MATCHING WINS, MATCHING LOSSES

YANKS AND ORIOLES STAY ONE GAME APART
This race does seem like it's going to go down to the last game. Showalter has the Orioles believing they're capable of going all the way, and the Yanks have a lot of veterans who won't panic.

It was a very sloppy game today, with both teams making errors. New York has that enigma at shortstop, Eduardo Nunez.You never know if he's going to make a great play or blow an easy one. The fans behind first have to remain alert whenever the ball is hit to him.
Even though they make plays, the A's  never seem comfortable in the field. The best fielding play all weekend for Oakland, was made by the jersey of pitcher Jarrod Parker. Like Nunez, however, it couldn't make the throw.

After reading that Eric Chavez was unhappy with the "organized hand-clapping ritual" in the A's dugout on Saturday, I expected to see a little fireworks today, but that didn't happen.

Both sides were unhappy with ball and strike calls by home plate umpire Mike Estabrook.  He didn't have a strike zone, he had a zip code. Pitches low, pitches inside, pitches outside, it was all the same to Estabrook: STRIKE!

HERE AND THERE
There are four managers who seem to be on shaky ground, because the owners spent big, big money to insure their teams would get into the playoffs. It appears that two of the managers are probably gone: Ozzie Guillen of the Marlins, who laughs at the thought that he will be fired (everyone else will laugh next month), and Bobby Valentine, who still says he is the best man for the job - we just don't know what the job is.
Detroit writers say if Jim Leyland's Tigers don't make the playoffs, Leyland doesn't make it to 2013. Mike Scioscia will probably be given one more year to get the Angels to the promised land after Artie Moreno gave him CJ Wilson, Zack Greinke and Albert "The Machine" Pujols.
In the middle of the summer, Don Mattingly was a shoo-in for manager of the year. Then the owners went out and "bought" three superstars from Boston and promptly found out why Boston wasn't going anywhere. The "super stars" were really "superduds."  Mattingly's job seems secure, maybe because he's such a nice guy.
Lew Wolff, owner of the Oakland A's, is dying to get out of the Coliseum. The stadium is just not suited for baseball and the A's want to move to San Jose. The San Francisco Giants have the territorial rights to San Jose and say that it's a big part of their fan base. They want the A's to stay in Oakland, 10 miles across the bay. San Jose is 50 miles from the Giants AT & T park. Bud Selig has been working on this problem since 2009 and, big surprise, has no answer yet. Lew Wolff says, "I'm not as frustrated as everyone thinks.I'm comfortable that we'll have a decision this year, and if not, we'll just have to go to plan B."  And what is plan B? No one knows, least of all Bud Selig who doesn't know what plan A is after three and a half years.
The Pittsburgh Pirates beat Houston 8-1 today, but they need to win 8 of their last 11 games to finish over .500 for the first time in 19 years. I hate it when fairy tales have an unhappy ending. Go Bucs!!
If the Detroit Tigers can win the second game of their double header with the Twins, they'll be tied with the White Sox atop the AL Central division.
Bob Raissman of the NY Daily News, criticized the YES Network announcers, Michael Kay and Ken Singleton, because they "failed to specify what the objectionable message was" on the eye-black of Blue Jay infielder Yunel Escobar. Never fear, folks, Raissman told us what it was: "Escobar spelled out on his eye black patches, 'You're a f----t.'"  That's telling it like it is, Bob. I still don't know what it said.

THEY SAID IT
"NFL linebacker Ray Lewis is intense. Niners' coach Jim Harbaugh is intense. But after watching the U.S. Open, Andy Murray's mom scares the crap out of me."  -- RJ Currie
 "Not only have the Houston Astros lost more than 100 games, they recently advertised the presence of Joe Niekro at a luncheon. Sadly for the Astros and for Niekro, he died in 2006."   -- Cam Hutchinson

 "Some are now talking Ryan Braun for the NL MVP if the Brewers make the playoffs. If so, got to love it, the All-Star MVP busted for PEDs and the potential repeat MVP winner playing only because his suspension was overturned on a technicality. Way to clean up the game, Bud Selig."  -- Janice Hough
"The Franklin Mint has just announced they are issuing rare gold coins commemorating each of the Mets four post-all star game home wins."  -- Mark Ragovin

"The Orioles beat the Mariners in a tussle that took 18 innings and ended at 3:54 in the morning. Time-wise, that's about an hour shy of a Kardashian marriage."  -- RJ Currie
"Jets coach Rex Ryan thought his players would benefit from some extra rest, so he decided to bring in a sleep specialist. Hey, it was either that or make them watch six hours of Kansas City Chiefs film."  -- Dwight Perry

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