Thread: Batter Up! Baseball 2017 Board: The Circus / Ship of Fools.
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Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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I have held off as long as I could. But on Tuesday, pitchers & catchers report to Spring Training and that means Major League Baseball is almost back! And that means it is time to start speculating! Will the Cubbies manage to win back-to-back World Series? Will the Cleveland Indians win their first WS crown since 1948? (N.B.: now that the Cubbies have won, I think Cleveland currently holds the title of the team that has gone the most seasons without winning the World Series.) Will La Dodgers finally succeed with all the money they have been throwing at the problem? (The Dodgers are estimated to be spending $234.9 million on payroll in 2017...the next highest team is the Detroit Tigers at a "mere" $199.6 million.)
A little nod to international baseball as well. First, congratulations to the Brisbane Bandits, who this weekend secured their second straight Australian Baseball championship. My beloved Sydney Blue Sox did not even make the playoffs!
Also, this year another World Baseball Classic (the fourth) will be played in March. Japan won the first two, and Dominican Republic won the last one. USA has never shown too well in this competition. The timing is always awkward, being placed fairly early in Spring Training and the clubs always a little reluctant to risk hurting their stars in the WBC. Nevertheless, it is something to watch until MLB games start in April. The WBC starts with four pools of teams and the top two teams in each pool advances to the next round:
POOL A: Israel; Korea; Chinese Taipei; Netherlands. These games will be played in Seoul. My expectation is that the Netherlands and Korea will advance. These games will played between March 6 & 10.
POOL B: Cuba; Japan; China; Australia. These games will be played in Tokyo. I expect Cuba and Japan to emerge from this group. Their games will be played between March 7 & 11.
POOL C: Canada; Dominican Republic; Colombia; USA. These games will be played in Miami. The defending champion, D.R., will almost certainly advance. I hope USA advances as well, but a slow start could doom them. Canada is certainly capable of slipping in. The games will be played from March 9 to 13.
POOL D: Mexico; Italy; Venezuela; Puerto Rico. These games will be played in San Diego. This is a tricky pool to predict. I don't think Italy has any shot at it, but as far as I am concerned it is a bit of a coin flip between the other three. I am going to predict Puerto Rico and Venezuela, and let Mexico prove me wrong. These games will be played from March 9 to 13.
Play ball!
Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on
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The equipment trucks for the Red Sox and the Twins arrived here about a week ago. There is much excitement in this part of the country!
I remember a long, long time ago when Daughter-Unit and I could go to a Red Sox spring training game with excellent seats for about $6 each. Those were the days. ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Hedgehog:
Will the Cleveland Indians win their first WS crown since 1948? (N.B.: now that the Cubbies have won, I think Cleveland currently holds the title of the team that has gone the most seasons without winning the World Series.)
Now that's an interesting question. If you're going by which franchise has gone the longest since its last title, then yes. Even if you go by which city has had its local team play the most seasons without winning a title, also still yes.* But if you're going by which city has gone the longest since last winning, then the city of Washington, who last won it all in 1924 with the Senators, take the lack of cake.
*Yes, it's a really awkward phrasing—DC was without a baseball team for many years between the time the Senators left and the Nats/Expos arrived, while Cleveland has had a team continuously since '48. So, if you don't count the years nobody was playing ball in Washington, Cleveland "wins;" if you do, DC does.
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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Yes, I was thinking in terms of franchises rather than cities. I get your point that Washington D.C. has not had a World Series champ...but then, it hasn't always had a baseball team, which is kind of a requirement. So, for example,Milwaukee had a World Series champ in 1957, with the Braves, but it has never had one with the Brewers. So do we measure the frustration from 1957 or from 1970 (when the Brewers started in Milwaukee, although the franchise itself started the prior year in Seattle), and realizing that Milwaukee had no team at all from 1965 to 1969.
That's too complicated for me. In terms of franchises, the Indians are currently the ones who have waited the longest, since they last won a World Series in 1948. However, it is probably worth considering those franchises who have never won a World Series. There are currently eight of them: Astros; Brewers; Mariners; Nationals; Padres; Rangers; Rays; and Rockies.
Of those eight, the leader on the Frustration Chart would be the Texas Rangers (formerly known as the Washington Senators). The franchise began in 1961, so they have gone 56 seasons without winning it all. Right behind them is the Houston Astros (1962) with 55 seasons. After that, the Nationals (formerly Expos), Padres and Brewers are all tied as they all started in 1969, for 48 seasons without the crown.
Historically, though, even the Rangers are not anywhere close to the longest dry spell before winning one's first World Series. That is held by my beloved Philadelphia Phillies, who were formed in 1883, but did not win their first World Series until 1980--or for 97 seasons!
On the other end of the scale, the franchise that got a World Series crown the fastest would be (of all teams) the Boston Red Sox. Formed in 1901, they won their first World Series in 1903!!
[Clarification: I am treating the World Series as being a competition between the National League and American League. The American League did not exist until 1901, so any National League club older than that might have won "the Championship" but it wasn't the "World Series" as I have defined it. The Braves, for example, were formed in 1876 and won a championship in 1892, but I am treating their first World Series win as 1914. Likewise, the Giants (formed in 1883) won Championships in 1888 and 1889, but their first World Series was 1905. This does not really affect any of the info I have given...the Phillies still did not win the overall baseball championship until 1980, and no team that currently exists won the overall championship as quickly as the Red Sox.]
So, by my calculation, the Frustration Chart is as follows:
Cleveland Indians (68 seasons)
Texas Rangers (56 seasons)
Houston Astros (55 seasons)
Washington Nationals/San Diego Padres/Milwaukee Brewers (all 48 seasons)
Seattle Mariners (40 seasons)
Pittsburgh Pirates (37 seasons)
Baltimore Orioles (33 seasons)
Detroit Tigers (32 seasons)
NY Mets (30 seasons)
LA Dodgers (28 seasons)
Oakland A's (27 seasons)
Cincinnati Reds (26 seasons)
Minnesota Twins (25 seasons)
Colorado Rockies (24 seasons)
Toronto Blue Jays (23 seasons)
Atlanta Braves (21 seasons)
Tampa Bay Rays (19 seasons)
Arizona Diamondbacks (15 seasons)
LA Angels (14 seasons)
Miami Marlins (13 seasons)
Chicago White Sox (11 seasons)
Philadelphia Phillies (8 seasons)
NY Yankees (7 seasons)
St. Louis Cardinals (5 seasons)
Boston Red Sox (3 seasons)
SF Giants (2 seasons)
Kansas City Royals (1 season)
Chicago Cubs (0 seasons)
Yeah. I was bored.
Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on
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quote:
Originally posted by jedijudy:
...I remember a long, long time ago when Daughter-Unit and I could go to a Red Sox spring training game with excellent seats for about $6 each. Those were the days.
...I remember going to a regular-season Padres game for $2 when I was a student at San Diego State and it was bad value for the money - they were so horrible in the '70s!
...I saw the Angels in Anaheim shortly after the new stadium opened. I must have been in high school then because my late father still had some of his health left. I spent a lot of the time speaking with another young man about high school football - they were dead boring!
Looking forward to a couple of Dodger games at "Camelback Ranch."
Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on
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In a move that will do my beloved Pirates no harm at all our starting outfield will participate in the World Baseball Classic. Andrew McCutcheon, Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco will all be there while Francisco Cervelli, our catcher, will be there (for Italy).
We aren't good starters, maybe this will help.
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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The Phillies will have six players playing in the WBC, mainly for Venezuela (center fielder Odubel Herrera, shortstop Freddy Galvis and pitchers Jeanmar Gomez and Edubray Ramos). Another pitcher(Hector Neris) will play for the Dominican Republic and pitcher Pat Neshek will pitch for (finally!) the United States.
Considering how bad the Phillies are right now, having that many Phils on the roster doesn't speak well for Venezuela's chances! ![[Biased]](wink.gif)
Posted by basso (# 4228) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Sir Kevin:
I remember going to a regular-season Padres game for $2 when I was a student at San Diego State and it was bad value for the money - they were so horrible in the '70s!
I remember driving past Candlestick Park on my way home one night in the 70s, seeing the lights on, and stopping on a whim.
I walked up to the ticket stand and asked for a box seat. The seller asked if first row, behind the plate was okay. (Sure!)
Those were the days when the Giants sometimes got only a couple of thousand, especially for a night game (Brrr!)
They were very, very bad in those days.
Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on
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My Dodgers have some problems, but mass quantities of money are being thrown at them!
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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I just want to give a little nod of recognition to the passing of Ned Garver. One can be forgiven for never having heard of him, but he does have the distinction of being one of only two pitchers in MLB history to win 20 games in a season (1951) where his team lost 100 games. It is tough enough to win 20 games when you have a good team behind you, so it is even more impressive to do it with a bad one. No other pitcher on the squad won more than 6 games.
Garver memorably commented that, in that season, the fans did not dare boo the players--for the simple reason that the players outnumbered them!
In case you are curious, the other pitcher to win 20 games for a 100-loss team was the even more obscure Irv Young of the 1905 Boston Beaneaters (later re-named the Boston Braves, before moving to Milwaukee and, currently, Atlanta).
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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We are now less than 12 hours away from the start of the World Baseball Classic: Israel v. South Korea, in Seoul. Conventional wisdom suggests that Korea will win, but some have pointed out that Korea has had trouble scoring runs during qualifying and that Israel is starting former MLB pitcher Jason Marquis (who has World Series experience). And, after all, Israel managed to qualify for this tournament, so they aren't pushovers.
It is always tempting to root for the underdog, but I think the challenge of beating Korea in Korea will be too much for Israel.
I won't be getting up at 4:30am (my time) to watch, but I should be awake in time to watch the end of the game.
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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See, this is why I don't bet on baseball.
Israel defeated Korea 2-1 in 10 innings. Israel jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the 1st. Korea tied it in the 5th. It stayed 1-1 until the 10th. Israel's pitcher for the last three innings (and, therefore, the winning pitcher) was Josh Zeid, who (in real life) pitches for the Houston Astros.
Israel's reward? They get to come back onto the field in 13 hours for their next game, against Chinese Taipei.
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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More Pool A results from the WBC:
Israel continues its winning ways by defeating Chinese Taipei 15-7.
Korea continues to struggle, as the Netherlands beat Korea 5-0. Korea's chances of advancing to the next round are looking really bad right now.
Pool B play has also started, with Japan v. Cuba. Japan won, 11-6. The last few innings were a bit crazy, but Japan were comfortably in control from the 5th inning on.
Posted by Prester John (# 5502) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Hedgehog:
More Pool A results from the WBC:
Israel continues its winning ways by defeating Chinese Taipei 15-7.
I saw this one last night. It was disappointing that a nation with a long history of professional baseball didn't seem to put up much of a fight. Nevertheless it was intriguing to watch the fan interaction. They seem really into the game with a myriad of organized cheers. It was an interesting look into a different baseball culture.
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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Chinese Taipei put up more of a fight today, but the Netherlands ended up winning in walk-off fashion, 6-5.
As a result of that, both the Netherlands and Israel are through to the next round (both going into "Pool E"). To finish this round, they have to play each other, just as Korea and Chinese Taipei need to play each other, but those games will be more for pride than anything. For all practical purposes, Pool A is done.
Pool B is getting interesting. Cuba came back from its opening loss to Japan to defeat China 6-0 (a one-hit shutout, if I heard correctly). Meanwhile, Australia made a good showing against Japan. Japan ultimately won, 4-1, but it was tied 1-1 through 6 innings.
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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Australia put up a good fight. They crushed China 11-0, which meant that the Australia-Cuba game would decide which of those two teams would advance. In the top of the 5th, Australia took the lead, 1-0. Cuba responded with 4 runs in the bottom of the 5th. Australia added single runs in the 7th and 8th to bring the score to 4-3...but they went down 1-2-3 in the 9th.
As a result, in the next round, Pool E will be Israel, the Netherlands, Japan and Cuba.
Meanwhile, play started in Pools C & D last night. Canada fell to Dominican Republic (who look really strong) and, in a shocker, Italy staged a 9th inning rally to come back from 4 runs down to beat Mexico 10-9.
The U.S. plays tonight against Colombia.
