BERIGAN

And Halladay had chewed through the first seven hitters of the night -- running his Octoberfest no-hit streak to 0-for-34, two short of Don Larsen's all-time postseason record of 36 consecutive hitless at-bats. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs/2010/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=5692154

Kevin, hope and pray everything goes well! And some news that might cheer you up long term... Boomerang kids: 85% of college grads move home

Mine's already going on. It'll be nice to see some great starting pitching for a change, instead of the joke performances I've witnessed in the past 24 hours from my favorite team. We are not going to come back from a 5-0 deficit two games in a row. Book it...no reverse-jinx nonsense or what have you. Great way to let Texas get back up off the mat, NY. The whole narrative changes now... "they survived horrific meltdown and go to NY w/Cliff Lee yada yada yada." I don't know if it's the long rest or what, but this is one of the worst outings from Hughes I've ever seen--right on the heels of one of the worst outings I've ever seen from C.C. What is going on with these guys? Kudos to the Rangers for hitting them so hard--the Twins sure didn't. Well, Hughes has never pitched this many innings before...and was only out of the bullpen last year, so it's not like going from 150 to 180 innings (or whatever his total is this year) but (ok, guess I do have to look it up) but from 86 innings to 176 + stressful postseason innings. I am sure people will harp on C.C.'s weight, and he should probably lose some(though he was there every start again, right?) but he has pitched a ton of innings the last few years,(Quincy, anyone pitch more innings since 2007?) plus the postseason 4 straight years.... Hey, remember when the braves beat the living piss out of the Yankees in 2 games in the W.S in...in, crap, gotta leave now, but you must remember....no way would the Yankees come back after a 15 to 1 game or whatever it was, then they won 3 straight I think....it can happen.

Man, that sucks....good hitting always beats good pitching, I never say...except when it's the Yankees. I guess its really great hitting. How long was the top of the 8th, 30-35 minutes??? Half of that must have been for pitching changes. Can't blame Ron Washington, did everything possible...Guess C.J. Wilson should have covered first a little faster...

Down in the upper 30's last night! BRRRR!

probably what he choose, the one that wasn't a bitch. Clearly he didn't leave his wife for some hot young thing.

Sorry about the loss Paps...sucks to lose all the home games, as this Braves fan knows...kinda hard to win new fans that way...but, glad it was a team like the Rangers, who never have gotten past the first round before. Your team will let Crawford and Pena go, but they better re-sign Soriano! and congrats to JSngry and Big Al! Say, where is he? In total shock, and presently resting his nerves? Get the feeling the biggest fear of tv execs is a Giants-Rangers W.S?

Kevin, perhaps you should make a point of telling the kids how very much you two miss them, how empty the house seems with them away at school. Not so much to make them guilty, but they are loving being independent and all, and a gentle reminder of how you two feel might make them think to come down once in awhile, call more often... Don't worry, after the independent phase, they may end up back at home after getting out of school. Especially if the job market doesn't improve! But kids are always going to need their parents, trust me!

It's just so stupid to have that long of a wait. Why? If there had been a game 5, it would have been played Weds, right? Ok, perhaps Friday then....still, 2 days wouldn't have seemed that bad. When do the Yanks vs. ? game start? I just think baseball should compact these series instead of the staggered stuff we get now. Start all series on the same day, so they end quickly. It's getting as bad as the NBA, for example: between game one and game two in the Phillies series, there was a completely unnecessary off-day. The World Series doesn't end until the first week in November, which is crazy -- can you imagine the weather if it's a Philadelphia / New York World Series? Just from my perspective, the post season could be scheduled in a lot better fashion. I just don't think the TV contract would allow that. Toughest in the first round with 4 games. Games would overlap more than they do now.

It's just so stupid to have that long of a wait. Why? If there had been a game 5, it would have been played Weds, right? Ok, perhaps Friday then....still, 2 days wouldn't have seemed that bad. When do the Yanks vs. ? game start?

You...you....baseball whore!

I'm sure you are all as interested in the Braves lineup as I am! In what is likely to be his last game, he finally decides to think outside the box, to manage. 1. Infante 2B, 2. Diaz LF, 3. Lee 1B, 4. McCann C, 5. Gonzalez SS, 6. Heyward RF, 7. Glaus 3B, 8. Ankiel CF, 9. Lowe P

I think Heyward is either hurt, or has been thoroughly screwed up by Terry Pendleton. Remember how he looked early in the year? It didn't matter who was pitching to him! I remember some really tough leftie (Perhaps from SD?) and the guy kept going outside and Heyward just knew if the pitch was 2 inches outside, or if it was right on the outside corner, and he pounded him for a homer. Think he even got a hit the next day off the guy. He had no problems with lefties, and looked to be a smarter hitter than, well anyone on the team! Now look at him...he still gets walks, but can't seem to catch up with anything. Did T.P. convince him to try to pull everything? I sure hope it's a bad thumb...otherwise he may never recover....and fellow baseball fans, would YOU bat Heyward 2nd for a good chunk of the season? He's not a basestealer (not that anyone else is either) and he doesn't hit lefties right now either. What do you bet he will still bat 2nd against the SF left hander today? I think McCann is trying too hard. No one is hot in this lineup. Plus they are forever throwing lefties against him. A healthy Chipper and Martin Prado...would make for a much more competitive series...shoot, still nearly were up 2-1, just needed to get one more out...

