There is nothing to suggest that an 11-day delay is enough to help the San Francisco Giants beat the Oakland Athletics in the World Series.
If anything, the earthquake-induced interruption figures to benefit Oakland because the A's could start their two best pitchers, Dave Stewart and Mike Moore, six times if the Series went the seven-game limit.Since those two already have combined for 5-0 and 5-1 wins before the earth shook and baseball stopped with the A's holding a two-game edge, it figures that the quake only dug the Giants a deeper hole.
If talent prevails, this thing should end no later than Sunday, when Game 5 would be played. On paper the World Series didn't figure to last more than five games from the outset, but now it's guaranteed to last at least two weeks.
But whatever edge the A's might have gained by the delay could be offset by their anxiety to get the job done. They have had 11 days to think about, and be reminded of, how easily they dispatched the Giants in Games 1 and 2. They have had 11 days to think about how close they are to avenging last year's stunning loss to the Dodgers.
They also have had 11 days to contemplate the possible cancellation of the World Series or worse yet, blowing their two-game advantage and losing to the Giants.
When Oakland bolted for Phoenix three days ago, it wasn't just to assure good weather for a couple of workouts. The A's made the move as much to get away from the turmoil of the Bay Area and the intense media scrutiny as anything else.
The pressure of being on top is always much greater, and it was starting to show. Among those who noticed were the Giants, who stayed home to do their work. As first baseman Will Clark suggested, "The A's were on a roll, so this (delay) can only help us."
The longer the A's had to wait, the better it was for the Giants. But that doesn't figure to help much.
After all, the A's beat them eight out of nine in spring training and the sixth months in between didn't help in the first two games of the World Series.
The A's are still the pick - in five games or 16 days, whichever comes first. Unless of course the monsoon season arrives and brings a few rain delays.