Been an interesting couple of days for the start of the playoffs.

If the whitesox cant turn this round tonight (currently down at the bottom of the 7th), then i cant see them coming back from 2-0 down against Tampa Bay who finished the season strongly.

It looks another year of failure for the Cubs, who are 2-0 down to the Dodgers, who have been a different side since Manny Ramierez joined them from the red sox.

Sox themselves are looking good after taking the first game in their series, and Philly look to be cruising through as well.

Im hoping to see the Cubs rally against the dodgers but i cant see it, obviously hoping for another Red Sox win, but the fairytale would be the cubs doing it 100 years since the last time they took the world series.

I'm really hoping for the Dodgers to implode, and for Manny to sulk. Tampa Bay look a really good bet to go all the way, even at this early stage. Which would leave the big payroll teams (Red Sox, Cubs and Dodgers) looking really, really stupid.

Yeh id say Tampa Bay will get to the final, The Red Sox i dont think won a series against them this year, so i dont fancy them to change that in the next series if both complete the jobs.

To be fair Tampa have made the big payroll teams look a bit daft all season, i loved that Eva and Evan Longoria had developed a friendship based on their names

It's pointing towards a Red Sox vs Manny World Series, isn't it?

That said, I'd predict Tampa vs Phillies. 'Mon the Phillies

Did San Diego or Toronto make it to the playoffs? I haven't known any results for about 5 months

No. San Diego had a terrible season and Toronto were decent enough and finished the season quite strongly but finished 4th in their 5 team division (behind Tampa, Boston and the Yankees).

Who's in the play-offs?

I normally only watch it on a Sunday/Monday morning because it is the only thing on the TV when I'm on the nightshift.

Disturbingly, the NL is between the Dodgers and the Phillies - the Phillies took game one and look for them to go the WS.

In the junior league, Tampa Bay take on Boston. I'm taking Tampa to win the whole shebang, but that looks on paper an excellent match up.

Failing the Cubs going all the way (thanks Eddie Vedder!) I'd hoped to see an Angels Dodgers World Series but that aint gonna happen either now. Now I'd love to see the Rays win the lot, just to rub it in the face of the people who know sod all about baseball so automatically pick the Yankees or Red Sox as their team!

Phillies now 2-0 up , Red Sox 1-0 up on Tampa.

Was hoping for a Dodgers vs Red Sox final, its going to be tough for the Dodgers to come back now.

Was a good game last night with the red sox, 6 no hit innings for Tampa, but they have been behind in series before this year with the sox and came back to take them.

Might stay up and watch the Dodgers game tonight, if that is indeed the game that is on.

It is on Five anyway.

Can't believe Kuroda wasn't ejected. Hilarious how the Dodgers don't want to back up Manny. He's hitting like a monster, but still his team-mates can't stand him.

Why 'disturbingly', mate?

Phillies now 3-1 up Only need one win, with two of the remaining games at home.

Tampa won in Boston last night to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

Because I can't stand the Dodgers, being a Giants man myself, and the Phillies have Pedro Feliz as their starting 3B, who is brutal. (Truth be told, it's better this way than a Mets vs Astros money wins all game).

Feliz has done well for us this season. Last year we were stuck with Nunez/Helms with Dobbs filling in for his offence every now and again - Feliz has been a huge upgrade. Admittedly he's hardly a five tool player but he plays an excellent defence and had a decent HR/RBI to AB ratio. Not to mention he's only making $3mil this season, allowing us to invest elsewhere in the team.

Delighted with the way things have panned out for the Phils thus far - don't think many people gave them a chance of going all the way as the rotation looked average and nobody could have predicted the bullpen could have been so good. The offence was always going to be awesome.

Anyway, tomorrow could be the clincher for the Phils (live on Five), fingers crossed. Did anybody hear my email re: Brad Lidge on Sunday's Five program?

Tampa Bay continue the slug fest and take a 3-1 lead over Boston. Looks very much like a Phillies vs Rays world series. Who'd have thunk?