Posted by Mere Nick (# 11827) on
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I've been keeping up with it, too. Israel has been a big surprise and the Mexico-Italy game last night was very exciting. As for the Dominican Republic team, they are probably the best team that's ever been put together anywhere, anytime. They'd even drill the 1927 Yankees. If they were their own mlb team, they'd probably go 145-17 during the regular season and sweep the playoffs and series. I figured maybe 17 losses because they are still human and an opponent might actually play perfectly against them a few times.
Posted by Mere Nick (# 11827) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Hedgehog:
Australia put up a good fight.
A very good fight, indeed.
Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Mere Nick:
I've been keeping up with it, too. Israel has been a big surprise and the Mexico-Italy game last night was very exciting. As for the Dominican Republic team, they are probably the best team that's ever been put together anywhere, anytime. They'd even drill the 1927 Yankees. If they were their own mlb team, they'd probably go 145-17 during the regular season and sweep the playoffs and series. I figured maybe 17 losses because they are still human and an opponent might actually play perfectly against them a few times.
A true World Series ![[Devil]](graemlins/devil.gif)
(I've been trying without success to find TV coverage )
Posted by Mere Nick (# 11827) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Sioni Sais:
A true World Series
(I've been trying without success to find TV coverage )
Yes, it is closer than what we have now. The thing is, baseball players make more in the US than anywhere else and that makes it from real hard to impossible to have a World Series based upon your regular season team. Many US players don't participate in the WBC because they are now in spring training getting ready for their paying job.
I looked for a couple of minutes through the WBC website and mlb.com, along with mlb tv and couldn't find live games online for where you live. You might be able to get the data without seeing the actual game. I do that sometimes.
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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Wow! The WBC has been intense this weekend. There have been so many good, close games that I can hardly keep track. The U.S. went to extra innings against Colombia on Friday before winning 3-2. Colombia has since proven that was no fluke by beating Canada...and they are currently in extra innings against the Dominican Republic (after just barely missing getting the winning run across int he 9th).
Meanwhile, the U.S. had taken a 5-0 lead against D.R. when they played on Saturday, only to see the Dominicans chip away and finally win it 7-5.
Meanwhile, Venezuela and Italy brought their bats (but not much defense) in a game that Venezuela won in extra innings 11-10 (this after BOTH teams scored 2 runs in the 9th).
And let us not skip past Israel beating Cuba 4-1!
And Japan and the Netherlands, where the Dutch staged a 9th inning rally to tie it in the 9th (and left the potential winning run on 3rd). These two teams not only went to extra innings but triggered the special rules by making it to the 11th (when each team starts the inning with runners on 1st and 2nd). This after, in the 10th, Japan had the bases loaded with only one out and failed to score. Japan finally won 8-6.
There are a lot of things wrong about the WBC, but you can't complain about the level of baseball being played.
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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We have made it to the semi-finals of the WBC. The other night USA managed to knock the defending champion (Dominican Republic) out of the tournament. That came as a surprise, but honestly USA almost beat DR in first round play, too, before coughing up a 5-run lead late in the game.
So the first semifinal is tonight: Netherlands v. Puerto Rico. The other (which I think is scheduled for tomorrow night) is Japan v. USA.
I am not even going to pretend to predict the results.
Posted by Mere Nick (# 11827) on
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Marcus Stroman threw 6 innings of no-hit ball and the US whupped up on Puerto Rico 8-0 to win the WBC. I figured it would be either Dominican Republic or Puerto Rico to win it, but the US played strong when it had to. It's just a shame this only happens every four years.
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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Almost there! The season officially starts on Sunday (although only 3 games to watch). The first game on Sunday is Yankees-Rays. Considering that it is not only AL, but also Yankees, my interest level is pretty low. Still, I may watch some of it.
The second game is Giants-Diamondbacks. That's better. It is NL, for one thing, and it will be interesting to see how the Giants start out. The D-backs do not intrigue me, though. Still, I almost certainly will be watching.
The big match-up, though, will be the evening game: Cubs-Cardinals. WS champs against a major rival within their division. That is pretty much a must-see.
It is also time for me to do my traditional check on which teams is the last to lose a game this season, and which team is the last to win a game this season. My prediction (i.e., almost certainly wrong because when oh when have I ever predicted something about baseball correctly????): The Last to Lose will be La Dodgers. And the Last to Win will be the San Diego Padres.
Posted by Barnabas62 (# 9110) on
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Groan! I watched Giants @ DBacks live (BT Sports ESPN in the UK) and it was a really exciting game. And MadBum hit two homers in the game, which was some kind of a record for a pitcher in a season opener. And pitched pretty well too. But it was close at the end, and the Giants bullpen and new closer didn't get it done. Too much of an echo of the second half of last season.
But I'm glad the new season has started and look forward to the next six months!
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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Yes, it is difficult to figure out what more MadBum could have done to win that game. If I heard correctly, it is the first time ever that a pitcher has hit two homers on a season opener.
But he does have the joy of currently being the top hitter (batting 1.000) and the home run leader in MLB.
Posted by Prester John (# 5502) on
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If you had a chance to watch the Cubs-Cardinals game you would have had the "pleasure" of witnessing the beginning of the demise of Western Civilization. I refer, of course, to the automatic walk. It was used on Yadier Molina in the 8th- I think. Obviously I'm slightly exaggerating but it just felt wrong watching it.
In regards to the Giants I had thought the bullpen issues were fixed in the offseason but I guess not. Plus, we've kept Cain! God bless him but I think he's past his sell by date.
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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In the NL, my annual contest for Last to Win/Last to Lose is essentially over. The Washington Nationals were the only NL team to go 2-0. And then they lost their 3rd game. On the loss side, the Pirates are currently 0-2 and were rained out one game. Miami had also been 0-2 but then beat Washington to go to 1-2.
The AL is still up in the air. Two teams (Kansas City and Texas) are both 0-3. Two teams (Cleveland and Minnesota) are 3-0 and two others (Baltimore & Boston) are 2-0.
Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on
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The Rockies are 4-1 off of the strength of ... pitching? This team is supposed to win 12-10 sluggouts, not 2-1 pitching duels like they did yesterday. Best parts- the starter was a Denver native, and we had three relievers pitch three shut out innings to win it!
Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on
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5-1 after becoming the first team to hit back-to-back home runs off of Clayton Keyshaw in the 10 years he's been in the bigs.
