Baseball Postseason 2026 Part 2 and Other Sports: Sweep

10-5-26

Two ALDS series on the radio today.    I joined the Indians versus the White Sox in progress, but I was too busy to take notes.    The Sox beat the Indians with a comeback win with a 3-run sixth.    The Indians sent a ball to the wall a couple of times late, which might have tied it, but to no avail.    The pitching chaos strategy for the Sox without a proper starter is still working.

In the second game, the Yankees ran out Cam Schlittler against the Rays.    The Yanks’ defense didn’t help out Cam in the first inning with 3 errors.    Talk about the yips.    However, the Rays only scored 1.    In the second, a Yankees’ ball hit one of the roof rings for an out.    (This seems like a running gag in this postseason.

In the fourth, Ben Rice homered for the Yankees to tie it at 1.    In the fifth, Austin Wells hit a double.    The entire Yankee dugout held up their hands telling him to stop there.    The bases were walked full with 2 outs, but a catch at the wall to ended it.    In the bottom, the Rays came back with a single, a double, and a fielder’s choice for a run.    Another error let in another run.    (It was later ruled a single, but the broadcasters didn’t even acknowledge it for a couple of innings.)   

Schlittler was chased from the game.    A Rays’ stolen base was challenged, but the call stood.    Then the Yankees committed another error, though a runner at third didn’t score on it. A broadcaster said, “Has there ever been a cycle of infield errors?”    Ritchie Palacios then singled in 2 to make it, 5-1 Rays.

In the seventh, Palacios dodged a broken bat to get an out on a grounder, thus making the Yankees look even worse in their fielding.    In the eighth, Rice hit a second home run to make it, 5-2.    Bryan Baker came in to close in the ninth for the Rays.    The catcher and the hitter traded successful challenges on succeeding pitches.    The Rays won, 5-2.    4 is the magic number today.    The Yankees had 4 errors (possibly should have been 5), and only 4 hits.    Also, the Rays had only 4 strikeouts facing the probable AL Cy Young winner for this year.

10-6-26

Two NLDS games were on the radio today.    The Dodgers versus the Braves featured a marquee pitching matchup between Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Chris Sale.    The Atlanta organist was again surprising us with the Sesame Street theme mixed into the music.    In the top of the first, the Dodgers got two on, one via an error, but Sale struck out the side.    In the third, Mauricio Dubon reached over the fence to rob Freddie Freeman of a 2-run homer.    The Dodgers loaded bases in the inning with a catcher’s interference call on Shohei Ohtani’s at bat, but nobody scored.   

The Braves’ luck ran out in the fourth, as Kiki Hernandez hit a 2-run home run.    (How does this guy keep coming up so big in the postseason?)  Freeman followed with a solo home run and that would effectively be the game in a 3-1 Dodgers’ win.    The Dodgers were now up 2-1 in the series.

The late game was the Brewers versus the Padres.    Fernando Tatis Jr. drove in first run of the game in third on a fielder’s choice for the Padres.    Manny Machado drove in another for a 2-0 lead.    In the fourth, William Contreras homered, and in the fifth, Jackson Chourio’s sac fly tied it.    The Brewers loaded the bases after that, but Padres got out of it.    In the bottom of the fifth, Jake Cronenworth homered on first pitch of the inning to give the Padres back the lead.   

In the sixth, an uncharacteristic infield error scored another run for the Padres.    In the seventh, Christian Yelich drove in a run to make it, 4-3.    The top of the ninth brought up an issue for the Padres, as they were missing both of their ace relievers.    Michael King came in to close.    The Brewers got two on via walks, but a double play ended it, 4-3 Padres.    It’s still 2-1 Brewers in the series with a chance to close it out again tomorrow.

10-7-26

There were four MLB DS games on tap today.    I tuned into the game between the White Sox playing the Indians in progress.    I’d missed Jo Adell’s triple in the third driving in 3 runs for the Indians.    In the fifth, the Sox got 2 on with nobody out.    Munetaka Murakami came up and grounded out, but moved the runners up.    The next batter hit a liner that was caught and a runner was doubled off to end the inning.

In the bottom of the sixth, a hit batter loaded bases for the Sox.    A second hit batter brought in a run.    The Chicago crowd was really loud and into it.    The next hit was a liner that was dropped, but picked up and the runner thrown out.    It was 5-3 Indians in the eighth, when Jose Ramirez hit a 2-run triple to make it, 7-3.    9-3 Indians was the final, but the White Sox still lead the series, 2-1.    The key stat was 19 strikeouts against the White Sox.

The Dodgers beat Braves, 4-1, to take series 3-1.    That snuck up on me.    I didn’t realize today was a possible close out game.    All the Braves managed was 1 run in the first and 2 errors.   

The Rays beat the Yankees, 4-3, in an absolute classic that I didn’t actually listen to.    The game was joined in progress and the game was too tense early and I was afraid to listen.    The Rays made a 3-game sweep and never trailed in the series.    The Yankees matched Rays’ scoring during the game.    Victor Mesa Jr. hit a 2-run homer in the sixth.    Anthony Volpe would have tied it in the bottom with a 2-run homer, except fan interference robbed the Yankees of the home run. Heh, heh, heh.    Yeah, unlike the Jeffrey Maier incident, the umps can go back and look at those plays now.    Bryan Baker closed out another playoff game for the Rays.   

