ESPN

Alex Rodriguez hits two game-tying home runs in the late innings of postseason games. Brad Lidge closes out a game like the Lidge of old (or at least unlike the Lidge of this season). And the Angels make the Red Sox look positively Pawtucket-ish. Clearly, there is some bad postseason karma looking for a new home. Good thing MLB umpires are around.

Capping off a run of mistakes around the league, home plate umpire Jerry Meals, by his own admission, blew a call that prolonged a ninth inning in which the Phillies eventually took a 6-5 lead against the Rockies Sunday night. Then again, perhaps Meals can be forgiven for freezing on a call in a four-hour game played in sub-freezing temperatures.

Buster Olney thinks it's time to bring in mechanical assistance. Back in July, only a slight majority of SportsNation thought replay should be expanded. Has October changed that?

• Vote on NLDS: Will the Phillies close it out? | Vote on ALCS: Yankees or Angels?
• Chat: "Baseball Tonight" analyst Orestes Destrade talks playoffs, 3 ET.

“

i'd just like to send out a personal thank you to bud selig. bud, thank you so much for caring more about money than the fans. this was the best game of the post season (imo) and my kids didn't even get to see the first pitch. thank you so much bud for allowing me (on the east coast) to get 3.5 hours of sleep last night. i appreciated it greatly, 8 would have been too much...you're the best big fella. keep thinking about the mlb wallet and keep sticking to the little guys (literally, i'm talking about my kids).

” -- rustyburg

“

face it, no one wants to see the friggin rockies in the playoffs so im not suprised to see the umps pulling for the phils. no one likes the rockies cause they have no personality and are boring. so who wants to watch that

” -- thelivinglegend05