One NL Wildcard Spot Left, Final Series Preview

(AP Photo)

By Stevo-sama | @yoshiki89

--Standings as of end of play 9/30/12--

Atlanta Braves (clinched Wild Card 1)

Entering their final series of the regular season, math is now on the side of the Braves as they head for Pittsburgh with sole possession of the first Wild Card slot in the National League. This will be a no-pressure series for the Braves; no offense against the Pirates intended. With their 20th record-setting consecutive losing season officially in the books, the Pirates have nothing left to play for but their pride. The Braves, however, have turned their playoff push into reality this season, where last season they fell short by one game. What’s ultimately ironic about this is that while they have certainly earned the Wild Card slot they now proudly possess, if the Cardinals continue their push they will be in the same boat they were in last year…facing the very same upstart team that previously upset their chances for an NLDS appearance, albeit this time, facing them quite literally in a one-game playoff.

Matchups:

10/1 Maholm (13-10) v Locke (0-3)

10/2 Hanson (13-9) v Correia (11-11)

10/3 Hudson (16-7) v Burnett (16-9)

Previewing this weekend's NL Wild Card Race

(Marc Serota/Getty Images)

 

By Stevo-sama | @yoshiki89

-- standings as of end of play 9/27/12 --

Atlanta Braves (Clinched Wild Card Spot, currently Wild Card 1)

With an exhilarating five-game winning streak behind them (having swept the hapless Miami Marlins), the Braves charge on to meet the visiting New York Mets in their final homestand of the season. Not only are they continuing to add a sincere exclamation point to their race for the Wild Card, they are making it rather difficult for the NL East leading Washington Nationals to clinch the division title. The Mets are mildly enjoying a two-game winning streak, also underlined by R.A. Dickey’s stellar performance yesterday. The Mets are 10-14 in September and are 36-39 on the road this season…yet they are 7-5 in their last four road series. The Braves are 10-3 in their last four home series, which isn’t saying much…they are nearly as good on the road as they are at home. A closer look at the pitching matchups reveals that the Mets are 5-6 in September with the scheduled starters on the mound, their lines are 4-3 with 19 ER and a combined 3.51 ERA. By comparison, the Braves’ starters have allowed more ER (22) but the team is 11-3 when these three guys start in September (they are 9-2 with a 2.11 ERA in those starts).

Matchups:

9/28 Niese (12-9) v Hudson (16-6)

9/29 Young (4-8) v Minor (10-10)

9/30 Mejia (1-1) v Medlen (9-1)

 

St. Louis Cardinals (Wild Card 2, currently 7 GB the Braves)

As if it couldn’t be expected, this year’s Cardinals bear some resemblance to last year’s Cardinals in their unyielding push for the playoffs. Heading into the weekend they are tentatively locked into one of the Wild Card spots opposite the Braves, which of course will result in a one-game playoff should either team stay within reach of the standings they currently possess over their next six-games. Where the Braves are providing a challenge for the Nationals’ division clinch, the Cardinals (returning to Busch after a successful 4-2 road trip) are sure to provide even more as Washington comes roaring into town on their second consecutive, and so far winning, road series. The highlight of this upcoming series is sure to be the face-off between the rebounding Jordan Zimmermann and the equally formidable Lance Lynn in game three. Zimmermann is 3-0 with a 4.45 ERA in five September starts, Lynn is 4-2 in three starts with a seismic 0.93 ERA in September (he pitched 4.2 innings out of the bullpen during four consecutive games to start the month, with a 5.79 ERA during those outings alone).

Previewing the NL Wild Card Race

(Rob Carr/Getty Images)     

By Stevo-sama | @yoshiki89

-- standings as of end of play 9/23/12 --
 

Atlanta Braves (1st Wild Card)

The fighting Braves welcome the visiting Miami Marlins for a three-game series starting in Atlanta on Tuesday, 9/25. The Braves are 14-7 in September, their current mark of 23 games over .500 equals their greatest margin of victory so far this season. With Kris Medlen opening the series against hard-throwing Nathan Eovaldi, Medlen (the Cy Young candidate we should be talking more about) and the Braves have a clear advantage right out of the gate. Paul Maholm’s rough outings seem to be alternating through his last 10 starts, so he’s due for another strike against his sub-4.0 ERA; however, he handled the Marlins well (in Miami) in his last start on 9/18, despite that outing being a no decision with a Braves loss, so there’s at least hope that he can keep the wins moving along for Atlanta. Tommy Hanson is 2-0 against the Marlins this season, but is 0-2 in four September starts, giving up 11 ER in 21.2 IP. On the flip side, he has 25 strikeouts and an opponent BABIP of .245 during those outings.

Matchups:

9/25 Eovaldi (4-12) v Medlen (9-1)

9/26 Johnson (8-13) v Maholm (12-10)

9/27 Turner (2-4) v Hanson (12-9)

Why are Professional Baseball Players still taking PEDs

(Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

By Chris Carelli | @Chris_Carelli

-- This column was originally written for the September issue of Big Leagues Monthly | Magazine. --

The use of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) is a major issue in sports, but this is a baseball magazine so I’m going to focus my efforts on trying to determine why professional baseball players still get caught taking these drugs after everything the sport has endured since the 2007 Mitchell Report.

There are many forms of PEDs, but the most typical of the bunch linked to baseball are anabolic steroids, typically testosterone, though designer synthetic drugs have become popular as well. Androstenedione or ‘Andro’ is another popular steroid known to be used. Human growth hormone (HGH) is also prevalent but requires blood tests to detect, where steroids can be found through urinalysis. MLB players are not currently tested for HGH. Lastly there is the old standby, greenies, better known as amphetamines by those outside the sport.

I’m not going to discuss the past transgressions of famous baseball players who have succumbed to PEDs or have been linked to them. We know who they are and the stories that are associated with each of them. I won’t deliberate on whether or not they did or did not take them. Instead, we’re going to try to figure out why, with a fairly uniform and well-tested drug enforcement policy, we still see professional ballplayers getting caught in the web of PED use.

First, we should review why they take the drugs in the first place. The long and short of it is the desire to rise to the top or maintain a presence at the top of the sport and the ease at which they can be found. Baseball players and athletes in general, especially superior ones, have a driving energy that supersedes anything we know as casual sports participants. Sure, we want to win when we’re playing our pickup games, but there isn’t millions of dollars being waved around the neighborhood park. The goal to reach star status or maintain it is penultimate to professional ballplayers, because being seen as a superstar leads to cash, loads and loads of cash.