Playoffs are set

[OFFNY]

o

 

In 2019, )Walker Buehler )led the National League in Winning Percentage, at ).778 )(14-4.)

In 2020, )Max Fried )led the National League in Winning Percentage, at )1.000 )(7-0.)

The 2019 Champion faces off against the 2020 Champion tonight in Game One of the NLCS.

 

I have no idea why Allen Lorenz Pollack goes by the acronym "A.J."

 

 

(N.L.C.S.) )))))) (GAME ONE)

 

ATLANTA BRAVES

Ronald Jose Acuna Blanco, Jr. - CF

Frederick Freeman - 1B

Marcell Ozuna Idelfonso - DH

Travis d'Arnaud - C

Ozhaino Jurdy Jiandro Albies - 2B

James Dansby "J.D." Swanson - SS

Adam Duvall - LF

Nicholas Markakis - RF

Michael Austin Riley - 3B

Max Dorian Fried - LHP )) (7-0, 2.25 ERA) ) *

 

* )) Led the Major League in Winning Percentage (1.000)

 

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Markus Lynn Betts - RF

Corey Seager - SS

Justin Turner - 3B

Maxwell Muncy - 1B

William Smith - C

Cody James "C.J." Bellinger - CF

Allen Lorenz "A.J." Pollock - DH

Enrique Hernandez - 2B

Christopher Armand Taylor, Jr. - LF

Walker Anthony Buehler - RHP )) (1-0, 3.44 ERA)

 

https://www.mlb.com/starting-lineups

 

o

[Can_of_corn]

His father's name is Allen.

AJ is probably for Allen Junior.

[eddie83]

This ALCS is reminding me a little of 2014. So far Tampa can do no wrong. 

[Just Regular]

Pache pinch-hitting mid at-bat for Duvall, who grabbed his side in obvious pain after a foul ball.  Think Nick's 4 x Series Number of Games PA just got locked, even against Kershaw and Urias.

Fried (10-1) and Buehler (7-1) 1-2 in Team Win Pct in starts.  Fried also a 5 and dive guy who averaged just 83 pitches.  Seems like if you curate him for 1/4/7 in the absence of a discernible 4th starter you really want O'Day for Mookie on Batter Faced 19 tonight.

[Just Regular]

Joe Buck on PA1 trots out the no active player has played more games without getting to World Series factoid.  Nick watches two low inside fastballs before a Jones-ian chase of the breaking ball starting at the same quadrant that bounced just off the inside corner of the plate.

One of my other paths for this series getting good is Acuna going all who's the man on Soto and Tatis.  Many would have said it was pretty clearly him at the start of last year, but now he feels almost a little bit under the radar Face of Baseball wise.

[Frobby]

I hope I’m wrong, but Nick Markakis looks done to me.

[eddie83]

This is a very good game tonight. Some elite pitching.  

[eddie83]

20 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I hope I’m wrong, but Nick Markakis looks done to me.

Not necessarily relevant to this but he looks tiny. I know he has always had a thin body type but I really noticed it during the playoffs. Had a late start to the year. 

[Just Regular]

12 hours ago, Frobby said:

I hope I’m wrong, but Nick Markakis looks done to me.

I think this is mostly true (ditto Reddick in ALCS), but I think it was also mostly true of Ryan Zimmerman last October and he got on top of a high fastball once or twice.

It feels clear he needs to Tendency Break and attack an earlier pitch.  At one point, Buck gave a Buehler anecdote about how he'd rather yield walks than hits; a turn on the old adage of "make them hit their way on", I guess as hits are more dangerous these days.  Buehler's line last night bore that out, but Nick got a couple heart pitches.

It's a bridge too far for pitchers to ever fear Markakis again, but I fear they don't even respect him now.  The Culberson pinch hit late in a big spot was new.  

I hadn't really connected it yet, but 7 more Braves wins and his retirement probability skyrockets.

 

[SteveA]

Anyone watching NLCS Game 2?

I'm still at work, and I have gameday on.

And the first pitch of the game was shown as a ball (green) and basically at Acuna's face/head.   And the result was "hit by pitch".

Then it said "injury delay".

I looked back a minute later and Acuna had struck out on 3 pitches.

What happened, a ball up and in that they overruled and said he swung?   And it didn't hit him after all?

Did it look intentional?   I rememer Acuna had an exuberant celebration after his big double in the top of the 9th last night .

What actually happened today?   

[eddie83]

2 hours ago, SteveA said:

Anyone watching NLCS Game 2?

I'm still at work, and I have gameday on.

And the first pitch of the game was shown as a ball (green) and basically at Acuna's face/head.   And the result was "hit by pitch".

Then it said "injury delay".

I looked back a minute later and Acuna had struck out on 3 pitches.

What happened, a ball up and in that they overruled and said he swung?   And it didn't hit him after all?

Did it look intentional?   I rememer Acuna had an exuberant celebration after his big double in the top of the 9th last night .

What actually happened today?   

I’m watching the game but missed the start.  
 

Dodgers need to wake up.  

[spiritof66]

23 hours ago, Frobby said:

I hope I’m wrong, but Nick Markakis looks done to me.

Nick sure looked bad in the opener, but he's 2 for 4 with a walk tonight.

[OFFNY]

On 10/12/2020 at 5:22 PM, eddie83 said:

 

This ALCS is reminding me a little of 2014 ...... so far, Tampa Bay can do no wrong. 

 

o

 

Unlike the 2014 Royals, the Rays had the best record in the American League in the regular season, and are pretty heavy favorites to beat the 29-31 Astros.

 

o

[OFFNY]

o

 

21 year-old )Cristian Pache )has a grand total of 4 Plate Appearances in his Major League career, and he is starting in a League Championship Series game ...... good for him. ) 

25 year-old )Kyle Wright )inked what was a franchise record-breaking $7 Million signing bonus as a 1st-Round Draft Pick out of Vanderbilt University in 2017.

 

In the last 3 seasons combined (2018 - 2020), )Julio Urias )has accumulated a 2.73 ERA and a 1.082 WHIP over 138.67 Innings Pitched.

 

 

(N.L.C.S.) )))))) (GAME THREE)

 

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Markus Lynn Betts - RF

Corey Seager - SS

Justin Turner - DH

Maxwell Muncy - 1B

William Smith - C

Cody James "C.J." Bellinger - CF

Joc Russell "J.R." Pederson - LF

Edwin Rios - 3B

Christopher Armand Taylor, Jr. - 2B

Julio Cesar Urias Acosta - LHP )) (3-0, 3.27 ERA)

 

ATLANTA BRAVES

Ronald Jose Acuna Blanco, Jr. - RF

Frederick Freeman - 1B

Marcell Ozuna Idelfonso - DH

Travis d'Arnaud - C

Ozhaino Jurdy Jiandro Albies - 2B

James Dansby "J.D." Swanson - SS

Michael Austin Reilly - LF

Johan Valentin Camargo Ramos - 3B

Cristian Pache - CF

Kyle Hardy Wright - RHP )) (2-4, 5.21 ERA)

 

https://www.mlb.com/starting-lineups

 

o

[Just Regular]

See what happens when you sit Nick Markakis.

We could need the Little League rule for this one.  I expect a mutual adjournment post haste, but if the Dodgers really wanted there could be a 30-3 run here.  I think if the hitters lock, Snitker won't let them work the good middle relievers and we'll get postseason position player pitching.

We'll see Bottom 1 Acuna, Freeman, Ozuna transmit the let's make outs fast code.