Were you Chris from Gourock?

i got an email read out last year, it was the highlight of my life although no one on the Morton forum believed it was me

Haha, I used to email in all the time before uni/work made Sunday nights a write-off, probably got 80% of them read out and I always taped them to prove my fame haha. Got two emails read out in the one night once which was arguably the highlight of my 'career'.

Think I'll send a wee email tonight

Prediction for the game? Phils to stage a 6-5 come from behind victory. Howard & Rollins to homer - Lidge to stay perfect.

Don't really care who wins this game, as long as Tampa Bay go to the WS. Think the Dodgers will win tonight quite comfortably for some reason, which i wouldnt be too unhappy about although wouldn't mind if the phillies won though as at least i'd get to see the celebrations live.

Although we're away from home, with Hamels on the mound and offence that is one of the best in the majors, I can't see a blowout very likely. Hamels is a big game pitcher, and I'm confident he'll get the job done tonite.

Who is your team, mate?

When i first started watching baseball it was Ichiro's first season and i was fascinated by him, so the Mariners became my team. But since after that season basically they have went steadily downhill they have been on channel 5 about twice so its hard to really follow them. still look out for their scores and stuff and was surprised when they started the season pretty well.

I'd say now im just a fan of baseball, rather than a specific team. There is always a team every year i like the look of and want to win but it changes every year, and there is always a team at the beginning of the playoffs that i want to win and this year it was the Rays, as im a sucker for the underdog.

Told you

Just watched the game, Hamels totally controlled the Dogers offence, really can't see anyway back for Boston.

Looking like a Phillies - Tampa world series, you would have got long odds on that at the start of the season.

Nice to see Dodgers number one prospect Chad Billingsley show his true stuff for the second outing running. Ho ho.

As i said, the Dodgers would win quite comfortably, i just had a feeling.



shows how much i know about baseball.

Hamels was excellent - and to think that the commentary team were saying they didn't like the way he was throwing in the first too. Was surprised Manuel stuck with him for his final out though, not sure I'd have done the same but it worked out in the end.



Billingsley is a good pitcher but when LA needed somebody to step up and be counted, he went into hiding. Was pleased they took him out so early though as I think he was beginning to settle in - was definately starting to fool more hitters. His time will come, however.




Gotta love them Phillies

Stayed up till about half 3 watching the Red Sox game, was 5-0 when i went to bed, i thought it was over and done with.

Turned out to be one of baseballs most legendary playoff comebacks, with them winning 8-7 in the 9th.

Was delighted to see the score, but gutted i threw in the towel

And it goes to a game seven. tonight should be play-off baseball at it's most exciting. I guess most neutrals will be going with Tampa Bay.

How do we think it is gonna go tonight then???

Hamels vs. Kazmir - two of the best young lefties in the game. Should be a cracker.

Main points to consider:
- Can Kazmir keep the bats of Utley & Howard quiet?
- Can Hamels continue his dominating postseason form?
- Who will play DH for the Phillies?
- Can Kazmir stay in the game long enough to avoid having to use a below-par bullpen?
- Can the Phillies adjust to playing in a hell-hole of a ballpark (defensively speaking)
- Will we have an on screen interview with Harry "the legend" Kalas?

Preditction for tonights game - both starters going 7 innings, Kazmir leaving the game 3-1 behind and the Phillies jumping on the TB releif for another couple of runs in a 5-2 win.
Expect Howard to homer as Kazmir gets complacent having stuck him out in his first AB

GO PHILS!

And just for fun, random Fact:

The Rays' four postseason starters (Scott Kazmir, James Shields, Matt Garza and Andy Sonnanstine) earn a combined $5,585,400 this season. This is $2,372,933 LESS than the Phillies pay to Adam Eaton to pitch in the minor leagues

Well, here begins a week of no sleep!

My thoughts, I heard Kazmir is pitching with an injury. I take Hamels to win tonight, but not spectacularly, perhaps three runs on 9 hits in 6 innings compared with Kazmir's 5 runs on 8 hits in 5.2/3 innings.

