Kuzul

Now, that’s more like it.

This is the Rays that folks are used to seeing. They won with great pitching and timely hitting this entire season.  After failing to do that for the first two games of the playoffs, they found their formula in staving off elimination Saturday afternoon.

The Rays received a great starting pitching performance by Matt Garza, and they got the hits to tie the game late and then take the lead. Joaquin Benoit and Rafael Soriano did the rest by closing it out.

It was good times. It was something the Rays needed. Maybe that gets the team going. If there is one thing about the Rays, they can get hot in a hurry.

Once the Rays figure it out, there is no stopping them. The Rays’ stars played well, and now, they can finally relax and just play. Maybe those guys know they can keep hitting well.

The thought here was the Rays were going to win this game. It was hard to believe they were going to get swept. They won 96 games for a reason, and they did it by winning the American League East, which is not an easy task once you take a look at the Blue Jays, Yankees and the Red Sox. It takes a great team to win that division.

It does not guarantee they are going to win the series, but the Rangers knew the Rays were not going to give up like the Twins have in their elimination game with the Yankees. This team is resilient enough not to go down easily.

It looked like it was going to be a good day for the Rays from the beginning. Even though the Rays scored only one run of Colby Lewis, the hitters were taking good at-bats. They were getting on base. It was a matter of time until they broke out.

In the meantime, they needed a starter who could keep up with Lewis. They got it from Garza of all people. No one knew if Garza had it in him to pitch like a shutdown ace, but he proved them wrong.

It’s understandable if people had questions. Garza pitched terribly in September. He gave up hits like free candy. His ERA was high, and he had command issues.

With the way the Rangers hit the ball in the ALDS, who knew if Garza would be up to the task?

He did better than cynics expect. He allowed one runs and five hits. Most importantly, he had a strong grip of the ball. He hit the strike zone well.

His only mistake came when he threw his pitch up to Ian Kinsler in the seventh inning. That mistake turned out to be a home run, and it gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead.

Despite that, he put the Rays in a position to be in the game by going deep in the game. The Rays rewarded his performance by scoring two runs in the eighth inning, and it was good enough for them to take a 3-2 lead.

The timely hitting came through for the Rays. They figured it out after being shutdown by Cliff Lee and C.J. Wilson. They got to Darren Oliver and Pedro Feliz.

Dan Johnson got it going with a double. That hit might have been as big as his hit against the Red Sox in August and the Yankees in September. This hit was huge since it was the tying run. It got the Rays going on offense.

Then, Carlos Pena’s single scored Desmond Jennings, who ran for Johnson. Tie game.  Then John Jaso’s hit brought Pena home to give the team the lead.

Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena hit home runs to give the Rays breathing room in the ninth inning.

It wasn’t just the Rays’ timely hits that stood out. It was the guys who got it done.

For a team to win postseason games, stars need to play well. In this game, they did. Pena took good at-bats and he found holes to hit. That’s where the Rays wanted to see.

Crawford’s home run was encouraging. Maybe he can get hot today and then in Game 5. One thing about hitters is that if they are going well, they go well. That’s one reason why the Rays should not be counted out just yet.

There are going to be people that said the Rangers should have won the series today. They will feel the Rangers gave the Rays a chance to win the series now.

Those people are not wrong. The Rays have hope. That’s what this win does.

Once the team gets going, there’s no stopping them. Waking them up is not a great idea.

The A’s of 2001 learned it the hard way. After they dominated the Yankees in the first two games, the Yankees eked out a victory in Game 3 on a brilliant performance by Mike Mussina. From there, the Yankees won the next two games to win the series.

The Rays are talented enough to do the same thing. This win gives them a chance to go out and win it.

All it takes is one win to change the momentum.

For a team like the Rays coming back from a 2-0 deficit is not impossible. They have the mentality where they know they can come back.

Winning a game was good enough to survive. Now, the goal is to find a way to get the game to the Tropicana Field this afternoon. If the Rays can do that, they get into Game 5, and anything can happen.

