was nauseating.

[22] Why can’t we root for a playoff?

Rays voices are drunk. Same voice said all of the following on the Brignac grounder:

1) Hit it right at A-Rod.
2) Normally gets through for a hit.
3) Was hustling because he thought he had a hit.
4) Knew he’d be out but still hustled to make A-Rod rush the throw.
5) Normally can run out a hard hit grounder if you hustle.

BTW, he was out by a step and a half.

26-sure a playoff is the first/best option, hopefully with Verlander needing to pitch 3 innings in a high scoring game.

[23]
What meaningless record has Ortiz set?

Didn’t he set the record for the guy who failed a drug test and got the biggest free pass from the media?

[29] Cup size ?

[31]
As in “reduction in”?

A HR would have been nicer.

Cleveland sucking awful hard.

Minnisota and Detroit both leading by 4.
Playoff, as Don would point out, looms.
Preferably 27 innings and eventually called a tie by Bud, requiring a second playoff immediately before the first game vs. NY.

Rays stadium announcer sounds like Nelson, the “Ha Ha” kid from the Simpsons.

Sox 5th “Ace” struggling against AAA Indians.

OTF has loosed the crickets.

Cleveland finally responding to my criticisms and sucking slightly less.

Are the Yankees ever again going to have a decent offensive game?

Can someone please remind me how many aces th Red Sox have these days?  I keep losing track.

Looking very one-game-playoff-ish right now, but is the Twins lead Pavano-proof?  Is the Tigers’ lead Rodney-proof?  Will Leyland leave Verlander in for the 130-pitch complete game shutout?

[40] no

[41] 12

Will Leyland leave Verlander in for the 130-pitch complete game shutout?

This, of course, is the real question.
Since it will determine the likelihood of his being effective when he starts the playoff game on Tuesday.

It’s probably meaningless, but going into the postseason off a 4 game losing streak is kind if worrisome.

Are the Yankees ever again going to have a decent offensive game?

The correction starts in Game 1 of the ALDS.

Kubel 3 run homer. He is going nuts.

Is 7-0 Pavaon proof?

Verlander shutout gone in Detroit.  Pavano-proofing continues in Minnesota.

Pavano proof?

Verlander is coming undone a bit now. It’s a 2 run game.

And it is getting really quiet in Detroit. I mean really quiet.

[47] Pavano-proofing is always a work in progress.

The Red Sox just replaced one young ace with another.  What a luxury!.

What?

I can sort of understand Leyland riding his ace hard, considering the quality of his bullpen.  But doesn’t this seem like the fourth or fifth time that Verlander has gotten roughed up in the eighth inning in the last month or so?  Maybe he isn’t quite the stud you think he is, Jimmy.

Personal catcher with superior defense pays off.

The Indians are AWFUL.

Amazing diving catch by Granderson saves Rodney and Verlander’s asses.

Cleveland resumes normal suckage rate. Which is high.

Just to be clear, I used the term “stud” only in reference to Verlander’s ability to provide the quantity of pitches that Leyland seems to ask of him.  I’m certainly not questioning the quality of his first 100 or so pitches, especially today.

Ooh, I really wish that hit had dropped in against Detroit. I would loooooove to see Detroit blow this lead.

A-God !!!!

Typical A-Rod.  Tacking on stats in a meaningless game.

The correction starts in Game 1 of the ALDS.

Or sooner.

Asteroid!

Rodriguez should get one more AB today.  A grand slam would give him 30 and 100.

For the record, I had just started typing “and the go-ahead run is in scoring position”.

ah, just in time for some stat paddin’!

Cone: “Nick Swisher the soup spoon in this clubhouse.”

Great throw from right field and a collision at the plate on an attempt to score on a sac fly in Detroit! This is a really good game. Chicago and Detroit really going at it. Rodney going for the 4 out save.

I think this A-Rod fellow should get into the postseason roster.

Guzman is Joey Gathright, in spikes.

It really is peculiar in baseball how at the highest level of competition (playoffs), there is a niche for a specialist that you wouldn’t have during regular competition (e.g. Guzman). It’s like if they played the NFL season without placekickers until the playoffs.

Infield hit to start the 9th against Rodney. Bang bang play. Fun stuff.

Is the Tiger game on cable?

[74] Well, WGN if you get that.  Or MLB network.

WGN… the superstation!

Double play. Tigers win.

[72] It makes sense if you figure you’re facing better pitching, therefore lower scoring games and the ability to manufacture a (high leverage) run will come in handy.

Plus, you wouldn’t do it in the regular season, because you’d want him developing in the minors. Here, it doesn’t cost you anything. Or rather, what it costs you is extra pitchers that you’ll be less likely to need.

I love one game playoffs.

Fitting that Chicago’s season would end with Rios grounding into a double play.  A glimpse into the future.

Wow. The prowess made him drop it.

Molina is an excellent bunter.

If Molina starts in the playoffs, I hope he has similar luck when batting with RISP.

[80] Yeah, have fun with 5 more years of that. I read yesterday that in 125 at bats with the White Sox, Rios, if he retired or got traded tomorrow, would have put up the worst OBP in the 100+ years of White Sox history.

[78] It’s also a luxury afforded because teams tend do to carry fewer pitchers.

[69] You have to give the White Sox a lot of credit.  Ozzie has been justifiably pissed at his team’s effort at times this season, but they really did approach this series as their playoffs, and it showed.

Meanwhile, Cabrera and Mauer unable to further the Pavano-proofing process in Minnesota.

Can’t get enough of the wave at Fenway.

Damon heating up at the right time.

That’s the key is the roster efficiency. In the case of Guzman, development is not an issue. If there was a 30 man roster, it would be advantageous to have a guy like that in every game.

Wow. IBB to Teix is really petty. What dicks.

Holy crap. A-Rod actually gets his chance at 30, 100.

So they elect to pitch to the guy who hit the ball to Saturn fifteen minutes ago.

MC with amazing prescience!

yay! That shows Tampa Bay what petty pricks they are.

Asteroid again! 30 HR, 100 RBIs! Take that, Big Papi!

See [61].

Take that, bitches.

[65]....

That is pretty cool, as far as meaningless arbitrary accomplishments go.

Woohoo!

btw, The Rays seems to forget that Pena swung at the pitch that hit him in the hand, which spreads the fault for the injury.