WORLD SERIES: San Francisco Giants vs. Texas Rangers

Alright, everyone who picked the Giants and Rangers to meet in the 2010 World Series, put your hands up.

....

I'll put my hand up, maybe not all the way, but partially, seeing as I did pick the Giants to get to the World Series, but to face the New York Yankees and lose in seven games.

But honestly, how many people would have picked the Rangers to dethrone the World Champions? Or for the team by the bay to defeat the greatest pitching rotation in postseason history from the Philadelphia Phillies?

Not many.

Perhaps what could be a downfall in TV ratings for Fox Network, due to this year's match-up, this could prove to be one of the more exciting series over the past few seasons.

For instance, the Texas Rangers have never, ever, in their team history, made it to the second round of the playoffs (the ALCS) or let alone make it to the World Series in their 50 year existence...

...until now.

The 2010 Rangers, armed with the veteran Michael Young, ace Cliff Lee, probable American League MVP, as well as ALCS MVP, Josh Hamilton, and a young core group that includes shortstop Elvis Andrus, are primed to make a battle for the World Series Trophy. A dominant offense, that which includes the likes of future Hall Of Famer Vladamir Guerrero and the dangerous Nelson Cruz, will look to send multiple baseballs into McCovey Cove and swamp the Giants' chances of securing a world title.

The Rangers definitely deserve to be in the World Series and are, without a doubt, the feel-good story of the 2010 season. Besides making the ALCS against New York a very one-sided affair, the Rangers have background stories on their team which further makes them the story of the year.

Consider the story of the Rangers' MVP candidate, Josh Hamilton.

Hamilton, the number one overall draft pick in the 1999 draft by the Tampa Bay Devil (at the time) Rays, has one of baseball's most remarkable stories. A chronic substance abuse early in his career, Hamilton was almost dismembered from the sport, and faced many setbacks in his career, initially spending his entire signing bonus from his draft on drugs and alcohol. However, rehab set Hamilton back on the track to baseball, as he was able to overcome his substance abuse to become sober and blossom into the All-Star he was hyped to be. Now a definite American League MVP candidate, and possible winner, Hamilton sported a .359 batting average to go along with 31 home runs this season, while battling injuries and carrying the Rangers to the playoffs, where he hit .350 with 4 home runs, and now the World Series. Almost five years ago, no one in baseball would have believed Hamilton would reach this point.

How about the story of Texas Manager Ron Washington? Washington, admittedly, tested positive for cocaine last season, and had to overcome scrutiny the entire season. However, Washington was backed by his players, Hamilton especially, seeing as he had dealt with the same situation as Washington early in his career. Now, he's managing the American League Champions in the World Series.

Last, there is the remarkable story of Michael Young. Young, although he is not "officially" the captain of the Rangers, carries himself as so. The veteran, who has spent his entire 11-year career, 1,508 games, with Texas, had never been to the postseason prior to this year. Young, 34, has been part of the lows of the Rangers' era. While playing the Alex Rodriguez era, Mark Teixeira era and now the Josh Hamilton era in Rangers' history, Young has been overlooked, if not underrated, in his career. Now, for the first time in his career, Young will be able to showcase his talent on the national stage and show why he is the heart and soul of the Texas Rangers.

The Rangers fought through thick and thin in the playoffs this season, dropping a 2-0 games lead to the Tampa Bay Rays in the Division Series, resulting in a nail-biting Game 5 victory, and of course, doing one of the most impossible playoff tasks: defeating the mighty Yankees, who, before this series loss, were 11-2 in ALCS play.

But what about the Rangers' new opponent?

The San Francisco Giants, since moving to San Francisco in 1958, have never won a championship since leaving New York.

They'll look to change that now.

The Giants did reach the World Series in 2002, but fell to the (at the time) Anaheim Angels in a heart-breaking seven games. For the first time 2003, they have made the playoffs.

A playoff afterthought at the beginning of the 2010 season, a pick to be more of a trouble-maker for the contending teams in the NL West (The Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies), no one thought that the Giants had a chance to make the postseason. Their lineup was too weak, their rotation behind back-to-back Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum was questionable, and they were "a gang of misfits."