Finally, the Brewers were at the Padres.    In the seventh, the Padres brought in their closer, Mason Miller, while they were down, 3-1.    In the eighth, Garrett Mitchell robbed Manny Machado of a tying 2-run home run.    He absolutely took the ball away from a mob of Padre fans at the wall.    Mitchell also drove in a run, hit a triple, and scored a run in the game.    The Brewers won the game, 3-1, and the series, 3-1.    The Padres’ one run was a Fernando Tatis Jr. home run.

Meanwhile at the same time, the Aggie Football team was playing on the road against FIU.    I ended up not listening to the game, except for some of the pregame and postgame.    A weather delay in starting the game probably caused me to tune out.    I was tickled that the game was being played in Pitbull Stadium.    (Yes, the rapper guy.)    The Panthers were also wearing Miami Vice-themed uniforms tonight.    Of note, they had 10k in attendance.    Not a great college football crowd, but double what the Aggies had in their last weeknight game.

The other reason I wasn’t listening was that I was checking in on the gamecast.    The Aggies got a first quarter field goal and the Panthers got a touchdown.    Thereafter, it was FIU kicking in field goals and the Aggie offense doing nothing.    Adam Damante not doing well at quarterback.    In the fourth, Trey Hedden was put back in, but did no better.    Each had an interception and negligible passing yardage.    FIU won 22-3.   

Running back James Jones did reasonably well with 89 yards.    The Aggie kicker was 1 for 1 in field goals.    That means that the offense only managed to get into field goal range once before they probably had to start going only for touchdowns later in the game.    Props to the Aggie defense on some level.    They only gave up 1 touchdown and held the Panthers to 5 field goals.    The defense must have been on field a whole lot for the game.

10-8-26

The White Sox made their second attempt to close out the Indians and I got to hear the radio broadcast.    In the first inning, the bases were walked full of Indians.    The White Sox went to a reliever and got out of it.    In the third, the Sox loaded the bases loaded with 1 out with Munetaka Murakami up.    He took a walk for an RBI.    The Indians went to a new pitcher, but the Sox sac’d in another run.    The White Sox executed a double steal right after, but the runners were left stranded.    2-0 White Sox.

The Indians took the lead in the fifth after a home run and then a Jose Ramirez 2-run homer, 3-2 Indians.    In the bottom of the fifth, with 1 out and after 2 walks, Murakami was up and a new pitcher came in.    The Chicago crowd serenaded departing pitcher.    Kami singled to load the bases.    A hit batter tied the game, and with a sac fly, the White Sox retook the lead, 4-3.    The Sox reloaded the bases and another Indians pitcher came in to end the inning with a strikeout.

However, the Indians took the lead back in the sixth.    It was 5-4 Indians with the bases loaded for Ramirez.    An error on the drawn in infield brought in another run.    (It was later changed to a hit.)    Then there were two more RBI’s on a pair of singles, to make it, 9-4.       Too late, the White Sox brought in a new pitcher.    The Indians almost executed a double steal, but one was caught upon review.    That was finally the third out after 6 runs, 9-5 Indians, which was the final.    Has the White Sox’s “Pitching Chaos” strategy finally hit the wall?    On to Game 5.

10-10-26

Evil triumphs.    Cleveland beat the White Sox in Game 5, 2-0, on a 2-run home run by Jose Ramirez.    They’ll face the Rays in the ALCS and the winged fish better be taking them seriously.    (I noticed they went back to their old “Devil Rays” uniforms on the road against the Yankees.)   

I did not try to find the game on the radio or on a Mexican station.    I had better things to do, namely The Duel in the Desert Aggie Baseball fundraiser.    Fan Michael had offered me a free ticket to the event, which he’d gotten from Coach Angier.    (Surprisingly, he’s still here.)    I asked for two and hoped I could take Zanaya with me.    She had the night off, but declined.    I’d also gotten a hold of Ron, but he did not have the day off from work to go.    I apologized to Michael for asking for an extra ticket (which were sold for $25) and told him to find someone else to give it to.    He said, “I think half of the tickets were given away anyway.”

There was no rain in the forecast, and yet, after watching some entertaining college football at dad’s apartment, I couldn’t help but notice the dark clouds overhead as I walked home.      I checked the forecast again, which now read, “Rain will arrive in 34 minutes.”    As I left 30 minutes later, it was sprinkling.    If there wasn’t a free ticket and free food involved, I’d be staying home for more football, but as was, I just hoped it would be a light sprinkle.   

No, it was a full downpour.    I got to use my new (expensive) wipers for the first time driving over.    I saw umbrellas at the next door Softball stadium.    They must have been playing some exhibition games today.    I didn’t see anyone in the stands at Baseball.    I had left my rain-proof jacket and my umbrella at home, and left another umbrella in my car, but did take my rain poncho and notepad in with me.    I met Michael and we hid under the grandstand with the rest of the crowd.    Like last years’ game (10-11-25), in spite of the rain, there was a large crowd.   

