Baseball In The Daytime: 1 October 2009

Buckle your chin straps and fasten your safety belts, because this is the penultimate Baseball In The Daytime of the whole year and it's a humdinger. That was about the most nonsensical sentence imaginable, as you don't wear helmets or seatbelts while watching day baseball. Unless you're mentally retarded, in which case I apologize for my gross insensitivity to your condition.

Also, I believe that at least a few of next week's Division Series games will be played during daylight hours, so I was wrong there as well. WHO'S THE RETARD NOW?

Juvenile insults aside, we truly do have some killer games on the sked this afternoon. We've got a Cy Young race to decide, a possible playoff spot to clinch, and home field issues on the Senior Circuit to untangle. Some teams are rising, some stumbling, some playing out the string, and some trying to build a little momentum for the offseason. Let's get right into the fray, after the jump...

St. Louis @ Cincinnati, 10:35 Mountain The popular scuttlebutt holds that the NL Cy Young battle is a three-man race. Those men are Tim Lincecum of the Giants (who won in '08) and Cardinals teammates Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. For my money Wainwright's the guy--he's been the most consistently unhittable from start to finish, even though Carpenter and Lincecum have slightly better stuff. It's not wrapped up, however, and a memorable start by Carpenter today could sway some of the spineless chin-strappers that inhabit the Baseball Writers of America. Carpenter's foil today is Cincinnati's Kip Wells.

Of more import than individual awards is the seeding in the NL playoffs. The Dodgers are still on top of the league with 93 wins, but they've dropped four straight to the putrid Pirates and Padres by a combined score 0f 25-7. Philadelphia sits a game behind with 92 wins, while the Rockies and Cardinals are currently at 90. All four of these teams are still in the mix for the top spot, and so every game they play over the next four days is impactful for playoff positioning.

Minnesota @ Detroit, 11:05 Over in the American League, we've got but one spot in the October tournament up for grabs. Someone has to win the Central division, and that someone will be one of the two teams wrasslin' at Comerica today. The Tigers, thanks to last night's 7-2 TKO of the Twins, hold a commanding three-game lead with four to play. A Detroit win behind lefty Nate Robertson means the race is over, good night, please hand in your keys. Should Scott Baker and Minnesota prevail, however, we keep this slugfest alive for at least one more day.

Milwaukee @ Colorado, 1:10 The brooms are out at Coors today, along with whatever symbolic trinketry you smuggle in when you're about to clinch. A boxing glove? A roll of toilet paper? An octopus? I don't know the protocol here. Aaron Cook starts for the home Rockies, who with a win lock down their second playoff berth in three seasons. Manny Parra tries to prevent any celebration on his watch, and you know what? Fuck Manny Parra and fuck the Brewers. We're taking a stand today, and it is decidedly homeriffic in the Centennial State.

With a victory, Colorado can also stay alive for a super-unlikely division crown, which would be their first. Tomorrow the Rox start a season-ending three-gamer at Chavez Ravine versus the free-falling Dodgers.

Arizona @ San Francisco, 1:45 The last of our BitD four-spot features the day's finest pitching matchup, Dan Haren against Lincecum. Haren has gone into his traditional second-half swoon, transforming from onetime Cy candidate to a guy who gives up five a game. Not that I'm bitter, not that I need Dan Haren to show up today to salvage my fading hopes in a fantasy baseball final. Let's throw a few strikes today, fellas, and Play Ball! Read more

Baseball in the Daytime: The Day After the Real Mexican Independence Day

Welcome back in for what's basically the only feature we bring you anymore with any regularity. What with the economy in the outhouse, we've had to cut our staff significantly. Gone are the beat writers that brought you Tradition Tuesday, We Are Hot Chicks Wednesday, ThumbTubes & YouNails, and the ol' Fiction Fix. Left are the lazy slouches known as the Iron Triangle. Bummer for you. No big whoop for us, the lazy and uninventive.

What remains, then, is some day baseball, the occasional long-winded feature, and the dying hopes of the Cy Young award going to a young man with a special-mouthed girlfriend. Your day baseball slate, a click away.

Kansas City @ Detroit, 12:05 Central: Heading into last night's game at Comerica, I had a feeling the Royals would lose. It was one of those situations where, having won seven of their last 10, and considering that Minnesota had won to potentially slide up a game on the Tigers, that the Royals typically find a way not to win. My thoughts changed for a minute when they went up 3-0, but ol' Lenny DiNardo couldn't quite make it through the fifth. Tigers four, Royals three. A solid two-plus weeks into September, it's time to fully shift away from Operation Standings Affect and into Operation Avoid One Hundred Losses. Today's matchup doesn't really bode well for that transition, either. I mean, one of the best arms in the American League will be on the hill for Kansas City: Zack Greinke. This second half, in terms of run support, has just been brutal for Stank, though. He's 13-8 heading into today's tilt, and really, could be aiming for win number 20. His E.R.A. of 2.19 is still the best in baseball. Tim Lincecum of Los Gigantes is closest with a 2.30, and only Linc' and Justin Verlander have more K's. Stank's counterpart today, Edwin Jackson, has done well for himself this season. He sits at 12-8, with a 3.22, and has fanned 145 while walking 62. If you're watching, DirecTV 213, 721 are your channels. If you're listening, it's XM 176.

Milwaukee @ Chicago, 1:20: Matchup number two on our day baseball slate is a bit sad, in that in includes two teams from the same division that really could be contending for a Wild Card spot, had their respective trains not derailed last month. There's a mild discrepancy regarding today's starters for the visiting team: The local fishwrap says the 3-5 Mike Burns'll be on the mound in Chicago; MLB's Intranets site says Dave Bush will take the hill for the Brew Crew. If it's Bush -- and we'll assume that it is -- he's trying to work his way back to .500, having won his last two starts. If it's Burns, he'll be looking for win number four on the season, and hoping to whittle away at a a six-plus E.R.A. The Brewers are playing for next year and for pride. Chicago, with six and-a-half games and four clubs in front of them, could still squeak in, but they'd need some light's-out baseball, a wing, and a prayer. The Cubbies look to get that rollin'; Milwaukee's looking for a series split. DirecTV likes this one so much, it's offering three choices: 307, 722, 723. XM felt it was only worth one: 183.

That's your schtick for today, baseball fans. Here's hoping your sticks and rubbers bask in that sun.
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Baseball In The Daytime: Dressed To The Nines

It's 09/09/09, so go buy your Beatles Rockband for your Atari boxes. While you're at it, pick up a copy of Posnanski's new book. It comes out today, except it comes out next week.