Posted by RuthW (# 13) on
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Ugh!
Dodgers managed to hold off the sweep today, but it looks like lefty pitchers are going to kill them this year. Again.
Posted by Sir Kevin (# 3492) on
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Noooooooo!
When I was a young man in Pasadena, in the San Rafael neighborhood, I was only three or four miles away from Chavez Ravine. I deserve better than that. Now where's my cap?
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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Bad news for the Pirates, as Starling Marte has been suspended for 80 games (i.e., basically half the season).
Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Hedgehog:
Bad news for the Pirates, as Starling Marte has been suspended for 80 games (i.e., basically half the season).
Not our finest hour.
Posted by Barnabas62 (# 9110) on
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Not even the end of April, but I am already in mourning. The Giants have had the worst start to the season for years, MadBum is out for about two months and the Rockies have just hammered them in a series. Plus loads of other injuries and problems with Bochy's health. Urghh!
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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The Madison Bumgarner injury certainly doesn't help. Part of the irony, though, is that MadBum declined to participate in the World Baseball Classic because he didn't want to risk getting hurt...and then he goes and wipes out riding a dirt bike.
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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Here is a pretty cool story of the first African-born player to make it to MLB.
He got his first major league hit in his first at-bat, and he got to be part of the final play of the game, being the middle fielder in a 6-4-3 double-play.
Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on
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After the Marte fiasco it was heart-warming to see some good news from Pittsburgh.
Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on
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A fifth of the way through the season, and the Rockies are still looking strong on the pitching front. They have a spectacular record in one-run games and games where they take a lead into late innings, two statistics where they got demolished last year.
Coming off of beating the Cubs in two out of three games (always satisfying, given the number of Cubs fans who come out of the woodwork for that series- the Rockies even sell Old Style in the stands to assist them in their Wrigley cosplay ![[Disappointed]](graemlins/disappointed.gif)
), we have a big four-game home series against the second-place Dodgers, who are a game and a half back of the Rockies at the moment. If I had any confidence in my daughter's ability to sit still through one out of baseball, much less a few innings, I'd be looking for tickets.
Posted by Prester John (# 5502) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Og, King of Bashan:
If I had any confidence in my daughter's ability to sit still through one out of baseball, much less a few innings, I'd be looking for tickets.
As a parent of two who are a bit older than your daughter let me drop some unsolicited advice-date night. It helps keep the marriage fresh, allows you to enjoy adult-oriented activities and permits you to take a well-deserved break from focusing on the wee one.
Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on
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And if I had any faith in my wife's ability to sit still for one out of baseball... (She's a football girl.)
Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on
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2-2 split on the series. Not quite what I was hoping for, but we are still in first at the end of the weekend. The upcoming 10 day road trip (3 in Minnesota and Cinci, 4 in Philly) should be a good opportunity to find out if this is just another hot start that fades as June approaches, or if this team is the real deal.
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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I may possibly be in attendance for the finale in the Colorado-Philly series. A few scheduling headaches to work out (it is a 1:05 EST start, so I first need to get off w-rk that day.
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Hedgehog:
I may possibly be in attendance for the finale in the Colorado-Philly series. A few scheduling headaches to work out (it is a 1:05 EST start, so I first need to get off w-rk that day.
Re-set! I will NOT be at that game. My brother and I are going to the Phillies the next night, to see them play Cincinnati. I have to admit, that does relieve the scheduling headaches, so one less stressor for my life.
Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on
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The Rockies are 7-2 on the road trip, with one more to go in Philly, where they have been hitting the cover off of the ball so far. 8-2 would be amazing, 7-3 still gets them three our of three series wins on a traditionally rough road trip.
The boys are back in town tomorrow, and I'll be there with some old college friends to see them take on the Cardinals!
(I'm actually going to be in Philly next week for a wedding- second time this month that I have arrived in a city a few days too late to cheer on my team. Earlier this month, it was San Diego. I assume that my presence in the stands in a Rockies hat would have gone by a lot smoother there than in Philadelphia?)
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Og, King of Bashan:
The Rockies are 7-2 on the road trip, with one more to go in Philly, where they have been hitting the cover off of the ball so far.
I think Phillies fans are rooting for rain today.
quote:
I assume that my presence in the stands in a Rockies hat would have gone by a lot smoother there than in Philadelphia?
Not really. There is a dislike for Mets fans, but that's primarily because the Mets fans tend to be obnoxious when they come to Philly. If you are just sitting in the stands and cheering your own non-NY team on, there is no problem. If you start gloating that the Phillies are doing badly, then the fans might get ruffled--although, these days, we're more likely to agree that they are a bad team.
Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on
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The road trip ended with an 11-inning 2-1 loss, but I got to see the boys come back with style over the Cardinals, turning a 2-0 pitchers duel into a 10-0 blow out with a 8-run 8th inning. Some fielding gems as well, including an amazing diving catch and a couple really hard-earned double plays. It was the right game pick as my first of the season.
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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In light of recent events, I thought Shipmates might be interested in a link to the history of the Congressional Baseball Game. It has not been a continuous history, as the game was cancelled several times over the years.
By the way, seems to indicate that currently both sides have the same record: 39-39-1!
Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on
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Trigger warning for Giants fans, you might not want to read any further.
From Deadspin, The NL West is Competitive and Fun as Hell.
Three games against third place Arizona here in Denver starting today (thank goodness it's not in Phoenix- 120 projected high today! It'll be a mere 91 at first pitch here.), and then straight to Chavez Ravine for a series against the second place (by a half a game) Dodgers. It's still June, but it's starting to feel like do-or-die baseball already.
Posted by Prester John (# 5502) on
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Savage- but well deserved.
Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on
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Rockies win! I tuned in to the radio broadcast with the Rockies down 3-2 in the 8th, and D-Backs ace Zach Greinke pitching lights out, and looking for a complete game. Unfortunately for the Diamondbacks, that meant that no one was warming up when he gave up back to back singles, and found himself with (future MVP?) Nolan Arenado up to bat.
Double off the wall, two runs score, and the Rockies win another one run game.
The Dodgers kept up the pressure, socking the Mets 12-0, with (future rookie of the year?) Cody Bellinger hitting his tenth home run in as many games, a first for a rookie.
