Other Crap

Oswalt baffled the Braves; the mighty Cardinals bade farewell to the Padres.

• By getting swept, the Padres finished the season with 82 wins and 83 losses, making them the only losing team ever to play in the post-season, and giving them a worse overall record than the Washington Nationals, who finished LAST in the East.
• The Braves did catch a break. Pettitte hasn't rested enough to make the next start, so the Astros will go with their #4 man, Brandon Backe, who represents a mammoth drop-off from the Big Three. Here are the ERAs for their four starters: 1.87, 2.39, 2.94, 4.76. Backe also sports an astronomical 1.46 whip, compared to the Astros team average of 1.23, and has pitched only 39 innings since the All-Star break. Houston is playing at home in a closed stadium, so a rain-out is not possible, and Backe has to do the job. I'm sure Phil Garner knows more about managing than I ever will, but I believe I'd give Pettitte a try on three days of rest.