The Rays have their ace in that game, but most importantly, they have their crowd behind them in a night game. Of course, they have to face Cliff Lee, but the Rays are banking David Price will be better than he showed in Game 1.

The possibilities are endless now with this win. Who knows how it will turn out?

One thing for sure. The Rays are happy to still play. It beats going to the airplane and get ready to pack their belongings.

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There is all this talk about Yankees skipper Joe Girardi walking away after the season and taking the job as the next Cubs manager.

But if the Bombers win a consecutive championship, they have to keep him, right?

I know that many Yankees fans have questioned Girardi‘s managerial skills. Heck, if you check with most fans they will point to one reason or another why they do not like their manager.

In St. Louis, as much as Tony LaRussa has won over the years, I know of many Cards fans that question what he does.

In Chicago, they ran Dusty Baker out of town, yet here he is with the Reds in the playoffs, and Lou Piniella is simply the next in line to fail at Wrigley.

So it makes sense that New Yorkers aren’t all in agreement that Girardi is the best manager in baseball. But look, the Big Apple turned a veteran manager like Joe Torre into a Hall of Famer, so who is to say where the organization starts and the manager ends?

Which brings us back to the plight of Mr. Girardi. As a Cubs fan, I always thought he exhibited leadership skills and, of course, as a catcher, knew the game. He is a local product, so naturally he is mentioned as a potential candidate for the Cubs job—which is currently open.

But why would a supposedly smart guy like Girardi leave such a good thing unless he is asked to leave? Well, the answer is he won’t, but we don’t know if Brian Cashman and the Yankees brass want him to stay.

Sure, the easy thing is to say if the team wins another title, they will keep Girardi as manager. That much is a given. But what if they fail to recapture the title? Does that mean he is shown the door?

In New York, who knows? In Chicago, we still hail Mike Ditka for winning a Super Bowl 25 years ago. But in a place where “what have you done for me lately” is prevalent, no manager is safe.

This much we know: Girardi is a free agent after the season. And the Yankees have a policy of not discussing this sort of thing until after the season.

So how much of the Yankees’ recent success is owed to Girardi? And how much of the success is owed to a $200 million payroll?

Before you dismiss the manager’s influence in The Big Apple, consider that the Yanks have had the top payroll and have failed to win the World Series in other years.

In 2008, the Yankees actually had a higher payroll than in 2009, yet they failed to even make the playoffs!

In fact, from 2001 to 2007 the Yankees had payrolls at, or near, the top of baseball, yet they nonetheless failed to win a title in each of those seasons.

So if having the top payroll is the answer, how come those teams failed to win it all? Perhaps the manager does have some influence after all, eh?

Sure, in those years the Yankees had great teams that had much success, but they did not win the title. And isn’t that the ultimate goal for New Yorkers? After all, you’re not called the Second City.

And Joe Girardi has won a World Series. Could they have won with a different manager? No one knows for sure. But know this: If he wins it again, he is going nowhere.

New Yorkers know a good thing when they have one. The rest is history, as they say.

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Entering the MLB postseason, analysts and other fans of the sports seemed to be skeptical of the New York Yankees chances to repeat their World Championship run from last year. Much of this skepticism centered around the lack of quality pitching following CC Sabathia in the rotation.

However, in the Yankees sweep of the Minnesota Twins Sabathia’s win ended up being the weakest performance, as Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes pulled strung together very strong performance in their respective wins.

From the bullpen, Kerry Wood okay in Game 1, dominated in Game 2, and then struggled in Game 3; he gave up the bullpen’s only earned run in the series in Game 3. Mariano Rivera didn’t give up a run in his three relief performances in which he captured 2 saves, continuing his postseason dominance.

Overall, in the Minnesota series the Yankees pitching staff seemingly silenced any doubt that was circulating.The Yankee’s offense was never really a cause for concern, but it is good to note that they didn’t disappoint, adding run support from a slew of different players in their lineup.

However, just playing well isn’t the only reason that the Yankees might now be the favorite, other teams have been struggling.