Evan Longoria could be the difference maker in the series.

Pedro Feliz will strike out a lot hacking at slop.

Other than that, anything could happen.

Edited to add, I hate those bloody cowbells. Bring back Rally Monkey, all is forgiven.

Delighted, Charlie Manuel has pretty much went with the lineup I would have chosen (note, not what I expected him to choose) - only thing I'd change is putting Burrell in the 4 hole to split up the lefties, especially as Howard hasn't been great of late.

Lineup confirmed:

Rollins(s)
Werth®
Utley(l)
Howard(l)
Burrell®
Victorino(s)
Feliz®
DH.Coste®
Ruiz®

I'm confident

I hear that the winners of game 1 have won the last 5 World Series with 10 of the last 11 also winning. Massive game to win for the Phils last night, especially in Tampa, and sets us up well for tonight.
Will be interesting to see if Charlie goes with Dobbs at 3B and Stairs at DH in order to flood the lineup with lefties to face Shields but having seen the way the infield played last night, I think I'd much rather have Feliz on the hot corner with either Dobbs or Stairs DH.

Myers vs. Shields tonight then - should be another excellent matchup

And big props to Cole Hamels who I thought was outstanding last night.

We need to get a Pie and Bovril mention on the show tonight. That is your task, gentlemen.

Cole Hamels could be the best pitcher in baseball just now.

The top lefty, certainly.

Right now, I still think Santana and Sabathia have the edge over Hamels although you'd have to say he isn't far behind. He's always been a big game pitcher and is far from the finished article - another 2/3 years in the bigs and he could/should(?) be the best lefty around... right now, it's probably a close thing.

Phillies hammer Tampa Bay leaving them one game from the world series. I'm afraid I couldn't make it for last night's slug-fest, but tonight's should be unmissable.

Having stayed up for the night before, I was absolutely knackered and only lasted 4 innings last night. Something in my head said we had nothing to worried about and I was pretty confident we'd get the win although I didn't expect it to be in such a comfortable fashion. Imagine Blanton hitting a home run, only the third hit of his career haha.

Tonight's game should be an absolute cracker. It's so important that the Phillies end it now though - if not then we're relying on winning one of the two at the Trop with Myers (who's struggled away from home this season) and either Moyer (who has had awful bad starts and one good one this postseason) or Blanton on short rest for game 7.

Quite confident that we can get the win with Cole on the mound though, he's been fantastic.

I managed to make it through the two hours of rain delay, even the hastily put together Matt Damon on the Colorado Rockies thing, then fell asleep in the fifth. Last night I barely made it to the end of Match of the Day 2. I'd forgotten how hard it is to watch all the games of the World Series. If it goes seven I'll be like a zombie. However with the magic number at 1, I do kind of have to watch the whole shebang from here on in.

I lasted a few innings last night and fell asleep with the TV on, kept waking up at different points and then hearing what was going on. last i remember was the show ending, then i sort of woke up for real, which was annoying because i was bored senseless.

im absolutely knackered just now, i dont think im going to make it. ive set my alarm for 2am and going to go for a nap in a minute, hopefully i dont sleep through it and see the conclusion of the game.

How bad was the national anthem last night? Probably the funniest performance I've ever heard.

I can't believe i woke myself up in the 5th inning to watch the conclusion of the game. Now im going to be up all night. i was having a nice wee dream aswell.





i know, she was trying so hard, it was painful yet hilarious.

Well that was quite an experience.

For anyone who missed it, the game was suspended in the 6th after a torrential downpour and will continue as and when deemed safe. (If anyone gets details of that decision please post them here).

I turned the telly off when they brought the tarps out - delighted

I don't think I need to even give my feelings on the decision.

However, I did enjoy my cheesesteak email being read out

16 in 16 days - gotta love it.

Note to all; they are going to attempt to make a start at 8pm EST (1am here). Five will be showing it if the rain holds off.