Pennant Race Report: September 23

I love being right, but I’m not afraid to be wrong.

A while back on a podcast I said that the Phillies would miss the playoffs. I was wrong. They’ve won 10 in a row and have a six game lead over Atlanta in the NL East. Not only are they going to make the playoffs, but their three-headed monster of a playoff rotation (Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt) might just make them the NL favorite for the World Series.

Oh well, at least I was right about the Red Sox missing out on October. But hey, at least fans up there have Tom Brady’s Bieber-hairdo to look at, right? 

AL EAST
With Boston an afterthought, this one is down to the Yankees and the Rays. I’ve watched all three games between these two teams this week and I have to say they’re both really good. But they also both have glaring weaknesses. The Rays have a far superior bullpen, but their starters seem to be tiring. The Yankees are the better offensive team, but they can’t match Tampa’s defense or speed. For most of my life I thought heading into the playoffs in a tight division race was good for a team. But then I chatted with Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. and postseason star David Wells, and they both said that if the Rays and Yankees weren’t neck and neck they’d give their stars some rest. So, what is proving to make a great September could spoil the World Series dreams for both these teams.

NL WEST
Welcome to crazy town. Here’s the latest: the Giants are a half game behind the Padres in the West and also a half game behind the Braves in the Wild Card. The Rockies are three games out in each race as well. So hold on to your hats because this is probably going to come down to the wire. October 1 -3 is going to be AWESOME. The Padres play in San Francisco. The Braves? They play the Phillies. And the Rockies? Well, they play in St. Louis. So the Cards have a shot to play spoiler while the Braves fight for the Wild Card against their division rivals and the Padres and Giants try to eek it out in a photo finish. I hope you’re all ready to stay up late for west coast baseball because that’s where the best action is going to be.

AND THE REST
The Rangers, Twins and Reds should be feeling pretty good, and not just because they’ve all got solid leads in their divisions. All three teams are also getting a chance to rest big stars. Josh Hamilton has two broken ribs, but is going to play in the post-season. Joe Mauer hurt his left knee, but has plenty of time to get well. And Reds outfielder and playoff hero Jim Edmonds, who has been nursing Achilles issues all season, has a little while to heal before the games really start to matter.