The NBA playoffs are heating up, baseball season is in full swing and, now that the draft is over and the appeals court has issued a stay on the injunction lifting the player lockout, there is as much NFL action as there is life in Osama bin Landen’s body!
Thursday, May 5
It’s Cinco de Mayo! Sound the mariachis and break out the margaritas. If you are going out to party tonight, consider some of the following on the tube to accompany your adult beverages.
Major League Baseball
Colorado Rockies at Arizona Diamondbacks
Two division rivals square off as the first place Colorado Rockies travel south the face the Arizona Diamondbacks. Jason Hammel (3-1, 3.23 ERA) gets the ball for Colorado and will match wits with Ian Kennedy (3-1, 3.92 ERA). Kennedy has been hot of late, including a complete game shutout and 1.64 ERA in his last three starts. He has 32 Ks, already, this season.
The Rockies are 4-1 when Hammel has started in 2011. He, also, has been hot, with a 1.32 ERA in his last two starts. This should be a fun pitching duel and the Rockies fight to keep their healthy lead over the San Francisco Giants in the National League West. Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitski, after homering 7 times in the first 12 games of the season, has gone ice cold, batting .077 in the month of May and not having hit a home run in 13 straight games.
With two hot pitchers facing off, the Diamondbacks playing at home (not hit-happy Coors Field in Denver), and the Rockies’ leading slugger in a slump, I think Arizona has an edge tonight in the rubber match of this three game series.
Advantages: Game – Diamondbacks, Series – Diamondbacks
Friday, May 6
NBA Playoffs
Atlanta Hawks at Chicago Bulls – Game 3
The Bulls recovered last night to tie their series with the Hawks after losing Game 1, and the home court advantage. The Bulls absolutely, positively must win one of the next two games, in Atlanta, in order to maintain a competitive edge over the surprising fifth seeded Hawks. The Bulls were able to bottle up the Hawks’ sharp-shooting guard Joe Johnson in Game 2, holding Johnson to 16 points after he dropped 34 points in Game 1.
Derrick Rose has posted a double-double in both games of this series and the Hawks should be prepared for more of the same. Still, Rose has yet to have a scoring explosion and he is due. After pulling off a minor upset by defeating the Orlando Magic in the first round and winning Game 1 against the top seeded Bulls, I expect the stroke of midnight to come for Atlanta’s Cinderella run soon. Expect the carriage to turn into a pumpkin on Friday.
Advantages: Game – Bulls, Series – Bulls
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| Congratulations to Derrick Rose, the 2011 NBA MVP 1 |
Saturday, May 7
NBA Playoffs
Miami Heat at Boston Celtics – Game 3
Boston: You have a problem. The Celtics have fallen behind 2-0 to the Miami Heat and the Heatles now look like who we thought they were, and they are not letting the Celtics off the hook. Neither Dwayne Wade nor LeBron James has been held to less than 22 points and each has eclipsed the 30 point mark during the series.
As well as the Heat have handled the Celtics, the Celtics are still among the best in the NBA and this series is shifting back to Boston. The Celtics’ season, for all practical purposes, is on the line in Game 3. The factor that may tip this game to the Celtics: the return of Shaq.
In all probability, Shaquille O’Neal will be back in action after missing most of the last three months with a calf injury. Even if the Celtics only get 15 minutes from The Diesel, it can provide enough relief to Jermaine O’Neal to tighten the screws on the opportunities of the Heat to penetrate the lane and rebound.
I do not think the Celtics will be swept and I think the Heat will find themselves in a different element on Boston’s home floor.
Advantages: Game – Celtics, Series – Heat
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| It's now or never for The Big Shamrock. 2 |
Major League Baseball
Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies
Surprise, surprise…! The rest of National League East resisted the urge to bow down and kiss the ring of the Philadelphia Phillies when much of the media anointed the Phillies as the 2011 NL East champions before Spring Training started. With the Marlins hot on the Phillies’ trail and the Braves still within reach after winning seven of their last ten games, Philadelphia is in a mode, in May, in which every game matters in the division race.
That said, the Phillies are walking the walk. They have yet to lose their 10th game of the season. They are hitting the ball all over the park. Third baseman Placido Polanco is on course for a career year and has been on a tear , hitting .374 this season while Ryan Howard is blasting the ball as always, with 6 HRs and 29 RBIs this season. Howard has reached base TWICE in five of his last seven games. In addition, their pitching staff is squeezing opponents as they were expected to.
