* For all the words and befuddled thoughts dedicated to the NL West this season, we are pretty sure the champion has been declared. The Los Angeles Dodgers seemingly can't lose these days, while the Arizona Diamondbacks can't negotiate a win. With their 5-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday evening, the Dodgers have won four straight and are 9-1 in their last ten ball games. The Dodgers' win coupled with Arizona's loss to the Reds moved Los Angeles 4.5 games ahead of their division rivals with 14 games left for L.A. and 15 games remaining for 'Zona.
This has really been one of the more amusing months of baseball for the National League West, because who could have thought of this role-reversal? The Dodgers were free falling into the Pacific Ocean hoping not to be bothered while Arizona kept trading and pushing for the finish line. After Manny Ramirez went to L.A. and Adamn Dunn and David Eckstein went to the D'backs, the two clubs have completely flopped ways. Now the Dodgers are looking down from the Hollywood sign while Arizona can't bury it's head in the hot, Phoenix sand quickly enough.
It's remarkable, really, how two pitchers of such caliber, Dan Haren and Brandon Webb, can pitch so well for so long and then fold when the race gets thick. It's not as if these guys are rookies feeling the pressure; Webb has a Cy Young award under his belt and still has a chance for another one this year, although Tim Lincecum has clearly set himself apart from the rest of the league. Something happened in that clubhouse, something took over that team. While the D'backs got comfortable, the Dodgers got hungry.
Tuned in to watch a little bit of Clayton Kershaw in Coors Field Saturday, and the difference between this start and his last one in Colorado was remarkable. The last time Kershaw was in Denver was his first start back from the minors where the Dodgers had sent him to polish up his command. You can relive that night here but lets just say that night didn't end up to well for the kid. But what we saw this time around was something completely different; this was grown lion, no longer the shell-shocked cub.
Kershaw was relentless for six innings, allowing 1 run on 4 hits with 7 strikeouts. The fast ball came in around 94-96 with life, and was put in good spots, unlike his previous trip here. Big league hitters have a chance against 95 belt-high down the middle, but they have no shot against 95 the knees. Sorry; it ain't happening. Kershaw jabbed and jabbed with the fast ball and then brought the left hook with the curve ball that started atop the Rocky Mountains and dropped down into Russell Martin's mitt. For Arizona, its time to get the irons out and cleaned up and for the Dodgers, its time to start lining up the playoff rotation.
* There may not be more fun in the next couple weeks than what will be taking place in the NL East. The Mets come into Sunday with a 2.5 game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies with a year's worth of disgust to overcome in New York. That disgust of course carried over from the epic collapse of September 2007, and there surely will be not let up this season for the Mets until they clinch the division. Nobody will allow them to forget what happened last year. Not the fans, not the media, not the deli owner on the corner. Want to take a cab to the ballpark? The driver will tell you to get a win, too. That's how it goes in that town.
But New York can relax, that collapse isn't going to happen this season. Why? Two words: Johan Santana. Santana shoved it against the Braves for seven innings on Sunday allowing two earned runs, showing why the Mets unloaded the farm system and broke the piggy bank to bring him in. What's amazing about Santana is that he really has been underrated this year. Not many people are aware of the season he has put up because the wins haven't piled up for the big guy.
Yes, Santana is 13-7. That record isn't going to get him into Cy Young consideration. But, really, he should be talked about with the rest of the contenders. Santana sports as 2.70 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, and has 179 strikeouts in 210 innings. He is nothing but a horse. But because of the Mets' unstable bullpen this season, Santana has had a bunch of wins drift into the humid New York air. It is not unrealistic to say that Santana could have 20-or so wins this year, given the way he has pitched. But recognition is meaningless. This guy is going to get the Mets into the playoffs. The bullpen will have to return the favor when they get there.
* The best series of the second half may well have been the three games Tampa Bay spent at Fenway Park and the beginning of the week. The Rays took two of three tough games from the Red Sox, with one of those wins being snatched out of the hands of All-Star closer Jonathan Papelbon. Boston has been hot while Tampa Bay has crawled along here recently, but the Rays still hold a 2 game lead over the defending World Champions heading into the final couple weeks of regular season play.
Everybody has been holding their breath on the Rays, not wanting to believe what we are currently witnessing. And to be honest, the Rays aren't going to have the full confidence of the fans until this season wraps up and we all look back in amazement. But I guess that's the price you pay from ten years of dreadful losing.
The Rays have their issues. BJ Upton is banged up, Carl Crawford is not coming back, Troy Percival is in over his head in the closer's role. But Evan Longoria just came off the DL and immediately began hitting, and the Rays have depth in their bullpen. Grant Balfour or Dan Wheeler could step in and close if need be. And David Price has just been called up and added to the mix. Where the Rays have the advantage -- maybe the Ray and Angels are on the same level -- is in their starting pitching. Scott Kazmir, James Shields, Edwin Jackson, Matt Garza... Any of them could dominate on any given night.
The Rays should hold off the Red Sox for the division and will be chasing the Angels for the best record in baseball and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. For Boston, it all comes down to Daisuke Matsuzaka, who has had a wonderful season despite high walk totals. Josh Beckett is healthy and we should fully expect to see him get reared up for this time of year like he usually does. I absolutely love Jon Lester and what he is about. He may be the most underrated pitcher in baseball right now, but it's only a matter of time before his name is bounced around with the game's elite.
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