Nationals crush Astros, 12-3, take two games to none lead
By HAL McCOY It was a matter of which team was going to blink first in Game 2 of the World Series Wednesday night. Not only did the Houston Astros blink, they seemed to close their eyes completely in the seventh inning, a six-run explosion by the Washington Nationals. The result was a 12-3 Nationals […]
Nationals hold off Astros, 5-4, to win first World Series game
By HAL McCOY The Washington Nationals and Houston Astros were familiar with each other before the season even began and probably didn’t need scouting reports before the World Series. They share a spring training facility in West Palm Beach, Fla., FITTEAM Ballpark at the Palm Beaches. They played six exhibition games against each other this […]
OBSERVATIONS: Why was Aroldis Chapman smiling?
By HAL McCOY UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave while wondering whoever said that something is dirt cheap. Fifteen bags of top soil costs $20 at Home Depot. —Did you see the smile on New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman after he gave up the series-deciding home run to Jose Altuve, Houston’s Little Big Man? […]
New York has a problem — Houston one step away from World Series
By HAL McCOY “New York, we have a problem.” That slightly altered quote is attributed to the astronauts on Apollo 13 talking to NASA mission control in Houston. The Houston/Apollo quote is erroneous, but “New York, we have a problem,” is about as accurate as it can get in The Bronx. The New York Yankees […]
Nationals sweep their way into their first World Series
By HAL McCOY It is not true that the 120-loss 1962 New York Mets showed up for the National League Championship Series in place of the St. Louis Cardinals. It only looked that way. The Washington Nationals finished their complete stranglehold of the Cardinals Tuesday night. wiping out the proud and historic St. Louis franchise […]
Cole not sharp but still punctures Yankees, 4-1
By HAL McCOY Gerrit Cole was not his omnipotent self Tuesday afternoon in Yankee Stadium, but when Cole is on the mound omnipotence isn’t always necessary. And the New York Yankees discovered that the hard way in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series. Cole worked without command of his normal fastball, a pitch […]
Nationals one win away from the World Series
By HAL McCOY Figuring out baseball is like trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube while wearing a blindfold. It can’t be done. The St. Louis Cardinals scored 10 runs in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves in the deciding game of the National League Division Series. That moved the Cardinals into the National League […]
OBSERVATIONS: NFL officials playing ‘Drop the Hankie’
By HAL McCOY UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave while wondering if the St. Louis Cardinals can get a hit against the Washington Nationals before the seventh inning. If I’m St. Louis leadoff hitter Dexter Fowler tonight in Game 3, I drop a bunt in the first inning and run like hell. —I always thought […]
OBSERVATIONS: Picking the Nationals to win it all
By HAL McCOY UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave while loving the way the baseball playoffs are going: The Big Blue Empire (Los Angeles Dodgers) is gone and the low budget Tampa Bay Rays made a statement. Both the Cardinals-Nationals and Astros-Yankees should be dandy LCS match-ups. My picks? A Nationals-Astros World Series. And remember, […]