The Braves pitching staff is pretty stout itself, with a team ERA barely over 3.00. Jair Jurrjens (3-0, 1.52 ERA) is expected to throw the first pitch in the middle game of this three game weekend series. He has lasted past the 100pitch count in all four of his starts this season, so run scoring opportunities for the Phillies will be precious.
Roy Oswalt will take the mound for the home team. He is looking to rebound after getting rocked, lasting just three innings, in his last start against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Up to that point, Roy O had been a strikeout machine, with 21 Ks in his first 24 innings of action this season.
I like the Braves in this game because of the pitching matchup. Jurrjens has been consistent all season, while Oz was touched up in his last start and has not given the Phillies more than 6 innings in any game this season.
Advantages: Game – Braves, Series – Phillies
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| The Phillies Phanatic should put the champagne away until September. 3 |
Sunday, May 8
NBA Playoffs
Los Angeles Lakers at Dallas Mavericks – Game 4
L.A., we have a problem. The Lakers dropped their first two games of this series, at home, to the Mavericks. Historically, this is an omen of doom for a higher-seeded playoff team.
Dirk Nowitzki is averaging a double-double per game. Kobe is…Kobe, getting his points as he always does. That does not tell the story of the series.
What does tell the story is that the Mavericks are averaging over 30 points per game from their bench and the Lakers, including the contributions of quasi-starter Lamar Odom, are averaging less than 20 points from their bench. Excluding Odom’s scoring and the Lakers bench has been non-existent. What does tell the story is that Lakers center Andrew Bynum publicly questioned the trust among the Lakers’ players. What does tell the story is that Ron Artest, who has been relatively in control of his emotions since joining the Lakers, with respect to the rest of his career, is suspended for Game 3 for a little hand-to-face action with Mavs guard Jose Juan Barea in the final minute of Game 2, resulting in Artest’s ejection.
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| Perhaps Artest was practicing for his career after basketball in professional wrestling. 4 |
Simply put, the Mavericks have been focused and prepared. The Lakers have not. At the moment, the “* if necessary” tag is next to the schedule for Game 5 of this series. I expect there to be a Game 5, I am just not sure at what point it will become necessary. Heading into Dallas, if both teams copy their efforts from the first two games, it won’t be.
I expect the Lakers to take one of the next two in Big D, because the idea of the two time defending champions being swept from the playoffs is unfathomable to me, but barring an injury to Nowitzki or point guard Jason Kidd, I think this series is all but over. THIS Lakers team is not winning two out of three in Dallas against THIS Mavericks team.
Advantages: Game – Push, Series - Mavericks
Major League Baseball
New York Yankees at Texas Rangers
C.C. Sabathia (2-2, 2.68 ERA) of the Yankees and Alexi Ogando (3-0, 2.17 ERA) squared off on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball in April. The rematch between them and their first place teams is Sunday night. In April, Ogando, in his second season, had a career ERA of less than 1.00. Expecting a lights out pitchers duel, America was treated to a hitting spree, with both starters being touched up for a combined nine earned runs and Ogando’s career ERA having more than doubled by the end of the night.
Still, Ogando averages less than one baserunner allowed per inning pitched. C.C. is still C.C.. The Rangers are at home and that may tip the scales ever so slightly in their favor. Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano (.303, 8 HR, 21 RBI) is having an MVP caliber season and the Rangers are without outfielder Josh Hamilton for a very long time. However the combined efforts for the Rangers of designated hitter Michael Young (.336, 24 RBI) and third baseman Adrian Beltre (.254, 7 HR, 25 RBI) have picked up much of the slack.
Advantages – Game – Rangers, Series – Rangers
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| C.C. didn't exactly eat the Rangers lunch the last time he faced them. Or perhaps he did? 5 |
Monday, May 9
Major League Baseball
Minnesota Twins at Boston Red Sox
Francisco Liriano (2-4, 6.61 ERA) will appear in his first start since his historic (and historically ugly) no-hitter on Tuesday night. He and the badly struggling fourth place Twins will face Josh Beckett (2-1, 2.35 ERA) and the Red Sox. The Sox appear to have stopped their free fall from the 0-6 start to this season and need to continue their momentum, having won three of their last four games.
