September 19, 2003
Games of the Day
With their magic number at five, the Oakland A's can clinch the west this weekend with a sweep of the Seattle Mariners. Five games out, the Mariners cannot really afford to lose any of the six remaining contests they have with Oakland. Ryan Franklin of the Mariners faces potential Cy Young award winner Tim Hudson tonight. Typical of the Mariners lately, Franklin is 0-3 in his last five starts, despite a 2.97 ERA. I suspect the Coliseum will be rocking this weekend.
By the way, if the A's decided they would rather play the Twins than the Red Sox, they could throw the games against the Mariners. I don't think the A's care, and I don't see that happening, but it's one of the drawbacks of the current wild card system.
In the NL, the Marlins hold a slim 1/2 game lead over the Phillies. Florida will host Atlanta tonight as Russ Ortiz goes for his 20th win for the Braves, while the Reds visit the Phillies. This weekend favors the Phillies regaining first in the wild card race.
Meanwhile, it's possible that the Cubs could overtake the Astros for first place tonight. Chicago is in Pittsburgh for a twi-night double header. Game 1 lists Zambrano vs. Fogg, a battle of hot pitchers. Look for the offense in game two, as Juan Cruz takes on Salomon Torres. The Astros face a healthy Matt Morris, who has a 1.29 ERA over his last five games.
Lots of great action left. Enjoy!
Posted by David Pinto at
01:47 PM
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