Inside Pitch

Closer was a dilemma only Yanks solved

In today's Inside Baseball column, I look at the ridiculous postseason success of ageless Yankees closer Mariano Rivera. He has an 0.99 ERA, fifth all-time in World Series play and second in the last 60 years to Sandy Koufax. While every other team's closer had a major slip-up in the postseason, Rivera was impenetrable again. Had Hideki Matsui not had six RBIs in the clinching game, Rivera almost certainly would have been the World Series MVP.

Rivera was by far the most reliable closer this October/November. But I'm curious to find out, especially from the Yankee fans out there, who you might have trusted the most on other teams? If you don't have Rivera in pinstripes, which closer would you take?

---Mike Harrington

(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)

poll by twiigs.com

Drama in Denver caps division series

Pretty amazing game Monday night in Denver to draw the Division Series round to a close. The Phillies showed why they're the defending champions by rallying for three runs in the top of the ninth -- after giving up three runs in the bottom of the eighth -- and held on for a 5-4 win over the Rockies to close the series in four games.

So we had three sweeps and one four-gamer in the first round but each series had at least one fantastic finish and the Phils-Rox had a double dose of drama once they hit frigid Denver. A big story in the opening round was the failure of closers. Jonathan Papelbon, Huston Street, Joe Nathan and Ryan Franklin all flamed out when their teams needed them most. Makes you appreciate Mariano Rivera come October even more.

We'll have plenty more later in the week on the LCS (Phils-Dodgers opens Thursday in LA and I'll be on hand for Yankees-Angels I and II Friday and Saturday in the Bronx). But for now, give a quick look back to the ALDS and NLDS with a vote in our poll below.

---Mike Harrington

(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)

(Photo: Associated Press)

poll by twiigs.com

Diamond musings from The Ralph

It's a sunny but chilly day at Ralph Wilson Stadium as I get set for our Bills Live chat at noon. I'm told it's about the same in Fenway Park as the Red Sox and Angels get set for Game Three of the ALDS shortly after noon. You wonder if this is the day the Angels finally end their long playoff hex against Boston. So far, the Sox have done nothing at the plate. And they have to put all their faith today in Clay Buchholz.

The Yankees are 9-0 against the Twins this year.And today they face Carl Pavano. This series should be over tonight. I'll be on hand Friday night in the Bronx and I'm expecting to see Game One of Yankees-Angels.

Umpire Phil Cuzzi tells the Newark-Star Ledger "there is no excuse" for his blown call in the 11th inning Friday. Sure isn't. What else is he doing out there but watching that line? May as well scrap the two OF umps in the postseason and just go to replay.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes that the Yankees were so frustrated by Joba Chamberlain that they nearly sent him to Scranton in August, and that Chad Gaudin will almost certainly start in the ALCS while Joba will stay in the bullpen.

Hello, Cardinals? The playoffs started. You might have wanted to show up. No home runs by Albert Pujols since Sept. 9. An end-of-season slumber that never ended when the postseason started. The Dodgers pulled off just the third sweep ever against St. Louis. The others were in the World Series in 1928 (Yankees) and 2004 (Red Sox).

After yesterday's snowout, the weather is expected to be warmer today in Denver for the Phillies and Rockies. Philly has gone back to J.A. Happ and scratched Pedro Martinez. That means Cliff Lee can go in Game Four.

---Mike Harrington

(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)

It's postseason time: Who wins it all?

The playoffs begin at today at 2:30 with Game One of the Rockies-Phillies series. Be sure to check our complete preview in today's paper and vote in our polls for the ALDS and NLDS. But as we head toward the first pitch of the postseason, give us a preliminary thought on who is going to win it all.

The Yankees getting No. 27? The Red Sox cementing team of the decade with their third title in six years? The Cardinals, Angels or Phillies tying Boston with their second of the decade? The upstart Rockies? The Dodgers' first crown since 1988, further adding to the legend of Joe Torre?

Make your pick. Even leave a comment or two on where you think Inside Pitch is going to be for the Fall Classic

---Mike Harrington

(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)

poll by twiigs.com

Pick the ALDS winners

Be sure to catch our MLB playoff preview in Wednesday's paper (a one-day delay thanks to the Twins and Tigers and the NFL). Vote here for the ALDS winners.

---Mike Harrington

(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)

poll by twiigs.com

poll by twiigs.com

Yankees getting 6 p.m. starts

All reports out of New York are that the Yankees are picking the division series option that opens Wednesday, regardless of the result of Tuesday's Tigers-Twins playoff. And MLB has announced Sunday night that the Yankees will have viewer-friendly 6 p.m. start times on TBS. Here's the rundown of start times for the first four days of the postseason

Wednesday
Rockies at Phillies, 2:37
Twins/Tigers at Yankees, 6:07
Cardinals at Dodgers, 9:37

Thursday
Rockies at Phillies, 2:37
Cardinals at Dodgers, 6:07
Red Sox at Angels, 9:37

Friday
Twins/Tigers at Yankees, 6:07
Red Sox at Angels, 9:37

Saturday
Dodgers at Cardinals, 6:07
Phillies at Rockies, 9:37

---Mike Harrington

(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)

Around the horn, Sunday edition

----Give it up for former Canisius College pitcher John Axford, who's made four September relief appearances for the Brewers this month to cap the long road back from Tommy John surgery. Had a great phone interview with Axford Thursday as he's the subject of Sunday's Inside Baseball column. The 26-year-old Canadian, who pitched for the Griffs in 2006, started this season in Class A ball and made it all the way to the majors in five months!!

