Maine's MLB PT, 9/10! A new twist!

[MaineDolFan]

It's been a while since I did my PT.  I have been slacking, I know.  My days are no longer spent hanging out at Boston Beerworks waiting for a game to start, or chowing on hot dogs in press row.  I actually have to work now!  Funny how life happens.  I don't see the PT coming back on a weekly basis any time soon, but I'll try to be a little better with it.

With that said, here we go...

#1.  Tampa Bay Rays  86-57

By a show of hands, who wants their team to meet up with the Rays come the post season.  Yeah, that's what I thought.  All season long I have dealt with people calling into my show telling me that I was 'on crack' for thinking this team was for real and that they would fade sooner or later.  Neither is going to happen.  Boston might over take them for the East but this team will win the wild card at least.  If pitching and defense wins rings, this team is going to be awfully hard to stop.  And, by the way, they hit okay as well.

#2.  Toronto Blue Jays  78-66

Sometimes in this game you need to look at the season in pieces and then put it all together.  Toronto might not show it statistically but they have had one of the best pitching staffs all season long, top to bottom.  From starters to the bullpen, this staff is sick ass good.  Offense has been lacking and they have found their swing.  This team is complete: pitching, defense, offense and they do the little things right.  Toronto could beat any team in MLB in a seven game series.  I'm not convinced that they won't make it to the playoffs, either.

#3.  Chicago Cubs  86-58

Do not make me regret putting you here, Cubbies.  2-8 in their last ten, yes, but they have also dodged a major bullet with the news that Big Z is quite alright.  They have let the Brewers climb back into this race and things don't get any easier from here on out.  Anyone else notice that the NL Central is the best division in baseball?  Four of the six team are over .500 in that division, all of them would be winning the West if they were there.

#4.  Boston Red Sox  85-59

Boston is a team that should scare everyone.  They haven't been healthy all season and, yet, are on pace to win 97 games this season.  And as September is getting to mid month they are getting all of their horses back.  Coming off the DL in recent days have been Beckett, Lowell, Drew and Casey.  Boston also plays 95% of their remaining games at Fenway where they win more than they lose.  How will last night's loss strike this team?  Will they view that one as one they almost stole and be okay with it, or one that they should have had?  Memo to Tito - you can't run Papelbon out there four games in a row and expect him to be strong.

#5.  Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim  87-57

Frauds.  I'm sorry, but this team is a collection of frauds.  Everything looks good on paper.  They are well over .500 on the road and at home and one of the only teams that have won in a balanced fashion such as that this season.  But this team folds when the chips are down.  Their closer hasn't finished this season and is talking about pitching for Detroit next season.  Huh?  They have a cup cake schedule to finish the season and it'll show when they reach the dance.  As usual the Angels will pull a one and done.  Frauds.

#6.  Chicago White Sox  80-64

Not one person thought Chicago would be in the position that they are right now, leading the AL Central.  Every person from the 'experts' on ESPN to people on this web site had pegged the Indians as they class of the division and then everyone else trailing.  What they've done is really amazing this year, along with the (who?) Twins.  But I'm afraid that the Sox ride might be coming to an end.  Carlos Quentin's injury is going to be huge, he was cruising to an AL MVP title.  The Blue Jays have beat them into submission twice in a row on the south side.  Contreras and Getz are gone.  But the Sox should hold their heads up, this team has been as good as any this season.

#7.  Philadelphia Phillies  79-66

The fightin' Phills might be a team to watch as the post season grows closer.  Due to the fighting within the NL Central I believe they'll need to win the East outright to get in, but that is not a far fetched possibility as they trail the Mets by only 2.5 games.  Philly is another team that wins on the road and that will be a factor as the season closes, they have a road trip at Florida and Atlanta before closing at home with Washington.  Brett Myers is a big reason for the hope in Philly.  He's 6-1 in this last ten starts with a sparkling 1.55 ERA.

#8.  Minnesota Twins  79-65

I'm not sure the Twins are a team that anyone would want to see in a 5 game series.  Morneau is having another MVP type year, Joe Nathan is saving games left and right, the Twins are almost unbeatable at home...and this team wasn't even supposed to sniff .500 this year much less be in the hunt for October.  They have a fairly easy path with series coming up against the Royals and O's closing out the season.  When you toss Slowey into the pitching mix, the Twins have a staff that can go punch for punch with anyone in the league.

#9.  Milwaukee Brewers  82-63

The Brewers hold the wild card edge by 3 games over the Phills right now, 3.5 over the Cards and 4.0 over Houston.  It'll be an interesting battle the rest of the way out but I don't see anyone over taking them for this position.  CC Sabathia takes the mound today against the Red's Arroyo (who, by the way, is 14-10 after starting the season 0-9) to try to salvage one game in this series.  Last night's loss in 11 innings stings, but I look for CC to right the ship today.  When you toss out CC, Sheets and Suppan 1-2-3 you won't lose many overall series.  One guy to keep your eye on in that bullpen is Shouse.

#10.  Los Angeles Dodgers  74-71

The Dodgers better pray to God that they don't get passed in the division because it's their only way of making it to the playoffs.  If they get there I think they'll make an early exit, this team simply doesn't having a winning chemistry.  Wildy inconsistent and horrific on the road, if they get in they'll see road action and that will be the end of their run.

That's how I see it, folks!  Get to it!

[StL FinFan]

If the Philies and Dodgers are in there, the Cardinals should be too. 

[Sunstroke]

OK, I'll bite...what is the "new twist?"

[bsfins]

The twist the Cubs are on there Twice....We're falling so Badly...We've made the list where we are today,and where we'll be at the end of the week....Lol

Maine just got his Chi towns teams mixed up...

[StL FinFan]

HAHA Lil B!  The Cubs have two different records, also.

[MaineDolFan]

OK, I'll bite...what is the "new twist?"

That the PT is done at all.