The Official 2012 Watching The Scoreboard Thread

[Battingly]

Texas goes down meekly in the 8th

They still trail Oakland 4-3

If Oakland wins, Tampa is officially eliminated, so don't expect any more help with Baltimore.

We might get it, but don't expect it ... we better win these last two games.

[Battingly]

A's go down in the bottom of the 8th without extending the lead.

Texas is going to the top of the 9th down 4-3

[BroadwayBomber55]

Grant Balfour is in. The former Tampa Bay Ray will break his former team's hearts if he gets the save in the 9th.

[Pasco08]

Grant Balfour is in. The former Tampa Bay Ray will break his former team's hearts if he gets the save in the 9th.

He has brown stuff on his cap he keeps touching in between pitches

[BroadwayBomber55]

A's win! They're in!

The A's are one game back in the AL West.

[Battingly]

ITS OVER

Oakland wins 4-3 and clinches a WC, still alive for a division title if they sweep Texas.

As for Tampa, they are officially eliminated.

[Pasco08]

ITS OVER

Oakland wins 4-3 and clinches a WC, still alive for a division title if they sweep Texas.

As for Tampa, they are officially eliminated.

And will probably lay down to the O's now

[-tz]

And will probably lay down to the O's now

Maybe the Rays will remember how nice the Yankees were to them in the final series last year, and try to return the favor.

[Battingly]

And will probably lay down to the O's now

I don't even consider it laying down. Its just impossible not to have a huge emotional letdown after you are officially eliminated. That said, it would be foolish to expect any further assistance from Tampa.

Bottom line: The Yankees better win these last two games.

[-tz]

BTW, the Yankees and Texas are now tied for the best record in the AL.

[Battingly]

Maybe the Rays will remember how nice the Yankees were to them in the final series last year, and try to return the favor.

tz, its not even a matter of wanting to help us or not wanting to help us, or wanting to play hard and play for pride.

Its absolutely crushing when you get eliminated and its human nature to suffer a huge emotional letdown.

We can't expect any more help from Tampa.

If we get it, great, but by no means can we expect it.

We have to approach these last two games as must wins.

[Battingly]

BTW, the Yankees and Texas are now tied for the best record in the AL.

And the Yankees own the tiebreaker, so they are the #1 seed in the AL if they win out.

[-tz]

tz, its not even a matter of wanting to help us or not wanting to help us, or wanting to play hard and play for pride. Its absolutely crushing when you get eliminated and its human nature to suffer a huge emotional letdown.

I was kidding, but in all seriousness: Anybody have any stats on teams' W-L records in the game immediately after they are officially eliminated?

[Pasco08]

Maybe the Rays will remember how nice the Yankees were to them in the final series last year, and try to return the favor.

Maybe but that has to be like a dagger in the heart so close yet so far away type thing. I hope for a Rays sweep of the O's but i am prepared for the worst.

[BroadwayBomber55]

And will probably lay down to the O's now

The Yankees just need to do their job by winning two games against the Red Sox.

As for the A's, they can also get the #1 seed in the AL Playoffs if they beat the Rangers twice, the Yankees lose one out of 2 and the Orioles win both against the Rays.

Why? All three teams will be at 94-68. But the A's will get the #1 seed based on a better interdivision record over the Yankees (A's at 33-24, .579 and Yankees 40-32, .556) and a better head-to-head record with AL East winner the Orioles (5-4).

[ojo]

obviously you approach the next games as 'must wins', and they'll be played and managed accordingly..but i do think Madden is going to have the ears in that clubhouse about not laying down.

tz, its not even a matter of wanting to help us or not wanting to help us, or wanting to play hard and play for pride.

Its absolutely crushing when you get eliminated and its human nature to suffer a huge emotional letdown.

We can't expect any more help from Tampa.

If we get it, great, but by no means can we expect it.

We have to approach these last two games as must wins.

[Battingly]

I was kidding, but in all seriousness: Anybody have any stats on teams' W-L records in the game immediately after they are officially eliminated?

For that stat to have any meaning, it would have to apply only to teams that are eliminated on the final series of the season.

Thats a lot more devastating than being eliminated with a week or more to go, because in that case it was already a foregone conclusion, while in this instance it comes suddenly and just as you can see the finish line.

This has to be particularly crushing for the Rays because they've played great baseball down the stretch with like an .800 winning percentage, to no avail.

[BroadwayBomber55]

L.A. Dodgers beat the SF Giants 3-2. Elian Herrera walk-off single.

The St. Louis Cardinals magic number to clinch the second wild-card slot is still 1.

Dodgers need to win both games vs. SF and hope the Cardinals lose both against the Cincinnati Reds to force a one-game play-off for the second wild card.

[sweet_lou_14]

For that stat to have any meaning, it would have to apply only to teams that are eliminated on the final series of the season.

Thats a lot more devastating than being eliminated with a week or more to go, because in that case it was already a foregone conclusion, while in this instance it comes suddenly and just as you can see the finish line.

This has to be particularly crushing for the Rays because they've played great baseball down the stretch with like an .800 winning percentage, to no avail.

You seem to be very certain of the precise amount of crushing devastation we can expect James Shields and the Rays to exhibit tonight. I'm not as sure.

[RenoHightower]

For that stat to have any meaning, it would have to apply only to teams that are eliminated on the final series of the season.

Thats a lot more devastating than being eliminated with a week or more to go, because in that case it was already a foregone conclusion, while in this instance it comes suddenly and just as you can see the finish line.

This has to be particularly crushing for the Rays because they've played great baseball down the stretch with like an .800 winning percentage, to no avail.

Are you insinuating that the Rays are surprised that they aren't going to the playoffs? Do they not know how to read the standings?

[pleasepassthesoup]

For that stat to have any meaning, it would have to apply only to teams that are eliminated on the final series of the season.

Thats a lot more devastating than being eliminated with a week or more to go, because in that case it was already a foregone conclusion, while in this instance it comes suddenly and just as you can see the finish line.

This has to be particularly crushing for the Rays because they've played great baseball down the stretch with like an .800 winning percentage, to no avail.

It's highly unlikely that they actually thought they were getting in.

[freebubba]

Tampa will most definitely sit Longoria. No matter whay line-up they trot out there, Shields is still taking the ball and is absolutely capable of shutting the O's down. The Yankees just need to take care of their business and pound Lester tonight.

[Pasco08]

Tampa will most definitely sit Longoria. No matter whay line-up they trot out there, Shields is still taking the ball and is absolutely capable of shutting the O's down. The Yankees just need to take care of their business and pound Lester tonight.

This is very True on any given night shields could pitch another one of those CGSO's

[Numark]

I don't think the Rays are just going to lay down like everything thinks....

[CoyoteYankee]

I don't think the Rays are just going to lay down like everything thinks....

I don't think they will lay down but they won't have the same intensity as they would if they were still in the hunt. This could actually turn into a good thing for the Yankees. Tampa Bay will be playing pretty loose since they have nothing to lose. Sometimes (as we have seen) players tighten up when they are trying too hard.