The first half of the Giants' season was a mess. Despite the emergence of catcher Buster Posey, the rookie who took the world by storm by hitting over .330 in the first half, Lincecum, who was coming off of his second-straight Cy Young Award, was struggling, Pablo Sandoval, the young third baseman who hit .330 the year prior was struggling to hit .270, and the Giants, overall, were at 41-40 by the end of the first half. The season looked like it would be similar to the one prior.

Not so much anymore.

Lincecum recovered, Posey continued to mash and make himself look like the eventual NL Rookie of the Year, closing pitcher Brian Wilson, first baseman Aubrey Huff, and starting pitchers Matt Cain and Jonathan Sanchez stepped up, resulting in a 51-30 second half of the season, en route to the club's National League West Division title in a dramatic end of the season showdown with the San Diego Padres.

While the Giants may not have the same feel-good story as the Rangers, they surely are not a team to be counted out. They defeated the Atlanta Braves and sent Bobby Cox to retirement, they overpowered the "Big 3" of Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels in Philadelphia when everyone in the baseball world considered them left for dead at the hands of the Phillies.

Now, with one dramatic and gut-wrenching regular season over, the boys from the bay area find themselves in the World Series, armed with the task of making Josh Hamilton look lost, stealing the feel-good vibe that surrounds their opponent, and looking to make "Deep in the Heart of Texas" nothing more than a sob song for Rangers fans.

I like both of these teams a lot. I think they stack up well against each other in this series, and I like that both these teams play for the good of the game. These are two teams with players who gritty, gutty, grind-it-out type of players, and they will make it a hard-fought battle to win the crown. I do think that the Giants hold a tremendous advantage in the pitching department with shut-down guys like Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez, Madison Bumgarner and Wilson, compared to that of Texas' Lee (who is their only "shut-down" pitcher), C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis (who had a great DS & CS), Tommy Hunter and rookie-closer Neftali Feliz, but the Rangers' offense, led by Hamilton and Cruz, without a doubt overpowers that of the Giants' scrappy offense where the only real threat is NLCS MVP Cody Ross and Posey. I think that the Giants boast a better bullpen than Texas, especially having season-saves-leader (48 saves) Brian Wilson at the back to shut the door, as opposed to a rookie closer like Feliz.

That being said, I really like the pitching in this series and I think that will be the real factor in the winning team. I'm going to stick with my gut from the beginning of the season, but change the outcome.

Giants in 7.

"We play today, we win today, das it!"

The New York Yankees will live to play another game, as behind big home runs from Robinson Cano, Nick Swisher and Curtis Granderson, as well as a fantastic high-pressure-elimination-facing-pitching-performance from ace CC Sabathia, the Yankees defeated the Texas Rangers 7-2, securing a return trip to Texas for Game 6. The Yankees now trail the series 3-2, and must win the next game to avoid elimination.

Oh, what a ballgame.

P.S. If you hadn't heard already, after injuring his hamstring with a Grade II strain in last night's game, Mark Teixeira was removed from the Yankees' playoff roster and will be ineligible for the remainder of the postseason, even if the Yankees were to get to the World Series. He has been replaced by infielder Eduardo Nunez.

As well, the San Francisco Giants currently lead the Philadelphia Phillies by a score of 2-0 in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series. The Giants, surprisingly, will look to make a current 2-1 series lead into a 3-1 series lead if they can hold on.

Will the real A.J. Burnett please stand up?

After falling 8-0 to the Texas Rangers yesterday after a mystical performance by Texas ace Cliff Lee, the New York Yankees, who now trail 2-1 in the ALCS, will turn to one Allan James Burnett tonight to oppose Tommy Hunter, and to hopefully tie the series.

Did you hear that?

That was the sound of Yankee fans everywhere holding their breath.

A.J. Burnett? Playoff start? A few weeks ago, the thought was unbearable.

Burnett, 33, finished 2010 with a 10-15 record, a 5.36 ERA overall, completing his worst career season and giving Yankee fans little doubt that he would be valuable in the postseason. While effective at times, Burnett is erratic and inconsistent. A pitcher with ace caliber "stuff," he often tends to get lost on the mound, throwing wild pitches, plunking batters, walking hitters, and doing what he does best: give up lots of runs. After starting the season as one of the Yankees' best pitchers (4-0 with a 1.99 ERA through May 6), Burnett faltered, and became ineffective in the Yankees' rotation, leading to eventual skipped starts and boos from the crowd. Not one fan thought that the Yankees would trust Burnett with a playoff start.

