IST WS 2018: BOS VS LAD -- Glamour Boys

[Guest 41Forever]

And he walks in the tying run!

[Guest 41Forever]

When did the Dodgers get Paul Sewald?

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Should they have let Ryu-- who's got pretty significant reverse platoon splits and has cut down on his gopherballiness this year (11.8% HR/FB)-- stay in? On the one hand, he dug himself the hole, and had just issued a free pass. But... he has to be a better option there than up-in-a-hurry Madson. And if not... why Madson, who struggled yesterday and has been iffy all postseason? Why not, say, Baez or Maeda? Or, if you're feeling funky... why not aim high for a high-leverage sitch and slot in Jansen?

[Centerfield]

Boston is just amazing. I mean, it’s obvious, but if you want to be successful you just have to score runs. Boston, Houston, the Cubs. These teams’ lineups just had no quit to them.

I like Nimmo, and have high hopes for Alonso and McNeil, but you look at our lineup and we are just light years away from these elite teams.

[Centerfield]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Should they have let Ryu-- who's got pretty significant reverse platoon splits and has cut down on his gopherballiness this year (11.8% HR/FB)-- stay in? On the one hand, he dug himself the hole, and had just issued a free pass. But... he has to be a better option there than up-in-a-hurry Madson. And if not... why Madson, who struggled yesterday and has been iffy all postseason? Why not, say, Baez or Maeda? Or, if you're feeling funky... why not aim high for a high-leverage sitch and slot in Jansen?

Yup.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

I don't recall Joe Kelly's stuff being anywhere near this good when he was with the Cards. He's got three pitches that can freeze you even if you know they're coming. It's absurd.

[Centerfield]

Two things strike me.

Every time someone like David Price is praised for an “amazing job” because he goes 6 innings and gives up 2, I think that the speaker has never seen a Jacob deGrom start.

Every time someone mentions how weak the Red Sox pen is, I think that the speaker has never seen the Mets bullpen.

[MFS62]

I first heard this when I was a kid.
Senator Chuck Schumer told it again earlier this week and I still laugh... and agree.
http://knoxblogs.com/volhistorian/2014/03/19/walter-omalley-twice/

Later

[Guest Mets Willets Point]

Centerfield wrote: Two things strike me. Every time someone like David Price is praised for an “amazing job” because he goes 6 innings and gives up 2, I think that the speaker has never seen a Jacob deGrom start. Every time someone mentions how weak the Red Sox pen is, I think that the speaker has never seen the Mets bullpen.

I think the first is in the context of a postseason where "bullpenning" has become the norm and long, quality starts exceedingly rare. The second is the Sox bullpen relative to other postseason team's bullpens, but even then I think the Sox relief pitchers are given more grief than they deserve.

[Frayed Knot]

What an odd string of finishes for the Sox over the last seven seasons.
Starting in 2012, they finished: 5th in the AL East 26.0 games out; then 1st and won the WS; then 5th two years in a row (25.0 GB & 15.0 GB); then 1st back-to-back (Lost in 3-0 and 3-1 in ALDS)
and now 1st w/108 reg season wins and so far a near perfect post-season record (9-1 overall and a 2-0 WS lead).

So that's four times winning the AL East sprinkled around three times finishing DFL, while two of those winning season came with a total of one post-season game won and the other (two?) with a
World Series crown. But zero 2nd, 3rd, or 4th place finishes.

[metirish]

Got to be honest, kind of a bleh WS so far, surprising with two huge markets, Dodgers really need to win tonight.

[Centerfield]

What an odd string of finishes for the Sox over the last seven seasons. Starting in 2012, they finished: 5th in the AL East 26.0 games out; then 1st and won the WS; then 5th two years in a row (25.0 GB & 15.0 GB); then 1st back-to-back (Lost in 3-0 and 3-1 in ALDS) and now 1st w/108 reg season wins and so far a near perfect post-season record (9-1 overall and a 2-0 WS lead). So that's four times winning the AL East sprinkled around three times finishing DFL, while two of those winning season came with a total of one post-season game won and the other (two?) with a World Series crown. But zero 2nd, 3rd, or 4th place finishes.

Maybe that 2013 team greatly overachieved? Such a strange pattern.

And yeah, LA really has to win tonight.

[Frayed Knot]

metirish wrote: Got to be honest, kind of a bleh WS so far, surprising with two huge markets, Dodgers really need to win tonight.

Maybe a move to warmer weather and no DH helps.

Hasn't been a bad series so far IMO, it's just that the pace of the games has overshadowed the good parts.
Game 2 was "only" 3:15, but both Price & Ryu are among the slower pitchers in all MLB, and by the time the game got rolling (it was the rare game when the late innings were faster than the early)
LA never seemed like they were even in danger of getting back into it.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

So... Walker Buehler is pretty good.

[Guest 41Forever]

Machado just pulled a Timo Perez, failing to run out of the box because he thought he hit a homer.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

To be fair, I don't think you can call it "pulling a Timo" unless it has some actual consequence. As it stands... it's just a VERY bad look.

[TransMonk]

Heck of a seventh by Buehler.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: So... Walker Buehler is pretty good.

For real, though-- he's pretty decent. Pitchable.

[Centerfield]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: To be fair, I don't think you can call it "pulling a Timo" unless it has some actual consequence. As it stands... it's just a VERY bad look.

Zeile was the one who failed to run out of the box thinking it was a homer.

Timo was the one on base who failed to run because he saw Zeile fail to run, thinking it was a homer.

[Guest 41Forever]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: To be fair, I don't think you can call it "pulling a Timo" unless it has some actual consequence. As it stands... it's just a VERY bad look.

Fair enough. I and now remember that it was Zeile who hit that ball -- and Timo was jogging in from second.

OE: Good call. Posted same time.

[Frayed Knot]

So by how many strides would Machado have been thrown out on that Puig infield single?

[Centerfield]

Machado kinda has a crybaby face.

I can see NY fans getting on him should be struggle.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Anywhere that can afford him is going to have a vocal, somewhat impatient fan base attached, isn't it?

Price here? Interesting. No days off for anybody on these teams, are there?

[Frayed Knot]

In one of these game defining situations, shouldn't you bring Beowulf in from your bullpen to face Grandal?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Claymotion

[Frayed Knot]

The BoSox have used six relievers to face 22 hitters and secure the last 13 outs.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Turner still fat and slow at 3rd. oh wow, dp at home

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Nice throw. And Grandal didn't let it get past him! GOOD FOR YOU, BUDDY!

(Kinsler was totes out, btw.)

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

that wasn't Grandal, he was pinch run for

[Frayed Knot]

Yeah, it was Barnes (not the Barnes who's the Red Sox pitcher) but it was a nice grab, tag, and hold-onto.

Kimbrel gets Turner to ground out in the battle of the red beards.

No way should that pickoff call w/Kinsler have been overturned. That Buck was so sure it should be indicates, to me anyway, how invested in replay networks are.