Tampa Bay couldn’t hit Wilson and Lee in the first two games in which both Shields and Price struggled, and then in Game 3 they rebounded in a win in the late innings. Texas looked strong until Game 3, where the bullpen was unable to hold the lead and the offense didn’t have the same success at the plate.

The Phillies got one of the best pitching performances in postseason history in Game 1, and with 4 runs in support won easily. In Game 2, Philadelphia won in a sloppy comeback after Oswalt had trouble early. The Reds probably should have won Game 2, but beat themselves with errors, they didn’t look very good in either game.

Tim Lincecum showed why they call him The Freak in Game 1, as they battled their way to a 1-0 win. In Game 2, they were able to open a lead early, but then blew it later in the game and finally lost in extra innings after Ankiel’s home run.

Overall, no team besides the Yankees have shown the consistent, high quality of play on both sides of the ball that the New York Yankees have this postseason, which is why they are once again the team to beat.

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In 2009, Davis enjoyed a taste of the bigs with a September call up.  In 2010, Davis is getting more than a taste, as the Rays turn to their 25-year-old rookie right hander to keep their playoff hopes alive.  Davis will make his postseason debut against one of the most fearsome offenses in baseball.  Oh yeah, there’s this teeny tiny bit of pressure about a must-win game if the Rays season isn’t to end.

The Rays, after staving off elimination by winning Game 3 last night (P.S. Thank you to the Rays offense for showing they had a pulse) could have turned to ace lefty David Price to start Game 4 on three days rest.  But Price of all people would be able to tell you how much the Rays trust their young guns to make the team’s biggest outs.

In 2008 as a rookie with all of 20 or so innings of major league experience, the Rays called on Price to close out Game 7 of the ALCS.  And we all know how that turned out.

So it is only fitting that the Rays once again turn to a young gun to force a Game 5. And here’s the funny thing:

Davis actually might be up to the task.

Davis appeared to turn a corner after the All-Star break.  After baseball’s midseason classic, Davis went 6-1 with a 3.28 ERA.  Since coming off the DL in mid-August, his ERA is 3.06. 

Davis did not do well against Texas in his last start in Arlington in July.  He lasted only into the fourth inning before giving up eight runs.  But something clicked for Davis after that start.  Thirteen of his final 17 starts were quality starts, pitching six innings or more, giving up three earned runs or fewer.

Game 4 can mean a lot more than just bringing the series back to St. Pete for a Game 5 Price vs. Lee, winner-take-all matchup.  How well Davis performs can be a litmus test for how ready Davis is to handle big games.  It’s a lot to put on Davis, and probably unfair to read too much into one game. 

But the Rays may trade a starting pitcher in the offseason in an efforts to land a big bat, and I’m sure they would feel a lot better about it if they felt Davis was ready to take on a larger role.

Is Davis a front-line starter?  Is he ready to have that role in 2011? 

The Rays can start to answer that question with the very first pitch of Game 4 against Texas.

Tampa Bay gets another shot at sending the series back home, another shot to dig themselves out of a huge hole.  A hole that only one team has ever climbed out of.

Leave it to the Rays to put their hopes in a rookie.

They wouldn’t have it any other way.

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Congratulations to the New York Yankees for sweeping the Minnesota Twins and moving on to the American League Championship series.

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Well at least Joe Mauer, Jim Thome, and the rest of the Minnesota Twins will be well rested. They only needed to put in 27 innings of postseason baseball.

After the Twins clinched the AL Central division title on September 21, manager Ron Gardenhire put the team on cruise control allowing his regulars to rest and get healthy.

With another early exit to the Evil Empire known as the New York Yankees, Gardenhire’s strategy backfired, and now the manager of the year candidate may find himself on the hot seat. 

Instead of having a well rested, finely tuned ball club that won the most games in the second half of the season, they entered the playoffs rusty, and ill prepared after losing eight of their last 11 games of the season.

Even having the home field advantage in pitcher-friendly confines of Target Field, where the Twins had the best home record in the American League, could not help them. 

Yet once again the Twins have gone down to defeat at the hands of the New York Yankees in the divisional round of the playoffs. Gardenhires’ playoff record is 6-21, and 1-10 against New York.

