10/3 #2: LDS Check

Greetings all... just checking in on the 4 LDS series going on...

• Brewers up 2-0 - The only 2-0 lead in the division series belongs to Milwaukee thanks to some well-timed hitting (like 5 runs in 6th on Sunday to break a 4-4 tie) and better pitching than Arizona has gotten... Gallardo was electric in Game 1, and the Brew-crew overcame an underwhelming outing from Greinke (5 IP, 4 ER) in game 2 to get a win... I think this is pretty much over now that Milwaukee has beaten Kennedy AND Hudson in the first 2 games... the pitching edge is there, and even in Arizona, I think they finish it out in the next 2...
• Tigers/Yankees 1-1 - With all the focus on the rain-altered game 1 (i.e. burning both Verlander and Sabathia), Game 2 was much more competitive... anyway, Detroit did what no one thought they'd likely do, which is win a game that wasn't pitched by Verlander... Scherzer had his good stuff, and he's pretty devastating when he has it going (6 IP, 2 H, 0 ER)... this one resumes on Monday with Sabathia vs. Verlander, and the series pretty much swings on tonight... at least for Detroit... they need this one
• Rangers/Rays 1-1 - Tampa utterly dominated Game 1 in Texas behind rookie Matt Moore (one of the ballsiest managing decisions I've seen in a while from Joe Maddon... I absolutely love him)... but Texas responded by hanging 8 runs on James Shields and company in Game 2 and getting those potent bats going... Colby Lewis vs. David Price doesn't favor the Rangers by any stretch, but Texas is capable of stealing this one if their right-handed bats stay awake (I'm looking at you Young/Kinsler/Napoli/Beltre), and if someone can revive Nelson Cruz... That said, Tampa needs this one more than Texas does IMO with the rookie Hellickson waiting in Game 4...
• Phils/Cards 1-1 - Count me surprised that this one is locked up... Cliff Lee was staked to a 4-run lead on Sunday, and couldn't hold it (basically the opposite of Halladay absolutely shutting the door after early troubles on Saturday)... I still think Philly is in good shape as the series heads to STL because they have the Hamels/Garcia advantage (Garcia has been awful in the second half), and have Oswalt waiting for Game 4... not worried yet about my Phillies pick...

There you go...