If you choose not to rock out with your cock out or jam out with your clam out on plastic guitars, watch a ballgame. It's free, it's easy, and it's the law. Previews, after the jump...

Texas @ Cleveland, 10:05 Mountain If it weren't for the Rangers, the American League "pennant race" would be nonexistent. Texas is the only thing keeping the Angels from coasting to another AL West title (they're 4 1/2 back). They're the only reason the Red Sox have yet to wrap up the wild card (2 games separate the Sox and Rangers). The Cleveland Indians are not a part of any baseball race, except the one for Most Disappointing 2009 MLB Club. It's a pitched battle between them and the Mets, as the Cubs' comparatively strong recent play makes them merely frustrating. Scott Feldman and Fausto Carmona gets the starts.

Chicago @ Pittsburgh, 12:35 Speaking of the Cubbies, they're in Iron City this afternoon trying to make a little hay. Pittsburgh just clinched an ignominious honor--they're guaranteed to finish the season with a losing record for the 17th consecutive year. No other team in a major sport has ever done this, I'm told, so I guess what the Washington Generals do is not major, Major. Hate on Barry Bonds all you want, but the argument could be made that no athlete leaving a team had a greater impact than Barry moving on from the Pirates. Ex-Cub Kevin Hart tries to bring the pain to his old mates, who are represented by the Big Z.

St. Louis @ Milwaukee, 12:05 Adam Wainwright takes on Jeff Suppan in this meeting at Miller, and Wainwright's chief competition for the NL Cy Young Award dresses in his own clubhouse. Chris Carpenter probably took the lead in the Cy derby with his one-hitter against the Brewers Monday night. Can Wainwright match his teammate against the same gang of preening, douchey, underachieving blowhards? The Brewers really rub me the wrong way, especially that prick Ryan Braun. His act is tired.

San Diego @ San Francisco, 1:45 Watch the Giants, watch them fall. In the wild card standings, that is. Time is running out on these G-Men, they're now three games behind Colorado after ace Tim Lincecum (heh) tweaked some component of his back and touted prospect Madison Bumgarner (heh) was forced to make his big-league debut, a loss. At least they get to rely on currently-dependable millionaire Barry Zito and his 78-mph cheese today. Wade LeBlanc gets the nod from the Padres after being called up when Kyle Blanks hit the DL. LeBlanc is like the French version of Blanks, so expect him to give up...a few runs. Thank you, I'll be here all week. Make sure you tip your waitress, and Play Ball!
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Baseball in the Daytime: Dualing Reacharounds

It's the last week of August which means baseball games that take place in the daytime will be coming to a close, which is sad, really. Day baseball is glorious, and when it involves mostly bad teams wrapping up four-game series, well, it's even gloriouser. Today there are two reacharounds on tap, and surprisingly, they're both rubber matches. Enjoy them while you can because September means pennant races, prime-time baseball, and less focus on bad baseball, ideally. Normally Old No. 7 is your reacharound expert, but he's a bit tied up this morning, what with all of the Sunday reaching around in which he usually engages. I could write more sentences, and try to use the word "which" a few more times, but let's skip that notion, and get to today's slate, post-jump.

Philadelphia @ New York, 12:10 Central: A lefty by the name of Cliff Lee seeks win number 12 on the season today in New York. He'll do battle with righty Bobby Parnell of New York, who, like his Los Mets counterparts, is not very good. New York could settle the series with a win today, which would not really help their case -- 15 1/2 back -- that much. Philly, however, could use the extra cushion as Atlanta's a half-game notch over the six mark behind them. Catch all the thrills nonetheless on DirecTV 721 if you're watchin', XM 183 if you're blind.

Milwaukee @ Washington, 3:35: Our second contest pits two righties against one another. It's Yovani Garllardo for the Brew Crew, Collin Balester for the Nats. Much like our first contest, the visiting starter's looking to tally his dozenth win of the season, while he who toes the slab for the home team, is, uh, not good. Milwaukee's hopes of a wildcard race have faded quickly. They've dropped to fourth in the N.L. Central and are nearly 11 games behind St. Louis. Washington, on the other hand, really wants Bryce Harper. Catch this tilt, if you must, on DirecTV 722 or 723, or have a listen on XM, same station as Philly-New York.

That's all the reacharound one man can handle for a Monday afternoon. Enjoy.
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Baseball in the Daytime: Hot Diggety Dog

Apparently, there was a hot dog eating contest over the weekend, and apparently, some guy not named Kobayashi -- Joey Chestnut downed 68 for his second consecutive title and a world record -- won the thing. Now, I kind of loathe the phrase "only in America," but this is one event where I would make the exception. I find this contest absolutely disgusting, but I sure do love me some hot dogs. Had one on Sunday, even. Right after I took one for the team and took the most burnt bratwurst on the tray. Seems as though, what with Memorial Day, graduations, and Fourth of July, I've had quite a few dogs lately. In fact, my sister-in-law and I were talking about this last evening. One day last week, she had three dogs in three different settings in a 24-hour period. And apparently, she could've squeezed down another. She, uh, has this way with words, shall I say. She summed the experience by saying, "Three weiners in one day. Who'd've thunk it?" Approximately seven minutes later, over by the display of M&Ms and mixed nuts, she, downing a mouthful said, "Mmm. Chocolate nuts."

But baseball. Baseball. I've noticed a pattern. In yesterday's day baseball affair (link, cough), there were a bunch of National League day games, whereas in today's there're three American League and one N.L. tilt to wrap things up. Come with me, over the jump, and find out all about it.

Toronto @ Tampa Bay, 11:08 Central: It's Roy Halladay as the visitor in today's first contest. He faces David Price and the Bay Rays in a battle of wits and sliders. Halladay's 10-win first half, coupled with his below-three E.R.A. has been incredible. Price will have his work cut out for him as he comes in at 2-3 with a plus-five. Lucky for he and the Tampa crew, they have a four and-a-half game lead over the Jays in the A.L. East, which is surprising, considering some of the flash Toronto has, on occasion, shown this year. They lock up on DirecTV 721, XM 176.

