Ahhhh, Thursdays in late September. These are hallowed days for sports fans. Not only do we have a few key baseball games being played with major playoff implications but we also have a big-time SEC battle in prime time. And, hold on a second, did I mention the biggest softball game in the storied history of the 70s Style Bush? Talk about playoff implications, the Bush's life is on the line tonight. So let's take tonight's action in order of importance, starting with least:
Unpickable Master Locks - MLB:
Seattle @ Toronto - This is the time of year you see studs whose teams or out of contention put in big performance in their quest to secure some award votes. This feels like such a game with King Felix looking for some way to close ground on Zack Greinke in the AL Cy Young chase. Felix ain't gonna get there but that won't be because of tonight's effort. Look to him to shut down a Toronto team that some folks thought was going to be relevant because they beat up on the AL's worst teams in April. The Blue Jays are a bunch of humps. From the starters to the bullpen to bench. They are a bunch of Canadian buttnuts. The King will not treat them kindly. Take Seattle (-155) to win north of the border. Final score is 4-2. LOCK IT UP
Boston @ Kansas City - The Royals have had a bit of fun knocking around the Sox this week. And, I must admit, I've had fun watching it happen. Be warned, the fun is over. Clay Buchholz who we don't love has been pitching very, very well. More importantly, the Royals, who have started the likes of Sidney Ponson and Bruce Chen this season, are giving the ball to Anthony Lerew who wasn't even in AAA. This does not have the makings of a competitive game. Take the Red Sox (-200) to move a step closer to clinching the wild card. Final score is 8-3. LOCK IT UP
San Diego @ Colorado - The Rockies are too good a team to drop two in a row this time of year vs. the Padres. Jason Hammel has been pitching like a fairly dependable starter recently. The Padres are playing out the string, albeit with dignity and effort. That got them a win last night. It doesn't mean there will be a second in a row. We like the Rocks (-200) to cruise to a 6-3 victory. LOCK IT UP
Unpickable Master Locks - CFL:
Mississippi @ South Carolina - (Line is Mississippi -4.5) - Ole Miss spent the summer being the face name of the tongue of nearly every analyst as this next big team to burst on the scene this season. So far, they've looked great.....against Memphis and Southeastern Louisiana - not exactly Florida and Texas. South Carolina will serve as the very first test for this untested team. The fact that this game is at South Carolina and in prime time does not bode well for Ole Miss in our estimation. We're usually fond of taking home dogs in Thursday night games on ESPN. They will typically be playing the biggest game of their season and in front of the biggest audience. This does amazing things to college kids. South Carolina has already shown an ability to hang with tough opponents both in and out of conference. The fact that they have been tested already this year is another big plus for them. We're not sure the Gamecocks will win this game but we do think they'll keep it close to the end. With that in mind, we'll take South Carolina and the points (+4.5). LOCK IT UP
Unpickable Master Lock - Pleasant Hill D League Softball:
70s Style Bush @ Blash - This is a make-up game from earlier this season when the Blash couldn't get their team together. It figures that it got moved to the final week when playoff lives and seedings are on the line. Blash is comfortably in the playoffs but can slide as low as the three seed with a loss tonight. The Bush is not as lucky. A loss to Blash coupled with an expected win by the Dirtbags and 70s Style will not even have the opportunity to defend their title in the post-season.
This is the type of game the Bush has proven adept at winning in recent seasons. Nothing wakes this team more than having its back against a wall or, in Cadillac's case, a creek bed. Sadly, the team goes into this, its biggest battle, without a full platoon. Absences by Pink Cadillac, Johnny Y, Fordo and Smitty thin out the bench and mean others will need to rise to the occasion. The Locks thinks that happens. Pitching and defense are the hallmarks of this squad and they'll be on display tonight. The wild card is always the offense. Tonight, big hits will be supplied by Scurry, Hussle and Big John, while the rest of the team just does what needs to be done to move runners over and extend innings. When all is said in done, the Bush will prevail in this battle of teams for whom there is no love loss. We're locking up a trip to the post-season for the Bush. I can taste my celebratory PBR tall boy already. Final score 9-8. LOCK IT UP
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