The weekend's Rockies-Dodgers series is setting up to be huge.
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Og, King of Bashan:
Rockies win!
Sigh. I remember when my team used to win. Those were good times.
quote:
The Dodgers kept up the pressure, socking the Mets 12-0, with (future rookie of the year?) Cody Bellinger hitting his tenth home run in as many games, a first for a rookie.
And Corey Seager almost pulled off a unique achievement. He hit a one-run, a two-run and a three-run homer--just missing having a grand slam (four-run) to be the first batter in history to "hit for the homer cycle" in a game.
Posted by Caissa (# 16710) on
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My Jays are 0-8 in games when they had an opportunity to reach .500.
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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quote:
Originally posted by Caissa:
My Jays are 0-8 in games when they had an opportunity to reach .500.
I am trying to find sympathy, but my Phils are 25 games below .500. And they have only played 69 games! ![[Help]](graemlins/help.gif)
I'd LOVE to be 0-8 in opportunities at reaching .500.
I guess it is all a matter of perspective.
Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on
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Got my radio ready to listen to the game last night while working on a project in the garage, and was treated to a 10-run 4th for the DBacks. Final score: Arizona 16, Colorado 4. Ouch! Better luck this afternoon.
(My neighbor at the office is a lifelong Mets fan, and has been complaining all summer. They have a 8-game lead on the Phils, though. At least it's probably easier to get tickets, right?)
Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on
:
Well, that turned into a revolting series, with Arizona taking the rubber match 10-3.
(I promise this won't turn into a daily Rockies update; I just hate it when one of my schools posts multiple pre-game Facebook posts but goes silent after the team loses.)
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
:
The Baltimore Orioles have given up at least 5 runs in 19 straight games. That puts them just one game behind the major league record of 20 straight games of allowing 5 or more runs.
Who set that record? Who else but the 1924 Philadelphia Phillies! You don't get to rack up the most losses of any professional sports team (10,789) just by having the occasional bad year!
The Orioles will be trying to avoid tying the record tonight against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on
:
Is it me, or just my Pirates or does everyone dwell on their own batters home runs, starting pitcher's performances and double plays even though the side, yet again, fails to deliver. 2016 wasn't good and 2017 is worse. It's like we've concentrated on the starters but the bullpen is dreadful.
[ 23. June 2017, 13:33: Message edited by: Sioni Sais ]
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
:
Tampa Bay 15, Baltimore 5. Way to tie the record in style! If the O's give up 5 or more runs today, they will have the record.
As for crappy bullpens, I have been hearing a lot of teams complain about that. I think EVERY team in the NL East gripes about how bad their bullpen is--even the division leading Nats. It seems to be epidemic in baseball.
Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on
:
The Rockies are presently on a 7 game losing streak, including a sweep at LA, and the first two at San Francisco (last time I shit talk San Francisco and think I can get away with it!).
Still 7.5 games up on the Cubs for the last Wild Card, and only 5.5 behind the Dodgers for the division, but it's time to get back on track.
Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on
:
quote:
Originally posted by Hedgehog:
As for crappy bullpens, I have been hearing a lot of teams complain about that. I think EVERY team in the NL East gripes about how bad their bullpen is--even the division leading Nats. It seems to be epidemic in baseball.
Some of that's a holdover from years past when the Nats did have truly abysmal bullpens, especially compared to Gio, Strassburg, and the Gang. Like many a Nats fan, I still remember top of the 9th in Game 7 against the Cardinals, with two strikes, two outs, and up by two.
The Cardinals won the Series that year.
Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on
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Rockies 6, DBacks 3.
The streak is over. It went eight games, and took 10 days, but it's done.
Let's make it two in a row, boys!
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
:
We have passed the halfway point in the season (every team has played at least 81 games), so I think it is time to touch on a couple of the stories from this season:
Best Record in Baseball: Houston Astros (58-28), although honorable mention to La Dodgers (58-29). It should be noted that, in terms of divisional races, the 'Stros are better situated with a whopping 15.5 game lead. The Dodgers "only" have a 5.5 game lead.
Surprise!: The Milwaukee Brewers have the lowest payroll in major league baseball...and they lead the NL East over defending World Series Champ Chicago Cubs by 4.5 games! I've said before that it is very hard for any team to repeat as World Series champion, but the Cubbies seem to be having more of a struggle than most. They are playing Pittsburgh as I type, but going into this game they were 42-43, so playing under .500 ball.
Tightest Race: AL Central. Cleveland (45-39), Kansas City (44-40) and Minnesota (44-41) are within 1.5 games of each other.
The Biggest Losers: Both the Phillies and the Giants are on course for 100-loss seasons, although the Phils are more likely to do it than SF (which only needs to win a couple more games than their first half total to get under the 100-loss mark).
Any stories catch your eyes?
Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on
:
quote:
Originally posted by Hedgehog:
Surprise!: The Milwaukee Brewers have the lowest payroll in major league baseball...and they lead the NL East over defending World Series Champ Chicago Cubs by 4.5 games! I've said before that it is very hard for any team to repeat as World Series champion, but the Cubbies seem to be having more of a struggle than most. They are playing Pittsburgh as I type, but going into this game they were 42-43, so playing under .500 ball.
The Pirates are even further behind (40-46) and the Cubs are 3-0 up after four. Looks like the Cubs will be .5 in a couple of hours
Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on
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The Rockies, despite recent struggles, remain 7.5 games ahead of Chicago for the second wild card spot. I'd call that a major surprise.
Yesterday, Denver native Kyle Freeland was two outs away from becoming the second player in Rockies history and the second person in Coors Field history to throw a no hitter. Melky Cabrera broke up the bid with a single, but the hometown hero still walked off to a standing ovation, which included Cabrera. Disappointing, but the Rocks were up 10-0 at that point, so at least it wasn't a disastrous hit.
Posted by RuthW (# 13) on
:
quote:
Originally posted by Hedgehog:
Best Record in Baseball: Houston Astros (58-28), although honorable mention to La Dodgers (58-29). It should be noted that, in terms of divisional races, the 'Stros are better situated with a whopping 15.5 game lead. The Dodgers "only" have a 5.5 game lead.
I am pulling this thread up to the top of the board to gloat: the Dodgers have been hotter than hot and have the best record in baseball: 69-31, .690. And they've stretched their lead to 11.5 games ahead of Colorado and Arizona.