---Andy Pettitte and the Yankees go for the AL East clincher today at 1 against the Red Sox (it's on ESPN).

---The real intrigue starts Monday in Detroit, when the Twins and Tigers start a four-game series that's the only division race left. Meanwhile, the NL wildcard is still in play because the Braves have gotten red-hot. The Rockies are suddenly only 2 1/2 games in front and the Braves have a huge edge in the schedule.

The Braves play one more today at hapless Washington, host Florida for three and finish the year with four at home against the Nats, who are going to lose at least 105 games. The Rockies, meanwhile, might catch a break with the post-clinch hangover Cardinals today. They're off Monday, then open a three-gamer in Denver against the Brewers on Tuesday. They finish with a three-gamer at Dodger Stadium.

Yankees punch playoff ticket

It was nearly 2 a.m. today before the Yankees got to officially celebrate their return to the playoffs once they wrapped up a 6-5 victory over the Angels. It's only the first step for manager Joe Girardi's team, which has a 5 1/2-game lead over the Angels in the fight for the AL's best record and a six-game edge on the Red Sox in the AL East.

No late night tonight as the Yankees and Angels play at 3:35. Then it's time to meet the Red Sox for the final time in the regular season starting Friday night in the Bronx. The magic number to clinch the division is six.

Click here for the MLB.com recap of the Yankees-Angels game with video highlights.

---Mike Harrington

Race card: Sox closing on Yankees

I've been pretty close to declaring all the races over but I'm still waiting to see if somebody is going to go all Mets on us and choke one away. The Tigers were the first candidate but Sunday's win in Minnesota gave them a three-game lead in the AL Central and some desperately needed breathing room.

The Angels, Phillies, Cardinals and Dodgers appear to have safe division leads while the Red Sox and Rockies seem to have a stranglehold on the wildcards. Give the standings a look here.

But can the Red Sox really catch up to the Yankees? The lead was nine games earlier this month and now it's down to five (just four in the loss column). The Sox have won 10 of 11 and open a four-game series tonight in Kansas City while the Yankees open a three-gamer in Anaheim.

The teams open a three-game set Friday in the Bronx and Boston has a very, very soft schedule the rest of the way. Both teams could end up with 100 wins. It's still a longshot that the Yankees would blow the lead but their pitching is a concern with Joba Chamberlain blowing up Sunday in Seattle and sore-shouldered Andy Pettitte going tonight.

Both teams are going to make the playoffs but things will be very interesting if the Sox can close the gap before this weekend. And the division winner likely gets the Tigers in the division series, a much more favorable opponent than the Angels.

---Mike Harrington

Around the horn: Ratings roulette

A reminder that my weekly power ratings are done through Thursday's games (on the theory that a new series starts on Friday). I give you that once-in-a-while reminder because I would have certainly put the Twins a little higher up this week if I was doing them at, say, midnight on Saturday.

Whereas it looked like every division race was basically over at the start of the week, we suddenly have a hot one in the AL Central as Minnesota is just two games behind the suddenly skidding Tigers after back-to-back victories over Detroit. A fly ball lost in the Metrodome roof (what else?) keyed a five-run fifth Saturday in the Twins' 6-2 win. And this is all happening wtih Justin Morneau and Joe Crede apparently gone for the year with injuries.

As for the rankings, it's certainly easy to put the Yankees at No. 1. But Nos. 2-6 remain quite a mess. This week, it went Dodgers, Angels, Red Sox, Phillies, Cardinals and only the Halos were in the same spot as last week. Pretty unusual for this time of year.

In other diamond doings:

---No Inside Baseball column just for this week due to a double dose of Bills chats and Sabres training camp. We'll be back starting next week and running all the way through the World Series.

---If you didn't stay up to see the Yankees' 10-1 victory in Seattle, they got a huge scare when CC Sabathia took a Franklin Gutierrez line drive to the chest. He was OK but it was a couple inches here or there from a potentially dramatic turn to the Yankees season and some serious damage to their big-money ace. Check out the video here.

---It's Durham (Tampa Bay) vs. Memphis (St. Louis) in Tuesday's Triple-A National Championship Game in Oklahoma City. Formerly known as the Bricktown Showdown, the game will be televised at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.

---Cleveland's Double-A team, the Akron Aeros, won the Eastern League title in four games Saturday with a 10-6 win over Connecticut (San Francisco). Lots of nice prospects going up to Triple-A next season for the Tribe. Too bad they're still not coming to Buffalo.

---Mike Harrington

(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)