Take 2 Roundup: Games of Sun, 1/6/08

[bernieh]

[size=24:ec676c16d4][b:ec676c16d4]PIRATES OF THE NL EAST[/b:ec676c16d4][/size:ec676c16d4]
[size=18:ec676c16d4]Mets: At World's End?[/size:ec676c16d4]

<img src="http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/images/baseball/stratomatic/1986/story_photos/mike_diaz_1_150x186.jpg" align="left" border="1" width="150" height="186" style="margin-right: 10px;" /> Here come the Pirates, there go the Mets. After completing a 4-game sweep over New York with a [url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=705]5-2 win on Sunday night[/url], the surging Pittsburgh Pirates sit [url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/standings/]just 1 game behind the Mets at the top of the NL East standings[/url]. New York's disastrous slide has hit [b:ec676c16d4]10 straight losses[/b:ec676c16d4], as they enter a 3-game series hosting the Phillies starting Monday night.

A glance at [url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/teams/roster.php?id=24771&univ=sim]Pittsburgh's team stats[/url] reveals no remarkable performances, save for that of first baseman [b:ec676c16d4]Mike Diaz[/b:ec676c16d4] (pictured), who is 2nd in the Majors with 51 RBI (1 behind Kevin McReynolds' 52), despite a BA of only .243. But the fact remains: the Bucs are hot, the Mets are (catastrophically) not.

[b:ec676c16d4]In the AL:[/b:ec676c16d4] Cory Snyder's 3-run walkoff homerun in the 9th inning capped a dramatic late comeback, as the Indians scored 9 runs in the last 4 innings to [url=http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/1986/scores/boxscore.php?id=712][b:ec676c16d4]stun the Angels 12-9[/b:ec676c16d4][/url] on Sunday night. The Angels had been winners of 8 out of their last 9 games, and maintain a 4-game lead over both the White Sox and Royals in the AL West.

[i:ec676c16d4]photo: SN Archives[/i:ec676c16d4]

[The Conndor]

Whoever does the headlines should get a medal for the one on Dunston. Shawon lawonches two hawomers... classic!