I'm pretty much there on both calls -- thanks for crafting a characteristically crisp and cogent case. Couple questions:
1. LAD -- hard to handicap the following, exactly, but what do you make of the dustup with Fielder and Moto last night? Milwaukee's been a dog this year -- I don't mean underdog, I mean a dirty, smelly, lazy dog that lays down and dies when they get behind -- but I worry a tad about arousing the, well, sleeping dog. And I know Bob likes Looper a lot, though I've never fully understood the romance.
2. Indians, I like a lot. Cabrera, Hafner, and Peralta -- each has have homered against Liriano (3 total) in a combined 20 or so at bats; Shoppach and Marte batting .333 and .500 respectively. Sizemore's only 1 for 11, and I hate not winning the leadoff matchup, but oh well. And Laffey's done well against the Twins when the game is in Cleveland. Considering both bullpens, and the fact the Twins will scrap for runs even if down, I also like the over, but would favor it for 9 -- bullpen risk in this case is "bullpen opportunity."
We are approaching the point in the year (September, more so, but even now) when "nothing to play for," applied to teams, is a misconception.
A lot of the guys playing for Cleveland, Washington, San Diego, Pittsburgh -- some of my favorite underdog spoilers in the second half -- do not have "nothing to play for." (And maybe KC when Bannister or Greinke pitch against a team that doesn't "own" them historically.) These guys are suddenly in the major leagues, flying on jets, eating steaks, or at least, even for guys who were on the roster, getting their chance to play -- and they have as much or more to play for than some lazy fatass pitcher who's won his Cy Young, signed for $200 million, and, well, has "nothing to play for," or at least, nothing to be hungry about.
Anyway, good luck tonight -- stay thirsty, my friends....