MLB Playoffs

On Friday night, the 93-69 Texas Rangers were eliminated from the American League playoffs by the 93-69 Baltimore Orioles. Meanwhile, the 88-74 Detroit Tigers rested at home, awaiting Game 1 of the American League Division Series.

The Cincinnati Reds bring their 97-65 regular season record and the No. 2 seed in the NLDS to the bay shores of San Francisco. It is here that they begin a five-game series against Buster Posey and the Giants. With two teams that are so evenly matched battling it out, every last advantage or disadvantage could mean the difference between a win or a loss.

It is too bad Yankee Stadium has a no reentry policy. Because fans that left after the Oakland Athletics clubbed three homers in the top of the 13th inning to take a 9-5 lead have to be kicking themselves.

In what is arguably one of the most memorable come-from-behind wins this season, the Yankees beat Oakland 10-9 in 14 innings.

The San Francisco Giants have been known for their pitching for a long time. But this year, the staff has regressed a bit.

All five pitchers have gone through rough patches this year, some longer than others. Even Matt Cain, he of the perfect game, 15-5 record and 2.86 ERA, has had his struggles. Madison Bumgarner has too, and Tim Lincecum has had a rough year overall.

The MLB is gearing up for yet another exciting end to the regular season as Cinderella teams are sprinkled in with some World Series favorites in many tight races for playoff spots. While we may not get the type of regular-season finale that we were blessed with last year, there's still plenty of intriguing storylines and teams right on the cusp of playoff berths. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ pitching staff has fallen on tough times recently. But there are reasons to believe that a turnaround is on the horizon, in spite of all that’s occurred over the past two weeks. In that time, the Dodgers have lost two of their most important pitchers to injury, possibly for the rest of the season.

“Whatever the Yankees bring up as far as having success, you can easily knock it out by saying we knocked you out after being 0-and-3. The one the Boston Red Sox were able to get from the Yankees was probably the most painful ever, I think, in any sport to the Yankees fans.” 

On March 3, Major League Baseball announced an additional Wild Card team from each league will be added to the playoff field this October.

Since making his MLB debut in 2007, Cincinnati Reds catcher Ryan Hanigan has without a doubt been a valuable asset to the Reds organization.

As both a backup catcher and a spot starter, Hanigan has proven himself to be a clutch hitter and a solid defender behind the plate.

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig has been heralded as a baseball purist. A traditionalist. One who's primary concern has always been and, as he has put it, "will forever remain," the integrity of America's pastime.

Tim Lincecum, on the other hand, is a 26-year-old, two-time Cy Young recipient who sports shoulder-length hair, utilizes what is perhaps the most unconventional pitching delivery in baseball, and has been known to enjoy unwinding late at night.