Kershaw went on the DL yesterday, but they did just fine when Kershaw was on the DL last year, so I'm still allowing myself to get my hopes up. ![[Yipee]](graemlins/spin.gif)
Posted by RuthW (# 13) on
:
Dodgers are now 89-35, .718, and Nate Silver says they're on track to win 114 games. It's only August, and their magic number is 17. It's un-freakin'-believable. (It's going to hurt just that much more if they again don't make it to the World Series.)
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
:
Related to the above, here we are still in mid-August...and the SF Giants have been mathematically eliminated from winning the division. They are the first team to be eliminated this year from the divisional chase. Either San Diego or the Phillies will be the next.
All of them are still technically alive in the Wild Card chase. Most likely, the Phillies will be the first team eliminated from the Wild Card, but I don't think that will happen until September. Early September, but still September.
Posted by Prester John (# 5502) on
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This kind of incident is why the word "donnybrook" was invented. I haven't seen a fight this bad since the Dodgers-Diamondbacks went at it four years ago. Nobody is coming out of this one looking good.
Oh and congrats to the Dodgers. That was so painful to type.
Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on
:
quote:
Originally posted by Prester John:
This kind of incident is why the word "donnybrook" was invented. I haven't seen a fight this bad since the Dodgers-Diamondbacks went at it four years ago. Nobody is coming out of this one looking good.
Quite a scrap and once it kicked off they were spoiling for it with the umpires right up against it. What kind of sanction or suspension is given to the players? By the look of things at least half a dozen on each side deserve a week's gardening leave.
Posted by Prester John (# 5502) on
:
quote:
Originally posted by Sioni Sais:
Quite a scrap and once it kicked off they were spoiling for it with the umpires right up against it. What kind of sanction or suspension is given to the players? By the look of things at least half a dozen on each side deserve a week's gardening leave.
As I understand it the League determines length of suspension on a case by case basis but I could be wrong. Some feel certain teams, such as the Yankees, get preferential treatment in such situations.
Posted by Barnabas62 (# 9110) on
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quote:
Originally posted by RuthW:
Dodgers are now 89-35, .718, and Nate Silver says they're on track to win 114 games. It's only August, and their magic number is 17. It's un-freakin'-believable. (It's going to hurt just that much more if they again don't make it to the World Series.)
... and the Dodgers are slumping. But I think it's just a blip. I hope so; I think the team is good enough to have a real shot at the WS.
The Giants have been generally terrible this year; watching games on ESPN has often involved peeping through hands over the face.
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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Just to update the eliminations: San Diego and the Phillies have both been officially eliminated from winning their respective divisions.
Everybody I still alive in the wild card race. I am a little puzzled about that. According to MLB, both SF and Philadelphia have an elimination number of 8 to be eliminated from the wild card race. Why that puzzles me is that SF has a 1.5 game advantage over the Phils. SF is 20.5 games out of a wild card spot and the Phils are 22 games out--so why are their elimination numbers the same???
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
:
Never mind. I figured it out. The Phils have played 3 fewer games than SF. They both have 83 losses, but the Phils have only 50 wins compared to SF's 53. So if the Phils played those 3 games and won them all, they would be tied with SF. That is why they both have the same elimination number. Of course, if the Phils played those 3 games and lost them all (the more likely scenario), the Phils elimination number would be reduced to 5. But we won't know that until we play the games.
Nice to see the brain cells working this early in the morning.
[ 01. September 2017, 12:44: Message edited by: Hedgehog ]
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
:
Okay, it is now official: Both San Francisco and Philadelphia have been fully eliminated from the playoffs. It was a photo finish, but technically I believe the Phillies were eliminated first. The next team likely to be fully eliminated is the Chicago White Sox, whose elimination number is currently 3.
Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on
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Elsewhere, the slow death of the Pittsburgh Pirates continues.
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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Can we pause just a moment to think about La Dodgers? They have lost 16 of their last 17 games. And, even with that, they STILL have the best record in baseball!
Posted by RuthW (# 13) on
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After an 11-game losing streak, they finally won again this evening! It's been soooooooooo painful. I was at the game last Friday, and aside from a flurry of activity in the first inning, the Dodgers just looked awful. Yu Darvish was supposed to be the reason they would finally triumph in the post-season, he came completely apart in the fifth inning.
And of course they couldn't do it the easy way tonight. It came down to the bottom of the ninth, bases loaded and the go-ahead run on first, before Jensen got the last strikeout.
Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on
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The Rockies are still in it, despite being relatively average for most of the summer. Hitting Chavez Ravine during the losing streak helped. Now they are 2-0 on a four game trip to Arizona, as part of a six game winning streak. The schedule from here on out is pretty forgiving, as well. All they have to do is hold off the Cardinals and Brewers for the last Wild Card spot, and I think that should be doable.
Granted, the Broncos are 1-0, so no one is talking about the Rockies anymore. But a playoff run might change that, for a few days at least.
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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The Cleveland Indians have just set a new American League record for a winning streak: 21 games. The prior record holder was the Oakland A's, with 20 wins.
The Major League record is a little more obscure. The 1935 Cubs won 21 consecutive games, so the Indians have tied that. But the MLB record is usually given as 26 straight wins by the N.Y. Giants (before they moved to San Francisco) in 1916. The asterisk to this is that, during that streak, one game was tied at 1-1 in the 9th inning when the game was stopped because of rain...and they never got around to finishing it. That was not all that unusual in 1916--the Giants actually had three such "ties" that year. It didn't much matter: they finished 7 games out of first (behind the Brooklyn Robins--and there is a team name you don't hear much anymore!)
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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More teams have been completely eliminated from the playoffs. In the NL, Cincinnati Reds & NY Mets have fallen. In the AL, Chicago White Sox & Detroit Tigers have fallen.
There are a handful more who are likely to be eliminated this weekend.
Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on
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Here is a handy chart of scenarios for the last NL WC spot, as of yesterday. The Rockies probably need to go 4-2 in their last 6 to feel really safe, but as long as the Cardinals or Brewers don't go on tears (they end the season against each other, so only one team can end up with 6 or 5 wins), 3-3 might land us in a tiebreaker. (All three teams won last night.)