But now, down 2-1, with a series in jeopardy due to inefficient starts by CC Sabathia and Phil Hughes, the Yankees will turn to Burnett to save their season.

Yankee fans are holding their breath.

Tonight we await to see which A.J. Burnett shows up for this postseason start: The 2009 postseason Burnett from ALCS Game 2 and World Series Game 2, or the 2010 consistently-inconsistent Burnett?

After getting destroyed last night by Cliff Lee and the Rangers, the Yankees will look for redemption, and hope to not only give Burnett some run support, but to save their playoff chances. It's hard to say what the outcome of this game could be, especially not knowing which Burnett will show up tonight.

However, there is a bright spot tonight. According to Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas/Fort Worth,

"In three starts against the Rangers this season, Burnett is 1-0 with a 2.50 ERA. He's gone seven innings twice and has allowed just five runs and 16 hits. He's walked seven and struck out 17. He's whiffed Nelson Cruz five times in eight at-bats, and Josh Hamilton is hitless in five at-bats."

Don't get me wrong, A.J. Burnett is a fantastic pitcher, but he is also inconsistent and a question mark. I think A.J. will pitch the game of his life tonight, but that's just me being optimistic.

So will the real A.J. Burnett please stand up, please stand up, please stand up?

Preferably the one at the top of the screen :S

UPDATE: Obviously, we got bad A.J. in this one. A 10-3 loss is your final. We face elimination come tomorrow folks, Yanks better get it together and fast.

What To Watch For Today

Game 2 of the American League Championship Series:

Phil Hughes (NYY) vs. Colby Lewis (TEX)

How will Texas respond after a heartbreaking loss yesterday with a meltdown by the bullpen? Who will Ron Washington use out of the Texas bullpen today after burning five pitchers in one inning yesterday? All this and more should be answered today, as Phil Hughes goes for his second career postseason start, his first coming in Game 3 of the ALDS vs the Minnesota Twins in which he threw seven innings of shut-out baseball. How will he do in his second start?

This start seems like it could be a push, with Hughes being great this year and Lewis being a big surprise for Texas. However, I still give the edge to Hughes over Lewis due to his recent dominance from the end of the regular season on. He dominated in his last start in the postseason, as did Lewis, who pitched five innings of shut-out baseball against the Tampa Bay Rays. This matchup could go either way, but after last night's bullpen meltdown, the momentum has to be in the Yankees' favor.

Game 1 of the National League Championship Series:

Tim Lincecum (SFG) vs. Roy Halladay (PHI)

In the postseason, fans yearn to see pitching match-ups where the best face the best.

Or in this case, ace vs. ace.

It's a re-take of last year's All-Star Game pitching match-up.

Lincecum, coming off his first career postseason start against the Atlanta Braves in which he struck out 14 batters and pitched a complete-game shut-out, will oppose Halladay, who, in his first postseason start against the Cincinnati Reds, threw a no-hitter.

Advantage who?

These are the pitching battles you pay to see in October.

This game is going to be a push and could go either way. Expect both pitchers to go the distance and for this to be a very, VERY, low scoring game. I can't give an advantage to either team really, other than that the Phillies have a dominant offense compared to that of the Giants. However, I like an underdog, and I'm going to stick with my preseason pick and say the Giants take Game 1.

Yankees take Game 1 of ALCS in comeback fashion against Rangers' pen

The Yankees, down 5-1 into the eighth inning in Game 1 of the ALCS against the Texas Rangers, rallied for five runs in the inning, eventually taking the lead 6-5 by dominating the Rangers' bullpen.

Yankees lead the series 1-0.

Giants beat Braves, Phillies sweep Reds to advance to NLCS

The San Francisco Giants defeated the Atlanta Braves 3-2 tonight, ending the career of long-time Braves' manager Bobby Cox, as well as ending the Braves' season.

Backed by a tremendous pitching performance by 21-year-old pitching phenom Madison Bumgarner, as well as a game winning hit by outfielder Cody Ross, they advance to the NLCS and will face the Philadelphia Phillies, who yesterday beat the Cincinnati Reds 2-0, sweeping them, and advancing.

