Yankees vs. Orioles: Looking Ahead To the Remainder of the ALDS

(Patrick Semansky/AP)

By Bernadette Pasley | @LadyBatting

It should not surprise anyone that the ALDS series between the Orioles and Yankees is tied at a game apiece. These two teams know quite a bit about ties. After all, they sat tied atop the AL East for what seemed like the entire month of September. They split their last regular season series of the year. They split their 18-game season series. Even Game 1 of the ALDS was tied at 2 for four long innings on Sunday night.

Things will remain tied today, a travel day before the series resumes tomorrow night in the Bronx. All the remaining games will be at Yankee Stadium, which leads one to believe that the Yankees now have home field advantage. But, do they really? I don’t think so.

The Education of Mike Matheny

(Paul Nordmann/Getty Images)

--This column was originally written for the September issue of our e-magazine. The October issue of Big Leagues Monthly | Magazine launched recently so be sure to check that also.

By Daniel Shoptaw | @C70

For years, the St. Louis Cardinals and their fans knew what they had in the dugout. With Tony La Russa, a Hall of Famer just waiting for the official call, there was a comfortable familiarity that was similar to wearing an old sweater. Sure, it could itch you and drive you crazy, but it fit well, you knew where it was going to be itchy and it made you look good in public.

Cardinal fans knew all the drawbacks with La Russa and had the memes to fall back on. Tony hated young players. Tony would always stick with the veteran. Tony would use five pitchers to get four outs whether he needed to or not. You knew the arguments, you knew the counterarguments, and you knew that Tony was always going to do something that would likely drive you crazy but he had the gravitas to get away with it.

Winning two World Series in the last five years of his career softened a lot of the criticism and second-guessing that La Russa got and even the harshest of critics were more likely to shake their heads and say, “That’s Tony” after another questionable call blew up on the Cardinals. While people still didn’t agree with his over-reliance on platoon splits and small sample sizes, he’d earned the right to pull a Frank Sinatra and do it his way.

Oakland Tries to Stay Alive in the ALDS

( Dave Reginek/Getty Images)

By Devin Pangaro | @devinpangaro

The Oakland Athletics are in a hole. A deep, dark cavernous abyss to be sure, but not entirely bottomless as they attempt to dig themselves out of the 0-2 disadvantage they currently find themselves in. They can really only blame themselves. While one can attempt to rationalize a 3-1 loss to Justin Verlander as nothing to be bent out of shape over, Sunday's loss was excruciatingly painful to watch unfold.

Solid relief pitching and sound defense, the two constants of this Oakland team suddenly failed them. The ever reliable Coco Crisp, a man whose defensive reputation for making highlight reel plays precedes him, suddenly cannot make a routine catch?

How did the three-headed relief monster of Sean Doolittle, Ryan Cook, and Grant Balfour suddenly quiver in the cold, hostile territory of Detroit surrendering multiple late game runs?
Are my eyes playing tricks?

Perhaps this isn't the team that came within one game of leading the American League in wins. Perhaps the walk-offs and the good feelings are over. Perhaps, the A's will head home, bow to the home fans one last time and die by the sword for a final time in 2012.

Orioles Promote Dylan Bundy to the Big Leagues; plus Scouting Notes

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By Jim Pratt | @BigLeaguesMthly

With an 18-inning, five-plus hour affair with the Seattle Mariners last night now in their hip pocket, the Baltimore Orioles continue to defy logic as they find themselves in a deadlock atop the AL East.

According to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports, the Orioles contacted their top pitching prospect, Dylan Bundy, shortly after their 4-2 win against the Mariners to inform him of his promotion to the big leagues.

The Orioles have been reluctant to call-up Bundy, deciding to send him to Instructional League once the Double-A season ended, but the use of seven relievers last night has seemingly forced their hand.

Bundy is expected to be in uniform for tonight’s series finale with the Mariners.

In the August issue of Big Leagues Monthly | Magazine, columnist Nathaniel Stoltz discussed his thoughts on Bundy in his Scouting Notebook.

The Pittsburgh Pirates and the Taste of a Winning Season



(Keith Srakocic/AP)

By Stevo-Sama | @yoshiki89

While many baseball fans are still managing the hope that their team can maintain and/or gain ground on their chances for postseason play, realistic or otherwise, fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates are literally standing on the edge of a season that still, with only 16 games left, has several outcomes. The most unattractive of these has to be the distinct possibility that 2012 could mark the 20th consecutive losing season for the Pirates, extending a record for the longest such streak in North American professional sports history.

Yes, it has been 20 long years since the Pirates lost their third consecutive NLCS contest (to the Atlanta Braves, in seven games) after finishing 96-66 under manager Jim Leyland, their third consecutive season finishing over .500.