So pulling hard for the Cubs and Reds, then hoping the Dodgers rest some starters this weekend.
Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on
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For some reason, copying and pasting links on my phone causes me trouble.
Here is the (updated) chart, showing every NL Wild Card scenario. (I'll actually preview this time, I swear!)
This afternoon's game against the Marlins isn't quite must win, but a win would mean that we just need to take one off of the Dodgers to have a 77% chance of making the playoffs.
This Rockies team doesn't have the look of one of those super dangerous teams that gets hot in a wild chard race and carries a hot streak into the playoffs, but I'll take it however they give it to me.
Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on
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Rockies win! (14-9 Coors Field Special.) One more win and the worst that can happen is a tiebreaker game.
Cubs win! Cardinals are one loss away from elimination.
Reds win! Brewers are two losses away from elimination, one loss away from only being able to get to a tiebreaker game.
This was a good day for the Rockies playoff hopes. Tomorrow night off, while the Cardinals and Brewers are on. We could be popping the champagne on Friday night, folks!
Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on
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So going into the last weekend of the regular season, only a few things left to be settled:
1. Final NL Wild Card spot. Cardinals are out. Brewers must sweep and hope that the Dodgers sweep the Rockies to win the spot outright. Tiebreaker (in Denver) if the Rockies get swept and the Brewers go 2-1, or if the Brewers sweep and the Rockies go 1-2. Any other result, and the Rockies win the last spot. (I've made my rooting interests known. How about a nice walk-off homer from Arenado or Blackmon to clinch the spot and the NL MVP?)
2. AL Home field advantage. Cleveland is one game up on Houston. I haven't done the exact math, but either team could end up with the best record in the AL. Even if Houston doesn't catch Cleveland, they just need to win one more to be one of three teams with 100 wins. Three teams with 100 wins in one season is fairly rare.
3. AL East champions. If the Yankees sweep the Jays and the Red Sox are swept by the Astros, we end up with a tie at the top of the AL East, and a one-game tie-breaker in the Bronx. Winner gets the second place AL team, loser hosts the Twins in the wild card round.
4. World Series home field advantage. I didn't notice this, but they finally did away with the stupid "All Star game winning league gets home field advantage for league's pennant winner" rule. There are all kinds of implications here, which probably aren't the first thing on anyone's mind at this point.
5. While 60 home runs doesn't have the cachet it used to, it still means a lot to some of us. Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins has 59, and could tie or surpass that magic number.
So plenty to watch for.
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
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Yeah...that's one way to look at it.
Personally, I don't think "home field advantage" is a real thing. In a 7 game playoff, it literally only matters if the series goes 7 games. If it goes 6 games, each time has hosted 3. If it goes 5 games, oddly, the team with "home field advantage" only gets 2 games and the other team gets 3. If it goes 4 games, each gets 2. So, in my mind, "home field advantage" is an illusion.
But I have noticed a startling thing. Unless the SF Giants lose every remaining game, no team will lose 100 games this year. Why is that so amazing? Well, go back up-thread to the halfway point in the season. II thought it was a sure thign that the Phillies would have 100 losses (at the pace they were going at the halfway point, they would have 106 losses). As it is, as we sit here now, the most they can have if they lose their remaining games is "only" 97 losses. The team has really turned things around in the second half. So, naturally, what do you so when a team has such a dramatic turnaround for the positive? You do what the Phillies did: fire the manager who managed to turn the team around.
Idiots.
Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on
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Rockies 9, Dodgers 1. The Brewers also won, but with that win, the worst that can happen for the Rockies is a one game tiebreaker. One more win or a Brewers loss and it's done. Kershaw on the bump for the Dodgers tonight, but we've had some success against him so far this season, and it will probably be a short start.
Red Sox lost, Yankees won, so that's still active. Astros got win 100, but Cleveland also won, so the Indians still have the lead for AL top seed.
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
:
And so the playoffs start with the Wild Card games.
First up (Tuesday): Minnesota Twins v. NY Yankees
Next (Wednesday): Colorado Rockies v. Arizona Diamondbacks
It is always tempting to give predictions but considering how bad I am at that, I won't.
After those games, we can get to the Playoffs Proper with the Divisional Series.
Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on
:
All things considered, I'm actually kind of relieved to have choir during the Rockies game tonight. If they win, I get at least three other chances to watch them. If they lose, I won't feel that I wasted three hours watching the game.
At least that's what I'm telling myself.
(To the extent that the Choirmaster has the least interest in any sport, it's baseball, so depending on his mood, we may have occasional score updates throughout rehearsal.)
Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on
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Disappointing end to a great season. The Rockies were down 6-0 at one point, and battled back within one run twice, only to give up two separate two run triples (including one to the DBacks' set up man who rarely ever bats, much less gets hits) to go back into deep holes. Valiant effort, but never quite enough to get the job done. ![[Waterworks]](graemlins/bawling.gif)
Go Cleveland?
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
:
The Diamondbacks have been going strong of late. Even the Dodgers should be a little scared to face them right now.
So we are up to the Divisional Series. IIRC, these are best-of-5. They start today in the AL, with Boston Red Sox @ Houston Astros, followed by NY Yankees @ Cleveland Indians.
Tomorrow will by the NL's turn with Chicago Cubs @ Washington Nationals, followed by Arizona Diamondbacks @ LA Dodgers.
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
:
Harking back to a post I made earlier in the season, of the eight playoff teams, here is how long since the franchise last won a World Series (or how long the franchise has been in existence for Houston and Washington, both of whom have never won a World Series):
Cleveland Indians: 68 seasons
Houston Astros: 55 seasons
Washington Nationals: 48 seasons*
LA Dodgers: 28 seasons
Arizona Diamondbacks: 15 seasons
NY Yankees: 7 seasons
Boston Red Sox: 3 seasons
Chicago Cubs: 0 seasons
*Of course, they were not in Washington for all that time. The franchise started as the Montreal Expos.
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
:
Houston Astros have just eliminated the Boston Red Sox, 3 games to 1.
Houston will next play the winner of the Yankees-Indians series. The Indians lead that one 2 game to 1.
Posted by RuthW (# 13) on
:
quote:
Originally posted by Hedgehog:
The Diamondbacks have been going strong of late. Even the Dodgers should be a little scared to face them right now.
