The National League takes the day off - the action's in the junior circuit. The defending champs try to stave off elimination!
Yesterday, in the NL, the Padres turned their fate over to Pedro Astacio. He had his moments. In the third, a walk, a Khalil Greene error, and a failed fielder's choice put Cardinals on second and third with a run in, just one out and the heart of the order coming up. Astacio walked Jim Edmunds to load the bases, and walked Albert Pujols to force in the second run. With the season teetering in the balance, Astacio then struck out Larry Walker and Reggie Sanders to wiggle off the hook. But the Cardinals pushed across two more runs in the fourth, and the Padres began hitting into double plays every time they had the chance. They're going home down two nothing. Nobody likes their chance. Well, who did? Besides me?
In the second game, Houston threatened early but John Smoltz held them to a single run. With two out in the second inning, rookie Braves catcher Brian McCann came to the plate with two men on. McCann is even younger (by a month) than Jeff Francoeur - he was three months old when Roger Clemens made his ML debut. This round went to the kid. He lit up the Rocket for a three-run homer. One inning later, second-year first baseman Adam LaRoche delivered a two-run double. Smoltz shut down the Astros over the next six innings, and handed a 7-1 lead over to the pen. This one is even as they head for Texas.
News: Managerial interviews are taking place already. Pittsburgh is talking with Jim Tracy, late of the Dodgers. The Yankees have given the Marlins permission to interview coach Joe Girardi. Is Girardi no longer seen as Torre's natural successor? Will Torre come back? Does he want to? What's Lou Piniella up to?
Speaking of Piniella, Tampa Bay has new ownership, and the first thing Stuart Sternberg did upon taking control was to fire GM Chuck LaMar and several of his top assistants.
I think by now most of us realize that the question of whether a field manager is good or bad is quite often irrelevant. The real question is "Do this manager's particular strengths meet the particular needs of our team at this time?"
It's possible, when you think about it, that the very same principle applies to general managers. Chuck LaMar is very well regarded as a scouting and development man, and the Tampa Bay system is indeed starting to produce some very interesting young talent (years of favourable draft positions surely helped as well.) Alas, LaMar has not shown much capacity to make use of these resources to improve the major league team on the field. The organization's needs are different now, and they probably need someone with different skills in charge.
Today's games:
Chicago (Garcia 14-8, 3.87) at Boston (Wakefield 16-12, 4.15) 4:05
Los Angeles (Byrd 12-11, 3.74) at New York (Johnson 17-8, 3.79)
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