Opinion

Last Week: 3-3
This Week: at NYY (8/16-19); CLE (8/20-22)

So What Happened?

The Tigers began their new role as AL Central spoiler in grand style, taking two of three from the White Sox over the weekend, with both wins being of the come-from-behind variety.

There were also fireworks—and MMM doesn’t mean the kind spewed from the U.S. Cellular Field scoreboard after White Sox home runs.

At the beginning of the 2010 season, hopes and dreams in Dodgertown were filled with very high expectations.

Not only did the Los Angeles Dodgers expect to return to the playoffs, but many thought that this could also be the year that the Blue Crew would return to the World Series for the first time in over 20 years.

However, with just over one-quarter of the season remaining, Los Angeles has been on a turbulent roller coaster ride and finds itself in an almost impossible position to even make a run at the wild card spot in the playoffs.

by shlepcar

...

I grew up in Minnesota and as a kid attended many Twins games at the old Met in Bloomington from 1977 through 1981.

I remember clearly, and somewhat sadly, being at the game in 1980 in which Twins center fielder Ken Landreaux’s 31-game hitting streak came to an end.

For most Chicago White Sox fans, the 2010 season was over a long time ago. Eleven months ago, in fact.

To be perfectly precise, the 2010 MLB season ended for many Chicago White Sox fans October 11, 2009—the day the Minnesota Twins played their final game in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.

I talked it over with many a Sox supporter during the offseason: the artificial turf would be gone, which meant all those ground balls the Twins hit for singles would be outs.

What can Brown do for you? For the Pirates, they can certainly do a lot; the Buccos finished off their horrendous six game road trip, mailing in the final game. 

To describe the play of the franchise over the past three games doesn't even reach the disparaging label of "going through the motions." Houston fans raved about how they wish they could play the Pirates every game, as the Pirates finished their final series with the Astros by finishing a dismal 0-9 in Houston.

With the the final game of the weekend's Giants-Padres series now played, and Giants find themselves 3.5 games out of first place in the NL West with 43 games left to play.

All season long, people have doubted whether the Padres would be able to hold onto their lead in the division, and with the Padres taking two-of-three from in the most recent match-up, the Giants now have some work to do if they hope to be playing in October.

Many rookie sensations have been turning the heads of baseball fans throughout the nation this year, but none more recently than Jeremy Hellickson of the Tampa Bay Rays. Hellickson made his Major League debut against the AL Central leaders, the Minnesota Twins.

When talking about the favorites to win the National League Cy Young Award, the most common names mentioned are Ubaldo Jimenez, Roy Halladay, Josh Johnson, and Adam Wainwright.

Many Twins fans are probably upset by the move Twins manager Ron Gardenhire made by pulling Kevin Slowey, but they shouldn't be.

Here's why: Kevin Slowey had a no-hitter through seven innings, but Gardenhire decided that was enough and pulled him. Right move? Absolutely. To all the fans feeling that Gardenhire should've let him go back and try for his no-hitter must know the situation that was at hand on Sunday.