   

After Michael and I caught up (he’s had some bad medical issues), we braved the rain to get some food.    I got some delicious pizza from Lorenzo’s, so I was glad I’d come.    I also picked up some fajitas and a very tasty “Shirley Temple” 7-Up.    (Oh, and the reason for the crowd was the same as last year, free beer.    I forgot to mention that to Zanaya when I asked her to come.)    [Edit: after talking to her later, apparently I also hadn’t told her that the food was free.    She said she would have gone in that case.]

The rain had mostly stopped before the game began and we took our seats.    It was actually pleasant out.    It was neither cold nor windy, which would have made and the rain and the damp unbearable.    There were lots of kids there, mostly Little Leaguers.    They were given inflatable light batons up front, which they were hitting each other with.    There were a group of kids behind us that were kicking back of my seat and screaming with their mom yelling at them.    That made me want to leave more than the rain.   

Michael told me that almost the entire team was new.    There were just a couple of returners.    A couple of the new guys immediately stood out as the game started.    Keldrin Rodriguez  hit a line drive home run out to right.    Looks and excitement-wise, I gotta call him, “Baby Tatis.”    Before at bats when he was on deck, he would come by the stands swinging hard and grunting.    Gene Trujillo is very big and tall.    He slapped a hard RBI double.    We’ll call him, “Baby Spencer Jones,” as he bats left.    He’s a former Lobo apparently.  Jonatan Clough, a rare returning player, also hit a 2-run homer early

Pistol Pete was in attendance.    He was tossing shirts to the crowd and the kids and some women nearly went insane calling for them.    Pete also participated in a contest with a couple of kids running across the diamond.    He took a dive on the wet turf and the kids beat him.    He’s not exactly The Freeze.    (I also suspect he wasn’t really trying to beat them.)

By the third, it had totally stopped raining and I brought out my notepad and took a few notes.    (When the kids left, I got to relax and enjoy the game.)    In the top of the third, John Hojnowski, pitched and got two good strikeouts, but he walked Keldrin, after a pitch clock violation.    The next batter hit a blast to left field, but it was caught at the wall.    In the bottom of the third, the catcher picked Gene off first to end the inning.    Gene later got tagged out at second after over-sliding off the base.    He needs some work on the baserunning.   

In the top of the fourth, a grounder shot back to the pitcher.    He jumped over it.    Second base scooped the ball and bounced it off the turf for an out.    There were two other plays in the game where the infielder skipped the ball off the turf for an out.    These guys are obviously practicing that play.    In the bottom of the fourth, shortstop Sonnier Moses made a great pick on a high chopper for an out.   

Between innings, the ump went over visiting dugout for a drink.    He chatted with the fans in the front row, “How many beers have you all had?”    In the bottom of the fifth, a runner stole third.    His slide on the slick turf took out the ump there.    A triple brought him in.    Later, Jaxon Clayton came in pitching some good stuff.    In the top of the eighth, Keldrin motored around bases for a triple and scored on wild pitch.    I think we have a future star here.    In the top of the ninth, Mylan Childers was very effective pitching and struck out the side.    The batters were shaking their heads and a fan proclaimed, “We found our closer.”

It was Crimson 8, Black 4, if you had to know the score.    The game ran about 3 hours, but felt pretty quick.    Even with the disappointment of being dateless and getting rained on, I felt pretty good about going to the game.    I do plan on going to games in the spring.   

10-11-26

Game 1of the NLCS between the Dodgers and the Brewers and I missed the entire thing.    I had no radio coverage and none of the Mexican stations were carrying it.    At least I liked the result: the Brewers win, 2-1.    Bryce Turang homered in the fourth to tie it at 1 and Luis Lara drove in the winning run in the next inning.    Tarik Skubal took the loss.    I’m sure the Dodgers are not concerned to this point.

10-12-26

The Dodgers played the Brewers in Game 2 of the NLCS . . . . without me.    Neither the radio nor Mexican television was carrying the game.    The best I could do for play-by-play was listening to El Paso Sportstalk in the afternoon talking about the TV coverage live.    Early in the game, the Brewers chased Yoshinobu Yamamoto from the game, as Christian Yelich drove in 2 runs for a 3-2 lead in the third.   

UTEP AD Jim Senter came on for a Sportstalk interview.    He was trying to convince listeners to come to UTEP Football games because the athletes are like their kids.    “You’d support your children in sports, wouldn’t you?”    Before this, the hosts were saying the main draw for these games would be having the opportunity to see the other teams in the Mountain West.    Senter was bragging about “dynamic pricing,” where fans get to pay more to go to games.    How great is that?    Is AI helping you set seat prices?    Maybe you should be using AI to figure out how to win freaking football games first.    I needed a good laugh today and this interview really helped.          

