Seems like old times

I originally typed "Seems like out times"

This was the game everyone feared, a throwback to the late 90s and early aughts, the three times the Astros motored into the playoffs with increasingly higher levels of expectation--only to run into the three-headed Hall-of-Fame goliath named Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz.

Between 1997 and 2001, the Astros played 10 playoff games against the Braves and lost nine of them. The top three reasons, far and away, were Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz, who often blew threw the Astros' line-up with laughable ease.

If Jeff Bagwell is robbed of his rightful place in the Hall of Fame, his sub-.200, no-homer playoff performance against those three will be the primary reason.

So today was back to the past: six shut-out innings by Smoltz, the last remaining Brave from the HOF trio, to knock the Astros out of the playoffs. Everyone who remembered those late-90s Braves knew how the game would go, starting with Mike Lamb's opening error in the first (one run), to Jeff Francouer's solo homer in the second. What happened in the top of the third was vintage 'Stros: two on, nobody out . . . then, strike out. Then, a bullet of a line drive that Francouer stabbed, then threw to the plate to complete the double play.

As with Friday night, 2-0 might has well have been 20-0, and the names on the backs of the jerseys might have read "Berry" and "Gonzalez" and "Bell" as well as "Biggio" and "Ausmus."

In other news, as SunDevilJoe pointed out, manager Bernie Williams installed pinch-hitter Bernie Williams in the night for the Yankees, whereupon Williams demonstrated the wisdom of his manager and stroked a double. Williams's main concerns today were 1) Keep everyone from getting hurt, and 2) manipulate Derek Jeter's plate appearances to give him the best chance for a batting title. Williams managed the first and did as well as he could in the second; however, Jeter went cold after his first hit and finished at .339.

MVP? Probably, though Mauer, as a catcher, may be more deserving. I'm guessing that enough "It's his turn" sentiment will send the trophy Jeter's way.

Now. Bring on the play-offs.

And the midterms.

Heck of a ride, these past twelve days.