In consolation they can point to the fact that they were not the victims of a no-hitter, and nearly beat Cy Young candidate CC Sabathia.

Mauer, the reigning AL MVP, was not a factor in the series going three for 12 with no runs scored and no RBI.

Delmon Young, who led the team with 112 runs batted in, did not drive in a single postseason run.

Only four Twins in the series had two hits in the same game.  

The Twins who entered post season with the third best regular season batting average of .273, could only muster a .220 average against the Yankees, while New York hit a playoff best .292 in sweeping the Twins. 

With a brand new stadium and the tenth highest payroll in baseball, the expectations this year were far greater than any other year in Gardenhire’s tenure as manager.

Winning the AL Central, the sixth title in his nine seasons, is no longer enough.

The Twins go into the off season with several questions and concerns.

Will Justin Morneau be able to return from the concussion he suffered in July, or like former Twins’ third baseman, Corey Koskie, never shake the effects and end up retiring?

Was the wear and tear of catching too much for Mauer and caused his poor performance in the ALDS?

Speculation around Mauer changing positions will resurface—in the event Morneau does not return, should Mauer be the Twins’ next first baseman? 

Will general manager Bill Smith address the desperate lack of power this off season?

Can and should Smith sign Thome for next year, who led the Team with 25 home runs this season?

Yet, there are still some bright spots from 2010.

There’s hope for next year if 26-year-old Francisco Liriano, and 27-year-old Brian Duensing can continue to improve and develop into consistent starters. 

Along with Carl Pavano, these three make a pretty good foundation to build a starting rotation, but one of them has to emerge as the clear ace of the staff.

Young had a breakout year, finally producing like many people expected. Only 24-years old, Young has the opportunity to be a cornerstone player along with Mauer. 

The 2011 season will be a pivotal one for Gardenhire. The novelty of Target Field and the lure of outdoor baseball will still draw big crowds to the park, but anything short of making it to the World Series could spell the end of his reign as the Twins’ skipper.

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My friends always ask me how I know all the words to every song on the radio.  I explain to them that I was raised on the radio.  I have spent an incredible amount of time in my life either in a tractor or in the barn, where whatever radio station comes in basically waged a war of attrition on my ears.

It has also led me to a conclusion:  Baseball was made for the radio—more specifically, postseason baseball was made for the radio.

See, for a few days every fall, during harvest on the farm, I get really excited.  No longer am I a slave to replayed cookie cutter country music or more commercials than songs that only leave me wondering how much more time I have to spend in the tractor.

Instead, I get to listen to playoff baseball and wonder how much more time I get to spend in the tractor.    

Think about it, when you are watching a game on TV, your eyes and ears are processing information, between every pitch, every foul ball, your eyes are able to see that after every pitch nothing happens.  

There are no gaps, nothing that you can’t process from sitting there idly by while the game keeps moving without any participation from you the viewer.  You can lose focus for a while and return to the game to find information about score, balls, and strikes, basically anything in the top right or left corners of the TV.  Thus the speed of the game is slowed, and the flow is disrupted.

The radio has blanks, and it’s what makes listening so great.  You only get to hear and only know what the announcer is telling you, it’s up to you and your mind to fill in the blanks.  The radio requires that you become an active participant in the broadcast.  You get to interpret what the announcer is saying and thus you and the game move together.  You have to pay attention, by the time an announcer describes the last pitch, it’s time for the next one.  If you miss it, there are no idiot boxes in the corners of the screen to answer your questions.  

I can’t turn on the TV and watch a random baseball game—it just doesn’t hold my interest if I have nothing invested in it.  But give me a radio, and I could listen to any baseball game, doesn’t matter who is playing. 

It’s not even all about just being an active participant.  Baseball has by far the best vernacular of any sport.  There are literally hundreds of different ways to describe a play or a pitch—each one unique to the announcer and his listener.

Two people could listen to the same game with different announcers.  One could describe a double as a dying quail, while the other could describe it as a Texas leaguer, but the final decision of what it looks like is solely up to what the listener imagines in his or her head. 