New York @ Minnesota, 12:10: Precisely one hour and two minutes later, Alfredo Aceves will battle with Glen Perkins. Except that he won't; the Twinkie on the hill will actually be Francisco Liriano. Perkins, apparently, is ill and will go tomorrow instead. But anyway, Liriano comes with a 4-8 record, a 5.49 E.R.A., is fully loaded and available for 1.9 percent financing. Aceves, on the other hand, has strung together a quiet 5-1 record with a 2.03 E.R.A., from the 'pen. The pinstripe front office was going to give him the nod two weeks ago when CC Sabathia's chances of starting looked shaky. Today he's a definite go in place of Chien-Ming Wang, who's 2009 has looked shaky. They'll hate on one another on DirecTV 722 and 723, or over on XM 177.

Cleveland @ Chicago, 1:05: Matchup number three is a duel of southpaws as David Huff faces Clayton Richard and the White Stockings. Each hurler has one fewer loss than wins, and E.R.A.s they'd like to whittle down a bit. I keep expecting Cleveland to get their act together and get out of the A.L. Central, but when you lose eight of your last 10, that's hard to do. Chicago, conversely, has done the opposite. Watch these jerks play baseball on DirecTV 724, 725, or listen to their jerkiness on XM 178.

St. Louis @ Milwaukee, 1:05: For the league of hitting pitchers, it's right-hander Joel Pineiro against lefty Manny Parra. Though the Cardinal's record (6-9) doesn't speak volumes about his season, his 3.39 E.R.A. tells a bit more of the story. Another missing piece is that he's gotten very little run support in his appearances thus far. Parra, on the other hand, will make his first start in a month for the Brew Crew. After early-season struggles, he was sent down, where he wasn't all that much better. Either way, he takes the mound in the bottoms of the innings today at Miller Park. Don't believe me? Check DirecTV 726 or 727, or listen for his name on XM 183.

That's your slab today, folks. Enjoy some baseball, and hell, have a hot dog for lunch while you're at it.
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Baseball In The Daytime: July 3 2009

Suddenly flush with quality infielders, the Colorado Rockies sent Jeff Baker to the Cubs yesterday. This bums me out a little bit, because I know a guy named Jeff Baker and it was always cool to see another Jeff Baker playing at Coors. But then I heard who the player to be named later was, and I was happy.

In exchange for Baker, the Rockies acquired a minor-league righty named Al Alburquerque.

I didn't make that up, nor did I misspell his name. It's Alburquerque. I want this dude to make the bigs in the worst possible way, or at the very least play a little in Triple-A against the Isortopes.

Big news on the day baseball beat this Friday, folks, as there is a matinee that does not take place in the city of Chicago. It's not even part of a rainout doubleheader. That's right, Baseball in the Daytime is spreading, spreading like hepatitis. Once you get a taste you can't wash it out. Get infected, after the jump.

Toronto @ NY Yankees, 11:05 Mountain I'm not sure why the Yanks scheduled this as a businessman's special, nor if the Friday day-game thing is going to become SOP in the Bronx. Whatever, I applaud the management of the franchise, especially Assistant To The Travelling Secretary George Costanza. If old George Steinbrenner were still alive I'd shake his hand. Play baseball the way God intended it, under the sun! Today the B'Jays come to town, led by starter Brian Tallet. Meeting them at the gate will be former Beej A.J. Burnett. I know I've mentioned this here before, but did you know that Burnett once threw a no-hitter in which he walked nine men? That's hard to do.

Milwaukee @ Chicago Cubs, 12:20 I'm so excited about that Yankee game (and I hate the fucking Yankees like I hate burnt toast) that it's hard to get worked up about--yawn--another Friday afternoon match at Wrigley. But come on! There's going to be girls there! Drunk girls! And you know what drunk girls do, don't ya? They watch Jeff Suppan and Big Z pitch, that's what they do. Then they throw up. Hold her hair out of her face, and Play Ball!
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Baseball in the Daytime: 4-7-09

The second day of this 2009 baseball season only had one contest penciled in on the original docket, but due to a big barrel full of professional-athlete pussies inclement weather, a couple of yesterday's games had to get shoved forward, which I'm guessing means that the teams involved will play on Thursday instead of having an off day. Remember that one time when the NHL cancelled it's New Year's Day game at Ralph Wilson Stadium, 'cause it was too brisk? Or how about the countless times you settled in for a Sunday afternoon of football, only to discover that the games were postponed due to sudden flurries.

Gimme a break. Put on your Under Armor and play ball, already. Today's threesome, however, one click away.

Kansas City @ Chicago, 1:05 Central: Yesterday's scheduled tilt is back on the books, folks, and it promises to be two things: cold, and maybe full of good starting pitching. Gil Meche gets the nod for the Royals; it's Mark Buehrle for the Stockings. Neither of the satellite guides have the game down on their schedule, but if you're in the KC metro area, your tube should have it on FSKC, while your box can bring you the calls via 610 AM.

Tampa Bay @ Boston, 3:05: Yesterday's other "PPD" match has James Shields and Josh Beckett geared to go. You're on your own as to where to find that one.

Milwaukee at San Francisco, 3:05: On the other side of the country, it'll be Jeff Suppan and Tim Lincecum grappling in this battle of non-lefties. Suppan continues to plug along in his career and garner relative success wherever he winds up. He went 10-10 as a Brewer last year; 12-12, and 12-7 the previous two seasons in St. Louis. The home-team Giants know that they have a dynamo in Lincecum, and hope that he'll manage to keep another low E.R.A. this year, like his 2.62 of 2008. XM has this one for ya's. It's on 183.

See there? Easy as pie. Now enjoy. That's an order.
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Baseball In The Daytime: 10-2-08, The Dawn Of The Bay-Ray Century

What if, dear reader, we look back upon today as the start of something entirely new? The onset of a fresh vision in baseball, an era in which all of the old truths become false--black is white, up is down. All of the traditional powers stink--goodbye Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals, hello Pirates, Royals, Reds. And hello Tampa, the vanguard of this movement.

Today, for the first time in the shit history of the franchise, the Bay-Rays will participate in a playoff game. The team is stocked full of all sorts of fun baseball goodies. They have deep starting pitching, a lights-out bullpen, first-round phenoms at almost every position hitting their collective strides simultaneously. They are young and they are cheap. It's baseball's perfect storm.

I don't know what they'll do this year--baseball is the hardest sport to project because postseason experience has become meaningless. The '02 Angels, the '05 White Sox, both Marlins champs, none of these teams had that core of vets that had been there. Last year's Colorado club was fresh out of baseball kindergarten yet made the Series. Can Tampa run the table this year? Why not?