Game 1 is set for Saturday October 16, 2010 as aces Roy Halladay (PHI, his first start since his no-hitter) and Tim Lincecum (SF) face off in a battle of the aces. It's sure to be a roller coaster folks.

I'm especially excited about the NLCS. Why, you ask? Because in February, when I wrote my MLB Predictions article for the school paper, I picked the Giants and Phillies to meet in the NLCS, with the Giants defeating the Phight'ns in seven games.

As well, the final game of the DS series is tomorrow, with the Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers meeting up in a decisive Game 5 to decide who plays the New York Yankees in the ALCS. Tampa, coming off a recent road sweep in Texas after being down 0-2 in the series, looks to take home the prize and become just the second team in baseball history to come back and win a DS series since the 2001 Yankees came back from 0-2 against the Oakland Athletics. As for me, I don't think Tampa stands a chance, especially with Texas throwing ace Cliff Lee against them.



That's all for now folks, talk to you soon!

P.S. sorry for the lack of information ya'll, I've been swamped recently, as well as dead tired from paint balling today, which was INSANE. Alright, see you tomorrow!

Get your brooms out: Yankees sweep Twins 3-0, advance to ALCS for second straight year

Ready for a surprise?

The New York Yankees ended the Minnesota Twins' season with a 6-1 victory tonight, sweeping the Twins 3-0 in the American League Division Series best-of-five-series to advance to the American League Championship Series.

Okay, well maybe that wasn't that much of a surprise.

In their last four playoff meetings (2010, 2009, 2004, and 2003), the Yankees have defeated the Twins in every meeting, outscoring them by a staggering 69-36 run deficit, including a 17-7 run differential in this series.

Behind a stellar Phil Hughes performance (7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 6 K, 1 BB), the Yankees cruised through tonight's game, securing their spot in the ALCS for the second straight year, as well as sweeping the Twins in the first round for the second straight year. A Marcus Thames light-tower-power home run propelled the Yankees in the fourth inning, followed by a Nick Swisher home run in the 7th. In the 9th inning it was lockdown mode, as Mariano Rivera closed out another Yankees' playoff win.

"We expect everyone to produce. We don't just rely on or one two guys," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "We rely on a circular lineup."

After victories behind CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte in Games 1 & 2, respectively, the Yankees were determined for tonight to be the night they clinched a spot in the ALCS. Backed by strong performances out of the bullpen by Kerry Wood, Boone Logan, David Robertson and Rivera, success seemed to be the Yankees' only option.

"We really wanted to close it out here," Hughes said.

The Yankees will await to see which team reigns victorious in the Texas Rangers v. Tampa Bay Rays series (TEX leads 2-1). The winner will face the Yankees in the ALCS.

In the meantime, the next few off-days should give the Yanks a chance to rest, prepare, and have fun.

That's all for now. Until next time.

Halladay tosses second no-hitter in postseason history, Phight'ns take 1-0 series lead

Hey guys, I'm sorry this was just posted late. I thought I had clicked the publish post button last night after I watched the Yankees game, but I guess not. Anyway, it's old news, but here it is.

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History.

One day into the 2010 MLB Playoffs and we have history and a topic for the watercooler.

Roy Halladay, who had never pitched in the playoffs before yesterday after spending 12 seasons as the Toronto Blue Jays' ace, made his postseason debut yesterday with the Philadelphia Phillies.

"It's no fun out there," Reds slugger Joey Votto said. "It's like trying to hit nothing. He's an ace among aces."

All Halladay did was throw the second no-hitter in postseason history, keeping the Cincinnati Reds' scoreless to gain a 1-0 NLDS series lead, 54 years after the Yankees' Don Larsen picthed a perfect game in the World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Talk about a postseason debut. When the stakes were high, Halladay did what he does best: he pitched.

Until last night, Larsen stood alone.

Better make room for some company Mr. Larsen.

"It's surreal, it really is," Halladay said after the 4-0 win. "I just wanted to pitch here, to pitch in the postseason. To go out and have a game like that, it's a dream come true."

"This is what you come here for," Halladay said. "It's a good team, they know how to win. ... It's been a great year, a fun year, we obviously have a ways to go."