Updating the game, the Dodgers tied it, but the Brewers were up in the sixth, 5-4, and would win it, 7-4.    The key stat was that the Brewers out-hit the Dodgers, 12 to 3.    Both sides were playing tight with 2 errors apiece.    William Contreras had 3 RBI’s.    He tied the game and then drove in the go-ahead run.    Aggie great Joey Ortiz was not playing in this one.    I don’t know if he’s injured and/or was taken out for not hitting well.    Okay, now the Dodgers might be a bit concerned down, 2-0.    Yamamoto was their best big game pitcher.   

The Indians and Rays played Game 1 of the ALCS . . . also without me.    It’s a shutout for my viewing and listening.    It was also a 7-3 Indians win.    The Rays had a 2-run lead until the seventh.    Drew Rasmussen worked 6 innings and gave up 2 runs for the Rays, but the bullpen lost it.    It was a clutch team hitting effort by the Indians with several players driving in runs.    It was a 35k full house in St. Petersburg.    See they will show up, even if the Yankees aren’t playing the Rays. 

Baseball Postseason 2026 Part 1 and Other Sports: Organ Music

9-29-26

The good news was that I could watch a Wild Card series game in the afternoon before going to work.    The bad news is that we were under a flood watch.    It was serious enough as the TV station kept running alerts with a weatherman talking about dams breaking, rivers overflowing, and mudslides in other parts of the state.    I changed my mind about going to work twice before I finally went.    It didn’t seem like it rained that bad here, so I took off when it let up.    The streets were totally flooded and it rained hard after I got to work.

Oh, and there was a game.    It was a great game between the Braves and the Phillies.    The Braves took it, 5-3, mostly off a 3-run homer by Austin Riley in the eighth.  I kind of wanted to relax and not take notes and then there was the weather distraction.    The only thing that really stuck out was the Atlanta organist working in Love Boat theme during an at bat.

That was the best game of the day.    I did get radio coverage of the White Sox beating the Astros, 6-3.    I still wasn’t taking notes.    A one point, a foul ball went into the broadcast booth.    The play-by-play guy tossed the ball to a kid, though I think the former player color analyst actually wanted it.    The Yankees blew out the Red Sox, 9-0.    That one wasn’t broadcast, which was fine by me.    The next game between the Padres and the Cubs was on the radio.    It was another blowout with the Padres beating the Cubs, 8-0.    It was the Fernando Tatis Jr. show.    He homered in the first inning and stole home.    That was quite the play.    He stole second and the throw went into left field.    Tatis didn’t stop running until he dove across the plate.

9-30-26

Take Two with the Phillies at the Braves.    In the top of the first, Bryce Harper drove in a run, but then got caught in a rundown trying to score from third.  In the bottom of the first, Ronald Acuna Jr. took a walk, stole second and third, and was then driven in to tie it at 1.   

The Atlanta organist worked in the Airwolf theme.    I went back and looked on my blog.    I said in 2025, “This guy is giving Dieter Ruehle (of the Dodgers) a run for his money on the organ.”    I was enjoying the commentary.    Joey Votto was really insightful analyzing hitting and pitching.    He wasn’t always right, but he always interesting.  Hey, the Braves have cheerleaders.    That’s a throwback.    They were hovering around in the background with Blooper, the mascot.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Braves loaded the bases with one out, but grounded into a 4-2-4 double play.    In the bottom of the seventh, Christopher Sanchez was still in pitching for the Phillies but didn’t make it out of the inning.  With a runner on first, the Braves tried executing a sac bunt, but a bad fielding choice ended up putting two on with nobody out.    During a break, the crowd sang Country Roads and began doing the Tomahawk chop.  Drake Baldwin doubled over Harper’s head in right field.    This scored a run and a sac fly brought in another.    It was 3-1 Braves and Sanchez came out.    A reliever finished off the inning.   

It wasn’t over.    In the top of the eighth, Kyle Schwarber smashed a Schwar-bomb 447’.    Harper was up next.    Votto called it, “He’s going to want to make up for that misplay in the outfield.”  Harper then smacked a solo home run to tie it.    This sent it to extra innings, as I nervously watched the clock to go to work.    I didn’t have too long to wait.    In the top of the tenth, Alec Bohm hit a solo home run to give the Phillies a 4-3 lead.    In the bottom, JT Realmuto stole a strike with 2 on and 2 out for the final out.    4-3 Phillies.  This one will go to a third game.

The other three series finished up.    I got to hear the White Sox at the Astros.    The Sox went up 4-0 in first, but Astros scratched back into it, 4-3.    In the fifth, the Astros loaded the bases but stranded all of them.    In the sixth, Chase Meidroth hit a 3-run homer for the White Sox for a 7-3 win!  This is quite the turnaround from three-straight 100-loss seasons.    They set the modern record for losses in a season and were booed by their own fans when they didn’t set it on their first opportunity to do so at home.

The Yankees were all over the Red Sox, 9-2.  Those were the only scored 2 runs the Red Sox scored in two games.    They didn’t come to play.    The Cubs were at Padres in the other series.    I was able to get the radio call for this one.    It sounded like there were lots of Cubs fans there in San Diego.    In the second, the Padres scored 2, including an RBI sac fly by Ethan Salas.    In the fourth, the Cubs scored a run and loaded the bases, but didn’t score any more.    In the bottom, Gavin Sheets hit a 2-run homer to cement the win for the Padres, 4-1.

