2010 MLB Playoff Predictions

The MLB Playoffs are upon us! There's something about the sights and sounds of baseball in the Fall that get me geeked up. And as a Phillies fan, I couldn't be more excited right now.

Objectively speaking (as much as I can be objective), the Phillies are the favorites to come out of the National League. Halladay, Oswalt, and Hamels are three powerful forces to be reckoned with. Not to mention the rest of the lineup. What team can handle the likes of Utley, Howard, Werth and Ibanez?

And in the American League? Well, it's a tough call, but I'd say the Rays are the favorites, but you always have to beware of the big, bad Yankees.

Here's my stab at how it'll all shake out. Enjoy the playoffs, everyone!

National League

Phillies over Reds in 4

Giants over Braves in 3

- - -

Phillies over Giants in 6


American League

Rays over Rangers in 3

Yankees over Twins in 4


- - -

Rays over Yankees in 6


World Series

Phillies over Rays in 5

Phillies Phun Phacts

The Phillies recorded their 16th shutout of the year this afternoon against the Padres, winning 5-0. So, of the 73 wins they have, better than 1-in-5 are via the goose egg.

Overall, the Phils have surrendered 526 runs in their 130 games this year - good for 4.05 runs allowed per game. However, they've really allowed this same amount of runs over 114 games, which is good for 4.61 runs per game. And in those games, they're a .500 ball club, at 57-57.

Kind of shaky statistics when they do allow runs in a ballgame, especially since their bats have gone cold lately. But 16 shutouts is very impressive, especially since 5 have come in August, so I'll take this as a great sign that the pitching is rounding into terrific form as we head down the stretch.

Let's just hope those bats wake up come September. Go Phillies!!!

Phenomenal Phillies

Tonight the Phillies scored 20 runs in a game for the second time this season. In fact, they did it for the second time in a 17-game span, with the first time being on May 26. Throw in the 15-run game they had on May 25, and the Phillies have scored a whopping 128 runs in 18 games. That's an incredible average of 7.11 runs per game (and they've only given up 3.33 runs per game), and they've gone 14-4 in that span.

Prior to May 25, the Phils averaged 4.80 runs per game. They now average 5.41 runs per game. That's an amazing increase of .61 runs per game.

If you only take the 4 double-digit run games over this 18 game span (15, 20, 12, 20), the Phils would average 3.72 runs per game. That's still more than the 3.33 runs per game they've given up!

I'm curious to know the last time a team scored 20 or more runs twice in one season. During the telecast, they informed us the last time the Phillies performed this feat was in 1900, when they actually did it 3 times.

Truly a Friday the 13th to remember!

Yankees New 3rd Baseman

Introducing Alex Rodrez. Thanks ESPN.















I mean, it's one thing to misspell his name as "Rodrigeuz" or "Rodregez" or something along those lines, but this??? How does that even happen? Here, let me try typing this out a few times...

Rodriguez
Rodrigues (oops! oh no, better edit this!)
Rodriguez
Rodriguez

Wasn't too hard. Did someone take a phone call mid-type?

"Doo, doo, doo...'Alex....Rodr'....oop, phone call...Hey mom, how are you?...I'm good...just typing out this graphic for Outside the Lines real quick....aaaaand....'ez'....there. Done...so, what's for dinner tonight, ma? I should be able to make it home in time. Hold on, let me type out something else real quick...'Derek.... Je'....what, mom? Yeah, I didn't have time to clean up my room and the rest of the basement. Thanks for doing that....'r'....ok, done that one....see you when I get home mom. I should probably get back to work or something. I'm running double duty today with graphic data entry AND editing...and I really don't know where to start with editing. Ok, bye!"

Can't wait to see the story coming up on Roger Clens.