I could probably make a pretty good argument for a book about the rise in baseball’s popularity in the twenties and thirties and relate it to the rise to prominence of the radio.  I’m pretty sure someday I just might well do that, but for the next couple weeks, I am just going to enjoy my reprieve from contemporary radio, sit back, and listen.

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Phillip Joseph Hughes, better known simply as Phil Hughes, has had a very tumultuous career thus far and has hurdled many challenges on his way to his postseason starting debut tonight in the Bronx.

In high school, Hughes was a first team All-American pitcher, while posting a combined 21-1 record between his junior and senior years, including a perfect game.

Using their first draft pick in 2004, the Yankees selected Hughes 23rd overall out of Foothill High School in Santa Ana, California.

Coincidentally, New York was awarded the 23rd pick in that draft after losing Andy Pettitte to the Houston Astros, six years later and both pitchers make up two-thirds of the Yankees three man rotation in the playoffs. Personally, I think Houston got hosed on the whole deal.

In 2005, his first full year as a professional, he split the season between Class A Charleston and Advanced A Tampa, posting a 9-2 record with a 1.24 ERA, certainly showing the Yankees that they might have something special there.

In November of 2006, after another strong year in the minors in which he nearly threw two no-hitters, Hughes was ranked as the Yankees No. 1 prospect by Baseball America, calling him “arguably the best pitching prospect in the minors”.

Hughes was invited to Major League spring training camp with the Yankees in 2007, and after starting the season in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre, he was called up to the majors and made his debut on April 26 in a loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

However, he would bounce back from his first career loss with a strong outing at Texas, where he took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, but was removed after pulling his hamstring with one out and two strikes on future teammate Mark Teixeira.

2007 also marked his first taste of postseason baseball, where he threw 3.2 scoreless innings in an emotional game, relieving Roger Clemens, who walked off a major league mound for the last time in his storied and controversial career.

After Brian Cashman refused to trade him and Joba Chamberlain for Johan Santana in the off-season, injuries plagued Hughes for much of 2008 and he spent most of the year rehabbing in the minors and Arizona Fall league to increase his innings total.

Hughes started a hand-full of games in 2009 before being temporarily moved to the bullpen, where he flourished and remained for the rest of the season, becoming the 8th inning man setting it up for Mariano Rivera.

Despite his struggles in the 2009 postseason, he got his first World Series ring as the Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in the fall classic.

Heading into 2010 the Yankees needed a fifth starter to slot in behind CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, A.J. Burnett, and Javy Vazquez. Hughes and Joba Chamberlain were the two most likely candidates for the job, and whoever pitched the best in spring training would get the job.

Causing much debate amongst Yankees fans as to who should be the fifth starter in the weeks leading up to the season, the competition was rather one sided. It was clear that Hughes had out pitched Joba and was named the starter by Joe Girardi.

After being named to the starting rotation, Hughes never looked back, going 18-8 with a 4.19 ERA and legitimizing his ability to be a starting pitcher in the big leagues.

Along the way, Hughes has benefited from playing alongside some of the best in the pitching business. His cutter has matured to become his most reliable pitch, no doubt a result of a few side sessions with Mariano Rivera in the bullpen during 2009.

His knuckle-curve is also a deadly pitch for opposing batters, certainly something he may have worked on with Mike Mussina early in his career.

Now at age 24 and six years since being drafted, Hughes has become a complete pitcher and is set to make his first career start in the bright lights of the postseason, as the Yankees look to sweep the Minnesota Twins in the Bronx tonight and pack their bags for the ALCS against Texas or Tampa Bay.

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Conventional wisdom heading into last night’s game seemed to suggest that Roy Halladay’s historic Game 1 masterpiece might have provided a devastating psychological edge in the Phillies-Reds NLDS series. 

The thinking was that the Reds might be demoralized to the point of believing they had no chance in the series, especially as they were staring at the back two-thirds of “The Big Three.” And, conversely, the Phillies would be brimming with the necessary confidence and energy to overwhelm their rivals.