That's for sure. Mostly for the player, though Berigan will likely accept sympathy too given they share a name. Yes, I feel terrible for him! We wouldn't even be in the playoffs without his heroics during the season. But, the fair weather fans in the ATL that finally started to show up at games(Unlike sellout after sellout in Philly) most likely don't even know about that. They just want to boo him, and make it even more unlikely he can do the job. For the life of me, I don't know what has happened to him. It's not the "yips" a throwing issue,(Though he make some throwing errors, one late season error was because Infante wasn't covering 2nd and his throw went right over the bag into the outfield) he simply can't stop balls from going between his legs! And when he was making a few starts a month at 3rd, or coming in late in a a game, he looked to have much more range than Chipper had, and had a good arm. Seems like a different player now. It's the kind of thing that can make you hate cruel twists of fate in baseball. Here is a career minor leaguer (Check out how good his numbers were, yet never even had a chance to be a back up til this year) who at the age of 30 was finally getting a chance to show what he could do. Chipper called him Raw Dog because he is one of the few guys that doesn't wear batting gloves. Until he hit a homer in the 3rd inning the last week of the season all of his homers up to that point(7) came in the 7th inning or later! 2 Pinch hit grand slams! This guy is someone who thrived when the game was on the line! Why can't this kind of crap happen to someone like Manny, who used steroids, fakes injuries when 20 Mil on a year to year contract isn't good enough, and became a Cancer in several dugouts...why is he a Playoff God??? Sigh.... I just wanted the braves to avoid being swept, toss Cox a bone, make the team hungry for next year...now this....Even if the Braves won today, no way they can realistically beat Lincecum at home. And everyone will say, if only that idiot Brooks Conrad could stop a ball, we might have beaten the Giants...

That's for sure. Mostly for the player, though Berigan will likely accept sympathy too given they share a name. I always thought Weizen was Conrad. I need an Organissimo scorecard! I am the Walrus!, goo goo g'joob g'goo goo g'joob! As long as I make myself smile, that's all that really matters. Brad, you are probably right. Probably should have left Kimbriel in, since he strikes out 2 of every 3 batters...

Over the past few months SI has had some excellent articles on Cox, Billy Wagner and Jim Thome. I think the last one made me think it could be a Cinderella story for the Twins, or that's what I wanted after reading the article. Holy cow, quite the gutty 6-4-3 in the 10th by your Braves! Quincy, no one, NO ONE has wanted Glaus to play 3rd. I sure thought he should still know how to do it, very happy for him, Rich Ankiel, and Alex Gonzalez,guys that haven't done much of late.... An amazing win!!!!!!!!!! I mean, to be down 4-0 to that staff, and somehow come back, amazing!!!!! I say amazing a lot as well!

What's funny, is when he first came up, I couldn't see what the big deal was. I think he must have been really nervous because he wasn't throwing 98, more like 94-95. He has really improved..."we" have tons of arms right now, but no left fielder, or Center fielder...well, we do have Mr. Rich Ankiel tonight!

My reaction as well when I saw that happen, Matthew. And the call he was arguing didn't appear to me to be a blown call--it looked to me like Huff's foot was still on the bag for a split second as the ball arrived in his glove. In any case, such a close, close call that I can't see why Cox came unhinged over it. I think the Reds had a better case for Utley being out on the force play in the bottom of the 7th, which could have radically altered the outcome of that inning (credit to the Phillies, though, for hitting Chapman so well in general). As for the infamous Berkman strike/ball that's been talked about from here to Sunday, all I can say is that earlier in that same at-bat he had a pitch that was clearly outside called for a strike--so IMO it evened out. I don't think the controversial pitch was right down Broadway, either--it was a borderline inside pitch. Umpires are so sick of taking crap from Cox over the years, they'll toss him for any reason, much less throwing his cap to the ground. But hey! He's a genius! It's remarkable (almost said amazing!) if any manager hangs around for fifteen-twenty years, he's must be a "great manager," when that's not even close to the reality. Two prime exhibits to prove this point: Bobby Cox & Tommy Lasorda. Lasorda and Cox are good motivators (Lasorda was the best, IMHO) not really good strategists. What I have to say about Cox though that I didn't know before(ATL paper has had some nice first person tributes ) is that one reason he gets kicked out so much is to protect players, better than he get kicked out than them. Plus, players and coaches love being backed up by him...there...said something nice about him!

