American League Division Series weekend round-up

Since roaring into the post-season last week, the Orioles, and particularly the Athletics have been shot right back down to earth.

The O’s opened up their division series with the Yankees yesterday, falling 7-2, while Oakland lost 5-4 in Detroit to go down two games to nothing in their respective series.

This year, the team with the better record have to play the first two on the road before three straight at home – normal service will be resumed next year with the 2-2-1 format – but for now home advantage has worked against the A’s, who despite clinching the West with a better record have had to open this series at Comerica Park.

Detroit were successful in game one thanks to their ace Justin Verlander, who will pitch in the deciding game five if Oakland win the next two back on the west coast. Last night, game two was a different story, and the Tigers certainly weren’t the better team. Consistent and reliable centre fielder Coco Crisp dropped a fly ball he would almost always catch in the seventh which ended up plating two Tigers runs.

Oakland were further frustrated, but more insulted when pitcher Al Alburquerque came in with two on and two out in the eighth and made the final out, but not before kissing the ball and throwing Yoenis Cespedes out at first.

It was unprofessional to say the least, but Oakland didn’t lose the game because of it. They lost it in the ninth thanks to a Don Kelly sacrifice fly. Game over, and the Tigers didn’t really do a lot to win.

Even so, Oakland were back in the clubhouse by the time the home team finished up their mobbing of Kelly, and now take a big advantage back to the O.co Coliseum where they have to win just one more game to advance to the ALCS.

If Detroit can finish off the series, they will face either the Orioles or Yankees, who behind a dominant C.C. Sabathia took the first contest at Camden Yards in what was a tied game until the top of the ninth.

Baltimore had waited 15 years for this night and had to wait a further 2 hours and 26 minutes because of a steady rain delay, and when the teams finally came out onto the field, judging by the crowd noise there was an excitement matched nowhere else so far in these play-offs.

After four innings the ballgame was tied 2-2 and it took until the ninth inning for the scoreboard to be broken up. Unfortunately for those screaming orange fans, it came in the top of the inning and was ignited by a Russell Martin home run off Jim Johnson, whose fastball stayed high and was crushed into the left field seats.

The red-hot Robinson Cano plated the next runs with an RBI double and as the clock struck midnight it was perhaps time for the Orioles to regroup and look to rally in game two. Baltimore has come from behind all year long and faces another deficit here, and as they are learning in the post-season – unlike the regular season – the opposing team will have a quality starting pitcher on the mound in every contest.

Andy Pettitte gets the ball for New York tonight, facing Wei-Yin Chen, and because of this season’s NLDS format, just splitting the first two games is a massive advantage for the team returning home after game two. Joe Girardi’s team have guaranteed that already and it’s now up to Buck Showalter and his men to find yet another way to draw even.

After all the results so far, you could call the Yankees and Tigers ‘spoilers’, but they are just doing their job. The neutrals wanted to witness Oakland and Baltimore knock the big boys off their perch, but you wouldn’t expect two championship contenders to go down lightly. But it’s not over yet; after all, this is play-off baseball.