I only wonder what happens to this team down the road. Can they keep it together? Will they spend money? Will their fair-weather fans put down the meth pipe and attend games? If so, the Bay-Rays are in the midst of a window of opportunity. Take advantage, man. Today's matinee games, after the jump...

Chicago @ Tampa, Game 1, 12:30 Mountain After their roller-coaster week, in which they had to play back-to-back one-game eliminators to qualify, the White Sox hand the bal to Javier Vazquez at the Trop. James Shields represents the home team, as Manager of the Millennium Joe Maddon matches wits with certified psychopath Ozzie Guillen. Don't miss the action on TBS, home of FrankTV.

Milwaukee @ Philadelphia, Game 2, 4:00 The Phils took Game 1 3-1 as actually fuck this--did you see that Cubs game? Holy Christ. Now they send Big Z up against the Dodgers' best pitcher in a must win Game 2 at Wrigley? Wow. If we have to discuss the Brewers game, here's C.C. Sabathia against Brett Myers. One is deserving of the Cy Young for half a season's work, the other beats his wife on the streets of Boston. Don't leave any bruises, and Play Ball!
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Baseball In The Daytime (Playoff Edition): 10-1-08

As Dane Cook once told America, there's only one October. And yet, here we are, barely a year later, with another one. What gives, Dane? You're already not funny and all of your movies stink, do you rally have to lie so brazenly?

Perhaps Dane was speaking of that bizarre phenomenon known as Rocktober. There is, almost certainly, only one of those.

And so today we embark upon the odyssey known as the Major League Baseball playoff tournament, in which eight deserving clubs unsheath swords and joust for a chance at the World Series. Because MLB is a money-grubbing whore farm, the games are dispersed according to perceived market value. The good thing is that we get a couple more instances of day baseball. The bad part is the shittiest series goes first. Jump with us, friends, for a preview of the Brewers and the Phillies game. Hell, we'll just go ahead and hype the whole series...

Milwaukee @ Philadelphia Game 1, 1:07 Mountain Playoff time is when all the lightweight morons who don't follow a sport all year show up. They invade your taverns and living room and pepper you with really dumb questions. Here are a few of those questions:

The Brewers made the playoffs? They sure did, although you could more accurately say that the Mets choked on a slightly smaller dick than in 2007. God bless the Mets. Their epic collapses have given us so much. Back-to-back NL East titles for the Phillies. The spunky Rockies edging out the lame ass Padres in last year's one-game playoff. And now, Milwaukee's first appearance in the postseason since 1982, which is a really long time.

I suppose it's worth noting that these Brewers can actually play a little baseball too. They're powered by a young lineup that can hit the ball a long way and also not hit the ball at all. It's almost as if they have nine Ryan Howards. They've got a little speed and they can't play defense. And their closer has been horrible lately. So, what I'm saying is, way to go Mets.

Will C.C. Sabathia start every game this series? It sure looks likely. Sabathia came over in a midseason trade and pitched in an MLB record 54 consecutive games, compiling a 38-1 record with 615 strikeouts (actually 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA in 17 starts). Really, he'll go in Game 2, his fourth consecutive call on three days rest. Brewers manager Dale Sveum is committed to destroying every fiber in Sabathia's arm just in time for him to sign a lucrative free agent contract with the New York Yankees.

Just how dumb is Dale Sveum? Oh, he's really dumb. He became the manager of this team two weeks ago and has lowered its collective IQ by 20 points. Ryan Braun, widely considered the dumbest player in baseball (he matriculated at the University of Miami), thinks that the Brewers have a chance if Sveum is told that the bullpen phone is covered in poison ivy.

When Sveum was the third-base coach under Grady Little in Boston, fans compiled the Wall of Sveum--a list of baserunners sent home who were thrown out by 20 feet. The list was long.

Are you going to say anything about the Phillies? Sure! Keep an eye out for Brad Lidge. He's come a long way from his monstrous home run served up to Albert Pujols in 2005. In fact, he was named Comeback Player of the Year yesterday, and award also known as Man You Used To Suck Really, Really Bad But This Year Not So Much. Lidge hasn't blown a save all year, but if today's game is close, and Prince Fielder comes up in the top of the ninth, and Lidge hangs a slider...all bets are off.

PREDICTION: Phillies in 4. Read more

Baseball In The Daytime: 9-15-08

Hurricane Ike sure threw a monkey wrench into baseball over the weekend. I completely lost track of how many games were postponed, how many doubleheaders were rescheduled, or how many times I cursed at the computer when one of my fantasy players didn't play. Not that it matters, Cecil beat me fair and square in the playoffs and moves on to the championship round against occasional HoG contributor Rustoleum. Good luck, asshole.

One of the weirdest Ike-related twists was the disposition of the Cubs-Astros series scheduled for Friday through Sunday in Houston. Seeing as how that city took the storm head-on, the teams relocated to Milwaukee to try and get a few ballgames in. You see, Milwaukee has a dome, a dome built by Commissioner Bud Selig. It's always available for rent to get MLB out of weather-related jams, like when the Indians and Mariners played a series there last season after snow wiped out a week of contests in Cleveland.

So the Cubs played a "road" game 90 miles from their home against "host" Houston. All Big Z did was throw a fucking no-hitter, first for the Chicago Nats since 1972. They pushed their division lead over the Brewers to seven and a half, following the Crew's sweep at the hands of the Phillies. And now, adding insult to injury, Milwaukee flies home from Philly and they can not even enter their home clubhouse. It's still occupied by the Astros, who'll "host" the Cubs once more before the midweek series featuring Chicago and the Brewers kicks off tomorrow. Details after the jump...

Chicago "@" Houston, 12:05 Mountain Last night's Zambrano gem was further evidence that the Cubs are looking just a little charmed in 2008. I'm not trying to jinx anything, just stating what's obvious to anyone with a pair of eyes. Today they send Ted Lilly, who'll either be a No. 4 starter or a lefty specialist in the postseason, up against Brian Moehler. Play Ball!
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Baseball In The Daytime: 8-20-08

I know the Dodgers don't play this afternoon--they're scheduled to face the Rockies tonight at Chavez Ravine. I still want to use this space to bash Jeff Kent.

