2009 NLDS: Los Angeles Dodgers V. St. Louis Cardinals, LAD Wins Series 3-0

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

Wainwright is flat-out filthy.

[FishFanInPA]

not right now. He's slowing down.

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

Yeah, I think I jinxed him. I posted that after his strikeout.

[Fish and Chips]

matt

[FishFanInPA]

I'd rather have Lindstrom/Nunez then Franklin.

[Blackout Pact]

Franklin had a pretty solid year all things considered. What was the error that Holliday committed? I just saw it on gamecast.

[Ramp]

I'd rather have Lindstrom/Nunez then Franklin.

Well, you're an idiot

[Metes]

Fuck you Cards, enjoy your vacation

[Namaste]

Matt Loliday

[Party]

I wouldn't put the nail in LA's coffin yet. They are 4 and something really awful in New Busch.

lol @ Wainwright bitching about white towels

[Beef]

I believe that proverbial coffin would belong to St Louis.

[Party]

Yes, no idea why I did that.

[Namaste]

--------------------
Dodgerblues take on the game. There is a link at the bottom to hear Scully call the 9th (which I hadn't heard because I was watching TBS. All I can think about is basketball when I hear Dick Stockton call a baseball game).

Holliday season comes early in L.A.

There are two reasons why I’m writing this almost five hours after Game Two ended on Thursday evening. The first reason is that I recorded the game at home and somehow managed to get through the afternoon at work without knowing the score (probably because I threatened the lives of my co-workers). The second reason is that right now, about a half hour after I finished watching the game, I’m still not quite sure I believe what I saw.

Did Matt Holliday really try to catch a game-ending fly ball in the ninth inning with his vagina? Was that James Loney who was actually running it out and ended up on second base? Did Casey Blake manage to shake off a terrible strike call and then foul off about four pitches before eventually walking? Did Ronnie Belliard—who earlier in the game was swinging like a blindfolded kid trying to bust open a piñata—get a base hit to tie the game? Did Russell J. Martin walk on four pitches? And did Mark Loretta—who was 0-for15 against Ryan Franklin—really manage to fist an 0-1 pitch into centerfield to win the goddamn game? Oh, and did I mention that the rally started with two outs, nobody on, and the Cardinals one strike away from heading to St. Louis with the series tied?

Until the Cardinals’ defense broke down in the bottom of the ninth, the game was entirely on the mound. Adam Wainwright didn’t allow a baserunner until Andre Ethier homered in the fourth inning, and Clatyon Kershaw proved that he belongs on the hill in a big game, working out of a couple jams to limit St. Louis to two runs over 6-2/3 innings. The Dodger bullpen—helped in the eighth inning by an inning-ending catch in the gap from Matt Kemp—was flawless again.

Before the miracle ninth inning, the Dodgers really only had one look at the game, and that was with two outs in the eighth and the bases loaded. Kemp got jammed, however, and that was that—the Dodgers continued their lousy hitting in the clutch (a pattern that was soon to end).

I’ve neglected to mention one thing, though: Manny Ramirez. That’s because once again, he contributed absolutely nothing… which should make the win even more satisfying for the Dodgers. They seem to be at their best when they can win without Manny, and so far, that’s what they’ve done. Of course, a little Holliday spirit hasn’t hurt either.

> If you only watched the TBS broadcast, it's worth hearing Scully call the ninth inning. Watch it here. I can't stop watching it

[Party]

TBS continues to see solid ratings with its exclusive coverage of the 2009 MLB Division Series (LDS), averaging a 3.1 U.S. household rating, up 15%, and a 15% increase in total viewers (4,525,000 vs. 3,929,000) over the first two days of the 2008 LDS. The LDS has averaged 3,526,000 households over the first two days of the 2009 LDS on TBS, marking the best two day average for the start of the Division Series since 2005. Day two of the LDS featured the Colorado Rockies @ Philadelphia Phillies (Game #2), St. Louis Cardinals @ Los Angeles Dodgers (Game #2) and the Boston Red Sox @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (Game #1).

* For TBS’ two days of MLB Postseason coverage, the network has seen significant growth in all key demos, including:
o A18-34: +17% 963,000 this year vs. 824,000 in 2008
o A18-49: +9% 2,003,000 vs. 1,831,000
o A25-54: +7% 2,041,000 vs. 1,899,000
o M18-34: +19% 690,000 vs. 582,000
o M18-49: +10% 1,441,000 vs. 1,315,000
o M25-54: +6% 1,473,000 vs. 1,386,000

* The past three days have been TBS' most watched of 2009 in primetime, with its exclusive coverage of the MLB tiebreaker game on Oct. 6, followed by the first two days of the LDS on Oct. 7 and Oct. 8.
o TBS’s exclusive coverage of the LDS delivered strong local market results, including:
o The Rockies/Phillies Game #2 delivered a 15.2 rating in the Philadelphia market and a 9.2 rating in the Denver market.
o The Cardinals/Dodgers Game #2 delivered a 18.3 rating in the St. Louis market and a 6.5 rating in the Los Angeles market.
o The Red Sox/Angels Game #1 delivered a 13.2 rating in the Boston market and a 8.0 rating in the Los Angeles market.

The MLB Postseason on TBS continues today with a doubleheader coverage featuring Game #2 between the Minnesota Twins and the New York Yankees at 6 p.m. (ET), followed by Game #2 of the Boston Red Sox @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at 9:30 p.m. (ET). TBS MLB on Deck will lead off the coverage with a 30-minute pre-game beginning at 5:30 p.m. (ET). Inside MLB presented by Captain Morgan will conclude TBS’s daily coverage, following the completion of the Red Sox/Angels game.

http://bizofbaseball.com/

[Namaste]

Classy town that STL place. Holliday gets a standing ovation his first plate appearance.

Take note Philly.