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<p>Their team just failed to show up in the last two weeks. One of the biggest collapses in history.</p>
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<p>Perhaps a little pre-game ‘shake, rattle and roll’ will mess with his mind. :)</p>
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<p>But he was 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA at the Oakland Coliseum, and 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA in two regular season starts against Oakland overall, one at home and one away. That’s pretty darned near unhittable. Plus he already has a post-season win against them in which he went 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in 7 innings pitched. In those three games Oakland mustered a grand total of 10 hits and 2 runs, an average of 3.33 hits and 0.67 runs per game. He may not be unhittable, but Oakland’s batters sure haven’t figured out how to hit him. </p>
<p>On top of that, Verlander’s on a hot streak. After a rough patch in August, he came back to go 5-1 in September with a 1.29 ERA, then pitched another gem in the post-season opener.</p>
<p>Or, you can take the long view. Over the past 3 seasons, Verlander has started 4 regular season games at Oakland, going 3-1 with a 1.50 ERA and 25 strikeouts, and the A’s hitting a collective .167 against him. I like the Tigers’ chances. Especially if Verlander can go the distance.</p>
<p>Well, I’m glad the Cubs’ '69 collapse to the (YUCK) Mets is no longer the worst!</p>
<p>^ I don’t think anything can match the Red Sox for epic, monumental chokes.</p>
<p>Last year they had a 9 game lead in September for the wild card, and blew it.</p>
<p>And then there’s 1978…</p>
<p>I love the As and I love the Giants as a Californian at heart! A Bay Area person. Let’s see.</p>
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<p>Actually, they had a bad collapse in the summer, when injuries piled up. But injuries affect every team in baseball, so no excuses there.</p>
<p>They did choke in the crucial last series against the Angels and the As, but they should have build sufficient a buffer to withstand the return of the As as they did with the Angels. The Rangers simply accumulated bonehead plays in the last weeks, while the As squeezed victories out of nowhere. There was also a certain arrogance and lack of determination as the Rangers were seemingly preparing for a deep run in the playoffs. The team often played players out of position to groom the younger guys, and let poor hitters swing wildly at every pitch. By the time, they realized the cruise control was leading them to a cliff, it was too late to reverse directions. </p>
<p>By the end of August, the best team in baseball was sick. Very sick. I am afraid that had we squeezed one more victory against the As or the Os, we would have been swept in the next round.</p>
<p>PS Here is how I will help the As. I am rooting against them with all my heart. And to spite me --as that ragtag bunch of misfits and ugly uniforms have done all year-- they probably will squeeze another miracle in the last two innings.</p>
<p>^^misfits? Absolutely.</p>
<p>But I disagree about the ugliness of the uniforms. Yes, they aren’t the best, but the true definition of ugly uniform is the old San Diego Padres diarrhea brown. Now those were so low on the pretty scale, that even Nike could not have fixed 'em. :D</p>
<p>Go Nats !!! ready for Game 5. Nothing like winning with a homer in the bottom of the 9th to keep you on the edge of your seat all game. Great pitching by both teams. I know I won’t have any fingernails left when this ends.</p>
<p>Update from S’14 in the Bronx: Orioles 1, Yankees zero.</p>
<p>Oh – I forgot! You all have cable with multiple channels and you’re watching the game!</p>
<p>Alternating between it and the debate.</p>
<p>the game is now ties</p>
<p>Bottom of the 9th. Still tied.</p>
<p>Is there a limit on # innings? I know yesterday’s game went to 12 innings. What’s the max? 12? 13? 57? Is my child ever coming home?</p>
<p>^ The record for the longest professional game is 33 innings.</p>
<p>They play until someone wins. I don’t know if NY has a curfew, if so the game would be paused at that point and resumed tomorrow.</p>
<p>Tigers up 6-0. Looks like the As are (finally) running out of miracles. Eden must have traded the yellow shirts for the classier pinstripes!</p>
<p>But then they still have three innings. :(</p>
<p>Well, it is over for the Yankees!</p>
<p>As expected, the A’s karma was no match for Justin Verlander’s right arm. Karma is good, but superior skill and athleticism are better. Brilliant. Tigers move on to ALCS, A’s go home.</p>
<p>I’m thinking it’s a Tigers-SF World Series, which would be fun.</p>
<p>Good news for the Tigers and Detroit. Not so good for that hit and abject thug who plays for the Lions.</p>
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<p>It isn’t over til it’s over. Game 5 tonight.</p>
<p>I must have missed that story. Who are you talking about, xiggi?</p>
<p>Here in Philly we are all a little dazed watching Raul Ibanez and Jayson Werth hitting postseason walk-off home runs on consecutive nights.</p>