Brandon Phillips put a quick end to that notion, clubbing a 2-1 offering from Roy Oswalt into the left field bleachers to open the game.  One swing of the bat, and the mood seemed to change, both in the Reds dugout and throughout the stadium. 

Suddenly, “The Bank” was quiet and so were the Phillies. 

It was as if Halladay’s no-hitter had counted for more than a single win. Both the players and the crowd seemed flat. 

Cincinnati proceeded to build its lead over the first five innings. A pair of Chase Utley throwing errors provided one run, Phillips’ double was the catalyst for another, and Jay Bruce’s thunderbolt into the second deck made it 4-0.

In contrast to Halladay, Oswalt struggled from start to finish, and never really settled in. His command was off, and he was largely unable to locate his curve anywhere near the strike zone, bouncing many in the dirt. 

Consequently, Reds hitters could narrow their focus to jump on anything straight. To Oswalt’s credit, he battled and kept the game close.  

The Reds appeared to be playing loose, while the Phillies looked tight.    

Oddly, everything then seemed to reverse itself at the contest’s mid-point. The game served as a great testimonial to the clichés about playing all nine innings and never giving up. 

The early-game heroes suddenly became the goats. And one of the Phillies players who appeared headed to a post-game of answering difficult questions transformed into the catalyst for victory. 

With some generosity by their opponents, the Phillies began scratching their way back into the contest in the bottom half of the fifth. 

Gold Glove second-sacker Phillips, who was a triple away from the cycle after his first three plate appearances, booted a ball to prolong the inning. Then seven-time Gold Glove winner and Philly fan favorite Scott Rolen booted another ground ball to load the bases. 

Up stepped Utley, whose game resume included a fly out and strikeout to go along with his two errors. 

The Phillies second baseman began his atonement by ripping a liner to right to cut the lead to 4-2. 

In the sixth, a pair of walks wrapped around two hit batters narrowed the lead to 4-3. It was a painful and scary run, as Arthur Rhodes drilled Carlos Ruiz in the knee cap and 6′ 8″ rookie Logan Ondrusek beaned Ben Francisco in the head. 

The turnabout was completed in a wild home half of the seventh inning. And, keeping with the plot, it was Utley who set it all in motion. 

Facing rookie flamethrower Aroldis Chapman, replete with a gaudy diamond necklace signifying his large free agent contract, Utley took a 100-mph fastball and an 88-mph slider for strikes. 

Apparently in keeping with the Reds game plan to move hitters off the plate, and perhaps intimidate them, Chapman’s 101-mph fastball at Utley’s head backfired when it was ruled to have grazed his hand. Baseball’s consummate gamer had found a way on base. 

After Howard was blown away by three triple-digit heaters, Jayson Werth hit a chopper to third, and Utley hustled to beat the attempt to force him at second. 

Next, Jimmy Rollins lined a ball to right that Bruce apparently lost in the lights for a two-base error. Utley frantically raced home, and Werth followed when Phillips dropped the relay throw for another error. 

The Phillies plated another run with the aid of a Raul Ibanez hit to exit the seventh with a 6-4 advantage. They extended it to 7-4 in the eighth when Utley singled, stole second, and scored on Werth’s base hit. 

Meanwhile, the Phillies bullpen maintained focus on firing balls in the strike zone and shutting down the Reds high-powered offense. Jose Contreras, Ryan Madson, and then Brad Lidge all worked scoreless frames to nail down the win. 

Baseball fans had just witnessed an amazing plot twist like few they had seen before. The Phillies had just proved that turnabout is fair play when it comes to baseball’s postseason. 

Early appearances were deceiving, as perhaps the expected Phillies confidence and experience ultimately prevailed—while a surprisingly loose Reds team seemingly became a bundle of nerves, befitting a club making its first postseason appearance in 15 seasons. 

Chase Utley went full circle, from goat to hero, to provide real-time vindication. Roy Oswalt will have to wait for his next start.

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The Atlanta Braves couldn’t get anything started against the San Francisco Giants‘ vaunted pitching staff, so the home-standing Gents took an admittedly unorthodox approach.

