first pitch: 5:19 p.m., PT
television: FOX
matchup: Chris Carpenter (15-8, 3.09 ERA) vs John Maine (6-5, 3.60 ERA)
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The series returns to New York on Wednesday, as the Mets try to stave off elimination against the Cardinals’ best pitcher. Could the Tigers’ wait for a World Series opponent be over? We shall see…
Wow, even more amazing than the Mets going with Maine for their Game 6 elimination game is their plan to go with Darren Oliver for Game 7! It would be his first started of the season! It’s really too bad the Padres couldn’t get past St. Louis … ain’t it?
GY … on that Frappr map … do you know if there’s a way to search just the Ducksnorts map for a name?
Unfortunately, the Padres do not hit lefty well at all so that may not be such a good matchup.
On the other hand, with the starting pitching the Padres had, it may have gone the Padres way.
Moot now.
Good job pulling Maine after 5 innings shutout.
Go Mets. I want Game 7. The Tigers are going to roll the NL opponents.
The Mets did what the Padres couldn’t and held onto their 2-0 lead to beat Carpenter to force a deciding final game.
From baseball prospectus, by way of mlbtraderumors, an article comparing the difficulty of the Japanese leagues to that of MLB. The conclusion is that it is between triple A and the major leagues, which would bode well for some of the Japanese players putting up dominating numbers that the Padres are interested in.
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=1330
Tough night for So Taguchi … he gets a PH double … to lower his playoff OPS … from 4000 to 3750
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6843
… you can only hope to contain him!!!
SO so Good. Off Billy Wagner, too.
Man, can you believe Game 7 will be between Jeff ‘I’m much worse on the road’ Suppan and Oliver ‘I have many arm slots’ Perez.
With probably Darren Oliver and Brad Thompson to long-relieve in case they falter.
You are right, LM, the Padres can definitely outpitched these two teams. Too bad, there was no Game 5 in the series.
I so badly wanted to see it but had a family crisis. Thanks for the recap.
I can see Oliver Perez getting the short hook tonight, maybe in the 4th after giving up 2 runs. Worried that he’s on short rest, that doesn’t bode well for the Mets.
I think they’d go to a righty for an inning or two (Bradford would be a good choice as an extreme) before if he gets removed in the 1st or 2nd, before going to Darren Oliver for a long stretch.
All hands on deck tonight.
Rob Neyer calls Oliver Perez the worst Game 7 starter ever. Easy to believe.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2631630
I mean how can he not be. He sucked all year. How a team could have him going in a game that matters is beyond me.
What might be even scarier is that the NY media is going crazy saying how the Mets are a sure thing tonight.
Doesn’t add up, to me. I think they have a chance though, if he gets the early hook. If he’s left in to take a 6-7 run beating it’s over.
re: “How a team could have him going in a game that matters is beyond me.”
Did you know that Pedro Martinez is injured and Tom Glavine pitched Game 5 and John Maine pitched Game 6? Who would you start?
re: “What might be even scarier is that the NY media is going crazy saying how the Mets are a sure thing tonight.”
Did you know Jeff Suppan is pitching for the Cardinals, who is almost as bad as Oliver Perez?
If KT wants to fulfill his Ollie fantasy, tonight needs to go badly for the Mets. So I’m torn…on the one hand, I would like Ollie back in SD in a bullpen role, but on the other hand I don’t want Prince Albert the Pompous in the WS. Guess I’m rooting for OP to give up 6-7 runs and get yanked, then the Mets ‘pen holds the line while the Mets offense pounds away at Suppan, ultimately winning 12-10 or something.
I hate American League baseball with a passion, but I have to admit I’m pretty ashamed overall with the NL product this year. This has been a continuing trend…my friends and I have an NL-only fantasy league, and every year when the draft rolls around it’s obvious that more and more talent has drifted over to the AL. Add that to the solid job teams like Detroit have done with their farm systems and you get a pretty out of whack competitive balance.
12 – I’m not sure who the other eligible players were, but with the current staff I think I’d start Darren Oliver and go to the pen after 4-5 innings if necessary.
No way Perez would have been on the roster if I were making it. He hasn’t done jack all year. When it comes down to it, how many pitchers are worse than a 6.50 ERA guy???
Not a lot. If you’re in the championship and can’t find someone better than that, that’s a problem.