1 USC/Oregon State Live Blog: Upset Alert??

The Rays will clinch with a Red Sox loss tonight. And USC will win by at least 40 points.

I wouldn't be surprised if they did, Stiles. Every other division leader has: the Angels won the division thanks to a Rangers loss. The Dodgers won the division thanks to a D-Backs loss. If the Rays win the division, I'd like to see them win it with a Rays win, not a Sox loss. It looks better, and it's a better celebration knowing that you've won it right then and there...

Wow. I am DEAD ON with my predictions today...

Because his first half sucked so much. He's been much better since the AS break.

HRs are nice and all, but until the last couple weeks, what else has he done?

He's racked up good numbers against bad teams (ATL, FLA, WAS)and bad pitchers (STL). Those numbers = MORE than half his HR and RBI total.

Only 9 of his HR have come from the 7th inning or later. He has has ONE HR in the 9th or extra innings.

He's only had 18!!!! errors so far this season at first base (yikes)

On the good note - He gets an awful lot of RBI for a guy with ONLY 25 doubles!

But wouldn't it be cool...Hold on, then we would just have another 2007 season, and we don't want that, do we?

.....

Every game is important. You can lose one game in April that'll make the difference come October.

You beat me to the punch, Stiles. ;) I hate the fact that everyone says, "It's crunch time" when it comes to September. If I was a baseball player, I'd keep in mind that every game is important. That's one of the reasons I believe the Diamondbacks won the division last year. They started off 7-2. If they were [say] 5-4, Colorado and San Diego would've made the playoffs if it hadn't been for that run.

I didn't say it isn't important in April. But I did say that if teams don't win in September, they won't be a playoff team. You have to play solid ball all year round.

Like the Angels. They have won 7 of their last 10, even though they clinched a long time ago they have continued to play great baseball.

The thing with the Angels [AND the Cubs] is that they are able to take the series (2 out of 3/3 out of 4) against any of their respective opposing teams in their league. The Cubs have been able to secure those victories against the weaker teams in the NL:

14-4 against the Pirates
6-0 against the Braves
5-1 against the Padres

You need those sweeps in order to do be the best team in your league, and that's exactly why the Cubs have the best record in baseball (96-61).

As for the Angels, the key for them was the fact that they did well against the teams in their own division. They are 13-5 against the Mariners and 11-5 against Texas. And Oakland? They're 10-9 against them, but the A's have an .500- record against every AL team except for the Orioles (5-0), Mariners (10-6), and Tigers (6-3).

That question answers itself, don't ya think?

Why did OSU change their uniforms so much?

That's what I'm wondering. I liked their other ones better.

Yeah so did I.

I concur.

I stand corrected...it ended up being one.

No way...overturn that crap.

I meant the TD not Tampa Bay.

Yeah, I thought so. I didn't think it was a TD either. But, nonetheless, 7-0 OSU.

... you could do to an actual hot woman instead. She looks better in your imagination that she does in real life.

Have you met her personally, Manny?

Yes, in the Rays lockerroom as the beat reporters drooled because they drool at ANY woman and the players giggled at her because they turn down hotter babes nightly.... many of whom are actually worth talking about sports with. After she left, the players were debating if she was hot or not and most agreed that she was not worth the hype she gets.

And yes, MOST of the players have hotter wives and girlfriends (even sisters!) waiting for them outside the lockerroom after games than is logical.

They just did, and the crowd noise forces them to use their first timeout. Sanchez needs to get it together.

not good

Yes, he is.

It's ok, you can just come out and say the entire USC defense is beast.

No just Cushing, Matthews, and Maualuga.

One big play is all it takes.

OOOH, that was the biggest play of the night, and the momentum changer (or momentum killer, in USC's case). That's gotta be pretty embarrassing for McKnight.