Halladay, The former American League Cy Young Award winner, and the likely National League Cy Young Award winner this year, finished 21-10 with a 2.44 ERA in his first year with Philadelphia, living up the hype that surrounded him when he was traded over to the Phillies during the winter for a boatload of mega-prospects. Often regarded to as one of the best, if not the best pitcher in baseball, Halladay pitched like it last night.

However this no-hitter was not just Halladay's first no-hitter.

It was his second of the season, as he also threw a perfect game on May 29 against the Florida Marlins.

In a year that has been regarded as the "Year of the Pitcher," Halladay, along with Dallas Braden, Ubaldo Jimenez, Edwin Jackson, and Matt Garza have all thrown no-hitters. However it was Halladay, 34, who has stood out, throwing just the second no-hitter in postseason history.

We may never see this again.

Even Larsen, now 81 years young, had praise for Halladay.

"You work hard for certain things," Larsen said. "I guess if you work hard enough good things are going to happen to you and it did for me and Halladay. You have to appreciate these things because you never know what's going to happen in the future."

Friday will mark the 54th anniversary of Larsen's perfect game, still the only perfect game ever pitched in the playoffs. Halladay's was a no-hitter.

"It was just a great day. I think about it every day," Larsen said. "No one has to remind me what happened. I was just happy to be a part of it with the New York Yankees and against Brooklyn in the World Series, everybody was watching."

What/who was the key to Larsen's success?

His catcher, Yankee legend and Hall of Famer, Yogi Berra.

"I couldn't have done it without Yogi," Larsen said. "He was a hell of a catcher. He deserves a lot of credit for it."

One no-hitter and 54 years later, we're hearing the same thing.

Halladay responded in similar fashion, as he credited his catcher, Carlos Ruiz.

"I felt like we got in a groove early," Halladay said. "Carlos has been great all year, he helps me get into a rhythm early, throwing strikes."

Roy Halladay, a guy who just wanted to pitch in the playoffs for once, engraved his name on the game for years to come with just that one start that he wanted to make.

History to kick off the new decade.

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STATE OF THE PLAYOFFS:

TEXAS RANGERS LEAD TAMPA BAY RAYS IN SERIES 2-0

NEW YORK YANKEES LEAD MINNESOTA TWINS IN SERIES 2-0

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES LEAD CINCINNATI REDS IN SERIES 1-0

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS AND ATLANTA BRAVES TIED 0-0

DONE-ZO! Regular Season comes to a close as Giants and Braves move on to postseason

In what could have been potential baseball history with a first ever three-way-tie between the San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves is no more.

The Giants defeated the Padres 3-0 today, securing their playoff berth and were crowned NL West Division Champions, while the Braves held off a dramatic Philadelphia Phillies comeback in an 8-7 win to give them the WildCard Championship. Both wins knock the San Diego Padres out of playoff contention, a shocking event as the Padres led the West until the final few weeks of September.

As well, the AL East and Wildcard were decided as the Yankees, after an 8-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox, secure the Wildcard and the Tampa Bay Rays, with a 3-2 win over the Kansas City Royals, win the AL East Division.

Now let's get to the match-ups for the first round of the Division Series, which begins on Wednesday, October 6th.

ALDS - Round One

BRACKET 1

(Home) Tampa Bay Rays

VS.

(Away) Texas Rangers

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BRACKET 2

(Home) Minnesota Twins

VS.

(Away) New York Yankees

___________________

NLDS - Round One

BRACKET 1

(Home) Philadelphia Phillies

VS.

(Away) Cincinnati Reds

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BRACKET 2

(Home) San Francisco Giants

VS.

(Away) Atlanta Braves

___________________

Well, there you have it fans, your 2010 MLB Postseason.

Here's how I'm pickin' em:

ALDS

Rays over Rangers

Yankees over Twins

NLDS

Phillies over Reds

Giants over Braves

I'll do some analysis sometime this week to justify my predictions, so be on the lookout!

Are you ready for this?

Last day of the regular season, playoff picture still foggy

It's hard to believe that we're at this point in the major league baseball season already...

Game #162.

Yet still, the playoff picture is far from complete.

