We are in the final week on the MLB season. Here are your games to watch out for.

 

Mid-Week: The Los Angeles Angels battle the Oakland Athletics, and the San Francisco Giants battle the San Diego Padres in a pair of four game series. The Giants can tie the NL West with a sweep, and the A's can either tie the West or take a one game lead with a sweep, pending the result of tonight's Texas/Oakland matchup. However, the Padres and Angels could both clinch their divisions with a 2-2 split.

 

This weekend the Red Sox battle the Yankees and the Indians battle the White Sox. Both series could decide their respective divisions. It is possible the White Sox will have clinched a playoff berth by the weekend, so the Red Sox/Yankees looks to have more playoff implications.

Burnett steaming over Marlins loss to Braves

 

By Juan C. Rodriguez

Staff Writer

Posted September 25 2005, 8:38 PM EDT

 

ATLANTA -- The first clue was third base coach Jeff Cox's voice rising to a never-before-heard level in the clubhouse, culminating an out-of-sight, postgame encounter with A.J. Burnett.

 

The next was a crashing sound in the shower after Burnett entered.

 

Something was bugging Burnett after Sunday's 5-3, Turner Field loss to the Braves. He made sure everyone knew it.

 

In a rant reminiscent of the Dan Miceli bombast that preceded manager John Boles' 2001 firing, Burnett ripped manager Jack McKeon and the coaching staff for creating an unfavorable work environment.

 

"We play scared, we manage scared, we coach scared, and I'm sick of it, man," Burnett said. "It's depressing around here?It's like they expect us to mess up and when we do they chew our a -- out. There's no positive nothing around here for anybody. Young kids come up, they can't get early hitting. They can't get early work. There's no positive [feeling] on this staff whatsoever, none.

 

"It's a waste. A positive pat on the back is better than anything and I haven't seen a positive pat on the back since April.

 

Guys are out here busting their a -- ?We ain't trying to lose. We ain't trying to give up runs or strike out. Guys are out there busting their a -- , yet you still hear negativity. I'm not saying no names, just too much negativity."

 

Burnett didn't point to one specific incident during Sunday's loss, which culminated a 1-5 road trip and kept the Marlins five back of the wild card leading Astros with six to play. His beef with Cox might have stemmed from a third-inning episode.

 

On a Carlos Delgado double, Burnett scored from second but Jeff Conine didn't make it home from first. Cox was almost halfway down the third-base line when he held up Conine, who took too far of a turn and got caught in a rundown.

 

The Marlins spotted Burnett a 3-0 lead only to watch the Braves orchestrate their third come-from-behind win of the series. He exited after totaling 119 pitches and putting the first two on in the seventh of a tie game. Reliever Randy Messenger inherited those runners and both scored.

 

"It's a 3-3 game," said Burnett, who served up a game-tying, two-run homer to Marcus Giles in the fifth. "I give up a home run, it's a funeral. I'm over it, man. I've got one more start here and that's all that matters."

 

A free agent after this season, Burnett never has expressed much desire to re-sign with the Marlins. His frustration might be the product of multiple sources.

 

It doesn't appear he'll be pitching in the postseason, a chance he missed in 2003 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Plus, he's likely cost himself millions by losing seven of his last eight starts after winning seven in a row. Burnett is 12-12.

 

"Wild card or not, playoffs or not, our season ain't over," Burnett said. "The game ain't over when it's 3-1. The game ain't over when it's 3-3. It's called the big game of baseball. It happens. Teams fight back. Atlanta fought back."

 

McKeon attributed Burnett's rant to emotions getting the better of him. Immediately after the game, McKeon made some pointed comments about Burnett not holding leads, untimely walks, and lack of command in spite of sustaining his velocity.

 

Burnett walked the leadoff man in the fourth and seventh innings. Both scored.

 

"He plays," McKeon said. "We try to do the best we can out here. Everybody gets frustrated at times. I think sometimes you have to look in the mirror. We certainly don't pitch, me or the coaches. We don't hit.

 

"This happens all the time. [Today] he'll come up and say I didn't mean it or got misquoted. This is a tough job playing in the big leagues. You're on a stage. Everybody has to be held accountable." 

