Ahira's Hangar

The Chicago White Sox had to beat 3 different opponents in 3 days to earn a trip to Tampa Bay to meet the Rays in the divisional playoffs. Chicago got a victory against Cleveland to have a chance to tie the Minnesota Twins, then had to beat Detroit in a make up game to force a tiebreaker with the Twins. Chicago won that game last night: John Danks allowed only 2 runs over 8 innings to get the win.

The divisionals begin today with Boston and John Lester (16-6) at Los Angeles (Angels) and Jeff Lackey (12-5). In the National League Los Angeles (Dodgers) and Derek Lowe (14-11) are at Chicago (Cubs) against Ryan Dempster (17-6). Tomorrow marks the start of the Chicago (White Sox) at Tampa Bay series with Javier Vasquez (12-16) facing Scott Kazmir (12-8), the NL game is Milwaukee with Yovani Gallardo (0-0) at Philadelphia and Cole Hamels (14-10).

notes: Joe Torre and Manny Ramirez brought their winning ways to the Dodgers and Milwaukee is making it's first playoff appearance since 1986 (that's the year Michael Jackson's Thriller came out ). The Angels won a team record 100 games this year and the Rays shocked almost everyone by winning the East over perennial powerhouses, Boston and New York-and I believe this is either their first or second playoffs (I'm sure Tom will correct me). Once again the Mets made a late season swan dive that allowed the Phillies to scoot into the post season.

First playoffs for the Rays, danlo.
Our team had never won more than 70 games in their previous decade of existance making them the inevitable cellar dwellers of the AL East...until now. Win or lose thursday's game is monumental and historic for all Rays fans.

That's what I thought, man this Angels/Sox series is going to be awesome! I'm sorry to say that if your Rays beat Damelon's Sox the Angels will take them down! (man I had to look up Gallardo's first name I've never even heard of him and I was in 3 Fantasy baseball leagues)

Yeah, but we were "resting". How many saves does Rodriguez have? 62? it's ungodly!

Being able to rest is huge and having a closer like Rodriguez is awesome. Looks like 62 saves.

There really is only one thing holding back any Rays fan at this point. We have ZERO post season experience to draw from. It's completely new territory for us and many of the players on the team. We just don't know how our guys will react to the post season pressure. I think we'll do fine but like everyone else we'll just have to wait and see.

Go Rays! Go Rays! Go Rays! Beat those stinking Sux!!!!!

Better make an update here quick. Remember the divisionals are best of five and two teams are already on the brink of elimination. My local newspaper screwed up the initial games and the Phillies and Brewers played on Wednesday as well. Tampa also changed it's pitching order-They won yesterday, 6-4, with Evan Longoria hitting 2 home runs and Jamie Shields on the mound. Scott Kazmir goes today against Mark Buehrle (15-12). Lester and the Red Sox beat the Angels 4-1 on Wednesday, LA's Evin Santana (16-7) faces Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka (18-3) today. Philadelphia leads the Cubs 2-0 after Hamels held Chicago to 1 run Wednesday, and Shane Victorino hit a grand slam off C. C. Sabathia last night. ManRam's been hitting home runs right and left (and one off the top of his shoe Wed.) as the Dodgers won 7-2 and 10-3 yesterday behind Chad Billingsley.

Both the Dodgers and Phillies can sweep Saturday as LA throws Hiroki Kuroda (9-10) at Chicago's Rich Harden (5-1). Jamie Moyer (16-7) pitches for Philadelphia and Milwaukee offers up Jeff Suppan (10-10).

Dam, another playoffs and once again the Red Sox have the Angels backs to the wall. Los Angeles came storming back to tie the game in the eight, but J. D. Drew hit a 2 run homer off league save leader Francisco Rodriguez in the ninth to finish 7-2 for a 2-0 lead in the series. Boston swept the Angels in the first round in 2004 and last year: they also won the World Series in both of those years...

The White Sox find themselves in a similar predicament after Akinori Iwamura (try saying that 10 times fast) hit a go-ahead two run homer to lead the Rays to a 6-2 victory behind Scott Kazmir.

Four teams can sweep this weekend. Tomorrow the Angels send Joe Saunders (17-7) against Boston's Josh Beckett (12-11) and Tampa has Matt Garza (11-9) v. CWS' Gavin Floyd (17-8).

I really was expecting the Angels to do better. I wonder if it is the lack of day in and day out quality competition out west in their division that left them unprepared for this series? Damn Boston and/or NY Yankees do well every year, don't they? I hope the Rays stop both pairs of smelly sox!

I feel really bad for Cubbies fans. I saw the highlights of their second game, and with all of those errors they looked pretty bad. They only needed a couple of base runnning errors to go along with all of those fielding errors, and they would have looked as pathetic and hapless as the Tigers looked this season.

I think the Angels put so much energy into destroying the league during the rest of the season that they just sort of get tired at the wrong time-yes their division has turned into a joke. For christ's sake the Angels outscored Boston 80-33 this season, makes you really scratch your head.

The Cubs are done Dodgers advance with a 3-1 win Kuroda 6 and a third shutout inning as Jonathon Broxton gets the save. The Brew Crew stay alive beating Philadelphia 4-1 as Dave Bush gets the win. Phillies led the series 2-1 .

The NL Pennant series is now set -
Cubbies and Brewers are done and the NLCS will be Phillies and LA Dodgers

Both AL series are stil going as of this afternoon (though both could end today).

What was the score? Come on, you're my co-anchor...