Role Reverse: Twins Play Like A's Of Playoffs Past
Understandably, the national headline from today's game was Frank Thomas' two home runs. More telling to A's fans, though, is that their team actually played mistake-free while the Twins fumbled and squandered opportunities.
In the previous four trips to the postseason since 2000 the A's may have not played a more solid nine innings. Add that they did it in the lion's den of Hubert H. and against the best lefty in the business and you have the makings of a very good day at the park for the A's.
Oakland didn't build a rally against the likely Cy Young winner, Johan Santana, except for possibly the second, but used the long ball to great effect when they needed it and a recieved a solid, but inexciting effort from Barry Zito.
Could this be a harbinger of the things to come? Might the ghosts of series past be exorcized? Jeremy Giambi's non-slide and Eric Byrnes' non-touch of home plate still haunts Oakland's dreams. But, wait!
The ninth also brought shades of those same house of horrors. Milton Bradley lost the ball in the white sky and Huston Street looked hittable again.
Michael Cuddyer's fly to Bradley was fairly deep. Torii Hunter's grounder to second was a shot and Justin Morneau's liner was ripped. It's something to keep a close eye on because this series is going to be tight every game.
PUJOLS SETS THE TONE IN SAN DIEGO
Albert Pujols's homer against San Diego in September woke up the Cardinals just enough to stumble into this series. If they were still groggy before today, then Pujols's delivered the cold water with his blast in Game 1.
Again, Jake Peavy's exceptional movement on his fastball actually cost the Padres the opener, but possibly revived the Cards. You just cannot throw Pujols a twice strike fastball regardless of velocity or movement down the middle of the plate, but Peavy did and he absolutely cranked it out of Petco's expansive left-center alley. Suddenly, the ailing Cards with strong performances from Scott Rolen and Adam Wainwright seem like contenders for the NLCS again.
Hold on! Meet St. Louis' Game 2 and 3 starters. Jeff Weaver and Jeff Suppan might have a lot to do with San Diego still having life in this series.
YANKEES POWER OVER TIGERS, BUT MOTOWN DIDN'T GIVE UP
The Yanks did what most expected. They rolled over the upstart Tigers in Game 1, but something else happened in the Bronx. Everytime New York gave Detroit a shot to the head, the Tigers fought back.
After allowing five in the bottom of the third, the Tigers quickly scored three back in the top of the fifth and seventh. It might not mean much, but the inexperienced Tigers were not intimidated by the Yankees, as well as they shouldn't. Even with a three run lead, you got the feeling that the Yanks bullpen was apprehensive and ready to implode. It's something to watch in Game 2 and 3 when Randy Johnson tests his bad back at Comerica.
In the previous four trips to the postseason since 2000 the A's may have not played a more solid nine innings. Add that they did it in the lion's den of Hubert H. and against the best lefty in the business and you have the makings of a very good day at the park for the A's.
Oakland didn't build a rally against the likely Cy Young winner, Johan Santana, except for possibly the second, but used the long ball to great effect when they needed it and a recieved a solid, but inexciting effort from Barry Zito.
Could this be a harbinger of the things to come? Might the ghosts of series past be exorcized? Jeremy Giambi's non-slide and Eric Byrnes' non-touch of home plate still haunts Oakland's dreams. But, wait!
The ninth also brought shades of those same house of horrors. Milton Bradley lost the ball in the white sky and Huston Street looked hittable again.
Michael Cuddyer's fly to Bradley was fairly deep. Torii Hunter's grounder to second was a shot and Justin Morneau's liner was ripped. It's something to keep a close eye on because this series is going to be tight every game.
PUJOLS SETS THE TONE IN SAN DIEGO
Albert Pujols's homer against San Diego in September woke up the Cardinals just enough to stumble into this series. If they were still groggy before today, then Pujols's delivered the cold water with his blast in Game 1.
Again, Jake Peavy's exceptional movement on his fastball actually cost the Padres the opener, but possibly revived the Cards. You just cannot throw Pujols a twice strike fastball regardless of velocity or movement down the middle of the plate, but Peavy did and he absolutely cranked it out of Petco's expansive left-center alley. Suddenly, the ailing Cards with strong performances from Scott Rolen and Adam Wainwright seem like contenders for the NLCS again.
Hold on! Meet St. Louis' Game 2 and 3 starters. Jeff Weaver and Jeff Suppan might have a lot to do with San Diego still having life in this series.
YANKEES POWER OVER TIGERS, BUT MOTOWN DIDN'T GIVE UP
The Yanks did what most expected. They rolled over the upstart Tigers in Game 1, but something else happened in the Bronx. Everytime New York gave Detroit a shot to the head, the Tigers fought back.
After allowing five in the bottom of the third, the Tigers quickly scored three back in the top of the fifth and seventh. It might not mean much, but the inexperienced Tigers were not intimidated by the Yankees, as well as they shouldn't. Even with a three run lead, you got the feeling that the Yanks bullpen was apprehensive and ready to implode. It's something to watch in Game 2 and 3 when Randy Johnson tests his bad back at Comerica.