Jeff Kent is one of the finest second basemen ever to play this game. Go ahead, look up his numbers. Few at his position have ever hit like he has. Unfortunately, Jeff Kent is also a huge giant piece of shit as a person. This goes far beyond his moustache, which is actually pretty awesome. No, Kent's doucheness is acute and long-lasting. It's pretty hard to have a feud with Barry Bonds and have folks take Barry's side, but that's Jeff Kent. Bigger fuckstick than Barry Bonds.

Jeff Kent once wrecked his motorcycle in the offseason, which is a bad enough deal for a ballplayer. The bigger problem was that Kent had recently signed an enormous contract, a contract that specifically forbade him from riding motorcycles. Faced with the prospect of voiding the contract and losing millions, Kent did what any dipshit asshole would do, he lied and said he broke his leg whilst washing his truck. Which is totally probable. Jeff Kent does not like it when I go to games and yell at him, asking him how clean his truck is. But fuck him.

I could go on and on about how shitty a teammate Jeff Kent is, how he has singlehandedly tried to ruin the impressive youth movement the Dodgers are in the midst of, how he got Grady Little fired (actually a plus), and how in his spare time he adopts cats and then drowns them in his hot tub. I'll let that go, because that moustache is pretty awesome.

But this I can't let stand. Now Jeff Kent has committed an even greater sin upon the dignity of the game of baseball. Since the Dodgers acquired Manny Ramirez, merely one of the 20 best hitters ever to hold a bat, Kent has been killing it. One could draw the logical conclusion that Kent, hitting in the prime spot directly in front of Manny, is seeing great pitches and capitalizing on them. No way, says Jeff Kent. Totally unrelated, fuck you and fuck Manny. Or something to that effect. Which is all fine, because everyone knows Jeff Kent is a world class dick. Not content with that, Kent went on and impugned the integrity of Vin Scully, who discussed the connection of Kent's hot streak to Manny's arrival on air.

Jeff Kent criticized Saint Vincent. This can not stand. I've never asked anything of Dodger fans, a species that is below earwigs in my book. But tonight, I implore you, let Jeff Kent have it. With twenty thousand voices, ask him how clean his truck is. Boo his sorry ass. And while I never condone such actions, if someone throws a battery at him I'll smile, on the inside. Don't let us down, Humberto.

Oakland @ Minnesota, 11:10 Mountain While the Twins try to hang with the White Sox in the race for the AL Central flag, the A's are on cruise control to nowhere. You mean trading away our three best pitchers is a bad thing? Shit! Left behind after the purge in Oakland is young Dallas Braden, who'll match wits with Fransico Liriano at the Hube.

Seattle @ Chicago White Sox, 12:05 In another matchup pitting Central contender vs. Western loser, the Mariners take on the Pale Hose at U.S. Cellular. Somehow this season R.A. Dickey made his way from the Rangers to the M's, I'll go ahead and say that's the least important trade of the year. R.A. starts for Seattle, while Gavin Floyd takes the ball for the home team.

Houston @ Milwaukee, 12:05 The Astros have been hot lately, and in fact were the focus of a section-front story in USA Today yesterday concerning their playoff hopes. Playoffs? Cecil hates it when I cite McPaper, but I'll always counter that the multicolored fishwrap is no less accurate than the New York Times. On a dissimilar note, how does a grown man end up with the name Wandy? That's the handle of Houston starter Wandy Rodriguez, who today battles Manny Parra and the Brewers. Play Ball!
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Baseball In The Daytime: 8-11-08

On Saturday night at Coors Field, I had a lot of fun. Even though the home team lost, I got a chance to heckle Brian Giles mercilessly. Giles turned down a deal to the Red Sox last week, passing on a chance to play in the postseason for the first time. He's rather stay in last place. So I called him a bum and a loser and he went 0-for-5. Good times.

Much has been made about Manny Ramirez's actions just before the trade deadline, what many see as him quitting on the Red Sox. Manny was traded to the Dodgers, and all of a sudden he's hitting like crazy, hustling, and his "aching" knees seem perfectly healthy. On Saturday, Buster Olney posted this on his blog:

These are observations made only with the benefit of 20-20 hindsight, and not meant to be a criticism of Bud Selig. Nobody in baseball is conditioned to deal with the possibility that a player might willfully become a cancer on his team in pursuit of a contractual change. But privately, as the smoke has cleared, many folks within the game believe that what might have taken place with Ramirez represents a threat greater to the core tenet of baseball competition than any player ingesting steroids -- "At least those guys were trying to get better for themselves and the team," said one GM -- and perhaps as great as the Pete Rose and Black Sox betting scandals.

Now I'll agree Manny's actions were shameful. Any player that does not appear to give full effort toward winning should be benched, fined and publicly lambasted. But why is there not a similar outcry over what Giles did? Why is choosing to play for a lousy team and spurning a winning one any different than the petulant tantrums of Manny Ramirez?

But that's enough deep thought, let's get to the sunshine hardball...

Pittsburgh @ NY Mets, 11:10 Mountain It's always interesting to see what happens to dominant pitches as they get a little older. Some, like Nolan Ryan, just stay dominant. Some, like The Rocket and The Unit, maintain much of their bite but see their ERAs climb a little and their strikeouts decline. Some, like Kevin Brown, simply go away.

And then you have guys like Pedro Martinez. He was the finest pitcher on the planet at the turn of the millennium, an untouchable artiste. His filthy stuff was matched only by his shocking bravado and Jheri curls. But then Pedro milked one last big contract out of the Mets and fell apart. His starts are less appointments than little surprises--"Hey, Pedro's pitching today." He can barely register 90 on the gun, he tires quickly, and his breaking pitches just sort of roll. It's a little sad, but at least he's out making a living, as opposed to swimming in Kevin Brown's pool full of stolen money. Zach Duke goes up against Pedro today at Shea.

Washington @ Milwaukee, 12:05 As the Brew Crew tries to hold on in both the NL Central and wild-card races, the Nats are playing out the string. Today the start a kid named Garrett Mock. You'd think I would make sport of that handle, but you'd be wrong. Nothing to Mock here. The Brewers go with Dave Bush, whose Spanish name is Arbusto. Play Ball!

Update: Upon doing a little research, I discovered that Brian Giles actually has playoff experience. Quite a bit, matter of fact. He played on the excellent Indians teams that went to the dance from 1996-98, and his Padres snuck in to the NL postseason in '05 and '06. He has a .208 lifetime October average with no homers in 29 games.