10-1-26

Winner take all!    Only the Phillies and Braves were going to go the distance in this best-of-three Wild Card series.    I got the radio call.    Aaron Nola was starting on short rest for the Phillies.    Michael Harris’ 3-run homer in the first put the Braves up.    By the second inning, the Phillies went to a new pitcher.    In the fourth, Ozzie Albies hit a 2-run homer off of Zack Wheeler to put the Braves up, 5-0.    There was some incessant controversy afterward that Wheeler should have started the game.    

In the sixth, the Phillies scored to make it, 5-1, but Matt Olsen homered in the seventh, 6-1. Chris Sale came out in the eighth after the Phillies scored a run.    He’d volunteered to pitch today if needed.    Sale faced Harper and struck him out.    Sale did finish it off in the ninth for a 6-2 Braves win.

However, I probably made the wrong choice in what to listen to.    Aggie Football was playing a weekday night game against WKU at the same time.    It looked like a better game, but I was afraid to start listening.    Usually, the Aggies start losing when I do so.    I only listened after the baseball game.    The Aggies had a convincing win, 34-13. Broadcaster MJ Newsom called it a “Weekday walloping.”    James Jones ran for 157 yards and a touchdown.    His longest run was 46 yards.    De’Marcus Peters had an interception for a touchdown.    TK King had a touchdown.       The bad news was that only 5,500 were in attendance, including Zanaya, who was working security.

10-3-26

The MLB Division Series began today with four games.    Three of the games, I didn’t get to see or listen to, but I got a good one with the one I did.    The White Sox beat the Indians, 3-0.    The dream continues.    Munetaka Murakami had a 2-run homer.    The Dodgers beat the Braves, 5-3.    Dad invited me out to Bubba’s for lunch with Donna.    (I was invited to pay for the meal, as well.)    This game came on there just as we were finishing.    Tarik Skubal started for Dodgers.    I made a whole rant at the table about this.    The Padres played the Brewers late.    Jackson Chourio homered on the first pitch and William Contreras homered in the seventh for a 3-2 Brewers’ win.    Fernando Tatis Jr. struck out in the eighth with the bases loaded and 2 outs.    The Padres apparently lost a home run in the game off a ball that hit a roof wire and was caught on field for an out.   

   

I happened to catch the Yankees versus the Rays on a Mexican station in the afternoon.    Gerrit Cole started for the Yankees and Drew Rasmussen was pitching for the Rays.    Jonathan Aranda homered in the third to give the Rays the lead.    That was all Cole gave up and he came out after the fifth.    In the sixth, the Yankees attempted to bunt for a hit.    This is significant because Rasmussen was pitching no-hitter.    That’s against the unwritten rules of baseball.    (Maybe.    It was a 1-run playoff game.)

The no-hitter was broken up with 2 outs in the eighth, though there still wasn’t a baserunner.    Catcher Austin Wells had a double, but was thrown out trying to stretch it to triple.    It wasn’t even close.    Bryan Baker closed it out in the ninth with 2 strikeouts and a groundout.    DJ Kitty was behind home plate for the inning and really into it.    1-0 Rays.

   

Meanwhile, UTEP lost to the Lobos in college football, 61-7.    Snicker, snicker, snicker.    The Miners’ 5 turnovers might have been a contributing factor.    I suspected a blowout game, so I was listening to some of it.    One of the postgame hosts began with, “I’m already over football season and waiting for basketball season to start.”    (Spoilers boys, basketball isn’t going to go any better.)    That 42-18 Aggie loss to the Lobos a couple of weeks ago suddenly doesn’t look so bad.    UTEP’s next two games are home games.    They are giving are giving away a free ticket to the second game, if you buy a ticket to the first game.   

What a race at Las Vegas in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series!    Corey Day and Carson Kvapil battled for the win with 4 lead changes in the final ten laps.    Kvapil was running on the bottom and Day was running against the wall.    They touched each other on the final lap.    Day bounced off the wall twice, ala Ross Chastain at Martinsville, but still managed to win it.    It was like that classic Kurt Busch/Rickey Craven Darlington race.   

I had no intention of writing about the CW’s late game between Texas State Bobcats and San Diego State Aztecs (the PAC-12, such as it is), but the last two-or-so minutes of this game were unreal.    Texas State was down 4 and stopped on the SDSU 1 on a fourth and goal.    Then, the Aztecs’ running back was tackled in the endzone for a near safety.    It was ruled he’d gotten the ball past the line.    On the next play, their quarterback dropped the ball on the snap.    Fortunately, this was called a safety, because otherwise, he fumbled the ball to a defender.

Now down by 2, the Bobcats got the ball back and on the first play from scrimmage, a pass was batted into the air.    A defender intercepted it and ran it in for a touchdown.    Now down by 9, Texas State got the ball back again.    In spite of two false start penalties, the Bobcats went right down field in four or five plays to score a touchdown.    Back down by 2, the Bobcats tried an on-side kick.    The Aztecs recovered around midfield.   

