Playoff IGT AL WC: Stros at MFYs

[Fman99]

Dallas Keuchel to take the hill against Masahiro Tanaka. Tuesday 8 PM-ish start. Go Houston!

[HahnSolo]

Keuchel vs the MFYs this year:

2-0, 16 IP, 0 ER, 1 BB, 21 K. I think his last start was the game where Carlos Gomez broke the unwritten rules and hurt Girardi's feelings or something.

Now that said, Keuchel is going on 3 days rest; and his overall numbers on the road aren't all that great.

[Farmer Ted]

First off, it's pronounced Hows-ton.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zhaap42I2sc

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

If you're Girardi, do you go righty-heavy? Do you ride hot hands in a one-game playoff?

At catcher, say, McCann's been about as good against lefties seasonlong as young'un John Ryan Murphy has been... but then, the former's numbers over the last week imply that that sonofabitch is ice cold.

[Edgy MD]

I had assumed they were going with Pineda. Doesn't Tanaka have some health concerns?

[Frayed Knot]

Girardi's problem is that his best vs-LHP bat this season is the ancient ARod who's had a much rougher 2nd half than 1st: .153 in Aug, .224 (tho 7 HRs) in Sept after hitting nearly .300 from May-July
The other was Teixeira but he's not available
McCann isn't a splits guy but he's also had the [u:heqvbcoz]worst BA in baseball[/u:heqvbcoz] (source: Kurkjian last night) since the ASB, something like .199

So that leaves the erratic Chris Young, the switchie (and recently hot) Beltran, the switchie Headley (3 HRs 2nd half), and probably young Rob Refsnyder at 2B as guys to lean on vs a LHP like Keuchel
Good luck with that Joe.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Cc Sabathia to rehab facility. .. out of postseason

[Frayed Knot]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Cc Sabathia to rehab facility. .. out of postseason

Alcohol apparently.

[Ceetar]

Edgy MD wrote: I had assumed they were going with Pineda. Doesn't Tanaka have some health concerns?

Tanaka's got a torn elbow ligament and recently a hamstring strain. he missed a start but took the mound 9/30 for 5IP/4runs on 5 hits, 1 walk.

he's the only pitcher that's been anything resembling 'good' all season though.

[Edgy MD]

God, I can only imagine how many pharmaceuticals they're going to shoot into him in the hopes that he can cowboy the team into the bracket.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Frayed Knot wrote: John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Cc Sabathia to rehab facility. .. out of postseason Alcohol apparently.

Wow, when you first said rehab, I thought you meant physical injury rehabilitation.

[Frayed Knot]

Edgy MD wrote: God, I can only imagine how many pharmaceuticals they're going to shoot into him in the hopes that he can cowboy the team into the bracket.

His statement contained a note about 'looking forward to helping my teammates next year'. A minimum 30-day program apparently.
Gotta figure that something big must have happened recently to trigger the thinking that this needed to be taken care of NOW!!!!

[Ceetar]

Frayed Knot wrote: Edgy MD wrote: God, I can only imagine how many pharmaceuticals they're going to shoot into him in the hopes that he can cowboy the team into the bracket. His statement contained a note about 'looking forward to helping my teammates next year'. A minimum 30-day program apparently. Gotta figure that something big must have happened recently to trigger the thinking that this needed to be taken care of NOW!!!!

think he's talking about Tanaka?

In which case, Toradol for sure.

[HahnSolo]

Frayed Knot wrote: John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Cc Sabathia to rehab facility. .. out of postseason Alcohol apparently.

You don't say�

EfzvWWvdQfQ

[Frayed Knot]

Ceetar wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: Edgy MD wrote: God, I can only imagine how many pharmaceuticals they're going to shoot into him in the hopes that he can cowboy the team into the bracket. His statement contained a note about 'looking forward to helping my teammates next year'. A minimum 30-day program apparently. Gotta figure that something big must have happened recently to trigger the thinking that this needed to be taken care of NOW!!!! think he's talking about Tanaka? In which case, Toradol for sure.

Oh yeah, gotcha.
Tanaka's been pitching (mostly) all along. His velocity is down from pre-injury but has been compensating elsewhere and is the example of how sometimes is IS possible to go the rest & rehab route for partially torn elbow ligaments.
He will give up his share of HRs though and hit HRs is about all the Houston offense does.

[Edgy MD]

Frayed Knot wrote: Edgy MD wrote: God, I can only imagine how many pharmaceuticals they're going to shoot into him in the hopes that he can cowboy the team into the bracket. His statement contained a note about 'looking forward to helping my teammates next year'. A minimum 30-day program apparently. Gotta figure that something big must have happened recently to trigger the thinking that this needed to be taken care of NOW!!!!