My point still stands. If you're satisfied with a career that peaked with four at-bats in the '97 World Series loss to the Marlins, you're playing for the wrong reasons. San Diego is beautiful and its ladies are magnificent. But you can live there in the offseason and live there for the rest of your life. If you're afraid of playing for a good team, you're a loser.
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Baseball In The Daytime: 7-3-08

If you like to watch baseball, one thing you should never do is buy your own home. Sure, purchasing property is part of the American Dream and the single most responsible thing you can do for the struggling economy. But it fucks your baseball season, man. Big time.

When else is the wife going to decide to concurrently remodel your bedroom and install a sprinkler system in the yard? That shit ain't happening in March, not if you're married to a teacher. No, that only goes down in July, when the pennant races are heating up and your team is getting blasted by the fucking Bay-Rays.

So here's some Baseball In The Daytime for ya, you jerks. Enjoy it. I'll be at work until my lunch break, when I get to go stick some pipe in a trench. Same thing I'll be doing tomorrow, on the national holiday. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, unless they buy a house, in which case those men enslave themselves for a lifetime of chores in exchange for some lousy equity that's diminishing anyhow. God Bless The U.S.A.

LA Dodgers @ Houston, 12:05 Mountain In each of the last five seasons I've predicted that the Dodgers would win the NL West. They always have the division's highest payroll and they assemble great teams on paper. But they nearly always disappoint. This year, with Joe Torre, a mix of veteran and nice young everyday players and deep pitching, I thought once again that they would take the flag.

These Dodgers still might, but they've let a golden opportunity pass by. Arizona's hot start has melted, as the D'Bags dropped to .500 this week. LA still sits a game and a half back because they can't piss straight. Everyone's hurt, Torre hasn't helped and the pitching staggers around as if sniffing paint. Today's starter Chad Billingsley has a 3.38 ERA but only a 7-7 record to show for it. He won a game on Saturday, in fact, in which his offense didn't collect a single hit. Try to do that sometime, it's really hard. Billingsley faces Brandon Backe of the Astros, who listens to Creed.

Milwaukee @ Arizona, 1:40 Those very Diamond Bags get a little BITD in themselves. In this matchup of teams with convertible houses, the Brewers of fan-shaped Miller Park infiltrate Chase Field, which resembles a box of bread. Manny Parra dons the road grays across from Brandon Webb in home whites. Unless one team or both wears those stupid solid-color BP jerseys, which are weak and vaguely un-American. In a time of global terror we must wear serious baseball uniforms, men. Now suit up and Play Ball!
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Baseball In The Daytime: 6-25-08

This one goes out to the unemployed. I spoke yesterday to a buddy of mine, a big Cubs fan. He sold his house at the peak of a crazy real estate market and pocketed some healthy loot. He's moved to Denver now, where he halfheartedly seeks gainful employment and a new home. You might think he's down in the dumps right now.

On the contrary, he's having the summer of his life. Freed from the constraints of a mortgage and a J.O.B., my buddy is sitting on his ass and watching Baseball In The Daytime and every single Cubs game (often one and the same). His club has the best record in the majors and a preposterous 32-9 mark at Wrigley. So he sits, and he watches, and he blows through his nest egg. Good times indeed.

My friend will surely be tuning in to today's lone BITD affair, a matchup of two of the Cubs' National League rivals. I know you'll be joining him in spirit, unless you have a job...

Milwaukee @ Atlanta, 11:05 Mountain Since the AL has two fewer clubs than its big brother, you always have one lonely NL series going on in the midst of all the interleague hoopla. It's kind of like a big orgy where everyone finds a partner except two dudes in the corner, and they just sort of jerk each other off without making eye contact.

The Braves and the Brewers will grip those sticks today and look for a good stroke. Jeff Suppan starts for the visitors, while Jorge Campillo brings the home whites to the rubber. That'll be all the tortured gay sex references you probably need for the afternoon--enjoy the game and Play Ball!
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Baseball In The Daytime: 4-22-08

Tuesday delivers us a pair of NL games and a Pennsylvania Primary where Hillary...will...not...die. I'll take the baseball, but only on the radio, thanks. It is, after all, Turn Off TV Week.

Word also has it that it's Earth Day, so the House of Georges will recycle as many jokes as we can. Expect a number of references to fat chicks and bars that never close...

St. Louis @ Milwaukee, 11:05 Mountain The Cards beat the Brewers 4-3 last night, maintaining their hold on second place in the NL Central. While most expected Milwaukee to challenge Chicago this year, the inclusion of St. Louis in the early scrum is eye-opening, as is the unblemished excellence of today's starter Kyle Lohse. The Beermakers give Manny Parra a chance to keep his job.

NY Mets @ Chicago Cubs, 12:20 The First City visits the Second for a continuation of this series, as Ted Lilly hosts Nelson Figueroa on the Wrigley bump. It's quite a step down from Maine-Big Z last night, but knock back enough Old Styles and you won't be able to tell the difference.

Walkoff Walk Watch Today we'll look back on the most recent day both BITD and WoW previewed afternoon games which would be last Friday. There's no reason for this. No reason at all.

Looks like a blowout. Once we get through the maddening inconsistency of WoW's title treatment (today it's "I Have Eaten The Plums In The Icebox"), Camp Tiger Claw lands blow after blow. Get back in the happy column? Extended offensive foreplay? Inspired, sir. Compare that to my lame mail-in job and we may soon see the end of Walkoff Walk Watch out of sheer embarrassment. The best I could muster was a dimwitted crack about Billy Butler's birth certificate. Final score: 9-1 Tiger Claw.

If you can summon the strength, Play Ball!


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Baseball In The Daytime: 4-17-08

It's a triple-header of National League games at the old ballyards today, so pull up a seat and soak it all in, folks. Just don't forget the SPF 80, it's still early in the season.

Today we're treated to the rubber game of the Ed Wade Showdown and a couple of NL Central clubs shooting for sweeps. We'll also rehash the friendly competition between the InterSpace's two most dominant day-baseball preview features. Oh, it's on...

Houston @ Philadelphia, 11:05 Mountain Ed Wade is about as Brotherly Loved in the City Of as Michael Irvin or Santa Claus. His tenure as Phillies GM ended mercifully in 2005, but his career was resurrected by nutty old 'Stro-wner Drayton McClane. Wade promptly snagged one of his old pet projects in Philly, the preposterously fast outfielder Michael Bourn, who's now leading the NL in steals. Brandon Backe and Brett Myers tangle in this on at Citizens Bank Park.

