WEEKEND EDITION

This is the sick-on-the-couch edition; watching lots of baseball, but you’re getting short-shrift on news.
Yanks have taken the first two games from the O’s – as they should – but the Orioles are not the same team under Buck Showalter as they were earlier in the season. Having just swept the Blue Jays, the O’s were looking good.
On Friday, AJ has enough to keep it close, even with the black eye that he says is not baseball-related, but won’t talk about, and then it turns into the A-Rod show. A long ball earlier in the game, but he saved the dramatic shot for the 9th. With two out, two on and two strikes, Al took a close pitch that had a few players in the home dugout jumping over the rail in celebration of a victory. But the next one was what A-Rod was looking for and he drove it out, leading to Mo closing it out for the 4-3 win.
Saturday was CC again looking for his 20th victory of the season and this time the Yankee bats ensured he got it, 11-3. As I trumpet Cano for MVP, I knew that Guthrie was getting tired and was going to leave one up for Cano, who turned a 4-2 game into a 6-2 one and CC and the pen sailed from there.
And yes, again I must show my bias and the fact that I get to see him play day in and day out, but how can Cano not be the frontrunner for the 2010 AL MVP? Bautista and Cabrera are having monster seasons, but for .500 teams that are 4th and 3rd in their respective divisions. On the Yanks, you have Jeter and A-Rod having subpar seasons, Tex has been so streaky all season and Posada and Swish have been banged up. Cano, hitting in the 5th spot has been consistent all season, carrying the team from time to time when it’s been needed and playing a remarkable second base. I know there’s an anti-Yankee sentiment and the World Series ring is the thing, but Cano and CC (for Cy Young) have got to be first and foremost in the award discussions.
So, how are no homeruns and one run batted in “a good month” according to Kay? I am all for Berkman, but hitting a weak .300 is not what you want from your number three hitter even if he’s only subbing for the broken-toed and slowed Tex.

I suppose I should rag on the Gigantes’ bats more often. After comparing them to a soccer team, they showed me and the Dodgers by putting up a ten-spot, but after that, the Cerveceros came to town and turned the home team’s bat to the Whiffle variety. You score one run per two games, you’re not going to win any and the Rockies and the Braves will score.
Even though Scioscia pulled out all the stops – as in 5 guys in the infield – the Rays come back on them in the 9th to tie it and then win it in the 10th on a throwing error. Big win for TB to keep within a half game of the Yanks.
This kid named Henry Rodriguez comes out of the Oakland pen to face the Twins and Mauer in the 7th yesterday and his first seven pitches are clocked at 98, 99 (5 times) and 101. Watching the rest of his frame I have to say this: He throws 99mph consistently…