NL East Race - Last 2 Weeks

[NetShrine]

Mets play the Expos 6 times and the Pirates and Braves 3 each.

Phillies play the Reds 6 times and the Marlins and Braves 3 each.

Braves play the Marlins 7 times and the Phillies and Mets 3 each.

Who's winning the division?
I think the Braves have a tough road.
I also think playing the Expos and Pirates should be easier than the Reds and Marlins.

Any thoughts?

[ChrisCary]

Looking at it, it seems to me that the Mets have much more of a chance that I keep hearing.

However I don;t think the Expos in Montreal are as easy as it seems.
The Mets have been playing on high emotions wit their backs to the wall.
I think the loss yesterday may actually ease the pressure from some of the players instead of intensifying it. THey may feel like that was it, some may not have the strength to keep the level of playu as laser focused as it's been after the heartbreaker.

Also, playing in Montreal is like playing in a morgue, it could be a real let down even to players with unmatched intestinal fortitude.

It's still a race and I'm still rooting for he Mets

[BuzzBuzzard]

Here is the problem for the Mets. Since they have games with the Braves, they have to route for the Phils to beat the Braves. But in doing so, the Mets stay 4 games behind the Phils (if the Phils sweep the Braves) and then the Mets are out of time. They can't catch two teams.

The other option is to hope the Braves sweep the Phils, the Mets sweep the Braves and also pick up another 1.5 games somewhere along the way.

Tough task.

[NetShrine]

Actually, now that I look at it closer, the Braves have the easier schedule - playing the Marlins.

Marlins are 8 and 14 in their last 22 games.

Expos are 10 and 14 in their last 24 games.

Reds are 8 and 12 in their last 20 games.

[NetShrine]

If the Braves were high on Sunday, today had to be a real ball

MIAMI (AP) -- Ken Caminiti grounded into a game-ending double play with the bases loaded and Atlanta lost to the Florida Marlins 1-0 Monday night, dropping the Braves into a tie with Philadelphia for first place in the NL East.

- - Oh, that has to hurt!

Switching to the AL East for the moment - - - In The Go Figure Dept:

Yanks are 13.5 up on Boston.
Seattle, as I write this, is up 14 on Oakland - 'tho, it could be 14.5 later as the M's are winning tonight.

Weird that, as great as the M's have been, the Yanks may win their DIV by more games. Lucky for the Yanks that Boston is in the east and Oakland is not. Lucky for Boston that the M's are not in the east.

Has a second place team ever been around 28 games out?

[BuzzBuzzard]

Roylas finished in 2nd place in the AL Central in 1995 and 30 games out behind the Tribe.

It seems that the leagues being split into 3 divisions has led to larger spreads between 1st and 2nd place teams. Makes sense, too, if you think about it. Since 1970, the biggest spread was the Mets 21.5 game lead over the Phils. There are a handful of teams who won by 20 since the 1993, but not many.

[NetShrine]

And 1995 was a shortened year!

[NetShrine]

After tonight, 3 games between the three teams - with 9 to play. Good stuff!

[Duque]

But - the Mets need to pull off a sweep of the Braves if they want to even have a shot. Not impossible - but would this rank right up there with the '78 Yanks if they could pull it off?

Either way, whoever makes it will have a tough time winning even one postseason game.

[NetShrine]

Agreed Andy - the Metropolitians must sweep - - otherwise, they need a miracle.

I think this comback would be greater than the '78 Yanks - and, I'm a Yankee fan. Mets would have done it in less time.

Having to go to the wire didn't hurt the '78 Yanks in the post-season. Sometimes, I think it's better to be in a race - - those with fat early leads often forget what it's like to be in a must win game.

Plus, I don't see any team in the NL post-seaon group that looks like it can run with it - - I do think that Oakland is looking to be a fav in the AL pack.

[NetShrine]

The scoop on 1978:

The Red Sox owned a 14-game lead over the Yankees on July 19, but that lead dropped to 6½ games by August 1. And on September 10, the Yankees completed a four-game sweep -- the infamous "Boston Massacre" -- at Fenway Park, and the two teams were tied atop the East standings. Six days later, the Sox trailed the Yanks by 3½ games.

[BuzzBuzzard]

Mets totally have to sweep. Tonight is the tough one, IMO. Glavine is the best guy who they are going to face this weekend. I like the other two match ups on Sat. and Sun.

[NetShrine]

Something happened to Glavine. His pre-break ERA was 4.55. It's been 2.47 in the 2nd half. Tonight will be a battle.

[Duque]

I know this is somewhat off-topic, but I was told Al Leiter resembles the actress Kristin Davis.

There's a definite resemblance:

[NetShrine]

Yeah, I see it. ESPN has a great separated at birth thing:

http://espn.go.com/page2/s/looking/archive5.html

You should submit this one.