Milwaukee @ St. Louis, 11:15 The Cards are the toast of baseball once again and own a share of the top record in the NL, 11-4. Following World Series appearances in 2004 and 2006, this was supposed to be a rebuilding campaign for the Redbirds, but what the fungus!? They're winning! A big reason is today's starter, Kyle Lohse, who mysteriously forgot how to suck on his way to Busch Stadium and guns for his third victory of the season versus the Brewers' Manny Parra.

Cincinnati @ Chicago Cubs, 12:20 Edison invented the light bulb, the phonograph, and the steam-powered waffle-maker, but a young man named Edinson hopes to concoct a new idea at Wrigley today: Hope. Edinson Volquez's Cincinnati Reds are floundering, having lost five straight. They're threatening to make a giant ass out of me for forecasting their breakout this season, and if they don't get to winning I'll be forced to thrust upon you, poor reader, shitty phrases like this: Help Us Edinson Volquez, You're Our Only Hope. Jesus. Your Cubs' starter is pharmaceutical heir Ted Lilly.

Walkoff Walk Watch As of press time yesterday our pals over at the WoW had yet to post their afternoon delight, so we'll break it all down retroactively. There was, of course, only one day game in the bigs, a closely contested affair in which the D'Bags trumped the Giants 4-1.

WoW's Camp Tiger Claw highlighted the contrast between Arizona ace Brandon Webb and Giant mope Barry Zito. CTC, however, was more subtle in his slight:

Zito is, well... if you want to read about how lousy he is, go to every other baseball website in existence.

That's nice. I, conversely, went with a rote breakdown of Zito's crappy stats and bloated contract--damn it! So predictable!

On the other hand, CTC dropped the ball in his opening sentence whe he talked about Webb and Zito's career "arches," which would make a lot more sense if it was "arcs." I, meanwhile, managed to field my position without an error, unless you count my use of the Bermanism "G-Men." Mild faux pas, but I had to dive for it and the official scorer ruled it a base hit.

So the game was tied going into the ninth, and was decided on originality. Baseball In The Daytime, as the genesis of the species, emerged with a nailbiter of a W. Better luck next time, fellas, and Play Ball!
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Baseball In The Daytime: Opening Day (Rocky Mountain Version)

Last October, the nation (or the tiny sliver of it that still cares about baseball, anyway) trained its eyes the brick-and-steel edifice in Lower Downtown Denver that serves as the home of the Colorado Rockies. Most were surprised--that Coors Field was not a bandbox, that a humidor and a halfway decent pitching staff could keep scores in the single digits, that no one had murdered the purple dinosaur. And those eyes are back today, as the Rockies return home for the first time since they lost the fourth and final game of the Fall Classic.

I'm sure they'll raise a pennant, and hand out rings or bracelets or whatever you get for finishing second. The stands will be full, and bucketfulls of high-altitude sunshine will pour down upon the pink shoulders of folks hungry to get outside. There's not much better than Opening Day (Version 3.5b), even if it comes after you nearly got swept by the lousy Cardinals.

But hey, crazy shit is happening all over baseball. Trey Hillman is the greatest manager in the history of the sport, and my boy Johnny Cueto is a superhuman strikeout machine. So enjoy your moment in the sun, Denver, and everybody else feel free to take in a little Baseball In The Daytime...

Chicago White Sox @ Detroit, 11:05 Mountain The Tigers, having been declawed and roughed up by the Royals, welcome another AL Central foe at Comerica today. At some point this seemingly potent Detroit lineup has to knock somebody around, and it might as well be Jose Contreras. With the retirement of Fidel Castro, Contreras is the oldest Cuban still earning a paycheck. Today he'll battle the bespectacled Nate Robertson for outs.

San Francisco @ Milwaukee, 12:05 The Dirty Sanchez makes its way to the shores of Lake Michigan today, as young Jonathan sends his nasty filth plateward for the G-Men. Your Brewers, who took two out of three at Wrigley this week, give the pill to Charlie Carlos Villanueva, who does not look like the singer from Midnight Oil.

Houston @ Chicago Cubs, 12:20 Once again both Windy City teams are in action under the Midwestern sunshine, and the Cubbie faithful are hoping for better results out of this opponent. The Astros and Chris Sampson challenge Rich Hill at the Friendly Confines, where watching a baseball game used to cost a dime. Today, more.

Arizona @ Colorado, 2:05 This one's your highlight, folks. Find this game on the tube or the series of tubes and watch the Rockies brag about winning last year's NLCS over these same D'Bags. This is the first honest-to-goodness rivalry in the history of this franchise, and we've even got the requisite heroes and villains. Good guys: Helton, Holliday, Tulo, Francis, who "play the game the right way." Bad guys: Webb, Upton, Byrnes, The Unit, who spit on little kids, rough up women, don't run out ground balls and generally piss on the national pastime. They may even wear throwback white and black cowboy hats for this one, and I'm praying for a bench-clearing fracas of some sort.

Keep your head on a swivel, enjoy the games, and Play Ball!

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Baseball In The Daytime: 4-2-08

As if the giant scheduling circus we've endured over the past week wasn't enough, baseball in its infinite wisdom denied us from any day games yesterday.

That's right. After Monday's orgy of eleven scheduled afternoon contests, the MLB slate was entirely after-hours on Tuesday. This in inexcusable. April is a month that needs games scheduled every day. There are kids somewhere in this country on spring break, and they need to stay out of trouble. Thousands of men are accustomed to feigning illness for the NCAA tournament and opening rounds of the Masters, what are they supposed to do? Go to work? Banky was forced to masturbate nine times, which is dangerous.

Most importantly, in the absence of day baseball, I'm forced to listen to Stephen A. Smith during the day. And doing that makes me want to go beat a child. Bud Selig is now causing the youth of America to get knocked the fuck out. But the kids are safe today, three games are scheduled. After the jump, your menu...

KC @ Detroit, 11:05 Mountain After a surprisingly good rookie campaign in '07, Brian Bannister takes the ball for your first-place Kansas City Royals in the Motor City. His opposition is noted gambler and chicken-roaster Kenny Rogers, who has promised to keeps his hands free of "dirt" over the course of today's game. After Monday's extra-innings thriller we demand another great game, or Baseball In The Daytime will ignore the Royals all season. Actually that might happen anyway.