SDSU got within 3 yards of making a first down, but a false start set them back and forced a punt.    Now out of timeouts, the Bobcats took over.    They managed to work it to midfield.    On the final play, the TS quarterback had to throw it away.    However, the referees invoked the “Michigan rule.”    This allows them to add an extra second on the clock after time has expired.    (Football nerd: “I don’t see this rule in my rulebook.”    Trust me, bro.)    The second chance on the Hail Mary did not go well.    The Bobcats only managed to get one receiver into the endzone and he was quadruple-covered.    Finally, the game ended with the Aztecs winning, 31-29.    This whole thing took like 20 minutes and held me up from going to bed, but there’s no way I could have gone to sleep without knowing who had won (or who stopped losing first).    

10-4-26

The two NL series played out today.    I got zero coverage and was lucky to even find out who won.    (It’s hard to get baseball scores on TV these days.)    The Brewers beat the Padres in the early game, 4-3.    Jackson Chourio got the walkoff hit with 2 outs and 2 strikes off of Mason Miller in a comeback win.    If the Brewers win the World Series, that at bat will be the defining moment.    Meanwhile, the Dodgers lost to the Braves later, 3-2.    I have no other information on that one.    The Brewers go up 2-0 in their series and the Dodgers and Braves are at 1-1.     

Baseball Journal September: Radio Silence and MLB Postseason Preview

9-22-26

It was an unexpectedly epic first game of the PCL Championship between the OKC Comets and the Las Vegas Aviators.    There was a decent crowd of 5,400 in Vegas to see their team going for their second PCL championship in a row.    There was even a squishy cube giveaway for the fans at the game.    Playoff games do not usually have a fan giveaway, but since LV clinched in the first half and knew they’d be hosting the games, maybe they ordered something.    Russ Langer was back on the call for the game with a co-host.

   

“Darrel barrels one into the gap,” Russ’ co-host announced in the first inning as the Aviators took the lead on a Darrel Hernaiz double.    A bases loaded sac fly made it, 2-0.    In the second, the Aviators followed with a two-run homer!    Err . . . Except, no.    It was caught at the tall left field wall and fooled the cameraman, Langer, the runner on first, and me.    I don’t know how we all got that wrong.    It sure looked like a home run.    In the third, “Lava” drove in a run for LV.    (That’s Bryan Lavastida.)    Luke Mann then dropped in a Texas Leaguer to drive in 2 more to make it, 5-0 LV.

OKC’s James Tibbs III homered to begin the fourth inning to make it, 5-1.    Judging by the cheers, there were a bunch of Dodger fans there.    (You could see them in the crowd later on.)    In the bottom of the fourth, Joey Meneses drove in a run on a fielder’s choice, but what a choice!    Hyeseong Kim at second laid out to get the liner and made a backhand flip to second for the out.    6-1 LV.

In the fifth, OKC scored a run, and then another single went between the legs of the left fielder and scored another.    After an odd pitch clock violation for a walk, the LV starter was chased from the game.    The reliever, Taylor Rashi, walked the bases full with no outs.    After giving up a single for two runs, Rashi struck out three in a row, but now it was a ballgame at 6-5 LV.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Aviators loaded the bases and poured it on with the runs.    Russ almost lost his voice cheering on the scoring.    It was a 6-run inning and 12-5 Aviators.    It wasn’t over yet.    In the top of the eighth, OKC got runs off of a bases loaded walk, a wild pitch, an infield error, a fielder’s choice, and another infield error.    The Comets had scored 5 runs when the dust settled, 13-10.   

The top of the ninth, started with another error (the sixth of the game, LV had 4).    LV turned a double play next, but then gave up a solo home run.    Lucky they turned that DP.    A strikeout finally ended it.    Las Vegas got a hard-earned (or at least stopped choking first) win, 13-11.

9-23-26

The two Triple-A Championship games were available as free games tonight.    Unfortunately, I wasn’t in to it and both games were blowouts.    I also discovered that the lower level playoffs have also been on this whole time and I wasn’t paying any attention.    I thought their seasons were over by now.   

   

The International League Championship series was between the Rochester Red Wings at the Memphis Redbirds.    It looked like a light crowd of diehards in Memphis.    I started watching, but got distracted away.    I looked back in the second and Memphis had suddenly scored 4.    I got distracted again and looked back in in the third and it was 11-0 Redbirds.    I checked back in the fifth and it was 15-0.    When do they run rule?    I watched the end.    Rochester had scored a few runs and the final out proved elusive.    The announcer said, “Match Point #3” after Rochester had been down to their final strike three times.    15-4 Redbirds win and split the series.

In the PCL Championship later, OKC took an early lead over Las Vegas.    In the fifth, down 3-0, OKC’s James Tibbs III hit a 3-run homer into the pool to make it, 6-0 OKC.    The final was 7-2 OKC and splits their series.    This sets up two finales tomorrow in Triple-A.

9-24-26

Our final weekday day game with the Rangers and Mets was a Rangers’ victory, but a loss for myself as the radio affiliate did not carry the game.    I’m still sad and disappointed about getting stiffed.    The Rangers lost the first two games of the series and lost the lead of the AL West.    However, the Astros have not been able to really capitalize.    This may come down to the final game of the season.