Yes. Of the three blown calls yesterday (the other two resulting in managers getting tossed in the two ALDS games), that was the only one that really had an impact on the possible outcome of the game. Posey was out. He pretty much admitted it after the game. Without that run, it's 0-0 after 9. From ESPN.... In Thursday's National League Division Series opener between San Francisco and Atlanta, Giants catcher Buster Posey was credited with a stolen base when replays showed he appeared to be tagged out. Posey later scored the lone run in the Giants' 1-0 win over the Braves. "I guess it's a good thing we don't have instant replay right now," Posey told reporters after the game. Yeah, but I don't hear any complaints from the Braves fans about the phantom strike zone which, on at least two occassions, allowed a third strike to be called a ball and runners got on base. Posey was on 2nd and with two out. The Braves didn't close out the inning. E-5. Giants have been getting screwed by the umps all season long. Finally, we catch a break. I also saw a few phantom strike calls for Lincecum...not that that mattered ultimately. Yes. Of the three blown calls yesterday (the other two resulting in managers getting tossed in the two ALDS games), that was the only one that really had an impact on the possible outcome of the game. Posey was out. He pretty much admitted it after the game. Without that run, it's 0-0 after 9. Lincecum was amazing though. Don't you think the strike 3 call that wasn't called against Lance Berkman (before his double) had at least some impact on the game??? Game was tied at that point....

But this is for even hands free usage. Listening to metal on the radio has made me drive faster at times...guess we should ban radios as well.

Gah, the kind of recitation that always gives me a sense of dread. "(Yankees) (Team X) own this team," etc., etc. Sooner or later there's always a comeuppance... NY better go into this series ready for a fight. Twins 2-8 in their last 10? NY was 3-7. This team never recovered from Andy Pettitte's injury, and I don't think Pettitte has had enough time to get back to form for the playoffs. JUST. SHUT. UP. I meant to say something before the series started about how no doubt Pettitte would go 6 innings, and give up only 3 and win, and that A.J. would go 5 gutty innings, also give up 3 and win....well, I would have been more or less right about Pettitte. Even better than Yankee fans could have dreamed. He's a damn fool if he retires... I Guess A.Js gutty performance will have to come in the 2nd round.... Watching the condensed game this morning, it was amazing striking out the side in the 9th, given the fact that the lead-off batter grounded out! Anyway, the Giants were lucky to score the run, Infante really should have fielded that grounder, easy play for a big league third baseman. Infante had played 2nd most of the year til Brooks Conrad forgot how to field at 3rd(He looked great there early in the year, go figure) So Infante went back to 3rd. I guess he thought the ball would come up more....great to see yet another blown call (the steal at 2nd) affect the outcome of a game. Wonder if the umps have been paid to screw up to make it easier on old school fans to see more instant replay?

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-08/lahood-weighs-urging-u-s-ban-on-all-driver-phone-use-in-cars.html

GoodSpeak, is your closer in a witness protection program, or is he going to star in the Billy Mays story???

as a Braves fan, thanks! Man, they have really stunk for much of September, no offense....to be fair, it's kinda hard to lose not one, but two #3 hitters in the span of a few months. Yeah, I expect the Giants to win.Having a 1.83(or so) ERA for the month of September is amazing. DLowe, logged bone chip and all, has been the best pitcher on the team the last month or so. And before that he had almost been a bust since being a last minute signing to boost a then terrible rotation(Boy am I glad we lost out on A.J. Burnett now!) Tim Hudson, coming off T.J. surgery , was someone I was very surprised to see the braves lock up. Would have much rather let him go elsewhere and keep Javy Vasquez. Well, last year at least...best starter on the staff. Tommy Hanson is fine as a #3. Wish Jair Jurrjens knee wasn't messed up. I still would argue that the braves have the best bullpen in baseball, even if it's overworked. I would expect a lot of 1-0 games. I also expect the Phils to be the Reds, but the Reds are going to at least give them a bit of a fight. I guess the Yankees will beat the Twins, but it's going to take a lot of 10-9 wins for that to happen. Rays over the Rangers in 5 unless Lee is like he was last playoffs. Phils/Rays in the W.S. Phils winning again in 7. Place your bets accordingly!

What is ridiculous is the scenario of all three teams making the playoffs, but having two playoff games to decide who plays who. Why would MLB want three teams to go through all that stuff, when the staffs are already worn out from the end of the season? There has to be a better way to do this, but Selig probably would love having two extra playoff games -- what a fool.