While we know that the Twins (AL Central), Rangers (AL West), Yankees (AL East/Wildcard), Rays (AL East/Wildcard), Phillies (NL East) and Reds (NL Central) are going to October, two spots still remain undecided, those being the NL West and NL Wildcard and will be battled for today by the San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants and Atlanta Braves.

However baseball fans, we could be in for a treat, something we've never yet seen before in baseball history.

A three-way-tie.

That's right.

However, this would only occur if the following occurs:

- The Padres defeat the Giants today, placing them in a tie with San Francisco for first place in the NL West.

- The Braves defeat the Phillies.

Only then, would there be a three-way-tie, which is a lot more likely than most believe.

In that case, the Giants and Padres would fly to San Diego and play a one-game playoff to decide the NL West division winner. The loser of that game, be it the Giants or Padres, then would fly to Atlanta to play the Braves in yet another one-game playoff to decide the Wildcard winner. It's a very complex format, but hey, that's baseball.

However, if the Giants were to win today against the Padres (they would be NL West Division Champions), and the Braves lost to the Phillies, the Padres would be the Wildcard Champions, eliminating the Braves from the playoffs. If the Padres were to beat the Giants with the Braves losing, the Giants would be the Wildcard Champions. Confusing stuff.

Basically, if the Braves lose, both western teams go to the playoffs. Talk about a depressing send-off to longtime Braves' manager Bobby Cox, who announced he will be retiring after the season, as well as a depressing end to a season in which the Braves claimed first place for most of the year.

So what does this all hinge on?

The Padres winning. If San Diego wins, a three-way-tie-breaker will occur.

If San Diego loses, the Giants and Braves go to the playoffs.

As for me, I'd love to see the Giants win the division just because I picked them at the beginning of the season, everything else goes. On the other hand, I'd really love to see a San Diego-Atlana one-game playoff, that'd be awesome.

If the Padres and Braves were to meet up for the one-game wildcard playoff, I have to say that it could go either way. Both teams have been sub-par in September, with both clubs going 4-6 over their last 10 games. Their aces, Mat Latos (SD) and Tim Hudson (ATL), are starting today, which would make them unavailable to start a one-game playoff which would take place on Tuesday. In the end however, I think experience plays a huge role in determining a playoff spot, so I'll pick the Braves over San Diego in this situation. If it were the Giants and Braves, I'll take the Giants over the Braves because they'd most likely start ace and two-time Cy Young award winner, Tim Lincecum

If the Giants were to fall today to San Diego and and then lose to Atlanta in the one-game Wildcard playoff, that would be almost as bad of a collapse as the New York Mets in 2007 & 2008.

So will the Giants, led by NL Rookie of the Year front-runner Buster Posey, be victorious over Adrian Gonzalez and the Padres? Who will falter to possibly play Jason "J-Hay Kid" Heyward and the Braves? Will the Braves collapse?

I'll be watching those games today very closely, as well as the Yankee game of course to see if they will be winning the division or wildcard. Gotta say that I'd prefer the Wildcard right now for the Yanks, they seem to have the Twins' number in the playoffs.

Well folks that's all for now, I'll be back later to post the final standings so we can set up a playoff picture. Enjoy the last day of the regular season, and if you're a fan of a team who has to wait till next year, well, wait till next year.

Predictions:

TODAY:

GIANTS OVER PADRES - GIANTS NL WEST CHAMPIONS,

BRAVES OVER PHILLIES - BRAVES WILDCARD CHAMPIONS

IF THERE IS AN NL WEST TIEBREAKER TOMORROW:

GIANTS OVER PADRES - GIANTS NL WEST CHAMPIONS

IF THERE IS AN NL WILDCARD TIEBREAKER TUESDAY:

BRAVES OVER PADRES - BRAVES NL WILDCARD CHAMPIONS

Update, 6:19 PM - The Yankees fell to the Red Sox 8-4 today, while the Rays beat Kansas City 3-2. The Yankees enter the postseason as the Wildcard and will play the Twins in Minnesota on Wednesday, while the Rays win the AL East and host the Rangers on Wednesday as well. Also, the Giants currently lead the Padres 2-0 in the 7th. Remember, if the Giants win, that means San Diego is eliminated and the Braves are the Wildcard Champions.