Posted on 10/04/2015 3:40:26 PM PDT by Artemis Webb
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Cole Hamels and the Texas Rangers finally clinched the AL West title on the last day of the regular season.
Hamels pitched a three-hitter, Adrian Beltre hit a go-ahead homer and the Rangers beat the Angels 9-2 Sunday, eliminating Los Angeles from playoff contention.
A year after their 95 losses were the most in the American League, two months after they were still eight games out of first place and three days after ensuring themselves a postseason spot, the Rangers wrapped up their sixth division title.
Texas plays its first AL division series game since 2011 on Thursday at Toronto or Kansas City.
(Excerpt) Read more at espn.go.com ...
At least I don't think so.
The Blue Jays, and the Royals are superior teams.
We shall see!!
Superior teams usually win the season-long 162 G contest.
They don't always win the 5- and 7-G series.
Texas can compete with the likes of KC an Toronto because a.) the starting pitching -- Hamels, Holland, Perez --is capable of shutting anybody down (and Lewis has a history of rising to the occasion in October), b.) the Rangers' bullpen might be better than any other playoff team's and c.) the offense is productive...and versatile. They can play long ball, little ball or sequential offense.
Recently, it has been the "hot" team, not the "best" team, that has won the championship. See Giants, 2010, 2012, 2014.
I like Toronto to win the AL....
St. Louis to win the NL.
We shall see........
Yes, hot teams to just force their way into the mix...
We shall see........
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You're off base.
To correct the record, the Giants won three titles largely with dominating pitching, partly by keeping starters' arms fresh throughout the regular season, as well as a team-wide calm and poise in high leverage situations, while opponents gacked away games.
They were not hot at the end of 2010, as they won the division on the final day of the season). Had a horrible start to the 2012 playoffs, but won six straight elimination games. Backed in to the 2014 playoffs, won the Wild Card, decisively won the first two series, and then won the World Series on an all-time great pitching performance by Madison Bumgarner.
Not the "hottest" team, but the most clutch, most poised team. In my book, that's the "best" team.
Hoping Hamels will be this years’ Bumgarner.
St Louis has also been a team that in the past struggled to make the playoffs but got hot when the playoffs started to win several World Series.
Everybody seems to love Toronto right now to win it all.
Giants won because those were even-numbered years.
See what happened this year, odd-numbered year, they don’t win.
But next year, I’m betting on the Giants to win the World Series again.
I don’t dislike the Yankees, but...I’d like to have a drink with CC Sabathia.
What a fat load. No wonder he can’t pitch anymore. NYY should go after him for breach of contract.
Yep. No sympathy
None at all.
Hamels has been pretty consistent in post season play...
Scroll down a bit to see his post season stats, pretty solid.
I’m rooting for him and the Rangers...a real class act who is highly regarded and respected by us Phans.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hamelco01.shtml
My uncle remarked when CC was signed to that contract by the Yanks “I hope his arm falls off”.
CC, you should eat more, it would soak up the booze. LOLOL.
WC game predictions?
I’ll take both road teams.
When he signed I snapped “I hope they have enough pinstripes to cover his fat @ss.” But this is a serious subject and it’s good he is getting help.
Yes. The bottle is a scourge.
I’ll take the Yankees over the Astros. Though I’m not pulling for either team. The Astros are going to be a lot more likely to choke.
Cubs over the Pirates. The Cubs have a more rounded team. If the Cubs don’t let Andrew McCutchen (damn he’s good) hurt them there isn’t a lot more to hurt them, other than “the curse”.
I agree.
Yeah...it explains a lot.
The drinking must have gotten pretty friggibg bad for him to bail >>>right now<<<.
ROOTING FOR BOTH ROAD TEAMS.
So weird to see the ‘Stros in the AL playoffs. First appearance since the WS when my White Sox swept em.
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