Milwaukee @ Chicago Cubs, 12:20 This is another encore from an overtime Opening Day classic. On Monday the Brewers and Cubs' aces sent a scoreless game into the ninth, where Kerry Wood and Eric Gagne managed to both douse themselves in gasoline and play with matches. At least this guy managed to make headline writers' jobs easier (or harder, if they work for a family newspaper). Today they send Jeff Suppan and Ted Lilly into battle, and man let's just move on.

Boston @ Oakland, 1:35 I don't know if you watched these two clubs play last night, but if not you missed a true gem out of Daisuke Matsuzaka. He was brilliant in spurts last year, but spent much of the season working out of jams and nibbling with junk. Last night, we saw the Dice-K that was promised when he signed his wacky contract. He cut down on his variety of pitches, owned both sides of the plate and kept hitters guessing. Granted, it was against a weak Oakland lineup and home plate umpire Wally Bell had a zone that was about a yard wide, but Matsuzaka was spectacular. Francona shocked everyone when he pulled Dice in the 7th with the following line: 6 2/3 IP, 96 pitches (61 strikes), 2 hits, 1 ER, 9 K, 0 BB. I guess he's being saved for the long season. Today we get Jon Lester and Rich Harden, the same matchup displayed for the second Tokyo game last week.

And here's your scheduling info, kids--Play Ball!

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Baseball In The Daytime: 9-12-07

Unfortunately, neither the Yankees nor the Red Sox are in action this afternoon. You'll have to wait until this evening to tune in to the only two teams that actually matter. Because the readership of the HoG is clearly attuned to the nothing baseball-related but these two franchises along the I-95 corridor.

Wasting our time today are four games that I'll skim over quickly, so as to give you, the loyal audience, more time to prepare for the AL East competition tonight (and the big weekend showdown at Fenway).

Batting leadoff are the Brewers and Pirates, at 10:35 Mountain on XM 186. Dave Bush and Tom Gorzelanny are your starters, and both throw with the hand opposite their baseball glove. Milwaukee has a one-game lead in the NL Central, which means they're more likely than the Cubs to get swept in the first round by the Mets.

At 11:05, from an empty football coliseum on reclaimed swampland, the Nationals visit the Marlins. Jon Hanrahan toes the slab opposite Byung-Hyun Kim on XM 185. I feel fairly confident in saying that this is the worst baseball game I've ever seen scheduled. Somewhere among the dozens of fans in attendance will be a small child taking in his first major league ballgame, and from this day forward he'll care about nothing but skateboarding.

On the South Side of Chicago, my improbable charge toward a first round fantasy baseball playoff upset continues at noon. My operative in this contest is starting pitcher Javier Vazquez, who is not good. The front office staff of Making Noises For Moises is simply hoping that Javy can keep the ball in the yard. Jake Westbrook, who's had a fine second half, starts for the Indians. Cleveland is still rolling six and a half clear of the Tigers and has all but locked up a playoff spot. Find the audio of this event on XM 180.

Finally, at the Kauff, the Royals host the Twins on XM 179, also at noon. Carlos Silva and Gil Meche will fire fastballs and other assorted pitches, batters will occasionally swing, and water will spurt from various fountains. Hopefully there won't be any tornadoes. Is the plural of tornado spelled with an "e" or not? Call George Bush, and tell him Cheers!
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Baseball In The Daytime: 8-30-07

Here on the penultimate afternoon of August, four day games flavor the palette of baseball. All four have possible playoff implications, and one is the latest edition of the greatest rivalry in sports.

From the venerable old Stadium in the Bronx, the Red Sox and Yankees play the final game of their three-episode midweek drama. The Bombers have taken the first two behind the strong pitching of Rocket and Andy Petitte, and have trimmed Boston's AL East lead to a six-pack. It's still the biggest spread in baseball, but because of the history of these two franchises we have to speculate about whether it's possible for the Yankees to catch the Olde Towne Team. It all comes down to simple mathematics.

At the outset of this series, I figured the Sox would need to win one of the remaining six games the two teams had scheduled (they play three at Fenway in mid-September). In taking that one contest, Boston would allow New York to pick up a maximum of four games head-to-head, half of what they need (the lead was 8 as of Tuesday morning). I further deduced that Boston's easier schedule (more home games, more games against crappy teams) would lead them to the division title.

Well, that's all well and good, but you still need to win that one game. The assignment in this suddenly big, important game goes to old Curt Schilling, who's won more big, important games than any pitcher still drawing a big-league paycheck. He'll step on to the same mound where he once bled through his sock and attempt to shut 50,000 New Yorkers up.

His doppelganger will be Wang, who's having another nice season (15-6, 3.95). Of much more import to Boston than slowing the Yankee lineup is scoring runs off of Wang--their offense has gone into another funk, and now Man-Ram is hobbled with an oblique injury. It should, as always, be fun, and it all kicks off at 11:05 Mountain on XM 176, DTV 734 (SD) and 731 (HD).

At the same time from the City Of Steak N' Cheese, the Phillies attempt a sweep of the Mets. To call such a sweep improbable is a vast understatement: the way these two teams were playing last week you'd have given the Phils a one-in-ten shot at even splitting the four-game series. Yet here we are. The home team has cut the Metropolitan's division lead in half, from six to three, and Philly is within the same distance of the wild card lead. El Duque, who's played in his fair share of big games himself, is the Met starter, opposite Kyle Lohse, who's one of only two Native Americans in Major League baseball (the other is Yankee phenom Joba Chamberlain). XM 183 and DTV 735 are your audio/video options.

At noon the Tigers and Royals square off at The Kauff on XM 180 and DTV 737. Detroit continues to defy logic--after taking three of four from the Yankees over the weekend they've dropped consecutive games to the fourth-place Royals.

Their starter today is Jeremy Bonderman, who's even more mystifying than his employer. Once thought of as one of the best young pitchers in the game, Bonderman has absolutely sucked donkey balls since the All-Star Break. He's lost six straight decisions and today faces Leo Nunez. The defending Al champion Tigers are clinging to their postseason lives, currently 4 1/2 behind the Indians in the Central and three back of the wild card lead.

Finally, also at noon, the Cardinals and Astros get one in at Minute Maid Park. Assbag loser Joel Pineiro starts for St. Louise, while Matt Albers toes the slab for Houston. Following the Astros' shutout win last night and the Brewers' impersonation of a big league club, the Cards are still two behind the Cubbies in the NL Central. This one can be found on XM 187 and DTV 736. Cheers!
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