The Marlins have no clubhouse chemistry? But they've got Paul LoDuca! Bill Plaschke said that they let off a stinkbomb in the clubhouse when they traded LoDuca and he appears on Around the Horn! This must be some evil Schuerholz-fueled propaganda designed to trick the American public.

 

Also, I think the Red Sox/Yankees series could be a little anti-climactic - the Orioles have just rolled over and died since the All-Star Break, so I fully expect the Yankees to sweep them. The Blue Jays, however, look to be poised to wreck the nerves of Boston fans everywhere:

 

9/26 - Bush v. Schilling

9/27 - Chacin v. Wakefield

9/28 - Lilly v. Arroyo

9/29 - Downs v. Clement

 

Schilling seemed to snap out of it against Tampa Bay and New York, but he's been trainwreck-ish the rest of the time since being reinserted into the starting rotation. Also, his record against the Blue Jays when he was at top form last year (1-2, 5.00 ERA in four starts) isn't necessarily something to hang your hat on. Wakefield and Arroyo at home aren't a sure bet either. Boston could conceivably lose the race before it even "begins" at Fenway on Friday.

Why is it that in 2003, when the Marlins were en route to winning it all, everything was peachy and the chemistry was supposedly so great? Obviously winning helps, but this sounds like the complete opposite team we were hearing about two seasons ago.

Because, even though idiotic writers will tell you otherwise, winning helps chemistry more than chemistry helps winning. As Al's mentioned before, how many losing teams that are renowned for their clubhouse chemistry?

Red Sox/Jays has already been postponed.

 

From what I'm reading, there is no way the Mets/Phillies are getting their game in tonight either. Plus the Yankees/Orioles game is in a rain delay.

 

a night off for the pennant races. Damn.

White Sox blow a lead and the Tigers wind up winning it with a walk-off in the ninth. Certainly not encouraging for the Sox.

 

And who's this guy commentating for the Mets? He sounds like he's three sheets to the wind.

And who's this guy commentating for the Mets? He sounds like he's three sheets to the wind

That would be Ralph Kiner. He suffered from Bells Palsy a few years ago and it still affects his speech.

*never speaks again*

 

Except to say that after squandering a three-run lead, the Brewers' pen walked six in two innings to spot the Reds six runs. This prompted the Reds' pen to show what a shitty pen can do, as they've given up five runs in the eighth.

just a pathetic performance by the Mets tonight. Just swinging at everything and clearly not wanting to be out on the field after a long rain delay. Nice way to play against a team deep in a playoff race. Almost Oriole-esque.

It's a beautiful thing really.

If I was an Orioles fan right now, I'd be just humiliated at how not only is their team seeminglu booking tee times between innings, but Camden Yards has become overrun by the opposing team's fans in Tropicana Field levels. You can't really say that the Yankees have a disadvantage because they're on the road when there are 25,000 Yankee fans in attendance.

 

And yes, I'm bitter because this means the Sox will probably have to sweep Toronto for the last series to mean anything outside of the Friday game.

Both the Phillies and Padres blow it late, wasting excellent outings by Myers and Peavy in the process.

They're doing it again, Al.

It was a one-run loss. This stuff happens. Chase Utley's error allowed two runs to score. He also hit a key three run home run last friday. Same deal with David Bell, whose error led to an Astros comeback. Craig Biggio misses one pitch and we're tied in the wild card. It is incredibly frustrating to watch and at the same time, there is little you can do about it. I think the Phillies have shown a great deal of determination over the last month and if they fall short, I honestly feel they can hold their heads high.

And yes, I'm bitter because this means the Sox will probably have to sweep Toronto for the last series to mean anything outside of the Friday game.

The worst of it is that Boston gets to play seven games in six days now, with a pitching staff that's already suspect. That's quite a grind to end the season on, especially when it's capped off with a three game series with the team that's dying to avenge last year's disgraceful ALCS collapse.

 

White Sox blow a lead and the Tigers wind up winning it with a walk-off in the ninth. Certainly not encouraging for the Sox.