I was speaking of Tanaka. But best wishes to Sabathia.

I went to the funeral of a friend on Saturday. He was a brilliant aerospace engineer � trained under the astrophysicist who gave the name "black hole" to what we now know as black holes � and the first time I visited his house, I remember distinctly thinking how unstable my life was and indifferent my career was, that whatever my talents, I could never get my act together enough to provide for a family like he could. Within a few years, he had drunk himself out of the graces of that job and that family, and was homeless man dividing his time between shelters and public parks. He helped found the dinner program I managed, and he eventually became a client. Died on the street after a fall.

I can't think of a better time for Sabathia to check in than today. And I like to think if it was a Mets pitcher, I'd feel the same... eventually.

[G-Fafif]

I've always sort of liked Sabathia while wishing him the worst of professional luck since his brief tenure as a Brewer. Now I wish him the best of personal luck -- and of course the worst for his team.

[Edgy MD]

"Jessica Mendoza is making baseball and broadcasting history tonight. And once again, she's concentrating more on the work she's doing than the ground she's breaking. She is about to become the first female analyst for a nationally televised MLB playoff game. It'll happen when Mendoza calls the Houston Astros vs. the New York Yankees in the American League Wild Card Game presented by Budweiser, along with John Kruk and Dan Shulman, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN."

Thanks for ruining a good thing with obnoxious product placement, MLB.com.

And thanks for ruining a good thing with John Kruk, ESPN.

[Fman99]

Edgy MD wrote: "Jessica Mendoza is making baseball and broadcasting history tonight. And once again, she's concentrating more on the work she's doing than the ground she's breaking. She is about to become the first female analyst for a nationally televised MLB playoff game. It'll happen when Mendoza calls the Houston Astros vs. the New York Yankees in the American League Wild Card Game presented by Budweiser, along with John Kruk and Dan Shulman, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN." Thanks for ruining a good thing with obnoxious product placement, MLB.com. And thanks for ruining a good thing with John Kruk, ESPN.

I can't believe MLB didn't give me the first crack at it. So, I blew Chris Berman for NO REASON. Well, except for his ruddy handsomeness, that is. He pulled it out and blew one all over my back BACK BACK BACK BACK!

[HahnSolo]

Mendoza is decent as an analyst. But not great.

She sounds like she had insight but is at times hesitant to state an original opinion. This is where a 3-person booth probably hurts her, especially since Schulman/Kruk have been working together much longer. She's learning and will get there.

[Lefty Specialist]

Yeah, I've noticed she's a little tentative. Not surprising in that Krukie doesn't seem to want to interact with her much, and he strikes me as a bit of a "You want to put a GIRL in the booth?" kind of guy....

[Frayed Knot]

2B - Altuve
RF - Springer
SS - Correa
LF - Rasmus
DH - Gattis
CF - Gomez
3B - Valbuena
1B - Carter
C - Castro
P - Keuchel


CF - Gardner
LF - Young
RF - Beltran
CH - Rodriguez
C - McCann
3B - Headley
1B - Bird
2B - Refsnyder
SS - Gregorius
P - Tanaka


I figured Young over either Gardner or Ellsbury. He's killing LHPs this year (not last year though).
Was thinking maybe JR Murphy instead of McCann, Murphy actually the better hitter overall in 2nd half and esp vs LHPs, but they went with the [crossout:y3v17kr8]vet[/crossout:y3v17kr8] money

[Frayed Knot]

Good thing for Colby Rasmus that he can hit HRs because ... how do I put this -- he's not a handsome man.

[Edgy MD]

October 15, 1923 at Polo Grounds: Last Yankee post-season game without a Yogi Berra in the world.

[HahnSolo]

Before tonight, the Astros were the only team who had faced the Mets in the postseason but had not faced the Yanks in October.

[Edgy MD]

Homerun for Gomez!

[HahnSolo]

I hope Carlos didn't bother Girardi and break some unwritten rule by hitting that ball about 450 feet

[Fman99]

I enjoy watching former Mets inflict harm on shitty Yankee fans.

[Frayed Knot]

HahnSolo wrote: I hope Carlos didn't bother Girardi and break some unwritten rule by hitting that ball about 450 feet

I was wondering what McCann was thinking. He and Gomez got into a beef over that back when McCann was still w/Atlanta.

[HahnSolo]

Chris Archer was actually really good in the booth. Learned more from him in 2 innings that I ever would from Kruk.