Elimination Saturday

This is the year of 2-0. Sox-Halos. Rays-Chisox. Dodgers-Cubbies. Brewers-Phils. This evening the midwesterners look to stave off elimination, at least for a day. The ancient Jamie Moyer starts in the early game for the Phils. Brewers send up Dave Bush, and let me tell you, this is a bad week/month/year to be named Bush, or have someone with that name running your operation. Rich Harden vs. Hiroki Kiroda in the nightcap. Maybe one of those LA teams moves on? We were hoping for both. Harrumph. Comment here on all the night's action.

Comments

[SoxFan]

Dodgers advance to the NLCS. Red Sox have a chance to advance to the ALCS with a win tommorrow and Beckett on the mound.

The return of the Prodigal Sons back to Boston led by Manny Being Manny and Joe Torre draws ever nearer.

The Boston media must be salivating in anticipation.

[Atheose]

I don't want the Red Sox to have to face Manny. I don't want the Red Sox to have to face Manny. I don't want the Red Sox to have to face Manny.

[BillsBurgSF]

I don't mind facing the Dodgers, but let's not get ahead of ourselves, I'd much rather not face the Rays.

If it is Boston - LA in the WS, there will be a bunch of pressure on Manny to perform. I can see Manny getting all worked up in his first game back at Fenway, seeing the field, the clubhouse, the fans, and his former teammates will be interesting. I can see him making some comment to the press about how much fun he had with the Sox, totally contradicting his recent comments about how bad it was for 8 years. Manny is a simple guy that can hit the ball a TON. He can be heavily influenced by those around him (speaking of that, was that Boras in the field seats behind home plate in Anaheim Friday night?).

My take, if it is Bos-LA, he gets a standing ovation from the crowd because I think that Sox fans understand that he was being played by Boras, though it is fair to ask the question, why didn't he just tell Boras "I'm going to play hard for Boston, you just find a place to trade me to" Had that happened, the animosity would have been toward the ownership and not Manny even though he really needed to go and the team did the right thing, but he didn't play to his full potential this year, at least compared to the last few months in LA, so the fan bitterness swung back to Manny.

[Atheose]

Boras is Drew's agent too, and Varitek's if I'm not mistaken. I hope Manny would get a standing ovation at Fenway, but I'm not so sure. I think it will be sort of like Damon's return to Fenway--about half cheers, half boos.

[310ToJoba]

It's funny how disappointing the Cubs actually were in this divisional series, but then again the Dodgers are like the '06 Cards in that they are far more dangerous than the win total suggests.

[BillsBurgSF]

Don't forget Dice-K as well. Be interesting what he does with Tek this off season, whether he shops him around or tried to make a deal with the Sox.

[BillsBurgSF]

Looks like the Brew crew are out, Philly leading 6-1 in the 8th.

Dodgers - Philly is a pretty good matchup. They seem to have fairly equal pitching and hitting, though I don't know about the bullpen matchups.

[Ric]

if the sox ever played the dodgers, id really intetnially walk manny at fenway every chance possible - good way to avoid complicated emotions for the fans