It certainly doesn't help their cause, but they can't win them all. Politte has been nails for most of the year (barring a little hiccup in August), but Granderson just got a pitch to hit. If anything, this is yet another moment where Guillen's managerial genius (batting Pierzynski third, who short circuited rallies in the third and eighth) sunk the game.

 

They could probably afford to lose tomorrow night against Nate Robertson (the Indians send Elarton to the mound against Kazmir tonight), but if they squander the last two games of the series, where they have clear advantages in pitching, they will be in trouble.

ralph kiner does sound like he's drunk and on pain killers.

- White Sox lose, but a late rally by the Tribe falls short, so it doesn't matter.

 

- Yankees make a great comeback, but their awful bullpen makes it meaningless. Sox lose the second part of the double-header, so the four best teams in the AL all fail to take any ground.

 

- Astros win and the Phillies fall short, so barring something miraculous happening (like the Cubs sweeping Houston this weekend), it's over.

 

- With the Phillies losing and the Braves winning, #14 is official. Like them or not, they always find a way to make it happen.

 

- Maddux goes nine, but a three-run homer to Jason Bay all but ensures that his streak is over.

 

- Brewers win, putting them over .500. With just five left, they only need to win two of them to ensure a non-losing season for the first time in ages. This also would suggest that they'll finish third in the division, as the Cubs would have to win at least four of their next five just to not have a losing season.

 

- Dontrelle had a terrible outing, made worse by poor defense. It's going to be real interesting to see who takes the NL Cy Young, as all three top candidates have fallen on hard times.

 

- The Giants are currently winning, which means that after tonight, the lead could be down to two. It'd also mean that the Padres would have to win four of their next five to not only win the division, but finish with a winning record.

Angels win and clinch the West. Felix Hernandez goes nine, but he gave up the tying run with two outs, so unless the Mariners win it in the ninth, he won't get his first CG.

just saw an amazing stat that Aaron Heilman has a .70 ERA since the All Star Break. WOW. If only he had beem the closer the whole season instead of Looper, who knows where the Mets would be. Heilman will be pitching as a starter in Winterball in the off season, so the Mets want him in the rotation and not as a reliever.

Well, Heilman wasn't exactly nails for his first two months in the bullpen (4.72 and 4.97 ERAs in June and July, respectively), but he's definitely been a superior option to Looper in the last two months and Randolph's bullpen misuse (Takatsu?!) probably did do major damage to the Mets wild card run.

 

As far as the rotation/bullpen goes, I'm not sure that there's room for Heilman, is there? Pedro, Benson, Glavine, and Seo seem like an obvious front four, but that leaves Trachsel, Zambrano, and Heilman to fight over the fifth spot and that's not counting any moves that the team might make in the offseason. (Jarrod Washburn, perhaps?). Heilman has shown promise in starts before, but he seems to have turned a corner with regards to relief. Given the skeleton crew that the Mets currently trot out there, why not keep Heilman in the pen as your closer or setup guy (if they get BJ Ryan)?

I'm not convinced Jae Seo is a long term solution.

 

Since you brought up Washburn, I noticed an amazing statistic a few days ago. Washburn has not allowed a single stolen base the entire season, and only six runners have attempted a steal all year. That's incredible.

In a fitting end to the Cubs' home season, they load the bases with no outs down one in the ninth and don't score. Patterson goes down on strikes (shocking), Grieve swings at ball four, and Jose Macias needs no introduction. Unless they sweep the Astros (HAW!), this team will finish below .500.

I'm not convinced Jae Seo is a long term solution.

I know the strikeout rates aren't glamourous, but he's shown relative success in the past and he's young. What makes you think he couldn't cut it as a No. 4 starter?

 

And, while we're talking about the Mets, more hilarity from the New York Daily News:

 

Braden Looper is expected to undergo an MRI tomorrow to determine the extent of a season-long injury to his right shoulder.

I know the strikeout rates aren't glamourous, but he's shown relative success in the past and he's young. What makes you think he couldn't cut it as a No. 4 starter?

 

He performed uite badly last year. Is that the outlier or is it this year? He had a 4.90 ERA last year with poor peripherals. I need to see more before I'm convinced.