It seems like every year we hear the same old scenario, in each league, The finals are always better when New York and LA are in the finals…It is always great for the league when Boston and LA are in the finals, better when they are the front runners. The league will not survive without them. Well, baseball fans, with that logic, it could be the end of the baseball world as we know it. Not so fast!
Two days ago, Boston had a 2 games to 1 lead over Houston. All of the sudden, Boston was a juggernaut. They had all the pitching, they had the timely hitting. Houston’s pitching staff was in shambles. A funny thing happened on the way to the promised land. Houston found lightning in a bottle and scored 7 runs in the top of the 9th in game 4. 7 runs…no home runs in that 9th inning. Boston and their fans were stunned. Fenway Park all of the sudden did not look that intimidating. Well, maybe it was a fluke. Game 5, Wednesday, new day. Chris Sale, a chance. Chris Sale delivered, but the bullpen did not. Valdez was the pitching hero, 8 innings pitched. who would have thought? Good teams, championship teams, overcome a devastating loss like the one suffered in game 4. Nathan Eovaldi gets the start in Game 6 for the Sox against rookie Luis Garcia for Houston. Eovaldi took the loss in relief in game 4. This series has had so many ups and downs, that it wouldn’t surprise me if he lasted 7 shutout innings and allowed only two hits. It definitely has been unpredictable. Can Boston be that good team, the championship team to overcome this diversity? I can’t wait to find out.
The 106 win Los Angeles Dodgers are on the brink tonight to join the San Francisco Giants on the sidelines as Atlanta leads 3 games to 1 after a stunning 9 to 2 win last night. Atlanta looked like they were heading for a sweep as they took a 5 to 2 lead into the bottom of the 8th in game 3, only to have Cody Bellinger save them with a three-run home run to tie the game at 5, then getting a Mookie Betts double to put them over with a 6 to 5 win. If you think about it, Los Angeles is lucky to be here, to begin with, relying on a late-inning home run to beat St. Louis, and then a horrible check-swing call in game 5 to edge San Francisco. They need to overcome a three-game to one deficit, including two games in Atlanta if they are lucky enough to get by Atlanta tonight. They may need to call on the ghosts of Sandy Koufax, Fernando Valenzuela, Orel Herschiser, and limp Max Scherzer in for three straight games, which I am sure he would do. So goodbye to the dynasty talk.
Is the sun going to come up tomorrow? or Saturday without the so-called Blue bloods of baseball not there? I think it will. Houston-Atlanta does have a good ring to it! Yes, baseball will survive!
Lou Gamelin
Host of the Captain Lou Extravaganza
8-10 pm ET Tuesday nights
Photo Credit: https://unsplash.com/@dezhester