They decided to start the Bravos’ offense themselves—not the wisest thing to do for your World Series aspirations, but it sure makes for an exciting night of baseball.

And another significant challenge for emerging southpaw Jonathan Sanchez.

A Pat Burrell bobble in left field helped give Atlanta its first run in 14 divisional-series innings, though Bobby Cox’ squad would have to wait a little longer for its first earned run. That rally two innings later was also aided by an error as a wayward throw from Pablo Sandoval allowed Melky Cabrera to reach and eventually cross the plate as the tying run.

Extra innings were needed to settle the affair, a feat accomplished in the 11th inning when Rick Ankiel exorcised his personal playoff demons with a Bondsian blast into McCovey Cove off of Ramon Ramirez. The former St. Louis Cardinal pitcher, who infamously disintegrated in Game 1 of the 2000 National League Division Series with five wild pitches, obliterated a solo home run that only needed to be heard.

The sound alone told you it wasn’t staying dry.

And that the series was going back to Hotlanta tied at one game apiece.

Somewhat lost in all the shuffle was a blinder from Matt Cain in his postseason debut.

He picked up right where Tim Lincecum left off; though Cainer didn’t match the Freak, he twirled a fantastic ballgame. The 26-year-old tossed six-and-two-thirds innings while tolerating seven hits, two walks, an unearned run, and whiffing six.

Alas, the big right-hander’s defense and bullpen let him down as two regular-season strengths turned into playoff albatrosses in front of the appalled AT&T Park crowd.

Brian Wilson was up from the start of his appearance and that never bodes well for any pitcher, even one of the best door-slammers in the game. The colorful closer got bruised a bit when Alex Gonzalez scalded a ball to the left-center gap, but the only run that crossed home plate belonging to Wilson was unearned thanks to Sandoval’s E-5.

The two earnies belonged to the real bullpen goat, Sergio Romo.

The normally reliable eight-inning man faced two batters (Derrek Lee and Brian McCann), allowed them both to reach on singles, and each would come around to score when Romo’s bearded compadre took a few batters to find his postseason legs.

Meanwhile, the Braves late-inning crew was pressed into early duty by a mediocre playoff debut from Tommy Hanson.

The youngster had a rough first frame that saw Burrell’s three-run jimmy-jack create an early deficit and wouldn’t make the fifth, but a parade of Atlanta relievers stifled the Giants‘ lumber. Southpaw Mike Dunn, righty Peter Moylan, lefty Jonny Venters, and right-hander Craig Kimbrel torched San Francisco‘s lineup with five scoreless innings that saw only three baserunners and eight strikeouts.

Then Kyle Farnsworth did his best to deliver Game 2 on a silver platter after Braves’ closer Billy Wagner left with what looked like a serious injury to his side. Of course, los Gigantes’ season-long nemesis—the dreaded double-play grounder—knifed them in the back again.

Buster Posey was the culprit this time, grounding into a 5-4-3 twin-killing in the bottom of the tenth with the bases loaded.

Ankiel would hit his moon ball two Brave batters later and Farnsworth would put the finishing touches on his win.

Now, Jonathan Sanchez must continue his recent spate of effectively wild outings in order to save the Giants’ tortuous 2010 season. A loss in Game 3 would either require a start from Lincecum on short rest or a horrifically unfavorable predicament for 21-year-old Madison Bumgarner’s first taste of playoff baseball.

All is not lost, however.

True, the lefty did issue 19 free passes in September and October. But he suffered a mere18 hits and half of those were singles i.e. you better hope he walks you because the league “hit” Jonathan to the tune of a .151 batting average and a .261 slugging percentage in 35.2 frames spanning those two months.

The faithful will also recall that he started and won the NL West clincher against the San Diego Padres on Sunday. He set a suffocating tone with the pennant hanging in the balance, a pressure-packed turn on the bump if there ever was one as 161 games culminated in a single contest.

The San Francisco Giants and their fans must hope Jonathan Sanchez is up to the challenge once again.

Because, this time, 164 games depend on it.

**Click here to learn more about the Paralyzed Veterans of America**

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