Liriano was on his way to the bullpen, if not the minors, before Tuesday’s no-no. Boston appears to be playing like the team many expected they would be. We can tune in to see if “history” could repeat itself at Fenway, but I would not hold my breath.
Advantages: Game – Red Sox, Series – Red Sox
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| Could Tuesday's no-no be what Liriano needed to break out of a terrible slump? 6 |
NBA Playoffs
Oklahoma City Thunder at Memphis Grizzlies – Game 4
This is a very difficult series to predict because, while I think the Thunder are the better team on paper, the Grizzlies are playing efficient, physical basketball. They have a lot of young, up and coming players who have growing confidence and have proven that they can win. I do think that the better talent and the better stars generally win out in playoff basketball. Kevin Durant, without a doubt, is the biggest star. Still, this series could go a long way. I like the Thunder in this series, but I do not have much of a feel for Game 4, nor will I until I see Game 3, the first of the series to be played in Memphis. My gut tells me that these two teams split Games 3 and 4.
Advantages: Game – Push, Series - Thunder
Tuesday, May 10
Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers – Game 5 (if necessary)
This game may not even be necessary. I think it will be (see Game 3) and if it is, regardless of whether the series is at 2-2 or 3-1, I don’t think the Lakers drop this game at home, a game that would either save them from elimination or set them up for the kill in a Game 6.
Advantages: Game (if necessary) – Lakers, Series – Mavericks
Major League Baseball
Philadelphia Phillies at Florida Marlins
The Florida Marlins are hot on the trail of the NL East’s first place Phillies, who held a one game lead on the Marlins as of this morning. Josh Johnson (3-0, 1.13 ERA) of the Marlins is throwing his cap into the ring early for the Cy Young award. The first full week of May has yet to conclude and Johnson has thrown 46 strikeouts. He has allowed only one home run all year and opposing batters are hitting a paltry .143 against him. There are some National League pitchers who would spend more time in the batting cage with that low of an average.
Expect a pitcher’s duel in this contest as reigning Cy Young winner Roy Halladay (4-1, 2.14 ERA) gets the ball for the visiting Phillies. Halladay has been spectacular all season long, coming off of a complete game win against the Mets in his last start, in which he struck out 8 and only issues one walk.
This three game series features two teams that are hot, pitching extremely well, and hitting with confidence. Still, I expect the Phillies to be in first place after this series is over.
Advantages: Game – Push, Series – Phillies
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| Billy the Marlin would be a nice catch for the Phillies. 7 |
Wednesday, May 11
NBA Playoffs
Boston Celtics at Miami Heat – Game 5 (if necessary)
I think the words “if necessary” in a playoff series could be as powerful as any analysis that one could offer. It tells you that one team has an advantage over the other, so much to the point that all of the games may need not be played to decide a winner. Think this series goes back to Miami, but I also expect the Heat to be in a position to eliminate the Celtics by the time it does. Regardless of what happens in Boston, I do not expect the Heat to drop a fifth game, if necessary.
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| LeBron, was this necessary? Game 5 might not be. 8 |
Major League Baseball
St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs
One of the oldest and fiercest rivalries in baseball resumes. The struggling, Jekyll and Hyde like Jake Westbrook (2-2, 6.14 ERA) takes the hill for the NL Central’s first place Cardinals against Matt Garza (1-3, 3.96) and the Cubs, who are in fourth place but in striking distance.
The Cubs are a bit of an enigma, with a team batting average of .271 and slugging over .400, yet having trouble driving runs across. Alfonso Soriano (.257, 11 HR, 21 RBI) is a bright spot, but he is only one man in the lineup. In combination with one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball, the Cubs are lucky to trail the Cards by only 2 ½ games.
Garza is the Cubs best starting pitcher, so far, this season. In spite of Matt Holliday’s (.413, 4 HR, 23 RBI) red hot start to the season and the resurgence of Lance Berkman (.392, 10 HR, 32 RBI), the 35 year old veteran outfielder-turned-first baseman-turned-outfielder again, I think the pitching matchup does favor Chicago in this game.
Advantages: Game – Cubs, Series – Cardinals
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1) Image from inflexwetrust.com
2) Image from palmbeachpost.com
3) Image from newsone.com
4) Image from The Dallas Morning News
5) image from Yahoo! Sports
6) Image from latino.foxnews.com
7) Image from pollsb.com