My final MiLB Free Games were a pair of decisive Championship games.    (The Triple-A Championship game will be a free game, but I won’t be able to see it.)    The International League Championship series was between the Rochester Red Wings at the Memphis Redbirds.    I think the crowd was bigger than yesterday.    It sounded bigger.    Memphis has a pretty nice modern stadium with a cool right field club section.   

Rochester took a 1-0 lead in the first.    In the fifth, it was still 1-0.    Rochester lost a runner at third trying to steal home. In the bottom, a solo homer tied it up. Memphis began the seventh leadoff double.    Young men in the club section and kids in the stands went “tarps off” waving their shirts. Another double brought in the runner and set the crowd roaring.    The batter on second was celebrating as it was 2-1 Memphis.    In the eighth, Rochester hit a double with 2 outs.    There was a pitching change, but another double and a single, gave Rochester back the lead.    3-2 Red Wings was the final score.    The key stat was Rochester being up 12 to 3 in hits.

Meanwhile, the PCL finale in Las Vegas began with OKC doubling in the game’s first run.    In the third, OKC loaded the bases with no outs.    They drove in 2 to make it, 3-0.    In the sixth, OKC walked the bases full of Aviators with 2 outs, but a ground out to first ended it.

In the eighth, two errors, including a flyball that clanked on the fielder’s mitt, brought in two runs for OKC to make it, 5-0.    LV scored 2 in the bottom when I wasn’t watching.    In the ninth, the Aviators threw out OKC runners at second and home in the inning.    A catcher’s interference call prolonged the inning with 2 outs, but a runner picked off second ended the inning.   

In the bottom of the ninth, a guy with a .000 batting average came in to pinch hit.    The manager was playing a hunch. Even with a dropped popup by the catcher, it was still a strikeout, though it was a long at bat. OKC wins it, 5-2, and will face Rochester in the Triple-A Championship on Saturday.    (OKC won it, 5-3, in 10 innings.    Sounded like a good game.    I wonder if anybody was there for it in Las Vegas.)

9-26-26

Today’s post is going to be mostly college football.    My Rangers’ affiliate did not broadcast today’s game.    Maybe they didn’t plan to and also, there was a rain delay before the game started.    They did beat the Twins to keep their playoff hopes alive.    However, the Astros also won, so it’ll come down to tomorrow’s games, along with Philly and the Diamondbacks deciding their fates.

The main event of the day was the 116-th Aggie/Lobo Football game.    I wasn’t hopeful about an Aggie victory after seeing last week’s score between Oklahoma and UNM.    OK won, 14-6.    I literally gasped when I saw that and so did a couple of other people I told.  It was only a 21-point spread to begin with.    I think the Lobos will be going to another bowl game at the end of the season.   

It was only an 11-point spread against the Aggies.    This assumed a rivalry game would be close.    I’d thought about asking Zanaya to the game, but she was already going to work security there. We did not want a repeat of the incident from October 2022, which caused the downfall of the Aggie Men’s Basketball team (1-7-23), so by all means, increase security.

I resolved to just listen on the radio.    Aggie hero quarterback, Diego Pavia, was interviewed in the pregame.    He was enthusiastic about being at the game today.    Interviewer MJ Newsom tactfully did not ask what Diego was doing currently, since he didn’t make it into the NFL.    (The guy did actually change college sports by suing for an extra year of eligibility.)    However the game would turn out, a lot of people would see it.    Attendance was listed at 25k.    That’s only 3k off of a full house.   

Sigh.    I gonna have to report on this other side story.    Football and Volleyball were crossed up in scheduling.    I’m not sure there was much they could do about it.    They were both going to have to play in the afternoon.    Volleyball was playing C-USA powerhouse, WKU.    They might not have been expecting a long match that might finish before the football game.    Instead, it went 5 sets and extra points (20-18) in the fifth.    The Aggies took the first two sets and they were all close, but the Hilltoppers prevailed, 3-2.    Tess Fuqua (13 kills) and Mia Fox (11 kills) were the standouts and the team out-blocked WKU.   

I was following along with the match and was pretty disappointed for the girls in real time.    I was more disappointed in the attendance, which was 320, well below normal, especially for a big game.    All of those Aggie fans outside tailgating for football and they couldn’t gone to volleyball if they’d wanted see the whole football game.    Given the price of tickets (I looked), you couldn’t even fault the decision.     

The first quarter, the Lobos got the ball first and converted with a long bomb and a touchdown to make it, 7-0.    The Aggies came right back. James Jones made a huge rush for 54 yards to make it first and goal.    The Aggies were kept out of the endzone and the team’s new kicker missed an easy field goal.    The next Aggie possession, they were pushed back in their own end.    It was a short field for the Lobos after a good return and they turned it into another touchdown, 14-0.

In the second quarter, the Aggies marched downfield, including a fourth and inches play.    The previous kicker was brought back out for a field goal and it was 14-3 Lobos.    UNM marched downfield themselves.    A penalty wiped out a touchdown and they missed a field goal.    The Lobos picked an interception late, but punted on the possession.    Both teams had some really sloppy play before halftime.