The Dodgers are up two games to none after two games at Dodger Stadium. But tonight they're in Phoenix, and the Dodgers are putting Yu Darvish up against Zach Greinke. God knows why; I certainly don't. He was supposed to be the one more great pitcher they needed, but he hasn't been at all impressive yet. Please let it be yet!
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
:
And another one bites the dust, as the Dodgers completed their sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Posted by Caissa (# 16710) on
:
With Boston out, I am now cheering for Cleveland.
Posted by RuthW (# 13) on
:
The Dodgers-Dbacks game was great. Greinke did not look good, but Arizona put up a very good fight nevertheless, and the Dodgers left something like 10 guys on base in scoring position. But still swept! So are the only undefeated team in the post-season, unless I'm missing something.
Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on
:
quote:
Originally posted by Caissa:
With Boston out, I am now cheering for Cleveland.
Next up?
Posted by RuthW (# 13) on
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I'm feeling bad for Cleveland fans today. Ouch.
Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on
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So is anyone going to take a game off of the Dodgers or can we just crown their @$$'s right now?
I do love that Puig is having the playoffs of a lifetime, and obviously having a blast the whole time. I've never understood why everyone insists that players act like adults out there, at least as far as celebrating hits. You get a big hit in a playoff game, have some fun. You earned it.
Posted by RuthW (# 13) on
:
quote:
Originally posted by Og, King of Bashan:
So is anyone going to take a game off of the Dodgers or can we just crown their @$$'s right now?
The Cubs did take one, which made me sad. But now I'm posting in the middle of the third inning in game 5: Dodgers are up 7-0. The WS starts Tuesday!
Posted by Prester John (# 5502) on
:
Rooting for the Yankees is like rooting for U.S. Steel.
Joe E. Lewis
Looks like I’m pulling for the Dodgers.
Posted by RuthW (# 13) on
:
Yeah, I'd root for any team playing the Yankees, especially a California team. (On sale at Fenway: t-shirts that read, "My favorite teams are the Red Sox and whoever is playing the Yankees.")
Maybe the Astros will stage a comeback? That would be lovely. And as Hedgehog has pointed out with his list of droughts, they're due.
Posted by Barnabas62 (# 9110) on
:
The Dodgers have been great in the play-offs. And the best WS would certainly be Dodgers-Astros. Now that could be a close series. If it happens, I think the awesome Verlander is very likely to win two for the Astros. But I fancy the Dodgers to take that series 4-2 or 4-3.
And if it's against the Yankees, I think the Dodgers win easily.
Posted by sharkshooter (# 1589) on
:
quote:
Originally posted by RuthW:
The WS starts Tuesday!
and the Yankees are no where in sight. ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Posted by RuthW (# 13) on
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Thoughts on how this will go? I'm picking the Dodgers in 7.
Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on
:
I find myself unable to make any prediction. The playoffs actually functioned properly for a change, and we have a World Series between what are the two best teams in baseball. AS far as I am concerned, it is a coin flip on how it will go.
[ 24. October 2017, 19:41: Message edited by: Hedgehog ]
Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on
:
I'm having a hard time picking my team.
The first World Series I ever watched was '88, the last time the Dodgers were in it. I was rooting for the Dodgers, my dad was rooting for the A's, and I still rub it in every time we are both present when they show the Gibson game 1 home run. Plus, as I said, I'm enjoying watching Yasiel Puig acting like a big kid out there.
On the other hand, my Facebook feed seems to be mostly pro-Astros. A number of friends live in LA, and I don't think one of them has mentioned the Dodgers all season. Plus I'm glad they brought back the old logo a few years ago.
I'd go with the Dodgers as the NL team, but the Astros still don't feel like an AL team to me.
I guess I'll just have to watch and enjoy until something pulls me one way or the other.
Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on
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Checked the score when I got home from choir last night, 3-1 Dodgers in the 8th, and went to bed, in an attempt to shorten the duration of a cold.
Apparently that was a bad decision?
With the previously untouchable Dodgers bullpen looking mortal for the first time in a while, we got a series!
Posted by Barnabas62 (# 9110) on
:
My prediction for the first two games was 1-1, which I thought would be one for Kershaw, one for Verlander. In the end the hitherto great Dodgers bullpen managed to lose one unexpectedly. I still think the Dodgers will win the WS 4-2 or 4-3. But it has all the makings of a great, close, series. More later nights for me!
Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on
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I'm afraid that the manager may have played it too clever by half by putting pitchers in and out until there was no one left for extra innings. The bull pen is splendid but it isn't bottomless.
Posted by RuthW (# 13) on
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And it wasn't splendid the other night either!
Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on
:
Well, yeah...
Posted by Barnabas62 (# 9110) on
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Great win by the Dodgers; Bellinger out of the slump. And Kershaw v Keuchel up next again. Game 5 looks like the key.
Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on
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I'm very pleased the Series is level. 3-1 is tough for the trailing team but both have wins on the road, which (I suppose) gives the Dodgers an advantage.
Posted by Barnabas62 (# 9110) on
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Rollercoaster game 5. Both starter pitchers are done, Dodgers led 4-0, then it became 4-4, then 7-4 to Dodgers, now 7-7! And we're at the bottom of the 4th! Wow!
Posted by Barnabas62 (# 9110) on
:
And the rollercoaster continued until the 10th. Wild game. Dodgers now up against it.
Posted by RuthW (# 13) on
:
The Sunday game was insane. Just nuts.
quote:
Originally posted by RuthW:
Thoughts on how this will go? I'm picking the Dodgers in 7.
So -- there will be a seventh game. Please please please let me be 100% right!
Posted by Barnabas62 (# 9110) on
:
Ouch, RuthW. There's a mountain to climb now.
Posted by RuthW (# 13) on
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Darvish chased in the second inning and 10 men left on base.
Nothing to do but read Roger Angell and dream of mid-February, when pitchers and catchers will report.
Posted by Barnabas62 (# 9110) on
:
After watching Darvish in Game 3, I did wonder if the Dodgers should have made the bull pen the starting pitcher. From memory, the D-backs did that.
But leaving all those runners on base was a killer. Particularly in the first inning.
It was a great WS up to Game 7, deserved a closer finish than that. Congrats Astros.
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