IST WS 2018: BOS VS LAD -- Glamour Boys

[G-Fafif]

It's the battle of franchises my sister's probably heard of.

[Frayed Knot]

I understand that Manny Machado is so popular in LA these days following his trade there that he's thinking of jogging for Mayor.

[MFS62]

Frayed Knot wrote: I understand that Manny Machado is so popular in LA these days following his trade there that he's thinking of jogging for Mayor.

BAM!

Later

[bmfc1]

A report from a friend who is a Brewers fan living in LA about his experience at one of the playoff games:

[Frayed Knot]

Biggest problem for Boston right now is that it took Sale 3-1/2 innings worth of pitches (51) just to get through two innings. And those, for the most part, were good innings.
He was unlikely to go real long anyway, but now it's probably a hope-for-five situation.

[Centerfield]

That inning didn’t help either. You figure as each game gets later, LA has the advantage with their pen.

[Frayed Knot]

Yeah, now just shy of five innings worth of pitches (72) to get through three ... and he now no longer has the lead.

[Fman99]

That's a 2B if he hustles out of the batters' box.

My HDMI antenna is flaking, as usual, so I'm enjoying the game via Fox Deportes and the broadcast en Espanol. I certainly don't need Joe Buck to follow a baseball game.

[MFS62]

Fman99 wrote: I certainly don't need Joe Buck to follow a baseball game.

Nor does any baseball fan.
Later

[Frayed Knot]

And it turns out that neither starter lasts five.

I don't get the Buck hate.

[Centerfield]

He’s ok. A little too cool for school at times. But he’s fine.

I liked that Anderson guy that worked with Darling on TBS. He was solid.

That being said I feel like they should just give the World Series to Vin Scully for as long as he lives.

[Frayed Knot]

See, that's just it. I get the 'he's not my cuppa' vibe, just not the 'he ruins baseball for me' vibe.
But then, I think most sports fans over-react to announcers in general.

Scully was slipping in recent years. It's better to remember him as he was.



Three hours to get thru 6-1-2 innings.

[Frayed Knot]

Last Boston Red Sox pitcher to surrender a HR to a Dodger in the WS? -- Babe Ruth

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Fun 3-plus hours, though.

I feel like that was the Dodgers' last, best chance last inning. I also wonder whether LA would have been better off letting young Urias go a few more innings.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

And there y'are.

[Frayed Knot]

Sure, but it's been 2-1/2 hours of good action, but it's been fluffed into 3-1/2 hours. The main culprits have been the high pitch counts of both starters combined with the increased between-innings commercial time.
I think MLB has shot themselves in the foot with these nearly 3 minute breaks. I'm sure they got some short-term gain out of it but that doesn't mean it's been a long-term success.

[Frayed Knot]

And we have a 'Yankees Suck' chant.
Gotta luv it!

[G-Fafif]

Chant interpreted by some ears as "Manny Sucks." Either way, Red Sox ride that positivity to victory.

[bmfc1]

The game lasted 3:52. I did not. If I'm doing the math correctly, it ended at midnight.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I set a new 2018 record by falling asleep on the couch in the 1st inning.

[Guest Mets Willets Point]

Frayed Knot wrote: And we have a 'Yankees Suck' chant. Gotta luv it!

Kind of ridiculous considering that a) the Yankees aren't playing and Bostonians have a perfectly cromulent "BEAT LA!" chant to use in this context.

[Frayed Knot]

Of course it's ridiculous ... and I'd expect nothing less.
Although, as Greg points out, it's also quite possible that I misheard who exactly was being told to do the sucking.

[metirish]

I went to bed right after Rodriguez got out of that jam that Brasier got in to....that was I think the 6th inning, 11pm.....I can't hang like I used to

[Centerfield]

Maybe I missed this. But why does Boston hate Manny? Did he kick someone there too?

It seems like a lot of fan bases don't like Manny. Maybe I'll just recommend the Mets sign Harper instead and avoid all the drama.

[Guest Mets Willets Point]

Centerfield wrote: Maybe I missed this. But why does Boston hate Manny? Did he kick someone there too?

He injured Dustin Pedroia with a takeout slide in 2017 and the Sox and Machado have been calling one another names ever since.

[Guest 41Forever]

I don't get the pine-tar-on-the-helmet thing. Is there a reason for that?

[Guest 41Forever]

That was an amazing play. The thrown ball actually went through Kinsler's legs and into Machado's glove to tag him at third. An inch or two in either direction and the ball hits Kinsler and he's possibly headed home.

[MFS62]

41Forever wrote: That was an amazing play. The thrown ball actually went through Kinsler's legs and into Machado's glove to tag him at third. An inch or two in either direction and the ball hits Kinsler and he's possibly headed home.

As we first heard when we were kids, all together now,"Baseball is a game of inches".

Later

[Frayed Knot]

At one point during that 4th inning Kike Hernandez AB, it took Price over 4 minutes to throw 6 pitches. No mound conferences in there or other delays, just a lot of stepping out and stepping off.
MLB can NOT allow that to continue as, once again, we've got a low scoring game that's on a pace for four hours and possibly longer once the parade of relievers commences.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Textbook 2018-Sawx-y inning: Ryu was cruising through 4 2/3 innings, then let up an oppo-field single, another dribbler, and an 8-pitch walk-- all with Betts and Benintendi in the middle of it-- and hello, Ryan Madson.