During the break, I went over to Dollartree for a couple of things.    Some people there were talking about the game.    There was a guy there in a Lobos shirt.    Zenaya did report there were a lot of Lobo fans there.    (There were four sections tagged for the visitors.)    I went next door to the Paleta Bar for a dessert and the girl making my paleta saw my Aggie shirt and asked about the game.    This game is a big deal here.   

I missed a bit of the third quarter.    In that time, Aggie quarterback, Trey Hedden, threw another interception, which was converted into a Lobo touchdown, 21-3.    I started listening just as Hedden fumbled.    The Lobos recovered and scored again, 28-3.    Backup, Adam Damante, came in as the Aggie quarterback.    He led a nice drive, but it ended on a turnover on downs.    The Lobos threw another bomb and that resulted in a third touchdown in the quarter, 35-3.

Damante led a touchdown drive with a 2-point conversion in the fourth quarter to make it, 35-11 Lobos.    The Lobo put up a late touchdown, 42-11.    The Aggies got the ball back with under two minutes and Damante quickly took the ball downfield for a touchdown before the end.    The broadcasters had already given Damante the starting quarterback job after the last series.    He was passing the ball well, though I don’t know if it was against the starters.    42-18 Lobos final.    This wasn’t a surprising result.

I hate to say this at this time, but Aggie Football is going to be playing on the weekdays next month, and I’m not going to covering those games and likely the rest of the season.    There’s a possibility I might go to a game.    I’ll write it up, if it happens.   

I wasn’t totally shutout on baseball.    I picked up the Rockies’ game after the sun went down.    They were up 5-3 over the White Sox in the eighth.    The Rox added on in the top of the ninth with a Hunter Goodman 3-run homer, 9-3.    That was his 41-st of the season and his second of the game. In the bottom of the ninth, Andrew Benintendi hit a 3-run homer for the Sox with no outs.    The crowd in Chicago went crazy. However, Rockies’ pitching did finish it off, 9-6.    The White Sox were scoreboard watching, as the Indians won their game and won the AL Central.

It was late and I needed good laugh.    I tuned into Oregon State versus UTEP on the radio.    It was 20-0 Beavers at the half and 33-7 final. Broadcaster John Tischer said the 15k fans there likely enjoyed the large drone show afterward more than the game.    That’s a pretty good crowd for such a lousy team.    I watched this betting show in the morning.    They were talking about how bad UTEP was, but at least they’re getting some national attention.    

The heartwarming story of the day was Iowa beating Michigan on a last second touchdown.    A couple of weeks ago, lowly Central Michigan had beaten Michigan at Ann Arbor, but the refs added a second to an expired clock to give Michigan a second chance at a Hail Mary, which they converted on and won.    That was egregious meddling, so it was nice to see some payback.

9-27-26 MLB Postseason Preview

The Astros definitively punched their ticket with 9-0 win over the A’s.    The Rangers lost 6-4 to the Twins, but it didn’t matter either way.    My Rangers’ affiliate didn’t carry the game anyway.    Philadelphia also won to finally set the playoff field.

If you want a good laugh, go read my predictions in my Baseball Preview for this season.    I correctly predicted the Dodgers’ success and getting Tarik Skubal, but so did everyone else.    Just about everything else was hysterically wrong.    I owe an apology to the Rays.    Apparently playing fundamentals is a path to winning baseball.    Who saw the White Sox being good this season?    The Indians may have caught them to win the division in the end, but going to playoffs seemed so unlikely.    Then again, it was a terrible AL Central and a mostly terrible AL altogether.    (How is the AL Central sending two teams to the playoffs?    The Astros only won the AL West with a .500, 81-81, record.)   

Our playoff field is set:

AL: Rays (bye), Indians (bye), Yankees, White Sox, Red Sox, Astros

NL: Brewers (bye), Dodgers (bye), Braves, Cubs, Padres, Phillies    

I suppose I should say something here other than I feel like I barely saw any of these teams play.    (Thanks for ending the daily Free Game, MLB.TV.)    The Dodgers have the pitching and should win.    I’m hoping the Brewers, the only 100-win team, wins it.    Go Joey Ortiz (though he may be injured)!    (And speaking former Aggie greats, Nick Gonzales finished batting .300 for the Pirates.  He's one of only 7 .300 hitters in the league.)   

Beyond those two teams, I think you have to make a more involved case for the others.    The Braves are a good all-around team.    The Cubs have a great offense and field defense.    I’d like to see the Phillies win just to give Bryce Harper a ring, and I’ve just liked the Padres for the last few years.    I wouldn’t put a bet on either team.    

Can the Rays really do it?    They came out on top in the AL East that sent three teams to the playoffs.    They must be doing something right.    The Yankees certainly have great pitching.    If only Aaron Judge could run, you might take them seriously.    (If he just hits home runs, he won’t even have to do that.)    I could see the Red Sox suddenly getting hot and running the table.    I wouldn’t even entertain the thought of the other three teams, though watching Munetaka Murakami party with a White Sox World Series win would be awesome.